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]
After taking a few minutes to collect myself, I walked back to the first level of the safe house to talk with Batman about what he had found about Waller and if that was related to whatever was troubling him.
The moment I entered the room, I saw Batman hunched over a computer, a frown clear on his face. "I've been through every possible file and database, and there's no mention of her anywhere, not anymore. The clearance to do that is worryingly high." He said as I walked toward him.
~So, what does that mean?~ I asked, taking a seat close to him.
Batman turned to me, his eyes clear and steady. "It means we have a problem. My information of Waller is scarce, having nothing but copies of old files about her, files that now seem to have been deleted from every database save for mine."
I frowned, thinking about what he said before replying. ~It makes sense. After all, the higher you are in the chain, the more power you have to do these things, and considering what Waller is doing, she needs all the privacy she can get.~
He nodded, his face clear of emotion. "I am aware."
I sighed, leaning back in my chair. ~We have her goal and motivation clear, so how do we move from here?~
Batman looked at me; his eyes narrowed in thought. "We need to make sure she's aware that we know about her plan or the general outline of it."
~To get a reaction out of her, in turn, altering her moves from now on,~ I replied, quickly catching on with Batman's plan.
Batman nodded, his face set in a grim line. "More or less."
~What about Harley and Ivy?~ I asked.
"They will remain here for the time being," Batman replied without missing a beat, his tone even and controlled. "The safehouse is packed with food, water, and other resources that only need to be refilled once every six months. The collars on their necks will ensure they remain within the second level or below, as well as giving us their location should we need it and the means to stop them should they try to attack us."
~Do you require my help in anything?~ I asked.
Batman nodded. "When needed, you will act as their warden, checking on their state, but beyond that, nothing. As for me, I will focus on tracking Waller in order to get access to her computer."
I frowned but nodded. I had a feeling that this was going to be a long and difficult battle of the minds between us and Waller, but with little information we had, we had no other choice but to engage in such a battle.
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After talking with Batman and setting clear the lines about what to expect from now on, Raven and I left, leaving the Dark Knight to continue his research about Waller at the safe house while we returned to Star City.
"Are you worried about Waller?" Raven asked calmly.
~Kind of,~ I nodded.
"You knew about her, just like you knew about Trigon," Raven said in an even tone.
I nodded.
"Very well, I won't ask," Raven nodded, satisfied with my answer.
~Thanks,~ I replied, relieved that she wasn't one to pry too much, always respecting my boundaries. I really couldn't have asked for a better friend.
"It's okay; like I told you before… I know there are things that one can't simply explain. I just wanted to confirm if my suspicions were right about how you knew about her ...." Raven replied with an understanding smile.
I nodded, remembering what Raven had said about Aladdin during my encounter with him. ~What did you mean about Aladdin's body being enveloped in magic?~
Raven paused for a moment before answering. "His… body emanated ancient magic, but the feeling this particular magic gave me, as well as lack of any magical capabilities in him, made it evident he wasn't the caster of said magic."
I frowned, wrapping my head around what she had said. ~How ancient are we talking about?~
"A few centuries at the very least based on feeling alone. For a more accurate answer, I would need to get up close," Raven replied.
~Any idea who could be the caster?~ I asked.
Raven paused once again, musing over my question. "Nothing even remotely humanoid in essence, that's for sure. If I had to take a guess, whoever put those spells on him is most likely still alive. As for who or what put the spells, well, I have a few guesses, but nothing that convinces me completely ...."
Aladdin…
I wonder if he has any relation to the classic Arabian Nights story of Aladdin and the magic lamp. He certainly fit the ethnic profile.
~Is… a genie one of your guesses?~ I asked, testing the waters.
Raven stopped, giving me a look before calmly nodding. "It is, though, the correct term Djinn… How did you come to that conclusion or guess anyway?"
I sighed, giving her a small smile. ~Well, there is an Arabian story called Aladdin and the magic lamp that well, talks about a man finding a lamp that contained a genie. As for the story, I have no idea how old this tale is, besides the fact it was first introduced to Europe in a French translation by Antoine Galland in 1704. And, well, as you can see by my brief summary, the name of the story and what happens in it kind of fits with the guy we are talking about…~
Raven nodded slowly. "It would make sense; more often than not, tales of magic are lost in time, becoming over time nothing but fables of fiction for others, yet no matter how much these stories change over the decades, they usually hold some truth to them, if you know where to look."
~On that matter, if our guess happens to be true, and well, Aladdin has a genie, how bad can things get for us?~ I asked. The idea of an all-powerful genie being at the beck and call of someone bothering me to the very core.
"Djinn," Raven corrected again. "As for how worried we should be… well, it depends. As most tales depict them to be, Djinns are indeed unquestionably powerful creatures that are capable of great magical feats. The methods to capture one vary, but once captured, they are then bound to their captor until their captor dies, being forced to fulfill wishes until they are free once more."
So far I'm pretty worried. ~So far, your explanation is not soothing my worries…~
"Magically speaking, a djinn is a powerful spirit of nature, or as some say, a condensation of natural mana/magical energy endowed with consciousness and character," Raven continued with her explanation. "Most djinns are very aggressive, their character being nothing but a byproduct of the environment on a global scale. As for their powers, well, according to legends, djinns can grant even the most far-fetched wishes; however, this is not entirely true."
~They have limits, right?~ I asked, connecting the dots.
Raven nodded. "While the limits vary between djinns, the laws they have to abide by are the same, with them being bound by the laws of the universe and the chain of command in the magical scale. If they were all-powerful as most tales depict them to be, capturing them would be impossible, but it isn't; in fact, in Azarath's library, there were tales about powerful mages capturing and taming these beings in the old ages. Though the tales were pretty clear that only a handful ever managed to accomplish such a feat because to imprison a djinn or tame one, the mage in question had to be able to bend the will of nature to his own."
~But Aladdin isn't a mage, so how did he manage to tame one or get one to work with him?~ I asked so far, such a feat seemed impossible for the guy. ~And what did you mean by the chain of command in the magic scale?~
"While it's true that most djinns are aggressive, like wild animals, some of them have been known to be cooperative to a degree, as long as it benefits them," Raven replied. "As for the chain of command, well, basically, they can't mess with realms that other magical creatures or individuals hold if said beings are stronger than them or more connected to the realm in question. For example, they can't resurrect the dead because the God of Death would not only stop them from trying but would erase them on the spot for trying to break the natural order of things."
Well, that's reassuring to some degree. ~Well, that makes me feel better…~ I sighed.
"It is, but be that as it may, fighting a djinn is extraordinarily difficult, even with their limits. Based on the books I read about them, they can instantly cast spells that would take the most accomplished mages hours or days to, and if that wasn't enough, they are pretty much resistant to all schools of magic, as well as most physical phenomena." Raven replied with an even tone. "Some of the schools of magic that they are vulnerable against are some of the fundamental ones, like Chaos and Order, as well Dark and Light magic… so, don't worry."
I blinked, narrowing my eyes at her. ~Couldn't you have started from there?~
Raven smiled, saying nothing in return.
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]
The days went by as Batman worked on tracking Waller's whereabouts.
As for me, well, once a week, I would check on Harley and Ivy, making sure they had everything they needed, as well as making sure they didn't have any means of escape or were planning something.
On each visit, I would have to try my best to avoid and dodge Harley and her antics, who at every turn would try to seduce me to the best of her psychotic capabilities, while Ivy, on the other hand, would usually either sulk in the corner or glare at me
"Hey, sugar! I got somethin' ta show ya!" Harley said as she skipped toward me, her arms swinging free.
I sighed, rubbing my temples. I just knew she was about to show me her tits again. ~What?~
Harley grinned, immediately taking her shirt off. "Aren't my girls a beaut? I promise ya, if you give them a try, you will see that without a doubt they are the sweetest thing ever!"
Her girls, as Harley referred to them, were indeed beautiful, being a pair of round majestic tits with perfect-sized nipples that she would flash at me at every visit, sometimes her pussy too.
At first, obviously, I would find myself getting aroused at the sight of her naked body.
By now, though, I had grown accustomed to the sight of her naked body thanks to the continuous exposure, having grown some mental defenses in order to avoid falling into my lesser instincts.
Needless to say, that didn't mean by any means that I didn't find her body excruciatingly attractive. After all, no matter the training, I was still a man with a beating heart, and a dick.
The main difference now was that no matter how horny I was at the sight of her, I wouldn't forget even for a moment that she was crazy as fuck.
Harley chuckled at my tired reaction as she took one step closer to me. "Don't be like that; I think you're gonna like what I've got for ya, baby."
I shook my head and continued, like always, with my inspection, trying my best to ignore her.
"Ahhh, don't be like that; I promise it is nothing r-rated," Harley jumped above me, doing a flip, landing in front of me, cutting my path, her girls bouncing up and down a few times after she landed.
I raised an eyebrow at her skeptically. Not r-rated my mute ass; she was already half-naked, but be that it may, I wasn't in the mood for games of any kind, I had shit to do, and Harley wasn't on the list.
And on that note, I really didn't want to deal with whatever it was that Harley had cooked up this time in her never-ending quest to woo me.
I really wanted to ignore her and simply continue with my inspection, but alas, I knew that she wouldn't give up until I at least heard her out. ~What?~
Harley grinned mischievously at me as she leaned in close, her face inches from mine. "Let's play poker..."
I sighed. Of course, she would try to get me to play poker, or should I say strip poker... I just knew that down the line, whatever she offered would turn sexual in some kind of way.
Taking a deep breath, I shook my head, giving Harley her answer before I continued my inspection, leaving a defeated Harley behind.
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Finished with my inspection, I left the safe house as soon as possible, going back to Star City by using one of the zeta tubes nearby in order to avoid having to ask Rachel for a portal and... to avoid her teasing comments and looks about Harley's crush on me.
Unfortunately for me, Rachel knew me all too well and had been waiting for me at the other side of the zeta tube I had taken, reading a book as she sat atop a dumpster.
"How was the inspection?" She asked, a hint of amusement lacing her always even tone.
I smiled at her tiredly as I stepped out of the tube's entrance, leaning against the wall to my side, running a hand through my hair. ~Uneventful.~
Rachel, at this, put her book down, giving me a look that said, be honest.
However, will strong, I stood tall against her, saying to myself that no matter what she says or asks, that no matter the odds, I wouldn't cave!
~Fine.... she flashed me again.~
I caved. And incredibly fast at that… I'm so disappointed in myself…
"You know... I wouldn't find this funny if you didn't half enjoy the shows she gives you during every visit," Rachel replied with just the hint of a smile.
I frowned, crossing my arms in denial. ~I do not enjoy her... shows, as you call them.~
That was a big fucking lie, a politician lie even, and we both knew it.
Harley Quinn was... as crazy as she was; stupidly attractive, to say the least. And her... shows, as Rachel calls them, were... hard not to enjoy even if I didn't cave to my hormonal body. But be that as it may, I wasn't going to give Rachel the satisfaction of knowing that, at least from my hands.
"Right," Rachel said, her tone and smile both saying that she didn't believe me for a second.
You really can't win against an empath? Can't you?
I sighed, my shoulders slumping in defeat as I pushed away from the wall and began walking down the alley, Rachel following me close behind.
"So, any plans for tonight?" Rachel asked after a few moments of silence.
I shrugged. ~Well, nothing really. I mean, we still have to cover for Oliver and Dinah, so... patrols and hope nothing bad happens?~
Rachel nodded, her expression thoughtful at the mention of Oliver and Dinah. "At the rate they are recovering, they should be fine in a few days or so."
I nodded.
"Well, seeing patrols is the only thing in our schedule; we should probably head out then," Rachel said after a few moments, a smile adorning her face.
I nodded, coming to a stop in front of the exit of the alley before turning to face Rachel. ~Sounds good. But on another note, could please stop teasing me? I already have a hard enough time with this, no pun intended, so... please?~
Rachel's smile softened at this as she reached to cup my cheek gently. "Never."
I blinked, taken aback by her reply. ~You are evil...~
"Technically true, my DNA agrees with you," Rachel chuckled before walking into the street, leaving me alone in the alley, wondering when she went from a quiet, timid girl to a sarcastic, witty, goth teenager that seems to enjoy teasing her best friend.