I'm sorry updates are slow, and OMG another filler chapter, but guys its important filler I promise! Things are about to heat up soon! This is all just stuff that I need to get out of the way before the final showdown can happen. Thanks to everyone that has commented and faved and followed, it is muchly appreciated! I know I keep saying it but we are almost at the end. I is sad. Anyways I hope you enjoy the chapter! Pls leave me a review. They make my day =) Anyways...
ON WITH THE STORY!
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Being on the run was nothing new for her. She had survived it before, and she'd survive it again—although the last time as a ploy. When she had escaped with the first portion of the Legacy, she genuinely stole more than what was given to her, and honestly, she was surprised by how long it took them to notice.
While Sariel was working on the inside, she was entrusted by Aurora herself with a mission. Said mission was to pose as someone who knew too much about the ben Elohim, someone who had betrayed them, fled and was now forming something of a rebellion against the association. Originally, she was given a fake Legacy. However, Sariel used Aurora's plans to her advantage and stole more than what was originally given to be part of the mission. In fact, she stole real valuable parts of the Legacy itself, along with a large amount of wealth. When she returned, she was reprimanded for it of course. But her excuse was valid, there had to be more evidence for it to cast the illusion that it was indeed real. But what they didn't know was that her false rebellion was indeed authentic, her plans to work against them were factual.
What they didn't tell her and what she had discovered, was that the mission she had completed, was designed to draw out the founding family members of the Society by giving a former hero a piece of the Legacy. Robin was once part of the Titans, who are affiliated with the Justice League, the very heroes of the world that were all entirely funded by one source. A shield and a distraction from the reality of the world, giving the West a better and more secure future. Which also allowed it to become a bit of a playground for the ben Elohim. The Founding Family members knew what he was, they knew who he had unwillingly worked for at one point. And shockingly a part of the Legacy was in his hands. They watched and waited for the ben Elohim to make their move. But they were foolish and decided to act too late, the ben Elohim had struck and Jillian was killed. She was grateful she was a bit faster, and right under their noses she put the Society's Legacy into Robin's hands. The very person that the ben Elohim had intended to use, formerly one of their own, a pawn they thought would lead them to their missing fortune. Which was true, but she trusted Robin to make the correct decisions. He wouldn't just hand it over, oh no, she knew that he wanted answers. And would get them one way or another. Jillian gave her the Legacy in good faith, knowing they would send someone to retrieve it, knowing that she would die defending it, and knowing that they wouldn't find it with her. The Legacy would remain out of their hands and Aurora's archives can remain as they are, incomplete.
Everything she had achieved, she felt as if she was winging it. She survived off of luck and wit. Her training could only take her so far in this world before it couldn't hold up anymore and then perhaps her luck would finally run out. But that couldn't be until it was done, until then she had to endure.
She had to admit, however, that she was lucky when she found a place to hide Endora. Even luckier that the child had so willingly come along for the ride. For a while, she was concerned that she would tattle. But, one way or another she couldn't just let the ben Elohim abuse a child in such a way. Endora was as much a victim as all those she had killed on command. And to be honest it didn't feel right. So she found a place for her to hang out, a small town on the outskirts of any major city, a place less likely to get ransacked. It felt terrible to leave a child there by herself. But there were other people and a kind family that had volunteered to help her if she needed it. Sariel had made her promise that she wouldn't terrorize these people. And that when the chaos and the dust lifted she would find him. But instead, she insisted that she would find her. Which was an unlikely task that could be fulfilled. Sariel knew that once everything came full circle, she was out. She would be long gone.
"I will find you, I don't care about your friend."
"You have to find him, if you can't find him, then you won't ever find me, ok?" She remembered the look the child gave her. Confusion had etched itself onto a face that was usually filled with eerie smiles or a sorrowful frown. There was no possible way the child could know, but in that moment Endora gave her a look of understanding, and with a simple nod and a goodbye Sariel was left alone again. And for now it was perfect, eventually she would have to find her way back to Yemen and continue from there. She knew about Aurora's message to the Titans and she had hoped they had delivered. Sariel had high hopes that things would turn out well enough and she and the former hero would be reunited.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Robin casually strolled through the base's hallways, he had been doing that a lot in the past while, aimlessly walking around, trying to come up with something akin to a plan. Getting into Yemen was one problem. Surviving it was another. Currently, the country was in the midst of a civil war, just as it was the last time he visited. Yemen had been in a constant state of distress since 2014 and wasn't likely to calm down any time soon. Entering a warzone was always difficult, that was the problem, for the most part. Yemen was shut down to outsiders and the last time he visited it was by camelback, alongside a horrific adventure through the Rub al Khali. So he didn't exactly pass any borderlines since he was dumped into the middle of the desert via a cargo plane. He sighed, knowing they would probably have to be dropped off a fair distance away, once again finding himself in that desert. It would be a minimum of a couple of days' journey from the border. Then they could simply walk in, they would have to hit one of the smaller towns along the border and from there they could buy whatever they needed. Borders were always tight, but money talked louder there than it did here. Plus, the desert was vast. They would find a way in.
He had asked Slade how he had originally entered Yemen. The mercenary had told him that since he was posing as a Russian officer, it was a lot easier to get the necessary paperwork than even he had predicted. In his efforts, he had created a fake persona and created military papers for Sergai, gave himself clearance, and was able to pass through the border without any fuss. He also pointed out that posing as a Russian was obviously the better choice for him since he knew the language and Russia had strong ties with Yemen. He knew then that Slade's original plan couldn't work for him or any of his team. Although it did answer a few of his more personal questions from beforehand. The mastermind's appearance in Yemen wasn't exactly a surprise, however, he always did wonder how he got there.
Slade had insisted they would all travel together once they had a solid plan. And honestly, he didn't mind, since it would seem they were headed for a bit of a showdown. He knew that this was end-game material. Therefore he had to make sure they had the proper Legendary equipment ready for the final bit of content. As much as he liked the idea of having mystical enchanted gear, he knew that in reality, this experience would be anything but magical. Knowing the ben Elohim it would probably lean more towards the obscure, the frightening, and the surreal. It was their obvious charm and their dark ambiguous presence they held that made you feel so small and insignificant in comparison to themselves. So they had to be ready.
Tired of walking, he stopped for a moment and stood off to the side, and watched as the everyday happenings of the base unfolded before him. Slade had an empire, a military without a nation, a military that worked for the highest bidder and of course for the Society itself when needed. They were all mercenaries in a way, people that didn't follow the law and he suspected that a lot of their missions had lined the Societies pockets.
But as he watched them go about their day, he noticed how normal they were. Slade was the exception, of course, his whole look screamed mercenary. But the people that worked for him? Perhaps they were all from a military background, but they all told jokes, they all had their friends they sat with in the cafeteria, they all had some crazy story to tell and they watched each other's backs. Were there any normal people in the ben Elohim? He doubted it as he watched the men in the hallway. At least not like this. He thought back to that day in France, when he wondered how to gain these people's approval and while he had earned Slade's trust and respect, his own people would be a different story. He knew that by leading a team he would earn some credentials. And still, he wondered if it was enough, did he have more to prove? But as he stood there he noticed there was no malice from the people around him, no looks of awe or amusement. They had simply just accepted him. Although, they had also kept him at arm's length.
And to him, that was strange.
"What are you doing?" Kate appearing before him was not what he expected while he was out on his stroll. "Are you brooding or something? Your face just looks so intense." He looked at her and shrugged, "Just thinking about things."
She stepped back and crossed her arms. "Okay." Personally, he liked the idea of being distant and unreachable by the normal average person on the base, however, his team was always an exception. He was their leader, after all, they should be ok with approaching him. Besides, he got the feeling that if they didn't check in on him no one else would probably talk to him, other than Slade and Wintergreen of course. Most of the people here just left him alone. It seemed no one wanted to mess around with the boss's apprentice and land themselves in trouble with Deathstroke. Or perhaps he had proven himself a little and now they just didn't want to mess with him.
Kate gave him a frown, "You shouldn't be too hard on yourself. Trying to always plan around everything. I'm sure it will come to you." Robin smirked, "Yeah, well someone's got to plan things through or who else will do it, Tank? How do you know what I'm thinking about anyway?" She scoffed, "I'm not going around reading minds, but I can see the smoke coming off of your brain." He looked down the hallway, his eyes finding the end before it became an intersection. "That obvious huh?" She nodded in return.
"We got a lot of work ahead of us, things are going to change, and our target is no longer a League member. Everything is about to get more serious and I fear it's going to be a little more dangerous than any of the missions beforehand. The ben Elohim is not like anything we have ever faced before, so everything needs to be perfect."
"But perfect doesn't exist."
"I know, but we can try to get as close as we can."
"Do you trust your team?"
"I do."
"Then you can trust us to get the job done."
"I know you will."
"Besides I'm sure we will be fine." Robin leaned back against the wall. "Oh yeah, you think so?" Her posture had not changed, her arms were still crossed. "I do, because we have you, and you have beaten them before. And, believe it or not, we trust you."
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"She's gone, like she just up and left." Geist shook his head, he knew Aurora would not be pleased with Sariel's sudden departure, the woman had such high hopes for that child. "Do you think this is another one of her schemes?" The two had met in one of the many board rooms throughout their base. Athrilius shrugged at his companion's suggestion. "It's hard to tell. Aurora keeps a lot to herself. She only shares what she needs to. It could be, also it looks like Endora tagged along."
Geist gave him an inquisitive look, "She took the brat?" Athrilius stared at him and Sven took it as a yes. This was now suddenly a bigger concern. How did Sariel even leave? And with the kid? And they were just hearing about it now? Something didn't add up. "Maybe we should send someone out to look for them?"
"No, let them run astray."
The two looked to the newest arrival in their little hiding spot. She was wearing a black suit, burgundy blouse, and heels, always a look of professional grace. "No?" Geist had questioned. Something indeed was amiss. "You're going to let her go?" Aurora only nodded in return as she passed them to take a seat. "My reasoning is because I want to know who and what she is. If some sort of tool has been tossed into my well-oiled machine then I would like to know exactly what kind it is so I can remove it, then take the right course to permanently delete it... I do not know what she is planning and unfortunately, she is a wild card, one that even I have do not have control over at this moment, sadly. So we monitor the situation." She sighed, "I wanted to believe that Sariel was something special, but I've always had my doubts."
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
She watched as her friend fought her demons in the depths of her mind, her eyes remained closed and her body was still but for the rising of her chest. She had watched as Cyborg and Beast Boy argued over the deformation of the Titans. Cyborg only wanted to keep everyone safe, while Beast Boy bellowed about fighting back and made his outrage clear, even going as far as to call Victor a traitor. She watched and watched. Until she could do it no more.
She would return, but not until after she spoke with the man of bats. So she traveled to Gotham. She flew there herself, and when she found the city, she also found so many more things that made her think of Robin. This is where he became Robin, where he grew up, and where he learned how to be a hero. This city knew him as well as he knew the city. It was very much a part of him. And for a moment she found a happiness that flickered in her chest before it was rudely snuffed out as the realization dawned on her that Robin wouldn't walk these streets again as a hero. If he ever bothered to return.
But with a sigh, she continued her search for the Elusive Caped Crusader. But after a few hours of looking she realized she couldn't find him, she didn't even know where to begin and she was about to give up and fly back to Jump when he found her. "Starfire, what are you doing here, it's not safe." The princess had found herself sitting on a rooftop watching the city go by. "Considering that I have faced Trigon the terrible and the Brotherhood, I assure you that I would be more of a danger to those that would try and hurt me." He frowned at the girl as he met her on the ledge.
"Then what are you doing here?"
"I came to find you." Batman tilted his head a little as he looked down at the girl. "To find me?" She nodded before she stood to face him, her eyes however did not meet his. "Cyborg is pushing everyone into hiding, he is fearful that Robin will find them, the honorary Titans, and that one day he will return. And I... I do not agree with it. I do not know the path forward. But perhaps, you do. They do not listen to me anymore, I fear they push me aside and that Cyborg is only concerned with the task at hand. And Raven, she would know what to do, but she remains asleep."
"Have you voiced your concerns?"
"I have, but Cyborg, he is trying to dismantle the team."
"Maybe it's for the best, we've lost too many of our own, and right now Robin is an unpredictable opponent. To be honest, I don't think even I can reach him anymore, and my last hope was for the Titans to help him come to an understanding, that maybe in fighting you he may 'wake up', but I don't know anymore."
"You think he is lost." her eyes found the ground below. "He does whatever he wants to now." She nodded in agreement before she looked at him, "I need to know why, and I will not stop, I need to give the Titans some closure so we can all move on, so the team can rise up once again. I will not allow Cyborg to get rid of the Titans, we will only grow stronger from this. We are a team and we should stick together. Do not even think of trying to talk me out of it." Batman smiled at her as he admired her determination, so this was why Richard was so smitten with her at one point. "I just... I do not know where to begin." For a moment the sorrow she felt in the pit of her stomach nearly swallowed her whole until a gentle hand was placed on her shoulder. "You need to begin any investigation at where it all began."
Starfire looked up at Batman and a realization dawned on her then, she knew where it all began. "Slade." The villain's old haunts vividly played through her mind, she knew where to find the answers.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Thank you so much for reading, stay safe out there!
-Fangy
