Chapter 16
A/N: Hello everyone, welcome back! Good to see y'all again! Remember, I just own the OCs used in the story, nothing else is mine.
/comms/
Telepathy
Star City, September 11, 15:34PDT
A young man with pale brown hair stepped out of a cab closing the door as he reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. "Anything interesting?" another man said coming out from the other side.
"No, just double checking that this was the place," he replied putting his phone back in his jacket pocket.
"It is," the man nodded looking to the front of the building, frowning as he saw various flyers. "It seems the museum is advertising the relics we have been requested to see?"
"It would appear so," Haruo said walking up the steps. "However, if this relic is connected in any way, you do know we will have to remove the evidence."
"Unfortunately, it is a pity the world cannot know more about these wonderful creatures."
"We both know that there'd be mass panic of the news got out."
"Dr. Serizawa, Mr. Kai, it is an honor to meet you both," a man in a suit greeted them quickly walking over and shaking their hands.
"The pleasure is all ours," Dr. Serizawa said. "Now, what is the relic you wanted us to examine?"
"This way," the curator said. He quickly turned on his heel, walking briskly down the hall and down a short flight of stairs till they reached a room filled with glass cases of ancient weapons. Walking to one case, the director unlocked the case, gently picking up a golden dagger. It appeared to be two cobras, rearing around each other. "We were cleaning the dagger for the showing of ancient weapons from around the world when we found these strange symbols inscribed into hoods of the snakes. Every linguist we've called can't translate it. We were told you might be able to."
He handed the dagger over, and Dr. Serizawa carefully held the golden blade. Looking at it carefully, he traces the symbols down the bellies of the serpents as they wound around each other. "It appears to be a ritualistic dagger, ceremonial even. It was likely used by the ancients as a magical item."
"That's what many of the other archeologists we've spoken to said," the curator agreed reaching into the case and pulling out a small photo. "This tablet was found with the dagger, can you translate it?"
"I can't," Serizawa replied. "Haruo?"
He handed the photo to the young man, who took the blade in his hand carefully. His brows furrowed as he took in the blade, it seemed…familiar. "Well, I know this is a ceremonial dagger by the design alone. But the runes in this tablet…they read like a spell."
"A spell?" the curator asked curiously.
Haruo nodded, "Yes, in many cultures, snakes are seen as creatures of death or omens of doom. This tablet describes an ancient ritual used to bring about the Kali Yuga. Was this found in India?"
"The dagger was found in the islands of the South Pacific," the curator replied.
Haruo frowned looking over the blade again, "Odd, Kali Yuga is a term in Hinduism. It's said to be a stage the world goes through, it's basically an age of chaos," he explained. "However, this looks to be much older."
"It is," the curator confirmed. "Based on carbon dating we think that this tablet is about nine thousand years old. Which is why this is such a phenomenal discovery, it the date is right, that means we have found the world's oldest culture and civilization. This would change history as we know it!"
"That it would," Haruo said. "This dagger, according the spell, is used in a ritual to make a blood sacrifice to the serpent goddess Nozuki by one of her chosen priests, who were believed to be endowed with more power upon completion of the ritual."
"Fascinating," a new voice spoke, causing all heads to turn to see a group of five all clad in black with masks, one of whom was holding a young lady hostage, a gun pointed to her head. "and here we were thinking we hit the wrong place. Now, give us the dagger and no one gets hurt."
-.-
"You're kidding, right?" Artemis said raising a brow as she and Green Arrow landed on the roof across from the Star City World History Museum. "Who the hell would rob a museum in broad daylight?"
"Someone brazen," Green Arrow remarked.
"I'd love to nail this guy," she said pulling out her bow, and firing an arrow to let them zipline across to the windows so they could get in.
"How do you know it's a guy?" she heard her mentor laugh as they zipped across. Pulling a window open, the climbed inside, motioning those still stuck inside when the heist started towards some emergency exits.
"Ok, so she, or he, has to be around here somewhere," she said as they crept through the building. Coming to one room, they grabbed arrows, pressing themselves against the wall as they heard voices.
"Hand the dagger over or I'll kill her."
"Hostages," Artemis cursed. Things never went well when there were hostages.
Peering around the corner, she took in the situation. There were five assailants, four male, one female, all in masks. One of them held a gun to the head of a woman he held close by using his elbow to wrap around her neck. Across from the group, there were three other hostages, a man in a suit likely someone who worked there, an Asian man with glasses wearing a beaten jacket, and the last was a familiar-looking young man about her age with light brown hair holding a sparkling gold dagger with rubies on the hilt. That thing must be worth a fortune.
As the hostage handed the dagger over to the woman, Artemis covered her eyes as she saw her mentor fire and arrow from the edge of her vision. Blinding light filled the room, causing the robbers and hostages to give startled cries as they were all blinded. Taking their chance, the heroes moved in.
Green Arrow leapt at one, swinging his bow like a bat, uppercutting one of the men in the face as Artemis leapt in the air, delivering a spin kick to the robber holding the woman hostage. The force of her boot hitting his face causing the man's head to snap to the side, and he stumbled back, trying to keep his balance, and, as a result, released the hostage. The man raised his gun and started firing wildly, forcing all of them to duck behind various displays.
Glancing around the display she hid behind, Artemis cursed, those men wouldn't be holding their fire anytime soon, and the woman was getting away with the dagger. Pulling another arrow out, she firing it into the air towards the ceiling. Upon impact, the oil, filled tip burst, causing dark oil to fall from the air onto the men, blinding them once again as the dark liquid began to run down their faces.
On either side of her, Green Arrow, and the brunette boy leapt out, bashing the heads of the two men together, knocking them unconscious as two of the hostages took their chance to flee. "Good job kid, but you should leave this to the professionals," Green Arrow said wiping oil off his hood. "And you," he pointed to Artemis, "We're going to have a talk about weapons that don't raise the drycleaning bill."
"We can do that later," the boy said. "Right now, the priority is getting that dagger back."
"Haruo!" the Asian man called, stumbling out from behind the displays.
Artemis blinked, she knew that name. "Harou?" she repeated looking at him. He did seem familiar, but she could've sworn his hair had been more blonde. "Were you by any chance in Salem about a month ago?"
"If you mean to check on out mutual friend, Kent Nelson, then yes."
Her brows shot up, damn, talk about a small world. "I am Dr. Ishiro Serizawa, Mr. Nelson was a close friend of ours for years," the Asian man informed as he stepped forwards holding out his hand. "He was very helpful in keeping artifacts with mystical properties for our organization."
"Your organization?" Artemis asked, a frown forming on her face. It sounded suspicious.
"Zatara told me about it!" Green Arrow exclaimed excitedly like he just remembered something important. "He said your group studies and stores ancient weapons that would be bad if the bad guys ever got their hands on them!"
"That is one of the many things we do," Haruo nodded. "It just so happens, that the relic that was just stolen was one we were sent to investigate."
"Are you telling me that pretty little knife is supposed to be some sort of magical weapon?"
"Not supposed to be, it is," Dr. Serizawa confirmed with a worried frown. "And without knowing what exactly this weapon is capable, the results could be catastrophic."
Green arrow nodded, pulling out his phone, "Good news, I put a tracker on one of the guys who escaped." He turned the screen and they all watched as the blip flickered out being replaced by signal lost.
"Found and destroyed," Artemis quipped pulling out her own showing her own tracker, "micro-trackers in the oil."
"Nice."
"I have a good teacher."
-.-
Central City, 16:39CDT
"Ok, so you're on patrol and you hear the growl, but why call me to help with one escaped cheetah?" Kid Flash asked he ran after his mentor as they made their way towards the entrance to the zoo.
"One: I knew you'd have a large raw steak in your fridge. And two: it's not just one cheetah," Flash answered sliding to a stop as his protégé dodged the angry big cat as it yanked the steak out of his hand.
"Whoa," Wally said looking out towards the chaotic field around him. Animals of all types were running all over the place. People were climbing up onto the higher decorations and hiding behind bushes as angry rhinos stomped around and bears swiped at the structures, trying to get the civilians. Further back he could see a lion and some tigers challenging an elephant to a fight.
"First thing's first," Flash said.
"Isolate the animals?"
"Rescue the bystanders."
"Right, right," KF nodded. The pair split up running over the zoo, grabbing random people they found and yanking them to the entrance out of harm's way. "Ok, now isolate the animals?" Wally asked setting the last person he found down.
"You got it Kid!" Flash nodded, leading the way in. "Step one: herd." Circling the animals, they isolated the beasts into a group, their speed making sure the creatures couldn't catch them if they tried to charge, but it was also enough to intimidate them to keep them from attacking.
"And step two: contain," Kid Flash commented. "One trench coming up!" The two speedsters raced around in circles their quick paths slowly digging into the ground. As Flash passed him, Wally grumbled under his breath. What he'd give to actually be as fast as his mentor and stop dealing with all the slow jokes. "You're doing it again!"
"Sorry Kid—I know it—bugs you—when I—lap you—like this," Flash apologized as he lapped him. catching up again, Flash lead the way out of the trench. "But we needed this dug in a hurry so we could address the real problem."
"Figuring out who released these guys in the first place and why?" Kid finished.
The two speedsters spotted an officer waving at them, causing the pair to skid to a stop. "Thank you Flash, we can take it from here," the officer nodded, reaching for his walkie-talkie. "Tranq the animals and return them safely to their cages."
"Sir! Trouble in the reptile center!"
"We're on it!" Flash called. Sprinting into the center, the pair's eyes widened. "Wow, that's a lot of monkeys."
"Yep, SB would hate this," Kid Flash agreed as they ran around the display room, grabbing the problematic primates. "Seriously, I know this is a zoo—ah!" he yelped as one stuck its fingers up his nose and there was another chewing on his mask as the others kept trying to escape his arms, "but who needs this many monkeys? OW! Quit it!" Throwing the monkeys into the large cage that probably wasn't right, he slammed the door shut, locking it. The zookeepers could fix this later. Right now, he just wanted to get away from the infernal creatures. And he'd have to apologize to Superboy about teasing him about his hatred for monkeys; cause he was finally starting to understand it. "Almost done. Where to now?"
"Back to the reptile center," his uncle answered. "I spotted something."
"You're having another CSI moment aren't you?" Wally asked as he chased after Barry into the lab.
"Kid, I was a CSI before anyone knew what CSI stood for," Flash chuckled as he came to a stop in front of a fridge filled with labeled vials, "but, you don't need a degree in criminal sciences to spot what's wrong with this picture." The older speedster opened the fridge, pulling out one of the temperature regulated containers; an open, empty container. "Someone went trough a lot of trouble to create a diversion just to steal this," rotating the bottle, his brows furrowed as he read the label, "concentrated cobra venom."
"Uh, Flash, I think I'm having my own CSI moment," Kid Flash spoke up crouching down and looking over a set of footprints, "I'm betting no one on the zoo staff is sporting this style of size twenty-fours. And there's something else too…" he stood up putting on his goggles. "Switching to microscopic mode: pollen. Not like any I've ever seen in Central City. Take a sample and send it back to your lab and it should lead us straight to the thieves!"
"Great catch Kid," Flash praised, kneeling beside him and taking a swab, before putting it into a plastic bag he grabbed from the lab.
"I've got a good teacher."
-.-
Gotham, 21:48EDT
Robin landed behind mentor as they entered the observatory. Down below he could see several men in black walking out with one of them holding an unconscious man in a lab coat over their shoulder. Firing their grapples, and both mentor and apprentice swung down as the men opened fired on them. Letting his grapple go, Robin flipped through the air and kicked one of the armed thugs in the face, knocking him to the ground
He heard a batarang zip thrigh the air and one of the planetarium models came crashing to the floor, landing on one of the men. Seeing his chance, Robin sprinted away and sprung off one of the kidnappers and perched onto the model. One of the men protecting the massive man holding the hostage turned his weapon towards him.
Fortunately for him, the idiot didn't realize that he was standing, on a giant ball. Stepping backwards, the massive sphere began to roll towards them, causing the gunner to scream and scramble away, dropping his weapon. However, his massive buddy, did not get the memo to move.
Instead, Robin stumbled as it was brought to a sudden stop, and he leapt off before muscle-man punched the model away, causing it to hit his mentor. Landing behind the kidnapper, Robin leapt up at him, grabbing the scientist, trying to free him. As he pulled on the man, Robin yelped as his feet were yanked out from under him and he was swinging around the massive man, before his eyes widened and a massive fist came at him.
-.-
"Robin?" Batman spoke as the boy groaned, sitting up.
His head throbbed, and he was pretty sure he was going to have a massive bruise across his face in a few hours. "Feeling the aster," he muttered. Something on the ground lied just beside him and the Boy Wonder it up. It was an ID of the victim: Dr. Jason Burr, the lead astronomer for the observatory.
"STOP!" he heard Batman shout, causing his head to snap up as his mentor lunged towards the men. Looking to them, Robin's eyes widened as he saw all of them popping something into their mouths before they started foaming at the mouth.
Eyes going wide, he spotted one reaching towards his mouth and hurled one of his disks, knocking the pill from his hand. As the man made a move to lunge at the pill Batman grabbed him.
Ignoring the interrogation, going on to his left. Robin looked at the evidence in his hand. Something was going on here, and they needed to find out what, fast. Otherwise, he had the feeling something really bad was going to happen.
-.-
Minneapoilis, September 12, 21:57EDT
"This is the place," Robin whispered as they crept up the steps of a building. "The Khwam Samakhkhi New Age Temple, built in 1983, abandoned in 1991, recently purchased by one Jeffery Burr the fraternal twin brother of our kidnapping victim." Slipping through the doors they closed them, the sound of the door closing barely noticeable over the echoing chant they could hear. They followed the sound of the chanting, creeping into a large chamber. Down below, they could figures in red robes bowing towards an altar as Shimmer and Mammoth stood near the restrained astronomer. A cloaked figure stode down the center path towards the altar. "But he's better known as Kobra."
Kobra raised his hand, silencing the chanting. "For thousands of years, we have waited for the Kali-Yuga, and tonight, the moon and the stars are in alignment for the rite. A rite of blood. Tonight, I, the heir of Nozuki, will bring about the prophesied age of chaos!"
"HAIL NAGA-NAGA! HAIL KOBRA!"
"Shit," Kaiser muttered pulling up the hood to his trenchcoat. "That dagger is a magical artifact used for sacrificial spells."
"And the result of these rituals?" Batman spoke.
"The wielder is supposed to be a high priest, and when the sacrifice is made it's supposed to grant them power," Haruo replied. "But the rest of the tablet was broken away, it didn't say what."
"Either way, I'm guessing human sacrifice is a bad idea," Kid Flash said.
"When it comes to Nozuki, very," Kaiser replied leaping from the balcony. "Jikagon lī qilōni dohaeragon zirȳla aril!" A white ring of light exploded around him as he landed on the ground. The blast of magic sent a large group of the cultists flying back, creating an opening in the room for the rest of the heroes to leap down.
Flash and Kid Flash were the fastest to respond, instantly racing down from the upper level into the main temple chamber and slamming into standing cultists as the others leapt down. Artemis landed between two men, kicking them away as Robin fought nearby, using his nightsticks to fend off the attacking cultists as they attempted to overwhelm the heroes.
Kaiser ran towards the altar when Mammoth stomped in his way. Skidding to a stop, the young man bared his fangs as his hair and eyes began to glow blue. "Step out of the way, because I promise I can go right through you."
"Ivestragī se ānogar naejot," Kobra recited swatting a batarang aside with the dagger before he lowered it again, digging it slightly into the sacrifice's chest enough to draw blood, "lī qilōni gryves aōha kustikāne." He turned to Shimmer, holding the bloody dagger up as she opened the lid, allowing a cobra to slither out, "Rōvēgrie Deva Nozuki, nyke jiōragon iā netla'aato hen ānogar. Tepagon aōha riña aōha rutol se yaw'lri!"
A drop of blood fell from the dagger into the serpent's mouth and it began to glow. The light consumed the snake, blinding them room and forcing those around to cover their eyes. When the light faded, they were greeted by a cobra the size of the chamber.
"Qogralbar!" Kaiser cursed, picking up Mammoth and hurling him into the massive snake. The massive mutant slammed into the monster's head, knocking it through the wall, causing part of it to collapse. "He's finished the first part of the ritual!"
"First part?" Artemis said. "You mean that," she pointed to the massive snake, "isn't the end result?"
"If I remember correctly, no," Kaiser frowned as a familiar feeling of dread filled him, "the end result of this ritual is much, much worse."
"Does that mean you know how to undo it?" Batman said.
"Yes," Haruo nodded. "I can undo it, but I need the dagger."
Batman nodded, "We'll handle the serpent, you four get the dagger."
"And protect the hostage!" Green Arrow chimed as he raced past after the snake slithering towards the city.
"What are we, kids?" Kid Flash grumbled.
"Says Kid Flash," Artemis replied firing an arrow, causing foam to explode over cultists and solidify to contain them.
"Hate to interrupt your latest romantic moment, but we have work to do," Robin reminded, kicking a cultist in the face.
"One of you get the dagger, I'll handle the big guy," Haruo said. Charging forwards, he slid under a punch from the mutant being and he leapt up, blue flames on his fist as he hit the beast with an uppercut. Stumbling back, smoke rising from the clear burn on his jaw, Mammoth roared and leapt at him. Kaiser ducked under a punch, grabbing the beast's fist, he slammed his combat boot into the creature's knee, causing it to buckle. As he collapsed, Kaiser threw him over his head and into a group of cultists. The young man grimaced as he heard bones of the unfortunate followers crunch, but considering their choices in life, they kind of had it coming.
"NO!" Robin screamed, causing Kaiser's head to snap in the direction of the altar.
Kobra stabbed the dagger into his brother's chest, and a green mist began to glow around the blade. "Rōvēgrie Deva Nozuki, rȳ bisa ānogar uaaolaml, tepagon nyke aōha rutol naejot maghagon se elo hen qrīdronnor se morghon!" As he spoke the chant, the soft mist turned to a green smoke as bright light began to surround Kobra and the dagger. His brother screamed as the mist surrounded his body, seeming to dissolve it as it moved to Kobra, flowing into his skin as green scales began to grow from his body as he grew in height.
When the smoke faded, the young heroes froze as they saw what was in front of them. "Yesss. My dear brother's sacrifice is complete, and I am now the god I was fated to be," the serpent being hissed his large hood spreading out as he rose to full height his long serpentine body writing as his claws dug into the empty altar. "All hail Naga-Naga, all hail Kobra."
"I take it that is the final result of the ritual?" Artemis asked.
"Yep."
"Well, we need to make our move now, while Naga-Naga basks," Robin chimed in.
"I can reverse the ritual, if you get me that dagger," Hauro stated. Running forwards, he grabbed Mammoth's prone form and hurled him into the monster. The impact knocked the so-called god to the ground, causing the room to shake and some of the roof to collapse on the beast. "One minion down."
"One to go!" Robin cackled as he flipped over Shimmer. She whirled on her heel, lifting he leg in an attempt to kick the Boy Wonder. Her balance was thrown off as the protégé of the Dark Knight grabbed her leg and shoved her away. As she stumbled trying to regain her balance, an arrow hit her, bursting into a rope that wrapped around her arms. Shimmer lost her balance from the impact and she fell to the ground, her head slamming into a step and knocking her out. "That's all the minions accounted for."
"Yes," a deep rumble echoed in the room as the rubble on the far side of the chamber shifted. A large tail slammed into them, sending them all flying into the wall. Landing on the ground, the group of teens glared up as Kobra rose to his full height. "But not their master. Not their God!"
"You're no god," Haruo hissed, baring his fangs.
"I was chosen by the high goddess Nozuki herself," Kobra snarled swinging his tail again, knocking through several columns causing more of the monastery to collapse. "I am a—"
His rant was cut off as Kid Flash kicked him in the face as he leapt off the wall, and landed on the ground. "Can we hurry this up? I have school tomorrow."
"No kidding, I have an essay due tomorrow!" Artemis agreed pulling out an arrow and firing. The arrow flew through the air, hitting the naga-beast in the face and causing an explosion that knocked him back.
"Kaiser!" Robin called landing beside the mysterious hero holding the dagger. "What's the plan?"
"You distract him, I undo the ritual," Kaiser said taking the dagger.
"Got it!" Robin replied. Running back to his teammates he threw several explosives hitting Kobra in the face, causing the monster to roar with rage. His large tail swung around the room, causing them to dodge as he hit a few more columns, knocking them down, causing what remained of the ceiling to collapse onto the ground.
Kaiser worked quickly as the others fended off Nozuki's nolremr, drawing several runes on the ground, his eyes and hair began to glow as he begun his own chant, "Eglie Jaes Atua, dārys ōño se zōbrie, wmdu skoros ēza issare gaomagon, pryjagon bisa vējes's donalm. Mōris bisa azantys's ondor ōregon se wmdu skoriot lanta ēdas votuyo mēre!" The dagger floated into the air, a blue glow around it as it turned in the air. Thrusting his hands forwards, the knife flew through the air and hit Kobra in the chest.
Kobra screamed, his roar shaking the ground as glowing cracks spread across his skin. Realizing what was happening everyone took cover as blinding light and heat overtook the area. As it faded away, trails of smoke could be seen rising from the ground where two separate halves of the snake-dagger could be seen lying on the ground.
"Did it work?" Kid Flash asked popping out from his hiding spot.
"It worked," Artemis called helping a man down from the altar. "Are you ok?"
"Fine…I think," the man replied. "My brother, what happened to him?"
"Escaped," Robin replied emerging from the shadows. "He must've used the blast caused by the…spell breaking, to escape."
"That's fine," a new voice said as they all saw Flash slide to a stop beside them. "What matters is that you all saved the hostage and took out his minions. Good work kiddos."
"There are cells waiting for Mammoth and Shimmer at Belle Reve," Batman spoke, "Kobra will join them soon enough."
"Good work kids!" Green Arrow praised. "Any problems?"
"Nope!"
"You kidding? No way!"
"This whole thing, psh, kid stuff."
-.-
Hall of Justice, September 13, 04:35EDT
"The two halves of the dagger are secured and will be transferred to a secure location," Kaiser said closing a lead-lined case as Dr. Serizawa picked up the other case.
"And may I ask where these cases are going?" Green Arrow spoke up.
"The less you know, the better," Haruo said.
"But how will we know if they've been taken again?" Flash asked.
"It is unlikely they will be taken or the perpetrators will escape should they try to steal them where they are going," Dr. Serizawa replied. "But we thank you for your help in securing the daggers. If Kobra had succeeded in completing the full ritual, the results could have been much worse."
"I take it this has to do with the mission of Monarch?" Batman asked.
"You know the answer to that, even if we were at liberty to answer," Haruo answered walking towards the exit. "As much as I enjoy meeting up with you my old friend; pray our paths do not cross again."
A/N: hey everyone! Hope y'all liked the chapter, I know it was a little different than to normal chapters, but i had my reasons for including it. Anyways, remember, Haruo/Kasier belongs to twilightnite13. And as for updates, it may be a little bit cause I have finals this upcoming week. So, I'll see y'all in the next chapter.