Afterlight
Chapter Four
"Everyone needs reality to punch them in the face every once in a while. Keeps you on guard."
― Alexandra Bracken, In The Afterlight
"Breathe," Talia ordered, form perfect in her meditative stance, "Clear your mind, child, we have much to do today."
I did not answer, sinking into a dark cloud that was lit only by her voice. She continued speaking, "Your reconditioning is finished. Now, we truly begin."
"Your first lesson is simply a reminder that your old team is nothing to you," She said sharply, "Kyara is dead, Astra is dead. You are nothing but an apprentice now, my apprentice. Are we in agreement?"
"Yes," I said softly, heart tugging as she spoke of my team, my family.
"No, you're not," Talia said softly, "In the future, do not lie to me. I am not your oblivious father, nor those oblivious people that you called teammates."
"Our first lesson is thus: you need to let them go. They aren't coming for you," Talia's voice cut into me like a sword, "You gave yourself to us. Your soul is ours!"
"I know," I said softly, "God, I know."
"Then why do you cry at night? Why do you have nightmares of a past that is no longer yours?" I couldn't answer her question, "It's simple, you haven't let go."
"I don't know how!" It burst out of me before I could stop myself, "I'm sorry, but I don't."
"Then I'll teach you," Talia declared. I heard her stand, "Get up."
I did as told, watching as she picked up a fighting staff. She tossed it to me, "You can't forget, apprentice, but you can let go!"
She whirled, hand grabbing another staff and swinging it at me. I blocked it, barely. Talia grinned, wild and vicious, "Our lesson begins now."
January 1, 2016
It was just before five when I woke up, my dream quickly fading away. I ran through my morning routine on autopilot, too caught up in this new dilemma to truly pay attention to what I was doing. Seeing Kaldur – Manta, I mean – had been very disorientating. I never thought he would betray the Team, I didn't understand how he could betray the Team.
And that was the problem. I didn't understand it. I didn't know him anymore. This Manta, who was he? How could I judge him when I knew who he had once been? I had cared about him, loved him once upon a time. I didn't know if I could set that aside.
In a flash, I understood why I was here. Ra's al Ghul had known about my relationship with him, and Manta's loyalty wasn't the only thing being tested. I was being tested as well. Ra's al Ghul wanted to see if I was loyal to him. He expected me to betray him while I was with the father-son duo. No, I refused to fail him. I would remain true to this mission and secure my place with the League.
So, back to the issue of not knowing what to do with Manta. I truly doubted he was loyal to his father. There had to be some sort of game, some mission, and I had to figure the rules. For now, all I could do was play along until I could figure him out. Until he disproved or proved his loyalty…
I shook as I realized how much I wanted to protect the man who I had once cared about. I wanted him out of the Light's reach before they decided to kill him, or worse, corrupt him and turn him towards their beliefs. I doubted that I could make him leave, though, so I would have to make the Light believe that he was loyal.
I didn't know how, though. It had been years since I had seen Kaldur, let alone talked to him. Back then, he had been kind, loyal, and good. I didn't know what he was like now, or why he had defected to Black Manta. None of it made sense, and I wasn't sure if I could figure it out without one of us getting killed.
Done stretching, I headed for the cafeteria, which was empty due to how early it was. The banana and cup of oatmeal given to me didn't look that disgusting as I walked over to an empty table. I turned on my tablet as I ate, reading up on Black Manta. The oatmeal was surprisingly tasty, and the banana not overly ripe.
A tray clattered against the table as its owner sat down. I looked up to glare at the person who had dared to join me, but stopped once I realized who it was. He mumbled a greeting, not fully awake yet, , and began to eat. He only looked up when I set my spoon down and cleared my throat.
The man froze, a whisper of breath escaping him, "Kyara…"
I realized then that Kaldur probably hadn't realized that it was me beneath the skull mask, which lay on the table. I rolled my eyes, "It's Oblivion. Kyara has been dead since she left that lab almost four years ago. Get over it."
"How – " I sighed, tired of explaining.
"Dead? Nope. I've never been dead. I'm really getting tired of hearing that though," I raised an eyebrow, "What about you?"
"Me?" He asked. I couldn't tell if h was evading the question or didn't know what I was talking about.
"Yes, you. You didn't forget my reason for being here, right? Why did you join Black Manta?" I kept my voice casual.
Manta didn't answer, eyes wide as he stared at me. It was like he was trying to sear my face into his memories, like he couldn't believe I was here, speaking to him. It was almost like he had believed that I was dead, even though I had always been alive, my death never faked.
"Manta," I said sharply, startling him.
"He – He is my father, my family," Kaldur explained weakly.
"Look, I don't know if that explanation has worked on everyone else, but it kind of sucks. Try again," I recommended. Oh, God, this was going to be harder than I originally thought.
"The King of Atlantis lied to me for years about my parentage. That, and the death of Tula, made me lose faith in the Team and Justice League. When my father offered me a place among his ranks, I could not say no," I nodded with approval at the explanation. The reasons for his betrayal were odd, and didn't make sense. As far as I knew, his love for Tula had faded after his friend began to date her.
"Very good. It still hasn't convinced me, but it's not bad," I shrugged, "What's on the agenda for today?"
"Black Manta has requested that your skills be assessed," I nodded, having expected as much, "I will also show you the daily routine of my squad."
"Not bad," I turned serious, "Manta, listen to me. Your loyalty will be assessed by me and only me. If you do anything that suggests loyalty to someone else, I will kill you without hesitation. Understand that I will not be hampered by any past memories of you. Who I was is not who I am anymore."
"I understand, Oblivion," He said my name like it was a curse, "I do wonder if you have realized the game the Light is playing. Your loyalty is being assessed as much as mine is."
"I realized it the moment you introduced yourself. If either one of us messes up, both will die," I stood, putting on my mask, "So, please, don't mess up."
"I will do my part, but will you?" He shot back. I smirked, nodding sharply.
I stalked out of the cafeteria, tossing the cup in the bin of things to be washed. Manta hadn't convinced me of anything, instead, he had only increased my suspicion. His reasons for leaving the Team were weak, or at least they were to me. Especially after he had said that Tula had died. Although I had never met her, I knew that Manta's feelings hadn't been that strong for her after he had discovered that she and his friend were together.
I didn't know what to think, really. This was something that I had not expected when joining the League of Assassins. I thought that I would remain separate from my former team mates, but that was quickly becoming impossible. I shuddered and grabbed a towel from my quarters, and headed to the girls' showers.
They were mostly empty, the first wakeup bell having only rang a few minutes ago. I stripped, setting my clothing on the shelf, and pulled the curtain closed. The water smelled a little bit like salt, most likely being filtered in from the ocean. I hummed and ran a hand through my hair, trying to forget my worries for just a second.
Later that morning, a guard informed me of where Black Manta wanted me to go for my assessment. I thanked the trooper and stood, rolling my shoulders and cracking my neck. The trooper nervously led me through the halls, happily leaving when I told him to.
I entered the room that I had been told to go to. It was a small gym that had been cleared to make room for the large training mat in the center of the room. Black Manta and Manta stood in the center of the mat. Manta's squad stood off to the side, casually talking to each other.
"Oblivion, I'm so glad that you could join us. I trust that you have found everything up to your standards," Sarcasm dripped off of Black Manta's words.
"We'll see," I answered, not playing along, "I'm going to get to the point, here. I know that you aren't happy with my presence. I know that you're going to do everything possible to get me off this submarine."
"That's what I know you know. However, I will do everything in my power to stay aboard this vessel. I will make sure that your son is loyal, or I will kill him where he stands. If you try to stop me, I will kill you too. The Light does not tolerate weakness, and you're displaying a lot of weakness," My voice was brutal.
"You dare threaten me? I will make you regret every word," Black Manta stepped forward. Black Manta was too serious. If I wasn't careful, he would be a threat.
I didn't move, but straightened to my full height and allowed my voice to grow cold, "I would not take another step, Black Manta. I have no qualms with beating you down."
"Enough," Manta finally intervened, "Father, I believe that antagonizing the person who decides if we are worth anything to the Light is not the best option. I believe that we should proceed with the assessment."
"Watch what you say, girl," Black Manta said. I allowed him to have the final word, knowing that he could go on forever.
"What is this assessment?" I quickly changed the subject. I had my suspicions, but I wasn't sure.
"I want you to fight my son. If you are to be my son's advisor and equal, then I want you to prove it," Black Manta stepped off the mat.
"Any rules?" I smirked, directing it at Manta rather than his father. His father bristled at the obvious disrespect.
"Don't kill each other," He said dismissively, "That should be hard for you."
"Manta, any rules?" I continued to smirk, assessing the situation. He quietly considered my question before deciding.
"We don't kill each other," I shook my head and backed up to my side of the mat. I would go easy on him, just to avoid giving him serious injury.
"So serious," I sighed and looked at Black Manta, "Call it."
"Begin," His voice was unamused.
Out of all the things I was expecting, laser beams were not one of them. Kudos to Manta for catching me off guard by shooting laser beams out of his helmet. I ducked and pushed a hand out, sending a stream of light towards me. He grunted as it caught him in the stomach.
Not wanting to give him a chance to pull that stunt again, I sprinted towards him and fell into a front handspring, kicking the helmet off his face. He pushed me away with a hard kick, forcing me into a roll that ended with me in a crouch and swords in my hands.
Manta had pulled out his water bearers, which formed into the swords he had favored when he was on the team. Grinning broadly, I attacked in a storm of light and lethal moves. He countered every move with one of his own. Now that I had seen that he could still fight, I could make things much more difficult.
I continued to fight, but allowed my focus to slide to the floor. I imagined light sliding over the floor, gathering around his ankles. Then, I solidified it. The Atlantean stumbled at the sudden inability to move. I backed up and watched as slashed at the material around his ankles.
He broke free as I slid my swords into their sheaths. Manta began to attack me again, holding nothing back. I slid under his attacks, arms cloaked in yellow light to avoid being cut, and hit him with a hard uppercut. He flinched backwards, but a hand caught my shoulder and brought me with him.
I grabbed his hand and whirled, the momentum unbalancing him. He pulled free and came up with a water bearer that formed into a mallet. I laughed and held a hand out, a club forming. We attacked at the same time. I was constantly moving, darting around his attacks and countering with my own. I made things difficult by constantly changing my weapon between a sword, club, and mallet.
While this fight was fun, I was getting tired of toying with him. Although this was supposed to be my assessment, I was judging his fighting skills as well. He was in excellent shape, and his fighting skills were better than anything I had expected of him.
A yelp escaped me as his mallet caught my fingers. My arm went numb, the light dissolving into dust. I darted backwards, analyzing the situation. Manta took my retreat as a sign of defeat and advanced forward. His water bearers darted out, whips attempting to grab me. I smacked them away with shield of light and frowned at him.
I brought my hands together with a clap, light bursting out and blinding most of the room. I pushed him backwards with another burst of light and hooked a leg around his ankles. He fell to the floor, extremely disoriented. I knelt on his chest, a blade forming in my hand that was pressed against his neck.
"Yield," I ordered, keeping a careful eye on Black Manta, who had stepped forward.
He relaxed for a second before attempting to shift his weight. I shifted with him, shaking my head, "Don't."
I smacked a hand against his chest, light spreading out and sealing him to the floor. I turned to look at Black Manta, who was watching silently, "Are you satisfied?"
"Yes," I rolled off Manta, and pressed a hand against the hardened light, dissolving it.
"Here," I retrieved the helmet and handed it to Manta.
"Your skills are satisfactory," Black Manta grudgingly said, "That does not mean that you should be here. I will continue to watch you."
"As expected," I replied, "I hope that you'll enjoy the view."
"Both of you, get your injuries seen to," Manta nodded and walked away with me following behind.
"You've improved," I commented as we walked to the infirmary, "I'm impressed."
"As have you," Manta replied, "Your control over your powers is amazing."
"I've had a lot of time to work on them," I said with a wry smile, "As have you."
"Three years is a long time," I winced at the hidden jab, "I was not aware that you had the ability to make your constructs permanent."
"A gift from the League of Assassins," I chose my words carefully, "All the better to serve them."
"The League of Assassins," Manta was very stiff, "You trust them?"
"Of course," I replied, confused at where this was going.
"Even after they were responsible for the death of the second Robin," I stopped in my tracks.
"The second Robin is still alive. It's that kid with a staff," I insisted even as my mind raced to process this information.
"That is not the second Robin," Manta stopped and waited for me. I leaned against the wall for support, a heavy weight settling in my stomach, "His name was Jason."
"Stop it," I snapped, "Just, stop. This isn't helping your case."
"But it is important," We started walking again, "It is just something to think about."
We took turns going into the infirmary, me going first and Manta only going in afterwards. I waited outside for him, unsure of what to do. The nurse had given me an icepack for my split lip and had made a snarky comment about the mass of scar tissue covering my body, but that was it. I assumed that Manta's checkup had gone okay, because he didn't take very long.
"Walk with me," Manta's eyes were stormy as he turned left.
We walked in silence for two minutes before he pulled me into a broom closet. He muffled my complaints by clapping a hand over my mouth. I watched as he closed the door, and yanked his hand away from my mouth. A beam of light instinctively shot from my hand, pushing him back.
"Are you crazy? Damn it, Manta, I will kill you now," I swore at him, bewildered by this occurrence.
"What did they do to you?" He spat, voice low and furious.
"What?" I asked, bewildered. He gripped my shoulders, shaking me slightly.
"The League of Assassins," He said the name like it was a curse, "This isn't you, Kyara."
"My name isn't Kyara!" I insisted, "And they didn't do anything to me. I don't know what you're talking about."
"They changed you. They took away everything that made you more than a mindless soldier. Kyara, how can you follow them?" Manta sounded as sad as I was when I was on the team. My heat twanged just a little, and I told it to stop beating, "I can see it in the way you move. They have done terrible things to you."
"They didn't change me. I changed myself, in order to make myself better," I argued, my powers flared for a second, bathing Manta's face in its pale glow. I could see anger sparking in his eyes and radiating through the lines in his face.
"No, you didn't. I knew you, Kyara, and you would not have done this to yourself. Please, let me help you," He begged me. I hesitated, thrown by his actions. God, this was going to kill me.
"I don't need help, not from you, not from anyone. Get over your past, Manta," I ordered him, ruthlessly squashing the desire to let him help me. My allegiance to him had ended years ago, and I couldn't allow myself to care about him unless I wanted to break away from the League of Assassins.
I shook my head when he tried to speak, "Enough, Manta. You act like we're the same people that we were four years ago. We aren't friends anymore, Manta. I am your judge and potential executioner. If you insist that you are loyal to your father, then you need to act like it. Next time, I will not be so polite."
I yanked the door open and walked out, leaving Manta in the dark. I would make sure that he did not die, but we were not friends, he could not treat me like one. Anything he said was a potential lie, including what he had said about Robin and my death. All of it could be lies.
Author's Note: Hello, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Expect an update around Wednesday or Thursday. I'm having internet issues, so if I don't update, that's why. Bye!