１月２１日 ９：５１

She knew when she moved to Tokyo she'd never have a quiet day to herself. Today, even in the wake of a natural disaster, that was no took a deep, slow breath as she relaxed her mental barriers, allowing a storm of thoughts from all around Tokyo to enter her mind. They quickly overpowered her, rushing into her head like a giant wave. It made her head ache, but she bared the storm. The news in the background became a blurred murmur as the thoughts surrounded her like a sea. She felt like a sailor lost at sea, staying afloat by only the grace of a thin, paper boat. Yet, she welcomed the chaos. The vortex of thoughts made it impossible for her to come up with her own, which she desperately wanted to avoid.

'Zu, you okay?'

Her mental ocean calmed immediately at his voice as Haru pressed himself into her mind softly as he checked on her. It immediately broke through her reverie, the voices in her head stabilizing to a barely audible whisper. Choosing to ignore his intrusion, she pushed her powers out around her, using them to locate her companion. She could feel his mind in the doorway of the kitchen, his mind abuzz with concern.

'I'm fine,' she answered back mentally, not breaking the blank stare she made against the wall in front of her. She curled closer to her knees, indicating her want to be left alone.

Haru moved around her, setting down some food and drink on the table before her. She ignored him the entire time, staring off into the distance with her own thoughts storming in her head.

Haru bit back a reply, saying nothing else. He knew her well enough to be an empath of her own in his own way. He knew she wanted space to herself right now. He quieted his thoughts and anxiety as he left her. Not voicing his thoughts didn't necessarily mean he wasn't communicating them. She was an empath, and one particularly familiar with his own emotions and thoughts. He was as easy as reading a picture book if he didn't keep his inner workings on a leash around her.

He left her in the living room, going to his room to change. An earthquake hit Tokyo hard yesterday. A lot of casualties happened in the outer cities, and many were already reported dead. There were still search and rescues being performed in the affected regions. Haru shed his jacket and top, throwing both on his neatly made bed. He turned to his closet, debating what to change into. His mask hung in the back of his closet, staring back at him with tempting blue eyes.

Haru stared back at them, wondering what was appropriate for the situation at hand. He debated each side, whether to rescue people as a superhero or as a normal citizen. Tentatively, he reached towards his mask, making his decision.

He gave it a glance before setting it down on his dresser and changing into his costume. He dug in the back of his dresser shelf, pulling out a solid black armored shirt. Haru turned to look at himself in his full length mirror as he changed into his pants. He gave himself a once-over. He was neither skinny, nor muscular, but he didn't mind that. His average body made it easier for him to blend in with the crowd. He wasn't the type to want to stick out in a crowd.

He reached in the back of his closet and pulled out an oversized jacket. Instantly, his arm disappeared in the loose sleeves as he donned the jacket and zipped it up. He gave himself one last, serious look before grabbing his mask and setting it over his face. A wide, wicked blue grin smiled back at him as he stared at himself solemnly through the mask. Haru closed his eyes and turned away from the mirror. He flexed his powers, testing his ability as he returned to the living room.

Zuzu looked up at him finally as he re-entered the room. She hadn't told him what happened to her when the demon whispered in her ear, but she's been traumatized ever since. It was like the demon had taken a part of her soul.

Her eyes fell on his mask as she looked at him with a conflicted countenance. Her gaze became downcast as she tucked her head and curled herself tighter. "Don't get into trouble."

Haru shook his head, harnessing his emotions to project an answer. By now, he had learned how to communicate with his partner by the fluctuation of his thoughts and emotions. Zuzu nodded and went back to staring at the wall with a beaten look.

'I'll be home soon,' Haru informed, letting her be by herself. He turned reluctantly and threw up his hood. Until she let him in, he couldn't do anything. He steeled himself and opened the front door, walking out unseen as he left for the leveled cities.

Haru was fortunate his powers were stronger today. The spirit world was as restless today as the living. With all the newly dead, and agitated spirits, Haru's powers had boosted. He breathed in deeply as he focused on helping others. Thanks to his ghostly acquaintances, he was able to locate a lot of people in need of help as the ghosts helped search for injured persons.

"The humans look for you," a spirit said, floating by his pant leg as it only half revealed itself through the solid ground. Haru nodded his thanks and went in the direction of the rescue personnel. When he first arrived on scene, they were quite cautious of him. Haru shrugged it off, thinking it appropriate given the sinister nature of his mask. They quickly realized he was an ally, however, the moment Haru began using his powers to move large debris off trapped people.

Using his powers to spring him forward, Haru jumped in front of the rescue staff. Still wary, he noted as he watched them stiffen in his presence. One of them, though, came forward either hiding his fear or not having any.

"Some workers are trapped below. We need some help with the fallen building," he reported. Haru nodded and extended his powers towards the site. The small debris was easy to be rid of, multiple pieces flying up together at once before being stashed to the side. The larger pieces, however, Haru moved one at a time, using all his concentration. Eventually he made a gap large enough for people to climb through. A small group of the rescue staff ventured in and helped people out, while Haru focused on keeping the building from crumpling further. He felt a thin layer of sweat begin to form on his brow as he struggled with the weight. He had used a lot of energy when he first arrived, racing against himself to save as many people as he could. He was getting tired now, but he refused to give up.

Finally, the workers cleared the building and Haaru released his focus. The building shuddered without his support and slowly began to fall into itself. Haru breathed deeply, trying to catch his breath as discreetly as possible.

"Thanks for your help," the man who called him over before said. "Hero, huh? Got a name?"

"Revenant," Haru answered passingly as he recovered his breath. It suited him, he thought. He may have not died, but his ghostly senses certainly made it seem so.

"We're in your debt," the man thanked genuinely, bowing.

Haru bowed back, "My pleasure."

"Hey boss!" Another man interrupted, waving them over. "B team called in saying they heard some kind of dog trapped under some steel beams. South side."

The other man breathed in deeply and turned to Haru again. "Think you can spare us another hand?"

Haru nodded in reply and followed the man elsewhere. The two ran through the ruined city. Many of the buildings had crumpled, some much more than others. A lot of people were hurt.

In the distance, several figures could be seen working together to move a steel beam. Haru faltered in his step as the dog howled from within. The cry startled him, the dog sounding more like a beast than a pet.

Haru and the man ran up to the scene just as the group of rescuers pulled the beam out of the way. One of them hopped into the mess, able to get through the debris now that the beam had moved.

Haru's eyes widened as he set eyes on the destruction within. Not only was the house completely destroyed, but a large-cat like beast glared from below the wreckage. Acting on instinct, Haru wrapped his powers around the man that had jumped in. He pulled the man from the building quickly, practically throwing him back to safety. Haru's stomach tightened with fear as he wondered the staff's inability to see the threat before them. The staff around him started in surprise, barely having a moment to question him before the wreckage around them exploded. The creature burst forth and escaped, sending debris everywhere. Haru leaped closer towards the others, throwing up a telekinetic shield to protect everyone from the rubble.

"What the hell was that?"

Haru dropped his mental shield as the men started around him, He ignored them and focused on the beast running from the blast site at top speed. Haru was after it in a second.

He used his powers to propel him forward and chased after the creature. His mind thought back to the workers who were unable to see the threat when it was in front of them. Haru bit his lip as he was reminded of yesterday's encounter with the demon. O one but him had seemed to notice the creature. He hoped the two events were unrelated as he sped after the beast.

He cursed inwardly as it started moving into residential territory, places that hadn't been hit so hard by the earthquake. People shouted in surprise as the creature rushed past them, appearing as a strong gust of wind to the normal eye. Haru flew past them in their surprise, doing his best to keep up with the creature.

'It's fast,' he thought to himself as he jumped into the air again. Haru caught up with it, darting across the streets a few yards away. He extended his left arm, pushing out with his powers as he tried pushing it off it's feet.

The creature hissed at the shove, but didn't budge.

"Stop!" Haru commanded, bringing down a tree in it's path with his powers. The beast ran directly towards the tree and jumped, clearing the obstacle in one bound before taking a sharp turn.

Haru cursed, too slow to follow it immediately. By the time, he came back on course, the creature had gained a few meters on him. It began running directly for a bridge as Haru projected his powers to try and grab it. He felt his powers begin to wind around the beast, but it jumped and ran off the bridge, slipping through his grip.

Haru lost sight of it for a second, just a step behind as he hurled himself after it. Haru's eyes widened as he jumped off the bridge. He saw nothing of the creature as he fell down, landing in a shallow river. He turned around, looking attentively for the beast.

'Impossible,' he thought as he scanned the river valley. It spanned long and clear, not even a bush around to hide in. Haru breathed heavy, turning again to scan the river. There was nowhere for it to escape, but it had disappeared completely.

"A hero's work is never done," Zuzu said, greeting Haru from the living room as she heard him come in. She knew he was tired. She could read the exhaustion off him as soon as he landed on the roof of his apartment. His mind was fatigued, but she sensed something in the back of his head bothering him. It rang out, clear as a bell to her, but she ignored it, allowing him his privacy.

Haru entered the living room, peeling off his mask as he did so. Zuzu turned to him expectantly, waiting for him to say something. His eyes studied her closely as he tried to evaluate her emotions. His eyes flicked to her side where the food he had given her lied half-eaten. He turned his gaze back to her steadily, 'You're feeling better?'

"No, I'm not," she answered aloud as Haru came to sit and rest on the couch. He plopped down next to her with a satisfied sigh as he arched his back and stretched.

Zuzu receded into herself again, curling up her legs to her chest, but she kept her eyes on him this time. "I think it knew about my powers. Or at least my fear."

'I should've stopped it,' Haru cursed, not meeting his gaze to her. He stared up at the ceiling, still laying back against the couch as he tightened his hand into a fist.

"It showed me something," Zuzu continued, ignoring Haru's personal pity party. He drew his lips in a line at the news and turned his focus back on her.

"It was like something alive. Not human though, and not an animal. More like, raw emotion," she started with a sick expression, feeling her stomach heave at the memory. "It was so dark. A void that drained everything good in this world to fill an empty hole in it's heart. And I think it enjoyed it. I couldn't tell if it drained happiness out of sadness or it actually enjoyed spreading anguish like a disease. I've never felt anything like it before."

'You're crying, Zu,' Haru said, choosing his usual passive responses to her revelation. He didn't want to let her know how disturbed he was by her discovery. He dug under the coffee table for a box of tissues as he thought back to his encounter with the beast today. For Zuzu, he thought it better not to tell her anything. She didn't need to worry about another monster coming after her. He pulled out the tissue box and started passing them to her when her expression caught him in a daze. She was in anguish.

"Haru," her voice cracked. "I think it was a warning."

January 21. 7:40 am.

"Senator Finch," Superman greeted as he met her in the hallway of the U.S. Capitol building, Wonder Woman trailing by his side. A woman in all white looked up at his call. She smiled upon seeing them, greeting them politely.

"Superman, Wonder Woman. Thank you for coming," she said, calling them into her office while Natalia Monroe stood by her side. She handed her some papers and a pen, asking her to sign quickly so they could proceed with introductions quickly. The two superheroes came in quietly, allowing her to finish.

"Good thing you came early. There's a few things I'd like to go over before the conference." Senator Finch informed as Natalia went behind her and set the files away. She took Ms. Finch's blazer off the back of her chair and brought it to her as she continued.

"The proposals?" Superman guessed as he and Wonder Woman narrowed their eyes. Neither were particularly fond of the new events going on.

"Yes, I think it's better you don't hear them for the first time when we're in court," Senator said, sliding on her blazer with Natalia's help.

"What are they?" Wonder Woman spoke up, interrupting Superman before he could say anything.

Finch sighed, "You're not going to like them."

"Then we come up with another," Wonder Woman compromised, though not exactly.

"Unfortunately, it not that easy," Finch smiled, sympathizing with her blind enthusiasm. "I can guarantee you the elected board will vote unanimously to put regulation on the Justice League."

Wonder Woman folded her arms. "What kind of regulations?"

Finch smiled and gestured for Natalia to come forward. "This is my personal assistant, Ms. Monroe. She's an Eye. She can see the future."

Natalia extended her hand in greeting. "I've foreseen many possibilities. Agreeing to subject yourselves to power limitations is the best course of action."

"What about the villains?"

"We'll discuss that," Senator Finch answered.

"With all due respect, Superman, I implore you to choose subjugation. There is no right answer here. No perfect future. I can only advise you to take the most peaceful choice," Natalia bowed her head slightly as if ashamed to be asking this of the Earth's heroes.

"Obviously, these hearings will take years to finish. We fully plan on addressing villainy and countermeasures, but now is only the beginning," Finch said. "Each proposal will be thoroughly reviewed and adjusted according to the times. But by the end of this meeting, I believe one thing will be certain."

"The board will elect that the Justice League's jurisdiction be limited to the United States," Natalia announced.

"Villains don't have borders," Wonder Woman argued, narrowing her eyes.

"Japan just had a major earthquake. We believe the cause is from a magical source," Superman revealed.

Finch frowned, thinking it over. "Then I suggest you resolve the matter soon. There isn't much time."

"Not all members of the League are from Earth. They can not be bound by such rules," Wonder Woman frowned.

"Yes, they can," Finch disagreed, her political side coming out. "Wonder Woman you are here on Earth as an American guest. That makes you a citizen under our jurisdiction. Think about it. An American-based super power running around the globe unsupervised and doing what they deem right? It sounds like the beginning of a radical group. Your acts can easily be misinterpreted as an act of war or terrorism."

"We use our powers for good, like we always have," Wonder Woman bit back, offended by her reasoning.

"Wonder Woman, if North Korea decides to nuke the United States, and you interfere, are you prepared to be seen as a weapon of the US military? These kind of things are bound to happen sooner or later. We're just preparing for it before international tensions are created."

Wonder Woman went quiet while Superman stood beside her solemnly, each analyzing the situation. Finch continued, "Natalia can see the future, but it doesn't take a superpower to see where super acts of heroism are taking this world. Superheroes were always meant to be regulated. Now, I'm not telling you you're doing your job wrong. I'm not telling you that I'm not grateful for your rescue of my niece during the Darkseid invasion. I want to help you because you're superheroes in a fearful and ugly world. Let me do what I can to repay you."

The room remained in heavy silence for what seemed like forever before Wonder Woman spoke up again. "What about the children at the Academy?"

"There's no need for them to get caught up in all the politics. We'll try and leave them out of it. For their sake."

January 21. 7:01 pm.

"Welcome to the League Academy. It is from my own great fascination and honor of meeting you brave students, that I am humbled to be here today," Monroe began her speech, smiling widely the whole time as she welcomed the new students. Everyone was gathered in the assembly hall, which served double as a cafeteria, judging by the feast laid out on each table for the students. The set up was just like high school. The seniors, aka the moody and established superheroes, had grouped together in the center table and were throwing scowls in any direction.

Meanwhile, everyone else fidgeted in their chairs or wore nervous expressions as they took in the new environment. There were but a few, however, who sat calmly in their seat, emanating either a hostile or reserved aura. Ms. Monroe continued, "To start off our first night together, a banquet has been put together. Now, I know we're all dying to dig in, but let us wait until after the welcome announcements have been made."

"To start off, my name is Natalia Monroe. I am wonderfully excited to be serving as your headmaster for the first school year. I have been appointed by Senator Finch, who is working together with the Justice League to build a peaceful future."

She was met with many frowns from the superheros table at her phrasing, but no one said anything in response.

"Like you students, I have abilities beyond normal biology. Forewarning you all, I am an empath. Right now, I feel many of your excitement," she smiled softly before turning her gaze to others in the room. "And I can feel much of your hesitance. But I assure you, this school will become of great experience in your futures. I'm also an Eye, what Ms. Finch calls a seer. I can therefore assure that your worries will be solved."

She smiled brightly despite some of the doubtful scowls she received throughout the room. Her smile waned as she sensed their disbelief. She smiled weakly again before shaking it off and moving on. "Next, we'll move on to the staff. First, the Justice League."

Both Black Canary and Red Tornado stood up at their cue and introduced themselves. Black Canary took over, "I won't sugar coat it for you all. Times are changing. For better or for worse, we don't know. But you kids have made the brave decision to become involved in shaping the course of the future. This is what a hero is. Whatever may come, you all have my respect. I have great expectations of you all, the future generation of superheroes. I'll take personal pleasure in training you all."

"Lovely speech, Ms. Canary," Mr. Herrera cut in as soon as she was done, standing up in his seat. Canary nodded to him, attempting to show some ounce of amenity between people she clearly didn't like. She sat back down quietly with Red Tornado as Herrera introduced himself. "I'm your acting guidance counselor. I'll be checking in on each of you often. Let's make sure we become good friends."

His introduction set the students off, a visible chill running the meeker ones. He sat back down as the other teachers and staff introduced themselves after him. Along with classes to focus on their abilities, they would be taking their normal school academics at the school. Everyone was assigned the same teacher for each class, seeing as the school population was quite small to start. Each teacher had volunteered for the job, and each of them had been privately screened by both Senator and members of the League. The ones here now were the cream of the crop. They stood in line for a final bow, thus ending the opening ceremony.

With introductions over, they were thus allowed to begin eating. Wally West reached over and pulled a turkey leg onto his plate, taking one big bite out of it. "At least the food here is good."

"That's the only thing," Robin quipped back as he and the rest started filling their plates. Wally looked back behind him, spying a few cute girls a few tables away.

"I wouldn't say that's the only thing," he smirked with dreamy eyes. He held a spoon to his face and grinned at his reflection, checking for anything in his teeth. He smoothed back his hair next and flashed a charming smile at himself. He set the spoon down and grinned, moving to get up and "introduce" himself. A hand stopped him, however, slamming down on his wrist before he could fully stand up.

Emma kept her grip on him tight as she calmly took a bite of her food. Wally sat back down with a stern expression, facing his body towards her. "What gives, Jordan?"

"Flirting the first night, Wally? Is that such a good idea?" Emma asked, still not giving him her attention as she continued eating.

"I was not going to flirt," Wally denied with a frown.

"That's believable. And by believable, I mean not," Robin joined in.

"Perhaps he has a point," Aqualad countered, "Introducing ourselves may not be such a bad idea."

"Right," Wally agreed, standing up again, "So I should introduce myself to those cute girls over there."

He ran off before any of them could stop him again. The girls were either very kind or very oblivious as they welcomed Wally, but were completely oblivious to his romantic attempts.

"He'll give us a horrible reputation by the end of the night," Emma paled, watching the interaction with a sickened look.

"At least he's making friends," Aqualad said, casting his gaze out for his own group to introduce himself to.

"We didn't become superheroes to make friends," Robin pointed out, pulling out one of his devices and fiddling around with it as they ate.

"You're right, but I agree with Wally. This place isn't all bad," Emma started, wiping her mouth and twisting the ring on her finger.

"Emma?" Robin asked with an unbelieving tone as the remaining two boys looked to her in curiosity.

She smiled mischievously to herself as she used her ring to project a mouse trap next to Wally's unsuspecting hand. He yelped out loud when he moved it and it clamped shut on his hand.

"For example," Emma chuckled darkly, "I can torment Wally on a daily basis now."

'Everyone, remain calm. I have a message for you from the Justice League.'

Emma choked back a gasp as a voice suddenly entered her mind. She turned in surprise to the boys, checking to see if she was the only one under attack. They too had gone tense with the intrusion, meaning she wasn't the only one accosted by this foreign entity. She grimaced and forced herself to give a relaxed posture. From beneath the table her hand twitched with anticipation as she planned on using her ring at any moment. Her partners did the same, each discreetly reaching towards their respective weapons as they scanned the room with suspicious eyes.

'My name is M'gann M'orzz. I'm Martian Manhunter's niece. I've connected a telepathic connection between the five of us. My uncle told me humans greatly dislike our telepathy, I apologize.' Megan spoke secretly. They turned their attention to her through their peripherals. She grinned and talked with her fellow classmate as she communicated with them, avoiding suspicion.

'Act normal,' she commanded. With a deep breath the other heroes settled for continuing their meals in silence to avoid alerting the staff something was wrong. Just as the League had predicted, many of the staff were working for people with hidden agendas for the Academy. To let them know something was wrong, could be a dire mistake.

'The League has a mission for us.'

'What's the mission?' Robin asked, his tone coming out annoyed despite the lack of vocals.

'The school is a cover up. The five of us are to act us students while performing League missions incognito.'

'Oh yeah,' Wally grinned, echoing the thoughts of the other heroes. They each relaxed at the news, becoming relieved. Even the most optimistic of them had become worried they were being cast aside. Now, it was just the opposite. They were being put back on the field, and better yet, the League needed them.

'What about the other students?' Emma asked skeptically.

'The League doesn't trust them yet. They can start to be included once we deem them allies,' Megan answered. 'Uncle John says we'll be working reconnaissance for now. The League also said they'll need us to work cases outside their legal jurisdiction. All eyes are on the League, which means we can work behind the scenes- as the earth saying goes.'

'So what's our first mission?' Emma asked, echoing Robin's earlier question.

'To explore a Project Cadmus.'

A/N: So this is my plan for the American storyline. School may be a thing, but I still plan on sending the team on missions. First up, Cadmus.

No worries about the American characters, they'll be playing a part in the missions very soon.

Japanese line will also be having a very interesting story plot to be revealed next chapter!

Update: I'll be rewriting some of the earlier chapters. Nothing much is going to change except that this is taking place around a year or so after Darkseid and he will be the world's first big threat. You probably don't have to reread it, just know that if it comes up at a later time then know I've changed the background to this. I'm also still in midterms right now so I'll probably update next week Sunday. I'll try and fit in more time to write so I can update sooner though! I love all your comments by the way! Thank you guys so much!