DEMON'S SPINE: NEW ZEALAND, CHRISTCHURCH – THE CHURCH, MEETING ROOM: 8 OCT 2013, 8 AM
Qadar was more than slightly nervous. This was his first major hunt were Fayr was only observing. It was a large hunting group. Six Shadow Warriors in total. I can do this. It is just a matter of expanding the available resources. Qadar let out a soft huff. Qadar and Fayr were the only Qayid. One Hasub. Five Majahid. It was a good hunt team for a high-risk target. Phobia is a high-risk target.
Yesterday, Qirsh had been alerted to a prolific thief operating around Australia and New Zealand. The thief struck at a suburb around Hobart, Tasmania. The thief was given the code name Phobia by the Interpol, the international law enforcement agency. But she had a pattern. Five days of hits, then she went dark.
The thief's first series of thefts occurred in Sidney, Australia. It was a series of bank robberies and one jewelry store theft. They all occurred within a one-week time frame. The thief didn't identify to the banks, they just took advantage of the chaos that occurred within them. After that week, the thief went dark for several months.
The thief next hit the only city in Fiji. One bank and a series of jewelry stores. Their take on this series of thefts was small. Fiji was a tourist destination. Their income came from other places than banks and jewelry. They did not have wealth like the larger cities. This week showed an escalation of their power to manipulate fear. But enough video evidence showed that the thief was a tall white woman with black hair. The thief was only dark a month that time before she made an appearance in Wellington, New Zealand followed by going dark for five months. Then she appeared in Melbourne, Australia followed by going dark for almost a year.
Yesterday, Phobia had finally surfaced in Sorell, Tasmania. If she held her pattern, she would conduct thefts for five days. Sorell was the first. She would hit at least one establishment a day until she reached five days. Then she would go dark again. Qadar's task was to find her before she went dark again.
The Spine had made her a priority in this region. It wasn't clear how she was inducing terror in the places she targeted. It could easily be magic, technology, or some kind of gift. The supernatural was a League responsibility. They would find her and stop her thefts. Too many people were killed and injured when they were in a state of terror. A few of her victims had gone insane. She was considered an evil source with no followers.
"Pack your bags. Bring all your gear and weapons. We are on a timeline," Qadar told the hastily assembled group. "Phobia has finally surfaced. Her first target was the bank at Sorell, Tasmania. If she keeps her pattern, she will hit another location today." He turned to the Hasub. "Qata, bring everything you can to detect technology. You will have to infiltrate the systems operating in a and around her targets."
"It will be done," al Qata replied with a nod.
"Ensure you bring extra darts," Qadar told the group. "If we respond too late, we may need to subdue the locals to prevent them from coming to harm."
"It will be done," the group responded.
"We depart in thirty minutes. Be at the transport exit," Qadar ordered them. They quickly dispersed to collect their needed gear.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S SPINE: TASMANIA, HOBART – LEAGUE SAFE HOUSE: 8 OCT 2013, 1 PM
The hunt team arrived at the Safe House in Hobart, Tasmania. Qadar immediate left to consult with al Saqr, the Raven working in Tasmania. He was updated that Phobia had struck the second target already. This time in Richmond, Tasmania. He returned to the League Safe House with the additional intelligence.
"Qata," Qadar addressed as soon as he arrived. "Phobia has struck in the town of Richmond. The bank. Get everything you can."
The petite Asian woman nodded. "It will be done," she said before she left to take over a corner of the Safe House with her technology.
"Phobia has already struck a second time?" Zad asked. She was one of the Majahid. But her greatest strength was her stealth and infiltration.
"She has," Qadar replied. He was trying to stay confident. Then he looked at the remaining members of his hunt team. "Phobia has struck at a second bank in the town of Richmond. She will target a third location tomorrow. We need to figure out where that target is located."
Qadar pulled out a map of Hobart and the surrounding area. He pinned it to the wall in the communal area. "The international airport is located here," he said as he pointed to the large airport just outside of Hobart. "Her first target was here," he said as he pointed to Sorell. "Her second target has been identified as here," he said as he pointed to the town of Richmond.
"Phobia appears to be selecting her targets in an area around the airport," al Kadhaba noted. "Do you think she is moving in a counter-clockwise manner?" he speculated.
"It is possible," Qadar agreed. "There are few towns of descent size to the East. We know that she will end her spree after five targets and move to leave Tasmania. Her final target should be near the airport."
"That would make one of these three towns her next target," Zad said as she pointed out the towns in question. Mangalore, Brighton, and Bridgewater.
"I agree," Qadar said with a quick glance at Fayr. She gave him a slight nod. He sighed in relief internally. Good. She agrees as well. "Fayr and Zad, scout Mangalore. Kadhaba and Heya, scout Brighton. Shuk and Tnana, scout Bridgewater. I will assist Qata with infiltrating the digital networks in each of the towns. As soon as Phobia is spotted, we will converge on her target. I will update as soon as I have additional information."
"It will be done," they chorused.
They scattered to collect their gear and head out in pairs. Fayr stayed behind for a moment. "You are doing well, Qadar. I support your decisions so far. Why did you select pairs of warriors to scout each location?" she asked.
"It is possible for one Shadow Warrior to miss a key detail," Qadar replied as he thought out his answer. "Two warriors will reduce the likely hood that a detail will be missed. We are also working against time. Two warriors will be able to cover more ground in the limited time we have. This way all six warriors are near her next target."
"Very good," Fayr replied with a slight smile. "Why did you choose to stay here and assist the Hasub?" she asked.
"While I have gained in skill in computer infiltration, I know that I can learn more. The Hasub has the skills I need to improve upon," Qadar replied. "I can learn and coordinate the search from here."
"You can," Fayr replied. "I will depart with Zad now," she said with a polite nod.
Qadar sighed and then turned to Qata to help her infiltrate the systems of the three towns.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S SPINE: TASMANIA, HOBART – LEAGUE SAFE HOUSE: 8 OCT 2013, 11 PM
"Qadar," Qata's voice broke into the quiet of the Safe House.
Qadar had been diligently infiltrating the various digital systems that had been scouted by teams. Mangalore was a tiny town. It had no bank. Just a general store, a few businesses, and a library. He directed them to move to Brighton and meet up with the others there. Brighton was larger than Bridgewater. But not by much. Both contained banks and a series of jewelry stores, but they were not close to each other. They would need to spread their resources thin to cover them all.
Qata had been screening the data and infiltrating the various surveillance systems around the Sorell and Richmond targets. She had already identified Phobia from a still shot down the street from the bank at Sorell. Phobia had removed her glasses. That made it possible to identify her using facial recognition.
Phobia was finally given a name. Angela Hawking III. Born in London, England in the UK. Age 17. Runaway from her home in London. Qata was still working on her background and history.
"Yes, Qata," Qadar replied distractedly. He was having a hard time focusing.
"I think I have figured out how Phobia induces terror in those around her," Qata replied. She pointed to her screen and then played the video.
The video was taken from one of the bank cameras. It showed only one side of the teller desk. The people in the screen started to scream and flail in distress. Phobia entered the bottom of the screen and strode behind the teller desk. She calmly opened the drawers and pulled out the cash at each station.
"Watch here," Qata told him as she pointed with her pen to the top corner of the screen. Qadar shifted his gaze to the corner.
It was a hallway behind the teller desk. A man appeared in the hallway and was assessing the chaos in the bank. He noticed Phobia and took a step back into the hallway. Phobia walked calmly from behind the desk to exit the screen at the bottom once more. Only when Phobia had left, did the man step out of the hallway. He immediately hit the automated alarm at the teller desk.
"The man wasn't affected by the terror," Qadar noted while he considered how that would help them identify how she induced terror in her victims. "How is he different from the others?" he asked. His mind sought out the answers from all the videos and reports he had read.
The chaos from the terror affected the people in the bank almost instantly. This coincided with Phobia's entrance. Most of the victims never noticed Phobia at all. The victims were limited to those within the main area of the bank. The back offices were unaffected. The terror faded a few minutes after Phobia left the bank.
"He was in the main area of the bank," Qadar said as he pointed to the video. "The man must have come from one of the back offices. He should have been affected once he entered the hallway or the main area."
"But he wasn't," Qata replied. "I think that if he had been seen by Phobia, he would have been affected. But he stayed hidden. This eliminates technology and magic. A spell would affect a radius. It would not care about walls or visual presence. A person can cross the threshold of the spell after it is cast, but they will become affected by the spell at that time. Technology has similar limitations. But a gift does not."
"Then we need to determine how she controls her gift," Qadar said quietly.
"I think she controls her victims by sight," Qata replied. "Everyone in the main area was visible when Phobia unleased her terror. The man remained hidden until she left. Phobia needed to see her targets to unleash her gift on them."
"By staying hidden, the man remained protected," Qadar nodded with the logic. He turned to his phone and relayed the information to the other members of the hunt. He recommended that they hid inside the banks to attack Phobia.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S SPINE: TASMANIA, HOBART – LEAGUE SAFE HOUSE:10 OCT 2013, 10 PM
They failed at Brighton. Phobia didn't attack the bank. She hit a string of jewelry stores that were side-by-side on one street. They started to infiltrate the surveillance systems leading from Brighton back to the airport.
They attempted to spread their surveillance over the next few towns. Qadar left Qata at the Safe House. She would continue to scan the videos to find Phobia. They had her face now. They could more easily search for her before she struck a target. They had facial recognition running on all their connected security systems.
However, all they had accomplished was being able to track the next day's crime spree. Phobia spent her fourth day targeting multiple locations as she crept closer the city of Hobart. Cleremont lost jewelry to Phobia. Berriedale lost a bank. Glenorchy also lost a bank. Moonah lost two jewelry stores.
The entire hunt team had returned to the League Safe House. They were all disheartened. They had all seen the wreckage that Phobia left in her wake. But they had not laid eyes on her yet. It strengthened their resolve to stop her.
Qadar gathered them all in the common room. "Phobia has one last target tomorrow. I have no doubt that she intends to target Hobart and then leave. Qata, I want you to stay here and find her," he told the Hasub.
"Think I have," Qata replied cautiously. "She was caught on surveillance entering the Corinda Collection Hotel. I have verified that she checked into the hotel. She had about a dozen bags. Her luggage with her."
"Do we know what room?" Qadar asked.
"The Verandah Room. First floor. Multiple widows. I'm hacking into the city to get floor plans now," Qata replied.
"Excellent," Qadar replied feeling anticipation for the first time. "We need to verify that she is still in the room or infiltrate the room while she is out. She will likely leave at some point to conduct surveillance on her targets for tomorrow."
"I will do the infiltration," Zad offered first.
"Good," Qadar replied. "The rest of us will cover every possible exit. Study her image. Do not let her see you. Allow her to return to her room. Her gift cannot be turned to good. Her termination is expected. Verify death. We move when she returns to her room after dark."
"It will be done," they chorused.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S SPINE: TASMANIA, HOBART – CORINDA COLLECTION HOTEL: 11 OCT 2013, 1 AM
Qadar waited in the shadows on the verandah outside of Phobia's room. His hunt team had covered the entire hotel to ensure that Phobia could not escape. An hour ago, they had watched as she sauntered into the hotel and made her way to her room.
Qadar's phone vibrated. He checked it. The text was from Zad. She had been waiting in the room for Phobia's return.
It is done. Death is verified. Evidence has been removed. Securing room.
Qadar smiled. Well done. He replied to her. Then he sent a text to the entire hunt team. Return to Safe House.
Qadar slowly exited his hiding place. This had been a challenging hunt. But it was a successful hunt. He was looking forward to reporting the news to Qirsh and writing this report. Flushed with success, he returned to the Safe House. But first, he had to notify the local authorities of her location.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S HORN: USA, NJ, GOTHAM CITY - LEAGUE SAFE HOUSE: 12 OCT 2013
"I think I've figured out why we had so many hits from this system," Aldire told Mai as she finally looked up from her laptop. Mai looked up from her own laptop on the other side of the table.
Mai and Aldire had been directed by Khafifa to Gotham. Their key word program had identified a user or system in Gotham City that had an abnormally large number of hits for key words. None of these hits indicated a specific target for the evil. But it was odd to have one person or group involved in this many plans for evil.
"What are your theories?" Mai asked Aldire.
"This system was sent our virus by multiple parties with questionable data," Aldire started. "What if the data started here and went to those parties?" she asked Mai.
"Like a data broker?" Mai asked.
"Yes," Aldire replied. "The other people ask this broker to complete a task for them. Usually a digital only task. Collecting intel, blueprints, locating suppliers, that sort of thing. This system contracts with those people and completes the task. The money is wired to the broker."
"How many people operate this brokerage?" Mai asked. "I have only seen one digital signature. The Calculator."
"I think there is only one," Aldire replied. "Granted, the Calculator practically lives with his system. But he does have some down time."
"Then we need to discover who he is and where he is," Mai replied.
"I… I think we should leave him," Aldire replied with some hesitation. "I mean, look at it this way… The evil sources come to the Calculator to get parts of their plan. If we leave him, then we will know about their plans before they complete them. I don't think that he is an evil source… just enabling evil. He will also propagate our virus to other evil sources that have not received our virus yet."
"Hum," Mai replied. "Getting the data about evil sources before they strike would greatly assist in eliminating that evil. I will consult with Khafifa. Continue trying to identify the Calculator and his physical location."
"It will be done," Aldire replied with a pleased grin.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S VENOM: HAITI, PORT-AU-PRINCE - LEAGUE SAFE HOUSE: 14 OCT 2013
Hamsa had been informed of a death cult operating in Haiti. He had received the intel from the Shadows. Haiti had no ley lines. Lima was not aware of this stain of evil. The Raven's intelligence on this cult had identified them as by their methods. The cult blackmailed American businessmen for ransom money. Once the ransom was paid, the cult killed the businessmen anyway. The ransom was paid to the cult in Haiti. Namla and Sah-him were sent to locate and eliminate this death cult.
The League plane made a smooth landing at the Port-au-Prince International Airport and taxied to a private hangar. They would not require passports or any of the usual international checks. Nor would their baggage. They unloaded their gear and loaded it into a special jeep next to the plane. Their driver took them to a local hotel. He was one of the many Alfaar for the League. An affiliate. A mouse. One of the informants for the Ravens.
"The jeep is yours for your stay," their driver told them and then he handed them keys to their room and left down the road. They hauled their gear up to their room and settled in.
"I will check with the local Raven," Namla told Sah-him.
"I will check with the local spirits," Sah-him replied with a nod to Namla. They were splitting the workload for this trip as evenly as possible. Namla was confident that Sah-him could conduct the investigation on his own. Namla was only trying to ensure that Sah-him had the experience in all aspects of a hunt before his field time was complete.
Namla slipped out of the room while Sah-him got comfortable and opened his Inner Eye. Without a Nexus or ley lines, it was harder to concentrate. To see. While his Inner Eye may not have had the range it did at a Nexus, he could see several of the local spirits.
The familiar figure of his father was present. He nodded at his father before looking to the other spirits. Two curious black spirits had come to see what was going on. Attracted by his presence. But the second white spirit was unexpected. Haiti does not have a large white population.
=Why are you here?= Sah-him asked the first black spirit in French. It was similar enough to Spanish that he old made a few errors.
=I felt you and the other arrive,= the spirit replied in French. =I wanted to know if you are here to stop the obeah.=
=What is the obeah doing?= Sah-him asked.
=He lies,= the spirit told them. =He is not true obeah. Yet he collects men like donkeys in Tomazo town.=
=He kills them whites,= the second black spirit said in French.
=Then he must be stopped,= Sah-him told them. =Do you know where he is?= he asked the spirits.
They both shook their heads.
=Do not worry,= Sah-him reassured the spirits in French. =We will stop him from harming those that live here.=
"Can you really talk to us?" the spirit of the white man asked in English.
Sah-him's eyes widened. Most Haitians didn't speak English. Even the white ones. "Yes, I can," he told the spirit. He examined the spirit closer. This was the spirit of an older white man. He was very formal looking. He had dark hair and a mustache with piercing eyes. He was a tall man. White, tall, elegant. All things that were unusual in Haiti.
"Can I help you?" Sah-him asked the spirit. Maybe the spirit is attached to one of the victims. "Do you know where the obeah and his men are hiding?" he asked.
"I don't," the spirit replied. "But my son is trying to find them. They took his friends. He needs your help," the spirit told him.
"Where is your son?" Sah-him asked the spirit.
"I will take you to him," the spirit replied.
"One moment and I will follow you," Sah-him replied. He sent a text off to Namla. Spirit guiding me to the possible location. The spirit's son is delivering the ransom. Follow my phone. Then he changed into his League gear and armed up. "I am ready."
The spirit left the room and Sah-him followed. He climbed to the roof. He followed the spirit through the rooftops at Port-au-Prince. The buildings eventually ended, but the spirit led him on towards one of the more remote towns.
"There," the spirit replied. The spirit pointed out a younger man wandering around the town. He had a large leather satchel. The man was not very different in appearance from the spirit, except in age and a lack of a mustache. That lack allowed Sah-him to recognize him. Holy crap! That's Bruce Wayne! What is he doing here? Bruce Wayne was a business rival of his father. From Gotham City. Bruce Wayne was as easy to recognize as Sah-him had been in his old life.
"I see him," he told the spirit. "Thank you."
Sah-him sent Namla another text. The spirit's son Bruce Wayne. He is delivering the ransom.
Follow Bruce Wayne, Namla replied by text. He is investigating the same death cult.
Sah-him was confused. How would Namla know that? He wasn't investigating. He was delivering the ransom. It will be done, he replied. He continued to follow Wayne.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S VENOM: HAITI, PORT-AU-PRINCE - LEAGUE SAFE HOUSE: 14 OCT 2013
Namla had been correct. Bruce Wayne was investigating the same death cult. The man's actions made his true intention apparent. He was investigating, not just delivering the ransom. Once the ransom was delivered, he followed the money discreetly. Apparently, he offered to pay the ransom for two Gothamites. The latest victims of this death cult. The leader of the cult was Obeah Man. Sah-him could see the auras of the two men in the room, even if he could not see them with his eyes. They were very dark. They were heavily influenced by evil. These men will not release their prisoners. We will have to free them.
Namla found him not long after he was started staking out the ransom. "I have found the fire circle where they are keeping the captives," Namla told him. "We will work to free the hostages and end this death cult led by Obeah Man. I can't believe that this Obeah Man dares to claim Voodoo as the name of his death cult." He led Sah-him to where he had hidden the jeep nearby.
"But… isn't Voodoo evil?" Sah-him asked him in confusion.
"No more than Christianity is evil," Namla replied. "It is only a religion. People do evil in the name of religion all the time. It doesn't mean that religion is evil, just the men doing evil. All religions hold truth. To kill another man because you don't like his truth, just makes you a liar. It makes you evil."
"Obeah Man is using Voodoo, right?" Sah-him asked in confusion. They climbed in the jeep and drove along a rural road out into the countryside.
"No!" Namla protested. "He is using his magic and illusion to make it look like Voodoo. It is not Voodoo. He is using the people here and their beliefs for his benefit. The deaths give him power. Their beliefs give him power. Death magic and black magic. Not Voodoo."
After a pause, "The money?" Sah-him asked.
"He steals the money and kills the kidnapped people anyway," Namla said. "That makes it a death cult."
"Then we end this evil cult," Sah-him told him.
"We will wait for the last of the cult followers to arrive," Namla said. "They will bring the ransom. Dart all of them. Then we will free the Drakes and have them take the ransom money back to the town. The last thing we will do is to cleanse the ground of this evil when they leave."
"That sounds like a good plan," Sah-him replied. "Let's look at the area to see what the ground looks like."
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S VENOM: HAITI, PORT-AU-PRINCE - LEAGUE SAFE HOUSE: 14 OCT 2013
They parked their jeep deep in the bushes on the side of the road out of sight. They could see the bright hot coals lighting up the area. The wooden stake was upright in the center of the small island at the entrance of the fire circle. Two human forms were tied to the wooden stake. A small wooden table was off to one side of the two victims inside the fire circle.
Outside of the fire circle, a small crowd had gathered. All of them are local Haitians. One man was dressed flamboyantly. He had a top hat on with a small sleeveless vest over his bare chest. He had painted a skull over his face, hiding his features.
The two League men crept into the darkness surrounding the fire circle. "I will position myself on this side of the crowd. You take that side. Dart the men at the back. They will not be noticed," Namla said.
"I will await your signal," Sah-him replied with a bowed head. He took his position stealthily on the far side of the small gathering of the small cult members.
A new jeep came screeching to a halt at the edge of the circle. Two men jumped out with the bag of ransom money. Both walked with an arrogant swager.
=Obeah Man!= one of the new men shouted in French.
=Louis and Malcien,= Obeah Man greeted the two new men in French. His top hat marked him from the others.
=The money,= Louis cried with a smile as he tossed the satchel at Obeah Man.
=All went well?= Obeah Man asked.
=Like taking blood from a wound,= Malcien replied with a vicious grin.
"There! You have your filthy ransom," Jack Drake replied from his position tied to the post. "Now keep your part of the bargain! Set us free! Let us out of here!"
"I fear there has been a misunderstanding, Mr. Drake," Obeah Man replied in English with a vicious smile. "It is your souls that will be freed. Ransom or not, YOU are going to die!" He laughed at the dumbstruck expression of fear and anger on his victim's face.
Obeah Man turned to his followers. He raised his makeshift Voodoo staff above his head. =The moon is full! The coals burn hot! All around the invisible Fire Loas writhe and curl! In the names of Baron Samedi and Papa Legba, we beseech them,= Obeah Man called out with a strident voice in French. =Accept the sacrifice we offer. In turn, give us what we seek… POWER!= He walked out onto the fire pit coals.
=Join me,= Obeah Man called in French out to his cult followers, =Do not be afraid. Believe! Believe! Only believe. Nothing will harm you!= Slowly the cult followers began to fire walk with Obeah Man.
Namla made a motion and immediately, Sah-him started to dart the cult followers at the back of the pack on his side. They silently fell to the ground paralyzed.
=What?= Malcien cried out in French as a shadow swooped out of the dark. He was suddenly struck by the shadow.
Sah-him paused after darting his last cult member to see if Namla needed his assistance. What he saw instead was a dark figure in a cloak engaged in full hand-to-hand combat with the cult members. He froze and watched a moment before he decide to use the fight to his advantage.
=An evil spirit!= one of the men who had been struck cried in French as he tried to recover from the blows to his stomach.
Sah-him darted him and the other two men that the cloaked man had knocked to the ground.
=He is not a spirit! He is a man! Stop him!= Obeah Man shouted in French even as he pulled a pistol and shot at the cloaked man as he started crossed the fire pit.
That was the first time Sah-him had a clear look at the cloaked man. That's Batman! What the hell is he doing out of Gotham? Sah-him looked over at the remaining cult members. Most of them had been knocked down. Five of the men still stood. Two were still in the fire pit moving back to the outside. Sah-him glanced toward where Namla had hidden. The man was no longer in his hiding spot.
Sah-him edged around the clearing towards the remaining standing men. He was able to dart two more. The two men in the fire pit finally climbed back out and watched the fight between Batman and Obeah Man. The remaining man was on island with Batman. He went to assist Obeah Man.
Sah-him watched the fight in confusion. Batman is more skilled than Obeah Man. He has easily eluded the blows and the knife that the man wields. Yet, he is using only the most basic blows to deflect the hits or the knife. It is obvious that Obeah Man is doing his utmost to kill Batman. That he has some skill in hand-to-hand. But Batman is doing nothing to stop Obeah Man. He is treating it like a sparring match. What is wrong with him? Does he want to lose?
It was a confusing battle. Even with multiple people attempting to kill Batman… or use the fire pit to kill him… Batman was doing his utmost to minimize the damage he inflicted on his enemies. He wasn't even trying to stop them. How can he possibly save the Drakes if he is unwilling to stop the evil of this cult? Hell, to defend himself?
Eventually, the battle between Obeah Man and Batman moved out onto the fire pit. Obeah Man got a lucky shot across Batman's chest before Batman decided to end the battle. He picked up and physically threw Obeah Man at the remaining men standing on the outside of the fire pit.
Sah-him immediately took the opportunity to dart as many of the remaining cult members as he could while they were down. Namla also took the opportunity. Sah-him saw a dart appear on the back of Obeah Man's neck. There was only one remaining cult member. The man on the island.
=You cannot take the sacrifice,= the last man inside the circle cried in French. He raised his knife. =The Loas demand a sacrifice.=
=You won't take them,= Batman growled in French at the man before he knocked the knife out of his hand.
=They must die,= the man said as he ran forward with his arms raised.
Batman stood between the Drakes and the wild-eyed man. He braced himself and gave a solid punch to the man's temple. The man stumbled and finally crumbled unconscious to the ground. Batman picked up the knife and quickly cut the ropes holding the Drakes to the pole.
"I'm so thirsty," Janet Drake said as sweat poured down her face. She looked dazed and near heat stroke.
"Here, drink this, Honey," Jack Drake said as he reached for the pitcher on the nearby table. It was the same pitcher that Obeah Man had been taunting them with the whole time.
Janet Drake drank straight from the pitcher and guzzled the water. Then handed the pitcher to Jack.
"I can take you across one at a time," Batman told the two Drakes as he examined the fire pit. "I'll be quick," he told them. "I don't think they will be out for long."
"Ugh!" Janet made a noise and started to grab at her throat.
Batman looked over. "The water!" he yelled and then knocked the pitcher of water out of Jack Drake's hands. Janet had collapsed to the ground.
"NO!" Batman yelled as Jack collapsed to the ground next to Janet.
Batman quickly noted that Obeah Man and his men were still down. He quickly grabbed Janet and ran with her body across the fire pit to the jeep. He gently placed her in the back and ran back for Jack. Once he placed Jack in the Jeep, Batman took one last look at Obeah Man's group. He smacked the steering wheel of the jeep in frustration. Then he raced off toward the nearest hospital.
Sah-him and Namla slowly came out of their hiding places in their League gear. Namla retrieved the last cult member that was still on the island in the fire circle and together they laid out the whole all the death cult members.
"Now, Sah-him, we need to determine who is evil and who is worth saving," Namla said as he examined the men.
Sah-him nodded. "Obeah Man is the source. But the others… we need see if they are past redemption," he agreed. He opened his Inner Eye. He saw the strange white spirit first.
"Is your son still here?" Sah-him asked the spirit in confusion. He hadn't seen Bruce Wayne anywhere.
"No," the spirit replied sadly. "He left. My son refuses to remove the cancer poisoning the body. Will you remove this cancer?" the spirit asked as he gestured to the death cult.
"We will," Namla replied.
"Good," the spirit replied in a happier tone. "The body can't heal if you don't remove the cancer." The spirit faded away.
"Namla?" Sah-him asked. "That's the same spirit I saw before… Does that mean…?" Bruce Wayne is Batman… Holy Shit!
"It does," Namla replied. "The Detective was once considered to be a worthy Heir to Ra's al Ghul. He was offered a chance to join the family," he said. "The Detective's father was a physician. To honor his father, the Detective swore to never take a life. To never replace evil with death."
"We just saw his father, right?" Sah-him asked.
"Yes," Namla replied.
"Then his father doesn't understand his decision," Sah-him replied with a sad sigh. "But he loves his son."
"He does," Namla replied. "In Gotham, the family does not operate out of respect for the Detective. We assist the Detective as we can… as we did here. Now, what do you see when you look at the living with your Inner Eye?" he asked changing the subject back to the death cult.
Sah-him still had his Inner Eye open. He turned away from where the spirits had gathered around the fallen men on the ground and looked at them.
Obeah Man's color was a dark dirty tan-gray color. It was almost a black-gray shot with streaks of maroon. Next to him, Louis had a dark brown color. Dirty orange shot through it. The next few men had lighter colors of red, blood-red, blue, royal blue, and violet. Then came Malcien, he also had an almost black spectral violet color.
Sah-him turned to Namla. It was cleansing. Namla's bright pale lilac color surrounded him. Sah-him needed to see the lighter colors of the spectrum after all that darkness. He closed his Inner Eye.
"Obeah Man is the source. Dark dirty tan-gray," Sah-him replied. "Louis is dark brown with dirty orange. Malcien is a black spectral violet. The others are tainted dark, but may be salvageable."
"Three is a good number to cleanse the land," Namla replied. "The rest we can leave. Hopefully, they can return to balance. Come. Help me move these three. We will purify this land and return it to balance."
"The land?" Sah-him asked. He turned to look at the island in the fire pit. "The land is tainted?"
"Open your Inner Eye," Namla told him.
Sah-him did. He could see a dark shadow over the little island inside the fire pit. He could see the Fire Loas moving in the fire pit. He quickly closed his Inner Eye. "I see," he told Namla.
"Just like the sacred ground glows, tainted land shows it's taint," Namla told him.
They moved Obeah Man, Louis, and Malcien to three points around the circle. Then Namla crossed the fire pit. He picked up a stone and pounded an iron nail into the wooden post dead center of the island. He tied a Voodoo talisman with chicken feathers on the pouch to the iron nail to hang. Next, he hung a chicken's foot on the nail, and an iron Santeria Chalice by the handle.
"I call upon Papa Legba to help cleanse this land. I offer up three of the evil men who have cursed it. Please accept our offering," Namla said with a strong clear voice. Namla nodded and Sah-him slit the throat of Obeah Man and hung his head over the fire pit. Then he went to Louis and repeated the gesture. He completed the action with Malcien. All three men had their lifeblood drained into the fire pit from three different points around the little island.
Sah-him opened his Inner Eye again and watched as Namla returned across the fire pit while the Fire Loas fed off the lifeblood of the sacrifice. The darkness lifted off the island until it appeared the same as the surrounding land. He smiled under his gear.
"I think it worked," Sah-him replied.
"Of course, it did," Namla replied with humor. "I will teach you simple cleansing rituals like this one. You will need to learn the customs and religions of the people you are assigned. But each culture can cleanse the land like this. This was a true Voodoo cleansing ritual," he said with pride. "Now, we need to get the ransom money back to Mr. Wayne."
Sah-him looked over and saw that the satchel containing the ransom money. It was still in the clearing with the rest of the living cult members.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S VENOM: HAITI, PORT-AU-PRINCE - LEAGUE SAFE HOUSE: 14 OCT 2013
They changed out of their League gear when they had reached their jeep. Sah-him was silent as he changed. He was contemplating what he had seen tonight. He finally spoke as Namla started the jeep back towards Port-au-Prince.
"Namla," Sah-him addressed him. "You said that all religions have truth in them. That all cultures can cleanse the land. How do we know these things?" he asked.
"Hum," Namla said. "You know that the family was given the task of maintaining the balance of good and evil."
"Yes," Sah-him replied. He was still new to how the League viewed their spirituality. But he knew that this was the core of that spirituality.
"In the history of the world, before any religion, there was the Source," Namla started. "Over time, man came to the Earth. Man required direction. The gods were created. Some gods were good. Some gods were evil. But they were always in balance. Eventually, man decided to stop worshiping many gods and decided to start worshiping the Source. The gods became servants of the Source."
"Servants?" Sah-him asked, confused.
"None are as powerful as the Source," Namla told him. "Some of these servants resented their new status. They threw the world out of balance. Our order was born. We were tasked by the Source with restoring balance."
"Alright," Sah-him replied.
"Then some of these servants are known by different names in different religions in different parts of the world. Different cultures," Namla told him. "Papa Legba is the Voodoo keeper of gates. Saint Peter is the keeper of the Gates of Heaven. Hecate and Hermes are both Greek gods associated with Crossroads or transitions. Hecate is also the god of magic. Hermes is the god of messengers. All of these are aspects of the same divine aspect of the Source. The servant of the Source in that part of the world. We should call the servant by their proper name in that part of the world. In Haiti, Papa Lega is the servant's proper name."
"That is why you used a Voodoo ritual to cleanse the land? A proper Voodoo culture ritual?" Sah-him asked.
"Yes," Namla replied. "True Voodoo practitioners will recognize the signs and symbols I used in the rite. Obeah Man was a thief and a liar. His very name was a lie. Obeah is a Voodoo priest. But he violated every tenant of Voodoo. He cursed the land with blood and pain. He stole money. I called upon Papa Legba to help me restore the land. My request was granted."
"The other cultists… what of them?" Sah-him asked.
"They will see the talisman. They will know what it is… I hope it will move them to a neutral path," Namla replied.
"They all had dark auras," Sah-him said.
"Yes," Namla said. "Right now. They were influenced by Obeah Man's evil. But as I told you before, auras can change with the living. Your mood. Your emotional state. These affect your aura. You can easily tell when someone is lying with their aura," he said with a smile.
"I can tell if people are lying?" Sah-him asked.
"As long as you think it is the truth, it shows as truth. If you know it is a lie, it shows you are lying. That is its flaw. YOUR truth may be a lie," Namla replied.
"But mostly, people only lie if they know it is a lie," Sah-him replied. "Can many people read auras?" he asked.
"No," Namla replied. "Only those who can sense spirits. It is a part of the Ruya. Some magic users can sense other supernatural beings, but they cannot read auras."
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S VENOM: HAITI, PORT-AU-PRINCE - LEAGUE SAFE HOUSE: 14 OCT 2013
They returned to Port-au-Prince. They snuck into Bruce Wayne's hotel room. Bruce Wayne was still at the hospital caring for Jack Drake. They left the satchel with the Drake ransom money on his bed. Bruce was still coordinating Jack Drake's move from the Haiti hospital to a Gotham hospital. Janet Drake did not survive the trip back into town.
Sah-him was frustrated and angry at Batman for refusing to do what was necessary to ensure the survival of others. He chose the lives of his enemies over the lives of the victims. Sah-him could not find justice in that. There was no balance. It was siding with evil. It was wrong. If I had thought that way, Mai would be dead and Fyers would be walking around and killing and torturing more people. The only possible solution is to replace evil with death. Dr. Wayne had been right. To heal the body, you must cut out the cancer.
Because of Batman's shortsighted solution to evil. Janet Drake was dead and Jack Drake was in a coma. He left all the death cult alive to conduct this evil again. How much worse would it have been if Namla and I had not been there to assist him? To dart men, he had knocked down? Eliminated them after he had left? The death of Janet Drake is on his head, as is the injury of Jack Drake.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON'S VENOM: PERU, LIMA - THE FORT: 16 OCT 2013
"Qasisa Menna," Sah-him said with some hesitation after he had entered the Sacred Place maintained by the Qas. He had been feeling unfocused. This last hunt had demonstrated how out of focus he had been. He had been able to complete the hunt. The hunt was a success. But Sah-him didn't want to stay distracted. He needed to be able to focus again.
"Welcome, Sah-him," Menna greeted him. "How may I assist you this day?" she asked.
"I am troubled and lost," Sah-him told her. He had been trying to think of how to approach the Qas.
"Then come this way," Menna told him. She led him to one of the quiet rooms at the back of the Sacred Place. "Please sit and tell me what has made you so lost and troubled."
Sah-him sat down in a lotus position automatically. He took a deep breath. "I'm not exactly sure," he told her. "I feel… like I am missing parts of myself. I keep looking for it." He closed his eyes and concentrated. "Like parts of my soul are missing."
"Your soul?" Menna asked in surprise. "That seems to be a very specific part to feel is missing," she said. "What happened before you had this feeling?" she asked.
"Nothing specific," Sah-him said. "It was more… that I noticed a void feeling."
"This feeling… what caused you to start to notice it?" Menna asked.
"I started to notice… when I was on a hunt," Sah-him replied. "I was hunting for Extraño, for information… he is in a relationship with another man. It made me miss Qadar. Since then,… I keep looking for them. That is when I noticed the void."
"Your lover?" Menna asked
"Qadar. He is one of them," Sah-him replied. "At least, I think of him that way."
"Does he return your regard?" Menna asked in contemplation.
"It's not that," Sah-him replied. "It's complicated with the three of us."
"Three?" Menna asked for clarification.
"Aldire, Qadar, and myself. We knew each other in our former lives… since we were eight years old. Qadar and I were raised together," Sah-him explained. "For a long time, he thought Aldire and I belonged together. She and I have been together for four years… lovers."
"She?" Menna clarified. "You have a female lover and now you have both a female and a male lover?" she asked in surprise.
"Yes?" Sah-him replied as a question. "I want them both. Aldire wants us both as well. But…"
"But now you are separated from both of them," Menna clarified with a nod.
"Yes," Sah-him said. "I mean… I get why we had to train in different branches…"
"What would happen to you if something happened to one or the other of them?" Menna asked.
"I would be lost without them," Sah-him replied. "I was lost last time… I had to struggle to survive without them before. But I decided to live for them. Have them live in my memory. For six months, I thought they had both died. I had to choose to live. To learn to fight because they were gone. I lived to keep their memories alive."
"You have already done this?" Menna asked with a small nod in contemplation. "Interesting. This time you know that they live. You still feel the void, but instead of feeling a goal of fighting for their memories, you feel lost."
"Is that what is happening?" Sah-him asked.
"I believe so," Menna replied. "In your previous life, did you overcome some hardship together? One that became easier together than apart?" she asked.
Sah-him thought about Starling City and how they had all met. "Yes," he replied sadly. "Qadar's mother was murdered. His father had abandoned him. He was all alone and isolated himself. I stayed by his side. When school started, we met Aldire for the first time, she became inseparable from us. Together, we pulled Qadar from his isolation and back into the community. We have done everything together since."
"Yes," Menna replied. "You gave him a strong bond. That is likely when your soul bond formed. The three of you. You are stronger together."
"Others have said that we are likely Soul Bound," Sah-him said. "What does that mean?" he asked.
"A Soul Bond is a marriage by the Source," Menna told him slipping into lecture mode. "Our League rites only acknowledge the marriage that already exists. Other religions also acknowledge a Soul Bond. It ties your soul to the souls of those you are bonded. It strengthens your soul. It increases your resistance to outside influences, like evil and magic. It drives your passions and your goals. Everyone in a Soul Bond becomes the best version of themselves. When you are together."
"What about when we are apart?" Sah-him asked sadly as he knew that they would be apart for several more months.
"You are still stronger than those without a Soul Bond," Menna replied gently. "But distance makes it harder for your strengths to work. You become more easily distracted. You miss your partners."
"I become lost," Sah-him replied sadly.
"Not lost," Menna clarified. "Unfocused."
"Unfocused," Sah-him said slowly. "That is a better description of how I feel."
"The best way to get past this feeling is to focus on the small steps in front of you," Menna replied. "The current mark, the current sparring partner, the current hunt, and so on…"
"Drag me away from missing them back to the here and now," Sah-him replied with a nod. "That does seem like good advice. I think I can do that."
"Return here if you need to talk some more," Menna added. "The Qas are always here to help you through this feeling. You only have a few more months and you will be back by their side."
"Thank you, Qasisa Menna," Sah-him said gratefully while standing. "You have been a huge help."
"Anytime, Sah-him," Menna replied with a soft smile.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
USA, WA, STARLING CITY – BERTLANTI PREPATORY ACADEMY, DETENTION: 25 OCT 2013
Thea was sulking. She was so angry right now. She needed to vent her frustrations and anger. Was it her fault that Derek Pierce is a stupid idiot? I mean what kind of idiot talks smack about my dead brother where I can hear him. That kind of idiot is just asking to be put in his place.
"In here, Mr. Steele," the secretary guided Walter into the small detention room. Thea was the only resident.
"Thank you, Miss," Walter thanked the woman in is crisp British tones. "Thea," he greeted. "Your mother sent me to pick you up."
"Of course, she did," Thea growled angrily. "It's not like she wants to be seen with me."
Walter sat down next to her. "Thea, your mother cares deeply for you. She wanted to be here, but was called into meeting with finance," he tried to reassure her.
"Oh, yeah," Thea griped. "It's just the company. Of course, she must give the company priority. I don't mean squat next to the company," she sniped with blatant sarcasm.
"You mean much more to your mother than you think," Walter told her.
"I call bullshit," Thea said as her eyes flashed angrily. "Not ONCE has she tried to attend one of my archery meets. She ignored me over Christmas. She retreated to her room for winter and spring. She hasn't been there for me ONCE since Dad, Ollie, Tommy, and Laurel died," she listed. "She doesn't want me. She wants her perfect son back… Well, too bad. Sorry to be such a disappointment."
"I can't address her past actions to you, Thea," Walter replied sadly. "But I have noticed your mother struggling to take the reins of the company. Yet, she makes time to return home every night. I know that your father didn't always make it home. Moira has made it her priority to be home for you."
"She comes home," Thea admitted. "But she doesn't do anything. She doesn't talk to me. She doesn't ask me how I'm doing. She eats and disappears into her room."
"Have you considered, Thea," Walter started, "That you mother does not want to subject you to additional stress? Additional pain?" he asked.
"From what?" Thea demanded angrily. "I just want her to be there. I don't care if we only talk about clothes or shoes. I just want to talk to her. I want her to be my mother," Thea's anger faded into the background. "Ollie was always there," she whispered quietly. "Sara… Sara is trying to be there too. We talk. We cry. But mom… mom has yet to show up."
"And this fighting?" Walter asked her. He made a vague gesture at the school outside the room. "How does that fit into your world?" he asked.
"I… Derek made a stupid comment about my brother," Thea replied sullenly. "I couldn't let that pass. You DON'T make fun of Ollie. Period."
"I see," Walter replied nodding. "And the fight last week?" he asked pointedly.
Thea sighed dramatically. "Will pushed me," she replied. "I won't be shoved out the way by some bully."
"I should hope not," Walter replied in an even tone. "I just don't think that… how did the principal phrase it… 'smashing his face into the wall lockers' was an appropriate response."
"Then what should I do?" Thea demanded. "Just take it?" she was practically screaming now.
"No," Walter replied calmly. "I know that your mother has a very good talent for cutting people down with her tongue. Perhaps, you should cultivate her talent. It may prove to be more effective than physical violence… It will also serve you better."
Thea's face scrunched up as she tried to figure out what he was saying. "Because the school can't punish me… if I don't hit him, just make him cry?" she asked as she tried to sort out her thoughts.
"Exactly, Thea," Walter replied with a small smile. "It is more satisfying to watch your opponent try to wrap their mind around your insults. Language is a beautiful thing. Cultivate it. Weaponize it."
"But… sometimes I just want to hit something," Thea said softly. "I get so angry. I don't know how to keep it in… I… I just explode."
"Then perhaps you require a second after school activity," Walter replied calmly. "One that allows you to hit something in a controlled manner."
Thea perked up at that suggestion. "Like what?" she asked.
"That you will need to discover on your own," Walter replied. "Your friends will have suggestions. Karate was quite popular when I was your age."
"But that was like forever ago," Thea said with a scrunched-up face. "I don't want to do an old people activity."
Walter let out a cultured laugh. "I wouldn't classify karate as on 'old people' activity. There are many martial arts clubs you can join. This is Starling. Combat sports are quite common and diverse here. Ask your friends. See where they go."
"Okay," Thea replied as she started to think about what she could do.
"Alright," Walter said while standing up. "I do believe that it is time to take you home."
Thea stood up and grabbed her things. Walter led her out of the detention room and out of the school.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~