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Planet of the Bravest 5
Chapter 10: Where Monsters gather
There was an experience Alex hadn't yet had, being incredibly drunk and the hangover the night after. He could cross the hang over off of his list, as he woke up with blurred vision, a massive headache, a dry mouth, sleep in his eyes and a massive headache, but above all confusion over where he was. His eyes adjusted to the surroundings, he was in a hospital room, a gown covering him. Rikai hovered beside his bed, his arms crossed as always.
"What the hell happened?" Alex asked.
"You encountered a clown," Rikai said.
The horrifying memories flooded back, remembering Joker's laugh, Harley's affectionate touch and his own forced confession. Rikai looked to the door, disappearing as someone walked towards it. An overweight detective walked into the room, taking little care with his entrance. He was dressed in a brown coat, with a fedora resting on his head. His partner, a Latino woman, shook her head from embarrassment.
"Detective Harvey Bullock," the man said.
"Detective Renee Montoya, how are you feeling Mr Winters?" the woman asked.
"Call me Alex please, and I feel like crap," Alex said.
He rubbed his eyes and climbed out of bed, looking around for his clothes. His legs shook as he walked towards the chair his effects had been piled on.
"Same reaction every person has when exposed to Joker venom, welcome to Gotham kid," Bullock said.
"What brings you to Gotham city Alex?" Montoya asked.
"Business, I work for Lex Luthor, he's started a partnership with the Arkham foundation, you can call both offices to confirm, talk to Bruce Wayne too, he planned the project," Alex explained.
He took a seat and a glass of water, pouring the precious contents down his throat. The detectives were an annoyance to him at this point, he couldn't get the images of the Joker and Harley Quinn out of his head. When a nurse walked in, his vision flashed between her and Quinn. Alex covered his eyes with the palm of his hand and looked down.
"We have pain killers for you Mr Winters," the nurse said.
"Its Alex, and no thank you, I'm fine," Alex said.
"I'm sorry, but could we have a moment alone?" Montoya asked.
The nurse nodded her head, leaving the detectives with Alex. Montoya took a nearby chair and sat on it.
"You've been through a very traumatic experience Mr...Alex," she corrected herself.
"No shit," Bullock muttered.
Renee shot a look at her partner, then looked compassionately at Alex.
"I've experienced Joker venom, nowhere near the dosage you had, but it actually had me smiling for a month, back then our treatment for it wasn't as advanced as it is now. Its hit and miss still, there are people who permanently smile now, or just randomly laugh at times, there are worse side effects, seizures and even insanity, there was that newscaster Jack something, Jack Ryder, yeah he's running around half naked in Arkham right now, yellow skin, green hair, he's apparently more violent than the Joker," Montoya explained.
"The point she's trying to make kid, is that you're going to be all right," Bullock said.
Again Renee glared at her partner, and his lack of tact.
"What do you want to know?" Alex asked.
"The Joker can leave quite an impression, most assume he does things at random, but there's always a little genius behind the insanity. He's broken people to use them before, we wanted to know one of the possible reasons he had for kidnapping you, this project with the Asylum is one of them," Renee explained.
"Which is why you should call Luthor and tell him you're not doing it," Bullock said.
"I'm no longer affected by the Joker venom, besides, my kidnapping had nothing to do with that," Alex said.
"What was it about then?" Renee asked.
"Harley Quinn, or Harleen Quinzel, she used to be my therapist. She got inappropriate, and that's all I'm saying about that," Alex said.
"Mr Winters..."
"Its Alex, and don't worry Detectives, this time, it was just Joker being crazy!"
He spotted both the subtle looks in their eyes. They suspected he was hiding something, though Alex hoped his statement about Harley would be their focus. As they left, he thought back to the moment of his kidnapping, to the drugs they pumped into him. Rikai then appeared beside him, already detecting what he was thinking about from their link. He displayed images of his white blood cells, zooming in on the machines that had been joining with them.
'Nanites, where the hell could Joker have gotten nanites?' Alex wondered.
"There are three possibilities, the mysterious backer of the villains, or Nihlus...he may have given technology to villains that could weaken your armour, or he could actually be the man backing the villains, as part of a plan to weaken Earth's defences against the Korwraiths," Rikai said.
'Maybe, maybe it could be to divert the League's attention, I admit we've been distracted by it, but there are better ways to sabotage Earth's defences, there's a whole military to sabotage,' Alex thought.
"Who says he's not sabotaging that already?" Rikai asked.
Unknown location
General Wade Eiling despised metahumans, but he understood better than anyone how useful they could be. The Wall was away on recruitment business, which left the general in charge of the facility, at least for now. As he oversaw the production of weapons and armour, that would turn the tide for the American government, he remembered the damage the first alien invasion had done. He had lost many soldiers that day, not to mention the civilians also lost. Help came in the form of seven heroes, six of whom were the most powerful beings on the planet. It was the Society all over again, masked men and women, most of whom had freakish power, went into sovereign states and forced their will on others. But people were blinded by all the good they did, they didn't stop to think about what the league could do, or even ask what it should do?
'They are a group of individuals, whom wield more power, and sadly more popularity than my own damn country does,' the general thought.
He wanted to ensure that the balance of power would remain in America's favour. The Wall was crossing lines, but had been able to do so in a way that left no witnesses. They had Captain Atom, a metahuman, but a good soldier, Steve Trevor would fall in line if ordered, and General Lane would too, despite admiring the league. Then there was the squad, a collection of killers and criminals looking out for their own self interests. Wade didn't try to hide the disgust on his face as he looked at several of the squad members.
Sitting in his cell, passive, body covered in tattoos was El Diablo. He was a small time gangster, and just another example of Wade's hatred for metahumans. Meta-genes as they were called, awoke in one out of ten thousand people, and that one happened to be a drug dealing, gang banging scumbag like Chato Santana. The man was lanky and dressed in a simple pair of jogging bottoms and sneakers. Even with the ink across his body, he wasn't all that intimidating. But he was in actuality a living furnace, able to alter heat and launch fire from his body. He had attacked the leaders of a rival gang, burning their product and their house. But the man had unwittingly killed the children and younger siblings of the rival gang member. Ever since then, Diablo went on missions for the squad, and came back.
Next was Voltaic, another street punk, whose real name Wade couldn't even recall without looking at his file. He was old enough to be recruited for the military, and when his meta-gene became active, he started robbing banks. Voltaic was even thinner than Diablo, in fact he was the kind of punk that Gotham didn't need Batman to deal with. He'd failed to make a significant impact, or develop a reputation, but he was useful to the squad at least and eager for the get out of jail free card.
Then there was Yo-Yo, Chang Jie-Ru, he'd already been an infiltrator and saboteur before his powers awakened. He could alter his bone structure and mass, enabling him to stretch limbs, become as light or thin as paper and expand his body. The man wasn't insane like other members of the squad, yet still he was a criminal and a metahuman. Wade wanted soldiers, not monsters.
"General Eiling?"
He turned, dropping his glare for a professional smile. There she was, Amanda Waller, the woman behind the project. She had a good career in special ops, and was an educated woman too with a doctorate in meta-human studies and psychology. Her hair was cut short and she typically wore business suits with trousers as opposed to skirts.
"How did things go in Washington ma'am?" Eiling asked.
"Another refusal for a grant, we can only get so far on private funding, don't worry, next time I'll bring one of the assets with me," Waller said.
"Scare tactics? Is that the best way to get what we need?"
"It's certainly a way," Waller turned on her heels and walked with Eiling through the dull halls of the facility.
"What do we have next on the agenda?" she asked.
"A new backer, he has quite a good reputation, he's in the meeting room waiting to give his proposal," Wade said.
They walked into the said meeting room, where a long table had been set out. Sitting on the table were other members of the project. They were all doctors naturally, the balding Hugo Strange sat furthest away from two of them. He was a psychologist, but a disturbing one too. Wade just felt off whenever he looked at the man. Second was Dr June Moon, a timid looking girl, but Wade felt she was more dangerous than Strange. Then there was Dr Kirk Langstrom, a man who in Wade's personal opinion was a disaster waiting to happen. The pale man twitched slightly as Waller looked at him. Her eyes then turned to the man standing at the edge of the table, in front of a projector screen.
He was a handsome man in his late thirties, his suit was neat and without creases. The man's brown hair was cheaply cut, and gelled slightly at the front. He had placed on the desk several files, which he slid over to Waller and the general's chairs. Waller and Wade one by one shook his hand, feeling a strong grip and confident grip. His guest badge read-Nicholaj Starken, yet when he spoke, his accent was clearly American.
"Pleasure to meet you both, sorry to drag you back into the work after Washington," he said.
"That's all right Professor Starken, so tell me, what are you bringing to the table?" Waller asked.
Wade smirked, Waller was a woman who liked to cut to the chase. Whatever small talk Nicholaj wanted to make was cast aside for the matter at end. He raised a remote, which he pointed at the projector and pushed a button. The formerly blank screen then showed images of the Justice Society, standing on the stage to accept the key to New York city.
"Before the nineteen eighties, one of the most prominent super powered groups was of course the society, afterwards we had the league," he clicked another button, showing the seven founding members of the league, when they received medals from the president. "Afterwards we saw a number of super powered beings coming out of hiding, and forming new groups," he showed images of the founding Titans, the Doom Patrol, and even Stormwatch.
"Have you come here simply to remind us of what we already know?" Hugo Strange asked.
"Yes, I thought I would waste everyone's time, I actually don't have a proposal," Nicholaj said.
"I'm not one who appreciates humour or sarcasm Professor, so tell us what you are suggesting," Waller said.
"Of course," he pushed another button, showing an image of a human genome. "This is a regular human genome, this is the genome of someone who has a Meta-gene, notice the very subtle differences. The meta-gene increases a person's chance of developing abilities, but my research with Star Labs has given me a greater understanding of the meta-gene. I believe the Meta-gene can be artificially given to others, and then all that is needed to activate that gene, is outside stimuli," Nicholaj explained.
"What you are suggesting is..."
"What I am suggesting General, is that if you are concerned about the accountability of the league, create your own league, create your own heroes, trained and professional soldiers, patriots whom are accountable for their actions, and answer to the American government!"
Waller put a hand to her chin as she thought of what Nicholaj had presented her with.
"Tell me, have you successfully tested this formula?" Waller asked.
Nicholaj simply smirked, someone suddenly tapped Waller on the shoulder. She turned, and saw nothing, Wade too had a look of confusion on his face. For a moment he could have sworn someone was standing in front of him. A sudden gasp from June, draw their attention back to Nicholaj. Standing beside him, was a man in a black and blue suit, with a blue visor over his eyes.
"I wouldn't be here without absolute proof that what I had created had worked," Nicholaj said.
"Miss Waller, General, my names Steve Whitman, I was a marine before my last mission two years ago paralysed me," the young man in the suit said. "Nicholaj gave me a second chance ma'am, sir, his formula repaired my body and has given me the ability to slow my perception of time and increased speed, call me Fracture!"
Waller stood up, her eyes narrowed at both men. A smirk then crossed her face as she offered her hand to Nicholaj.
"Your proposal Professor, is accepted!"
It didn't take long for Alex to be discharged from hospital. When he was, a limo was waiting for him. Standing at it were Bruce Wayne and his butler Alfred.
"They are indeed the real ones Alex, there is much we have to discuss with them," Rikai said.
Alex lifted his bag over his shoulder and walked over to the limo.
"Hello Mr Wayne, can we get down to business please?" he asked.
"Of course, go on in Alex," Bruce said.
Once they were driving, an awkward silence set in, especially as Rikai's avatar form appeared next to Alex, and visible to Bruce's naked eye. Gears started turning in Alex's head as he started piecing little details together.
"You're Batman," Alex said.
"And the penny drops," Alfred muttered.
"Rikai managed to breach my firewalls, which means I want you to help strengthen them, but before that we have stuff to do at Arkham," Bruce explained, he didn't speak in the tone he used to, even without his synthesiser, he sounded more like he did as Batman.
"Why do you want me to go to Arkham?" Alex asked.
"To look at the prison and tell me what could be done to improve it, and also to see where monsters live," Bruce said.
"Monsters? Is this about what I said to Green Arrow?"
"He deserved that, but there is another issue, the problem is still there, the danger to Oliver's family is still there," Bruce explained.
"I know that, but we can't just turn our backs and do nothing," Alex retorted.
"I'm not saying we should, for now, come with me to Arkham, think about something besides the enhanced villains or the Korwraith's for a change," Bruce said.
Alex shook his head, and looked out of the window. He saw the dying trees and misstreated road to Arkham. Then, as Alfred began to park the limo, he saw Arkham Asylum itself. Its gothic architecture had changed very little, in fact, some parts of it were in disrepair. Alfred opened the door for Alex, and together he and Bruce walked up to the main entrance. They emptied their pockets, handing them to the guards. The guards were in simple uniforms, with leather holsters and simple clubs strapped to their belts. A man with a bowl haircut waited for them, alongside a balding overweight man in glasses.
"Welcome to Arkham Asylum Mr Winters, Mr Wayne," Jeremiah Arkham said.
"Quincy Sharpe I presume," Bruce said, shaking the warden's hand.
"Mr Wayne, I'm glad someone has decided to help us in the important part we play in Gotham's security," Sharpe said.
"You need to give your men more secure holsters and ideally ID locked weaponry, LexCorp sells it at a reduced price for public security agencies," Alex explained.
The three men looked at Alex in shock, his first words in the prison were already a criticism of how the place was run. A small smile crept across Bruce's face, he'd taken the first step in helping Alex. He could see it in Alex's eyes, before, he had solved problems as they came. Now, he was looking at things, and thinking about solutions to the potential problems. Jeremiah led them on a tour of the prison, showing them treatment centres, guard quarters and even the botanical garden.
"A garden?" Alex asked, raising his eyebrows as if to say 'really!'
"I know what you're thinking, but the garden is a part of the Asylum's history and its proven very effective at treating and distracting patients, even with Poison Ivy here," Jeremiah explained.
"You just said two words there that are the exact reason not to have a garden here," Alex said.
"He raises a good point Arkham, the first thing I suggested when Isley came here was to tear out all the plants and replace the garden with a new wing," Sharpe explained.
"Actually, I think putting a dome around the garden would be better, create a controlled environment in which the plants are looked after. Poison Ivy typically gets agitated when plants aren't looked after," Alex said.
The Asylum itself was gritty and dark, and even the minimal security ward was filled with violent patients.
"These conditions are no better than animals, believe it or not, there are humane ways to keep someone locked up, especially when those people are ordinary people. The padding in the cells needs to be replaced, give them comfortable beds and let them feel a little more human, it's no wonder those guys in the straight jackets are acting like animals."
"You need to put these cameras in different places, and make them less obvious too, the casing on them is easy to break. Even malls use cameras protected by domes, but for high security areas you should hide the cameras. I know of several different designs that are as effective as what the government uses, but affordable considering the Asylum's budget."
"That's another thing Sharpe, the budget is all over the place, you're not spending a consistent amount of money each month, guards that are incompetent are getting bonuses, and you're getting cheaper second hand replacement equipment, sometimes none at all. Maybe if you didn't build secret rooms you would have more money to spend on the Asylum itself.
Even Bruce was genuinely shocked when Alex uncovered a secret room in Sharpe's office. Alex looked at the city blue print and scoffed.
"Arkham City, that's a disaster waiting to happen, stop putting money away for your secret projects, the only way you would get something like this approved is if you become mayor. And I suppose only Gotham city would be stupid enough to vote a guy like you into office," Alex explained.
"What? How dare..."
"I think we should move onto maximum security," Bruce said, patting Sharpe's shoulder.
"I agree Mr Wayne," Jeremiah said, trying not to hide how amused he was by Sharpe's outrage.
Bruce though was concerned, as much as Quincy may have deserved it, Alex was acting more like his old self. He wasn't going to chalk it up to Sharpe just not having Alex's respect either. The group walked towards the maximum security ward, Alex looked at the metallic door they had to go through. It had numerous electronic locks and voice verification codes. Once the doors were open, they walked into a new ward entirely. Shatter proof glass walls separated some of the inmates from the rest of the prison, where guards patrolled. On a metallic walkway, marksmen also walked up and down.
"Welcome to the most heavily guarded place in Arkham, the maximum security wing, home to some of the deadliest criminals in Gotham, our general 'lost causes' if you ask me," Sharpe explained.
"No one is a lost cause warden," Jeremiah retorted.
"Are you speaking for us, or yourself old friend," a voice spoke from one of the cells.
Jeremiah avoided paying the man any attention, but what he said caught Alex's eye. He was a short and thin framed man, dressed in the red Arkham prison outfit. A pair of glasses, held together by tape rested on his nose.
"Alex Winters, Harley's told me stuff about you, suicide isn't at all uncommon from children of your background," the man said.
"Doctor Jonathon Crane, complete psychotic breaks aren't at all uncommon from men of your background," Alex retorted.
A concealed fury spread across Crane's face as he pushed his glasses up his nose.
"A psychotic break? I suppose it's easy for an outsider to say that, I'd have thought an intelligent man such as yourself knew that things aren't nearly as others perceive," Crane explained.
"You were a pretty decent chemist, to make a gas that stimulates epinephrine and norepinephrine, two hormones responsible for emotions," Alex stated, as if he was reading from a textbook.
"Indeed, most have written off my gas as simply a fear hallucinogen, the mind itself forms the illusions, my gas simply stirs the right hormones. I believe that's why recently the Atom approached me about a project the League was working on, in fact I have it on good authority that Victor has been approached about the same thing!"
"If the Justice League are stupid enough to turn to you for help Crane, they deserve what the critics say," Sharpe huffed.
Alex turned away from the man and began walking to some of the other cells.
"I'd like to get you on the coach someday Mr Winters...obviously not the way Harley wanted you," Crane grinned as the young man left.
They next moved onto the cell of a man whose face had been horribly burned on the left side. He sat on the edge of his bed and looked at Alex. Alex however was looking at the walls, and even touching the glass.
"They haven't fixed the electronics," the burnt man said.
"Excuse me?" Alex asked.
"The electronics, they control our cell doors, the wires are built into the walls. I remember one of those numerous times Quinn's allegiance had flipped, when she grabbed a guard's gun and tried blowing Joker's brains out. She failed miserably, but put a few holes in the wall, Joker crossed a few wires and then...every cell in this ward opened. It kept Batman entertained for a few days but eventually we were all put back," the man stood up and walked around his cell, running his burnt hand across the side of the wall.
"You're Harvey Dent," Alex said.
"Half," Dent retorted.
He looked past Alex's shoulder, and straight at Bruce.
"Still trying to save Gotham are we old friend?" Dent asked. "Idiot, you can't save what doesn't want saving, you shouldn't have brought the kid here Wayne, he ain't ready to meet the monsters," his voice took on a much different tone, more aggressive.
Alex stepped away from the cell, looking away from the man they called Two-Face.
"What about privacy here?" Alex asked as he walked away from the cell.
He motioned in particularly to Harley Quinn's cell.
"We once tried to give Quinn a cell in the women's ward, but she was far too aggressive, she bit one of the orderlies ears off," Jeremiah explained.
"There are no cameras in the cells," Quincy said.
"What about the cells for the super powered individuals?" Bruce asked.
"If you'd just follow me," Jeremiah said.
He led them to another metallic door. Removing a key card from his neck, he slid it across the control panel, then waved it to Alex.
"We learnt from the Joker incident and gave the most dangerous prisoners their own cells, this is the only key that can access those cells," Jeremiah explained.
The lighting in the new section was darker than the previous area. There was light only in the first cell they saw. Alex squeezed his hands into fists as he looked at the grinning face behind the glass.
"Hello Alex, was our little therapy session as liberating for you as it was for me?" Joker asked.
"Why is he here?" Alex asked.
"Joker may not have any special abilities, but he is undoubtedly the most dangerous prisoner in Arkham," Jeremiah said.
"You aiming to insult us doc?" a voice asked from one of the other cells.
Alex walked around the corner, and saw a design of cell he found appalling. It was on a lower level than Joker's cell was. Bones had been scattered across the floor, and the smell of dead flesh filled Alex's lungs. The scaly man lying in his own waste looked up at Alex and grinned. He stood up, and Alex saw he was heavily built, able to lift things twice his size, and he was a big man.
"Alex Winters, meet Waylon Jones, AKA Killer Croc," Quincy Sharpe said.
"These bars..."Alex began, then shook his head.
"They are titanium, extremely difficult to break I assure you," the warden acted as if there was nothing wrong.
"Animals get better conditions than these," Alex retorted.
Sharpe was taken aback by the glare across Alex's face. Bruce smirked as Alex looked at the cell again.
"If someone falls down there, they're dead, and these aren't titanium, they're iron," Alex said.
He looked up at the ceiling and the unprotected lights.
"You need better lighting too, if only so at the off chance Joker gets out the guards won't be snuck up on," Alex walked around the cells, to one that belonged to a continual shifting blob of dirt.
The dirt formed a face, a body, and arms and legs. Clayface lashed out at the wall, only to be electrocuted.
"A specific electronic frequency will keep Clayface's form at a manageable shape and density," he continued walking around the room, spotting faults, but he wasn't foolish enough to point them all out, such as the walls not being of a similar material to the door. He had composed a mental list, which he would write out once he'd started the actual upgrades to the prison.
Finally he came to the last cell in the room. A hand immediately slammed against the glass, green eyes narrowed as they looked at him.
"You, your brother is holding that poor plant hostage!"
Alex groaned, hitting the glass with his head.
"It's an artificial plant, designed to create atmospheres, NOT SOMETHING YOU PUT ON DISPLAY!" he yelled.
Poison Ivy blinked in confusion, then put a hand to her chin.
"It creates atmospheres? It could be used to reverse the damage humanity has done to nature," she said.
"EXACTLY! SO STOP TRYING TO TAKE IT!" Alex yelled.
He then looked at Poison Ivy's cell, and saw that it was a glass box, that had trapped Poison Ivy's pheromones inside with her.
"Can I look at the gear guards use for going into the cell?" Alex asked.
"Sure," Jeremiah said.
"She was your first kiss wasn't she?"
Alex stopped, looking over his shoulder at Ivy. She was leaning against the cell, her arms crossed with a smirk across her face.
"Harley and I are good friends, she's opened up to me before, told me all of her little fears and secrets. I must say, you would have been better for her than Joker, she always had her little quirks, all you had to do was get over them. She told me what happened when she waited for you at your house one time, when she took her clothes off, when she kissed you, how you enjoyed it for but a moment," Ivy explained. "Just think, if you hadn't rejected her, you may have saved her life!"
"Shut up," Alex snarled.
"The truth hurts doesn't it?" Ivy asked.
"The truth, is that she's responsible for her own actions," Alex retorted.
Bruce saw the way Alex's hands shook and understood that there was guilt there, no matter how well Alex hid it. The rest of the visit went as well as could be expected, the warden was clearly angered by Alex outright saying he wasn't doing his job properly. They left the Asylum the same way they came, by that time the sun had set and it was raining. Driving through the streets of Gotham, Alex leant his head against the window, rubbing his brow in annoyance.
"No wonder Ivy keeps seducing guards, the damn breathers they used aren't actually filtering out the pheromones," he said.
He looked over at Bruce, who looked at him with the strong gaze he reserved for scolding Robin.
"Here it goes, the big lesson of the day right?" Alex asked.
"Tell me, what did you take away from that place?" Bruce asked.
"Gotham's barely keeping its super criminals off the streets, and they're all more dangerous than anything Metropolis has thrown out, save probably Lex," Alex explained.
"And I learnt something from you," Bruce said.
"Sharpe's Arkham City idea? We might be able to get him fired if that comes out," a small smirk crossed Alex's face.
"When you said Quinn had gotten 'inappropriate' you actually meant she tried to have sex with you!"
The smile faded and Alex cast his eyes to the ground.
"She was disturbed before she met the Joker, and I didn't tell anyone," Alex said.
"Who could you have told? At the time you didn't think it was such a big idea, you didn't know enough about the world to understand that your choices had consequences, that applies to everyone," Bruce explained.
Alfred stopped the car and took a deep breath. Clearly where they had parked caused him some emotional pain, as Alex saw the older man's eyes shine slightly. Bruce opened the door and didn't bother getting his umbrella out, he simply stepped out and walked into the alleyway. It was next to an abandoned theatre, in fact most of the street was run down. Alex followed him into the alleyway, seeing he had stopped in the middle of it. Bruce's eyes remained fixed on a specific spot on the ground, near a sewage gutter.
"Monsters wear many faces Alex, to me, the thought of a man killing for a wallet and a necklace didn't make sense. The world is cruel, the world is chaotic, and it doesn't always make sense," the older man explained.
He turned to Alex, and Alex saw the pain in Bruce's eyes.
"The first thing your parents taught you, was that you were here for a reason, to help them, in their eyes the world wasn't complicated. The last thing my parents taught me, was something different...dying in the gutter, for no reason at all, they taught me that the world only makes sense if you force it to. You have so much potential Alex, you don't have to resort to the kind of methods Waller would use to stop them," the man explained.
Alex actually found himself wiping a tear from his eyes.
"I am not responsible for what Harley Quinn has done, Oliver isn't responsible for what Waller has done, they each made their own choices," Alex said.
"Exactly Alex, consider yourself a day older," Bruce said as he walked past Alex, patting his shoulder.
LA-Nickolaj Starken's residence
Nickolaj walked into his apartment, facing the picture of his wife and child upwards. It was a habit of his, he'd face the photo downwards whenever he went out. Going into his living room, he wasn't surprised to see his latest business partner there.
"Mr Winters," the man smiled.
"Mr Winters is my father, please call me Dante!"
Dante sat on the sofa, two bodyguards behind him. One of them was clearly Steve Whitman, the man behind the mask of Fracture.
"Did Waller accept the proposal?" the boy asked.
"Indeed, and I've kept your involvement a secret as you've wanted it to be, are you still keeping this from your parents?"
"The Justice League made a mistake letting people know about the Korans, even if they stop it what then? They'll go back to maintaining the status quo, when they should be fighting to change this world," Dante explained.
"That's why you're going to reject their recruitment offer?" Nicholaj asked.
"I should, they don't work anymore, the world doesn't work anymore, I don't like Waller but she's only one who will go against the League," Dante said.
Nicholaj squeezed his hand into a fist, plates of grey armour suddenly began to slid across his body. He turned to Dante, the lenses of his helmet glowing red.
"The world can only work if you make it Dante," he said, and Dante hesitantly nodded his head, shaking his outstretched hand.
"You're right, Nihlus!"
Next Chapter 11: Dead as Krypton
Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, next time, Alex learns from both Lex and Superman