I first want to apologize to all of you. I know that I haven't updated in so long but it's just been a very difficult time. The last chapter had already been written so I just went ahead and posted it. This chapter took a lot longer to force out. I had to rewrite it a few times but I finally got it done. So, please don't be mad at me. I promised I wouldn't abandon this story and I fully intend to keep that promise. I'm planning about four more chapters and maybe an epilogue. Maybe not. I hope to get finished before school starts but don't be surprised if that doesn't happen. I'm kind of in an emotionally dead place right now. This chapter is short. Next one should be longer.
In Another Dimension:
"'Catch the cat,' he said! 'It'll be easy,' he said! 'Just follow the chaos,' he said! Hey! Did the little bird actually give us a 'how' on any of these things?" Flash demanded as he dodged another spell. They'd located Klarion. That'd been the easy part. The kid had left a pretty easy to follow trail. Not surprisingly, he hadn't been so keen on handing over his familiar.
"Robin gave us the key to finding Klarion. We found him. Now we catch the cat and we take both of them in. So stop being a baby and catch it!" Black Canary shouted as she dodged another one of Klarion's spells. She opened her mouth and let loose a scream sending Klarion back into a tree. He stood carefully and glared at the older woman, quickly dusting himself off.
"Fools! You should know better than to go looking for chaos! Haven't you learned anything by now? I got rid of your little brats and I'll get rid of you too!" The boy shrieked.
"Lantern, move!" Canary shouted. Hal ducked under another blast and made a grab for the cat.
"I don't think so, Hero. You want my kitty? Then take him!" Klarion cast another spell, this one on Teekl. A red light engulfed the feline morphing it into something new. The cat grew to the size of a tiger and roared.
"Well crap!" Hal hit the ground with about 700 pounds of enchanted cat sitting on his chest. "Okay, I'm with Flash, we could have used just a little bit more of a heads up." He gasped for breath. "Canary, I could use a little help!" Teekl's teeth snapped in front of his face only to be met with the green energy of his power ring.
"Go get Lantern, I've got the brat." Black Canary yelled to Flash. He disappeared in a red haze.
"Oh ha! You think you can best me. I'm not just a sorcerer; I'm a force of nature!" Klarion's eyes glowed red.
"It's time for your reign of terror to end, Witch Boy." A yellow ball of light snapped around Teekl, severing his connection to Klarion. They boy yowled in pain as his familiar was snatched from him. "His magic is gone. He's powerless. Take him." Zatara commanded.
"C'mon freak boy, you've got some explain to do." Canary snatched Klarion up by his collar. "We're going for a little walk."
YJ
"Tell us what your plan is Klarion. What is the Society of Light up to?" Canary growled at him through Zatara's magical field.
"You mean you honestly haven't figured it out? Ha! You heroes really are as dumb as they say. You should actually be thanking us. We're really the ones saving people." Klarion crossed his arms and smirked. "Now let's try and figure out our motivation. Think! Why in the world would we want a bunch of snot nosed brats? What could they give us that you can't?"
"Stop talking in riddles, Witch Boy. You're powerless without your familiar; you have no choice but to cooperate." Zatara commanded. A shock rattled the magical container but Klarion didn't even flinch.
"Maybe I should just spit it out. Would that make you happy?" Klarion cooed mockingly before bursting into another fit of maniacal laughter.
"Great Hera…he truly is mad." Wonder Woman whispered. She and several other Leaguers looked horrified at the monster that stood before them. Trapped but still in control.
"You're just now picking up on that? The guy's a total basket case. You should have been there when we fought him. That'd show you true madness." Barry commented. "We're never going to get anything of use out of him."
"Oh honestly. Think heroes. Why would we want children? What makes a child special? What gives a child their power that no adult could possibly possess?"
"A power..." Hal began to mutter. That sounded familiar.
"That doesn't make any sense! Why can't you just be straight with us? You have nowhere to go, Klarion. Nowhere. There are no more cards for you to have no choice but to tell us what's going on." Superman reminded him. "You're trapped."
"I'm not the only one who's trapped now am I? Tell me, how are the kiddies doing?"
Klarion grinned like a shark. Flash bristled angrily at his words but before he could speak Black Canary said,
"We know what you're doing. Trying to distract us isn't going to work. You can't bait us. Now, tell us the truth, Klarion."
He pouted slightly. "You are no fun. No spirit."
"Spirit?" Hal echoed. Suddenly, the pieces clicked in his mind.
"What Lantern? Something stand out to you?"
"Shhh, I can see the wheels turning in his pathetic, little head. Let him work it out really quickly." Klarion waved his hand dismissively at them.
"That's what it is. I think I understand but, it doesn't make any sense. It's never been proven to even work." Hal muttered.
"What doesn't make sense? Tell us." Superman prodded. He hated when Hal got secretive.
"The thing that makes children different is their innocence. The spirit of innocence. Some people believe it can be used as an energy source but it's never been proven. Study of it is forbidden because the children always die."
Flash scoffed. "You're joking right. Innocence? As a power source? How does that even work?"
"Indeed. Seems so fragile doesn't it. So easily tainted." Klarion gestured loosely. "But immensely powerful when left untouched."
"And what use would a freak like you have with something so pure?" Black Canary snapped at him. All of this over an imaginary power source?
"This is madness! He expects us to believe that all of this has been to steal the innocence of children? No way. I don't believe it." Flash snapped.
"It's really not that far-fetched. This wouldn't be the first time I've heard something like this." Hal's foot tapped thoughtfully. "A child's innocence feeds directly into their life force. By taking it, you've taken their lives. You knowingly murdered all of those children." He accused.
"Collateral damage." Klarion waved him off. "If you want to make an omelet, you've got to break a few eggs. You should be happy that they all got to see the light before they died." Klarion shrugged.
"You knowingly murdered dozens of children for what? A rumored power source? You don't even know if it works!" Superman shouted at him.
"Oh but I do! One kid can power a city for months. It's limitless! It's powerful! It's everything we dreamed it would be an more. I'm only sorry that we couldn't use your brats in our work!"
"And why is that?" Ted asked sounding genuinely interested. He was a scientist after all. it was his job to ask questions. Canary shot him a glare. Now was not the time for his inquisitive nature.
"They've seen too of them. Even the clone. No childhood left. No purity." Klarion shook his head. "To messy. Tainted. We need them pure."
"You're sick."
"Didn't bother me when my mother said it; doesn't bother me when you say it. Sorry doll. You know you won't be able to keep me forever. They'll come and find me and they'll kill all of you."
"You can't keep doing this, Klarion. What's the point of finding a new energy source and preserving the planet if you kill all the children. There will be no one left to inhabit it!" Superman griped at him. "It makes no sense!"
"The fact that you can't see what's going to happen is a testament to your stupidity. There's a method to the madness and when we're done, a bunch of dead brats will be the least of your worries. Just wait until you see what's coming."
In another dimension:
"So they've got Klarion. What do we do next?" Artemis slapped her fist against her palm. It was time to rally the troops. With M'gann down, it was her job to keep everyone from getting hopeless again.
"There's nothing we can do, Artemis. Not here. We're useless as long as we're in this dimension." Robin was sitting on the edge of Wally's bed. He'd yet to put his mask back on.
"There's always something we can do."
"As much as we appreciate the show of enthusiasm, there really is nothing we can do. Until we get home, we're stuck. We can't really help." Roy was fiddling with one of his arrows on the floor next to M'gann's bed.
"We must be patient. The Blue Beetle of this world is working on a way to send us home. He says it should be ready in a few days. We know that. For now, we wait." Kaldur instructed. His headache had long since gone away.
"For now we wait."