IT BEGINS AGAIN
Ghoul slowly crawls out from the ceiling access point to the air vent system as Spellbinder observes him exiting and rising to his feet.
As soon as his eyes connect upon his team members' mask, Spellbinder opens his right palm and snaps him out of his simulated dream within a flash of hypnotism.
"Wha- what happened?"
Spellbinder places his hand upon his Ghoul's shoulder and calmly tells him.
"You accomplished your mission without setting off any alarms. You had quite the adventure in the Myan temple, didn't you?"
Reflecting upon his memory, recalling the hypnotism, and remembering the technology in his dream-like state, he understands that what Spellbinder did was aid him in the mission. He had to do this to get him to relax his nerves.
"You took control of my mind, Spellbinder."
Ghoul agreed to have this hypnotist aid him in this mission, knowing that there was a minimal chance of success had he ended up going on this venture alone.
And the fact that this little trick of hypnosis did work. But, he never did agree to do this while not being in total control of himself.
However, he can have no fear and do whatever he needs to handle without any fear. That was... interesting.
"It got you to handle your mind in such a way that you wouldn't have cared what authority would have come before you, Ghoul. And imagine the fact that if Batman showed up, you would have had at the least, a larger percentage of evading him since you wouldn't have been scared of him."
Ghoul walks over to Spellbinder, hands him a data chip, and smiles.
"This is going to help you bring some hard-core fear into Batman. It has the personality and psychological profiles of the old major criminals from decades past. The worst people our city had to offer at the time. Now instead of just hypnotizing people with that flash of yours. If you want, you can make someone believe that they are that person."
Spellbinder looks at the Data chip and ponders for a moment, tosses it on the floor, and steps on it.
"Yo man, what the heck? Why would you destroy it?"
Shaking his head and with a condescending sigh of disappointment, Spellbinder explains to Ghoul the misunderstanding between the two of them.
"My dear friend, you misunderstand my methods. I have no intention of hypnotizing anyone to make them believe they are someone else. Instead, what I offer to everyone, is total freedom from fear and anxiety. Total freedom to be yourself and experience life with new eyes. Fearless."
He walks over to his transportation glider and looks at Ghoul.
"Are you coming? Or do you have another way of getting off this building?"
Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Ghoul thinks to himself as he opens his eyes and slowly gets on the gadget that has absolutely no comfort or safety to offer.
"This thing doesn't even have a strap to hold you down."
Ghoul murmurs in disapproval of the ride.
"Relax, I'll drop you off at your hideout."
Wondering to himself, Ghoul realizes that Spellbinder isn't taking any payment for this aid.
"Hey, so like, do I owe you some favor or money or something? I mean, you destroyed what was supposed to be your payment."
"Oh, don't you worry about that, Ghoul. I'll come to collect sometime in the future. Favors are more important to me than money."
Elsewhere.
Nelson Nash swipes his credits card and purchases a protein shake from the vending machine outside the college gym.
He opens up the container and lifts it to his lips, and begins to drink.
He's been training hard for his team lately. No longer in a relationship with ChelseaCunningham, his mind has been consumed by the strange behavior she has been exhibiting.
Several months ago, he attempted to reignite their relationship by wooing her with flowers and going as far as sending her love songs to her cell phone.
He tried texting her that he would like another chance to prove that they could have something beautiful.
But to Chelsea... Nothing and no one is of interest to her at this point.
And today, she has arrived at school, not to speak to anyone but one person. Ira Billings, the school psychologist that used to work in their high school, had transferred over to Gotham university.
Nobody in school knows that he is Spellbinder; not even Chelsea herself fully recalls what had happened to her previously due to the fact her mind had locked those memories away deep into her subconscious.
Nelson makes his way from the Gym of the University building, and to his surprise, spots Chelsea walking towards the school offices and heading towards her target.
"Hey, Chelsea."
He exclaims in excitement as he jogs towards her.
"I've been trying to get ahold of you for like two weeks. Why are you ignoring me? What's going on? The least you could tell me is that you're not interested."
She stops walking and turns her head, locking her eyes with Nelson. She studies his deminer and glances up and down at him.
"She doesn't like you anymore. Selfish people shouldn't be allowed to have relationships. And shouldn't be allowed to reproduce. I can already tell that you would make a horrible parent and suffer the child you would have. Chelsea is not interested in having anything with you."
His eyes widen as his rage begins to rise. He's just finished training, and his testosterone is at a peak.
As Chelsea turns and begins to walk away with little self-control, he grabs her right wrist and pulls her back to face him.
"What did you just say to me?"
Slowly she turns and faces him, looking into his eyes.
"Release me. Now."
He leans in and smiles.
"Remember last year, when you were at my place, in the bedroom. How many times I got you to-"
With the palm of her hand open, she gently places it in the center of his chest and smiles.
"I warned you. Now suffer the consequences."
With the force of a 300-pound boxer, she shoves him from the sidewalk, seven feet as he loses his footing and falls to his back, thankfully the dirt breaking his fall and preventing any head injury.
Had he hit the pavement or concrete, his skull would have cracked from the sheer brute force of her strength.
Silently he looks at her as she continues to make her way to her target.
The psychologist Ira Billings sits in his office, observing the files of his student patience.
He clicks on the one student that stood out to him all those years ago, Chelsea. The only one that seemed to suffer the most mentally and appeared to have some strange coping mechanism.
He thought to himself as he studied her eyes in the profile photo. He laughs a little.
"People never seem to understand how much power a psychologist has over students' future. A permanent record will hinder their employment prospects, and the more I mess with them secretly, the more I can push them into doing what I want."
He hears a knock at his door; looking at his clock, he notes that it's far too late for any counseling, so he stays quiet.
Suddenly the door handle starts making noise, and someone is trying to open the door.
"It's after hours. Come back tomorrow."
He exclaims in a loud voice.
For but a moment, it's silent, only to have the door handle along with the lock mechanism be torn out with sheer force, ripping it out from its metal-reinforced door.
Bending metal as the sound fills the room.
Ira Billings looks upon Chelsea Cunningham enter through the not open and bent door. With the door handle system in her right hand.
He looks upon her in astonishment and in disbelief at what she's done.
She steps towards him, and he quickly pulls out an energy-blasting gun. Points it at her and exclaims.
"Now, just stay right there."
Chelsea smiles ever so slightly and exclaims.
"Your gun can not hurt me. I am more than human."
He opens fire, striking her in her abdomen three times, and once in the head, then several shots follow, both missing and hitting her time and again, bringing her to her arms and knees to the floor.
She takes a few breaths and lifts her head to look into his eyes.
"That... was a mistake. Spellbinder."
Slowly she stands, coming to her feet. The energy wounds on her body appear only to remain as light red marks as if someone had just slightly punched her in those areas.
They don't resemble energy blast wounds at all.
Ira smiles as she comes closer to him, as he tears up with joy.
"You seem happy to know your life might be coming to an end, Spellbinder."
He places the gun upon his desk, knowing that he will have no way of actually causing her damage. But truthfully, he doesn't want her hurt. No, this requires something else. Something... special.
"I have been waiting, for a world that knows, that people like you exist."
He walks around his desk and comes face to face with this... creature.