Chapter 11: Times Up
More chapters on my (P)atreon at Saintbarbido.
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(Davian's P.O.V)
I got up to my knees quickly. There wasn't time to waste.
"What are you doing here Cop killer?"
Harley asked, sliding off the vine to land on the floor which if you take the collapsed Skyscraper was basically the wall in a horizontal inclination.
"Get out of here Harley! Now!"
I yelled at the clown, eyes cast to the sky at the sun rays stubbornly cutting in through the smog covering the city.
"You just need to get him back to the park."
Chase told me.
"Don't fight him, just lead him there."
"I know."
I replied. My body was starting to feel the effects of keeping the Shikai active this long. My Reikaku was stretched as far as I could. I knew he was coming. I could feel the shiver going down my neck. For a minute everything was silent.
"What do you..."
Before Harley could complete her sentence, the floor erupted as something burst through. He came from the ground while I was watching the sky!
Superman snarled, punching out and nailing me on another cross guard. My arms were painfully slammed onto my chest and we both flew towards the ceiling.
"Bakudo 8: Seki!"
His fist was halted by a blue ball that appeared along the second punch's path. The force was repulsed back to him and he bounced back to the ground, landing on the floor and causing the whole building to shake.
"Whoa..."
Harley said trying to keep her balance.
"Get her out of here."
I called out to Poison Ivy while pointing a hand down at Supe's position.
"What are you doing?"
Chase asked in alarm as he could feel the massive amounts of power I was funneling to my arms.
"Just an experiment. What would happen if I were to mix different Kido spells together? My repertoire is very lacking. I only know no more than 5 spells in the first category. I can't seem to go above level 10."
Was it highly dangerous? Yeah. Did I care? Not really. Not when I was desperate to survive.
Chase said nothing. However, a split second later I felt his essence.
"This is foolish. But I shall help you shoulder the burden."
He answered.
Could he even do that? My thoughts were interrupted as 4 glowing eyes appeared down in my vision. Here goes nothing.
" Hado combo 1 and 4: Sho Byakurai!"
My body was rocked back as a straight beam of plasma with lightning streaks around its length shot out of my palm. The kickback slammed me back onto the ceiling but it still managed to complete its function and Superman could only stand and take the blow head on.
There was a shockwave that rang out, vines formed a wall in front of Harley, protecting her from the worst of it. When everything settled down, I floated to the ground slowly.
"Did we get him?"
I asked Chase.
"You should know the answer to that yourself."
"Fuck."
I muttered as the dust cleared, revealing a massive hole that went down into the tunnels. I blinked. Where could he have gone?
'Shunpo!'
The skill threw me 20 meters away from my previous position. Superman came in through the ceiling this time, stomping down on where I previously was.
His costume was in tatters and his face was set in an ugly sneer.
"Impressive. I didn't think anyone could hurt me in this body."
He said.
Then his body begun exuding heat and a red energy.
"But no more games. Get ready to be crushed Insect! Raawgh!"
This time I could barely react to his speed. His punches came in heavy and fast, landing on the massive shield that I constructed to hold him off. The thick plate of ultrathin threads buckled and folded.
He was hurt but not really going down and I was slowly getting overwhelmed and pushed back. At least until a massive Vine batted him away. He broke through the collapsed building, carving a groove onto the street before taking flight and rounding up towards the building.
I looked at Poison Ivy.
"You just made yourself a target. I thought I told you two to leave?!"
The queen of all things green sneered.
"You are in no position to order me around."
"Aaw let us help you kick Big Blue's ass. I've always wanted to land my bat right on that perfectly manly face."
Harley grinned maniacally from beside Poison Ivy.
"You're crazy."
I shook my head.
"Both of you."
"He's preparing something."
Chase warned.
I ignored the two Supervillains and immediately flew out of the building.
"I feel like that's enough time for Constantine to be done with his preparations. I don't think I can take more of this."
I told my Zanpakuto.
"Maybe."
I broke through the morning air using Reikaku to track him. That's when I came face to face with a truck on a collision course with me. With quick thinking, I created a long bastard sword and swung, separating the vehicle into two parts.
"Did he just throw a truck at me?"
"Heads up."
Chase said and I groaned. It wasn't one truck either, multiple wrecked cars fell down on my head. I spread my hands out, creating a web of strings by anchoring them to the surroundings. 2 minivans, one police car and an old Truck landed on the web and held.
But he wasn't done.
"Is that a fucking 12 wheeler? Where did he even get it?"
I wondered out loud.
"He's fighting smarter. He started out by underestimating you but now that he sees you can hurt him, he has decided to keep his distance and attack from afar."
Chase intuited.
How was I going to handle a 12 wheeler? If strength was what I lacked, then...I only had to give it to myself.
A huge Avatar of Strings emerged around me. By basically creating more and more strings then adding them to my mass, I grew to over 20 feet. A huge Purple humanoid with no discernible features. Superman threw the truck down but I simply punched through the metal before my fist was intercepted by his block.
A shockwave ruffled the web holding the cars together. Heat vision landed on my shoulder, making me stumble back before he dove down and slammed onto the huge Avatar's knee. I couldn't control the fall and found myself looking up at the sky.
Ok, note to self, huge constructs equals heavy and slow. Superman came down on me but before he could slam me through the ground like I had done, a thick vine landed on his side. The vine raptured into smaller pieces and green sap. It also threw him across the street.
I let the strings fold into my body, compressing more and more strands into the armor I wore, reducing the huge size but also creating a more ideal form. One that was balanced in strength and speed.
At the end of the street Superman touched down on the cracked tarmac. His cape was in tatters, his costume was burnt and seemed to have seared into the flesh of his midsection and his perfect hair was loose and messy.
Similarly, my body ached and I felt dead on my feet. We had been fighting for some time now. It was a miracle the surroundings were not destroyed as much as they should have been.
"Let's end this."
The Man of Steel stated.
"I couldn't agree more."
I replied, taking a step forward.
Then a sudden pain hit my chest. I struggled to breathe as I looked down. An attack? How? I hadn't seen it...
"I have some bad news my Wielder, your time is up. Your body is seizing up. The Shikai was too much for it to handle."
Chase delivered the news in a grim tone.
"Oh Fuck."
I muttered, taking a knee.
It's over now.
(General P.O.V)
"Take this!"
The sky briefly lit up with wide streaks of hot white lightning, falling down towards Wonder Woman.
The demigod brought her arm bracelets clashing together. The effect produced was a wide beam of divine energy rippling through the skies, dissolving Shazam's attack and throwing him back, his back bounced off the side of the massive dome.
The champion of the gods was too slow in his reaction and an uppercut from below launched him into the sky. Back in the air the channel 7 news chopper spun out of control from the pressure wave produced by the clash of the two god legacies. They had closely been filming the events as the fight had happened closer to the dome.
From what the world could see, Wonder Woman was possessed. She had four glowing red eyes and was standing protectively over the black dome.
Breaking through the clouds, Shazam found himself staring at the dark void of space. The fight was not really going the way he wanted. He had to hold back not to hurt her but Shazam had forgotten one thing. Even at his best, Wonder Woman still kicked his ass.
Shazam found himself being pulled back by a glowing rope. No not a rope, the Lasso of Truth. The artifact was wrapped around his chest and he felt his body get spun to face the earth. Something then landed on his back.
"It's over boy."
Wonder Woman told him as she tugged on the lasso, ensuring he couldn't even wiggle.
They started to fall. The heat from re-entry hitting his face unimpeded. Even with his durability, Shazam knew the fall could hurt him. Seeing no other choice but to take her out, Billy opened his mouth.
"Shazam!"
Huge streaks of Lightning stronger than the attack from a few minutes ago fell upon the pair. Wonder Woman was hit point blank. The move had been so unexpected that she didn't put up any guard and hence felt each individual streak strike her body.
Then the unexpected happened.
Laughter rang out as Billy Batson found himself slowing down in the air, the Lasso painfully biting into his chest now that he wasn't in his Shazam form. The smoke dissipated showing a grinning Wonder Woman.
"The power of Zeus used on the daughter of Zeus? Thank you for the power up."
Then she begun spinning the Lasso and him with it.
The wind whipped around the young boy as he found himself launched out. His environment moved so fast, messing with his perception that he couldn't concentrate on calling his powers.
Luckily, before he could smack onto the ground, a yellow glowing portal appeared, transporting him somewhere else. Billy landed on a green inflatable balloon bouncing house. The construct folded around him, arresting his impact.
"Shazam!"
Billy yelled and a lightning bolt tore through the concrete ground and into the tunnel, striking him.
Shazam walked out into the tunnel, ready to take flight once more when he noticed he had company.
"Green Lantern? Batman? Robin?"
He called out, spotting the three of them. Batman was leaning on Green Lantern's shoulder and Robin stood next to both of them. The latter had his Eskrima sticks pointed at Shazam but eased up with a confused expression on his face.
"Is it just me or are you a kid who can turn into a giant dude with cool abilities?"
Robin asked a suddenly nervous Shazam.
(General P.O.V)
The chamber glowed ominously, with an almost skewed beauty to it. For instance, the ceiling was an image of outer space.
Stars gleamed in constellations that would boggle the mind of any Astronomer. That was because this view of the sky was from a different dimension.
"Azarath."
Jaznoz Valentine, Doctor Pyg reached out greedily towards the sky. His hand flashed with red tattoos that coated the whole arm in fire. He pulled back his hand with a wince. It wasn't time yet. He was still barred from making any contact with the dimensional barriers guarding Azarath. The flesh of his arm slouched off, leaving behind blackened bone attached to the elbow.
"This vessel is weak. But no matter, once the stars align then I can begin the ritual."
His deep voice rumbled, four glowing red eyes flashing. It was clear that this was not the real Jaznoz Valentine. His body had been taken over.
Jaznoz leaned back on a massive throne with green Lava pouring out of it.
The throne was strategically placed in an island floating on top of the green lava, inside a wide Crater.
The illusion of Azarath's night sky ended where the edges of the crater begun. Then the walls of the hole were covered by an array of sheared off pipes and the tunnels under Gotham. Lower than that and the remains of an ancient city under the surface level became evident.
Dark powers swirled in these depths. All concentrated at the pool in the center of the crater. Gotham seemed to harbor a dark secret. One that Trigon would exploit for his own ends. Here in the most accursed city in the world was where his ascension would happen.
He stood up as a magical formation flashed in the sky.
The points of the pentagram matched with the placement of ten stars. The glowing sphere went around the points connecting all the line segments.
"It is time. With the heroes fighting amongst themselves, they shall be too late to stop me."
He announced. Red eyes begun opening along the walls of the crater.
"Bring the sacrifices to me. Bring them all."
There was a multitude of screeching and as one, a large colony of enhanced Man Bats rose up, before plunging into the tunnels along the crater.
It hadn't been a total waste for Trigon to occupy this body. It was the only one available after his dear daughter had sacrificed her own body, to ensure Trigon got access to the Lazarus Pool under Gotham. He would have much preferred the Dark Knight. Alas, the detective had had a countermeasure to that.
But not all was lost.
Combining the real Jaznoz Valentine's Man Bat creations with Trigon's dark spirits had seen the birth of something new. Phantom Man Bats. They could navigate through the darkness or through shadows and they could breathe dark flames. Sufficient for what he needed. Sacrifices to pierce the veil around this world and allow him to come through it.
Speaking of sacrifices, his daughter's had not been done willingly of course, but she would understand. It was her destiny. The remnants of her magic was what powered the dome around the ritual zone.
It unfortunately did not spare him her spirit haunting him.
"Where did you send them?! What are you planning!"
Raven looked bad. Her form was ghostly and the aura of power that usually prickled along her skin was silent.
She was inside a cage with dark flames running along the bars. The cage hang from glowing red chains connected to the wall of the crater, hovering above the pool of green liquid.
"The creatures are under my command to bring me sacrifices to overpower the barriers blocking me from entering this dimension." Trigon explained.
"You see daughter, by taking advantage of Azarath's unique stellar signature, I can stabilize the rift. Enough for my armies to join me in this glorious conquest."
"That's...an Azarath spell system. How did you..."
Raven asked in shock. Using the stars to stabilize magic spells was something that high priestess could do.
Jaznoz walked over to the cage.
"Tsk there is so much you don't know. So much they have hidden from you. I created Azarath."
"Lies!"
She yelled, glaring at him through the bars. She had to remember, this was what Trigon did. Corrupt and poison minds.
"The Justice League will stop you. My friend will come for me."
Raven said confidently.
"Your friend? Ah you mean the boy."
He laughed.
"I am counting on it. Me vs the heroes of this world...we shall burn the planet to the ground. Only then can it be reborn into a perfect Utopia. My Utopia."
He turned away from Raven.
"Worry not Raven. Just sit tight and watch the show."
Jaznoz walked towards the Lazarus Pit. The shoe on his feet went up in flames as he walked above the boiling pool. A foreign language that made the shadows in the crater crawl along the walls, started coming out of his mouth.
Raven tried to concentrate. To call upon her power and break out but...she was useless without her soul self.
The cage she was in was suspended by red glowing chains strapped to the walls of the crater. The cage was lined with flashing symbols that cut her off from her soul self.
The explosion had carried two functions. The first was to unearth the Lazarus Pit, the second was to create a special dome around the area.
Raven knew this was her fault. The whole city...her empathy was the only ability she had access to in this ghostly form. And she could feel the pain and suffering coming from the city.
It was almost too much to bear.
She only hoped Davian, Artemis and the kids were okay.
(Elsewhere)
"Yeah, I got him." Green Lantern spoke into his earpiece before levelling an unimpressed look Shazam's way.
"Zatara says 'stop being reckless'."
Shazam wilted under the narrowed eyes. Yeah, maybe transforming back into a human boy while falling from the atmosphere wasn't such a good idea.
"Bats, please tell me Robin is wrong and that we don't have a kid in the League."
Green Lantern turned the stare towards the taciturn Dark Knight.
"What!? Pfft...you...are wrong. Why would a kid...be in the league, right?"
Shazam cut in, laughing while backing away slowly.
"Yeah. That was pretty convincing."
Robin responded to him sarcastically.
"No time."
Batman ground out as he shifted his weight to lean on the walls of the tunnel. Green Lantern narrowed his eyes at him. Of course Batman would keep a secret like that.
"Geez Bats, what happened to you?"
Shazam asked in concern, walking closer.
"Nerve Toxin."
Robin answered for him.
"Something tried to possess him after the explosion so he used the toxin to cause temporary paralysis to his body."
Boy Wonder explained.
Shazam latched on to one part of the statement.
"Wait. You saw it? The explosion."
He asked in surprise.
"I was having breakfast with my uncle when we saw the news. The whole city, gone up in a massive explosion. I came here immediately."
He further explained.
"Yeah. We were at ground zero." Robin answered giving a quick glance to his mentor.
"The only reason we survived was Green Lantern. He elected a massive shield around the squishier members of the League. Superman and the other heavy hitters tanked the explosion well enough though. Unfortunately, those red phantoms got to them before we could stop it."
At the last part Robin visibly shuddered. He could remember the four glowing eyes on the face of Aquaman as he jumped at them.
"So that's why Wonder Woman was acting weird! She attacked me out of nowhere when I got closer to the Dome."
Shazam said, putting two and two together.
"Yeah. They're really sensitive about the dome."
Green Lantern said, using his ring to scan the walls of the tunnel. He frowned as the tunnel shook slightly. What was causing it?
"Wait. They?"
Shazam asked.
Instead of answering him, Green Lantern knocked on the walls of the tunnel before turning to Batman.
"I can't say I'm a fan of hiding away like this, Bats. Something doesn't feel right."
"It's the right move." Batman answered, he could almost move his body again, he had trained himself to filter out any toxins from his bloodstream faster.
"We can't take on Captain Atom, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman and Superman all at once. Our best bet is to cause a distraction big enough for someone to enter that dome. Us."
He stood up to his full height with a grunt, turning to face the three of them but most specifically, Shazam.
"Hawk-man and Hawkwoman are dealing with Captain Atom, Black Canary is on Aquaman and Green Arrow has Superman. The Flash was supposed to help with civilian evacuation, but he hasn't checked in for a while now. You will assist with evacuation. Be careful as you move the debris around. Robin will help you coordinate with the emergency services. Green Lantern and I will go on."
Batman laid out the plan while tensing his muscles.
Something was strange about this. Out of everyone inside the shield, the demon had tried to possess him and him alone. Coincidence?
"Well Zatara was on Wonder Woman watch but that didn't exactly go according to plan now did it? Besides wouldn't it have made more sense for the Magician to sneak into the dome with you and for me to distract the Amazonian princess?"
True.
But Bruce had already seen what had happened to the city. Zatara was needed on the outside in case they failed on the inside.
With Kent dead the number of mystical practitioners the League could call upon dwindled drastically. Plus, if there was someone he could count on undoing the possession of their heaviest hitters it would be Zatara. Not to mention, Trigon would be expecting a mystical practitioner to be with them.
"Our priority is not saving the League; it's stopping Trigon from doing whatever he's doing."
Batman explained, taking a shaky step forward.
"Wait, are you..."
Robin tried to help him up but Batman shrugged of the hold.
"I'm fine. What have you found out?"
Robin's fingers practically blurred as he typed on his wrist computer.
"With Green Lantern's initial scan, I've mapped out a route that should take you through the dome without calling attention to yourselves."
A holographic projection showing the underground tunnel system appeared. There was a red line indicating a curving route through the underground system of tunnels.
"This route takes you to a closed off section. It was meant to undergo renovation by the city council to add an extension to the skating range by the Cathedral. That's how you go in. I estimate it will take you about an hour of walking fast to get there. In your condition, an hour and half."
"I will be fine."
Batman waved off his concerns. His hand had taken time to heal but with Zatara's help, he didn't really need the sling anymore. He removed it as they all watched.
Green Lantern meanwhile was in deep thought.
The tunnel was part of an underground railway abandoned a decade prior after the Red Hood gang first begun terrorizing Gotham. They had planted bombs all over the tunnel system in a bid to sink Gotham but Batman had stopped them.
His scans showed that the reinforced beams could hold up immense weight that wouldn't budge except in the case of a massive earthquake. The trembling could be associated with the explosion that had occurred. But...the tunnel shook once more.
Glowing red eyes appeared at the front of the dark tunnel and Green Lantern found out what was causing the trembling.
"Heads up!"
Green Lantern called out, creating a massive flame thrower.
"Man Bats?"
Robin asked.
(General P.O.V)
"Ahh... replacing this stuff is always a headache."
Constantine said, unwrapping a small bundle of dry ginseng. He removed the trench coat, his shirt had a hole on the torso and the morning air was a bit chilly but that was fine. It was better he wasn't slowed down by anything.
He knelt on the ground, quickly drawing a small magic formation with a triangle in the middle of 3 circles. He placed the ginseng above the formation and chanted, placing his hand open. The Ginseng started burning in a white flame.
A small breeze blew through the park, carrying with it, a single strand of hair to Constantine's open palm. The exorcist grinned. Just because the kid couldn't beat Superman, didn't mean he didn't damage him. No matter how small the damage was.
"With this..."
Constantine begun, only to blink in surprise when the strand of black hair went up in a gray flame.
He looked up, a sneer appearing on his face. Constantine's fingers shook, he needed a smoke to calm down coz this shit was just too funny.
"I've been calling you for the past week. You have the gall to show up now?"
The exorcist demanded.
"Gotham is up in flames!"
The Phantom Stranger did not respond. Instead he stared at the Sheath lying above The Flash.
"So it's true... Fascinating."
The Stranger finally said in a mutter, white eyes widening beneath his hat.
Constantine breathed in. Then let out his frustration with a single breath. Eyes on the mission. Prevent Trigon's arrival.
"What's are you blabbering on about?"
Constantine asked, walking forward while rubbing his chest in pain. That magical backlash was wearing off but he wasn't at his peak.
A clock tolled from afar.
"Constantine, I knew sooner or later we would meet."
The Phantom Stranger finally addressed him.
"Can you recall the Item I relinquished to your care? It's time to use it. The rider will be nearby."
Constantine blinked and the Stranger disappeared. The exorcist snorted.
"Asshole."
Then he reached into his neck, revealing a black necklace with a small vial hanging. Inside was tiny shards of bone that looked like wood.
"This is madness."
Constantine said, shaking his head.
He used his foot to destroy the magic circle he'd drawn on the ground. Change of plans. The kid would likely not be able to lead Superman here. And time was of the essence. With the Stranger advising him to use 'that' it meant he had to hurry up.
(Davian's P.O.V)
"Dammit."
My sight wavered.
Everything was spinning but I could see as the purple strings covering my hands unraveled. Immense exhaustion hit my body from out of nowhere. Turning my head up to watch out for Supes was hard.
The man of Steel's eyes lit up as he watched me.
"Chase, any ideas?"
I called out to my Zanpakuto.
No answer.
Had he... abandoned me? No. That's dumb. It's my Zanpakuto. We're linked.
Still... it was worrying. For the first time in weeks, I couldn't feel him.
Chesha Neko was entirely silent. I was in it alone. But that's how it had always been so I was already used to it.
Realistically, I couldn't block Superman's next attack because a, I was missing the Sheath and b, I fell out of Shikai, which meant no access to my strings.
However, Defeat was far from my mind. Raven was depending on me to make this right. Somehow. If she were here she would be blaming herself for this shit. But it wasn't her fault. I hated that this world was like this. Unforgiving and cruel.
Dishonest too, my expectations of a hero like Batman were different. The Justice League was supposed to be the good guys but so far, I wasn't convinced. I couldn't see the good. If there was anyone to blame for this...it was the League. It was...Batman.
Speaking of which, Superman was content to watch me stumble a step forward.
There.
Chesha Neko lay clattered on the ground before me. I reached for it and got to my feet. I wasn't a swordsman but I'd been forced onto this path. If I was going to fall, I would do it with my sword in hand.
Bravado aside, things were still bad. I had no energy to perform a Kido or escape with Shunpo. I still had enough energy to reinforce my body completely though, so Maybe I could tank the heat beam.
I breathed out, holding the Long Sword steadily before me.
I could see it in his eyes, this was the Killing blow. He was tired of fighting me. Mad that it had taken this long. So he was determined to end it in the next blow.
Was I scared? No. Look at me, from a simple human being a few weeks ago to tricking the Flash (of course Jay Garrick was much slower than the other Flash family but still...) to fighting against Superman. Lately, something had been hatching inside me. A new feeling.
"I'm not dying here today."
I promised myself.
"Any last wor..."
He begun.
Then the ground under his feet gave out, the cracked street collapsing into a sink hole.
Of course nothing happened to him, he could fly. But a large open maw belonging to a plant monster shot out and swallowed him.
'Well That was unexpected.'
And also cathartic. I breathed out a sigh that was part relief and part disappointment.
That had been too close. I was prepared to fight and die. It wasn't the first time I'd had my life on the line. But somehow, this time everything had felt different. It had felt impending. As if the collision would have forced me to become something else. To evolve...or die.
I looked at the sky. At the Shrouds hovering above me. What if...what if they had followed me because I was going to die? Suddenly I wanted to run. To escape this...
"Hiya Copkiller!"
Harley greeted me and it was like an electric short went through my body. What the fuck was I saying? Nothing was written in stone. What mattered is that I had to survive. No matter what awaited for me at the end, I had no choice but to move forward.
Fuck all the regrets.
Fuck the fear.
My body protested heavily as I turned around to face my saviors, a tired smile on my face.
"How about now? Still want our help?"
Poison Ivy asked, riding on the head of an animal-plant hybrid creature. She had on an arrogant smirk. What grabbed my attention was her ride.
Its skin was a light purple covered by tree barks. A wild mane of green grass was spread out across the back of its huge head and neck, going down the spine. Its head resembled an Anaconda. Two fangs shot out of its mouth as it hissed, staring down at me with green ringed eyes.
"Yeah. I wouldn't mind a little help."
I shrugged but even the action sent pinpricks of pain through my body. However, I hadn't lied.
If Superman was the sun in my Reikaku sense, then the Plant Serpent was a supernova. It had these branching networks of energy, that interacted with anything green. It was enough for grass to lightly grow underfoot.
The connection between the Serpent and Poison Ivy was powerful. There was also a minor but denser connection between the Serpent and Constantine who rode on its back. The Flash was sleeping inside the green dome created by the Sheath. The cocoon had of course disappeared after the strings had unraveled.
Poison Ivy stood on top of its head like a queen, beside her was Harley who was holding onto the Serpent's horn.
"Yahtzee!" Harley cried out joyfully as she slid from the head of the serpent before skipping towards me.
"You're alive! Yay!"
The enthusiasm she had as she hugged me reminded me of crazy white girls. I mean...
"What happened to the plan?"
I questioned Constantine, pulling myself out of Harley's hold.
"The plan mate, got fucked the minute Trigon decided to hurry up his 'plan'." The magician replied from above the serpent.
"I don't understand." I told them turning away to face our front.
"But we need to take care of him before we talk."
I motioned to the Kryptonian.
Grabbing Harley, I pulled the both of us onto the back of the snake with a smooth leap.
"My hero."
She swooned, leaning on me.
I stepped back. She was hot as fuck and closer to my real age. However, never stock your dick in crazy.
The Serpent begun slithering on the street towards Superman who was fighting the other plant monster. The snake's powerful muscles seemed to produce exotic energy as it moved.
Maybe they really could buy me some time as I caught my breath. Of course I couldn't stay out too long. Taking Superman down was priority. And even together it wasn't going to be easy. Otherwise, if we failed to contain him quickly, the fight would balloon to the civilians.
The only problem was that the fight was not going to plan.
No matter how strong a plant could get, Superman had an array of superpowers that were uniquely suited for dealing massive damage. The only thing holding him back were his morals and he was currently not the one in control.
So in his possessed state he was ruthless. He tore off pieces of the vines and vaporized the monstrous plant's bulbous root under his heat vision. The air was filled with shrieks and the smell of burnt kale.
Then he snarled, turning towards us.
"Is that all the power you have! Weak!"
Ivy did not take kindly to that.
"You killed my babies!"
She yelled her eyes glowing green with fury.
"Destroy him!"
Ivy commanded the Serpent and the monster opened its mouth wide. Energy begun brimming inside it. From within the open mouth, a clear jet of liquid shot out and splattered onto Superman.
"Gah! My eyes!"
Superman floated back, his skin smoking while grabbing his face in pain.
Only loose patches of his costume remained, most of it having been eaten through and dissolved by the strong acidic venom.
"Careful with that."
Constantine called out in a warning.
"Poison from the spawn of the Mid-gardian serpent is very dangerous. Too much and it will spread out across Gotham like it's eating through flesh. I wouldn't have summoned it if it wasn't necessary."
He informed the plant Supervillainess.
"You said that already. Stop bugging me or I'll kill you."
Ivy shot back, annoyed.
Spawn of the Mid-gardian serpent huh? Interesting.
"Our priority is to get through him and enter the dome. Follow the plan Ivy."
Constantine insisted.
"You have a plan?"
I asked Constantine.
"What went wrong with ours? I was getting my ass kicked out there as distraction for you."
He patted me.
"First rule about this gig Lad, whether you're on the side of light or darkness, always adapt. And if you can't, learn how."
Adapt huh?
Adapting meant improvising on the spot. You see a problem and you find a way to deal with it.
What was holding me back? Nothing.
I grabbed the Sheath off the Flash and immediately, my exhaustion abated. Internal injuries begun healing and my Reiryoku started replenishing faster. Yes. Adapt.
Constantine looked at me with an undecipherable expression.
At the same time Superman broke the sonic barrier as he dropped towards us. Ivy swept out a hand and along with the horn on the head of the Serpent glowing, sharp wooden spikes shot out of the ground speeding towards the enemy. Superman barreled through them, leaving behind sawdust.
"Here we go. "
Constantine said, using a small stick to draw a sentence of weird symbols on the back of the Serpent. Then he spoke. The language sounded like bells and whistles and the roaring of beasts. It made my ears hurt. The craziest part was that I could just barely understand what it was.
"Enochian script."
I muttered.
Constantine finished chanting and the symbols lit up. There was a sudden cooling breeze around us. Superman increased his speed and collided straight through the Plant Serpent. But instead of getting hurt, the serpent unraveled into a green wind and us with it.
The spell Constantine had used had turned all our molecules into structured air format. Superman passed through us with a confused look on his face. The Serpent wound up to face him releasing another acid breath. However, this time it came out in a mist that blocked his visibility.
And just like that, the Man of Steel lost.
We won.
How?
I'll explain, after Constantine's spell, for a second I was without a body.
I realized two things while in that form. First, my body was holding me back. I came to this conclusion because my Reikaku range was increased without a physical vessel limiting it. Without a physical body, I could sense the entirety of Gotham.
I could sense Raven.
She was the Black Dome.
And secondly, Constantine was a master Strategist. He had positioned Superman in the perfect spot for a Kryptonite arrow to shoot from the roof of one of the few buildings still left standing.
The shot was made by Green Arrow with Catwoman standing by his side. And it speared right through Clark's side.
For a second, the Man of Steel stared at me as if he couldn't believe it. Then a dark red ghostly form escaped out through his mouth.
The next part was instinctual.
I raised my sword at it and gave the command.
"Destroy it."
The Shrouds in the air all swooped towards the Spirit...and tore it apart.
(General P.O.V)
"This is a fucking nightmare."
Perry White, chief editor of the Daily Planet muttered to himself as they watched the news feed.
The camera panned wide to show the devastation of the most crime infested cities in Gotham.
"Oh my god."
One of the interns gasped in shock.
"This is getting out of hand."
Whitman one of the longest serving reporters commented. Perry couldn't help but agree.
"Excuse me! Coming through! Perry!"
A voice called out from a far and his best journalist, Lois Lane arrived with documents in hand.
Perry brought his coffee mug to his lips only to find out that it was empty. He sighed, rubbing his chin. Days like this he wondered...
"Perry!"
Lois broke him out of his thoughts. He already knew what she was going to say.
"It's a no, Lois. For starters it's too dangerous and secondly I need you on something else. Let Dane handle this. Speaking of which where is Kent today?"
Perry asked, turning from the news feed to walk towards his office. Lois followed.
'She looks stressed.' He couldn't help but notice.
"I have something for you Perry."
She said the second they were in his office. Then Lois opened the file and Perry stiffened in place.
"I've been doing some digging and one of my contacts led me to something. The explosion that happened in Gotham 4 hours ago, it didn't just leave Gotham a landscape full of rubble, it took down the communications. Arkham Asylum went dark. You know what that means."
Lois told him.
Perry jumped to his feet, heading towards the door.
Outside, he clapped his hands to get attention of everyone in the world space.
"Dane, you're benched. Lane, I want you on the news chopper in 5 minutes. We need to cover this, not just for the story but to ensure people don't get hurt."
(Elsewhere)
The facility had its own source of power, a huge generator kept below the sublevels. The whole place was in lockdown. Or it was supposed to be. The truth was, the inmates had already seized most of the floors.
Only the Control room was left. And from the looks of things, it would hold out for long. At least until reinforcements arrived.
Three guards stood inside the control room, guns trained on the bunker like door. The only way in would be if someone from the inside unlocked it.
"No matter what happens, we are not opening those doors." The Chief Guard, a huge man with long sideburns informed the other two.
There was a bang on the door, one that reverberated across the entire room.
"H-hey...I just had a daughter. what if we let them in? They...they could let us..."
The youngest of the trio, a pale white guard nervously asked.
The Chief Guard was on him, grabbing his shirt with a glare.
"You think any of these animals is that kind?! They will kill us the moment they breach those doors!"
There was a buzz from the intercom.
"Is this thing on?"
A gravelly voice asked. It was oily and carried an undertone of danger that made everyone's back shiver.
"I like to think you can hear me. Otherwise I'd be talking to myself and that's simply insane. Hahahaha."
"That's the...Joker."
The final guard, who was wearing glasses muttered.
"I have a friend here. His name is Bane. And Bane...likes to crush things."
The Joker continued.
There was a heavier blow on the door. A dent appeared on it.
"Oh Fuck..."
The Chief Guard whispered letting go of his colleague. He walked to the door and spoke into the intercom.
"Let it rest Clown, we are never going to open this door. It's a titanium alloy. Let's see if you can put your money where your mouth is."
He replied in confidence.
"Ooooh I like you. You remind me of a certain Bat dude. Uncompromising with attitude problems. I wanted to make this interesting and in exchange for playing my game...I promise I won't kill you."
The Joker responded.
The other two guards looked at one another.
"I told you clown, it's not happening. Give up and return to your cell. Backup is already on its way."
The Chief Guard was quick to respond.
"A little Birdie told me that communications are down so..."
The Joker said in a sing songy voice.
"Here's the deal. I will let two out of the three of you live, if you open this door."
His tone went through a sudden change. Now it was gleefully cruel.
"You are cr..."
There was a sudden shot. Something impacted the Chief Guard from the back. He turned around in shock, his mind still struggling to catch up to reality.
"You..."
He bit out, blood flowing up his throat. The pale white guard was standing with a smoking gun; a wild look of disbelief was in his face.
"I...I..."
A second shot rang out and the chief guard's head rocked back.
"Annoying prick, always bossing me around. I've wanted to do that for a while."
The guard in glasses told the other.
(Elsewhere)
Gentleman Ghost was in a bind. True name James Craddock or Gentleman Jim to his close associates oh and Harley, somehow she insisted on being so familiar with him despite only knowing her for a short time.
He had been in the Tin Roof Club on official business. Looking for a new place to call home. His past had caught up with him back in England. Selina had been his contact. And then the explosion had happened and his prospective new home had been destroyed in an instant.
The patrons inside the building had only survived due to the owner's foresight in reinforcing the structure. Still, it had barely endured. The back portion was caved in.
Being the gentleman he was, he helped Selina find a way out. And then promptly left. His other option had been Bludhaven, Gotham's neighboring city with the same crime rate. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Bludhaven didn't have a Batman.
Jim had flown off, his form invisible to normal eyes but before he could leave Gotham behind...he started seeing them. Shrouds, dark spirits that lead sinful souls to hell. Nasty lot. They would view Jim as an abomination.
He swooped down and hid behind a collapsed sign with the words 'Julio's Tamales.'
Shrouds were one of the few things that could harm him. He needed to wait it out until they passed.
What Jim wasn't excepting was a group to pass right behind him, in his blindspot. He rose up in panic, thinking they were after him.
Gentleman Ghost gaped as the shrouds sped right by him, not even giving him the time of day as they chased after something. Gentleman Ghost grew curious.
Shrouds were far from mindless but they solely existed for one purpose, their job. So to completely ignore a soul like James 'Jim' Craddock was insane.
It made him curious enough to follow after them. The sounds of battle rang out from afar as he arrived within close proximity of the Tin Roof Club.
From there, each meter he cleared in the air became harder.
A heaviness settled on his shoulders. Breathing became hard. What was this? Gentleman Ghost had never felt this way before.
And cresting above the collapsed Skyscraper, Jim saw something truly incredible. The shrouds were floating above a massive snake. No, that's wrong. They were actually hovering around the young man on the snake's back.
His eyes were magnetically pulled to his form. Jim ignored everyone else as he faced...the monster. Because that was what he was. No one else brought out this feeling of awe and fear at the same time. Whoever this person was...he was not human.
The young man stood tall, clad in a leather jacket, black pants, a sheath and a long sword. He cut an impressive figure, his silver hair waving in the air as he pointed at something.
Then the Shrouds in the air moved according to his command. Jim heard it even from the distance. Two words.
"Destroy it."
What happened next was terrifying. The shrouds tore into the Dark Spirit, destroying it completely. The spirit howled but was soon silenced as it was devoured.
Into nothing.
Even the humans next to the boy could feel it without seeing. The ominous air in the surroundings. The young man's eyes were devoid of mercy. He didn't seem to enjoy it. It was... nothing to him.
Gentleman Ghost gulped. Yeah...maybe Bludhaven was a better choice. He sank through the roof.
Unknown to him, Davian could feel him through his Reikaku. He just assumed it was one of Gotham's crazies scurrying about.
(Davian's P.O.V)
Before my widened eyes, the Shrouds made short work of the dark spirit. Its energy was plundered and devoured. They then returned to hover above me. As if they were subservient. Just waiting for my next order.
It was...
I couldn't even describe the feeling of power I got.
"I wish you could see this Chase."
I muttered lowly.
"I can. And what do you think I've been doing all this time?"
Chase unexpectedly spoke up.
"Chase!"
I called out in relief.
Before I could ask him where he'd been. Flashes of images appeared in my head. His memories. And in them...I widened my eyes. So that's how it is. Chase had used one of Chesha Neko's string to grab onto one of the Shrouds and pull it into my inner world. Then he had put up a barrier around it to stop the Shroud from leaving.
All in a bid to understand what they were and why they were so attracted to me. And the answer? Nothing. The only thing Chase could glean from them was that they listened to me. Or rather, they couldn't help it. Something about my powers made them puppets for my use. It wasn't a matter of telling them what to do...they existed for me to control. To use.
I had dominated them without even knowing.
"This is a boon for you my Wielder."
Chase informed me.
It was. But it was also a big problem. Why? The attention it would bring from the mystic community.
I could feel Constantine's eyes at my back. Judging. Trying to understand why and how I could control Shrouds. I didn't want to deal with this now.
A clean Shunpo made me clear the distance between the spot Superman's body had fallen and us in an instant. There was no discharge of excess energy. I had grown faster. And it was all because of the fights. They had forced me into a corner.
'Progress through battles.' I thought, looking down at one of the most powerful beings in the universe. He was beaten. Even surviving him was an achievement. Something to be proud of.
I wasn't proud. Not really. And I was glad for it. Because it meant that I was setting my sights further.
Maybe that was how I could get stronger faster. Training was all well and good but I was the sort of person to thrive in conflict. I could become a mercenary. Take on jobs that would put me up against powerful opponents.
I grabbed the Kryptonite arrow plunged in his side while thinking.
You know that's not such a bad idea. Bronze Tiger owes me.
I pulled out the arrow, the Kryptonian glowing only less bright than my sheath as I placed it above the Man of Steel's chest.
Now, the only thing left is to save Raven.
(General P.O.V)
"Nice shot."
Ivy told the Archer as he and Catwoman jumped onto the back of the Serpent.
"Thanks. I owed him that arrow for almost snapping my neck."
Green Arrow replied, rubbing his throat. Finally, it was over.
"Ohh that sounds like fun!"
Harley clapped at thought of snapping necks.
"Don't mind her." Catwoman patted the Archer, passing him by.
"Or do. She probably won't care anyway."
She said, headed straight for the magician.
"We need to talk."
The feline inspired villain addressed Constantine, hands tightening on the handle of the bullwhip in her possession.
"Something tells me you know what's going on here."
Constantine didn't turn from his position, seeming to be in deep thought as he looked out into the destroyed city. 'With the Serpent, breaking through the dome will be easy. The problem is 'them'. The other Justice League members. Bollocks, you would think Zatara would warn them that this side of the world is much darker than what they're used to. They could invest in protective charms. Wayne's deep pockets can surely afford it. Then again...'
Constantine finally shrugged at Catwoman's statement, hands inside his pants pocket.
"I might have an idea."
But he didn't have the full story. So Trigon uses his daughter to cause mass destruction and unearth the corrupt energy node under Gotham, then elects a dome around the area most likely in a bid to create a way through that is stable. The missing piece to the whole thing was, why does the 'he' seem to be in the center of all this?
His eyes spotted what he was looking for. Or rather what he couldn't ignore any longer. The huge crowds of Shrouds orbiting around Davian. And then the boy himself, standing beside something. That was the missing piece to the whole picture. The Boy and the almost impossible powers he wielded. Powers that should not be under any mortal.
"Hold that thought, Luv."
Constantine faced Catwoman.
"I'll be right back."
A magical circle flashed under him and he promptly disappeared. Catwoman watched as the light faded away.
"That's going to get annoying quickly."
Catwoman sighed.
"C, where did you run off to?"
Harley asked, jumping and slinging an arm over Catwoman's shoulders.
"It was so epic. Copkiller was like bam! Take that! And that! And..."
Catwoman rolled her eyes while Ivy snorted from the head of the snake, her back was to them but she could hear the ruckus Harley was causing.
Between them was Green Arrow, crouched before the Flash with his palm under the older man's nose.
Arrow sighed in relief. 'Thank god. He's breathing steadily. This was what I meant. I'm all for diversity but I don't like that we are putting Jay at risk. There should be an age limit.'
"Thank you. The League owes you guys."
He addressed the 3 of them. Harley, Catwoman and Poison Ivy.
"Don't get used to it."
Catwoman told him bluntly.
"Promise not to bust my ass if I see a shiny ring I like and take it?"
Harley asked, cocking her hip.
"Ummm nope."
Green Arrow snorted, getting to his feet and facing the incredibly beautiful women who were the best definition of a rose: gorgeous but thorny.
"I was thinking something along the lines of, 'you should be in jail but I'll look the other way this time.' thing."
He said pointedly.
Harley shrugged.
"Fair enough Robin Hood."
Green Arrow shook his head, pressing his fingers on the earpiece in his ear. There was brief static from the other end. Luckily these ear pieces were connected via Satellite.
And while most communication devices were affected by the E.M.P caused by the explosion, they were sturdy enough and shielded from the effects that he could contact the others.
If it were any other time, he would have ensured Dinah was safe. However, he knew she could take care of herself. What he needed to know now was the plan was going.
"Green Arrow to Batman."
He spoke into the device.
"Her...arrow...get. where...Flash and Superman..."
Green Arrow frowned. Batman's group must have already moved deeper underground while on their way to the dome. That, or something else was messing with the connection.
In any case, he just had to make his way to the rendezvous point. Arrow looked at the dome. He hoped the rest were safe.
He tapped the earpiece.
"Green Arrow to Black Canary."
(Davian's P.O.V)
Watching the Sheath work its magic, my thoughts drifted from the mercenary training to my roster of powers.
"Hey Chase, I have a question. The Sheath, it's the manifestation of my Fullbring powers isn't it?"
Chase hummed.
"I thought that was obvious."
He was right. I had a hunch about the same. But the Sheath hadn't started out like that. It was only when I entered my Inner World that the change finalized. Hollow energy had influenced my own spirit and body. And a Fullbring was created when a human was affected by Hollow Reiryoku.
Fullbrings were humans who could pull on the souls of matter. The name Fullbring could be loosely translated to Full Manifestation Art.
It worked off the concept that everything, even rudimentary objects like a candle or a spoon had a soul. By 'Pulling' on that soul, you could alter the object's physical characteristics like shape and size or change its movement.
For example, by pulling on the soul of water, you could walk on its surface. There was so much that Fullbrings could do. Not to mention the specialized techniques each Fullbring had access to. They were versatile as hell.
Superman's wound finally closed up. I stood up, strapping the Kryptonian arrow to my side, then enlarged the healing cocoon around the Kryptonian, to better carry him.
The shrouds still hovered above me. In fact, it felt as if their numbers had increased. A pensive look appeared on my face. Now that I think about it, we could use some assistance.
"You're insane. I like it."
Chase told me after I shared my idea with him.
"Well." I smiled.
"It's not like they're busy doing anything else."
"I beg to differ. They have a purpose. A job. I wouldn't advice letting the souls of sinners hang around in the physical world, Lad."
A voice said from behind me.
"Constantine."
I acknowledged his presence but didn't shift my attention to him. I needed to know of this was going to work. Okay, focus on them.
Prolonged contact with the Sheath had brought me back to 70%. I wasn't ready for Shikai just yet but I could focus better. And there, just at the edge of my perception, I could feel a new awareness. I could feel them. Just like the time, I had sent them to destroy the dark spirit.
It had been instinctual. Born out of a hunger to destroy my enemy.
In other words, I tapped into the side of me that was negative. The side of me that was uncompromisingly cold. Memories that I always kept under lock and key surged up.
"Remain in control Davian."
Chase spoke out.
This was not like before. I had accepted my situation. And I had a mission to complete. Kick Trigon's ass. For Raven. I opened my eyes.
"Can you see it, Constantine?"
I asked him. It was beautiful. The sight before me.
"Davian, your eyes are glowing purple."
Chase pointed out.
"See what? The shrouds? Yes. But I'm guessing you can push further. See what lies beyond most of us."
He replied, circling me.
"Oh you have no idea..."
I replied.
They were like strings. No, they were strings. Pitch black strings. And they connected each Shroud together into a massive web. Then they extended out into the world only to fade in the air a couple of inches away from the Shrouds' billowing cloaks.
I could hear them now. Like whispers in the air. They kept on chanting, 'Death'
"They're lines of death."
I told him.
"They connect them together. Each is like a small piece of death. A doorway into the other side. That's why you can't kill them, only drive them away."
"Kid!"
Chase called out with an urgency I'd never had before.
'Shunpo.'
I grabbed Constantine's wrist before the piece of yellow paper in his hands could fall onto the ground, activating the magic circle under us. The magic circle he had sneakily drawn with his feet, hoping I didn't notice.
The paper fell from his hand but a black wind swept down, grabbing it and materializing into a Shroud. The paper in its hands flared blue and in a flash the Shroud was banished to hell.
I looked back at Constantine. Raven was right. If I hadn't been carefully monitoring him through my Reikaku...
I motioned to the spot the Shroud had occupied previously.
"Some sort of demon expulsion talisman right? And then the magic circle under us was supposed to amplify and focus the energy of the talisman through me, to send them all away. Clever."
I complimented him.
"The only problem I have with that plan Constantine, is that you would have sent me along with them. Banished me to hell. So that's how you screw people over? I saved your life and this is how you thank me?"
I squeezed his wrist, making him groan and fall to his knees.
I should have foreseen this.