Chapter 2! Moving right along, I hope you all enjoy!
"Aku Doragon, literally Demon Dragons," an image of a green dragon coiled around a blade popped up onto the screen. "One of the most prominent Triad clans in the part 50 years."
"And they are the ones behind this attack?" Geo-Force asked inquisitively looking at the picture. "The symbol is the same one that can be found on the statue?"
"That's correct," Batman acknowledged. The Caped Crusader had called them all back to the Hub Warehouse. One of the many underground bases he'd scattered around the country. His mere presence, even over a video monitor had caused all traces of dissent to disappear from the group. No one, but no one wasted the Batman's time. "The attacks were managed by a lower level lieutenant."
"Lower level is right," Halo scoffed. "The guy went down like a punk. So what now? We go after these gangsters?" Black Lightning looked at his companions. Everyone but Katana was eagerly hanging onto Batman's words not wanting to miss a thing. Katana on the other hand sat on the far end of the small briefing room, hey eyes focusing on no particular object.
Ever since the warehouse she'd been unusually quiet, even more her. Naturally, Black Lighting had been worried. He'd almost freaked out asking her what was wrong, trying to get some response before Metamorpho had taken him aside and told him to just give her space. The others, it seemed weren't too concerned about Katana's condition. After all it wasn't as if she was acting different that how she normally did. Distant and a bit callous.
"She just had a lot of baggage," Metamorpho had said. "Maybe this mission just brought up some things from the past."
"No," was Batman's one word response.
"Oh come on!" Halo groaned jumping up. A stern look from Batman sent her straight back into her seat. Hands neatly folded across her lap.
"Situations with organized crime are always complicated. We can't just go in and arrest them all without creating a power vacuum in the underworld. I'm already working on something. In the meantime, good job." He acted as though everyone was dismissed so the Outsiders carefully rose from their seats and walked out chattering and arguing as they went. Everyone that is, except, Katana.
Black Lighting stopped well short of the door and looked back at her. "You coming?' he asked.
The girl raised her head and gave him a small smile that said "Don't worry, I'll be okay." Even though she hadn't actually said anything Black lightning knew her well enough to know it was an act. She mostly certainly didn't have everything together. In fact it looked like she was breaking up. He moved to confront her when Batman raised a hand.
"I need a word with Katana," he said sternly. "Would you mind stepping outside for a moment?" Black Lightning took another look at Katana who nodded before exiting the room.
He mentally kicked himself. He must've looked like an idiot back there. Batman had it all under control, who was he to get in his way? What significance did Katana have to him anyway? He mentally kicked himself a second time. Everything, Katana had everything to do with him. They were teammates, comrades, friends.
She…she was the one he met first.
3 Years Prior
It began in Drismund, an old former ethnic town some twenty miles west of Gotham city. Three years earlier he'd been a punk in a no name neighborhood where a sudden business boom had given way nothing to bigger buildings and fancier shopping centers. The down and out just kept pushing on.
"This is the second time this week," an older gray haired man said shakily as he handed over another wad of cash in a white plastic grocery bag. "This is extortion. You're lucky I don't call the cops." An electrified fist suddenly found itself inches from the man's chin.
"Nah, it's just business, but you threaten to call the cops or complain to anyone again and it's gonna turn personal." The second figure said as the man raised his hands in the air. The figure turned and calmly walked out the door before bolting down the street.
"You there! Stop!" A young man in a dark blue hoodie turned to face the origin of the command fearing the worst. Three figures approached him boldly, toying with the handguns they each held at their sides. The young man glared at them from beneath the hood as his eyes darted around looking for a quick exit.
"How many times we gotta tell ya punk, this is Gandor territory. You ain't a Gandor and yet you keep comin round here. Waltzing into our protectorates and saying you're there to pick up the Big Mans money. You do know what we do to pretenders like yourself right?" the first man in a long black trench coat said.
"Man has to eat," Black Lightning snapped back, carefully fingering the bag. He gritted his teeth as he felt anger welling up inside of him again. All the little annoyances of the day always seemed to finally culminate in something this.
"That's easily rectified." The gangster grinned nastily as he leveled the gun. Slowly Black Lightning clenched one hand into a fist and suddenly raised it in front of him releasing a large crackle of electricity. The blast was raw with power, but unfocused, and untrained. The goons shielded theirs eyes and jumped backwards while he took the opportunity to duck down the nearest alleyway.
"Move!" the first goon commanded as the others took off after him. A chase ensued. The young teenager dodging the occasional shot and flying down alley after alley of dark and dismal streets until his pursuers were thoroughly worn out.
"Get Dalton on the phone!" the first one demanded. "We'll get the cars down here and splatter this little punks cranium all over 42nd!"
"Wait," the second one said as the group stopped. He pointed in the direction the teen had fled, a collection of old construction sites. "Maybe we don't have to."
"He's gone into 'her' territory?" The first gang member replied raising an eyebrow. "Heh, let's leave him be then. What's that they say about getting out of the frying pan and into the fire?"
Beneath a pile of old construction equipment Black Lighting took a deep breath as he saw his pursuers break off the chase. He glanced at his hand again as it crackled slightly. It was definitely going to take a little while to get used to these powers.
With an air of satisfaction he opened the bag and fished out the bills only to discover that there was only around one hundred dollars. Of course, he couldn't really have expected much more from such a small grocery store but then the bigger shops and establishments were all to well guarded. He banged his head up again the steel beam behind him. Ignoring the pain he went over the number in his head again trying to figure out just how long the money would last him.
The sound of metal sliding out of a sheath snapped him out of his stupor. He knew that sound. He'd been in enough fights with gangs to know the sound of a knife being drawn. There was a whistling sound above him, more out of instinct than anything else Black Lightning threw himself forward as a split second later a dust cloud arose from the spot he'd been moments before.
He looked upwards, fists clenched and electricity cackling once again. He peered into the cloud as it settled. He raised an eyebrow as a girl emerged wielding an enormous sword. Her eyes widened as if he wasn't exactly what she'd been expecting either. The two looked at each other fiercely when something clicked. Something told him that this girl wasn't looking for a fight, that she was more scared of him than he was of her. Slowly, Black Lightning pulled his arms back.
"Look," he said calmly. "I don't want any trouble alright?" The girl continued to stare at him suspiciously.
"Why don't you just put the sword down and we'll go our separate ways alright?" The girl just kept staring at him, sword raised and ready to fight. "Do you even speak English?" he asked, a little annoyed at himself for rambling on like this without even seeing if the girl spoke the language.
Finally, the girl nodded and slowly lowered her sword. She drew and circle on the dirt beneath her and carefully etched a symbol into the ground.
"Triads," he asked, almost in a hushed voice as she finished drawing the symbol. She nodded, before shouldering the sword again. Something in her eyes was distant, lonely, full of sorrow. But it was mostly the silence, it surrounded the girl like a shroud. He was struck by a sudden curiosity, not quite a nagging urge but a desire nonetheless. What was this girl really like? She hadn't said a word and yet she'd possibly talked more with him than had any of the brain donors he'd conversed with in the last week.
"My name is Katana, student of Tadashi. Pleased to meet you…would you care to stay?" It was rudimentary English but the way she said it, the look in her eyes and this air of respect combined with danger created quite a unique sensation under the Drismund night sky. She bowed towards him and Black Lightning hurried to bow back.
"Um…yeah, my names, Bla…It's Jefferson actually, Jefferson Pierce and yes I'd like that very much."
That had been it, the start of a friendship, a relationship that was still going on to this day. One thing still gnawed at his conscious though. That symbol she'd drawn on the ground that first night. Was it back? What did this mean for Katana? What else could he do but wait?
At last Katana emerged from the room, silent and as calm as always. Black Lightning strolled up beside her as casually as possible, trying to hide his concern.
"Well," he asked. "What the big man say?" Katana looked at him sadly. The whole thing caught him off guard as he looked back in surprise. Then for the second time that day he pierced the vale.
"Jefferson," she said calmly. He poise and calmness were still there but the sadness in her eyes made it hard to bare. "I just want to thank you, for being my friend all these years. My companion, I'll never forget our time together." Black Lightning was about to reply when Katana leaned up and pecked him on the check. Before he could react, she was gone. Leaving him alone and stunned in the empty hallway.
He couldn't sleep. How could he go to sleep at a time like this? Nothing felt right with all this strange behavior was getting to him. And that kiss. He groaned as the memory. Rubbing his eyes he drug himself out of bed briefly glancing at the clock. Three thirty in the morning. He yawned as he opened his bedroom door. Suddenly, he felt an object by his foot.
Bending down he carefully prodded the object before picking it up. He turned it over in his hands and discovered the Outsiders symbol. Suddenly, it dawned on him that it was Katana's communicator.
Quickly he dashed down the hallways and into the conference room. He punched in the access codes and brought up the call screen. The other line answered and there appeared Batman looking at him amusedly and expectantly. Black Lightning just looked back coldly.
"What did you do?"
Thanks for reading!