Our Flag Still Flies- War of Rebellion

by INKblOt32

Au;The countries of one world remained united for many decades. War soon breaks out and the people are granted a truce to the bloodshed by the Jumperei knights. Years later, the country of Bluddbechia has appointed a strange new general, and war again flourished. The Knights are now gone, all but their descents. This is their story of hope. Of living free, finally at long last...

15. Time - Lapses

Our Flag Still Flies – War of Rebellion –

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Part Fifteen: Time Lapses

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Young Damian's eyes crossed over that night to a messenger finding his granfather in the man's quarters. His grim eyes and narrowed expression wasn't questioned, as Damian quietly and quickly went to tail the shadows left behind by his father's followers.

"The nerve of that fowl…. The man's actions truly do puzzle."

"Lord Ra's?"

"Tell not my daughter; she must be prepared to summon a god. My time is past waiting…"

Grinding his teeth, the great beast that controlled Ra's then burst forth through flesh. His bones hanging out, eyes glowing out of skin as patched canvas. "The curse is growing ! Quickly!" He moaned and then, he roared out to his guards. His feet nearly coated in the sands of old as he was carried to a deep path below the fortress of Al – Ghul…Damian did not follow. He believed it, the curse was not in he. His mother was the one who had done far worse by her involvement.

That man, that slave of hers….

/

Richard felt that his life was being bound to beds and set in cages half his size, in fact….he could not be more mistaken.

"Sir…."

"You've displeased those of my faction." The man spat from above the torture room's hanging, one light.

"What you saw, did not happen."

"It –

A slam to his face, as Richard's eyes sputtered open. The blindfold came off as the dark was nearly lifted. Grant was there, so too was a figure in armor of an assassin to the Min –

"What you saw, did not happen."

"But –

Another swing to his face, as Grant did not even fight to grin. He only just seemed emotionless. His sister had died and he could really do more damage than the General if they were left unsupervised.

"We'll continue this until it sinks in." The light swung as a metronome above the teenager's head. He started to sway along, not seeing the owl masked messenger's tool of hypnosis in hand as it amplified the effects.

"What you saw, did not happen. There was no conflict."

"So th –

Another hit, and the child spat out a cut's worth of blood and saliva. "No…it was gen –

A new hit if he did not listen. Fifteen in total, until his head was singing in pain along with that single, light fixture.

"We did not kill. We cleansed and brought order to the people. You did not take part. There was no rebellion."

"No, reb…reb….el…"

Slade halted Grant's hand this time. "Good boy. There was not conflict, but peace. You are grateful, you can now rest."

Dick's eyes shut on an instant of those orders. The Talon took its hood down as Cobb's eyes looked back at his family. "The boy won't be ready, yet that was a mistake. He was not for this fight."

"No, and the ones to have been so careless will be strictly dealt with." Slade told the other fighter of his faction's allegiance. "I've heard an interesting bit…you housed the princess of Marvkolia as your new Ravager."

"You saw this, yet how can you be sure."

"The Minerva order, we never have once lost a target." Smirked Cobb as he put back on his cowl to seal away his identity once more. "I'll give you the solution to dose him, the boy must be ready and intact to perform –

"I am aware of our contract and what is at stake. How is the question." Slade started for the owl before he could leave. " Why is the Dark Knight himself is alive and no longer in chains. I want to know, everything."

/

The thrashing woman was ready to fight as Victor, Oliver, Roy, Rachele and Garrison all ganged up to have her not rush the healing process. "It's ok." The time was weeks ago. Duke had gotten into connection with Oliver and in time to meet, yet there was something they could not do. Was to house a princess of unfamiliar origin and the fact she had been declared dead by the council. All of it was hush hush, though Rachele finally got through to the trembling woman as she calmed and finally told her story.

"My sibling…Beatrice (Blackfire) sent me a distress letter and feared for our family. I rushed in and…it was a trick."

"She captured you, and I found that Alexi called the power he needed "Project Starfire." They all looked at the blonde as he put a hand through his locks. "That power, a part of it was harnessed and he intends to use it to aid the General's plans to subjugate the last of us. And to –

"The Blue Knight!" She blurted out. "Alexi once had threatened to kill the man with that much energy…he is also hiding…. there can be no way for us to…" She hugged her arms to her chest. "Where is my beloved??"

"He…" Rachele looked to Vic, then to Roy. "We, did not let him stay. The General took him –

"No!" Shouted the startled betrothed miss. "Richard….he cannot –

"He also has shown that something is not right. He exhibited a strength that was inhuman…" Garrison recalled the eye and claws. As if a bird of prey.

"He killed, the Ravager, Rosa." Vic swallowed. "He's not on –

"He is! He swore to save me! I saw him inside the place where those scientists had me contained…. he was in so much pain…we cannot give up. Jumperei will not fall at the hands of the evil General and his nearly immortal squadron!"

"IMMORTAL??"

/

Grant bit his nail and waited for his father to finish with his meeting. The men and women too that left the room had only apathy for one another, tools for a war they could certainly handle. Grant knew Rosa was gone, he had Joey but…so too did the damned rebels. He was alone with Tara, who sunk to her knees happily for that uncrowned king…

It made his stomach flow with acid - bile. She was enamored as her plan was to have this all occur. To be the General's only favorite. "Lieutenant?"

She came by one hour and smiled too sweetly to not agitate. "I've been told my position will be decided once the General has made his decision of whom to appoint as his leading commander. Are you not hoping to hold the rank?" She sneered then to Grant as he caught onto her spiteful vibes. "I hope that you die in a battle with those rebels before he gets too ansty with his choices…best of luck."

/

Grant was in charge of keeping Richard preoccupied. Once the royal dunce had come out of his napping state, he was rewound in mood and reliance to the day when he'd been taken by the General. Only the previous weeks, yet Grant still knew he'd have to show Robin his displeasure in some way. How to…. not get caught?

Richard was done with his motions on the floor of the training hall as Grant wandered in. A whip in one hand, and a bundle of ropes in the other. "Father wanted to be sure you'd not try to run away. It looks to me as you've been rusty. Mind if I, cut in?"

"I would, ac –

The whip came out, the snap had Robin leaping back into a bare wall. Cornered. Grant pounced as his face was full of that diseased desire to escape his pains. This was not the way, as the whip did not catch only air on the next strike.

/

After Roy had helped Korina to hold her own again, she found that her flight was not taken so she stood no chance of grounding easily. She watched for hours after all had gone dark over the horizon at the fortress where she believed her beloved was being held. "He has a great curse upon his body and he is bound to serve the General."

Rachele floated by the wall, her eyes peering as far as she could. "He might be ok, his body is tormented yet his mind should hold if you really want to be together."

"If you can indeed peer into all of our futures, Rachele." Korina swallowed down her visions of a dead land, just as a child would not be to her. Not to any, should they perish before the day could be won. "If he is true as I have always remained, I too wish it. To join and fight the oppressive beings of this world."

"You came to us from long before, a land with so many different faces and actions…you used to never speak as you do." Rachele smiled and pointed out that Korina's mother was born native elsewhere, Her father was of Metropoli and so it came that she'd been granted a title by her birth. "Yet, my step sister Beatrice was cruel even as children….she could not be on the side of the unjust to undo what has always kept our walls at their strongest."

"No, Korina." Rachele shook her head. "Royland found this to be false. Jade is also with his child and she is forced into agreement to stay with Alexi –

"That is not what I –

"They will stop at nothing. We cannot salvage the past. The Ravager is being interrogated by one of the men from London right as we stand and debate."

"Who might this male detective be?" Korina wondered as Rachele's eyes returned to her nighttime star gazing. "He is magic, from what Oliver says, and I may one day join him to free my people."

/

Rugged and not at all there in the head, the constable didn't see as this shadow of a vagrant male walked down the streets right before curfew. Bludbecchia. He'd heard of it, such a cold and harsh wind that blew through here. Smelled of burnt bodies and ash, daily. The dead could not speak, yet their remains told tales of their travesties unwritten.

The doorway to his inn was widened enough for a face to show through it. Roy stood there, his side by him was Oliver. "Glad you could make the trip, John."

"I'm not one to ask; yet why?"

"To see to….him."

They showed the male ally their catch. "His ability is a psychic one by nature. We've used tools from Wayne to keep him steady but for how long is the pertinent question." Oliver stroked his goatee as Roy allowed John in to study the sparse space where the two rebels had hidden the squad member of the Ravagers. The youngest favorite of the General…in rumor.

"Gen didn't tell you lot off?"

"No." Roy replied. "He was the one who let us have him. He didn't even send his scouts to take the boy from us."

"Interesting set of goggles. That gadget is secured?"

Roy smiled and walked to the blonde cherub as he squirmed in his seat. "They are made to contain the ability of his body snatching as well. If you would rather be a dear?"

"Don't mind if I do." John moved the goggles a bit as the boy went to snap at his finger. "Well, ain't he a snapper!"

"He's lively, but he is also mute. Even so, he can communicate only through his powers."

"How can he even figure to tell you all of the General's plans if you blokes don' give him some space to act?"

"Even if we do, we'd rather keep him contained for now."

"I'm the easy way in, figured as much. Why not Zatana? (Changed since we don't want this to clash.) Zatana was John's late pupil. She was better suited to people and merrymaking than her moody old magical master. "She was not available. She's on the front lines looking for the Dark Knight in Lazar."

"That dreadful isle? I must send her my many

pardons…" John shook his head. "She turns of age to marry then spites her father. Just like my dear Zee to show the world how strong she's become."

"Right now, there is only one magi." Oliver stated. "You. And we need you desperately. Alexi has a power source from the Lady Korina's ability to obtain the sun's power in her fists. If we do nothing, the General will not be the only threat to defeat in a coup."

John blinked at the blonde haired Ravager, then he cracked his knuckles with a grin at the two others in the room with him. "Well? Then let's get to work."

/

Stopping, and you will see what Grant gets or does now that Richard's mental time was rewound back to the first night he'd slept with the General. Not the gang rape, which now the General can use to keep the noble son in line…poor Dick. And Korina is struggling, but does she know about his scars? That he is part Talon of the Court of the Minerva order? And why does Cobb mention a ceremony? What is his real plan with helping the General?? Things get darker from here so please keep reading and find out!