Marked
The Watchtower
March 16 14:15
Aqualad walked through the halls of the Watchtower, going over the information he received from the Knights regarding Scilia, the Dark Brother and the Dark Sisters. He wondered whether his Atlantean sorcery would be useful when fighting against them, and went to find Oren. He ended up coming across Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman standing at a doorway. Their attention was fixed on what was going on inside, and Aqualad decided to investigate.
Arin and Oren sat in a large room, a table with a small piece of kryptonite between them. Arin had his left hand outstretched towards it, and Aqualad noticed his hand wasn't wrapped. From his fingertips to the middle of his forearm, his skin had a series of cracks in it; a glowing, white light emanated from within. Oren stood across from him, both hands held in up with a bright red rune glowing before him. Both shared the same look of discomfort Superman had.
"What's going on?" Aqualad finally asked.
"Arin's training." Batman answered,"Oren has been trying to see if whatever that power is in Arin's arm can neutralize the radioactivity in kryptonite."
"That's...incredible! Has he succeeded yet?" Aqualad asked.
"No, and they've been at this for the last few hours. I'm more concerned however with their reluctance to tell us much about the power in that young man's arm." Wonder Woman said, annoyed.
"I can understand their hesitancy. I be they're used to constantly having to watch their backs and stay guarded. Give them time Diana, I'm sure we'll get an explanation soon." Superman assured her.
The green glow of the kryptonite slowly began to change to white. The strain on Arin's face intensified, and Oren's hands changed position. Suddenly, the kryptonite began to sizzle then made a high pitched sound as though it would explode. Oren quickly made a rune that formed a small barrier around the kryptonite as it exploded.
"Hmmm, very nice. There was an change in color this time." Oren acknowledged.
Arin quickly wrapped his arm and left without saying a word.
"He wasn't pleased with his progressed?" Aqualad asked as they all walked up.
"No, no it's not that. The arm is a scar for him; one he actively tries to hide from everyone." Oren sighed.
"Why? What happened?" Superman asked.
"When he's ready, you may get the full story from him; but as I stand my word to be transparent, it happened when we battled one of Scilia's associates. Our magic is powered by our soul, a limitless but dangerous source of power. This is because one's own body is used as the conduit, and it can tear down the body if one isn't careful. Our kryptonian biology, especially when strengthened by a sun, increases our durability and allows us to make use of this method more than most species. They used kryptonite to disable me, and they were ready to strike the final blow. Arin managed to channeled an enormous amount of power in his arm and struck them down, but he channeled too much. The energy he was unable to expel in his attack began to build up in his hand until it threatened to destroy him. We were forced to contain that power to his arm with a few seals." Oren explained.
"So now you're trying to teach him to control it?" Superman asked.
"The...circumstances surrounding this are very personal to him, and remain an emotional wall he needs to overcome if he hopes to in the future." Oren said sadly.
"He'll come around." Superman said confidently.
"Yes...but I gather you had something else to discuss with me?" Oren asked, changing the subject.
"We wanted to go over what we've translated so far from the documents Maya and Jaime recovered from Egypt concerning this riddle." Batman said.
"Before we do that, Kaldur? Did you have a question for us?" Wonder Woman asked.
"No, I was merely curious about what was going on in here. I'll be on my way." Aqualad said, and went off to find Arin.
He found him in the training room, performing various slashing and stabbing techniques with his sword. He did that for a few minutes, alternating between standing on the ground and floating in the air. He then stopped, closed his eyes, and held out his right hand. Black flames appeared around his hand followed by a scythe. As he continued on with his techniques, black flames trailed behind scythe, and Aqualad noticed how sinister they felt. After a few more minutes, Arin stopped, and the scythe disappeared.
"Sorry, I didn't know if any of you had this reserved." he said.
Aqualad looked around to see Nightwing and Zatanna were also present.
"Don't sweat it; I've actually never seen techniques like that before." Nightwing said.
"Yeah, the black flames and the scythe are a nice touch." Zatanna added.
"The fire had a...cold feeling to it from here. I also thought the fire you conjured was white." Aqualad commented.
"Black and white fire is my soulflame, and both can damage and empower you physically and spiritually, depending on the flame. The white flame is light and energy, making it perfect against Scilia's dark magic and mental gymnastics. I use the black fire more defensively as it has a special property to it. It's a cold fire that constantly hungers for warmth, burning the very air it touches. This also extends to projectile and ranged attacks, and the fire acts a black hole would; devouring whatever it touches." Arin explained.
"Power like that always come at a cost." Zatanna warned.
"The soulflame itself comes at a cost. It rapidly overcharges the body, and if one holds it for too long, they burst into flame like those cultists we saw the other day. Even with our kryptonian physiology, we can only use it for a few minutes." Arin said.
Maya stepped out of the shower, and began drying herself off when she noticed a faint scar on her hand. What alarmed her was that the scar looked like a symbol, and if it were magical that she never noticed it. She ran her finger over it and found that the texture of skin remained the same, this mark didn't leave any physical change on her aside from its appearance. She figured it might've came from the base in Memphis, and wondered if Blue Beetle had a mark as well. She quickly got dressed and went to find him.
Raiku was looking through a video game magazine when Oren knocked on his door.
"Kal-El and I are heading to site where Scilia destroyed the order to see if we can find more information regarding the vestige. Arin shall take charge in my absence. Behave yourself." He said sternly.
"Don't worry Grandmaster. I'll be the poster child of discipline and order." Raiku reassured him.
A few minutes later, he was knocking on Kid Flash's door,"Hey Bart, wanna go run around the town again?"
"Totally! Did your Grandmaster suddenly stop being so strict?" Kid Flash asked.
"No, but he's gone and Arin's in charge. He seriously doesn't care." Raiku assured him.
"I seriously don't care." Arin answered after Raiku asked the question.
"See." he smiled.
"Arin, where'd the Grandmaster go?" Maya asked as she walked into the room.
"He went with Kal-El to find more clues at the site of the Runic Order's massacre." Arin answered.
"He left you in charge?"
"Yes."
"Well, I noticed this mark on my hand. I think it might've came from the base in Memphis. I need to find Jaime and see if he has one too." she explained, showing him her hand.
"A mark?" All three boys asked at once.
"I couldn't feel anything coming from it, but it's much too...artistic to be a random scar." she added.
Arin inspected her hand,"It almsot looks like a rune, but it's incomplete. I agree, find Jaime and see if he might have the other half." Arin instructed.
Brazil, South America
March 16 15:30
Oren and Superman flew towards a lone mountain overlooking the rainforest. Upon landing Superman saw that a door on the side of the mountain looked old and smashed in. He looked closer to see that a black substance covering the broken parts of the door. He touched it and found it was solid, but incredibly cold. He followed Oren further inside and noticed more of the black substance covering parts of the wall as they walked down the hall. He was not prepared for the scene before him when Oren opened the door. Bodies littered the room, some pinned to the wall or ceiling by the same black substance. Those pinned were nothing more than blackened skeletons, while the others looked mummified.
"Is this Scilia's doing?" Superman asked, horrified.
"Yes. As you can see, her methods are quite...vicious." Oren pointed towards a few of the corpses, their mouths open as though silently screaming.
"This substance feels colder than ice." Superman commented.
"It is strange that this substance still resides here." Oren admitted.
They walked further in until they came upon a large stone door slightly ajar.
Oren paused,"Strange...this door can only be unlocked by a specific rune, and only I and the other three know it."
"Is it possible Scilia was able to unlock it?" Superman asked.
"I highly doubt it as it was locked after I returned and discovered this ghastly scene. No...she doesn't have the means or knowledge to unlock this." Oren said.
They walked inside to fine a room full of empty bookshelves.
"Rao's mercy! The books! The scrolls! Everything's gone!" Oren said, horrified.
Through their super hearing, both men heard shallow breathing and an increased heartbeat. They used their x-ray vision and saw a someone peeking around the corner at them. Upon realizing they were looking his way he quickly dashed down the hall, but both kryptonians quickly cut him off. He wore a hooded, dark purple robe, but his pale, skinny hands showed how frail he looked. Gazing up at Oren they saw his eyes were sunken and he had various teeth missing.
"Please, I mean you no harm." he raised his hands in surrender and gave them a toothy grin.
"I would certainly hope not. Now, who are you." Oren demanded.
"I am a simple hermit, one who's name he shed long ago." the hermit answered with a bow.
"Right...well what are you doing here?" Superman asked.
"Foul magics reside in this place, and I remain here to ensure none fall prey to it."
"How have you not fallen prey to it?" Oren asked.
"I studied the ways of the Rune Knights after their extinction. The runes protect me from this place." the hermit declared proudly.
"Truly? Well I am the current Grandmaster of the Rune Knights." Oren said.
The hermit's sunken eyes widened, and he bowed again,"Blessings be upon you Grandmaster! Truly fortune has smiled upon the knights if their existence has continued after all this time."
"How long have you guarded this place?" Oren asked.
"Nearly twenty years Grandmaster. From my cave, not far from here, I witnessed a foul magic erupt from within the mountain. For a few days I avoided the area in fear that same foul force would find me, but one day I decided to investigate. I found the residents just as you have, dead with faces reflecting the horror they must have felt when whatever killed them showed its face." the hermit said.
"Are you the one who opened this vault?" Superman demanded.
"Yes. After studying some of the scriptures lying around I found the way to unlock the door. I then took all the priceless scrolls back to my cave to keep them safe. I shall gladly return them to you Grandmaster, if you'll follow me." the hermit bowed and gave another grin.
Oren hesitated, something about the hermit seemed off to him, and he could see hunger in his sunken eyes. He looked over at Superman and saw that he too looked uneasy about following the hermit, but Oren knew he needed to find the scrolls. He motioned for the hermit to lead on.
El Paso, Texas
March 16, 16:00
Maya arrived at Blue Beetle's home and knocked on the front door, raising her hand to stare at the mark while she waited. What bothered her most about the mark was the lack of any magical energy accompanying it, along with the fact she was unknowingly branded with it. A part of her hoped Blue Beetle wasn't marked as well. A young girl answered the door.
"Hola!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"Oh um, hi!," Maya responded,"I'm looking for Jaime? Does he live here?"
"Just a sec," the little girl turned around,"Mama! There's a girl here for Jaime!"
Soon a woman appeared at the door. Maya assumed it was his mother.
"Hello! He's in the shower right now but you can come in if you'd like." she offered.
Maya thanked her and was led to the living room once inside. His mother went to the kitchen, leaving Maya to take in her surroundings. Her gaze fell upon a few family photos on the shelves, and smiled at one showing Blue Beetle with his mother.
I wish I could've had this with my mother... she suddenly thought, and quickly dismissed it. She looked behind her to see his little sister staring inquisitively at her.
"Hi! I'm Milagro! You wanna see Jaime's room? He's got cool stuff in there too." she asked.
They passed the bathroom on the way, and Maya could hear the shower water along with what she thought was singing. When they entered his room, she was almost surprised to find it mostly clean. With him closer to Raiku's age she thought he'd be just as messy.
"Oh! I think mama is making us some snacks. I'll go get you some!" Milagro exclaimed, running out of the room.
Maya smiled, she found his little sister adorable.
My sisters aren't as welcoming...
She looked out the window and raised her hand in front of her to stare at the mark again. She didn't notice Blue Beetle walking in.
"Whoa! Hey um...what are you doing here? In my room?" he asked.
She turned around to answer, but the sight of him in nothing but a towel left her speechless for a moment.
"I...um...needed to look at something..."she muttered.
"Can I...put some clothes on first?" he asked, slowly inching towards his closet.
"Yes! Yes, you do that. I will go get some snacks." she said and quickly left the room.
She closed the door and headed for the kitchen. She could hear her heart beating quickly, but realized it wasn't just her own.
Your pulse and heart rate are increasing. The scarab said.
"I know." Blue Beetle replied.
Did you find the sight of her threatening?
"No, just...awkward timing."
After he got dressed, Blue Beetle went and got her from the kitchen and brought her back to his room. She grabbed his hand and saw that he also had a mark, but his looked different.
"I thought you might've done that to get me past the door." He admitted.
"The door! That's it! That's when we must've gotten branded with this!" Maya exclaimed, holding up their hands.
She used her marked hand and grabbed his, trying to manipulate their fingers into different signs.
"What are you doing?"
"If these are runes, then we need to see what they can do."
"Whoa wait! Not here! My identity here is still secret." he protested.
"Oh right, sorry."
Suddenly, the runes on their hands started to glow, and the door to his room began to open. Maya quickly pulled Blue Beetle's hand closer to her to better hide what was going on.
"I made you guys some snack to-" His mother trailed off looking at them. Maya's back was to her, and so it looked as though his hand was on her chest.
"I'm just going to leave this here and...yeah." she said closing the door.
Hermit's Cave, Brazil
March 16 18:30
As Oren and Superman followed the hermit deeper into his cave, neither could shake the mounting dread building up inside them. They entered a large room, filled with the missing scrolls and documents from the order.
"I made sure to keep them in the least moist area of the cave." the hermit said proudly.
"Well, I appreciate your help in keeping these documents safe hermit. We'll be taking them with us for further study and to a much more dryer place." Oren said.
Superman saw the look in the hermit's eyes change,"But you can't leave yet. The master's revenge must be fulfilled."
The hermit snapped his fingers, and both Oren and Superman fell to their knees.
Superman could feel his strength rapidly leaving him,"This...feeling...it...feels...like..."
"Kryptonite?" The hermit smiled.
A rock on the one of the walls began to slowly grow green as various runes swirled around it before fizzling out.
"You...kept it behind a barrier...so that...we wouldn't feel it." Oren fought to keep standing. He looked at the ground to see they were both standing on a ward.
"Yes, kryptonite to weaken your powers, and a nullification rune to diminish your magic."
"Treacherous beast...you will not...win...here." Oren's strength gave out and he fell to his knees.
"The Knights are marked Grandmaster, cursed. You should have stayed away, but now I will finish what the master started." The hermit's eyes flashed with malice.
"What do you mean...cursed?" Oren demanded.
"You all have much to answer for, and not enough blood has been shed as recompense. How fortuitous that I will kill both you and the mighty Superman. Once I'm done with you two, I'll ensure the other three meet with a quick and bloody end."