Chapter 7: Oracle: The Becoming
Old Gotham Army Base 2005
The army base was abandoned apart from a selected few who are training to defeat an uncertain threat. There was four established heroes who was giving the orders, Batman, Batgirl, Robin and Knightwing, It was there city and half of Batman's coup the other person was simply known as Apex. Apex was dressed all in black, every bit of skin covered, he stood shoulder to shoulder with a boy who was the selected leader of the heroes in training. As Apex looked along the empty base field he saw the four
heroes shouting orders to a speedster.
Las Vegas, Montecito Casino 2005
An old thief was trying his lick at the black jack table unknown to him though was
that a British lad was watching him from afar. "Alfred, He wears yellow and red are
you sure we need him." The mechanic voice clicked on down from his hands free kit.
"Don't call me Alfred, but yes he is faster than your friend Clark." The voice stopped.
"Uh-oh"
"Uh-oh?"
"I lost him" Markus looked around but couldn't find the runner anywhere.
"You lost him?" The voice sighed "He's not like set of bloomin' car keys is he and
red and yellow not exactly incon – bloody – spicuous"
"Yeah, you said he was fast"
Old Gotham Army Base 2005
He saw a man diving into a swimming pool.
Miami, Key Biscayne 2005
"no you really can't dump it at the beach it will kill all those sea creatures." A kid said
"Listen to the kid" A chilling British voice said and the look in his eyes told the factory worker not do it.
"Your from Smallville?" AC looked at him, then ran to the end of the docks jumping in.
"You got to be kidding me" an out of breath Markus said as he got to the docks.
Old Gotham Army Base 2005
He saw a man lift weights beyond any sane persons assumption of safe.
Smallville, Belle Reve 2005
"So Lucious, Tell me about your sister." Markus whistled at one of the pictures on the wall of brother and sister. "Balls" Markus sighed as he ended up on the other side of
Lucious' cell wall.
Old Gotham Army Base 2005
Next to a Girl who was doing a lot of dodging. Another girl kept disappearing and reappearing.
Smallville 2003
"Damn!" Markus saw a girl hanging, He ran over and got her down.
"Thank you" She coughed then orbed away.
"Hell no" He seethed.
"Kaki! Kaki! Markus" A voice said over a radio.
"She's only gone and bloody left me" He was furious.
"In the boot of the car, there is a body which looks similar to our victim, string up the corpse then disfigure her face so no one know's who she is" Alfred's voice still mechanically disguised. "I will then deal with it, to look like Miss Baker."
"That's a bit much, Alfers" Markus replied as he went to the car. "It's not like she's a little green army man." Markus just did as he was told so after he settles with the Teague's he will still have an employer.
Old Gotham Army Base 2005
And finally a man studying martial arts.
Wichita, Delano Park 2004
"Mom I'll be home in a minute, I'm going through the park, yeah I'll be carfull." Pete put the phone down. Someone was laughing. Pete tried to run, he was grabbed from behind then punched out.
"I'm not letting another one get away." Markus appeared over the body of Pete.
Old Gotham Army Base 2005
Apex didn't even turn to the boy next to him. "You look well Markus" Markus didn't move. "I trust Andrea and Victor are okay I don't se them out there."
"Alfred took them costume fitting" Markus' voice was quiet.
"Listen, I know that your heart holds much sway over your life" Apex began.
"My heart…What do you know about hearts, Luthor" Markus went to turn away.
"Kaki, don't" Apex ordered as he took off his mask revealing himself to be Lionel Luthor.
"Don't call me that…If you don't want to end up dead and if Andrea sees you you'll end up dead." Markus went to turn again.
Las Vegas, Palms Hotel 2005
"Never Underestimate the predictability of stupidity" Markus laughed as Bart walked into his hotel room to see the British guest. "Don't" Markus held out a finger and scorched Bart's Achilles tendon dropping him to the floor. "It'll heal…Tell me, Bart what's your real name because it's not Bartholomew Allen or even Barry Allen now is it?" Markus asked.
"It's Jay Carrick" The speedster tried to get up but couldn't.
"Wrong! You are Wally West. Don't lie I've seen the certificate's" Markus got up and walked over.
"Now I hear your interested in building a league."
England, Southampton 2005
"See if you could just tell the Americans not to dump in the Alantic at least it would be a start" AC pleaded with the Transatlantic Association.
"Well you'll have to get evidence and we'll appeal to the UN but it could take many years meaning that you will have to travel back to the states and then come back here and we can't afford the ticket expenses." The main suit said apologetically.
"Oh don't worry about Travelling." AC smiled and left. "What the?" Some body had snuck up on him and grappled him up the wall.
"Don't struggle Arthur" Markus smiled slightly appraching from the front "easy Flash. you know I don't know why yank's take the name of one of our legends like Arthur." He sighed. " 'nought might armour avail, but that Caliburn would carve their souls from out them with their blood' " AC looked at him funny. "It's literature….you do know what literature is…bloody colonials" Markus went off to mutter.
"Dude!" Bart cried as Arthur broke free.
"AC, Stop." The authority in the voice of Markus was uncompromising. "What's the point of saving the ocean if the world's in danger?" Markus asked cryptically. "You've seen how fast Flash moves, how about he helps you with the evidence while
I'll speed up the business end and all we ask in return is for you to help us." AC nodded submissively.
Smallville, Belle Reve 2005
"Krystal, Your brother seems mighty protective of you." Markus smiled as Kucian
rose from his seat opposite Krystal at Belle Reve's mess hall "Easy now, Rocky."
"What do you want?" Lucian seethed.
"Lucian!" Krystal was harsh.
"Krystal, how 'bout you and I talk about how many times better than Lana you are."
Markus soothed her ego.
Australia 2005
"Did you like your little death" Markus scared the girl.
"Oh My" She jumped before looking to run but she was stopped by a flash of yellow and red.
"Hey there beautiful" Bart smiled
"Hey" she turned again but a boy stood in her way.
"Hey" AC looked nervously to Markus.
"Two years, Two years I've been looking for you and your are quite dodgy, well with your gifts…No travel trail" He was taking his time. "Leave us" he nodded to Bart and AC, who complied.
"Why did you save me? why are looking for me? And Who are you?" Her voice was
shaking when they she spoke.
"Markus, because I need you, same answer as b." he gave a charming smile. "Listen
I'm not in the best mood…I slept with a girl who I think of as a sister and I've kinda broke up with my girlfriend cause of it" He sighed pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Gotham Clock Tower 2005
"Mom" Pete called out to the darkness, no response, He tried to move, but he was chained to a chair, "I Know people." He heard some one come in.
"This is the deal, I need as many people to help against an extra terrestrial threat as we was invaded last year by a few and I don't want it happening again." Markus took off the blindfold and brought his dark black eyes to Pete's brown. "Your choice fight or don't."
Old Gotham Army Base 2005
"Markus"
"Sod off Lionel."
"I'm not Lionel, I am the Oracle of Krypton" Lionel put on his mask and went towards Markus. "That road does not lead to a good future" he nodded towards the way Markus was going.
"Future?"
"As an oracle I am able to for see things yet to pass, with many uncertainties but a
minority of unavoidable events" Apex cocked his head sideways. "You are an Earthling champion, you must know the enemy."
"Really" Markus walked back to Apex.
"Brainiac wishes to unleash a Kryptonian and wipe out technology." Apex said as he and Markus sat on the edge of the training field. "The Kryptonian will need soldiers and he prefers Kryptonians, which have mostly died out apart from the Phantom zone this is a dangerous place where Kryptonians are placed in jail."
"So tell me, more superpeople like Clark, Fine, Aethyr and Namek" Markus replied but neither looked at each other they both looked out onto the soldiers of earth.
"Exactly" Apex was all enthused. "Jor-El gave me a glimpse at a few. First there of course the main one which is; Dru-Zod former Rebel to the council of science 'Rulers of Krypton', was imprisoned for raising an army and committing terrorism crimes, he is commonly known as General Zod. He will be the one which Brainiac will free." Apex continued. "In the Phantom Zone with are two Lieutenants, Nam-Ek and Aethyr, the disciples of Zod are lethal but were not punished in the same way as Zod by the council so they fled vowing to return, I don't know how they came to here but know Cal-El locked them in the Zone and knowing Zod he will get them out before the others." Apex smiled inside his suit as Andrea Rojas and Victor Stone came back. "I'm guessing the next on the list will be General Zod's son Non-Zod, commonly known as Non, He took over when his father was banished to the Zone forcing the Council to send him there as well, he's not as smart as his father but one of the best warriors Krypton had to offer." Alfred had now arrived and stared off at Markus but didn't approach. "Non had a girlfriend who tried to take over the movement but didn't have enough backing when Nam-Ek, Aethyr and the main Brianiac left leaving her to be captured and banished to the Zone" Markus nodded to Batman as he acknowledge the two. "the next one was an evil scientist, who destroyed a moon of Krypton,
Jax-Ur, he had differences with Zod which would delay his escape but he would be more valuable to Zod than anyone else." Apex noticed that Alfred had not stopped looking at Markus. "Quex-Ui is just a basic mass murderer which could be useful to Zod." Markus had looked at everyone but Alfred by know. "another danger would be a man killing; woman rights; Kryptonian by the name of Faora" Apex knew of their family and business relationship but kept quiet. "A follower of Jor-El called Kara was also trapped in there but Jor-El found a way to free her, by inhabiting a dead body of a human called Lindsay Harrison." Apex decided not to tell him that he will fight side by side with the girl "Finally I've got warnings on Mala, a female Kryptonian and a Raya who I have nothing on." Apex shook his head trying to loose something.
"Why don't you look into the future and tell me what to kill." Markus replied like a bored child.
"Time streams don't work like that." Apex said nearly offended by the human.
"Back in the day I was training with a master of many things, he had always speculated on time and space, never said anything absolute though just many theories. He did say that even if nothing was pre-ordained there was still destiny" he gave Apex a sideways glance "Do you know him?"
"Personally no" Apex looked hard at Markus' longing. "I do know of him and that you'll probably not see him in the future"
"Speaking of the future." Markus turned to face Apex. "What of them?" He turned back to the training field.
"Well if we win and don't die then, they achieve great things" Apex looked distantly at them.
"Like?"
"Like, Batman will form an allegiance with three aliens, a guardsmen, an Amazon warrior princess and your friend Bart to protect the planet, they will call it the Justice League." He smiled. "AC will find the lost city of Alantis and become there guide into the new world, eventually the Justice league will fight bigger problems forcing them to hire AC as an honouree member, but after more problems will arise and he will become a senior member." Apex kept smiling. "Batgirl will go away to find herself as Jim Gordon's life is extinguished, she'll return to Gotham and become the commissioner of the police as Batman is busy with the league." Apex frowns slightly. "Young Robin has a slight misfortunate accident and leaves the guise of Robin behind to marry, have kids and to pursue a career in technology" Apex kept his solemn face. "Knightwing will blame himself for Robins accident forcing himself to take up that guise again, but with everyone gone he cannot cope on his own so he builds an alliance with your find Victor, a shapeshifter, a mage not of our dimension and a Princess of another world." His face wavered slightly "Pete will become a vice president of the united states where he will impregnate Lana Lang, but all is not well as he becomes wanting this experience again and in trying to become a hero he accidentally becomes a villain, look out for Ruin" Markus twitched as Lana was mentioned. "Andrea, she goes back to helping the helpless, but eventually joins the justice league." Apex himself twitched at her name. "Lucian, joins the army but eventually dies in an alien invasion." Apex sounds saddened by this. "Krystal, after Lucian dies she becomes a florist, Changes her name to Dinah Lance after her mother and dyed her hair blonde but eventually turns to the Justice league" Apex grasped at grass "Alicia I don't think will make it out of the battle, all roads look closed to me." Apex got even sadder. "you…."
"Alfred, What of him" Markus interrupted.
"Well, he sees out his fantasy." Apex slightly smiled.
"Dirty old bugger" Markus laughed.
"No" Apex laughed "He sees your future"
"Which is?"
"A child"