Chapter 176: CHAPTER 174
Ra's al Ghul explained to Batman how he had his people swap Jason's dead body and replace it with a decoy. Batman was too caught up in grief that he didn't notice the little details on it.
They brought him Jason's lifeless body and slowly railed him down into the healing waters of the Lazarus pit.
A sacred bath only the Demon Head had access to, he shared it with Jason hoping it might help him make up for his mistake of partnering up with a mad man.
After spending a few seconds in the water, Jason came back to life and jumped right out of the water like a savage beast.
That moment his soul was pulled back into the land of the living and the unfamiliar environment startled him and kept him on edge.
And just as they made a move to try apprehending him, he made an impossible jump which spelled certain death. Ra's people searched around the surrounding waters and river banks looking for his body, day in and day out but still found nothing.
That was why he refrained himself from telling Batman what had happened, he did not want to reopen the wound of grief from losing a child.
But Red Hood's sudden appearance and personal vendetta in Gotham City made it clear to Ra's that he was indeed a vengeful Robin trying to clean up the scum of the city in his own way.
The pit seemed to have altered his soul as it brought him back to life, unrestrained by the shackles of moral justice he now got himself directly involved in violent activities.
After telling everything he had to say, Ra's turned to Batman but was greeted by an empty room. Batman had obtained his objective for going to see Ra's that night and disappear into the night air just as he had arrived.
He got back to the Batcave on his Batmobile, only to see Alfred and Barbara with worried expressions on both of their faces.
Alfred was looking more composed than he did the time Bruce left the cave earlier, but Barbara was still teary-eyed as she tried her best to compose herself. They both waited for him to tell the story behind Jason's literal resurrection from the dead.
"You might want to sit down for this." Bruce said as he took off his cowl, he went on to summarize all he learnt from his brief meet up with Ra's al Ghul.
…
[Tom Hendricks POV]
It was the night before Christmas Eve and there still hasn't been a major crisis event, instigated by either a bored or vengeful villain.
My guess was that Lex might go through with his plan either on Christmas Eve or on Christmas day, but doing it on Christmas would just be a classic. And because of that enormous ego of his, he would definitely go through with it on Christmas Eve.
I then had Deathstroke pass an encrypted message around the criminal underworld and the dark web. Those who had purchased my psychic wave nullifier would understand the message from the moment it is deciphered.
The message read, "The time is now." It might seem like a harmless prank to the majority but the message was properly conveyed to the selected few it was actually meant for.
They were to activate their nullifier from the moment they received the message, it looked more like a simple bluetooth headphone but cost almost as much as a Lambo.
Christmas Eve was just a day away and the public seemed a bit too jolly with the holiday spirit. There was a sense of bliss in the midst of their ignorance, they weren't burdened with the reality that the majority of the general public might not make it over into the new year.
The fate of an entire race was being risked by some rich bald guy with daddy issues. Apart from the possibly impending doom, everything was the same as usual.
Except for Jason, for the past few days he seemed to be a little bit more on edge than usual, always on his guard for some reason for which he refused sharing with us.
He wasn't one to be bothered by anyone's bullshit but he's been really pissed off for about two days now. That evening, Leo teased him saying he was sure a girl had something to do with Jason's mood over the past few days.
"This is about Batman isn't it?" I finally asked, but instead he remained silent and kept his eyes glued to the TV screen. He clearly wanted to be left alone. But I've known Jason long enough to know that it probably had something to do with Batman.
"Come on, we need to get you out of here and burn out that negative energy that's been festering inside of you." He glanced at me for a second before averting his gaze back to the TV.
That was a good sign because I think I had just piqued his interest. "Turns out that I happen to know a safe and effective way to help you let it all out."
"Don't tell me you are about taking me for a therapy session or to practice yoga." Jason safely opposed the idea of having him express his emotions to a complete stranger who gets paid to listen to other people's crappy life problems.
"No dummy, we don't do touchy-feelings over here. As a man you have to learn how to safely process those emotions in your own way and without causing harm to anyone around you. That's when you begin to grow from a boy and into a man, overcoming each challenge that comes your way as you learn from the experience that comes with it." Although I didn't think that speech through but I thought it made sense in some way.
"Stop talking like some old dude and tell me where you're taking me already." Jason said to me as he prepared to counter whatever suggestions I had.
"Let's go hit the gym, it's time you learned to channel all that anger festering inside you into something more productive than getting a kick from beating up criminals at night." With a straight face I presented him with an offer I knew he wouldn't be able to easily turn down.
"I think I'm good, I already do more than enough workouts in the mornings." He said as he shrugged off my suggestion.
"Just get your ass off that couch and come with me already." I pressed on, letting him know that it wasn't a request.
"Okay, but I'd have to go get ready first." He said before heading to his room.
"Taking an angry teenager to the gym in order to help him deal with his temper, I don't see what could possibly go wrong." Leo said to me without putting any effort into masking the sarcasm in his tone.
"You don't show it, but I'm sure in your own twisted way you actually care about him." I said to him, Leo just gave a subtle nod in response before speaking. "What can I say, the little bastard has grown on me."
"Yeah me too. Don't worry, I won't tell him we actually care."
"Speak of the devil." Leo remarked as he spotted Jason walking down the stairs.
…
After spending a few minutes on the road, we finally arrived at the gym. Fortunately for us we were the only ones there, and that meant we had the entire gym to ourselves.
Jase and I began with a few warm up exercises before starting off our full workout with bench presses.
Two hours later, we were already done with our workouts when Jason suggested we put the punching bag into use. I went around and held it into position so he could let out as much steam as he needed to.
"So, care to spill the beans on how it went?" I asked him but got an exasperated sigh in response.
"I can only assume it didn't go so well because lately you've been acting like a dickhead around the only two people who actually give a crap about you." Even though I promised Leo I won't tell him we cared, he needed to hear it.
As he continued to throw consecutive punches at the punching bag, he seemed to recollect the memory of his confrontation with Batman.
"Ever since I was brought back to life, I've had this darkness deep inside of me just itching to come out and hurt people." He made emphasis on each word as he continued.
"Most nights I get into fights and brutally beat up anyone who just happens to piss me off the wrong way, because I'm sometimes driven by an intense bloodlust."
"Damn dude, that's some pretty dark shit." Jason wasn't one to share so I had to control myself from making any snotty comment that would have him close off again, or maybe try his luck at hurting me.
"I guess that's the price to pay for cheating death, going against the natural law of nature has fucked up something in you." I meant that in a more literal sense as I spoke from experience.
"Yeah I guess so. After being violently beaten to the grave, literally. I thought Batman would have killed and buried Joker twelve feet in the ground, only for me to come back to life and see that sick bastard was not only alive but also back to his psychopathic routines."
"Damn… Well, fuck Batman. You are now free to do things in your own way. Joker has already met his end in a disgraceful manner, and his killer has turned out to be in the same team as you."
"Yeah, although I wish I knew more about him. At least his identity." He muttered as he headed for the showers.
Should I or should I not tell him the truth to my secret identity, I pondered on the thought. He has earned the right to the truth but there was no right way of telling him and there would never be a perfect timing if I kept procrastinating.
I headed for the showers as I thought about the matter, then came to the conclusion of just reaping off the bandaid.
We emerged from the showers, feeling both refreshed and exhausted. "The snow is really pouring down tonight," Jason remarked as we exited the gym, observing the heavy downpour of snow.
"Yes it is." I replied, staring at the night sky.
"Well, fuck it." I muttered.
"Jase, there's something I need to tell you. Do not freak out or ask questions, just absorb the fact and move on with it." I said to Jason who now had an eyebrow cocked up as he stared at me.
I didn't know how to break it to him, so I just spilled it out as we walked towards the driveway.
"The truth is that I'm Ace, popularly known as a menace to society."
"Huh?" He stopped in his tracks, staring at me in disbelief.
"I know it's hard to believe, but that is the truth about Ace's identity. I am him, and he is me," I explained as we reached the car.
"Honestly, no," he replied.
"Wait, what?"
"It actually makes a lot of sense now that I look at it. He is strong and possesses unidentified abilities, just like you."
"Okay…" I skeptically remarked, failing to see how that linked us in any way.
"Looking back now, his attitude and personality match yours from the times I fought against you as Robin. I should have been able to piece it together," Jason admitted with a hint of self-disappointment.
"Well, now you know. I'm trusting you with this secret, so don't tell a soul, or else I'll cut off your tongue and feed it to a dog down the alley," I threatened, a creepy smile playing on my face.
"You're kidding, right?" he asked. I didn't say a word as I got into the car.
"How about Leo, does he know?" Jason inquired.
"Yes, he does."
"I thought as much. Well, the person who ended Joker's reign turns out to be my housemate. What else could be more assuring than that?" he said as we drove off, headed for home.
=============
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Chapter 177: CHAPTER 175
Under the dimly lit night sky, shadows danced across the stone walls as a hulking figure loomed over Hawkman. The air thickened with tension, and the metallic scent of blood hung in the air. Hawkman's hands were stained crimson, evidence of the tragedy that had befallen him.
"May we find ourselves again in our next life. But for now, I have to take vengeance in your stead," he whispered, cradling Hawkwoman's lifeless form in his arms. A somber kiss on her forehead preceded the gentle placement of her body on the cold ground.
"I understand your grief, and believe me when I say it is nothing personal," he declared, standing tall as he approached Hawkman. The ominous figure dragged an imposing axe along the ground, the harsh scraping sound accentuating the gravity of the impending confrontation.
Blinded by rage and the searing pain of loss, Hawkman's gaze burned with resentment. The hulking figure spoke with a hint of pure arrogance, "Now that's the look of a man willing to fight to the death."
Unyielding, he watched as Hawkman, with a solemn grace, carefully arranged the body of his fallen lover. Mounting his mace, Hawkman took a retaliatory stance, yet his opponent remained unfazed.
"As a show of mercy, I will quickly reunite you with your dead lover. But even in death, remember the name... Steppenwolf." The ominous declaration echoed through the chamber, setting the stage for a battle that transcended the realms of grief and vengeance.
…
TWENTY FOUR HOURS EARLIER…
It was the day of Christmas Eve, and in the spirit of Christmas people were either eating too much or getting drunk.
Everyone was either spending the eve with family or loved ones, even the heroes did so. Family held an important value to each of them, so they took a break from hero duties to spend time with family and friends. But they kept their guards up and would resume their duties once it's called for.
Some villains even held parties to celebrate a successful year of crime with their involved partners and colleagues in the same line of work.
Well, everyone was resonating with the holiday spirit and doing accordingly. Except for Batman, along with Tom and his crew of merry men.
Batman was too paranoid to overlook one night of crime. Maybe it was just Batman being Batman but he had a lingering gut feeling throughout the day.
He assumed the feeling to be the aftermath of how him and Jason Todd had left things the other day. But to be on the safe side, he stayed watch deep in the Batcave and with Alfred by his side as they went over certain matters together.
The thought of Lex Luthor going through with his plans, disturbingly nagged at him. Something wasn't adding up and he's been trying to figure out
how Lex intends on taking over the Watchtower.
Lex needed the Watchtower for his plan to be successful at a panoramic scale, he's been carefully scheming for months now and only had one try at it.
If something was to go wrong or out of line in his plans, then everything he's been working on for a long time now will blow up right back at his face.
He was going to strip humanity of one of the most precious entitlements given to us by our creators, the right to one's own mind.
But he knew Lex would be smart enough not to attempt manually overriding the Watchtower's system, or else it was game over for him.
His other option was using one of the heroes to get him access to the Watchtower, so for weeks Batman had been keeping a watchful eye on the heroes.
Batman had the League members and a few from the younger team wear a headpiece which could easily be covered with a scarf, a head warmer or with a hoodie.
It was a perfected version of the tech he had been working on, so it protects its wearer against the mental probing of psychic attacks.
He had them wear their headgear just so they are on the safe side if they weren't fast enough to stop Lex before he launched his plan.
Batman couldn't go head on and offensively restrain Lex Luthor or stop him, but the best offense was always a better defense.
So he invested more energy into defense, patiently waiting for a slip up from Lex so he could apprehend him, reveal him to the world and clear their names off the bounty placed on them by Lex.
For the most part, he prepared a counter strategy for however Lex intended to make it into the Watchtower. Batman even prepared a special suit for the purpose of fighting against Superman, leaving no leaf unturned in order to seal Lex's defeat.
His only fear was of Lex getting hold of Jason who knew more than enough information about most hero's and at a personal level.
Doing that could compromise a lot of heroes. Hoping Jason doesn't get mind fucked by Lex Luthor and get screwed into another one of his lapdogs like he did Superman.
Or worse, he could willingly partner up with Lex due to the deep resentment he held against Batman for not getting him the revenge he deserved against Joker.
"Master Bruce, I know exactly how worried you might be at the moment. Especially since humanity's fate rests literally on your shoulders. But I'd advise you take a short break to rest up that mind of yours, while I continue to keep watch in your stead."
"That's okay Alfred, but I can't take a break until I personally escort Lex Luthor to the islands of Lian Yu." He turned to look Alfred in the eye as he continued. "Not a single fiber of my being would be able to relax until I see him locked up behind the bars of The Supermax prison A.R.G.U.S specially built for people as dangerous as he is."
Batman retreated into his chair as he clicked a button on his keyboard, sending a message to the members of the Justice League.
They each responded with a code he had personally given to them in order to confirm their safety and report if anything unusual was happening.
"As you can see Master Bruce, they are fine." Alfred chimed in as he handed him a cup of tea to help calm his nerves. "Even if Lex was somehow able to gain access into the tower, I am certain you would do everything in your power to stop him. Even if it meant activating the tower's emergency self-destruct functions."
Alfred reassured him, trying his best not to bring up the matter with Jason as Batman already had a lot on his plate.
"Besides, it would be foolish for anyone to attack the base of the strongest individuals in the world." Batman said as he took a sip from his tea.
Batman patiently awaited the next move Lex Luthor might make, fully ready to stop him at any cost. Lex was on a treasure hunt and Batman was one of the guardians who safely guarded the treasure he was after.
…
While the majority celebrated the day of Christmas Eve, Lex had set his plan for domination into its final stage.
Superman had his orders and knew exactly what he needed to do, so Lex could have his way.
A knock at the door of his office cut their debriefing short. After some seconds, the door opened as Mercy ushered their guest inside and offered him a seat.
He could barely avert his gaze from Superman. Although Superman publicly announced his support for Lex in a news report, he refused to believe certain things reported by the media until he confirmed them for himself.
"Don't worry, you can relax a little, we aren't his enemies." Lex reassured the Calculator. He had just witnessed the truth of the rumors flying about Lex Luthor gaining control.
Few sources on the dark web had shared the information on Lex having the ability to push thoughts into the minds of others and without their knowledge of it.
However, rumors or not, he came prepared wearing the subtle psychic wave nullifying earphones he purchased from the black market.
"As you've clearly seen already, I'm backed up by powerful and highly influential individuals." Lex said as Superman just gave a subtle nod before walking out of the office.
He was with Lois that day when he got a call from Lex and immediately came up with an excuse to disappear for a while.
Lex Luthor's once greatest foe now does however he commands, he served Lex's cause to the best of his abilities and he did so without questioning Lex no matter how inhumane his orders might be.
Superman's mental will was so strong that Lex feared he might break the hold he had over him. So to ensure full compliance without the slightest resistance, he would push a series of objectives into Superman's head on a weekly basis.
"Over here." Lex said as he gestured for his guest hacker to follow him.
There was a setup of different computer screens and some laptops on a wide desk which encircled half way around itself, with an office chair right at the center. "Just as you requested." Lex said, wanting him to get to work as soon as he possibly could.
The terms of their agreement stated that he wouldn't ask detailed questions on anything concerning Lex's plan and things he saw during the course of their short operation.
Even when Lex handed him the mother box, it took a lot of willpower to stop himself from asking questions and geeking over such a rare piece of tech.
As president of the United States by status and yet to be by title, he gave the Calculator temporary access to the nation's satellite which was closest to the Watchtower. Well, under the watchful supervision of the State's cyber security.
If he tried anything fishy, it would immediately be reported to Lex and the guard at the door side had been given strict orders to put a bullet through his head if he ever did so.
Lex couldn't help the grin which crept across his lips as he watched the Calculator get to work. Every move he had made over the past number of months including his deal and betrayal with Gorilla Grodd, all lead to that very moment.
Now his long labor was finally going to bear him the fruit to the ambitious seed he had sown.
=========
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