My biggest issue before was no integration or extended history. It was all jumping into canon, so I am fixing that.
Six months of adoption and magic later
Most would learn to heal for altruistic reasons, and to some extent Austin was no exception... butttt when you plan to become a vigilante and kick ass, healing your broken body really takes priority. Austin made a point to master whatever he could, learning how to soothe injuries, heal bruises and cuts, and create magical baths that actually could do wonders. That last one was based on something called Lazarus pits, a legendary pool of healing water, something he could not wait to find one day.
Offensively, he learned how to knock people out, move things with his mind, pick locks, start fires and mask his presence. All sorts of interesting things found in his amazing collection of books that Moira Queen gave him. That, mixed with six months of intense training in general athletics and kick boxing, and he was ready to act. He made it even better by dressing in a tight black hoodie and moveable pants.
It was oddly easy to leave the Queen mansion, using a spell to ward off people going to his room, and rushing out undetected. He took his motorcycle, a gift from Walter, and drove to the Glades. Safely casting spells to mask it's presence, so it would not be stolen, he hurried into the night.
"Reperio Conflictus." He muttered, and the spell lured him to the nearest source of conflict, which ended up being a group of men mugging a set of young kids at gunpoint.
The kids were crying, a girl putting herself in front of her others. She was defiant, her chin out, ready to die for her friends cowering behind her.
Growling internally, he focused his mind. "Somnia." he said, before throwing a spell pouch into the alley way. The magic, pooled in the spell pouch, glimmered purple before hte men all collapsed, drowsy and almost out of it. "Damn, still too weak for that to work on multiple targets..." Rushing in, he went into action, kneeing his targets in the head and disarming them. Turning to the stunned kids, he said. "Run, they might wake up soon..."
The defiant girl nodded. "Thank you... who are you?"
He smiled. "Lux, now go."
And as the kids rushed off, the boy turned and could not stop the harsh strike of one of the thugs, cracking a rib he was sure. Training kicked in and he blocked another strike, missing once and getting a bloody lips and nose, ducking under a blow and uppercutting the man so hard he fell onto his back, a loud crack filling the alleyway.
The man did not get up, but blood spilled from his mouth... Austin realized, with how his head was turned...
The man was dead.
Shivering in confused raging emotions, the boy searched the thug for a phone, finding it he cast a spell to access it. A simple "Aditus." And with that, he called Nine One One. "I need someone on ninth and Roman... there was a mugging, someone is dead."
Throwing the phone to the ground and grabbing his spell bag, he hurried away, back to his motorcycle, not stopping until he was home, in his bathroom, in a bath of healing herbs spelled to restore the body.
Sobs broke out of him as he remembered the body, the man's neck snapping loudly... the sight of blood and his twisted body...
After about ten minutes of this, tears and full body sobs, he stopped as a realization hit him. It was like being struck by lighting. "They were going to kill those kids, or at least were willing to... I ... I did the right thing. Those kids are safe, and I was right to protect them. I won't mourn them, or regret it. They made their choices... and that is that." Satisfied, he let the bath do it's work, before going to bed, vowing to do better...
To avoid killing if needed, but always be open and aware... and always be more careful.
Those kids would have died otherwise, and that...their lives, were worth the darkening of his soul.
:::
"You sure like those flowers." Thea remarked as Austin worked over his spell bags, or rather collecting their ingredients.
He nodded, smiling. "I really do. They are pretty and I like to look at them." And easy excuse, and one no one could refute. "What's your favorite, mines sunflowers."
She thought about it. "Lilacs, I think."
"I will keep that in mind. You out to another party?"
She nodded. "Yup, don't wait up."
And he didn't, sighing as she hurried outside, to do some drugs, get high and whatever her heart needed to heal at the rip old age of fifteen. "I wonder, if I can help her too.. with my magic... I hope so."
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This was a blast to write.
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.