Fear the Unknown
Chapter 8: Resistance
(Disclaimer: all characters are copyrights of DC Comics, a division of AOL- Time Warner. I don't own any of this stuff, sadly.)
"I beg your pardon?"
All three men directed a look of incredulity toward their mysterious "patron".
"I don't believe I stuttered."
Clark stood up and made for the door.
"Where are you going?"
He turned around and leveled a fierce stare at the masked man.
"I'm sorry, but I'm no one's assassin. I'm leaving."
Barry came over and spoke quietly to his old friend.
"Clark, think this over. We're talking about not having to hide any more. About maybe doing some real good in the world."
"I won't do it, Barry. I'm not a killer. If that's what it takes to build a new world, its not the kind of world I want to live in."
Their benefactor held up a hand.
"Gentlemen. I apologize. I assure you, a way can be found to deal with Mr. Bliss that does not require you to do anything contrary to your personal codes. However, I can also assure you that we must act quickly. Time is of the essence."
"Why is that?"
"Let me ask you, why do you think Bliss has such a particular interest in this man?" He asked, waving to the picture of the prisoner. He then stood and walked over to the wall of the office, where a panel slid open to reveal a display screen. It appeared to be the footage of the unknown meta's capture, but from a different angle.
"This image was recorded by one of a series of specialized drones that I maintain in major cities. These drones are equipped with the best scientific sensors that money can buy, and quite a few that it can't. You've probably all seen this footage before. This is what you can't see."
He pressed a button and the image turned a negative black and white, but with a riot of colors focusing around the man who was being captured.
"These are chroniton particles, still considered theoretical by most of the scientific community. This man can apparently manipulate and even create them at will. Perhaps Mr. Allen would be so kind as to tell us what that means."
Barry shifted uncomfortably and spoke softly.
"It means he can control time. He could slow it down, speed it up, or transcend it entirely."
"But if that's so, then why couldn't he escape Bliss's forces?" Jordan asked.
"The answer, Mr. Jordan, should be clear, when you think about it. If a man with the ability to transcend time is unable to exercise that ability when faced with a particular foe, what is the most likely explanation?"
No one seemed to have an answer. Suddenly, a voice came from the corner.
"He can't. Not against Bliss."
Somehow, this new figure had also managed to slip into the room without attracting the attention of those gathered there. Except for the masked man.
"Gentlemen, let me introduce my associate, Mr. Richard Grayson. Richard and a small team he has trained will be accompanying you to Nevada."
"Wait, what's he mean, 'he can't'?"
Their benefactor spoke again, once more comfortably seated behind the desk.
"Quite simple, Mr. Jordan. Against Dominic Bliss, this traveler is powerless. Which means that Bliss has also unlocked the secrets of chroniton particles. Until we analyzed this footage, we had no idea what Bliss was up to out in Nevada. For months he has been funneling raw materials and workers to this base, building something extremely large. We now believe it to be a focus for chronitons."
"You're talking about a time machine."
"Precisely, Mr. Jordan. With the ability to traverse time at will, Bliss could do anything from altering history to peremptorily killing off enemies. He must be stopped before he can complete this work."
There was silence for a second. Allen and Jordan looked to Kent. It was his decision that would make or break them.
"All right, we're in."
Even through the cloth covering that he wore, they could all see the masked man smile.
Chapter 8: Resistance
(Disclaimer: all characters are copyrights of DC Comics, a division of AOL- Time Warner. I don't own any of this stuff, sadly.)
"I beg your pardon?"
All three men directed a look of incredulity toward their mysterious "patron".
"I don't believe I stuttered."
Clark stood up and made for the door.
"Where are you going?"
He turned around and leveled a fierce stare at the masked man.
"I'm sorry, but I'm no one's assassin. I'm leaving."
Barry came over and spoke quietly to his old friend.
"Clark, think this over. We're talking about not having to hide any more. About maybe doing some real good in the world."
"I won't do it, Barry. I'm not a killer. If that's what it takes to build a new world, its not the kind of world I want to live in."
Their benefactor held up a hand.
"Gentlemen. I apologize. I assure you, a way can be found to deal with Mr. Bliss that does not require you to do anything contrary to your personal codes. However, I can also assure you that we must act quickly. Time is of the essence."
"Why is that?"
"Let me ask you, why do you think Bliss has such a particular interest in this man?" He asked, waving to the picture of the prisoner. He then stood and walked over to the wall of the office, where a panel slid open to reveal a display screen. It appeared to be the footage of the unknown meta's capture, but from a different angle.
"This image was recorded by one of a series of specialized drones that I maintain in major cities. These drones are equipped with the best scientific sensors that money can buy, and quite a few that it can't. You've probably all seen this footage before. This is what you can't see."
He pressed a button and the image turned a negative black and white, but with a riot of colors focusing around the man who was being captured.
"These are chroniton particles, still considered theoretical by most of the scientific community. This man can apparently manipulate and even create them at will. Perhaps Mr. Allen would be so kind as to tell us what that means."
Barry shifted uncomfortably and spoke softly.
"It means he can control time. He could slow it down, speed it up, or transcend it entirely."
"But if that's so, then why couldn't he escape Bliss's forces?" Jordan asked.
"The answer, Mr. Jordan, should be clear, when you think about it. If a man with the ability to transcend time is unable to exercise that ability when faced with a particular foe, what is the most likely explanation?"
No one seemed to have an answer. Suddenly, a voice came from the corner.
"He can't. Not against Bliss."
Somehow, this new figure had also managed to slip into the room without attracting the attention of those gathered there. Except for the masked man.
"Gentlemen, let me introduce my associate, Mr. Richard Grayson. Richard and a small team he has trained will be accompanying you to Nevada."
"Wait, what's he mean, 'he can't'?"
Their benefactor spoke again, once more comfortably seated behind the desk.
"Quite simple, Mr. Jordan. Against Dominic Bliss, this traveler is powerless. Which means that Bliss has also unlocked the secrets of chroniton particles. Until we analyzed this footage, we had no idea what Bliss was up to out in Nevada. For months he has been funneling raw materials and workers to this base, building something extremely large. We now believe it to be a focus for chronitons."
"You're talking about a time machine."
"Precisely, Mr. Jordan. With the ability to traverse time at will, Bliss could do anything from altering history to peremptorily killing off enemies. He must be stopped before he can complete this work."
There was silence for a second. Allen and Jordan looked to Kent. It was his decision that would make or break them.
"All right, we're in."
Even through the cloth covering that he wore, they could all see the masked man smile.