Chapter 105 : Speaking of universal matters
Author note : Hello everyone ! Hope you like the new chapters. Though to be honest I think I'll finish writing up and posting this arc before putting the story on hiatus for a while. I need a break from Ned… I don't have the motivation or the ideas to continue for now. Every chapter is a pain to write and I'm never satisfied with them. Then again, it'll still take some time for that and maybe I'll get new ideas in the meantime !
In other news, Marvel : the Author is progressing. For some reason, I think writing in the first person is easier for me. Helps me identify with the character. Please check it out if you haven't already ! And don't hesitate to leave comments for my stories, reviews and stones !
Also, if you like what I'm writing, you can find more on my Patréon page : https://www.patr*on.com/user?u=66371596 (replace * by e). You can also go to the website and search for Cathbel.
Squib who became Iron Lad : up to 10 chapters ahead.
Marvel : the Author : same.
Enjoy !
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The Overwatch team was waiting outside an empty warehouse, located in a rather decrepit, and quite infamous part of New York. They acted like bouncers and security personnel to prevent anyone from disturbing the meeting currently taking place inside the building. And of course, only four people were visible for all to see : Winston, Symmetra, Lucio and Bastion.
The other two, Widowmaker and Sombra, were nowhere to be seen. Not surprising really as one was a sniper who needed to put some distance between herself and her targets, and the other possessed technomancy to turn invisible.
Winston and Bastion guarded the front entrance, like mean-looking and slightly frightening bouncers. If bouncers were allowed to carry heavy weaponry, anyways. Symmetra was looked bored, leaning her back against the wall near the back entrance, her arms crossed. However, if people tried to approach and if she so decided, they would be assailed by the almost invisible turrets she had placed around the door. Finally, Lucio was skating around the building, paying attention to passers-by and looking into dark corners.
Inside the building, Ned was sitting at a round table, without his armor. He doubted the chair would be sturdy enough to carry both his and his armor's weights. Around the table, several other people were present, sitting in awkward silence. They exchanged glances, noticing each others outfits… Not really the kind you would normally see in a formal settings like this, unless it was for a game night of role-players. Unlike the usual D&D fantasy settings however, these people costumes were quite varied.
A man in a trench-coat, smoking like a house on fire, a man in a red and blue suit with a cape, a woman with a form-fitting, greek hoplite armor, complete with a glaive and round shield, a black man in denim pants and white shirt, sitting beside a suit of armor, a sledgehammer resting between its palms.
Ned looked at the last person, someone he hadn't really invited because… well, he never met him before. His sidekick, yes. But, him ? No. Dressed in black, silent and imposing, with an intense glare fixed on him. The Dark Knight in all his brooding splendor ! Funny how a man dressed in a silly costume of a bat could be so intimidating… Guess it was all in the attitude, huh ?
Clark… Superman cleared his throat and, a little unsure, questioned Ned :
« Why have you asked us all to come ? »
Now, this was a good question. A question the Dark Knight no doubt asked himself… As he thought of this, he wondered why the man was even there. Robin probably told him everything about the Culling and his own post-fight confessions. So, he knew who and what he was. Given how paranoid the man was, his presence here seemed illogical.
What if it was all a trap to rid the world of its heroes ? In one fell swoop, he could blow up the warehouse… or something. He would have to get a little creative considering the Kryptonian and Demi-goddess in their midst but, it was something to consider. Something Batman had already considered.
« I invited you here… » Ned looked around at the empty warehouse, grimacing a bit at how empty, dirty and desolate it looked. « … to warn you of a few things. »
Constantine, who had been frowning and chewing on his thumb's fingernail, a lit cigarette lodged between his index and middle finger, finally opened his mouth :
« What the hell are ya, lad ? You look like… I dunno… » He snapped his other hand's fingers and pointed at his face : « Your bloody armor, that's what ! Like you're full of enchantments or somethin'. And it doesn't look like it's coming from your clothes… »
Superman perked up at that, but didn't comment. Ned noticed and filed a note that perhaps, the Man of Steel had yet to make an encounter of the magic kind in this reality. Well… He had met him, but he probably never guessed that he was using magic to power his armors.
Although he didn't move or show the slightest reaction, I knew that Batman was also paying attention. While he knew 'what' I was, according to his mundane understanding, magic wasn't something he was often confronted with. Then again, if his master was Ra's Al-Ghul, maybe he knew a bit about it.
Wonder Woman, while a warrior through and through, was also the product a tryst between the Queen of the Amazons and someone considered by all as a mythological figure. Moreover, she was often confronted to magic in her travels. Case in point : Circe. However, technology, or technomancy for that matter, weren't her area of expertise. Bashing people's faces in was.
As for Steel…
« Enchantments ? What do you mean by that ? »
Constantine looked at the man and frowned. He was probably thinking about the Statute and how he had just kind of violated it. Normally, a confundus or memory erasing charm should be used. However…
« That's because I'm no longer human, as the Dark Knight could tell you. This body is a golem and my consciousness now resides… » Opening his shirt in a classic Superman move, the others at the table saw how his chest opened up, letting them look upon a large, irregularly shaped red crystal. « … in here. Kind of like a phylactery, only not really. And it's not the result of dark magic, either. »
Ned quickly added the last part, seeing how Constantine's face was scrunching in distaste.
« Then, what is it… ? » And then, he threw a quick glance at the others at the table, and his face scrunched up again. « Bollocks ! Now, I'll have to erase their memories… »
« What ? Why ? No. How ? » Steel fired quick questions after questions. « Also, magic ? The hell ? »
It was funny to see and hear such a logical and calm person become so flustered.
« Because muggles can't know about magic, that's why ! I think it's bollocks but the different wizarding governments over the world have signed this law and are being very hard ass about it. »
A calm, steely voice interrupted :
« I've known about it for years. » The Batman uttered.
« I knew it ! » Ned exclaimed.
The cold gaze of the Dark Knight turned to him, making him clamp up and in order to protect himself, he started to cross his arms over his chest, closing both the opening and his shirt at the same time.
After an awkward silence, Ned resumed to talk about the reason for his invitation :
« You all know by now that our small world isn't all there is out there in the void of space. With Brainiac's attack, it's apparent that there are other races, other threats out there. And now, I'll tell you about a threat that's currently sweeping through the universe like a plague… »
Silence settled rather suddenly over the room, the threat of memory erasure and the revelation of magic completely forgotten for the moment.
« Some of you are probably aware of this, but I'll still explain it for the others… » Ned continued. « In this region of space, there's this ruling faction called the Guardians of the Universe. Small blue guys with big heads (litterally) called Maltusians. They're basically immortals, self-important and quite judgmental. Over the eons, they have created several forces in order to police their little corners of space. The first official force was… a complete failure. An automated police force, giant robots with overwhelming firepower… They turned against the population they were supposed to protect and decimated the population of countless worlds. The second, and the current one is the Green Lantern Corps… »
« Green Lantern… »
« Yes ! those guys. They're recruited and function much like our police force if not for the fact that they are drafted into the force according to the 'guardians' criterions and the AI installed in those rings. They harness the green light of willpower and can do quite a lot with it : constructs, blasts, even reality alteration, without mentioning the AI's own functions. And even though, they're flawed, the Green Lantern corps does a pretty good job keeping the peace… When they're allowed to anyway. »
Ned paused, more for emphasis than to search what he was going to say next. He knew already what he was going to say. He also knew that at least one person would quickly show his impatience…
« You're talkin' as if there's another force. One we should be wary of… » Constantine hinted at, his eyes half-closed and his brows furrowed. « Spit it out, lad ! »
Although he wanted to smile, thinking about what was coming blew his desire like a candle in the wind.
« The Third Army. Simple name for an awful creation. You see for some unknown reason, these 'guardians', not content with playing judge, jury and executioner for the whole universe decided that, to be truly fair, truly efficient, they should forego their feelings entirely. Become beings of pure logic. And once that was done, like their first creation in the past, the manhunters (with a name like that, no wonder they became bad, right ?), they simply saw sapient life as flawed. They came to a decision : destroy all sapient life in the universe and start anew, with beings without emotions, without thoughts. That's the Third Army… »