January 22. 2:55 pm.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Come on," Dorian begged, anxiously tapping his pen against the table as he stared at the classroom clock. He could summon a wave and turn water into his own personal weapon, but he was powerless against the concept of time.
"There's gotta be someone here who has power over time," Dorian groaned as he slumped against his table, his arms folding over his head in dismay. He peaked out between his arms, watching as the smallest hand of the clock made it's merry way around the numbers at the pace of the world's slowest snail.
When he imagined hero school, he thought training alongside Superman and putting bad guys in jail. Buttkick 101 and the History of Catchphrases. He didn't expect having to retake classes and do homework. It was only the first day, and of course, most of his teachers assigned work instead of letting them get away with studying the syllabus. It was as if nothing in his life had changed.
"Calm it, Summers," Frankie barked, her attention on the teacher. She wore a frown on her face as she leaned back in her chair. It was starting towards the end of class for everyone, making each and every one of them fidgety in their own right. Either from nerves or excitement, everyone was anticipating the next set of classes, hero studies.
Dorian unfolded himself, hiding behind the student seated in front of him as he ducked down and whispered to Frankie, "You still haven't told me what your powers are! Please tell me it's time control."
Frankie narrowed her eyes in response, saying nothing. She propped her knee up against the desk and tilted her chair back as she waited for the class to end. Foreign languages was the last class. The staff thought Spanish would be the best subject for the moment. Fortunately for Frankie, she was fluent. Thus, a completely pointless class.
"Four more minutes," Frankie told him, stretching one arm over the back of her chair. The motion turned her focus to another student. He was certainly the largest in the class, bigger than even the teacher despite his age. Super strength, she guessed his superpower. It made the most sense with the size of his robust muscles. She'd have to laugh if his power was something cute like growing flowers. The boy, older in age, was evenly tanned, his black hair slicked back. With a cold look, he turned to meet her stare.
"Entiendes?" She asked, observing his grey eyes.
He nodded with a soft grunt and turned away from her. He went back to staring at the teacher blankly, seemingly determined to focus despite knowing everything already.
Dorian groaned out loud again, turning Frankie's attention again. He hit his head against the table as he dramatically expressed his displeasure.
"Senor Summers, esta bien? I would hate for you to have to stay after class on our first day," Maestra Alicia called, a playful smile gracing her face as Dorian shot up in his seat and folded his hands on the desk.
"Yes, Mrs. Alicia," Dorian shaped up, sitting with his back straight. "Bien. Bueno."
The teacher nodded and went back to teaching just as another student whispered to him. "Spanish not your cup of tea?"
Dorian flushed in surprise as the girl seated next to him spoke up before Frankie could reprimand him. He turned to her, spying a small, doll-like girl with a pixie cut smirking at him. She sat similarly to Frankie, leaning back in her chair with her feet on the table.
"Um, yeah," Dorian stuttered before getting a grip on himself. "Never was the best at studying."
"Dorian, you just got in trouble for talking. Put a lid on it," Frankie scolded, genuinely trying to help him out.
"Oh, don't worry about that," the other girl waved her off and smiled confidently. "She won't see us."
"Uhhh," Dorian drawled, both he and Frankie giving the younger a questioning stare.
"Power over probability, loves," she smirked. "I calculated the algorithm of which the teacher wouldn't catch us, and increased it."
"Um, is that possible?" Dorian asked, inclining his head towards Frankie for an answer. Frankie chewed her lip in response, unsure of the possibility herself.
"I literally just told you anything is possible," the girl deadpanned, her smug facade dropping to that of an irate mom. She clenched her fist, recalling her cool as she sat back in her seat properly. "Nevermind, my name's Melanie. Nice to meet you."
She sat up in her seat abruptly, throwing her school bag over her shoulder just as the school bell rang. She stomped out of the classroom, leaving the other two a bit stunned by her departure. The two shared a look of surprise as they gathered their things quietly, unsure of what to make of the situation.
"Hola, mis compadres!" Megan exclaimed, flying over to them with an excited look. "Earth school is so amazing! It's better than what I saw on TV- I mean, totally retro!"
"Yeah, sure." Dorian paled, sick at the idea of school. "Retro."
Frankie smiled as the younger teen started out of the classroom tiredly. "What do you think of the school, Frankie?"
"It's not bad," she replied. She didn't find it particularly bad, nor particularly good. School was school, as it always is.
"Do you guys want to go shopping before next classes? I heard that's what Earth students do after school," Megan gushed as they left the classroom and started down the hall.
"We do, it's just that there's no mall around here," Dorian explained. The three moved further down the hallway and to the main lounge, where some students idled around by themselves.
"Oh," Megan said disappointedly.
"We should grab something to eat," Frankie suggested, changing the subject upon seeing Megan's downcast expression.
The martian instantly cheered up. She clasped her hands together, rising in the air by an inch by her excitement. "Can we try pizza? I hear it is a delicacy among Earth creatures here."
Frankie and Dorian's eyes widened by her enthusiasm, forgetting she wasn't from Earth.
"Sure!" Dorian beamed, realizing this would be her first time trying pizza. "Only if you let me film it! Imagine: Martian Girl Tries Pizza for the First Time! It'll be a hit!"
Megan giggled and agreed, "I'd prefer Miss Martian if you don't mind."
"Even better," Dorian exclaimed, grabbing Megan and rushing her to the cafeteria while Frankie followed fondly behind.
７月２３日 １０：１１
"Are you sure this is where you lost it?" Zuzu asked, hoping for a negative answer as she scanned the thick forest around them. To her displeasure, Haru nodded his confirmation. The two were placed on the outskirts of a small town based at the foot of an immeasurable mountain grid. Haru eventually came clean with his encounter of a second beast, causing Zuzu to urge them to track it down.
'Sense anything?' Haru asked mentally. They were at the bank of the river where Haru last saw the beast before it disappeared into thin air. He surveyed the watery bank once more, hoping to find a clue but was unsuccessful.
Zuzu closed her eyes, focusing on her powers. She spread her conscious awareness as far as she could. The town behind them rumbled like thunder, but the mountains ahead were as quiet as the dead. Zuzu opened her eyes. "No, it's static."
'How far?' Haru asked, turning his gaze to the rocky, tree-filled passes.
"The first mountain. It's as far as I could go," Zuzu replied. The mountain stretched high above them. It was winter so the cry of the cicadas had yet to arrive, but even without them, the mountain had a daunting aura around it. Zuzu couldn't help but feel hesitant to enter.
Haru started forward, making Zuzu frown as she reluctantly followed his lead. The two walked up the mountain in silence, mentally communicating to keep their guard up. The mountain was surprisingly quiet the hike up. There was not so much as the shuffle of leaves or the cry of a bird the whole way up.
"Something's wrong here," Zuzu said, her stomach swirling with anxiety. The whole mountain felt hostile. With the absence of life, the trees were able to grow thick and wide, long vines and roots tangling together like droves of massive snakes. Despite the relatively easy hike, the two were heaving with exhaustion. The very air around them seemed to poison them, making their eyes dry and their lungs burn.
'Can you make it further?' Haru asked, catching his breath as he rested atop a mossy root protruding from the ground. He unzipped his pack and pulled out a water bottle, drinking from it heavily.
Zuzu huffed, a hand on her neck as she coughed, "Yeah."
Haru passed the bottle to her to which she drank with the same greed. Haru took another deep breath as he scanned the forest again. They were deep in the mountain now. The trees around them stood tall like giants in the sky. He could see nothing between their gaps besides more trees. With a growing unease in his chest, Haru pushed them on.
'Can you sense anything yet?'
Zuzu shook her head. "No, we're the only ones here."
Haru frowned at the news. He looked back at Zuzu, finding her tiredly following a few steps behind him. Neither of them we're doing well.
"We need to get out of the forest," Haru announced as he waited for Zuzu to catch up.
"We can't give up," Zuzu replied, giving him a cold glare. She didn't want to give up yet, but as she leaned against the trunk of a tree, she knew she couldn't make it much farther.
Haru shook his head, 'That's not what I meant, Gray.'
Zuzu was right. There was nothing alive in this forest. Even since they entered, not even a ghost was in sight, but there was still something. A light whisper had accompanied the two the whole way since they first touched the forest floor. Haru ignored it at first. He reserved himself to watching Zuzu to gauge her reaction as they climbed the mountain. Within the first few minutes, however, it was clear only he could hear the voice.
Haru resigned himself to listening to it. It would fade in and out of earshot, only coming close when telling him where to go. Afterwards, it would whisper incoherent mumblings in the distance until he made a wrong turn and it would come back to guide him. Haru looked for the owner of the voice repeatedly, but it's voice was in the very trees and wind, as if it belonged to the forest itself.
It spoke of a stream nearby. Haru agreed it would be a better choice. He hoped the river would be barrier enough from the disorienting effects of the forest. He helped Zuzu up and guided them deeper in. Zuzu perked up after a while and she was able to hear the flow of water.
"A stream?" she guessed. The sound became louder and louder as they went, but she could not see it through the density of the trees.
Haru nodded, inwardly frowning as the disembodied voice became louder and more frenzied. He tried his best but couldn't understand the words it spoke. It was a very old language, he realized as he began to wonder what they were dealing with. He stepped out of the trees, his foot smashing into something wet as they made it to the stream.
"What is this?" Zuzu asked, her face going pale as she looked at the stream. Haru frowned deeper. The voice had gone quiet now.
The river ran a deep black, dying the soil around it an inky shade of night. Zuzu picked up her foot, repulsed by the polluted water. Her shoe picked up leaves and branches along the way, the soil like tar as she raised her leg. Haru picked his own foot out of the blackened stream and looked around as Zuzu started rubbing the sole of her shoe against a rock. The trees around them were stained with black veins, the water they absorbed from the stream imprinting upon them over time.
Haru pulled up his pant leg, finding his own skin dyed the color of black. He grimaced and moved out of the polluted area, joining up with Zuzu. Unspokenly, the two agreed to follow the stream uphill and find the source of the infection.
"You and I are prime horror movie candidates, Haru, with the decisions we're making," Zuzu joked as they trekked on. She felt slightly better now that they weren't wandering blindly around the foreboding maze of trees.
'More than you know,' Haru thought to himself as he wondered about the voice. They were clearly dealing with something bigger than themselves. Haru found himself especially worried over Zuzu as she seemed to have no idea of the entity living in the forest. It reminded him of the encounter with demon, and how she was helpless against it. He thought back to the cat-like beast. Again, he was the only one able to identify its presence. His powers were always based off ghostly energy. It allowed him to see and communicate with the dead, but perhaps, his powers extended to more than one plane.
'There's a house,' Zuzu entered his mind, pulling him from his thoughts. He looked up. Thick coats of moss had grown over the structure, making it almost invisible against the green background. The house must have been built long ago, for smaller trees had taken root in its roof, growing into the very structure of the house.
Haru breathed stiffly, a frown on his face as he pressed forward. He didn't sense anything ghostly from the house. Instead, he sensed something else, making him wary of coming any closer. He glanced back to Zuzu to measure her reaction. A small film of sweat had set against the girl's brow as she set her eyes on the house pensively. She didn't dare meet his eyes out of fear something would remove itself from the house if she took her eyes off it.
Sighing to himself, Haru turned back and readied a shield should they need it. They were close enough now to make out the tinier features of the abandoned building. A whole in the bottom of it's side was stained black from where the stream ran beneath it. The moss around the area grew in shades of black like the trees before, polluted by the stream. The house could almost be beautiful with how it was entwined with nature. Only that made it all the scarier.
Both stood at the foot of the house tentatively, staring up at the building fearfully. Neither wished to move any closer. A soft wind blew past just then, rising above the house and rustling the leaves of the trees as it went. Several leaves fell from their loose perches on the tree. They fluttered down above the roof, falling into a whole unseen by their place on the ground.
'When was the last time you felt a breeze?' Zuzu asked, her unsettled countenance unchanging. Indeed, it had been a while since the wind last blew. The forest was calling to them again.
Haru didn't respond as he pushed himself into the air with his powers. He landed gently atop the roof and peered down the hole in it's top. The light of the day betrayed nothing of the inside. All he could see was several roots growing down into the room like a twisted, overturned crown. Not looking back, he extended his powers to Zuzu and helped her up. The two peered into the darkness together, hesitating to enter the house.
'I'll go first,' Haru said, steeling himself before jumping in. He could see better now that he was below. He quickly scanned for any sign of life, but nothing lied within. He heard scuffling above him as Zuzu jumped down beside him a moment later.
'Anything?' She asked, her form tensing in defense of a potential attack.
'We're safe,' Haru informed, relaxing and now taking the time to give the room a hard look. The room was empty except for the dozens of scattered scrolls and papers thrown about the room. Haru bent down and picked up the paper nearest him. It was old, it's body stained a dull brown over time. There was an image painted there and Haru had to squint under the faint light to make it visible. It was a picture of a beautiful maiden in the old kimonos worn years ago by ancient civilizations. The lines of her body had been carefully applied to the paper, allowing her beauty to last through the test of time despite the ancient paint peeling about her.
'Haru!'
Haru spun around as Zuzu shouted for him. She had moved further into the house, a few steps away. He went to her, finding her frozen to her spot with a hard glare about her. He followed her eyes, spying her concentrated intently on a bound leather booklet. From it, a steady flow of black ink ran from it's pages, creating a stream that flowed out of the house. Haru started and took a small step back. They had found the source of the forest's infection.
"Something's very wrong with it," Zuzu informed him, growing pale and clammy the longer she stared at it.
'Can you sense anything?' Haru asked.
Zuzu paused. 'I don't think I want to.'
Taking a deep breath out, Haru moved forward and seized the book with his powers.
'Haru, don't!' Zuzu pleaded, but was too late. He unclipped it's binding and the book burst open. The stream of ink halted from it's pages as the voice returned to him tenfold. Haru grimaced and held his head as he fell to his knees. The pages of the book fluttered violently as a strong wind picked up from within the house and blew about them.
4:00 pm.
They were under attack.
Canary had them gather on the training field after the bells for next class rang. The next thing they knew, the ground was splitting and rising around them, separating each person from one another. They all ducked for cover, afraid of what would come next.
Holographic images projected around them and began shooting at them. Several cries went up as some were taken out of the game immediately.
They're testing us, Frankie realized as she ran for cover. She didn't have many enemies around her, fortunately. She ducked around a newly formed barrier and marked the location of her opponents. One from the left, another on the higher ground above her.
She moved deeper in to avoid sight from the hunter on the left. She turned to the wall and climbed, her skin sticking against the rock like a spider. The marksman above her wasn't expecting her. As soon as it took aim over the top, Frankie jumped it. Her hand hooked around its ankle while her other helped her to pull herself atop the barrier. She was quick as she hunched down to avoid a swing from her opponent. It missed and she vaulted up while it was off balance. Quickly disarming it with a twist of his arm, she kicked the weapon away and let go of the hologram, causing it to fall to the bottom. The person split apart into shattered cubes as it impacted with the ground. A shot flew by her as the hologram below started shooting at her.
Frankie fell back, deciding to avoid that one and run. Her attention was drawn by a yelp of surprise. Someone else had been taken out. Her eyes turned to a large screen at the end of the training area. It displayed a list of all the students, some of them with their screens faded in color. A timer and score adorned their pictures.
Frankie realized the screen was tallying their scores on the training exercise. Her eyes moved to her own name. Her timer was still ticking along and she had a score of '1' beside it. She was still in the game.
She quickly reviewed who else was alive. Dorian had a current score of three, while Miss Martian had just approached six. She scanned the rest. No one else she recognized was on the board except for the brooding, bulking student from Spanish class. His score was seventeen.
She shivered in surprise as she ran to find and meet up with one of her friends. She wasn't experienced in fighting. If push came to shove, she'd need someone to help her out or she wouldn't make it to the end. Another timer showed at the top of the screen.
Three minutes left.
"Frankie!" A voice called suddenly. Frankie nearly jumped out of her skin as she stopped and turned around to find the source of the noise. She had been on high alert, yet someone had snuck past her defenses.
"Over here," Megan announced, materializing from thin air. Frankie jumped back again in surprise.
"Duck!" Megan shouted, her warm smile dropping as two enemies approached Frankie from behind. The other girl reacted quickly and ran low while Megan used her telekinesis to knock the two enemies off the high ground.
"No time to talk, we gotta move," Megan announced, taking Frankie's hand and running down the path.
"We need to find Dorian," Frankie said as Megan struck down another enemy. She cursed, reminding herself to focus. Gritting her teeth, Frankie prepared another attack while Megan analyzed the large screen overhead.
"There are points telling where we are," she informed and pointed. "But I can't tell which dot is who."
"He's this way," Frankie declared, taking the lead and pulling Miss Martian towards the other side of the training grounds. Several more enemies appeared in front of them, and this time Frankie wasn't hesitant to fight. She charged first, jumping high and toppling one to the ground. She landed on top of the hologram with her knee on it's neck. The projection dissipated and Frankie moved on to her next enemy while Megan took on several of her own.
Frankie recovered quickly and twisted around as one came at her, elbowing him in the back in the process. She let that one fly as she moved on to another enemy, lifting this one high in the air and throwing it against another.
She let out an animalistic roar as the remaining four raised their weapons on her. Her eyes flashed with anger as she quickly got out of the way with shocking speed. She went behind them before they had time to process her movements. She jumped up and kicked one of them with two of her feet before flipping back on the ground. The other three shot at her, managing to fire off a few before Frankie took out two. She spun around to avoid direct fire, kicking one down as she did so. Keeping the same momentum, she spun again, throwing another off the edge. She shouted at the last as she picked it up and flung it into the pits.
Megan landed beside her as she finished, having just wrapped up her own fight. "Is it just me? Or is this getting harder?"
Just as she said so, another hologram materialized in front of them. Their eyes widened as the projection was considerably larger and wielding a gigantic axe.
"It's not you," Frankie grunted as she and Megan ran at the beast. Megan flew up to eye level, distracting it while Frankie went for it's legs. She threw herself against it, grunting with the force it took to overpower him. She screamed as she called for her powers. Slowly, she managed to lift the hulking projection off it's feet and slam it on it's back. Megan took over the rest, using her own powers to put down their opponent.
Frankie swayed, her head becoming light from her exertion. She was pushing herself far more than she was used to. Megan came down and helped her steady herself, "Come on, we have to move."
Frankie nodded, trying to shake off the feeling when the ground rumbled beneath them. The arena was morphing again. Megan and Frankie gasped as they were broken apart. Large pillars rose up from the ground, completely changing the geography and layout of the grounds. Frankie again found herself alone and surrounded by tiny, holographic spheres. Curiously, she put her hand to one. It split open and gave birth to an enemy who charged at her immediately. Her eyes widened as she barely managed to dodge it's attack. She quickly overtook her opponent but set off several more traps in the process.
She groaned in annoyance, doing her best to fend them off, but everywhere she went she set off another trap. It wasn't long before she became overwhelmed. A shot from behind took her down. The holograms shut down as Frankie was eliminated and the arena lit up around her, showing her the way out.
She sighed in defeat and started walking, observing the screen as she went. Dorian had also been taken down at some point in time. In fact, most of the class had been ejected, save for a handful.
As Frankie moped and traveled to the resting area, she was joined by Dorian who was also on his way out.
"Frankie!"
"Oh, hey," she waved.
"Man, I was doing really well on my own! And then that guy came in and ruined everything," he immediately began complaining as he walked beside her. His hair had become damp, a result from his power no doubt.
Frankie sighed and indulged him, casting aside her own disappointments for now. "What guy?"
"The biggest of us all! I was being really careful not to set off any traps and the next thing I know, he jumps in and tears up dozens of them in the process! He's crazy I tell you!" Dorian exclaimed.
Frankie turned back to the screen, recalling said classmate from before. His number was now approaching the nineties and growing steadily.
"Carlos Lopez," she read his name. He was frightening. Even Miss Martian, who was in the run for second, had only just reached the thirties. His power was unimaginable.
A bell rung throughout the entire stadium just then, signaling the end of the simulation. The ground returned to normal and they were able to see Miss Martian off in the distance along with some of their other classmates. Carlos, who was closer by than they expected was still huffing from the fight. He turned to them, scaring them half to death. His normally intimidating grey eyes were on the verge of being dyed a striking red while his skin similarly scaled to a redder shade.
Taking a deep breath he stabilized and returned to his normal appearance. He glared at them and stalked off to the observation center where everyone else who had lost had gathered.
"Let's go," Frankie said, nudging Dorian as they moved to follow their senior classmate. Megan joined them eventually as they made it to the observation deck with the rest of their classmates. It seemed everyone in the school had gathered there to watch, staff included. Even the other heroes, who had been exempted from school classes had gathered there to watch the newbies show their stuff.
"Congratulations, all of you," Black Canary began. "I saw great performances out there."
Everyone remained quiet, eager to hear her analysis of their training. "Each of you performed with individual skill, and got a taste of what it's like to really battle out in the real world. But, your test was only at a beginner's level. The first two minutes were level one."
A small murmur went up as some students talked amongst themselves. There were some there that had been taken out before the two minute mark.
Black Canary continued, "Level two was initiated for two more minutes. Level three lasted for the last minute."
Frankie and Dorian sighed in relief. They had done pretty well to last to the last level.
"For those of you who feel you didn't perform well, or the best you could've, that's what this training is for. You've come to the right place. By the time I'm done with you all, level five should not be a problem."
"Alright," Dorian grinned, eager to earn more power. He turned to Frankie, who held an equally determined expression on her face.
"Training begins now."
２０：２０
He messed up. That much he knew. Haru rested his head against the back window of the train, fighting to stay awake as he waited for their last stop home. Zuzu leaned against him from the next seat over, still passed out from before. She lost consciousness almost immediately after he opened the book. He could only imagine the reasons why.
After the book had been unleashed, Haru had picked up Zuzu and ran with all his might away from the forest. That had been several hours ago. The two of them were almost at his place now. Zuzu needed rest, and to be as far away from that accursed book as possible. He, on the other hand, was going back. That book was the only key he had in figuring out how to stop the monsters running loose around Tokyo.
The train arrived at their stop finally, and Haru huffed with effort to carry Zuzu out of the train. He jumped, pushing her higher and used his telekinesis to give him a hand with her weight. He sighed in relief at the considerable lightness she now held and trekked them up the stairs. He lived close to the station, a fact he was now overjoyed with.
In the dark hallways of his apartment, Haru used his powers freely. He telekinetically unlocked the tumblers in his front door and opened it. He walked in, not bothering to remove anything as he went straight to the bedroom. He laid Zuzu on his bed and helped her take her bag and shoes off. He sat beside her, staring at the ceiling with tired eyes. He peeled off his own shirt and shoes, tossing the dirty items on the floor. His house could be cleaned at a later time. He removed himself from the bed and entered the bathroom for a quick shower.
Haru sighed in pleasure as the warm water ran over him. He held his gaze down, staring at his blacked ankle. It was still dyed with the ink from the book. He took his bar of soap and leaned over to scrub it clean. By the time he had managed to get it to fade only a few shades lighter, he had rubbed his skin raw. Haru sighed and gave up on the effort. He rinsed off the soap from his body and climbed out. Quickly drying off and wrapping a towel around his waist, Haru went back to the bedroom. He passed a glance on Zuzu, finding her still unconscious. He'd have to apologize to her later for not listening.
He went to his closet and pulled out his costume. When he went back this time, it would be as Revenant.
The forest felt familiar this time. Haru was able to move around with ease as he followed the path taken before. The great maze was no longer intimidating, but that did nothing to ease his fears. He knew what lied further into the mountain.
The voice was with him again, but this time he was the one being ignored. Haru could still not identify the language it spoke, and it unnerved him all the same. He tried to focus. Every now and then he could pick up a word or two. He listened intently.
"Halt!" The voice didn't come from the book. Haru turned towards the voice. A girl around the same height as him stood only a few feet away. She had a hood over her face, obscuring her identity. Haru turned his attention to her exposed midriff. He could make out her darker complexion from there and realized she was foreign. He was also able to make out the extreme toneness of her muscles, making him nervous. Haru felt his pulse beat quicker as he froze to his spot. No one was supposed to be out here. He hadn't planned on being caught.
"Stay where you are," she ordered in a strict voice, coming forward. Haru obeyed, unable to move even if he wanted to.
"Try anything and I'll pummel you," she announced as she moved in front of him. Her features were still shadowed by the hood, but Haru could tell she was glaring at him from underneath.
He gulped and nodded, anxiety taking over and preventing him from thinking clearly. He shivered and held still as she quickly patted him down to check for weapons. She stopped at his chest, feeling the armored shirt. Her eyes narrowed, "Who are you and what are you doing out here?"
She looked up at his mask and moved to take it off. Haru gasped and jumped away, finally finding the means to move. The girl inhaled in surprise as Haru glided a safe distance away from her.
"You're a super," she nearly growled out.
"I'm- I'm not an enemy," Haru sputtered out, trying to calm his beating heart. This was just like when Zuzu first encountered him. All his fears from before were sprouting back up like wildfire. He didn't know what to do.
"Who was the girl you were carrying?" the girl demanded, settling into a fighting stance. Haru flushed at the sight, feeling his palms become sweaty as the situation escalated. He didn't want a fight with a civilian.
"My partner," Haru answered fearfully, realizing she had been tailing him from when he got home. He supposed it made sense. A guy carrying around a passed out woman should cause anyone to worry.
"Why are you here?"
Haru shook his head, realizing he was wasting time answering questions. He turned to run, but was held down by an invisible force. Haru gasped as the pressure became heavier. He was soon brought to one knee as his legs buckled under the weight of his own body. The pressure increased even more until Haru found himself pinned to the floor. He stared at the girl in shock as she came closer, unaffected by the pressure. "Don't move."
She yelped in surprise as Haru's powers flew out of him and knocked the girl aside. She flew back and knocked against a tree. Immediately, the pressure atop Haru dissipated. He bolted to his feet and ran a safe distance away before turning back to the girl.
She rubbed her head as she picked herself off the forest floor. Her hood had fallen off to reveal a very pissed teenager of Indian descent. One long braid fell over her shoulder as she cracked her neck and glared at him. She ran at him, picking up speed on the way until she was right on top of him before he could realize.
Haru's eyes widened as he ducked from a punch made his way. He again glided for cover, turning just in time to see the girl punch the forest ground. The poor root that had took his place shattered to bits as a gust of wind rose up from her impact. Haru wanted to cry as he resolved himself to avoid being hit at all costs, lest he wanted to die very painfully.
The girl whipped her head around at him. Her eyes narrowed as she bent closer to the ground and ripped another sizeable root from the ground. Haru paled as she raised it above her head and threw it at him with surprising ease. He shouted in alarm and threw himself to safety. Instinct taking over, Haru wrapped his powers around the projectile and threw it back at her. She steadied her stance as it came at her, not bothering to run away from the projectile. She raised her arm back and swung it forward, punching through the log.
Haru felt a shudder pass over him as he desperately wanted to run away. He tried again, only to be pursued by the same pressure from before. Haru grunted against it as it moved to pin him against a tree, He turned to the girl, ensnaring her within his own prison as she struggled against his telekinetic bonds. He brought her up to his eye level against the tree as she kicked her legs in the air in attempt to free herself. Haru didn't bother trying to escape as he held her in front of him. They were even. He glared at her under the mask and waited until she gave up her fight.
She scrunched up her nose at him, glaring as she realized her fight was futile. Dissatisfied with the results, she proceeded to take a deep breath through her nose and hawked a loogie at his face. Haru closed his eyes in disgust as the girl decided she was satisfied with small win and allowed herself to be suspended in the air with him.
"Do anything to me, and I crush you."
Haru nodded and kept silent. He felt at least a bit calmer now that the fight was at a stand still. The girl tilted her head to the side as she waited for Haru to say something. He didn't.
"So what? We just float here and have a staring contest? Who are you?" She sounded annoyed,
Haru frowned and answered reluctantly. "I'm a hero."
"If you're a hero then I'm a fluffy dinosaur," She replied. "What's your name?"
"Revenant."
"Petra," she greeted, dipping her head in a mock bow. "So why is a hero out here in these woods. What happened with your partner?"
Haru paused. He wasn't exactly sure himself how to explain it. Even if he could, he wasn't entirely sure his new acquaintance would believe him.
"Super bad, super villain taking shelter in the middle of nowhere?" Petra spoke up with a teasing smile. Haru sighed in relief at being relieved of his explanation. He nodded back at her, causing her playful expression to drop.
"You're kidding me," she dead-panned.
Haru shook his head.
"Do you always talk so little? How do you expect me to trust you?" Petra barked accusingly. Haru bit his lip, again unsure of how to reply. There was no way for him to prove himself to her.
"Take off your mask," she ordered, eyes narrowing. Haru recoiled, unwilling to submit to her command. She narrowed her eyes further, daring him to disobey. Haru shuddered under her gaze. She had to have something up her sleeve or else she could not achieve such an intimidating look. Haru gulped and removed his mask, revealing half of his face as he brushed the mask aside with his powers.
Petra relaxed, finally. Haru felt the pressure against him lighten and he put his mask back on.
"We let each other go at the same time," Petra declared, receiving another nod in return.
"One, two, three," she counted. She was immediately released and fell to the ground swiftly. She caught herself against the uneven ground nimbly. She turned her head back up, where Haru was still caught under her hold.
"Just making sure," she apologized lamely and let him go. Haru fell to the ground, recovering much less gracefully than the former. Haru stood up and shook out his stiff limbs, glad to be free of the pressure that restrained them. He looked to the girl, finding her staring at him with her arms crossed over her chest.
"So I'll trust you, for now. What now?"
Haru froze, thinking to himself. She may trust him now, but he still didn't know what to make of her. Whether he could trust her or not, he wasn't sure if she'd be keen on accompanying him to read a demonic book. After what happened with Zuzu, he wasn't sure he even wanted to bring another person along anymore.
He turned away from her and started walking back into the forest. The voice had not left him, and spoke in tongues all throughout their fight, not stopping even now.
"Hey, wait!" Petra called after him and ran to catch up. "Where are you going?"
Haru stilled, the words halting in his throat.
Petra went cross at his lack of explanation. She crossed her arms again, "Fine. I'll just follow you to find out."
Haru hesitated, but nodded his permission. He feared if he tried to stop her, another fight between them would break out, so he let her do as she wished. He went ahead, not caring if she was behind him or not.
Petra was stronger than Zuzu. She kept up pace with ease and walked beside him. She barely broke a sweat the whole way, the forest's poison having a near minimal effect on her. Truthfully, Haru felt it was him trying to keep up with her despite his lead.
Once they made it to the stream, her pace changed. She resigned to follow him quietly as she began to believe his claims of a villain in the forest. Haru didn't mind, already knowing what laid in store for them.
They made it to the house and Haru leapt up to the rooftop. He didn't help his new partner, deciding to see what she was capable of on her own. She jumped high, hooking her hand on the side of the roof. She climbed up a second later, too easily for Haru's taste. He nodded towards the hole, indicating their next direction. Once again, he went down first. Petra came after him, landing by his side as she surveyed the surroundings.
Haru ignored everything else this time as he quickly located the book and went to it. Unlike before, he was completely ignored by the entity within its pages. The book laid open on the floor, quietly reciting its verses to itself as it ignored their presence.
"That's it?" Petra asked, coming by his side as she found him hovering over the book.
Haru nodded and peered at the pages. It was written in ancient Japanese. He could barely read the connecting scribbles aside from a few characters that stood out. He frowned and again reached out to the book with his powers. He held his arm out to Petra and pushed her back as he prepared for anything.
The pages agitated at his touch, but thankfully did nothing else. Haru closed the book and bound it tightly. He pulled down his backpack and fished out a plastic bag. Using his powers, he carefully set the book inside and rebound it from within the plastic bag. Carefully taking every precaution, he placed the book gently back in his bag and secured it tightly to his back.
"That was your big bad villain?" Petra asked, giving him a skeptical look. Haru nodded and clenched his fists. He wasn't particularly comfortable with having a possessed book lying against his back, and wanted to get it away from him as soon as possible.
Petra opened her mouth to confront him once more when a deep, low growl interrupted her. She shut her mouth quickly and turned to the far side of the house where the growl came from. It growled again, coming out muffled. Whatever it was, it wasn't inside. Yet.
She turned to Haru for an answer, but he was focused on the roof. It was their only way out, and he had a sneaking feeling he was about to encounter an old enemy. Petra ran past him just then and jumped out on her own, before either could make a plan. Haru's eyes bulged out of their sockets as he watched her go. He heard a savage growl rip through the air and raced after her. He jumped onto the roof smoothly and looked down. The yellow cat-like beast from before lay just below him, wrestling with Petra as they rolled atop the knotted roots. Haru didn't have time to hesitate as he ran into the fray to help Petra.
"Revenant! Tell me what I'm fighting here!" Petra shouted in an almost panicked voice. She punched the creature blindly, managing to do enough damage to keep it from retaliating immediately.
Haru grit his teeth and pulled her off the beast and to safety as he took the front line against the beast. It rolled back on it's feet and shook off Petra's attack. It snarled angrily and turned to him.
Haru roared back, crushing two trees with his powers and sending them flying at the beast. It swatted at one, breaking it in half, but was hit on the side by the other. Growling, it leapt at him teeth first.
Haru held up his hands and summoned a shield. The creature knocked against it and fell against the ground, only to jump up again and attack his shield. Haru grunted with the effort to keep his shield up against its strength when Petra flew back in and punched at it. Again, she succeeded, but only managed to hit it's back leg.
"I'm blind here, hero," she shouted, falling into a defensive position she lost track of the creature. She looked around for a sign, waiting for the beast to betray its location before it got to her.
Haru turned from her to the beast. For now, it kept it's distance from her, tentative of receiving another brutal punch. Thinking on his toes, Haru encased the fallen leaves on the ground and summoned them into the air. He weaved them through the air with great precision, using them to outline the beast and it's movements.
Petra narrowed her eyes as she recognized it and ran in head first against. The beast roared and met her head on. Haru felt sweat trickle down his face. If at any moment he was too slow in marking it's movements, it could mean Petra's life.
Concentrating, he skillfully outlined the beast as Petra dodged another swat from its razor-like claws. She flipped around it and threw another hard punch at it's side. The beast howled as her arm pierced through it's skin with blunt force. Haru gasped, horrified by the power she could obtain.
Petra continued her affront however, oblivious to the damage she was causing. She climbed over the beast and elbowed it over it's spine. It broke with a sickening crack as she slid down it's side and kicked its front legs out from under itself. The beast fell with a heavy thud, yowling in pain. Petra ignored it and hurried to end her fight. She ran around it and to its head. She jumped high and brought her fist down.
Haru lost his hold over his outline as again Petra broke through the creature's skin. The leaves fell around her as the creature slumped with a broken skull. Haru looked on in stunned awe as Petra climbed off and walked towards him.
"I believe the fight is won," she guessed, looking to him for confirmation. Haru cast his gaze down and stared at the yellow blood staining Petra's shirt. He looked to her with a questioning gaze, but she didn't seem to notice. Not his shock, nor the blood.
Haru nodded, biting back the urge to tell her what she had done. If she knew, she wasn't showing any kind of remorse. Maybe she enjoyed it.
He nodded his head and moved to go back into town when the creature stirred behind him with a small mewl. Haru turned around in surprise. The creature moved slightly, attempting to get up as the hole in it's head began to heal and refill.
He grabbed Petra and started running down the mountain.
"What?" She shouted in annoyance as she shook her hand free from him.
"It won't die," Haru yelled back, racing through the trees. He hoped to make it off the mountain before the beast could come after them again.
"Who said anything about killing it?" Petra argued, running down beside him. She grabbed him this time and stopped. Haru attempted to keep running, nearly tripping over himself when Petra stood firm, not budging an inch against him. Haru flinched as the action caused him to overstretch his arm. He receded and massaged his arm as Petra continued, "Let's finish this thing."
Haru flushed with alarm as she turned and cracked her knuckles, readying herself for round two. Haru released a growl of his own as he toppled over several more trees, effectively blocking off the path between them and the beast.
"Hey!"
Haru ignored her and grabbed her again, this time with his powers. Petra struggled against him again, thrashing against his bonds uselessly. "Wait, super-wannabe!"
The beast howled in the distance, causing Haru to run even faster. His gym teacher would be proud with the speed he was making. He wasn't much of an athlete back at school but make him run for his life and he might cut out to be a track star.
The two burst from the forest wall and started running for the river bank. Haru hurled them across and tumbled on the other side, completely missing his landing. He huffed as he rested against the ground. He looked to the forest for the beast, but again it disappeared. They were safe.
Haru breathed in deeply, pathetically winded from their escape. A rock flew at his head as he turned, meeting the eyes of a very mad Petra. "I could've taken it."
Haru stared at her in disbelief as he continued to catch his breath. This girl was crazy.
7:14 pm.
"So," Emma began as the team settled into Megan's Martian craft. "What do we think of the new kids?"
"Nothing much," Wally smirked, relaxing in his seat while Megan started up the ship. They were below the island. The Justice League had prepared a small, but secret hide out just beneath with everything they'd need for their covert missions.
"They did very well for their first time," Kaldur defended them as Megan announced their launch. They slid from the launch pad and into the ocean water, using it as cover to get off the island unnoticed.
"Yeah, on level three," Robin threw in sarcastically.
"The school's a joke," Wally spoke up. "You can't just take classes and major in being a hero."
"Give them some credit, Wally." Megan spoke tentatively. Unlike the rest, she had actually made friends amongst the new kids. She knew they were stronger than they seemed.
"Well, I didn't mean you, gorgeous," Wally amended his previous statement and gave her an award-winning smile.
"Yeah, you passed with flying colors," Robin threw in. "Like any of us would have if we took the same test. You belong here with us."
"But I don't have fighting experience, only what my Uncle John taught me," she pointed out.
"You'll learn on the way," Emma soothed. "Don't worry, you're part of the team."
Megan frowned deeply. They weren't getting it. She wasn't any different from the other students, but for some reason she was treated better than the rest. It left a sick feeling in her stomach as she was reminded of the separation of class treatment between the green and white martians back home.
She decided to stay quiet for now and hid her displeasure. A quarrel now could only damage the mission ahead. She'd settle her qualms with her teammates another time.
"Enough," Kaldur said, sensing the tension between them. "Focus on our mission."
The team fell quiet the rest of the ride, silently reading through the report of Cadmus given to them by Batman. They just finished their briefing when Megan landed them in an alley near the lab.
"Time to disembark," she announced, powering down her ship. She stood, her clothes turning black as she donned her stealth gear.
The rest followed suit and switched to the blackened version of their costumes. They boarded off the ship and took refuge in the alley. Robin pulled out a drone, and after inputting a few codes on a device on his arm, sent it off to survey the lab.
The drone's surveillance displayed in the air, broadcasted by the same device Robin had been playing with earlier. "Looks like a normal lab."
"How do we get in?" Green Lantern asked, looking over the building for a way in. They were on a covert mission. They couldn't risk letting anyone find out about their surveillance, especially with the media watching their every move.
"There's a backdoor in the parking lot. We could-," Robin was cut off as an explosion came from the building and it was engulfed in flames.
"Woah, it just exploded!" Robin exclaimed, thrown off by the blast.
"Not a bad cover," GL commented as Aqualad sprung into action.
"Miss Martian, disguise yourself and evacuate lab personnel. The rest of us will wait until it's safe to sneak in." he said, dismissing Miss Martian ahead of the rest.
"Too late," Wally crossed his arms and scowled. "Boy Wonder already went ahead."
Aqualad turned back to the blast, spying their youngest member just as he snuck around to the back of the building. Aqualad sighed in frustration, "Everyone take extra precautions. Our presence can not be known."
The two remaining members of the team nodded in agreement and geared up to go. KF dashed ahead as usual, running in after Robin while GL escorted Aqualad into the blaze. Sensing it was clear, the two got to work putting out the worst of the fires. Already, they could hear the sirens of the fire department crew in the distance. They didn't have long to spare. Making sure the building was stable enough to burn until the firemen arrived, they moved to laboratory.
The three remaining members were already there, filing through documents and hacking into computers for information.
"Thanks for your assistance," Aqualad narrowed his eyes from the entrance.
"You had it covered," Robin defended, never taking his focus off the computer screen.
Aqualad frowned and turned to Green Lantern. He gestured for them to move on and investigate another room. She nodded and flew out with him. They split in the hallway, her taking the right side. She was coasting down the halls in search of a clue when an inhuman shadow crossed her path. She narrowed her eyes and hurried to catch up with it, chasing whatever the creature was down another corridor. She turned the corner, making out the barest of its silhouette before they were enclosed within the elevator doors.
She threw herself forward in an attempt to apprehend him but was too late. She shouted for the others as she pried at the steel doors with her powers.
"Stop that! Do you want to set off an alarm?" Robin scolded as he came running around the corner with everyone else.
"You saw someone?" Aqualad asked as GL receded to let Robin hack his way into the system to allow them entry.
"But I evacuated everyone," Miss Martian opposed with a fretful look.
"No," GL cut her off, "It wasn't human."
"So what are we dealing with here?" Kid asked as Robin got the doors to open. The five of them peered down only to find an endless abyss dug deep into the Earth.
Robin narrowed his eyes, "Obviously something more than what we were expecting."
He pulled out his grapple gun and shot it into the ceiling of the elevator shaft. He jumped down fearlessly, leaving everyone else behind.
"Prepare for the worst," Aqualad warned before jumping onto Robin's line and hitching a ride. GL formed a platform beneath her and KF and dived down alongside Miss M.
They fell swiftly, the numbers of the floors flashing by as they went. They had just surpassed Robin and Aqualad when the Boy Wonder ran out of rope. Aqualad skidded himself to a stop as they hung in the air. Robin swung himself to the edge of the shaft, landing safely despite the small ledge. Aqualad followed him and checked the floor. They were at sublevel thirty-six.
He turned to Robin and they shared a look. "Good a place as any."
Green Lantern expanded her platform as they decided on a route, allowing everyone to stand comfortably as Robin again hacked his way into the system. The doors opened to reveal a bland looking hallway, heavily set with steel pillars to support the weight of the building.
"We split up," Aqualad suggested after he surveyed the area. He stretched his hand out and laid it on Robin's shoulder, sensing the boy already moving to run ahead. "Wally and I will take this floor. You go with the girls to investigate another floor."
"Who made you leader?" Robin quipped, crossing his arms like a child.
Steeling himself, Aqualad refused to entertain the boy with a reaction. Calmly, but forcefully, he explained his reasoning. "The other group will need someone to hack into the doors again."
Robin scowled and reluctantly agreed with the idea. He returned to GL's construct, wrapping his cape around him quite like his mentor does as he simmered.
"Alright," Kid grinned, snapping his goggles to his head. He turned back to the other three with a bright smile, "Don't get too lonely without me ladies."
GL visibly sickened at the line and made a heaving motion, "I literally just gagged a little in my mouth just now."
Kid's smile dropped as he scowled back at her. Aqualad bid them safe journey as Robin typed on his devices and shut the door between them. Shaking off her feeling of disgust, GL descended them further into the base as Robin continued to type on his condensed computer program. "System says there's fifty-two sublevels in this building. Let's go to the bottom and check it out."
The other two nodded their consent as they soon came upon the level. They were blocked by the elevator at first, and thus, settled for sublevel fifty. As soon as Robin opened the doors, the words they were going to say halted in their throats. Unlike the other level, this room was covered in a substance that reverberated around the room like iridescent muscle.
Robin narrowed his eyes and exited the elevator. "Meet back here in twenty minutes."
"Wait, aren't we supposed to go in a group?" Miss Martian exclaimed, entering the floor with subtle hesitance.
She received only silence as her answer as Robin ignored her and disappeared into the hallway. Green Lantern came up beside her and shook her head, "Ignore him. Aqualad sent us together knowing Robin would go off on his own."
"This place gives me the creeps," Miss M commented and shivered as she looked about the room, complying with GL's claim.
Using her powers, Lantern quickly and neatly collected a sample from the wall and pocketed it in her suit before walking ahead. "Stay focused. I definitely saw something monstrous come down here."
Megan nodded and followed her deeper into the dim corridors of Cadmus.
"Your report."
Several computers lit the dark room, their screens glowing a soft blue in the room. Though their figures were well shaped, their identities were completely masked by the light. In the center of them all, Desmond stood with a g-gnome on his shoulder. Beside him, stood another person, still obscured by the shadows in the room.
"I have confirmed that two of our correspondents were successfully able to infiltrate the League Academy. Everything seems to be going according to plan."
"Excellent," a screen with a large figure of a man spoke at the report. "We'll move along as planned."
"And what of my mission?"
"You will come of use to us in due time."
"Pardon my intrusion," Desmond spoke up with an annoyed countenance. He shuffled forward as his g-gnome glowed red with telepathic energy. "I've just been informed of an intrusion on sublevel thirty-six. Two young men in costumes."
A brief pause of silence filled the room as the situation was taken in. Finally, the same screen from before spoke again. "I've changed my mind. No doubt it is the League's young brats causing trouble. Take care of them for me."
The man cloaked in shadows nodded and stepped into the light to reveal Red Arrow.
"It will be done."
１月２７日 １３：３２
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Zuzu opened the door to reveal Petra standing in the doorway, evil book in hand. Zuzu turned from her to the book with a tired expression. "You must be Petra."
'Your friend's here,' she informed Haru silently as Petra waved and invited herself in.
"And you're Zuzu," she guessed. Petra had been let in on everything after the encounter with Haru. She had agreed to help them and took the book for herself. She said she knew someone who could translate it for them. It had been a few days since then.
Zuzu nodded and closed the door behind them, staring at the book pervasively. "You translated it?"
Petra turned back to her form her place in the main room. She leaned to one leg and crossed her arms, smirking. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't."
Zuzu nodded and moved to join her as Haru entered with his mask over his face. Zuzu flushed with embarrassment as he nodded his greeting to Petra. She stomped towards him with an angry expression and stopped right in front of him. "She knows where you live, and you're worried about your identity being a secret?"
Petra turned her head to the side, hiding her laugh in the sleeves of her shirt as Haru stood still. A second later, he removed his mask and laid it on the table while Zuzu sighed and held the bridge of her nose. She had been in a bad mood of sorts since the book caused her to pass out. As soon as it opened, the energy within it reached out to her. She confirmed it was the same being as that of what the demon showed her. Ever since, she had been particularly reserved and tired. Every time she encountered it, it seemed to take a piece of her vitality with it, and Zuzu was still trying to recover.
"Do you want something to drink?" Zuzu asked, filing through the formalities. Petra shook her head.
"Let's get to business, shall we?" She threw the book atop the coffee table with a somber expression.
"Japan's first supervillain, Brushogun."
A/N:
You guys have no idea how excited I've been to reveal the Japanese plot line. I finally did it! Hope you're excited as I am. Tell me if you were able to guess Brushogun was the villain!
This is my longest chapter yet. It was a hell of a hassle to write but very fun. Thank you guys again for your reviews! I love them all. I hope to become a much better writer by the end of this story.
I'm still accepting OC's at the moment. No longer at a real lack of them as I've adjusted the storylines, but the more the merrier. Please send a word or two out to any friends you might have in the YJ community. I'd love to have their OCs as well.
I've also swapped the first chapter of this story with a rewritten one. A few of the submitted characters are in it now if you'd like to go back and check it out.
Not sure when I'll update next, but shouldn't be long. Until next time!