Chapter 12: The Final Showdown
More chapters on my (P)atreon at Saintbarbido.
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(Davian's P.O.V)
One small squeeze and I could break his wrist easily. But...no, if he thinks he can use me, then I can use him. I let go of his hand, turning back to my...to the shrouds.
"Are you sure turning your back on a man like him is wise?"
Chase asked and I had to admit his concern was warranted.
"It's not. But he is also useful. Very Useful. I am going to need him for a very special project."
I replied through our link.
"I feel like I know his type. Keep your guard up."
Chase cautioned.
I spread out my hands, looking at the sky.
"Come to me!"
The Shrouds begun flying in a tighter formation around us. Constantine stumbled to his feet.
"Trust me Lad, you don't want to do this! You cannot control them. Some things are not meant to be controlled!"
Constantine desperately warned.
How hypocritical. I wasn't a massive DC fan but Constantine was infamous for his risky and dangerous gambits that usually ended up bad for almost everyone involved. Almost because somehow, he always seemed to be the one to survive.
His greatest tool was not his magic. It was his mind. I wasn't afraid to admit I was wary of him. One, because he was grayer than gray. A utilitarian when it served his goals. And two, he was shrewd as fuck.
"Maybe you're right. But maybe you're not."
I told him, strengthening my connection to the Shrouds.
"Regardless, you're not the boss of me. No one is."
"I've seen stronger men than you succumb to the allure of power. You have no clue what unholy powers you're dealing with."
Constantine responded.
I chuckled.
"You're preaching to me about meddling with unholy powers? You of all people?"
My hands fell as I turned and pointed at the snake taking up the entire street.
"That serpent is the perfect example of your hypocrisy."
He blinked.
"What kind of creature is it?" I prodded with a raise of my eyebrows.
"I know it's not normal, even taking into consideration that Phantasmal creatures exist. It's too powerful. I also know that it wasn't meant to deal with Superman, so what are you planning, Constantine? What 'unholy powers' are you meddling with?"
Chase chuckled from within my inner world.
The exorcist and I stared at each other, the mood between us filled with a tension you could cut with a knife.
"I propose a compromise. You keep your secrets and I promise not to take revenge for stabbing me in the back."
I offered.
"Almost stabbing you in the back. You're still here mate."
He counter argued.
My face sent carefully blank as I made my displeasure known.
"Funny."
Constantine frowned.
I snapped a finger and the crowd of Shrouds scattered into different parts of the city. Their number being over a 1000. There were even more Shrouds in the city, only they were too far away from the range of Reikaku.
Only one Shroud remained before us, waiting for my orders like a dutiful soldier.
"Where are you sending them?"
Constantine enquired, staring up at the sky.
"I'm not telling you to trust me Constantine. I'm only saying that you don't jump to conclusions." I said concentrating on the task.
"And if you must know... I sent them out to save people."
"Save people? That's impossible."
He shook his head.
"They cannot interact with physical objects."
I smiled.
"True. But to me, they are much more than simple spirits. They are like an extension of myself. Extra limbs that I can move like puppets."
I pulled my hand back, clutching something in my palm, The line of death. The black string was attached to the Shroud's chest. It hummed as Reiryoku begun pouring into the Shroud through it. That energy would then be channeled to the rest of the Shrouds under my control, giving them enough substance to touch material objects.
"I can't believe that worked!"
Chase exclaimed as a whole new world opened itself to me. From that single string, I could perceive the rest of the Shrouds entirely. I could see from their eyes.
To them the world was cast in black and white. Black only applied to zones of death. There were these black vortexes of what I could only call, death energy, all around the city. Everything else was white or gray.
My own eyes were closed as I parsed all the information I was gleaning from each individual Shroud. Constantine had gone suspiciously quiet. He was no doubt watching and planning. Maybe to make sure the next scheme he came up with would work.
I controlled the Shrouds to move towards the death vortexes that only they could see. The deeper the color of the death energy miasma, the closer the victim was at death's door. It was almost poetic then, that the agents responsible for transporting souls to hell were also the ones saving them.
Then the shroud would phase through the debris and rubble to get to anyone trapped and in need of help. Interacting with huge pieces of concrete to move them was easy, though the drain on my reserves was faster than before.
Large groups coordinated with each other almost entirely autonomously. They reacted to situations according to what I wanted. It was almost unnervingly easy to control them.
The first victims the Shroud reached was a pair of twins huddling in the corner and crying over a collapsed man. He was bleeding from a cut on the head. The twins shivered as the invisible form of the Shroud appeared in the confined space. Somehow they could detect that the man was about to die.
Not today.
I placed a hand on the green shield around Superman.
Healing energy passed through my arm into the man. The cut healed right before the two kids' eyes.
"Angie, look! Look!"
The boy tugged at his sister, pointing at the quickly closing wound. The man blinked his eyes open.
The girl gasped, and both kids hugged the fully healed man while the family of three all cried.
The huge piece of concrete blocking their way was moved away, and the first rays of the sun broke through the hole. The man held his children closer to his chest.
"Thank you, whoever you are."
He said, speaking into the open air.
The Shroud left for others who needed the help.
And like that, I worked through the city very quickly, saving anyone I could. The Shrouds provided a better view of Gotham. They were unobstructed and could fly.
"Bloody hell, you're actually doing it."
Constantine exclaimed, somehow sensing what I was doing.
"Still want to stop me?"
I asked.
Before he could answer, the ground trembled.
"An earthquake?"
I wondered.
"No, it's something worse. Trigon has begun. Shit! I've wasted too much time!"
Constantine growled, a circle lighting up under him before teleporting away.
"I still don't like that you let him get off so easily."
Chase told me.
"In Constantine's own words, he's a bastard. A man who sold his soul to three demon rulers because he had terminal cancer. To avoid a war between the three of them, they healed him and he showed them the middle finger as a way to say thanks. We need a Bastard like him. Don't worry he'll get what's coming to him. I'm more worried about what that rumble was."
A second later I had my answer.
The destabilization caused the ground to shake, debris shifted as cracks appeared on the ground.
I first saw one of them through the Shrouds. They were huge, gray and right in the middle of their huge muscular chests, was the only other fourth color that Shrouds could detect. A burning red soul.
"What in the hell?"
I wondered as ManBats possessed by Trigon's dark spirits flew out of holes on the ground. They crested above the black dome, flying down before starting to grab people and plunge through the holes once more.
I had no idea what Constantine told the rest but the huge Serpent begun slithering towards the Black Dome.
"I suppose it's time for the final act."
Chase said and I couldn't have agreed more.
'Shunpo!'
I had never tried Shunpo before while carrying something else. In this case the bubble shield around Superman. I noticed a decrease in speed but my increased control saw me, pour Reiryoku through my souls to give myself a platform to jump off.
Catwoman and the rest were startled by my sudden appearance.
"Point that arrow away from me. It's not gonna work."
I told Green Lantern as the Sheath flew into my hands from Superman's chest.
"I'm going on ahead."
I said before any of them could reply.
"Someone please wake up the Kryptonian. I think we're going to need him."
Another Shunpo and I pulled on ahead by a few hundred meters, clearing the distance between us and the first of the ManBats.
"I think you should keep the Shrouds focused on saving people. Trying to use them to fight these creatures will only lead to over drafting your energy."
Chase advised.
"I agree. Which means..."
I started, Chesha Neko in its Long Sword form slashing out and taking the head off a ManBat. The woman clutched in its claws cried out as the creature fell towards the ground.
"I'll just have to take care of all of them myself and then move on to Trigon. We have delayed this thing for too long."
'Shunpo!'
(General P.O.V)
The once-great city of Gotham lay in ruins, a smoldering wasteland of twisted metal and shattered concrete. In the midst of the destruction, a group of National Guard officers had set up a command center to coordinate the search and rescue efforts.
Colonel Erwin Dean, a high-ranking officer, was busy briefing his team on the latest developments when agents from ARGUS arrived on the scene, disembarking from the black colored armored chopper.
Sasha Bordeaux, a stern-looking woman with dark hair and a sharp chinned face, strode purposefully towards the command center, her eyes were hidden behind black glasses. Her gaze fixed on Colonel Dean.
The Colonel looked up from his briefing and frowned in confusion at the party led by the woman in a black pantsuit.
"Can I help you?" he asked, his tone curt and businesslike.
"Greetings Colonel. My name is Sasha Bordeaux, and I'm with ARGUS," the agent replied, her voice cold and clipped. "We're here to take over jurisdiction of this operation."
Colonel Dean looked taken aback. "Excuse me? I ask for reinforcements to deal with those freaks and they send me the Superhuman FBI to take over my command?"
Sasha's expression remained impassive.
"Yes, Colonel. You need to understand; this is no longer just a national emergency. It is a global threat. We need to ensure that all necessary resources are being utilized to find out what caused the explosion and turned the Justice League hostile."
'ugh, they didn't even warn me!'
The Colonel bristled. "I understand the gravity of the situation dammit! The Amazon almost took out one of my squads for getting closer to the Dome. Not to mention soon after, we had reports of Superman going on a rampage, a huge snake slithering around and more Leaguers fighting. Regardless, I have kept it all contained."
He smacked the table.
"I have search and rescue teams combing through the rubble for any survivors and we're working with what's left of the local law enforcement to do more. My people have also set up a perimeter to secure the area around the dome. So who are you to come in and tell me what to do?"
Sasha nodded, her gaze unwavering. "That's all well and good, Colonel, but we have resources and expertise that can help speed up the process. Rescue people faster. We can bring in more advanced technology and intelligence gathering methods, translation: we can deal with the dome and the League while nothing you throw at these problems will work."
She looked around the tent.
"We need to ensure that every possible avenue is being explored and no offense but your men are not really equipped to deal with whatever this is. You've done a splendid job, but now let us take over."
She snapped a finger and the men behind her, spread out through the room to begin setting up.
The Colonel hesitated for a moment, she wasn't wrong. Over 2 decades in his career and he'd never seen something quite like this. Even the Apellaxian invasion was tame in comparison to this. An entire city, destroyed.
Still, he wasn't just going to let someone swoop in and take over his command.
Colonel Dean sighed.
"I understand you have your orders, but we have a duty to the people of Gotham to see this operation through. We've been working around the clock to save as many lives as possible. You only just got here. After all the heavy lifting."
Sasha's expression softened slightly. "And we appreciate your efforts, Colonel. But this is bigger than just Gotham. We need to make sure that this doesn't happen again."
"Fine. I am not opposed to cooperation between us."
The Colonel finally laid his cards on the table.
Sasha frowned in thought.
"I agree just as long as you promise to keep me in the loop. Also, I'll be taking full command while on the field. The priority is getting to that Black Dome. Now what do you know about that?"
The Colonel shrugged, pointing at the map.
"Not much. I was in the middle of organizing a second team after the first one ran into Wonder Woman and came back with more than a few broken bones."
"Possession?"
Sasha asked, walking to stand next to the Colonel.
"They said she had four red eyes and pink skin with black lips. If that's not possession, then I don't know what is."
The Colonel said.
'I do.' Sasha thought to herself. They could be imposters. Clones or parallel versions.' Her job allowed her to come across many weird things.
"And is it the whole League that is acting strange?"
She questioned.
"No, so far we have confirmed that the Hawk people are on our side. Then footage from the Daily Planet News crew showed Black Canary fighting the Atlantean king..."
'That's a political disaster.' Sasha thought.
"...And we also have more footage showing Superman fighting an unknown Metahuman."
"And then there's the snake."
Sasha said, looking at the choppy video footage showing a massive form slither past the camera.
"Wait, back up a little."
She told the soldier, pointing at the huge display near the walls of the tent. The Colonel nodded to the soldier.
"There. stop."
On the screen was a figure clad in a purple one-piece costume, a long white half coat and a red mask on his face.
"We've designated him as the Scarlet Demon."
Sasha Bordeaux removed the glasses on her face.
'Bingo.'
"That's a high level target Colonel." She addressed the old man.
"Any chance you get, take him down. Alive."
"Who or what is he?"
The Colonel asked with genuine interest. This was the only instant the unflappable agent had shown a real reaction.
"That's classified."
Sasha replied, taking the offered seat before leaning back.
"Ok Colonel, what's your plan of attack?"
Clearly he wasn't going to get any more clarification on who the figure was. They could go up against Superman and hold their own. The Colonel wondered what Sasha meant by 'taking him down'?
The Colonel tapped the table, swiping his finger on it. On the screen display, a 3d map of Gotham appeared. A yellow route begun pulsing through the destroyed streets.
"The first group only got within 120 feet of the Dome. The second Alpha team, will use the underground tunnels to go under the dome."
'If it's even possible. The dome could extend through the ground and form a perfect sphere. Then again, maybe it didn't.'
"What about air support?"
Sasha asked.
The Colonel sighed, swiping the screen once more. Another footage, this one taken from the air showed Hawk-man crash into the rotor of the chopper, after being thrown by Captain Atom. Hawk-woman snarled, moving in from Captain Atom's blindspot to attack. The image froze.
"I decided to hold back on the air support for now."
He reported.
Sasha could understand why.
"Most of our intelligence is gathered and pieced together from my men on the ground and the News crews filming."
The Colonel added.
"I see. What about communication? Have you tried to reach out to the League members on our side?"
The stern Woman asked.
"No. I was more focused on ensuring we rescued everyone we could. Let the Gods and Monsters fight it out."
He huffed.
Sasha's unimpressed stare made the Colonel frown.
"I'll have my people begin broadcasting a radio signal. Luckily with the transmitter and generator, we can cover the whole area."
"Good."
Sasha said, getting to her feet. There was work to do.
"Get that broadcast airing. They should pick up on the frequency. Meanwhile I'll need to see your mission log and speak with your team to get a better understanding of the situation on the ground."
10 minutes later, a squad of Argus agents were dropped into Gotham.
The drop of point for Alpha team was a street away from an emergency zone. A group of local authority from the Gotham hospital had managed to use a bomb shelter to set up a relief point. Few places survived the explosion.
There was the Stadium and the GCPD building. Any other notable building structure in Gotham was behind the dome, like Wayne Tower.
There was a rumble from the ground and Alpha team stopped.
The first encounter they came across was not any of the possessed Leaguers, it started when hundreds upon hundreds of Man Bats rose off the ground and started terrorizing everyone they could find.
"Hold!"
Sasha told the soldiers at her back as they crouched behind the corner of the building. Screams begun ringing out afresh from the emergency zone. Bullets sang from the officers manning the perimeter. But it was doing little to stop what was happening. The creatures were grabbing anyone they could find and carrying them away towards the direction of the dome.
"How far away are we to our destination?"
She asked her second in command.
"About 3 blocks."
The soldier answered.
'What do I do? Should I abandon the mission and help save these people? It will surely be a blow to ARGUS if it gets out we left people to die.'
"Okay listen up..."
Thwwoop!
Something shredded the air above them.
"What the fuck was that?!"
Suddenly all of them were shielding their eyes from the dust, hearts hammering in high alert.
The severed head of one of the creatures fell on the street right before them, bouncing away. Then something else landed with a wet smack. This time they got a good look at one of the creatures. It was gutted with its entrails hanging out.
It mewled pitifully.
Sasha blinked, her hands tightening on the repulser rifle as she raised it up and pulled the trigger, blasting apart it's brains with a blue bolt.
"Control room to Alpha team. Come in."
There was static from the radio. Two clicks and the radio went silent. They were in a combat situation after all.
Sasha looked around the corner and saw 'him.'
He was nothing but a blur. The dozens of Man Bats couldn't hold it against him. His sword flashed out and every instant one of the creatures would be dead. In 3 seconds, the whole area around the Emergency Zone was covered in flesh and gore. He took them out singlehanded.
Never materializing enough for someone to see who he was but Sasha knew. Argus knew.
And it was only a matter of...
A pair of boots appeared before her. That speed. It's like he'd teleported.
Davian's hair swayed in the gentle breeze as he looked down at the team of agents hiding behind the corner. In his hands was a struggling Man Bat, held by the neck.
His eyes swept across the 15 of them before they landed on who he thought was the leader. The woman with short black hair at the lead.
"Coordinate with those people to set up a perimeter. I'm going to try and deal with the bulk of the creatures but you will have to pick off the stragglers."
He immediately begun speaking, not even taking the time to ask who they were.
He pointed at an unfinished building.
"That perch right there is a perfect vantage point for snipers. Regular bullets don't work on their tough skins, so you'll need to have something powerful."
The Man Bat's claw raked across Davian's face but failed to penetrate his skin. A cold light flashed across the young man's eyes underneath the red mask.
"Annoying."
There was an audible crunch and its neck folded, head popping into blood and brain matter.
He threw its body away like trash.
"If you see a giant snake, it's on our side. Oh and stay out of my fucking way."
After saying, that Davian disappeared in another burst of super speed.
Sasha Bordeaux blinked.
"Ma'am?"
Her second in command called out.
Sasha looked back and saw the faces of her men.
"You heard him."
(Davian's P.O.V)
"That was harsh. I liked it. Shows a different side of you, my Wielder. One that is worthy."
Chase commented about my encounter with the soldiers. They weren't regular soldiers either. Dressed in black combat gear with the symbol of an inverted Triangle, the base being an eyehole. They gave me the SHIELD vibe from Marvel.
"I was annoyed. People were in danger but those guys were hiding like cowards."
I answered, jumping off the roof to the wall of a shattered brick house, a hundred meters away. I was approaching the Dome really quickly, getting to the edge of East End.
The Dome stretched out across Coventry, Gotham Proper and a small section of East End. Past Coventry was Gotham river which had a small island attached to Gotham's larger landmass by bridges.
The high walls and strong structural build had probably prevented the explosion from destroying Arkham Asylum. However, the inmates inside were some of the most dangerous people in the world. Geniuses, serial killers, psychiatrists...Clowns.
I had no doubt that they would have taken advantage of the incident to escape. Either way, it wasn't my problem.
"Up ahead."
Chase called out, cutting into my thoughts.
"I see them."
I replied, shattering apart the roof below me, while unsheathing Chesha Neko.
A wall of Man Bats was in formation before the dome.
"They seem to have been waiting for you. "
I would have noticed them earlier if there were any Shrouds this way but, this close to the dome... everyone probably died too fast that the Souls moved on before I gained control of the Shrouds. There were lesser buildings here as well. The ground evened out from concrete and tarmac to dark scorched soil.
A platform made of Reiryoku appeared under my foot. I pushed off it as I approached them.
A frown marred my features the minute they got within my Reikaku range. The Man Bats must have been an upwards of a hundred but that wasn't what had grabbed my attention. Below them, was Wonder Woman. She had a dark scar that looked like a nasty burn going up her right arm.
Through my Reikaku the scar had a necrotic energy signature. Like a rot.
"Must have been a spell from the magician."
Chase said, bringing into my attention Zatara, who was ensnared by the Lasso of Truth. The Amazon had a foot on his back, looking up at me with her four eyes narrowed.
"I believe she wants you to go down to her."
Chase pointed out.
"I say we humor her request."
I replied, hair whipping at the back of my head as I descended.
Reiryoku surged through my legs as I landed, fracturing the ground and producing a dust cloud. Then I pushed through with the fastest speed I could go, using the dust as cover.
"I don't have time for this!"
I yelled just as Chesha Neko clashed against Wonder Woman's bracelets, producing a loud clang that made the very air vibrate.
She ground her teeth, getting thrown back through the air. She arrested her momentum, flying down over hundreds of meters away. She had her arms held up before her face in a guard.
"Are you okay?"
I turned to the magician, while untying him from the Lasso. Zatara blinked. He seemed to have seen better days. There was a large red bruise across his neck and his clothes were caked with blood from his own scratches. He gave a small nod but even the action made him wince.
"You'll pay for that boy."
Wonder Woman snarled from the distance, taking a step forward and blurring. Behind her the sound barrier popped like an inflated balloon.
"Hold on."
I told Zatara then similarly moved at fast speeds.
We met in the middle, both of us going at it in supersonic speeds. Chesha Neko rang out, the slash blocked by a swipe of her forearm. I leaned to the side, as her other hand launched out in a fist. The punch whizzed past my nose, causing a pressure blast to crack the air behind me.
I pushed of my heel, flash-stepping to her back and immediately going on the offensive. Somehow her reaction was good enough that she blocked every attack that I threw.
"She's more coordinated than you. Not to mention faster too."
Chase observed just as a mule kick from the Amazon landed on my Zanpakuto. I took the chance to put more strength to my legs pulling away from her while my palm was placed right in front of me.
"A little help here."
I asked him.
"Hado combo 1 and 4: Sho Byakurai!"
A straight beam of blue plasma surged out of my hand, our voices in perfect intonation. Wonder Woman's eyes widened as she hastily put her guard up. The Hado hit true, pushing her back due to the intensity.
My feet landed on the wall of the dome, the dome itself was meant to absorb any force and reflect it back at twice the intensity. My boots and pants ripped apart. A burst of kinetic energy surging up my body from the dome.
"Here goes nothing."
I pushed off.
The was a streak of purple lightning around me. My surroundings washed away into streaks of lines passing by my vision. I sent every single dreg of energy I could safely spare onto my fist. 'You know, come to think of it, I've not really punched someone since coming to this world. Not a body shot either. Just an old fashioned right hook.'
A dull thunk of hard flesh meeting harder flesh rang out, resounding through the area as Wonder Woman's head whipped to the side. To her benefit, she only stepped back twice. Her neck cracked as she turned to me in anger. Eyes blazing with red energy.
"That didn't work?"
I asked Chase in more than a little surprise. I mean, I had hurt Superman during our fight. Defeated him even. What the fuck is up with this uneven power-scale?
"You were in your Shikai at that time. Shikai is not just specialized. When you release your Zanpakuto, your parameters similarly shoot up by almost a 1000% increment in power."
Chase explained as I brought my hand forward.
"Bakudo no 4: Hainawa!"
A yellow rope bolted out of my palm, cracking through the air to ensnare her. I read somewhere that to defeat Wonder Woman, you only needed to tie her up.
The electric energy surrounding the rope of energy made her seize up before she gritted her teeth and broke apart the rope.
"Any more tricks up your sleeve?"
She growled out dangerously, walking forward.
Then a glowing yellow Lasso managed to wrap around her, humming with divine energy. Zatara looked at his teammate in no small amount of concern, pulling on the Lasso of Truth with determination. Wonder Woman tried to jump away, her face tightening in panic as she found herself unable to extricate herself from the bind.
Zatara held onto the Lasso and the Amazon fell to the floor in a thud. Zatara and I made eye contact. I could see the unspoken words there. The regret. He knew that if it wasn't for them...if it wasn't for Batman...maybe none of this would have happened.
"We have company."
Chase dutifully informed me. With a loud unison screech the Man Bats flew down towards us, red eyes gleaming, sharp claws flashing and snarling teeth.
I snorted, turning away from Zatara to focus on the enemy.
"If she escapes it's your fault. I'm not cleaning up your mess again."
I threw over my shoulder before crouching and flinging myself towards the sky in one lunge.
A vicious smile appeared on my face.
"Hey Chase, how fast do you think I can dispatch them?"
My Zanpakuto took a split second to think about it. But a split second was all I needed. A platform of dense Reiryoku manifested under my foot as I Flash stepped towards the sky in a straight line. The air around me cried at being torn apart.
I wound my hand back and threw Chesha Neko at the creatures in the lead. A shower of blood followed by screeches of pain that sounded like nails across the board sounded. My Longsword carving a path for me to come in with my palms glowing in power.
"Hado 7: Akai Inazuma!"
The nature of this particular Kido was such that it was effective on a large number of enemies. The red streak of energy surrounding the ball that sped forward was indiscriminate in its destruction.
It was wild and unpredictable, jumping from one creature to another in a rough pattern.
The smell of burnt flesh permeated the air as over a quarter of them were turned into blackened bodies that fell, leaving behind a wet splat on the blackened ground. My hands lashed out like strikes from a king Cobra, making short work of any stragglers around me.
Each blow I landed left behind pulped flesh and shattered bones. One particular elbow made the chest of a Man Bat cave in. Still, despite that there was still over a half of them left. But I had a plan for that.
Chesha Neko wound up through the air like a boomerang, carving another path around me before I grabbed the sword and spun. A large funnel of wind formed around my form, the force pulling in the Man Bats trying to flee. However, I had had enough. I was saving Shikai for when I needed it but that didn't mean I was weak.
The funnel of wind around me became colored red. The scarlet tint a consequence of shredding every single Man Bat into strips of flesh. I was delivering slashes at dizzying speeds, Chesha Neko's bladed edge parting flesh and bones easily.
To keep the blood and flesh away from me, I covered myself in a green shield just as the wind died down.
(General P.O.V)
Zatara forgot about the pain in his throat as he witnessed what was happening. Talking hurt and his body ached all around from his battle with the Amazon.
Yet...the boy had done what he couldn't.
Zatara couldn't imagine what he was seeing. Was Davian always this powerful? He managed to take down Wonder Woman. It could be argued that it was mostly because of his quick thinking that allowed Zatara to take advantage.
But this, this was something else entirely. He was merciless. Like a god of slaughter.
'What did you do Bruce? Why did you alienate such a formidable ally?'
(General P.O.V)
(An Island in the Atlantic)
A Pagoda stood prominent inside a valley. The Pagoda overlooked a wide river snaking from the mountain range behind the valley into the ocean.
Inside the tower,
On a throne constructed out of marble, the leader of Leviathan sat in a relaxed posture, her palm was placed below her cheek as she watched the news report on the destruction of Gotham.
"My father must be pleased. Gotham has always needed cleansing. It's been a goal of his."
Talia Al Ghul spoke up, addressing the man below the throne. He was dressed in a tight black t-shirt that showed off his fit body. He also had on camo pants and Dark sunglasses hanging off the v of his t-shirt.
"The only problem I can see him having, is the fact that he wasn't the one to do it."
Maxwell Lord replied, a smile on his face as he watched the video pan over a destroyed park, the trees nothing but charcoal.
"You know what this means miss Al Ghul right?"
He asked with a Charming smile on his face, turning his head to Talia.
"No, please enlighten me."
The latter rolled her eyes.
"It means," Maxwell continued, not even fazed by the mocking.
"We can now initiate the second phase of the plan. Batman thinks you were there for the Cryogen Crystals but he couldn't have been more wrong. Due to my modified micro robotic virus that Deathstroke planted in, I was able to get into his system and learn all we need to about the Brother Eye project."
The screen paused as Maxwell Lord typed a few keys on the data pad in his hands. The screen lit up with blueprints to something that looked like a giant eye.
"These are the specs but it would take more time than we have, to build it from the ground up."
He said.
"Why?"
Deathstroke asked from where he was leaning on the wall, hands crossed over his chest.
"Batman did it."
Lord shook his head, chuckling slightly.
"You're wrong. The machine upgraded itself from its base code. And we do not have the necessary components to create something as advanced. Something that will take over and learn how to continue building itself."
Lord walked over to stand in front of Deathstroke.
"If we can't create ours, we will just have to take theirs."
The two men stared at each other as Maxwell Lord handed over a data pad with an image of a middle aged man.
"Buddy Blank, former Wayne enterprises employee. He left Gotham after the project was shut down. He's your next target. Bring him to me alive."
Deathstroke's eyes briefly landed on Talia. He narrowed them, grabbing the data pad and pushing off the wall to leave.
"Great work ethic. Lousy conversationalists."
Maxwell Lord commented, turning around to face Talia, only to realize that she was gone.
"Neat trick."
Maxwell Lord admitted.
(Elsewhere)
"Copkiller, is dangerous."
Harley shivered, whether in fear or delight, no one really knew due to the wide smile on her face.
"Crazy blondes aside, she's not wrong."
Green Arrow stated with narrowed eyes. The 5 of them stood on top of the Serpent's head, looking on as Davian dealt with the Man Bats all by himself.
"Should we help him?"
Harley asked the rest of them.
"Does he even need help?"
Ivy cut in, watching the boy she had been quick to dismiss slash apart the entire pack of ManBats.
"And where are you doing?"
Catwoman enquired from Constantine who had turned around from the scene to walk towards the unconscious bodies of the Flash and Superman.
"Trying to stack the odds in our favor."
Constantine answered, his palms hovering above Superman and Flash's bodies.
"Anatu tuu ku la shama nu tu."
The spell left Constantine's hand in a green blast of energy. The energy washed down their bodies before Constantine stood up, running back to the horn of the serpent.
Catwoman stared at his back with narrowed eyes. Then she knelt down and placed her fingers on the Flash's neck.
"Alright luv, keep her steady. The minute you get a chance, spray its venom across the wall of the dome, it's corrosive nature will be enough to dissolve a hole for us enter through."
Constantine told Poison Ivy.
The green themed supervillain clenched her jaw. She hated taking orders. Especially from men. Not to mention the fact that Constantine was an asshole. She knew his kind. They were the weak ones, the ones reliant on lies and backstabs. They thrived on betrayal. But this was bigger than her.
Constantine's only saving grace was that he had summoned the creature under them.
She reached through the connection between the Serpent and her. It was the spawn of the Midgard Serpent, Jormungandr. The world serpent was the personification of destruction, poison and death, yet, Ivy found herself bonded to its spawn so intimately.
The serpent had a connection to what Constantine had told her was the World Tree. All she knew was that they could at least kill the Bastard responsible for taking away Selina's club which had become a pseudo home.
For her and Harley Gotham was more of a prison. Yet the tin roof club was like a small ray of light in an otherwise bleak world.
Which begged the question did they even deserve to have their own small piece of the world? After all they'd done?
She shook her head, focused on the task at hand. Destroy the dome while the mysteriously powerful guy was occupying the Man Bats. If they got inside, they could end all this.
The serpent felt her determination and seemed to speed up exponentially. It opened its jaws wide, aiming for the looming dome and sprayed a large amount of venom at it.
The venom was no longer colorless, this time it was black and seemed to release noxious gray fumes that covered their whole front.
(Davian's P.O.V)
The shield around me disappeared after the remains of the creatures splattered on to the ground.
I was getting better. Slowly and surely.
"Watch out, that cunning guy is back. And he's not alone."
Chase told me just as the ground rumbled under the passing of the behemoth Serpent. It slithered past me, towards the Dome. I frowned, flash stepping ahead of them to stand before the Dome.
Immediately, I pulled upon my power after feeling the snake's own energy channels light up. The green shield sprang to life before me. Only this time I felt that a dome wound not suffice. It took some thinking but I finally figured out his play. I flattened the shield, forming it into a green barrier that stretched out in every direction for dozens of feet.
Just in time too.
The snake's venom splashed upon the barrier and the unexpected begun happening. The barrier sizzled as my spirit energy was eaten through by the venom.
"So that's what the Snake was for."
Chase mused as my mind ran through different counters to the venom.
"He knew he couldn't break through so he summoned a creature whose venom has a corrosive effect on anything."
Again, a brilliant plan if it wasn't for glaring factor. The venom would definitely hurt Raven's essence. Once again, Constantine had gone the asshole way. The venom was so potent; I was afraid of breathing in the fumes.
I folded the barrier around the venom, adding more and more layers as each was swiftly dissolved. But this was not a permanent solution.
"Hey Chase, any ideas?"
I asked my Zanpakuto.
"You can't let it fall to the ground as it might affect the land, you also can't keep a permanent shield around it."
He said making me roll my eyes.
"I asked for ideas, not a recounting of my current situation."
There was one thing I could try.
"Hey, remember when I asked you if you thought the Sheath was the focus of my Fullbring abilities?"
I prompted.
Chase perked up.
"Ooh. How clever of you my Wielder."
He complimented, genuinely impressed.
I smiled.
"So I take it you believe it can work?"
Chase chuckled.
"We won't know until you try."
'He's right.'
I raised the shield in my hand, pointing it at the barrier, then paused.
"Huh, so how do I do this agai...wait i feel something."
My stomach growled. Chase snorted.
I sighed. My Fullbring abilities were still powered by Reiryoku. Maybe it wasn't that different from using Kido.
I called onto my Reiryoku but apart from my clothes ruffling under the torrent of energy I was wielding, there was no other indication that it had worked.
What if I upended my thinking process? Calling onto my Soul Reaper powers felt more like I had to stem the flow or else the Reiryoku would escape from the energy nodes scattered around my body.
On the other hand, using the Sheath felt more like I had to coax it out.
It was more pull than the push. I focused on the venom, using my connection to the barriers to analyze the spit. A whole new sense opened itself up to me. It felt like the time I managed to see the lines of death connecting each Shroud together.
There. Under the physical laws of the material world was another plane. The spiritual one. Souls had appeared to me as white balls of energy. The soul of the venom was almost the same. Formless yet glowing with an otherworldly light.
"Your eyes are glowing again."
Chase pointed out.
"Are they now?"
I asked, pulling on the venom's soul, energy roiled around, blasting away the black miasma concealing me from view. I felt more than saw their shock at my appearance.
My eyes never left Constantine as we faced off.
"You really need to do something about him."
Chase reiterated his earlier words.
"I know."
The green glow of the sheath overcame the dark and murkiness of the venom contained inside the sphere. with the soul under my influence, I lowered its toxicity, turning it into a harmless liquid, water.
I turned to the dome, placing my palm on it. Now how do I break through?
(General P.O.V)
"Umm what's going on, why is he blocking the way? I thought he was on our side?"
Arrow asked Constantine, notching an arrow in preparation.
"There are no sides." Constantine bluntly said, reaching into his pocket.
Catwoman grabbed his hand.
"Wait. You haven't been straight with us. We need to know what we're up against. is the kid an enemy or not?"
Constantine wrenched away his wrist, running a hand over his hair as he stared at Davian.
"I can't answer that. All you need to know is that you have no idea what we are all dealing with."
His words were eerie.
Ivy made eye contact with Green Arrow.
Harley then slung an arm over the magician's shoulder, holding him tightly.
"Copkiller is a bad ass. But that doesn't mean he's bad. You on the other hand Johnny, you remind me of someone. Someone too sneaky for their own good."
Constantine stiffened slightly. They were all watching him with distrust. Even Arrow was no longer pointing his arrow at Davian, he had it trained on him.
"Sorry Magic Man, Batman has you placed in the very suspicious category. The kid has only been helpful so far."
Green Arrow told him.
'And I've not?! Ugh, bloody capes.'
The brit raged on the inside, outwardly he laughed.
"We all have our own methods to deal with the darkness. Mine just require more discretion. Fine. You win, we'll trust the Lad."
"Speaking of which, he's doing something."
Ivy spoke up, urging the serpent forward.
(Davian's P.O.V)
"They're coming your way."
Chase told me as I studied the dome in front of me. The venom was no longer a problem. It's changed state was inside a green sphere hovering above me. The only thing left was to find a way through.
"I wonder what lies Constantine has concocted to them about me."
I replied, trying to connect with Raven through her essence. I couldn't feel anything there. It was just...empty.
"The magician will not lack schemes. We need to be ready."
Chase said.
"I agree, which is why we need to break Raven out of whatever this is."
I told him, mind running as I considered all viable options.
"I might have an idea. How about you try a Konso?"
Chase suggested.
"That might actually work."
I replied, finding the idea to be viable. Besides, it's not like I had any other choice.
I raised Chesha Neko, grasping it by the hilt then stamped the pommel on the length of the dome.
A bright light flashed out from the contact, rippling along the length of the dome.
The light escaped from the top of the dome, piercing right through the smog covering Gotham's skyline.
My sight was overtaken by another explosion. This time it was one of white light.
(General P.O.V)
A wide encompassing light shot out of the dome, swallowing Davian before spreading outwards towards the Serpent.
"Hold..."
Ivy said, trying to jerk the snake away from the path of the light. Unfortunately for all of them, it was too late and they were drowned under.
All that was left was a quiet environment and one lone Shroud floating in place, waiting for an order from what they had decided was the master.
(Elsewhere)
"Mmmh puddin don't be so rough..."
Harley moaned in her sleep.
Constantine groaned as he rubbed his head, getting off the dusty ground.
He jerked his arm away from Harley's hold, looking around as the crazy blonde started sucking on her thumb, fast asleep.
Before the Exorcist's eyes was a view that was out of place with reality. The sky was dark pink and purple with shifting stars swiftly shooting through the night sky. What had Constantine concerned was the huge statue of a girl in a dark clock looming over them.
"Raven."
Constantine muttered, patting his body before he withdrew a compass hanging off a chain. The needle was aimed at one direction. The sky.
"Ugh...I felt like I just went a few rounds with Croc. Wait, where am I?"
Harley asked, rousing from her sleep. She patted the ground around her, widening her eyes and she failed to spot what she wanted.
"Puddin?! Where are you?!"
She panicked.
"You mean the bat? It's right behind you."
Constantine answered while snapping the compass closed and pocketing it.
"Oh Puddin!"
Harley squealed in happiness, hugging the bat.
"Oh bugger. Why couldn't I get the cat themed supervillainess?"
Constantine bemoaned rubbing his eyes in exasperation. Harley wasn't anyone's first pick in surviving what was clearly a different dimension. One that had a giant of someone who had a grudge on him. They needed to find a way out. Fast.
"Hey that's mean."
Harley called out, offended.
"Just...follow me, we need to get out of here before..."
Constantine said as he began walking in one random direction. The magic attuned Compass was supposed to show you the direction to the closest leyline, which Constantine would have used to leave this place. Teleportation would not work of he was in a different dimension.
Boom! Something crashed right in front of them, cutting off his words.
Harley quickly got to her feet.
"I'm guessing before that happens?"
She told Constantine, pointing at the dark haired girl in a red outfit standing up from the giant crater she'd made with her descent. It was Raven, only the color of her costume was a blood red.
Her face was twisted in an expression of anger, 4 scarlet eyes glowing from the depths of her hood.
"You."
She glowered, staring at Constantine.
"I will kill you for what you did!"
"That's not the first time you've heard that right?"
Harley asked him, hoisting her bat before her.
(Elsewhere)
"Just admit it Chase, you don't know where we are."
Davian spoke to his Zanpakuto, flash stepping off the top of a massive boulder onto a blackened tree a short distance away.
"More red and black. The sky and the ground seem no different. It's like they're connected at the horizon."
He said out loud.
The sky was black with numerous red stars illuminating the surroundings, casting the land scape in an ominous light.
"Keep it down, I'm thinking."
Chase told Davian who sighed, sheathing Chesha Neko before Flash stepping away again. The last thing he had seen was that bright light and then... he'd woken up inside a crater, staring up at the red sky.
That had been two hours ago. He wasn't really sure but it felt like two hours.
Whatever this place was, it seemed to warp with his perception of time. And distance too. He had been Flash-stepping across the landscape with no notable features around, to tell them where they were.
"Man I wish something would happen. Where's Murphy's law when you need it right?"
Davian sighed, his body streaking above a wide dark Crater.
Snhikt!
Dark red limbs shot out of the crater, speeding towards Davian faster than he could react. Suddenly there was a bright light from the sky. The light shone down on the creature below and it squealed, rushing back to the depths.
Davian landed on the edge of the crater, staring down at it with narrowed eyes.
"Well that plan failed. Without luring it out, we can't really study it to know where we are. And now that it knows we're aware of it, it will stay hidden."
Davian complained.
He'd started sensing things within the holes and craters filling the red and black landscape. Whatever those things were, they chose to stay hidden the minute they sensed him.
All except for one of the more massive presences that probably saw him as prey. So Davian had tried to trick it. That plan had gone out of the window due to someone else's intervention.
Speaking of which,
"Are you okay?"
The brown-skinned girl dressed in black and yellow with dark wings behind her asked, descending towards him. Davian stiffened.
Dawnstar paused in the air, a chill going down her spine. She raised her hands.
"Sorry for scaring you."
She apologized.
Davian blinked. He found her words funny.
"Scaring me?"
"You were a bit startled, my Wielder."
Chase pointed out, making Davian frown.
"Whose side are you on?"
The young soul reaper asked his zanpakuto.
Dawnstar blinked and found the sword in Davian's hands placed under her chin. she gulped in fear while also admiring it. It gleamed with a purple aura, just like the archives had showed...he truly was incredible.
She shook her head, stay focused on the mission! Then again, things hadn't turned out the way they had expected. Or wanted. Their target had seen her. She still had no idea where Karate Kid was. If he was still even alive.
The mission had been fairly simple. Go back to the day it all started. The day Gotham's explosion would set forth a chain of events that would end with the complete destruction of the planet. Whatever happened today... everything would change.
The worst thing was that it was a recent shift. Someone had messed with the timeline. Something significant had shifted. Which was why it hadn't needed a full mobilization unit. Just the two of them. With the Legion spread out thin to defend against the threats of the united planets, it had fallen to her and Val Ammorr to story what had changed to the timeline.
(Elsewhere)
"Kill you!"
The red Raven snarled, lips spread apart to show sharp teeth.
Constantine prepared a spell just as Raven jumped at them...
Only for a foot to land on the side of her face, throwing her away to bounce across the rough terrain.
The young Asian teenager who had seemingly materialized out of nowhere lowered their leg.
"And who are you supposed to be?"
Harley asked, slinging her bat across her shoulders.
The stronger bowed.
"Greetings. Forgive me for not announcing myself earlier. My name is Val Ammorr, pleased to meet you."
Karate Kid introduced himself.
(Elsewhere)
Jaznoz Valentine looked up. It was almost time. Then the world would be is.