AN: Huh, been a while for this story.
Not sure why that's the case to be honest, as there is still a lot left to go.
Still, it's getting an update now!
So you, hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, and hope you enjoy!
Other than that please do leave a review if you liked it, or a critique if you think there was something I could have done better. I don't have a beta, so if you spot any obvious typos or grammatical errors please let me know!
Another thing while I am at it, is this. I am a part of a discord group, there are tons of others there, plenty of writers, admittedly mainly PJO, but other stuff too, including a growing number of writers from other fandoms too. Feel free to pop along and say hi, I'm always happy to chat about the stuff I am writing. So if you fancy it please do join by sticking this: discord .gg / elibrary into discord, with no spaces, or using the link on my bio.
Thanks for reading and please enjoy.
I do not own Percy Jackson, DC Comics or Young Justice.
( - )
(Last Time)
Stepping through a boom tube and into a dark dingy alleyway, Dreamer looked around at her new surroundings with ill-disguised interest.
This was her first time truly stepping foot on earth, actually, it was her first time physically visiting anywhere that wasn't New Genesis.
It was exciting.
Closing the boom tube behind her, she looked around and tried to get her bearings.
Now that she was finally here it was time to track down the one, she'd come to meet.
A smile graced her features at the thought of the young god in question, even as she stepped out of the alleyway and joined the milling crowds.
A simple illusion later, and she was just another person in the crowd.
( - )
Chapter 28
( - )
(With Percy)
New Orleans was a busy place.
Its narrow streets were bright, loud and crowded with denizens of the night.
Tourists moved about in large flocks, with groups occasionally peeling off the main strip to stop off at one of the bars or strip clubs that littered the surrounding streets.
The locals, meanwhile – those who chose to venture out to the more touristy parts of the city – gleefully peddled their wares to passing punters.
Looking around, he could see street vendors getting up in people's faces, shouting and grinning widely, their eyes completely void of emotion, as they desperately tried to hawk their tatty merchandise to faceless vacationers.
He could see women of the night and other costumed performers strutting their stuff and posing for photos with bedazzled consumers. Sometimes they charged for the photos, and sometimes they just used the photos as an excuse to get close to their mark so they could either pickpocket them or steal their attention away for the night.
Outside the nearby bars scantily clad men and women lurked about trying to entice passers-by into their sweaty, heaving bars with promises of free drinks and a good time.
The sights, the sounds, and the entire vibe were almost as intoxicating as they were nausea-inducing.
People often liked to call Las Vegas the 'City of Sin'.
Percy had been to Las Vegas, or at least his world's version of it, and he had to say that the New Orleans of this world was on a whole different level. It made the Las Vegas strip look practically tame in comparison.
Pulling his jacket tighter around him as he walked, Percy angled his body to avoid bumping into a crowd of screeching, chattering women. Judging by the way they were dressed – one was wearing a sexy bride outfit – and the fact they were already very drunk, he suspected they were in the middle of a particularly raucous hen night.
Grimacing, he continued to push forward through the sea of milling tourists.
Those he passed, he noticed, occasionally sent him fleeting looks as they took in his armour, helmet and the sword strapped to his back, and then rolled their eyes and looked away.
In the eyes of the locals, he was probably just another street performer/ nuisance who had dressed up in fake armour for the night so he could extort money from tourists.
In their eyes, he was just another shyster who was below contempt and not worth more than a passing glance to make sure he wasn't up to no good or encroaching on their patch. And in the eyes of the tourists, he was little more than one among dozens of other costumed irritations trying to fleece them. Only unlike the other costumed performers he was wearing more clothing and was actively trying to avoid other people.
In many ways it suited him.
He didn't want the attention, nor did he want to be inundated with people wanting photos.
Instead, he was quite happy just pushing through the crowds as he headed to the next bar or strip club.
The same, however, could not be said for his companions.
While Robin, Zatanna and Zatara had stayed on the edges and had focused on finding the new Doctor Fate using magical means. Zatara as the more experienced magical practitioner and hero was leading the effort. Zatanna meanwhile, was supporting her father in his ritual, while Robin ran interference in case someone attempted to interrupt or distract them. Percy, Diana and Tula had headed into the city to use more mundane methods to find the runaway Fate.
Only, unlike Percy, who was mostly being ignored except by the occasional drunk female tourist who shrieked and cackled with her friends before draping themselves on him. Both Wonder Woman and Aguagirl were constantly being mobbed by tourists.
Diana was in her full Wonder Woman regalia, complete with her red, gold and blue reinforced bodysuit, armoured pauldrons, gleaming wristbands, a sheathed sword on one hip and her coiled-up lasso on her other. She looked every part a striking, powerful demigoddess. Which those around her clearly noticed as they stopped to take pictures and crowded in around her trying to get selfies. Those around her didn't seem to realise that she was the actual Wonder Woman and instead seemed to think she was a cosplayer who was only pretending to be the renowned heroine.
In some way their complete misreading of the situation was funny.
But for the most part, it was annoying, especially with how clingy and entitled the tourists were acting.
From where he stood, he could already see the frustration and irritation written on her face.
She was Wonder Woman, one of the mightiest heroes in the world. She was an ancient, demigoddess and princess, a seasoned warrior, and the victor of over a hundred battles and duels.
She could snap the mortals harrying her in half with a single hand. Hades, she could probably break their necks with a flick of her finger, and yet she was stuck patiently smiling and politely directing them away from her.
Honestly, her patience for dumb mortals was probably the most inhuman thing about her.
It made Percy jealous.
After all, he wouldn't have been anywhere near as patient as her. Especially not for the length of time they'd been getting harangued and harassed. Instead, he'd probably have lost his shit after the first ten minutes.
Tula, likewise, was getting mobbed by the masses.
With her new more armoured outfit and the gleaming trident she carried, Tula very much gave off the vibe of an insanely attractive redhead that was cosplaying as a female Aquaman.
The colour scheme wasn't the same.
She'd thankfully chosen far more tasteful colours.
But the general vibe and style was on point.
This was not surprising considering both costumes had probably been designed and created by the same royalty-approved artisan.
Either way, she like Diana, though maybe to a lesser degree, was also getting mobbed.
But unlike Diana, who just grit her teeth and bore the attention with all the dignity her lineage entailed; Tula didn't look anywhere near as comfortable with the interest she was receiving.
A part of Percy wanted to intervene and tell the gawking crowd to fuck off.
But he also knew that it both wasn't his place to interfere – he doubted either one of his companions would thank him for it when they were both more than capable of kicking ass and taking names – and, because it would cause a scene, or at least more of a scene than they were already causing.
Slowing down, Percy deliberately forced some people out of the way as he moved to stand between the two.
"There is another club up ahead. A strip club by the looks of it. Do you want to try it out, who knows, we could be twelfth time lucky?" He asked, gesturing with his head at a club down one of the side streets.
The club was called 'The Hellfire Club' and it had a neon sign of a grinning red devil, complete with a pitchfork, pointed tail and horns, gleaming brightly overhead.
"Might as well," Diana replied tightly. "It'll at least get us off the street for a while."
"Though I wish it wasn't another strip club," Tula added mournfully. "They're all gross, and they stink of sweat, regret and shame."
"You'll probably see a lot worse if you continue to work as a hero," Diana replied sympathetically. "But yes, lead the way Riptide."
"On it," Percy nodded, a slight smile spreading across his lips as he turned and started barging through the heaving throngs of people.
Behind him he could feel Tula grab onto his shoulder and follow him, using him like an icebreaker as he ploughed through the reeking, heaving mass of humanity around them.
Diana, meanwhile, just braced her shoulders and followed his lead, carving her own path through the surrounding mortals, taking care as she did so as not to hurt any of the fragile beings around her.
A few minutes later, and an intense stare down with an overly aggressive bouncer, and they were in.
The guy had initially wanted to stop them due to their getup and weapons, but a bit of cash in hand and some bullshit about the weapons being props was all they needed to get past him. Thankfully, their rouse was helped by the fact that they were not the only ones wearing costumes. Plus, it also probably helped that both Diana and Tula were complete knockouts and were exactly the kind of customers that a nightclub owner would want in their club.
Entering the sleazy club, the first thing that hit Percy was the beating sound of the music within that made his head throb, and the fact that everything in the dark main room was bathed in a seedy red light.
"Spread out," Diana said, her expression serious as she looked around.
The club was crowded.
Half-naked men and women were gyrated to the music on elevated platforms and poles, and in hanging cages dotted around the club's main floor.
A large bar stretched the entire length of the room and was being crewed by half a dozen attractive and scantily clad men and women.
Around the edges of the room, big, burly bouncers in black suits surveyed the main floor looking for trouble.
And off to one side, Percy could see some partially open curtains and the dimly lit stairs behind them that likely led to some private upstairs room for the executive, high-flying customers. The curtained staircase was currently being guarded by a pair of bouncers, both of whom looked particularly forbidding as they warned off all the casuals that loitered around the club's main floor.
On the other side of the room, he could see an elevated catwalk, with a gleaming stripper pole at one end. This was probably the main stage where the stripper of the hour performed to the baying crowd of desperate punters below them.
Percy felt his lip curl in disgust as he looked around.
Tula wasn't wrong the place smelt bad.
Beneath the almost overwhelming stench of cheap cologne and perfume that permeated the area, his heightened senses could pick up on the stench of stale sweat, alcohol, body odour and sex.
It wasn't pleasant.
Allowing his eyes to adjust to the dark, red-tinted room, Percy separated from Diana, who he saw had moved to the main stage. And Tula, who after taking a bracing breath had headed for the bathrooms. Seeing this, he headed for the bar. Hopefully one of the workers behind the bar could point him in the right direction.
Looking around for anything suspicious as he weaved through the crowd, his sharp gaze quickly found two hooded figures sitting at one of the booths in the furthest corner of the room.
One of them, a slight figure, with a pale face and sunglasses, was sipping on a colourful cocktail as she kept an eye on the ongoing partying. He couldn't make out much about her, save for the slight glimmer of silvery hair beneath the hood, which suggested she was either older than she looked or had dyed it.
Her companion meanwhile was wearing a hooded purple outfit, and she too had her hood up. Only unlike her companion, her head was down, and her face was shadowed in darkness. Which made it difficult to make out anything about her.
Not that he really needed to, after all their dress senses alone marked them as suspicious, as did their behaviour.
They were in a bouncing strip club, with loud music, dancing clientele and gyrating exotic dancers, and yet were sat apart from it all, acting more like they were people watching in a quiet café than partygoers out to have a good time.
Narrowing his eyes, Percy made it to the bar and with a gesture a few muttered words and a flash of cash he ordered a drink.
Picking up the drink, he kept an eye on the two in the corner, even as he took a sip.
"Is it good?" A voice beside him asked suddenly, making him almost flinch.
Tensing, Percy glanced sideways.
An attractive girl had appeared at his side.
He felt his freehand unconsciously tighten into a fist.
She hadn't been at the bar when he had first approached, and he hadn't noticed her approach either while he was ordering his drink.
It was almost as if she had appeared out of thin air at his side.
"Not bad," he said after a moment, his gaze resting on her for a moment.
She was very attractive. She had tanned, olive-coloured skin and dark, slightly curled black hair that flowed down past her shoulders. As she moved, he could see her dark hair almost seemed to glint purple.
More noticeable than her beauty however were her bright violet eyes. They were a colour he had never seen before and considering that they seemed to almost glow in the semi-darkness he was pretty confident that they were not the eyes of an average mortal either.
Smiling gently, the girl's eyes flicked over his shoulder and over towards the hooded pair in the corner.
"You were right to be suspicious of them," she said mildly as she raised her own drink – a colourful cocktail complete with a little umbrella sticking out the top – and took a drink. "They've been here for a while now. From what I can tell they're either waiting for something or looking for someone…."
Percy didn't react immediately.
From the corner of his eye, he could see that Tula was back on the main floor and was wending her way through the crowds to meet up with the scowling Diana.
"Who are you?" He said after a moment.
The girl didn't give off a threatening vibe.
But that didn't mean she wasn't dangerous, or a threat.
"You can call me Dreamer," The now-named Dreamer smiled. Her eyes practically gleamed as they roved across his face.
"An alias I take it," Percy shot back dryly.
Her attractiveness aside, Dreamer was otherwise quite unassuming.
She didn't have a forbidding aura, nor did she seem to exude any kind of hidden power.
For all intents and purposes, she just seemed like a regular mortal, aside of course for her faintly glowing violet eyes.
"No," Dreamer hummed her head tilting to one side. "That's my name. I was born Dreamer, have always been Dreamer, and will always be Dreamer."
It was a weird introduction.
But in his time he had probably heard both weirder and cornier.
"Okay, so what do you want Dreamer?" Percy asked bluntly.
He could see from the corner of his eye that Diana, who had now met up with Tula, had spotted the two hooded figures in the corner, just as she had noticed he was at the bar talking to someone.
"Isn't it only polite to introduce yourself first?" Dreamer shot back. "After all, I did just introduce myself."
Percy's eyes narrowed a fraction, before with a hidden sigh he nodded.
"I'm Riptide," He said using his hero name. "But I suspect you already knew that."
"Ah, now that is an alias. But all the same, you suspect right. I know who you are Perseus." Dreamer grinned, taking another sip of her drink. "And as for what I want…, well, what I wanted was to meet you."
"And now that you have?" Percy asked mildly.
He could feel the moisture in the air and slowly started to gather it towards him. Already he could feel droplets of water starting to form on the edges of his armour and along his coat.
Wetting his lips, he extended his senses.
The water in the pipes rippled as he took control of it.
He would allow it to flow as normal for the moment.
But only until he needed it.
Dreamer's smile widened.
"You don't have to worry," she said softly. "I'm not here to fight. Fighting has never really been my… forte. I can defend myself if I wish to, yes. But against a being of your martial calibre…, well let's just say I don't think I would be able to hold off the new God of War for long…."
Percy's shoulders tensed.
God of War?
"Are you sure you know who I actually am?" He asked stiffly.
"Oops, sorry, spoilers," Dreamer smiled. "And yes, Perseus, I know who you are now and I know who you will be in the future."
"So, you're a prophet?" Percy asked unimpressed. He'd put her other little comment to one side for the moment. After all, he didn't have a good history when it came to either prophecy or prophets. Especially when it came to accuracy and interpretation.
"Of sorts," Dreamer replied enigmatically.
Percy felt his irritation flare.
As if sensing his rising ire at her deliberate vagueness, Dreamer smiled again.
"But to be more exact, I dream." She continued, her tone turning a bit brisker. "My brothers and sisters have gifts relating to their spheres of influence, and I have mine. Dreamer is more than just my name, Perseus. It is a title too. I'm not just Dreamer, I am also 'the Dreamer'."
Spheres of influence?
It sounded a lot like godly domains to him.
Wetting his lips, Percy's eyes moved to Diana.
She and Tula were off to the side, their gazes shifting between him and the hooded pair in the corner.
They were waiting patiently for the moment.
But how long that would last he wasn't sure.
Tula, he noticed, looked distinctly unhappy.
Whether that was because of their location, the length of time they had been investigating without success, or because he was wasting his time apparently chatting up a pretty girl, he wasn't sure.
"What do you see in your dreams?" He asked after a moment, turning his attention back to Dreamer.
"More than I can possibly tell you in the short time we have here," Dreamer said, her smile fading. "I see the past, the present and all the possible futures. I can sense disturbances in the very fabric of the universe at a level deeper than you can possibly understand. It is my greatest gift, and yet also my curse. And that's why I sort you out Perseus. Ever since you entered this reality not just one future, but all the futures have been in a state of constant flux. I have seen you in my dreams, Perseus. Destiny and fate clings to you almost like a second skin. You may think your story has been told Perseus, but trust me when I say that it has only just begun."
"Great…," Percy bit out unenthusiastically.
"But it's not all bad," Dreamer smiled again. "Some of the futures I have dreamed of are bad, but many are good. But in all futures, some things remain fixed. Fate, Perseus, in inexorable."
He could feel a bitter feeling percolating in his gut.
What she was essentially saying, was that some things in life were completely immutable.
Which in turn meant that some of his choices, when they came to those fixed points, were essentially meaningless.
He was just a hand puppet of fate.
Percy scowled at that thought. This was why he hated prophecy and prophets, they made him feel small, and like his life was pointless.
"No, that's what I'm saying Perseus," Dreamer said suddenly, her tone turning from light and airy, to firm and uncompromising.
Percy frowned. "Are you in my head?"
Dreamer grimaced suddenly. The expression looked oddly alien on her previously serene, and inhumanly beautiful countenance.
"Yes," Dreamer replied after a moment. "And I apologise. I didn't mean to. But just like your partner, M'gann. I was born with advanced psychometric abilities, and I have trouble not using them. It was how I was born, and how I have always lived. Using them for me is as natural as breathing is for you."
"Stay out of my head," Percy snapped, his temper flaring.
He didn't mind when M'gann did it as she had both his trust and his permission.
Dreamer, however, had neither.
For the first time. Dreamer looked apologetic. "I will try too."
Calming down slightly, Percy nodded.
"So, you've met me. Now what else do you want?" He asked bluntly.
"Just to tell you that this… place… is indeed the one you were looking for," Dreamer said, "And also to introduce myself as we will be meeting again in the future. We will meet again very soon Perseus, and when we do, I will tell you more of what the future holds. But for now, just remember that a single act of mercy could save the world."
"What?" Percy scowled.
Of all the bizarre and nonsensical things to say.
It was classic prophet behaviour.
"I'm sorry, but if I say anymore, it will affect the way your choices and could change the future for the worse," Dreamer grimaced. "Right now, I am just trying to tweak things as best as I can to protect the world and safeguard humanity There are endless paths that the future can take, so many that no one can make sense or understand them all. But some paths are far darker than others, and those are the ones I focus on redirecting as best as I can."
Percy frowned.
"Also," Dreamer added, her tone turning a bit milder now, and more amused. "I would look to the main stage if I were you. You're going to want to see the next performer…."
"What?" Percy asked. His brow furrowed in confusion as he turned and looked at the main stage for a moment.
Only, when he turned back around for an answer from Dreamer though, he found only an empty glass on the bar.
She was gone.
Her exit had been as silent and unseen as her entrance.
"Fuck's sake," Percy muttered to himself, his mind whirling as he tried to make sense of everything the enigmatic Dreamer had said.
How much of it was true and how much of what she had said was complete bullshit?
When it came to gods, even alien ones, it was difficult to work out just what they were up to.
Divine beings, in his experience, were far too capricious and disconnected from reality to be called reliable. And although her presence hadn't given him any indicators, her actions and what she had said were certainly reminiscent of the other divine beings he had met over the years.
"And now, welcome to the stage the lusty and the licentious, the pharaoh of your dreams, and the king of your most freaky of fantasies, the one, the only, Rod Senseless!" A voice boomed out across the club, cutting through the music, even as a new pop track started playing on the speakers overhead.
Spinning back around to look at the main stage, Percy's eyes narrowed as he saw a very jacked and tanned blonde in a pharaoh costume, complete with golden wristbands, a stereotypical pharaoh hat and kohl around his eyes, strut onto the stage with little more than a white loin cloth protecting his modesty.
Grinning at the baying crowd of women, and a few men, at his feet. The stripper sensually sauntered over to the pole and started twerking.
Looking away, Percy pushed off the bar and headed over to where Diana and Tula were still standing.
Diana looked entirely disinterested in the man's performance.
Tula, however, was red-faced as she watched the blonde man continue to writhe about on the stage.
Pushing down the sudden flare of irritation he felt well up within him, Percy glanced over to the corner of the room.
The short. silver-haired figure was on her feet as was the one with the hooded purple cloak.
"Wonder Woman," Percy muttered as he moved in close. He was using their superhero names since they were in the field. "This is the guy."
"You're sure?" Diana asked, her eyes narrowing as she first looked at Rod Senseless, or rather Steele Maxum before she then looked at the two hooded figures.
"He matches the description," Tula said, "Plus he's got the Ankh of Fate tattooed on his lower back."
"Like a tramp stamp," Percy added pointlessly.
"It seems we're not the only ones who have identified him," Diana said, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. "Riptide, run interference. Aquagirl get in contact with the others and tell them we found Fate, and then follow me."
"Right," Tula nodded as she grabbed her communicator and followed Diana's lead, even as the older heroine started heading for the stage.
Leaving Maxum to the two of them, Percy moved to intercept the two hooded figures.
Looking around as he walked, he grimaced.
The place was crowded, so he would need to avoid escalation. After all, a fight on the main floor could endanger all the clubgoers around him. Which, as a hero was something he wanted to avoid.
Unfortunately, the villains likely wouldn't have the same regard.
Taking that into account, Percy reasserted his control over the water in the pipes overhead and pulled.
Almost at once the nozzles on the sprinkler system pinged off from the sudden surge in pressure and water began to spray down on those below.
Shouts and screams of surprise followed as the sensible people started running for the exits, even as the drunk and high ones started laughing and dancing about in the falling water.
Ignoring the commotion, Percy stayed focused on the hooded figures. Both of whom had paused at the sudden downfall, their attention locked on him as the crowd on the dance floor cleared, leaving his armoured form clearly visible.
Peripherally he could see that Maxum had fled back the way he had come and that both Diana and Tula had followed him backstage.
Pushing aside two dancing idiots, and shouting for them to leave, Percy moved to intercept the duo.
Flinging off her hood in response, the one in black grinned at him.
She had a silver mohawk, white eyes and a skull tattooed across her pale face.
Everything about her from her appearance and clothing to the malicious smirk on her face and the glint of cruel amusement in her eye, screamed villain.
She was also a killer, that much he could tell straight away.
After all, he recognised this girl.
She was Silver Banshee, the psycho bitch that had murdered Kaldur.
"Well, would you look at this! Whatchu doin' 'ere hero?" The silver-haired killer asked. She sounded like she had just waltzed out of the bayou. "I be seeing you earlier, but I didn't think that you be stupid enough to face us both two on one. That be bad odds, you know!"
Narrowing his eyes as he interposed himself between the two villains and the direction Maxum had fled, Percy kept his cool as he shifted his attention to the other girl.
With a sigh, the girl in purple pushed her hood back and gave him a flat look.
Her skin was a light grey colour, and her hair was shoulder length and purple, the same shade as her dull, bored eyes.
"Move," she said simply, her voice bored and disinterested.
Twitching his fingers, he instantly took control of all the water around him, summoning and enshrouding his body in a second skin of sorts.
"I don't think I will," Percy replied, drawing his sword, and facing them both down.
The girl in purple gave him Dungeons and Dragons mage vibes, and magic was not something he was well versed in. Especially considering just how many variations and branches of magic there were.
"Instead, here is my ultimatum. Both of you get on your knees, with your hands behind your backs where I can see them, and your foreheads flat on the floor. Do that and you might yet live." Percy said bluntly, his blade raised. The tip was pointed at Silver Banshee.
"Bold words little hero, but I don't be thinking we be doing what you say now you hear" Banshee drawled as her lips curved up into a vicious smile.
By her side the girl in purple sighed and raised her hands as she rose into the air her purple cloak flapping about around her now and revealing the tight black bodysuit, she was wearing beneath it. "Know that I don't want to do this. But right now, you're in my way."
"I'll keep that in mind," Percy replied dryly.
He was pissed, but he was keeping his temper under control for the moment.
There were still idiots on the dancefloor, idiots that would get hurt if he wasn't careful.
"Enough of da shit!" Banshee snapped, her white eyes flashing with menace as she lunged forward and let loose a hypersonic shriek.
The soundwave hit Percy like a truck shattering his eardrums, bursting multiple blood vessels in his eyes, and sending him staggering back a step.
Gritting his teeth, he swung his arm around in response.
Reacting to his command, the water around him rushed forward in a torrent expanding torrent and struck Banshee straight on and blasted her clear off her feet.
Around him, the people still on the dance floor finally got the memo and started to flee across the flooded dance floor. Several of them were staggering from the after-effects of Banshee's scream. Though thankfully their injuries were minimal as he had been the focus, and so had taken the brunt of the attack.
Grimacing, Percy forced some of the water around his body into his ears and eyes, flooding both areas as he quickly repaired the damage. At the same time as he did this, he also braced his feet and leapt forward his sword already in mid-swing, and spears and tendrils of water forming around him as he rushed the other girl.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," the girl in purple chanted calmly as dark energy suddenly rolled off her form and created a dome-like shield around her.
Hitting the dome head-on Percy's first sword strike cracked it. The water echoes he left behind – as the shroud of water covering his body followed his movement – shattered it.
With a cry of surprise, the purple-haired girl fell back a few feet her expression twisting from bored to shocked.
Unfortunately, before could he pursue her, Silver Banshee sprang forward again. Only now she was in flight as she hurtled towards him letting loose another piercing shriek as she did so.
Raising a shield of water to protect himself from the scream, Percy didn't wait for the purple-haired girl to get stuck in too, as he instead shot forward to meet Banshee's charge head-on.
He needed to take one or other down, after which he could then focus his full attention on the other.
Gritting his teeth as a plan formed in his mind he bulled through his hastily summoned shield of water as it rippled and then exploded in response to the scream. And then, grinning viciously, he struck the surprised Banshee.
She was fast.
Fast enough to avoid his sword as he went straight for a decapitating strike.
But she wasn't fast enough to avoid his follow-up, as he swiftly rammed his knee up and into her exposed gut.
The force of the blow almost folded her in two, even as it knocked all the air out of her lungs. He could feel several of her ribs break.
Sadly, though, before he could grab her and put her down for good. Her companion swept forward again.
Only this time she was on the attack as the black, magical energy around swirled about to form into the giant avatar of a shrieking giant bird, which then viciously beat its wings unleashing dozens of large, glimmering black feathers at him.
At the same time as she attacked, so too did the wall behind Percy suddenly explode inwards as a familiar hulking figure burst through it with a loud, bestial roar.
Caught between the two superpowered villainesses and a rampaging rage monster, Percy reacted quickly.
Gritting his teeth, he seized the water around him and pulled it up into a rapidly swirling shield of condensed liquid that fended off the worst of black magic feathers. They hit like a freight train and were so sharp they almost pierced his defences. Luckily, his shield held out against the onslaught.
Gritting his teeth as he felt Banshee stir, he kicked the silver-haired woman away from him, partially caving in her ribs, even as he turned to face Mammoth's charge.
Percy was quick.
But unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough.
With a howl, Mammoth broke through his hastily created defences and smacked Percy off his feet with one of his iron-hard fists. The force of the blow sent him flying ass overhead into a nearby booth, which shattered as he hit it.
Pushing aside the broken furniture, Percy quickly jumped to his feet. The water that covered him like a second skin had absorbed the worst of the strike. Working his aching jaw to make sure it wasn't broken; Percy scowled at his new opponent and whipped his hand through the air, sending a concussive wave of condensed water at the purple-haired girl.
The speed and strength of the wave shattered her own attack and forced the girl on the defensive.
With a twist of his wrist, some of the water in his attack turned to ice, which again forced the girl to adapt. At the same time, the water covering the floor around him also turned to ice. Much to Mammoth's obvious displeasure, as the giant suddenly started slipping and sliding on his bare feet as he desperately tried to remain standing.
Before Mammoth could fully brace himself, however, Tula chose that moment to burst out of the curtained-off area backstage her trident in hand as she struck Mammoth like a bolt of thunder from the heavens.
The force of her charge was enough to send his colossal several-tonne ass crashing to the ground, even as she jammed her weapon into his meaty shoulder and twisted it ruthlessly to cause maximum discomfort.
Sending her a nod of appreciation, Percy turned his attention to the other two.
Now the wildcard had been taken out, he could now focus on taking apart the other two.
Snarling, Silver Banshee got back on her feet with a large pistol in one hand and a nasty scowl very much present on her bloodied face.
The other girl was at her side hovering in the air, the shadows around her writhing like living beings as she too prepared to do battle once again.
Only a few minutes had passed since they started fighting, and already the main room had been completely decimated.
At the rate they were going, he wasn't sure the building would survive an extended fight.
Wetting his lips, Percy shifted his attention to the girl in purple.
As he did so he noticed her dull purple eyes flicker red for a moment.
It was… disconcerting.
Not just because of the violent red shade of colour they turned, but also because for just a single moment he thought she had four eyes, not two. And, as he met that gaze… it was like a dark presence had shifted through the area. Almost as if some kind of foul, eldritch presence had momentarily turned its full attention onto him for just that single moment.
His hand tightened into a fist.
Percy had seen a lot. He had seen things that would break the minds of lesser beings. But, in that moment when he met the strange girl's eyes, he felt a slight shiver run down his spine.
"Seimene ym dinb!"
Before he could think any more about what had just occurred, a familiar voice shouting nonsense distracted him as Zatara arrived on the scene his tailcoat whipping behind him as he waved his wand in the direction of the two girls.
Following in his wake were both Zatanna and Robin. Both of whom went straight to Tula, even as Zatara moved to back him up.
At almost the exact same time, Wonder Woman also appeared from backstage with an unconscious Steele Maxum now slung unceremoniously over her shoulder.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," the girl in purple hissed in response, another dome forming around her and blocking Zatara's magic. Narrowing her eyes at the intrusion, the girl swiftly moved her hand through their air like a conduct and swept her black magic across the room hiding both the struggling Mammoth and dazed Silver Banshee within it for a moment. Before an instant later the magic dispersed leaving nothing but rubble and destroyed furniture behind in its wake.
"Fuck!" Percy snarled as he massaged his jaw. He could already feel the water covering his skin starting to wash away the ache, not that that made him feel any better about his failure.
He should have been quicker, but instead had let them get away.
"It's fine, we can catch up with them another time." Zatara scowled his eyes flicking to Percy as he sent him an irritated look. "For now, we need to extract Maxum, get him to safety and secure the Helmet of Fate."
"Well, by the looks of it we've got him, but… err… why's he unconscious?" Robin asked, sheathing his sword as he looked between the unconscious blonde stripper and Diana.
"He was uncooperative when we caught up with him." Diana grimaced. "Even after we explained who we were and that we were here to take him to safety, he attacked us."
"You defeated Doctor Fate?" Zatara asked, his eyes widening.
"He didn't use the helmet. Instead, he tried to punch me…, and I reacted instinctively with a straight jab… it was only supposed to be a light tap…, but I misjudged him. I thought his muscles were for more than show." Diana replied. She looked faintly embarrassed.
"No matter, if anything it's probably easier this way," Percy grunted.
"What happened to you?" Robin asked.
"I had a bit of a scrap with two villains that were gunning for Maxum. Silver Banshee and another girl, a magic user of some kind," Percy said, taking note of the way Robin's expression darkened at the mention of Silver Banshee. "Yeah, the girl in purple though caught me by surprise. I suspected she was a mage the moment I saw her…, but her magic was far stronger than I expected. She didn't need any build-up or a proper incantation, it took me by surprise."
"Honestly from what I saw she was using some pretty high-end magic. Like, the stuff she was throwing around is way beyond what I can do. So, yeah, you must be tougher than you look," Zatanna muttered, her eyes on Percy. "I've never seen anything like that before."
"He's pretty tough," Robin acknowledged as he smirked and sidled in closer to the dark-haired magician, quickly capturing her attention for himself. "I taught him everything he knows."
Percy gave him a sideways glance at that comment. But aside from a slight smile as Tula, who was now standing beside him barely concealed a snort, he didn't say anything else. Robin was a lot more tolerable these days, so much so that he was willing to let his remark slide.
Turning away from Robin's clumsy attempts at flirting, Percy instead looked to Zatara as the more experienced magician started speaking.
"The girl mentioned, in the incantations she used, she mentioned Azarath," Zatara said slowly, his eyes shifting across the room and taking in all the damage their brief fight had caused. "I know of that place. It is a ruined interdimensional realm that exists between the planes of known reality."
"What are you thinking?" Diana asked.
"That this could be trouble. Azarath was destroyed by demons, and its populace was practically wiped out. Those that didn't die, they were forced to join the Demon Lord, Trigon." Zatara frowned. "This girl being from, or being related to Azarath, it is concerning."
"You think there's demon involvement?" Percy asked cautiously.
"What I think is that we're going to need to talk to a specialist. John Constantine, personality flaws aside, is an expert on demonology. His knowledge of the topic is far greater than my own. And, as much as it pains me to say it I think we're going to need to pay him a visit." Zatara muttered. He didn't look at all happy at the idea of meeting this, Constantine.
"We can do that," Diana nodded. "But first we need to take Maxum to a safe place and find out where he's hidden the Helmet of Fate."
"She's right," Percy added. "We don't know where Banshee and her friends have gone. They could be lurking anywhere waiting to ambush us. The sooner we get out of here, the better. Plus, there will be police here soon too, and I'm not sure about you. But I don't particularly want to deal with them right now."
"I'll notify the League's support staff, they'll contact the New Orleans Police Department and set things straight," Diana said. "For now though we need to go."
"Good, then we have a plan," Zatara said decisively as he started walking towards the large hole Mammoth had put in the wall. "We should not tarry here too long. Not when we don't yet know who else is hunting Maxum."
Making to follow the distinguished-looking wizard as he led the way, Percy was just able to hear a faint 'pop' in the distance.
A moment later Zatara's head disappeared in a spray of bloody mist.
( - )
AN: I'm not a hundred per cent happy with this chapter.
My original idea for the chapter was to split it between the two missions, one Belle Reve and one to New Orleans, as they were both happening at the same time. The idea was to show how the team had changed and grown.
But unfortunately, this chapter became too long, and it just didn't flow right. It felt janky switching between the two different missions.
So I decided to focus on the New Orleans mission. The next chapter will have a bit about Belle Reve, but the primary focus will be on New Orleans as there is some big stuff happening.
As you might have noticed there are a lot of things in motion, and several new and old characters will be coming into play. So I need to get all my ducks in a row with that. Plus my pacing was slower than intended due to just bad writing on my part, which means that this arc will probably last another two chapters as I need to cover a lot more of PErcy's mission and pick up the more important parts of the Belle Reve mission.
So yeah, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'm sorry if it didn't hit quite right. As I said before I was having issues writing it in the way I had planned, as it felt like I was cramming too much into it, and was rushing things. Which I hate doing in stories.
Hopefully, I'm just being overly critical about myself though.
I'm sure when I came to write the next chapter and pick up the things I wanted to write in Belle Reve, and the move things on to the endgame with the New Orleans stuff I'll be in a better mood.
That said, I am on a discord with a load of other writers, so if you fancy popping over to ask questions or offer suggestions about this story, or any of my other ones, or to find new authors you might not have come across yet, please feel free to use the link in my bio.
Thanks for reading and if you have any suggestions or questions feel free to PM me or find me on Discord.
Catch you later.
Greed720.
P.S. To clarify a misunderstanding, Percy is not a god. Due to the way Dreamer sees the world in her dreams, she is not entirely reliable at times when it comes to what is happening in the present and what could happen in the future. Which is not to say he won't become one in the future. It just means he has not gone through an apotheosis. But for those picking up on the smaller details you might be able to work out where I'm going, and... well stay tuned for more.