章 51: CHAPTER 47
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Enjoy!
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[David Lance POV]
It's funny how life works out sometimes. You try to fight the circumstances with all your might, but in the end, you have to accept that things will never be exactly as you want them to be.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, though.
I've spent so long fighting who I am, or who I could be, fiercely trying to deny it, that I was losing sight of what was important. But now, finally, I was starting to accept myself for who I was. And honestly, it felt pretty good.
Sure, there was still a lot of darkness in my life. But there was also a lot of happiness too. And I was slowly learning to embrace both sides of myself. After all, it's what made me who I am.
I used to be scared of what would happen, of what could happen, and I still was. Those fears kept me in a cage of my own making, in a prison without escape. But in time, I've learned that sometimes we just have to accept what is rather than what we want it to be.
And while that can be difficult to accept, it's also freeing without measure. Because once we let go of those burdens, even if just a bit, we can move on to living our lives.
I was still lost; after all, I had no idea what awaited for me in the future. Or, if I was prepared for it in any case, but now, as much as the possibilities still scared me, I was okay; I genuinely felt better.
Dark clouds often bring with them a sense of foreboding and dread. But sometimes, they can also be a sign of a better tomorrow. A sign that things are about to change and that we must go through whatever comes next together.
Whatever the future held, I would be ready for it, for when it came.
I was still afraid of my powers and the what-ifs. I still had my demons to face. But now, I was taking a step in the right direction, coming to accept that being scared wouldn't solve a thing.
I was done being the victim. I was done letting my fears dictate my future and every step. I was done being afraid. Now, it was time to take control of my life and forge my own path, one step at a time.
I wasn't alone in this fight; I had people I could count on, I had always had, I had my sister, I had Oliver and his mustache, and I had Rachel, and I suppose, in his own way, I had Batman in my corner as well.
I would take one day at a time, aiming for heights, not even the original Black Bolt had reached. I would grasp my will and aim for the stars. I would be the best that I could be and reach for greatness. Though it may take time and effort, I would not give up.
This was not a challenge that I faced alone, but one we all must face in time. Life was a war, it had always been a war, and it is up to us how this war ends, be it victory or tragedy.
We were born into this world to face challenges and overcome them.
Living was all about hearing your heartbeat and knowing you're alive! It's about being determined to make the most of every moment, no matter what life dares throws at you.
It's about fighting for what you believe in, even… No, especially when the odds are against us.
At least according to Wonder Woman.
I wasn't there yet; on their outlook of life, I was trying, though, trying to fully take the lessons given to me in order to see the world through a different glass.
I had started this journey broken, lost, and scarred.
But in time, I had come to learn that sometimes scars were the most refined attire one could possibly wear. For they told a story, a story of strength and resilience, of battles won and lessons learned.
Scars of all types were the reminder that we were mortals, the reminder that we have been through something and come out the other side stronger for it.
I used to be ashamed of my mental scars, my depression, and my fears, but now, I was starting to accept them, wearing them with pride, all thanks to Dinah, Oliver, Diana, J'onn, and Batman, knowing now that each scar was not a shame, but a badge of honor earned through hard-fought experience.
A reminder to never give up, no matter how tough things get.
Those in my life had shown me how wrong I had been. Each one in their own individual way, Dinah through unconditional love, Oliver through unconditional friendship, and Rachel through unconditional empathy.
Before them, I used to think that loneliness would grant me peace. How naive.
Instead, it only brought me misery and despair. Because in my own isolation, peace was not to be found; instead, I was constantly plagued by my own thoughts, with no escape from them.
Not anymore.
Now that I have to come to accept my own faults.
I was now able to see what others saw in me, granting me the strength to be vulnerable, the strength to risk everything for the sake of a better tomorrow, for sake of those I love.
That was something always worth fighting for.
Life was tricky, no matter who you were, especially when you had the power to destroy a planet.
It was easy to be consumed by fears and doubts this brought. To let them take hold of yourself, allowing them to dictate our actions. But if we give in to them, if we let them win, then we are truly lost.
We must be strong, even when we are weak. We must be invincible, even when it hurts. But no matter what, we must never give in to weakness.
Pain, doubts, and fears would always be there for us.
It was up to us to stand tall in the face of them, even when trembling. It was up to us to fight, even when we felt weak, because, in reality, we were stronger than we truly know, braver than we believed, and more capable than we could possibly imagine.
After all, it ain't how many times life knocks us down. It's how many times we get back up.
章 52: CHAPTER 48
If you want to read up to 20 chapters ahead go to https://www.patreón.com/cornbringer
Discord invite: https://discord.gg/XHduApz
Enjoy!
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[David Lance POV
Nov 2009]
14 Months since the events of the League and Rachel.
I leaped from rooftop to rooftop under the dim light of the night, never losing sight of my target, an assassin that had tried to kill an activist during his sleep, probably hired by some corporate overlord, who I was determined to bring to justice, after capturing his accomplice.
Being one step behind him at all times, I managed to cut him in his tracks, cornering him in a dark alley, leaving the assassin nowhere to go, or so would the average person; because the moment we arrived at the alley, multiple individuals stepped from out of the shadows.
"Give up," The assassin ordered, "You're outnumbered and outmatched."
I sighed, giving the assassin a look that conveyed how amused I was at his statement that brimmed with bravado he couldn't back up.
Evidently reading my look, the assassin hissed, drawing a thin blade from their belt. Soon enough, the rest of his party did the same, drawing their weapons in order to fight me.
I stepped forward, smiling under my mask, while calmly pointing behind him. But before anyone could even register what I had done, a soft voice was heard, and the assassins crumpled to the ground like dominos.
"Numbers don't really matter in situations like these," Rachel, or rather Raven while on the job, said softly, hovering a few feet above the ground.
~Most criminals are dumb,~ I replied; I mean, had they attacked me, their blades and weapons would've shattered against my skin, and that was if they managed to reach my skin, to begin with.
Not many could hurt me as I was now, at least not without an excellent strategy and an even better arsenal of weapons at their disposal.
Puberty was a wonder for superpowered beings.
Not only were my powers increasing on their own, day and night, because I was growing into the body of an adult.
But atop of that, I had been training my body and mind to their very limits, and, well, needless to say; the training was paying off. My abilities, in general, were growing at an exponential rate.
I was now able to do things that a year ago I never would've thought even remotely possible. For one, I could now move at subsonic speeds and had the strength to jump over buildings in a single bound with shocking ease.
And it didn't stop there; my reflexes had improved as well; they were quite possibly the thing that had improved the most, to the point that I could now easily dodge bullets or even deflect them with my bare hands depending on the caliber of the weapon itself; as some types of ammunition were still able to hurt me.
But while my overall powers were increasing a lot with no signs of slowing down in their rate, I was not going to let that blind me. On the contrary, now more than ever, I was determined to hone my skills in order to avoid the power I was acquiring from dulling them.
I couldn't afford to become arrogant or overconfident, not in this life, and especially not if I wanted to keep protecting others.
"Done," Raven announced calmly, gaining my attention. To see she had tied every assassin with so much rope, I was honestly quite surprised they were still breathing.
Wait... were they breathing?
"They are..." Raven replied, almost as if reading my mind.
~From where? They are more rope than humans at this point...~ I replied, pointing out the fact the assassins looked like they were caterpillars inside rope-like chrysalises.
"Hm, I see..." Raven nodded, using her magic to fix the situation.
I still remember the day she had approached me with the idea of becoming a hero with me; I remember being elated. Since that fateful day, she had been patrolling with me most nights while learning under Dinah the basics of the job.
She still had a few things to learn, like how to tie a bad guy up properly without suffocating them in the process or how to fight without magic.
Nevertheless, I had no doubts she would overcome these little things in no time.
"What do you want to do with them?" Raven asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.
I thought for a few seconds before coming up with an idea; it was perfect, in fact.
~Follow me,~ I said, grabbing a few of the technically mummified assassins with Raven following close behind. ~Can you open a portal to the commissary?~
Raven nodded before sighing in amusement, realizing what I was about to do. "Won't the police commissioner get angry about this?"
I shook my head. ~He finds it... amusing. Besides, he has given me the green lights to do so.~
Without another word, Raven sighed, smiling ever so lightly as she opened a portal to the police station, where I started to throw and hurl the assassins inside the portal like sacks, one after the other.
"I'm sure they'll be quite upset when they wake up and find out what happened," Raven commented as I did my thing.
The corners of my mouth quirked up in a slight smirk under my mask. ~I'm sure they will be,~ I replied, hurling the last one in. ~But their ire will only make them easier to capture if they ever escape jail...~
Raven nodded in agreement. "That's true."
"Kid, what in the actual hell!" The police commissioner growled, stepping through the portal without a care for the world, stomping his way towards me. "You just dropped twelve... humans?" at my nod; he continued, "Twelve human criminals in my precinct's cell! One after the other! Hell! At least text next time!"
~To what number?~ I replied, perking an eyebrow up. While it was true, I had his number, and much more, he hadn't given me that information himself, so I was messing with him a bit.
The commissioner narrowed his eyes at me. "You have access to military-grade weapons, magic, and God almighty knows what else, and you tell me you can't find my phone number... telemarketers do that..."
"He won this one," Raven muttered with a soft nod.
I nodded, admitting defeat. ~I concede to your logic commissioner. Next time I will text.~
At this, the commissioner smiled, pleased with my answer. "Good, now, what exactly am I dealing with back there?" he asked, pointing at the portal, referring to the assassins.
~Assassins, nothing too complicated. Here's the evidence I have against them,~ I replied, handing the commissioner a USB with enough information to convict them.
"Twelve assassins... I swear to God they breed like bunnies," He muttered under his breath, taking the USB before walking back into the portal.
I liked the guy. He was easy to deal with.
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