Gotham Knights Chapter 6

Memories, painful memories of choices made in another life, caused my composure to slip when I heard Avenger, the word forever linked in our minds with Angra Mainyu-All the World's Evil-King of Daemons. I felt Drake tense up next to me, already reassessing them as threats, these avengers. I was still looking at Petro, who up until a few minutes ago was smiling proudly, the smile slowly fading away.

"Who or what exactly are the avengers?" I asked him slowly and clearly looking at his face the entire time, analysing his every expression as I asked this question. The bewilderment on it was evident, as was his sudden realisation of the tension in the room. They had not expected this reaction from us, on hearing that they were the avengers. Petro stepping back towards Tasha and Stephen, automatically getting in a defensive stance, expecting a fight to break out at any moment as he replies "Earth's mightiest heroes "with a wary voice.

"Heroes?" I asked surprised, the disbelief in my face obvious, the tension in the air gone as suddenly as it came.

"Yes" Tasha confirms guarded, but she could see my reaction to Petro's words.

"We had power and used it to protect our people, our world" Stephen replies confidently, and I catch a glimpse of the man and not the boy I see now.

"You named your team of heroes, the avengers" the rebuke plain to be heard in my voice.

"What's wrong with the avengers?" Petro asked clearly perplexed.

"A person who exacts punishment or inflicts harm in return for a perceived injury, or wrong done on them by another" Drake responds to Petro's question in a dispassionate tone of voice. Our brief look to each other laying bare the scars still left from another life.

"I don't really think of that word as synonymous with hero" I say with a note of finality on the matter. We had more immediate matters to focus on, than Drake and I's old trauma. They were curious, especially at our visible reaction to the word, but took my hint.

"You've never heard of Captain America, Black Widow, Spider-man and She-Hulk have you" the red haired girl Tasha remark to me and Drake. She threw the names at us more to get a reaction, than to really tell us anything.

Drake gave a little laugh, while I just smiled. We had notice the habit of the public, heroes or villains to give themselves a moniker. Drake and I had amused ourselves endlessly early on by rating the names in originality or inventiveness, appears that they came from a reality with the same tendency.

"No, neither of us has, and I don't think we come from the same reality" I inform them of something I had expected from first for a long time.

"Why not?" Stephen asks "and how long have you been watching us, who are you two?"

"Gabriel Blanco" I say, giving a quick and short bow.

"Drake Crowne" my blond companion tells them with a nod of her head.

"Crowne ?" Stephen says, while his head turns to her, "as in founding family of Gotham Crowne's, as in my family's neighbours?"

Drake gives him a smirk, while replying "Yes and my parents didn't mind at all when I disappeared every time your mother tried to organize a play date for us, they thought her very pushy."

"All I remember are the few times I was taken next door, then dragged back again as the young miss was unavailable" Stephen comments, Drake shrugs as replies "It took her a few times to get the hint"

"All that giving me the opportunity to notice you" I say taking the conversation back to his question.

"What do you mean notice?" he asks trying to place me in his memories of the Crowne family visits.

"Well to be perfectly honest I sensed you" I replied candidly, "and then when I managed to bump into you I saw why". Stephen Dumas's face has an introverted look as he tries to remember and I have no doubt he would.

"The servant's son that accidentally fell on top of me from the stairs." He exclaims, looking at me with a sudden grin "That was the last straw for my mother, no matter how apologetic the Crowne's were afterwards we never went back."

"I needed prolonged contact to be sure" I tell him defensively.

"Sure of what?" Petro asks, but his face says he suspects what I already know. I have always wondered why Petro focused on a medical diagnostic scanner as his first break through in the field of technology. Seems it was not entirely for altruistic reasons.

Instead of answering the question, I look to them "Tell me, do you feel that your abilities now are the same as they were before?" I ask looking around at the their faces.

Tasha looks at her brother and Stephen, a questioning brow raised " Steve ? Peter?"

"No, I haven't noticed any difference" Stephen replies then looks to Petro.

Petro takes a deep breath finally it seems voicing his suspicions "It still feels the same, but it's not the same is it." He looks at me and Drake to confirm "I thought that I hadn't built the scanner sensitive enough to detect the genetic changes, but even the physical changes don't read the same as what I remembered." He gives a guilty look to his sister, "Last time when my genetic changes weren't stopped I almost turned into a man-spider, I wanted to prevent that, but it just created more uncertainty for me on what to do when I couldn't find anything". Tasha does not look happy, about him hiding this from her. There is definitely going to be some angry words spoken to him later.

"Magic circuits" These are the words I speak to cut short any drama on the matter of Petro keeping secrets. "In my previous world your bloodline would have been sought after, for further study if nothing else, cause together it forms a unique magic crest."

"What are magic circuits and crests ?" Tasha asks attentively with folded arms.

"Magic circuits are found within your soul, and are then expressed onto your physical body, similar to the nervous system." I explain with some disbelief on Tasha's face, funnily enough not on Petro's, I had thought he would be the more sceptical of the two. "When Od, magical energy from your body, is pumped through those circuits, they express their influence on reality and operate as they were programmed to do." I say having left a lot out on the fundamentals of it, that they don't need to know for now. "In your case the grouping of circuits, has created a Crest that is like a stable operating system doing all the hard work for you."

Indicating Stephen "When I had contact with you all those years ago I scanned your body and found a unique magic crest. It was dormant then, but seemed focused primarily on enhancement of the mind and body, with the command to reach or exceed maximum potential."

Shaking my head ruefully at them "You should thank all the gods you know that you were not born in our old world. The magi would have had you on the dissection table in an instant to either replicate or steal those crests"

Turning to the twins "As for you two, not having scanned you, I can only speculate that your magic crest focuses on different aspects than Stephen's, but also tied to physicality if what I saw previously is anything to go on. That is the same for Jade, your crests are always active and resources are only directed on physical development; causing a passive effect of continuous superhuman abilities.

"Making you ignorant app users instead of expert programmers of the crest's system" I finish, I can already see Petro doesn't like the idea of being classified as an ignorant app user.

I wave my hand dismissively "This is a longer conversation for another time, at the moment our immediate problem is Jade"

"The Hulk magic crest, isn't programmed properly" Stephen guesses.

"I wouldn't say that exactly, from what I could determine she is compatible with the crest, but it doesn't seem to be designed specifically for her." I speculate, and from the silent communication between the three I have touched on something.

"Jenn… Well she got her powers from a blood transfusion from her cousin. He too couldn't control the Hulk in the beginning and it took him years to find a balance." Petro shares.

"I don't think we have years, do we Blanco?" Tasha ask me.

"No we don't." I rub my eyes exhaustively as it's been an unexpectedly long day. "I short circuited the crest by overloading it with my own Od, but when I injected her with the sedative I did another scan" I showed them my concern "The crest has almost completely adapted to prevent me from being able to do that again. Its incredible I would never have thought a Crest could have changes done to it without a conscious mind directing the adaptations needed."

"Can you "hack" the system and give her time to learn to control it?" Petro asks, full of worry.

"No, whatever created it made a masterpiece, any programming I insert may break it which would be soul threatening and that is worse than playing with her life" I tell them, showing my reluctance to even think about it.

"Should we contact the Justice League?" Stephen suggested "We have to consider the fall out, in the damages and lives lost if we don't."

"Do we trust them?" I ask looking around at everyone. "In the last almost ten years we six have been the only ones I have detected Od or magic circuits in. Once we tell them about her, they are going to find out about us." All the faces I see are conflicted, while we have seen the good works of the Justice League, we have lived lives before were trust was betrayed by those closest. I can see it in our entire group as well, fate has thrown us together forcing us to cooperate with each other, but trust has not been earned yet from me or Drake.

"If we show up on Justice League's radar we will also so up on their enemies one." Tasha points out. "Even if we haven't already with She-Hulk's actions."

"The solution lies within her" Drake sudden speaks up.

"What does that mean? Within her ? She has to meditate and reach enlightenment like some monk on top of a mountain" Tasha responds sarcastically.

"Yes" Drake answers unperturbed by Tasha's sarcasm ,"She is compatible, and your friend's past experience shows it can be controlled." Drake tells them "We just need to give her time, and maybe a map to guide her out of her imposed madness and rage?." I look at her incomprehensively then her suggestion finally clicks for me."

"No ! That's crazy" I tell her.

"Who better than him and you have his sword" Drake persists.

"What are you two arguing about?" Tasha enquires, as Petro and Stephen listens on.

Drake turns to them and lays out her crazy idea. "Blanco can give her time and a mentor of sorts to help her gain control of her magic crest. It comes with some risk, but afterwards she should be fully compatible."

"Risk is an understatement, you want me to tie her soul to a type of mystic code !" I angrily respond.

"The other option to keep her sedated and confined for the rest of her life" Drake replies, then looks at Petro "You know her best among everyone here. What would she want?"

I can see Petro contemplating this, but I am not giving him the choice. "No, she has to make this decision" I make my stance clear "If I am doing it, she has to give me permission no one else."

"She is unconscious at the moment, and we need to make a decision now." Tasha says.

"Then I just have to ask her." I reply with more confidence than I feel.

Z-‐-Z

Dismissing the bounded field, we move our way over to Jade and her mother. Her mother is still holding her daughter's hand when Tasha knocks her out from behind. She claims to be a hero, but that move speaks more to an assassin's skill set, nevertheless it was soundlessly and efficiently done, and she will probably think she just blacked out from exhaustion. Looking around I quickly set up another bounded field, the overabundance of prana in this world making it possible for even a novice like me. A bit of magecraft later and we have an area everyone will ignore for a time.

"So how exactly do we ask her, without her going She-Hulk." Stephen ask me very concerned.

"We can't wake her, remember active magic crest, no off switch for the body." I reply "We talk to her consciousness, her soul."

"Uh? What do you mean WE?" Petro asks flabbergast.

"I wouldn't even attempt this with my own Od reserves, but you are all generating and using massive amount of Od." I search all of their faces as I layout my intension "I will be siphoning of a portion of it to contact Jade, but in order to do this I need your help."

I hold my hand out, "All of us just have to hold each other's hands and I will do the rest." Tasha gives me a distrustful look, but surprisingly grabs my hand.

"No singing kumbaya?." Peter asks as he grabs hers and Stephen's, then Drake takes a hold of his and Jade's. The circle is completed, everyone linked, as I take Jade's hand and pull the trigger "Trace On" to connect to all their Crests and Drake's magic core. I sense them touching the edge of my inner self, then bring them into my world.

I am gazing at an infinite horizon, with an infinite grassy field filled by an infinite amount of blades, the world of my battered soul - Unlimited Bladeworks. Not as grim as Archer's, but his influence can be seen with the hill in the distance and the blades all around, a hold over from having his arm attached to me.

"What the hell!" I hear from a lean brown eyed middle aged man, in a blue and red costume with a spider symbol on it.

"Language" a reply comes with an amused chuckle from a blonde haired elderly man, in comfortable casual wear, who is surprisingly fit looking.

"Okay I admit it I did not see this coming." A petite, svelte red headed woman in a skin tight combat suit of some kind, comments.

The avatars of their mind and soul, and not the adolescents we appear to be in the outside world. They are easy for me to identify here, as each crests resonates uniquely. Looking at them, Stephen and Tasha's crests are more defined as it seems they regard their power more as weapons, giving me glimpses into the capabilities of each.

I see Drake with her old face, while she is still blonde and green eyed in our new lives, seeing her original face tugs at our soul, mine and Archer's. I have stopped looking years ago at where my soul ends and his start, we are just one big battered soul now.

Drake is already standing next to a tall woman talking to her softly as she looks a bit dazed.

"Shall we go speak to her" I point to them, while starting to moving in that direction.

"Hello Jade" I greet her, as I arrive.

"Uh ? Hi " She says looking around her, she sees my travel companions and a big smile lights up her face.

"Peter !" She shouts as she runs towards him and hugs him.

"Hi Jenn, you looking better than when I last saw you" he says with a twisted smile.

"I saw you die Peter !" She says while still holding him.

"I did Jenn, and so did you" He says to her as gently and as softly as he can.

"What is this the after life ? cause I remember a much nicer one, I that prefer that one to this one." She says while waving her hand at the horizon.

"Sorry if my soulscape doesn't meet your approval, but we don't have time for this at the moment or have you forgotten how you lost control and went on a rampage?" I ask bluntly.

"Oh God, did I hurt anyone ? Kill any one ? !" she cries out in shock.

"No, but we need to help you control your Hulk side" Peter comforts her while explaining the situation.

"How, it's nothing like before, if that is what Bruce had to deal with no wonder it took him years to control it." She replies distraught, "I don't have years, even now I can feel it"

I can tell she is being truthful, her crest's effects are bleeding through even here in my domain.

Peter comforts her then directs her attention to me. " That's Blanco, and he might be able to help you, but it comes with some risks." He explains to her.

"What type of risks" she asks as she looks to me.

"The destruction of your powers if your lucky, your soul if your unlucky. If successful, you will be able to control it" I convey to her both the risks and reward, and of what we are about to attempt.

Again she looks at Peter and he nods his head " I trust him Jenn".

She takes a breath, giving him a shaky smile "Its Jade now these days", she straighten her shoulders and replies "Lets do it"

"Follow me" and I take her to my hill, where I had materialized a sword.

"What is that ?" The elderly Stephen asks me.

"A sword" I reply and look to Jade.

"Grab it and be prepared, it will give you memories of its wielder, and hopefully it will help you as he faced a similar challenge as you." I tell her, anything more will shake her determination and she will need it, cause I have no idea how she will handle the memories. "Time or perception of time works differently in a soulscape so hopefully you will have enough of it to obtain total compatibility with the Hulk inside of you."

She has some trepidation, but follow my instructions and grabs a hold of it. Instantly it seems as if she is being electrocuted and then she falls. I rush to her, but its exactly as I feared.

"Was that suppose to happen?!" Peter asks frantically, already next to me.

"No, it wasn't, but I was afraid something like this would happen" I tell him wearily. "The Crest seems to adapt instinctively, and it has decided to assimilate the sword into it as a whole, not just its memories," Its part of her now and she will either succeed or die, it all depends." I continue explaining.

"Depends on what ?" Tasha asks me.

"If she is found worthy to wield the Axe-sword of Herakles."