Chapter 16: A New Beginning!
Two Years Later!
The moon hung low in the sky, casting an ethereal glow over the secluded mountainous, forestry range where Kayn and his team had established their base of operations.
Compared to 2 years prior, the base had expanded absolutely massively. Previously, everything ran out of 1 building, but after successfully establishing their business in America, they used the funds to improve their facility.
There were now multiple buildings present. Training Buildings, Business Buildings, Technology Buildings, and of course, the main part of the base, the House, which was still where everyone went to relax.
However, in the houses master bedroom, the early morning light filtered through the blinds of Kayn's room, casting gentle patterns on the walls.
He stirred, slowly waking from a restful sleep. The past few years had been a whirlwind of battles and missions as they worked to root out the remains of APEX from Europe.
However, for the past 6 months, they had no missions. Just peaceful training and relaxation. Their business had appeared in America, run by the normal Humans he had saved whom he had taught all they needed to know about efficiently making money.
As it was a private company they built, most if not all of the information about it was kept secret, with only one of Kayn's subordinates, a normal human he saved called Francis, getting an adult identity and being the companies public facing executive.
With everything going their way, Kayn and his team had been able to peacefully relax and improve their skills over the past 2 years, improving themselves massively.
Kayn sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and reached for his glasses on his nightstand. Although he didn't need to hide his identity to his allies, it was nice to make a habit of wearing his glasses when not on a mission.
"System, Sign-In." Kayn muttered.
[ Congratulations! You have received – Magic Book of Merlin ]
Kayn raised an eyebrow. "Interesting," he said to himself.
In most mythological spells, Merlin was widely regarded as one of the greatest Sorcerers of all time, with an absolutely immense amount of knowledge about Magic and Mystical Arts.
This Book was a book compiling the knowledge and theory of Merlin, which would be immensely useful. If Kayn was able to learn all of this, he would definitely become immensely powerful.
Kayn stood up, stretching his muscles as he yawned and moved towards the bathroom door, opening it as he began to brush his teeth. Although he could just clean his body with Magic, these miscellaneous daily activities gave Kayn the time to freely think and relax.
Kayn looked in the mirror, admiring how much he had changed over these 4 years since escaping. Previously sick and malnourished, now Kayn's skin was looking extremely clear and healthy.
Kayn was around 6'3, with an athletic, firm body with lean muscles and he had very enchanting purple eyes and hair. As he practiced Magic and trained his powers more and more, Kayn's body slowly perfected itself, which made him more handsome over time.
Kayn finished brushing his teeth and took a quick shower before making his way to the house's main dining area, where the rest of the team was beginning to gather.
Kayn wasn't the only one who grew up as time went on, compared to even 2 years ago, everyone had grown around 3-6' inches in height as they trained more and hit puberty.
"Morning, everyone," he greeted, joining them at the breakfast table, eating the meal that Soren had prepared as he sunk into his thoughts.
Over the past two years, the team had grown exponentially in strength, skill, and cohesion. Each member had honed their abilities, pushing themselves to new heights.
As they had worked to weed out the remaining APEX bases from Europe over the past 2 years, they had naturally massively improved their skills.
Mika, the cheerful and playful Kitsune, had only grown over the past two years, From 3 tails, Mika now had 5, her fur only growing more vibrant whilst she herself got taller, now at a height of 6'0.
Her aura shimmered slightly, a testament to her increased control and power over her spiritual magic. Her powers had also improved the most after Kayn over the past 2 years, now basically being a one-woman army.
Hugo and Violet were in the middle of a friendly argument about their latest sparring session, their youthful faces lit up with excitement. They had both grown taller and stronger, their bodies reflecting the rigorous training they had undergone.
Hugo's once lanky frame was now muscular, and Violet's athletic build showcased her agility and strength.
Kayle, ever the tech genius, was animatedly explaining a new gadget she was developing to Laura and Hakeem.
Hakeem had shot up in height, his once boyish features giving way to a more mature and chiseled look.
Laura, too, had blossomed, her quiet confidence and sharp mind making her an invaluable strategist.
The others, such as Soren, also grew to a remarkable extent, making Kayn proud, but also making another thought slip into Kayn's mind.
It might finally be time to leave Russia!
_________________________________
4 Hours Later
Kayn gathered everyone from his organization into the conference room. Well over 100 people were present, with ages ranging from the oldest being 16, to the youngest being 9 years old.
The atmosphere was warm and filled with a sense of camaraderie that had been their lifeline through countless challenges. Even the ones who had been here for the least amount of time held an immense amount of respect and camaraderie after living here.
Kayn stood up on a podium looking at everyone.
"Everyone, thank you for coming," Kayn began, his voice steady and calm, the tone he used when delivering crucial information. The team knew him well enough to recognize the significance of this meeting.
Mika, Kayle, Damon, Hakeem, Laura, Hugo, Violet, and Soren were all towards the front of the crowd, and listened in intently, sensing that this was no ordinary briefing.
"For years, we've built our lives here, hidden away from the world, focused on our mission and our safety. We've grown strong together, learned to trust one another, and developed skills that have made us formidable. But now, I believe it's time for a change."
The room was silent, the only sound the faint hum of the base's generators. Kayn took a deep breath before continuing.
"We've accomplished so much, and I'm incredibly proud of each of you. But we're more than just a team of operatives—we're young people with our whole lives ahead of us. Even the oldest of us is only 16. We need to go out and make friends, have relationships all the while continuing our mission. Even the Justice League live actual lives."
"Besides, it's not like we're stopping our activities. We'll still be in contact, still going out on missions and still be a team. We'll just integrate into society, and enjoy the wealth we've built with our actions." Kayn explained.
Kayle leaned forward, a mixture of excitement and apprehension on her face. "Where would we go? What would we do?"
"That's the beauty of it," Kayn replied with a smile. "You can go wherever you want, do whatever you dream of. Whether it's continuing your studies, pursuing new interests, becoming SuperHeroes or simply experiencing different cultures and places. The world is huge, and you all need to experience it."
"We've spent every waking day training and fighting, surviving against APEX, now it's time to enjoy our lives. Also, we're still a team, still a family, and we'll still be working together all the time. Think of it like outside of missions, we all have our own lives now instead of being here all the time." Kayn tried to explain.
They had access to communicate with each-other on secure channels every time they needed to. Plus they would still continue being a team, and would always go on missions together and work to annihilate their enemies.
Them spreading out also gave the opportunity to build more connections, which would be valuable in becoming the most powerful organization in the world.
"It has been kinda boring staying here." Soren said, leaning back with a drink in his hand, "I heard Las Angeles has a banging club scene."
Soon, the discussion began as people talked about where they wanted to go. Some wanted to go to Korea or Japan, some to Brazil, some said Greece or Canada. Of course, after living in Russia for so long, everyone wanted to leave all their bad memories behind.
Most people leaned towards the USA and Canada. With the large amount of wealth the team's business department had been generating, even if they only took a small percentage, it would be enough to live an incredibly luxurious life in the USA, which is a paradise for the rich.
Of course, there were still differences. Some wanted to go to Metropolis, some Chicago or New York. However, Gotham was ignored, no-one wanted to be anywhere near Batman.
Kayn decided that he would head to National City. Not only was it located in California, a massive hub for business and other workings, but the main headquarters of his business was located there.
Most importantly to Kayn was that there was also sufficient space away from various other DC Cities to where he could operate without any issues. He didn't want to be too close to other Justice League members and be beholden to them.
Thus, National City would also become the future Hub for their Business and other enterprises and their team as a whole.
As the others continued discussing their dreams and destinations, Kayn felt a sense of fulfillment.
"Here's to new adventures," Kayn said, raising an imaginary glass.
"New adventures," the team echoed, their voices filled with hope and anticipation.
And with that, the next chapter of their lives began.
~END of Volume 1~
Author Notes:
Hope everyone's been enjoying so far. Keep in mind this is just a fun side project, I have no intention to drop it, and will keep in mind all recommendations and story propositions you all give me, but I also have a goal of how I want the story to play out in theory.
Comment anything you'd like to see, I'm open to suggestions, just don't be an asshole.
Also comment what the organization should be named, and what Kayn's potential hero name will be.
Don't worry, he isn't joining the Justice League, but that doesn't mean he can't be a public figure, and he'll obviously cross paths with various heroes, or else what is the point of this being a DC Fanfic!
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