Gotc: Storytimenow!!

Ace: Sorry folks, she's been pretty pressed for time these last few days, and the stress is starting to wear on her.

Gotc: SQUEAKY!!DISCLAIMER!!

Squeak: Squeak? (They still need it?)

Ace: Probably not, but something says a lawsuit wouldn't be good for the crazy person's health.

Squeaky: Squeak. (True. So on with the fic then?)

Ace: Yep. Enjoy everyone!

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Rise of the Guardian: Ancient Power, Modern Age

CHAPTER 17: Answered with a Question

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Flash yelled seeing Ace collapse to the ground.

"It's Shade," Wonder Woman swore, "He must have inhaled some of it while we were inside!"

"Great, we know where he got it, but how do we help him?" Hawkgirl said kneeling next to Ace's convulsing body, "He was the only one who knew how to make the antidote."

"Not quite," A raspy voice cut in.

Batman had finally come around, and was rubbing his throbbing head. He reached into a pocket on his utility belt, and pulled out a filled syringe.

"I saved some from the batch he made for Diana," He said getting to his feet, trying not to wince as pain flared up across his back, "Though it might be useful. Turned out I was right."

"And where are you going?" Wonder Woman asked as Batman started to walk away.

"The hospital," He said curtly, before glancing back at Ace, "I have some questions that I'd like answered."

"Batman-" She started.

"You and J'onn can take him to my place," Batman said as the Batmobile pulled up from the shadows, "I'll meet you there."

Wonder Woman sighed as Batman drove off into the fading twilight. J'onn stood up after giving Ace the shot, and placed his hand on her shoulder.



"Come on, I'll take a look at your arm as soon as we make sure Ace is stable," J'onn said hefting Ace.

--

Sarah was sound asleep in the bed, her heart monitor keeping a steady rhythmic tone. Superman had even nodded off in the chair next to the bed, but woke almost instantly as Batman entered the room.

"You should be in bed," The Man of Steel chided Batman as he walked into the room, "J'onn updated me on what happened at the factory."

"It's nothing," Batman said, not breaking his stride towards Sarah's bed.

"And was it a good idea to take Ace back to your place?" Superman continued, "What if Ace figures out who you-"

"He's there, Superman," Batman said leveling a glare at him, "Because he already has. And I'm hoping she can help tell me how."

Batman lightly rested a hand on the sleeping woman's shoulder, and her eyes groggily fluttered open.

"Anna?" She said incoherently, before her eyes focused on her visitor.

"No, but your daughter is safe," Batman said assuringly, "I do have some questions I was hoping you could answer."

"About what?" Sarah asked puzzled.

"Ace."

Sarah sighed and laid her head back against her pillow, before readjusting herself in her bed.

"I don't suppose there's anything else you'd like to ask is there?" She said trying a half-hearted smile at Batman's unwavering stare, "I thought not."

"How did you meet Ace?" Batman asked.

Sarah looked out of the window of her room at the coming dawn and sighed before looking back at Batman.

"It was about five years ago. I had just been diagnosed with my…condition, and Anna's father had been gone for months when we found Ace," Sarah began.

"Wait? Found?" Superman asked.

"That's right," Sarah nodded, "He was a mess too. I remember the night he stumbled into our lives. Anna was asleep in my arms, and I was just getting ready to put her to bed, when I heard a loud noise outside. I thought maybe it was some teenagers from one of the local gangs tossing our trash cans. I grabbed a bat and went outside and yelled at them, but the only thing I saw was Ace. He was bloody and beaten, and was so skinny he looked like he hadn't have eaten in days. But it was his eyes that scared me."



Sarah looked up from the memory and looked Batman in the face.

"They were so empty and broken," She said shaking her head, "His eyes had completely given up on life, and they were just waiting on the rest of his body to catch up. I pulled him inside, patched him up, and waited. I must have been crazy, taking in a stranger like that, especially when I could hardly afford to feed myself, but there was just something about him. A few days passed, he got better, and as soon as he could walk again, he would leave the house and be gone for hours at a time. I asked him one day what he would do, and he just said he was looking for a friend."

Batman's brow furrowed, as he listened to Sarah continue with her story.

"It went on like that for two months. He never talked about his past, and I never asked. And I'll admit it was strange at first, but when he wasn't wandering Gotham, he would stay at the house and help me with Anna, chores, and anything else he could think of. Several times I would go to pick up my medicine, and find it had already been paid for, though Ace would never admit to it," Sarah said before pausing to take a deep breath, "And then one day, after he came back from walking the city, he left. He had just looked so confused, like someone had pulled the whole world out from under his feet. I was worried he would do something drastic, and we never heard from him again, until a few months ago when he just showed up out of the blue. He wasn't hurt this time, but you could tell nothing had changed in his eyes. They were still just as empty and broken as the day I found him stumbling into my trash cans."

"I'm sorry," She said after a moment, "I don't think I've really helped you at all."

"No," Batman said turning to leave, "You've helped answer some things." But you've also clouded others….

Just then Flash came zipping into the room, holding a squealing Anna, who had recovered from the effects of the smoke.

"Shift change!" Flash said sitting down in a chair, before casting a glance at one of the nurses who came in to check on Sarah.

Superman stretched himself out and turned to a retreating Batman.

"You want to get some breakfast Batman?" Superman asked, "I know this little place that serves the best steak and eggs you'll ever eat."

"No thanks," Batman said still deep in thought, "I've still got a few things to take care of before I go to bed."

--

The world seemed to run together like a broken Kaleidoscope, as Ace tried to open his eyes. Sunlight was spilling in from outside, and forced Ace to close his eyes again. He tried to open them again, but slower this time, adjusting to his surroundings.

He was in the middle of a king sized bed, covered in clean bandages and fresh linen. The room was decorated in richly carved mahogany and marble, and several pricy looking vases dotted the room's edge.

Ace tried to sit up, but was unable to bite back the groan as his body protested his movement.

"Welcome back," He heard J'onn's voice say next to him.



"How long was I out?" Ace groaned rubbing his head.

"About twelve hours," J'onn said trying to get him to lay back down, "You shouldn't get up yet, it took a while to clean your injuries, and I'd rather not have to do it again."

"What?" Ace said in surprise, "You patched me up?"

"I did," J'onn said chuckling at Ace's response, "I'm well versed in human physiology."

"Great," Ace said laying back, "The Martian's a doctor…"

"I am curious though," J'onn said, "As to how you got that scar."

"Scar?"

"The one across your shoulder."

"Oh that," Ace shrugged, absentmindedly rubbing the deep scar that ran across his right shoulder, "It was an accident. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Well glad to see you up," Superman said walking into the room, followed by Diana and Batman.

"Tell that to my head," Ace said as his headache came back in full force.

"Give it a few hours," Diana chuckled.

"Thanks for the encouragement," Ace said rolling his eyes, "So where's the rest of your little club?"

"Flash is at the hospital with Sarah and Anna," Batman said, "And Hawkgirl and Lantern are back at the factory trying to pick up on Argon's trail."

"They'll never find him," Ace sighed bitterly, "I was hoping he'd been hit in the head on his way out of the building or something…"

"What makes you so sure?" Superman said flopping into a chair.

"Experience." Ace said, "But I still don't know why Argon would have lowered himself to working with drugs. He's more eloquent than that."

"Well, that's why we'd like to talk to you," Diana said, "We'd like you to join the Justice League."

"What?" Ace said in disbelief.

"Argon has the potential to become a real threat, and you seem to know a lot about him and how he operates," Superman said, "You could be a real asset to the team if you were to join-"

"Absolutely not," Ace said grabbing his shirt from the bedstead next to him.

"What? Ace wait!"

"No," He said, "Look, it's something you'll never understand. You guys are heroes, people look up to you when they think there's no hope left, and you manage to pull a miracle out of thin air. I've spent my whole life hiding in the shadows where no one can see me, and that's the way I'd like it to stay."



"Ace, that's not true-" Diana started.

"Don't start Princess," Ace cut her off, "You get flowers from every nation of the world on your birthday. Look, it's nothing against you or the rest of your Justice League, but you don't want me on your team. In fact the sooner you can forget I was even here, the better."

"Ace, hold on," Superman said, "Don't write us off so quick. At least wait until you're healed, and think it over. Please?"

"Fine," Ace said laying back on the pillows, "But don't get your hopes up."

--

Ace couldn't go back to sleep after that. He kept running the conversation over in his head, playing out scenarios, and all of them ended badly, but for some reason, he kept at it, looking for any way that he could stay with the League. Hours passed slowly, and the activity in the house at last died down. Carefully, he climbed out of bed and got dressed. He walked over to the window and pushed it open. He was about halfway through, when he stopped and looked back over his shoulder.

"Ah…what the hell am I thinking?!" He chided himself, " The sooner I get out of here, the better."

He silently closed the window, and crossed the lawn of Wayne Manor, where Kyadreon was waiting.

"You look terrible," Kyadreon said, looking his friend over, "Should you even be out of bed yet?"

"You know me better than that," Ace huffed starting to climb onto Kyadreon, "Now come on, we need to be gone before morning."

"Are you sure about this?" The dragon said raising his head as Ace climbed onto his back, "We don't have to leave again-"

"Please Kyadreon," Ace said quietly, "Just go."

"If you say so…" Kyadreon said spreading his wings and heaved them both into the night.

--

GOTC: Only one more chappie to go people!!

Ace: Thank God…

GOTC: Then we start the next story! Who knows? I may feel persuaded to add in a teaser from the next book if you readers would like. So hurry and R&R!!