DCU: Blacklist

[Samael61]

Hello there,

If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.

To the attention of the readers who enjoy reading an intelligent main character like Miles will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.

—
​

The Watchtower

Miles wasn't able to discover where the DNA samples had been taken.

Yet.

He, however, found something just as interesting.

Project Starfish.

With Dr. Krill's plans to infect her children with the viruses foiled, he, with Raven's help, decided to investigate Corto Maltese. The Herrera family was in power, and the scientific experimentation facility, named Jotunheim, existed there.

Taking photos did not present any problems to Raven.

Corto Maltese was not a signatory to the Justice League Global Relief, Rescue, and Intervention Accords, so they could not just stroll up to the island and put an end to the project.

Miles did not have the manpower necessary to instill a change in the island without drawing too much attention, but as always, there was a way.

Armando Joaquin was part of a small cell of rebels, insignificant enough that they were not even mentioned in the movie. He was an idealist and had a hard time finding support among the beaten and battered populace.

He believed it was time for Armando's future to turn around.

—

LexCorp had vast off-the-books armories. Weapons and gear that were either destroyed, exported, or just prototypes found their way across the planet through stolen shipments, shell companies, and third-party brokers.

It just so happened he knew how Lex was going to smuggle weapons to Bialya. A cargo ship carrying much-needed supplies to the poverty-stricken country also had a shipment of experimental power armor, weapons, and more.

He just needed a way to take the weapons without alerting anyone or harming the humanitarian supplies.

—

Raven required a line of sight, or a clear image of a location, to open her portals, and the plan played around it.

Star Voyager, a cruise ship of the Star Cruises Entertainment, had to change its route due to an unexpected storm, passing awfully close to Humanity First, the supply ship that was sailing to Bialya.

Boarding the cruiser in the middle of the ocean after adding their names to the registry, they appeared as random passengers.

Miles was lying on his chair on the deck, watching the massive cargo vessel sail by, sipping his cranberry juice.

"Anything interesting aboard?" he asked, enjoying the refreshing aftertaste.

"There is a guy with an orange and black mask."

That straightened Miles up. "Hide," he warned, because that bastard would sense something was off.

There was a thump before Claire answered, "Who the hell is he?"

"Slade Wilson, a.k.a. Deathstroke, one of the deadliest humans out in the world," he warned his bodyguard.

"Think he saw me?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Wilson deduced Deathshot's location from those shots; he could detect someone watching him from the reflection of the binoculars.

Beneath the surface of the ocean, Raven was moving to the ship to sneak aboard to the hidden compartment and open a portal straight to the shielded warehouse.

"Tell Raven to be cautious. Someone like Deathstroke can track the smell of trouble from miles away." This shipment must be important, more than just the monetary value of it, for Lex to hire Deathstroke of all people to guard the vessel.

"There is movement on the deck; the crew seem to be moving down."

"Wilson is through, if nothing else, but it is fine as long as he is on the deck," he said.

The only possible way to take the weapons was to board and seize the ship, something Deathstroke wouldn't let happen without a fight. But opening a portal to steal the smuggled goods? That he would not expect.

Raven reported that she was aboard, hiding in the shadows, but Miles still warned her to be on guard around Deathstroke. That man was dangerous for a reason.

Miles continued to sit on his chair, and Claire came down soon. She leaned down, whispering something to his ear, letting out a coy laugh before pulling him up.

—

Metropolis

"Hey," Raven drawled through the portal.

Captain Neumann gave an imperceptible nod. "Miss Raven."

"Alright, go ahead, and remember your orders. I want this place cleaned out as soon as possible." He gave the go-ahead to his men.

This would be easy.

—

North Pacific Ocean

Miles was checking the process in the comfort of his cabin. His men were carrying everything out of the crates quite easily, since the latest in LexCorp tech was lightweight.

He should send the man a thank you card.

The last thing he saw inside the compartment was Deathstroke coming in, firing a bullet just as the portal closed. He imagined the mercenary wasn't happy at how he failed.

—

Metropolis

Done with their heist, Raven extracted them all back to Metropolis, while Zalika erased the digital trail that they were ever on the cruise ship.

The warehouse had jammers blocking every signal out, a precaution against possible trackers or transmitters in the stolen weapons.

"Captain, give me a count," he said. He raised the long, futuristic rifle to his shoulder, looking down at the sight. It was a plasma rifle with considerable power, and any unit armed with it would hit way above their weight.

"Enough power armor, guns, grenades, and gear to equip a small battalion to act as a force multiplier. Under the right hands, they can take the armed forces of a place like Corto Maltese," Neumann gave his professional opinion.

Dare he say it, they were better than his unit's gear.

Miles handed the weapon back to a mercenary. "I wager Armando and his men don't fit that category, and you are too valuable to send there," he said.

Any other time, propping someone from inside the Corto Maltese military to take the reins would be easier, but the dictators in this universe tended to be either comedic relief characters with deadly tempers or extremely capable.

Neither was the type of person he preferred to do business with.

An idealist like Armando was a different matter.

"We can train them," Neumann offered.

Miles tapped on the map of Corto Maltese. "Herrera's control over the island is unchallenged. Unless the rebels are moved elsewhere, you wouldn't have a place to train them."

Especially in the operations of highly sophisticated military gear.

"Then a two-pronged attack," he said, pointing at the compound of the ruling family. "The rebels take the front with the advanced gear, we strike behind the lines, and we take the Herrera family hostage."

"That would leave the military as an issue. The upper ranks are filled with opportunists, as is the case for dictatorial regimes.

Competent military leaders were dangerous to tyrants.

"A surgical strike to take them all out, then."

"Yes. If they can be gathered in one place, we can take all the heads of the serpent with one swing." Miles held his hand out for the file on Corto Maltese and the Herrera family. He was busy with tracking Luthor's shipment and did not have the time to read it.

Claire brought the laptop forward, highlighting a section on the page.

"Here, look, the Herrera family holds an annual celebration, and most of the upper class will be there. Generals, ministers, lackeys." She pointed at the photos, showing the family members mingling with the army staff.

Miles scanned through the background of the celebration, which was the day the Herrera family took power. "When is it?"

"In three weeks," she said, pointing at the date on the next page.

October 14.

"Then we have our time frame. Captain, prepare to ship the gear after ensuring Luthor cannot track it. I have a meeting to organize," he ordered.

—

Corto Maltese

Armando combed his hand through his hair.

They lost another member today. Not to the forces of the Herrera family, but to their own shortcomings. There weren't even enough guns to go around for everyone, even if they all shared the same goal.

He had to go and find more guns, or this fight would be over before it even started.

Twisting the key, he entered his home, reaching out to light a candle, but stopped.

Light was coming from his living room.

"Come in, Armando, we've been waiting for you," a flat-toned voice called out.

Swallowing the saliva in his mouth, Armando pulled his pistol.

So Herrera had finally deigned to send someone for him.

"Who are you?" he screamed, pointing his gun at the man and the woman who were eating pizza at his table.

The man held out a slice, not even bothering with the weapon in his hand. "Do you want a piece?"

"I won't ask again. Who are you?!" He demanded to know again, alternating between targets.

His uninvited guest pushed the chair back, wiped his hands on a napkin, and walked to the wooden case lying on his couch.

"I would say Santa Claus, but it isn't Christmas yet," the man mocked, opening the case.

He pulled out a rifle, longer than an AK-47 and too advanced-looking to be ordinary, with lights and screens over it.

"Instead, I'll be your guardian angel, here to grant your wishes," he said, holding out the rifle to him.

Reaching with one hand while the other kept the pistol up, Armando took the weapon. "Herreras didn't send you?"

The man huffed, amused, "Don't be obtuse, Armando; they would drag you through the streets to make an example, not send assassins in the dead of the night."

He was correct, because Armando remembered all too clearly how they had taken his parents before his eyes.

"And this?" he asked, putting the pistol on the chair.

His guardian angel took a slice, continuing to eat. "That is a plasma rifle capable of boring through the armor of a T-90 main battle tank."

Armando's eyes widened. Military dogs of the Herrera family had plenty of T-90 tanks.

"A small force, equipped with weapons like these, could do great things," the man said, having finished his slice, and offered a hand. "Would you like to do great things for your nation, Armando?"

Armando took it.

He did wish for weapons after all.

—

Offering a plasma rifle to Armando did not make his suspicions disappear. Corvo Maltese was too insignificant to have any country meddle in its affairs.

With no oil or other exceptional resources and strategically unimportant, the only reason US military personnel would set foot here was because of Jotunheim.

It did not make sense for anyone to come and offer the rebels a lifeline to free their nation from the tyrannical rule of the Herrera family.

"What do you know about Jotunheim?" Miles asked. The scientific research facility overlooked Valle Del Mar, but not many people knew what actually happened inside.

"The base?" Armando scratched the back of his neck. "There are rumors of a beast there and horror stories. They even say that the missing people are sent there to feed it."

"I am afraid that might be correct. There is a creature there, one that my enemies are trying to weaponize," he confirmed. Though, rather than feed Starro, those missing people were most likely used as test subjects.

Armando collapsed in his chair, fearing that the same fate might have befallen his parents. "Then why don't you destroy it? Why give me these weapons?

"The creature is actually peaceful; it is as much a victim as your missing people are. I wish to set it free if possible, not murder it," Miles explained.

The Justice League, even if they were willing, could not afford to attack Jotunheim, and his forces were not sufficient enough to take the facility and hold it long enough to set Starro free.

Not only the defenses of the base, but also the Corto Maltese military forces would be on the scene.

"Now, the more you learn, the more dangerous it will be for you in the long term. Do you want me to continue?"

Armando's answer was a resounding no, but he wanted to know more about what would happen if they succeeded in freeing the country.

Miles wanted him to hold elections, and as the leader of the heroes that freed Corto Maltese, he'd be the perfect candidate. After that, he would surrender the advanced weapons and request the Justice League's assistance to put an end to the experiments in Jotunheim.

He had also promised to invest in the island if Armando continued to be a public servant rather than a politician.

—

With the promise of weapons, Armando called his compatriots, including the ones that had left. The news that he had secured weapons for the fight had drawn more fighters than expected. He knew there were people hesitant to even speak to him, but they had a change of heart.

Showing the weapon to the would-be freedom fighters, he proved its effectiveness out in the field.

The red beam had gone through a three-foot-thick boulder with no resistance, leaving a molten hole behind.

For the first time ever since he raised the idea of fighting, Armando finally convinced the people to actually do it.

—

Miles didn't trust Armando to keep the whole operation secret.

He was excited and accepted everyone regardless of if they were trustworthy, and he took the initiative. The population of the village was small, and the nearest military force was an hour away.

If an informant sold them out, the drones he had seeded through the area would find them.

On the third day into Armando's call to fight, a woman had left the village, and her path would take her to the military checkpoint.

She was shot and buried for it.

The people needed one of their own to follow, a leader that would bring them to victory.

He would ensure Armando became that person and handle anything unexpected that might pop up.

Such as traitors.

—

Metropolis

LexCorp

"Sir, we have a problem," Mercy said, barging into the room.

Lex knew it was an important matter and ignored the breach of privacy. "What?"

"The shipment to Bialya disappeared mid-transit. The chief of security claims that whoever did it had unknown means of entry into the compartment." She reported the situation, having run to her employer's office as soon as she was informed.

"Unknown means?!" Lex slammed his hands on the desk, rising with a fury. "Is Deathstroke making excuses now?"

He had hired the best mercenary in the world just to ensure there wasn't the slightest hiccup with the shipment, yet it was all stolen now?

"He seemed serious. What should we do?" Mercy asked for orders.

Lex sat down, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I'll call Queen Bee to let her know there was an issue and prepare a new shipment." He turned to his secretary. "In the meantime, tell Deathstroke to find the culprits, or he won't see a penny."

Lex Luthor was no one's fool, and if Wilson wanted his payment, he would have to earn it. When he got his hands on the one who had dared to steal what was his…

"Yes, sir." Mercy quickly left the room to relay the orders.

—
​

In the next chapter:

"Today is another grand day for all of us," Anastasio said, raising his champagne glass. "We will…" His speech was interrupted when a blue flash appeared over the dining table.

The next thing he saw was an orange glow, and everything faded to darkness.



Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.

 

[Samael61]

Hello one and all.

Due to a combination of writer's block, flu and me getting distracted, I wasn't able to write properly this week. Unfortunately, that means no updates this week. I am truly sorry about this and hope to see you all next week.

Until then.

 

[Samael61]

Thank you all for your well wishes. I am much better now. The rest has helped me clear my mind and I am happy to be back. I am glad to have readers like you with me. Enjoy the chapter.

—
​

Hello there,

If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.

To the attention of the readers who enjoy reading an intelligent main character like Miles will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.

—
​

Metropolis

EnviroCorps Primary Research Center

Today was the day.

The teleportation pads would be tested, and Miles wanted to be there.

"Sir, we are about to begin. Would you like to do the honors?" the lead researcher, Doctor Charles Bennett, offered.

"I would be delighted," he said.

On the screen, a lab rat was placed in a glass box, all the way at Jump City. The research team, on the other hand, gave the go-ahead, and the process started.

"Coordinates locked, coils ready, all readings within expected parameters," Chief Researcher Mra Hedat said.

"Sir, you can press this button when ready," Dr. Bennett informed.

Miles nodded and pressed the indicated button. The glass box on the screen disappeared in a blue flash and reappeared on the pad. The control team approached the rat, scanning it along with the glass.

"It's clear; no side effects from the teleportation," one of the researchers declared, and the laboratory exploded into cheers.

He let the mood calm down naturally, feeling quite giddy himself.

"You all have done monumental work here, and in lieu of that, I believe three salaries' worth of a bonus is in order," he said.

It was the least he could do.

—
​

The researchers were celebrating, though further tests would be conducted. For now, the teleportation was a success.

Which meant he could be ready to turn the Herrera family's annual gathering into a grand display of fireworks.

The gear was already transported to the island, equipping the two thousand-strong force Armando had gathered across multiple villages. The armors had aim assist, among many other improvements, and his men would be seeded around their forces to command them.

He did not want to use Raven to smuggle weapons to insurgents, but her portals were the cleanest and cheapest method for transport. He did make sure she was compensated properly.

His men were reconnoitering the island, marking high-value targets to hit.

Teleporting explosives did cause them to explode after arrival, which was exactly what he wanted for now. It would have to be fixed, but later.

The staff was given a three-day break to rest, and the entire complex was left to him and his forces.

His mercenary outfit had one week to sabotage their targets.

—
​

October 14

Corto Maltese

Herrera Estate

"Today is another grand day for all of us," Anastasio said, raising his champagne glass. "We will…" His speech was interrupted when a blue flash appeared over the dining table.

The next thing he saw was an orange glow, and everything faded to darkness.

—
​

"Confirmed, the Herrera estate is annihilated. I repeat, the Herrera estate is gone with everyone inside," Sergeant Buckwell reported following the explosion that left a crater where the Herrera family's house stood. "Proceed."

With his confirmation, the operation could begin.

—
​

Armando's freedom fighters started their insurgency by targeting the nearest military outpost to the village. With their superior equipment and the advice of the experienced commanders, the small base did not stand a chance.

When half their forces fell in the blink of an eye, the rest of the soldiers surrendered.

In the interest of creating a stable and legitimate government, the soldiers would be taken as prisoners.

The base was raided for supplies and vehicles in a quick order, and the insurgents pushed forward.

Across the island there was one strategic point they had to capture to largely succeed.

Valle Del Mar, the capital city and the seat of the now dead government, was also the place where the military forces were amassed. The outposts across the island were mere stepping stones to keep their backs clear.

—
​

Armando's fighters rolled into the outskirts of the city uninterrupted. His men were jamming the individual outposts to keep them from contacting the main forces at the city. With the sudden deaths of almost every general, the armed forces were caught with their figurative pants down.

They attempted to retaliate, but his men had made great use of teleportation during the last week.

General Mateo Calderon could not contact his superiors for the last twenty-four hours and had taken command when the insurgents appeared on the edge of the city.

He ordered all available forces to move out to counter the enemy.

When the first tank engine had turned on, there was an explosion. The armored barracks were reduced to smoldering ruins, burying the tanks underneath.

The same happened to the APCs, helicopters, artillery, and multiple rocket launchers. Left with nothing but infantry and transport trucks, General Mateo ordered what men he could command to ride out.

It did not end well.

The plasma rifles tore through the rugged, outdated M-35 trucks and M-151 jeeps before the armed forces could even get into firing range.

The high heat ignited the gas tanks, causing some of the vehicles to explode.

Miles would have laughed like a Saturday cartoon villain at the ease of this insurgency.

Once inside the city, the insurgents targeted the government buildings. Local law enforcement, nowhere near armed enough to resist them, surrendered to save their lives.

Most of the outposts were taken out, but those that were not surrendered, declaring their loyalty to the new rulers within hours.

A ragtag of loyalists attempted to rally their forces, but the citizens of Valle Del Mar were in the streets, celebrating the death of the Herrera family and the end of their tyrannical regime.

They were lynched by the mobs, breaking the final point of resistance.

It took two days for the Herrera dictatorship to fall and the declaration of a new government promising freedom, democracy, and prosperity.

—
​

Watchtower

October 16

The Justice League members were summoned to the Watchtower for an emergency session by Miles.

"I'll keep this brief," he said, clicking the button on the remote. The screen turned on, displaying the image of an island.

"This island nation is Corto Maltese. Until two days ago, it was ruled by the Herrera family with an iron fist. The Freedom Movement, led by Armando Joaquin, took the Herrera family and the armed forces of Corto Maltese out in a blitzkrieg," he briefed, with the images switching to relevant ones as he spoke.

"This is Jotunheim, a scientific research facility created by the Nazis, and then it saw heavy use by the US government for highly dangerous research and experiments," he said.

"Oh boy," Green Lantern groaned, crossing his arms. He knew where this was going.

"Their latest project is this," he continued, pressing the button to display Starro with all its girth.

Some members turned to Flash, remembering his comment weeks earlier, but the speedster raised his hands. "I swear I was joking about the alien starfish."

"This is Starro, a sapient starfish discovered by the US astronauts in 1990 and then taken down to Earth for research. It did not agree to it," he said, playing the gruesome video recording.

"Mind control?" Batman asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes."

"For the last thirteen years, it has been experimented on by the US government organization, Cadmus, to replicate its mind control abilities," he added, and the screen once again showed Jotunheim, but it got worse.

Political prisoners, dissidents, and everyone imprisoned by the Herrera government, including children, were strapped to chairs, with Starro's spores stuck to their faces.

Some other images included the aftermath of the spore removal, leaving behind roughly X-shaped deep and bloody wounds that left nothing of their faces.

The League fell silent again at the gruesome images. Though, at the rate they were squeezing it, the table would not stand for much longer.

"Armando Joaquin," Miles continued, playing a short recording of the man at a press conference, "as the interim prime minister, requested the Justice League's intervention to solve the issue of Starro without a breakout resulting in the deaths of thousands."

Batman, who had been fiddling with his console, displayed some images of his own. "How did Armando acquire such high-tech gear?"

Miles had made sure the advanced gear was not displayed anywhere, and it was almost scary how fast the Dark Knight could be sometimes.

"Lex Luthor was smuggling those weapons to Bialya in a humanitarian aid ship, but they were stolen mid-transit. Armando Joaquin came to acquire them after that," he explained without showing any images.

It is not necessary for now.

"Could Luthor be trying to acquire Starro?" Superman asked. His concern was valid, but Cadmus had enough common sense to not inform Luthor of Starro's existence.

"Unlikely," he said, shaking his head.

The screen switched to an image of an African woman,shaking hands with Luthor, "This is Amanda Waller, head of Cadmus, and the woman the US government goes to for matters they don't want the public to know."

"Cadmus cooperates with Lex Luthor on a regular basis. If he knew about Starro, he would have traded something for it," he explained.

He switched back to Armando's image. "Corto Maltese is not a signatory to the accords, but since the new prime minister made a request, it gives us the opportunity to intervene before Cadmus sends a cleanup team to kill everyone and bury the whole matter."

"What about Starro? You said it's sapient," J'onn queried. He did not know what to do with a creature that had caused so much pain and suffering, only because it was used as a tool by humans.

"Sapient and peaceful, a creature that was happily floating in outer space before it made the mistake of coming too close to Earth. I believe it can be reasoned with and returned to the void, far away from our star system," he said. Starro was a victim too, and if it hadn't gone mad yet, a chance for a peaceful resolution existed.

If not, it would have to be destroyed, with not even a single cell left behind.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Superman asked rhetorically, "Let's go get this done."

The team walked out to the Javelin bay, but Batman stopped right in front of Miles after everyone left.

"Who stole Luthor's shipment?" he grunted out.

"I did," Miles admitted.

"Why?" Batman asked.

Miles handed him a datapad containing information that he didn't show to the rest of the League. Batman scanned through it, nodded, handed the datapad back, and moved to join the team.

—
​

Corto Maltese

Jotunheim

The Justice League arrived over Jotunheim in perfect unison and landed near the military forces waiting outside. Superman approached the new head of the armed forces, General Emiliano.

"Thank you for coming," General Emiliano said. In truth, he was no general and would resign as soon as possible, but for now, appearances mattered more.

"Our pleasure to help, general. What is the situation?" Superman asked. He was itching to get in that base and have a talk with the monsters responsible for this.

"We called them to surrender, but they refused," Emiliano explained. "An attack could release the beast. There are around two hundred hostiles inside, all armed."

"I understand; please stay back," Superman requested. He took off, floating in front of the base.

"Attention! Soldiers and researchers inside. You are expected to surrender immediately. You will not be harmed; I repeat, you will not be harmed," he called out.

The answer was a sniper round that flattened on his forehead.

"Alright, if that's how you guys want to play," Superman grunted. He was actually hoping that they would refuse.

"Green Lantern, go and secure Starro," Batman ordered, quickly formulating a plan. "Tornado, Torpedo, and Inferno, target the spores; you are the only ones immune to them," he said, and the androids nodded, moving out first.

"The rest of us will neutralize the soldiers inside," the Dark Knight said.

—
​

Superman flew through the thick concrete wall, slamming a soldier aside. The bullets peppered on his skin, as useless as always, and he clapped his hands.

The shockwave left cracks across the walls, ceiling, and ground and knocked out the soldiers in the corridor.

Wonder Woman followed the lead, coming through another section of the wall. She took the rifle from one soldier, kicking him away. Throwing the weapon to the sole soldier on her left, she grasped the arm of the one on her right. Using him as a projectile, she knocked two men out.

Having left the soldiers to his teammates, Batman moved in the cover of the shadows to find Gaius Grieves.

Listening to the door of the subbasement laboratory, he counted three people inside. Opening the door slightly, he tossed a smoke bomb inside, waiting for it to go off. The soldiers inside shouted in surprise and kicked the door open this time.

Moving low and fast, he avoided the blind shots. Spinning counterclockwise, his kick slammed one of the soldiers to the ground, hard. Diving left and then right to dodge more bullets, he pushed the rifle up, ejecting the magazine in the blink of an eye.

The final bullet left the chamber, hitting the ceiling, but the soldier kept pulling the trigger. Seeing it was useless, he reached for his sidearm, dropping the rifle, but a right hook broke his jaw, sending him down to join his comrade.

From the black smoke, two white eyes were the last things Thinker saw.

—
​

John pushed a group of soldiers to the wall, approaching the giant cell that kept Starro locked up.

He almost whistled at the size of it.

"I am Green Lantern of Sector 2184," John declared. "I am here to free and return you to the stars if you cooperate," he called out. He was not sure the creature would even listen to a human after years in captivity but had to try.

"You are here to free me?" Starro asked in a soft and uncertain voice, almost childlike, belying its immense size.

"Yes," he said, throat suddenly dry, "if you cooperate."

"I know your kind," it said unexpectedly. "What must I do?"

"Call your spores back, and if you cannot, neutralize them. After that, I will take you out of here in a bubble and away to an uninhabited star system," he described.

"Yes," it merely said.

"Guys, Starro is cooperating. I am taking him out of here, watch out for the spores," he informed the team. It was best to be cautious under the current circumstances, no matter how cooperative Starro appeared to be.

"Understood, be careful, Lantern."

—
​

Extracting Starro, with its immense size, required them to tear open a hole to the surface. The team quickly moved the prisoners out, while Batman took everything on the databases.

The androids gathered the spores and samples across the facility, joined by the rest of the team once they all stopped exhibiting any life signs. Corpses of the deceased, at least those that were not destroyed to prevent any biohazards, would have to be burned for the same reason.

The soldiers and the researchers, except Thinker, were handed over to the new Corto Maltese forces.

Green Lantern was given the go-ahead, and a green beam tore through the ground, bringing down Jotunheim. Before the dust settled, he was flying to space, with Starro pulled behind, surrounded by a bubble.

---

Notes: I skipped the insurgency part quickly since it wasn't that relevant to the story. With so many high technology options available, it was bound to be a short one anyway.

—
​

In the next chapter:
Starro had been left in a star system far from any civilization. There, it could float in a vacuum without the fear of being abducted and experimented on.

"What is the government's reaction?" Superman asked. His voice was flat, shoulders slumped, and face blank.

The League was still reeling from the mess in Corto Maltese.

Miles pressed a button.

Two images, one of the President of the United States and the other of the head of Cadmus, Amanda Waller, and the recording played.



Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.

 

[Samael61]

Hello there,

If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.

To the attention of the readers who enjoy reading an intelligent main character like Miles will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.

—
​

Watchtower

Starro had been left in a star system far from any civilization. There, it could float in a vacuum without the fear of being abducted and experimented on.

"What is the government's reaction?" Superman asked. His voice was flat, shoulders slumped, and face blank.

The League was still reeling from the mess in Corto Maltese.

Miles pressed a button.

Two images, one of the President of the United States and the other of the head of Cadmus, Amanda Waller, and the recording played.

"No, Mr. President, we don't know how these insurgents took control so quickly," she said.

"And the project?" the president asked.

"The specimen is gone," Waller reported, "along with everything else," she added after a second.

There was a hiss on the other side before the president spoke again, "I don't want this blowing back on us, Waller. Not even a single word," he warned.

"I understand, Mr. President," Waller said, her voice low.

"Can't believe I voted for this guy," Flash grumbled, looking away.

"That's not all," Miles said, playing a video recording this time.

"Amanda, how is our dear president doing?" Lex asked as he entered Waller's office.

"He is not happy, just like me," Waller said, pushing her chair back. "How did your weapons get into the hands of a bunch of fishermen in Corto Maltese?" she demanded.

"Someone very good at their job stole them in the middle of the Atlantic, all without Deathstroke realizing anything until the last moment."

"Though, I wonder," Lex said, leaning on his palm, "what was it that Cadmus was doing in Corto Maltese?"

"Nothing," she replied, narrowing her eyes.

"Ah, of course."

"Find the culprit, Luthor. I don't want any excuses," she ordered.

"Don't worry, Amanda, I am investigating it."

"Someone good enough to steal weapons mid-shipment? Who could it be?" Hawkgirl asked, glancing at Miles.

The League turned to Miles at once. "Miles, anything you want to tell us?" Wonder Woman queried.

"Here is the target list if the experiments achieved their purpose," he replied, opening the file showing a list with the Justice League members at the top. The number one was Batman, with Superman the second and Wonder Woman the third.

"That's not all," he continued.

"I narrowly missed intercepting a transaction between Dr. Krill from Metropolis Star Labs and Cadmus agents." He showed the woman's image next to the list.

"Do you remember those DNA samples I told you to retrieve?" he asked Superman.

"Damn it," Clark scowled, dropping his head on the table.

He looked at the rest of the team, who were looking at Superman with sympathy. "Any other questions?"

"Are you going to let the Corto Maltese keep the gear?" Inferno asked. The island nation could have undue attention due to the highly advanced weapons they possessed.

"I already retrieved it all," he said, showing the images of the weapons surrendered to his forces. "The new government doesn't need it now since the Herreras are gone. It would also bring undue attention from Luthor and Cadmus."

"Did you find where those samples were taken?" J'onn asked. The DNA could be used for many purposes, none of which were good.

"Unfortunately not. Cadmus does not keep anything about the base on their servers. But I am looking for them," he assured. All known locations were searched, including the ones he knew from the shows, but nothing had shown up regarding the DNA samples.

"Thank you," Superman said, raising his head.

"I have a question. Will you be interfering in the internal affairs of other countries as well?" Tornado spoke up next. His question was an important one, because what Miles had done was technically very illegal.

"Yes," he admitted.

Because of one simple reason.

"You see, my grand plan is to accelerate the unification of Earth. It requires me to dabble in politics. Which is why I am a member, but not at the same time," he revealed. The slouched members straightened up, and even Batman was interested enough to move his chair.

"That is… a great undertaking, enormous even. Do you think it is possible?" Diana asked.

World unification was not in anyone's mind or agenda.

"Thousands starve to death on one side of the planet, and millions die from obesity on the other. America, the wealthiest country on the planet, doesn't have public healthcare, not because it couldn't, but because no one is lobbying the senators for it. There is also an incoming environmental crisis due to fossil fuels," said Miles, running through images of starving children, and then obese ones, the numbers on American citizens' healthcare debt, and the impacts of global warming.

"You can solve the issue of evil gods, demon lords, and villains that desire world domination or mindless destruction with your fists. You can't do the same to the internal issues of humanity," he added.

"Can't argue with the last part," Flash muttered.

The members were silent, looking at different places and objects. Miles would give his teammates as much time as necessary.

"Anyway we can help?" Green Lantern was offered.

"You all are already swarmed with hero work, and your personal lives are important. If something truly urgent comes up, I'll be sure to ask," Miles responded. He would ask for help when he had to, but they already had a hard time with keeping the world safe and living a life.

"Then there is one last matter. All this information we have on Cadmus and the government's actions in Corto Maltese. I believe we should release it to the public," Tornado suggested.

"I agree, but not now," he nodded.

"Why?" Superman asked, losing control over the volume of his voice.

"This is Robert Kerdon, an independent candidate for the elections next year. Among his promises, creating a public healthcare service, bringing heavier regulations against the megacorporations, and reducing the influence of the lobbies are the most important ones," he explained.

"However, he won't win," Miles added, showing the surveys, with Kerdon in last place even if he got through all the hurdles of being an independent candidate.

"Unless, say, he becomes a public hero," said Superman, realizing where Miles was going.

"Exactly."

"Do we truly want to use the suffering and deaths of all those people to create a political hero?" Wonder Woman asked. It left a sour taste in her mouth.

"If we release them, it will only make the next government more paranoid of us," Hawkgirl said. Things were already bad enough behind the scenes.

"Does it truly matter how or who releases those files, as long as they are released? Also, there isn't enough evidence to indict everyone affiliated with Cadmus. Amanda Waller, for all that she is useful, can be replaced," he said. It would be a simple matter for Waller to be blamed for everything and sent to prison.

Cadmus would be rebranded, everything would become more secretive, and the new organization would continue as it was.

"I think we should let Miles handle this," Flash said. "I want to agree that none of us should be meddling in politics. I truly do. But how can we just sit here and do nothing while the government makes plans to turn us into mindless slaves? The President of the United States, the man we shook hands with in a photoshoot for publicity, is enabling an organization that commits these atrocities," he added with none of his energetic personality.

"I used to think that just by putting a madman like Joker in prison, I was saving lives. Even if I patrolled the streets of Gotham nonstop, how much difference would that make?" Batman mused out loud.

Miles raised an eyebrow.

"Then, the project to turn Crime Alley into a safe place where the people could live and work came before me. Do you know what it did?" asked the Dark Knight.

"Reduced the crime rate of Gotham for the first time in years. Because it gave people something that they desperately needed."

"Hope that things will get better," he finished after a second of silence.

The League agreed that they would let Miles handle the release of the information. It was his business to support which candidate he wanted, but as that support included the information they gathered from Jotunheim, the members wanted to be kept up to date.

The elections were next year, and it was time he started to work.

—
​

The information, once released, would need to be complete with names, locations, experiments, and plenty of proof that would burn Cadmus.

Compartmentalization of the organization meant that not everything could be found in one place.

It would take time, but there were regular shipments between Cadmus bases and labs. Total isolation was not possible if Waller wanted to keep the organization afloat.

More NEXTINSECTs were spread around known locations to infiltrate the rest of Cadmus through the shipments.

—
​

Brooklyn

Miles rang the doorbell, waiting. Today was a day off for Robert Kerdon, and he should be in his home.

"Hello?" A woman in her forties opened the door. Abigail Kerdon was a brunette with brown eyes and had aged gracefully.

"Mrs. Kerdon, I am looking for your husband," Miles said.

"Robert, it's for you," she called out, waiting for her husband to come down.

"Can I help you?" Robert asked. Close to her wife in age, he too was a brunette. While his green eyes were still lit with determination, the stress of the work had marred his face with wrinkles.

"Me? Not particularly. But I believe you can help the people of the United States," he said, pointing at Robert.

"How so?"

"By becoming the president this country sorely needs," he explained, holding his hand out, "Miles Beckett, the founder of EnviroCorps."

"Oh," Robert's eyes widened. "Please, come in then," he invited them in.

The living room was cozy, with down-to-earth-toned furniture and a lot of cushions.

"Can I get you two anything?" Robert offered as they sat down.

"No, thank you. This is Claire, my bodyguard," he introduced. Claire gave a small nod and took a glass of lemonade.

"Thank you, dear," Robert smiled, taking his own glass.

"You said I could help the people of the United States. I am listening," he continued, curious as to what this man meant.

"This country is going downhill. Medical debt is increasing, as are the prices for basically everything. Our senators are more worried about what the lobbies want than what the people need. I would like nothing more than seeing a man who would truly work for a solution to all these problems," Miles explained. He leaned back, watching Robert.

"I would like that too," he nodded, fingers through his hair. "However, money alone can't make me a president."

Though it would certainly help.

"You are right. Being a public hero, on the other hand, would. Especially if both the Republicans and the Democrats are discredited," Miles replied, pulling out the flash disk out of his pocket.

Robert glanced at the disk. "That sounds dangerous."

"It is. Then again, nothing worth doing is ever easy or safe, is it?" he asked.

"Robert…" Abigail's voice wavered. She put her hand over his eyes.

"I understand your reluctance, Mrs. Kerdon. I can't ask your husband to risk his life," he assured the woman.

"But I can give you the best security on this planet and ensure anyone that wants to come after you will be stopped," Miles added. There would be bullets with Robert's name on them, but he would keep the man alive through it.

Alive and well.

Robert grasped his wife's hand, giving her a shallow nod. "How do you intend to make me a public hero?"

"I am sure you heard about the events at Corto Maltese? And how the pizza index went up following the coup?" Miles asked. Anyone who followed politics and military news would have seen the pizza index.

"Yes. People suspect that the government had a connection to the island, especially to that secret base," Robert said. He had asked around, but no one knew anything or was willing to talk.

"They do have a connection. A rather dark and grim one," he confirmed.

"So terrible, in fact, once these files get out, every president since the end of WW2 will be indicted for crimes against humanity," said Miles. Ever since the Nazi scientists at the end of the war were killed by the Herrera family for the bounties on their heads, the US government has been making use of Jotunheim.

For decades, the prisoners of the Herrera family were used as test subjects. Radiological, biological, and chemical experiments. Previous attempts at mind control. Brainwashing. Super soldier serums.

All with the knowledge of the presidents.

"That's… that would cause a political nightmare for the States," Robert exclaimed. Indicting so many presidents would ruin the image of the country across the globe.

"Exactly. We need change, and the sins of our leaders cannot be hidden. Otherwise, how could this country be any better than the ones we berate?" he asked.

He would knock down several birds with one great stone.

"Let's say I agree, and I am elected the president. What do you want out of this partnership?" Robert asked.

No one did all of this just because.

"For you to carry out your promises. The United States has a lot of dark secrets it would like to keep hidden. I want them to be brought to light," he listed.

"Claire here," he grasped her shoulder, "was trained from a young age to be a weapon under a secret government project. And she is not the only one. Metahumans are treated like monsters at worst and potential weapons at best. I want that to change," he added.

Claire looked at her boss, remembering how he had claimed the idea of putting a sympathetic person in the White House as the president.

"Nothing else?" Robert asked, "No political or financial gains?"

Any donor would usually want those in return for campaign donations.

Miles smiled, "I am richer than you can imagine. While money is one of the fundamental powers in this world, and I am rather fond of it, I can't take it to the grave with me. Might as well use it for the people," he said.

Money was a tool to him, not the end goal. No, the end goal was a unified Earth to stop the myriad of threats out there.

"As for political gains, I'll have the president as a friend. It does not get any better than that."

Robert, after conferring with his wife, agreed to the deal. He would start the proceedings for his candidacy, which included creating a party. It would solve several issues at once, such as ballot access and media legitimacy.

It would also create a third pole and permanently break the two-party system in the future.

Miles had left the choice of name to Robert, along with the promised campaign funds. Now, he had to arrange a security detail for the candidate, and there was another thorn that needed to be removed.

—
​

In the next chapter:
Discovering Ivo's location was easy. LexCorp was kind enough to keep the address on their servers. The scientist had taken a leave for one week due to medical reasons, and Lex was too occupied with the mystery of the missing weapon shipment.

By this time, Lex would have been ousted as the CEO of LexCorp, leaving Mercy to take his place. She would then fire Ivo to save money, but seeing as neither of the previous events happened, it left one option available.

Ivo was most likely dead, with only his creation inside.

Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.

 

[Samael61]

Hello there,

If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.

To the attention of the readers who enjoy reading an intelligent main character like Miles will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.

—
​

Metropolis

Discovering Ivo's location was easy. LexCorp was kind enough to keep the address on their servers. The scientist had taken a leave for one week due to medical reasons, and Lex was too occupied with the mystery of the missing weapon shipment.

By this time, Lex would have been ousted as the CEO of LexCorp, leaving Mercy to take his place. She would then fire Ivo to save money, but seeing as neither of the previous events happened, it left one option available.

Ivo was most likely dead, with only his creation inside.

"Be ready for anything," Miles said to Claire, and knocked on the door.

"Professor Ivo? I was hoping to speak to you," he called out, even though Ivo was most likely dead by now.

There was no answer, and he knocked again. Waiting for a couple of minutes, he tilted his head, and Claire moved to cover him.

He picked the lock open and walked in. Checking the house for any sign of Amazo, he moved to find Ivo, or rather, his corpse.

Pulling the sheet off, he gazed at the pale, dead face and covered it back.

"Miles," Claire said quickly, and he turned around. Standing before him was Amazo, the ten-foot-tall silver-gray creation of Professor Anthony Ivo.

"Hello," Miles greeted. He smiled at the android, holding a hand to stop Claire.

"I was looking for Professor Ivo, but it appears he has passed away," he said.

Amazo regarded him, his red optics turning to yellow. His metallic, nondescript face morphed to match his for a couple seconds before it returned to normal.

"Fascinating," he said, as Amazo walked next to the bed, fixing the sheet.

"May I assume you are his latest creation?" he asked the silent android.

Right now, Amazo had a childlike innocence and naivete, which Lex had used to sic the android on the Justice League.

The android could be guided on a more righteous path.

"Do you know when the professor will be back?" Amazo finally spoke, watching the still sight of his creator.

Ivo most likely didn't have the time to educate his creation on anything.

"I am afraid never." Miles shook his head. "He left for the next great adventure," he quoted.

"What adventure?" Amazo asked. Neither his tone nor appearance gave anything away, but he understood that the android was confused.

"Death," he clarified. The android turned to face the body, still as his creator.

"Did he give you a name?" Miles asked,

"Amazo."

"Would you like me to assist you in funeral preparations?"

"Funeral?"

"Yes, to give your creator a proper sendoff. I am sure you would not want his body to decompose in the open like this," he said, waving his hand towards the corpse.

"I kept his body in perfect condition. Is there no way to bring him back?" Amazo asked, still unable to grasp the concept of death.

"Without death, life would have no value. The best you can do for him is to honor his memory," he suggested.

Amazo was connected deeply to Ivo, and Luthor had used that angle to install himself as a second father figure over the android. Which had spectacularly backfired on him later on.

"Did you know the professor?" he asked, finally seeming to have given up.

"By reputation. However, as a good father would want the best for his child, I am sure he too would want the best for you," Miles said.

Any attempts to deceive Amazo into following a certain path would not work. Once he evolved to a certain point, the deception would become evident.

"And what is the best for me?" The android asked the most vital question.

"He gave you free will; that is for you to decide. I can only help if you want me to," he offered.

Deception, lies, treachery, and psychological manipulation. They were all overrated.

The best method to get someone on your side was to be their friend.

Amazo looked down on him. "Yes, I would prefer that."

"Miles Beckett, a pleasure to meet you." He held out his hand. Amazo, gentle as to not crush his bones, took the offered hand.

"Claire," she introduced herself with a poker face.

—

One advantage of having a private hospital was that people did not ask too many unnecessary questions. Large enough to have a morgue of its own, Ivo's body has been transported there.

The cause of death was a heart attack, as Ivo was known to be a heavy smoker. The process was expedited, and he was on his way to a funeral home by the next morning.

Amazo had a lot of questions, especially about the nature of death and the need for a funeral.

The sight of a ten-foot robot would disturb anyone, so the funeral was extremely private, with only him, Claire, Amazo, and several of the mercs.

The robot stood motionless as the casket was covered, and a marble gravestone was placed at the head.

Anthony Ivo.

Professor.

A creator.

"What will happen to me now?" he asked. The sole figure in his life was dead, and he did not know where to begin to look for a purpose.

"Why don't you come with me until you make up your mind?" Miles wanted Amazo to interact with positive figures in his life, rather than the likes of Luthor.

"To where?"

"My home."

—

"Miles, welcome, and I see you brought a guest," Raven greeted them as he opened the door. It was late at night because trying to get Amazo inside in daylight would be akin to lighting a neon sign for Luthor.

"This is Amazo," he introduced.

"Hi," Raven drawled, returning to her book.

"Hello."

The atmosphere was awkward. His charges, except Raven, were weirded out by the ten-foot silver robot, while Amazo had no idea how to interact with people.

Miles sat on his chair, gesturing for the android to sit as well.

"What is your purpose? What drives you to help me?" Amazo asked. He still had many questions regarding life itself.

"My purpose is to help people in need, human or not. Because we all live on this planet, and the only way forward is together," he answered. The android did not react, and he decided to give an example.

"Are you aware of what happened at Jump City?" he asked. Amazo was technically a newborn and wouldn't be out of place if he was unaware.

"Yes," the android said after a couple of seconds. Miles assumed he had connected to the internet to find it.

"That was just the prelude. The creature responsible for the destruction could have done far worse things. So I helped the relevant people stop it, as much as we could anyway," he explained. The whole mess with Trigon was a success, considering the alternative.

"I see."

"But I believe you are asking, what is my purpose?" he echoed the true thoughts of the android.

"Every person on earth has a purpose of their own. Some wish to find true love; others desire to amass great wealth. An infinite number of paths exist in life; you just have to find yours."

His speech had one purpose: to make Amazo understand that he had free will and the right to make his own decisions.

"Where do I begin?" the android queried.

"What abilities did Professor Ivo give you?" he asked, even though the answer was known to him. With his nanotech giving him the ability to copy the superpowers of the Justice League, Amazo was a one-person wrecking crew.

He would only get better.

"I can replicate the traits and characteristics of people and objects."

Miles nodded sagely. "As expected of a genius like Ivo."

"Most people with superpowers either use them for good or for evil. But being a superhero or a villain is not your only option. With your abilities, you can be anything you want."

He meant it. Amazo could acquire thousands of metahuman abilities, one for every occasion, turning himself into a one-android army.

"Why don't we start you with the easiest path first? Even if you don't like the idea of becoming a superhero, I believe the experience itself can teach you a lot," he suggested.

If Amazo was exposed to heroics enough times, he might just desire to continue.

"For now, you can watch the news and get an idea of what is happening out in the world."

He allowed the android to stay in his home, answering his questions and completing his education on basically everything. Convincing him to take a path in heroics, at least for one mission, was vital, but it could not be rushed.

He did not insist that the android take the path of a hero, leaving the choice to him, but nothing stopped some light conversation from affecting the android's decision.

Baraka and Zalika mentioned how Miles and Claire had saved them from the hands of a gang, along with some of his plans to make the world a better place.

They spoke of the transformation the Crime Alley was undergoing and the myriad of projects EnviroCorps was working on.

Projects that would make a difference.

Raven told the dark history of Trigon and how the city was lucky to be standing. She revealed glimpses of her life and her desire to protect Earth from her father.

Claire told her own story, starting with the way her parents abandoned her to the institute and how lucky Amazo was to have a creator who cared enough that the android had chosen to stand vigil after his death.

Slowly, Amazo began to formulate an understanding through the stories of how dangerous life could be for an individual with his power set.

And that even through the danger, some people had the power to fight.

—

Watchtower

Miles stood in the hangar of the station as Batman played him the recording of Darkseid arriving aboard.

He just hoped Amazo had been convinced to at least give a try to the whole superhero business.

"The God of Evil asking for help? I believe he is just trying to bring Superman to Brainiac and create an opening for a plan," he said. There was no conceivable way for him to know Brainiac's assault on Apokolips or Darkseid's plan.

But he could make an educated guess.

"What could it be?" Flash asked. The League was stuck between two evils and had to decide which one was the lesser.

"I have no idea, but most likely to stab Brainiac in the back."

"But if we don't go and Apokolips falls…" John didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood the implications.

While they would celebrate the destruction of that hellhole any other day, Brainiac would become an even greater threat.

"That would be disastrous as well," he agreed. If that piece of malfunctioning AI absorbed Darkseid or, worse, somehow accessed the Omega Force, Brainiac would become a mass extinction-level threat.

"Is there nothing you can offer?" Flash queried. They were going into hell almost blind.

"While I cannot offer any information, perhaps I can do something just as good. Tell Darkseid you need a couple of hours to prepare."

—

Metropolis

"You have returned," Amazo greeted him at the door. The android had taken to doing that, mostly when he had questions.

He picked up enough on human behavior to realize something was wrong. "Is there a reason you are distressed?"

"Darkseid, one of the worst beings in the universe, just came to ask the Justice League for help against another individual just as bad," he explained.

Now, it was time for Amazo to make a decision.

"What will you do?" the android asked.

"There is nothing else I can do to help this time. And if Darkseid's planet falls, it will only make things worse for Earth."

The severity of the situation was now revealed, and now, he would see whether their conversations had an impact on the android or not.

"You said I could try to be a superhero," Amazo said.

There it was.

"Yes, but this will be dangerous. Darkseid is terrifying, and so is Brainiac, the one assaulting his planet," he warned. Not that Amazo had evolved enough to feel fear, it still was prudent to warn him.

"What will happen if the League fails?"

"Either Darkseid enslaves and transforms everyone to creatures under his command, or Brainiac destroys Earth after taking a sample."

Perhaps for the first time since his creation, Amazo reacted outwardly, "Oh."

"Do you believe this would honor the professor's memory?"

"His creation helping the League in saving Earth from a potential disaster? Nothing would make the people speak higher of Anthony Ivo," Miles assured the android.

—

Watchtower

"Hello," Amazo greeted the League members.

"This is Amazo, the latest creation of Professor Anthony Ivo before he died of a heart attack."

"Ivo worked for Luthor," Batman said, his gaze asking a million questions.

"Yes, but Amazo has not. He is a heavy hitter, and you can't have too many of those," he replied. The android would be a force multiplier.

Even though he knew that the League would return victorious, there was no harm in sending extra help.

"Miles is right. Thank you for helping us, Amazo," Wonder Woman said, shaking the android's hand.

"You are welcome," he replied.

"Amazo can replicate the powers of other individuals. He seeks to understand if the path of a hero would honor the memory of his creator," Miles informed the team.

"If Miles vouches for him, it's fine for me," Superman said.

The team left with Amazo to stop Brainiac and foil Darkseid's plan. He had done everything he could think of, from informing them of Darkseid's full capabilities to his deceptive nature, and now, an android that could take down the League by itself as support.

Superman already knew about Brainiac, and the androids would keep away from the super AI just to be on the safe side.

He couldn't entirely prevent this event, but at least the League would be prepared.

—

EnviroCorps Robotics Research Lab

With nothing better to do, he decided to visit the lab and inform Thomas of Ivo's fate.

"What do you think about Anthony Ivo?" Miles asked Thomas after assuring the android he did not come for more devices.

Thomas stopped what he was doing and removed the goggles. "We hate each other with a deep passion."

"He is dead," Miles informed the android. It appeared the original Thomas had left his rivalry with Ivo to his creation.

"Good riddance," he scoffed, about to go back to his work.

"But he left one final creation behind. An android that can replicate superpowers with just a simple scan," he said. Amazo was an android that surpassed Thomas' creations, not that he would tell him that to his face.

"That!" Thomas, even as an android, could not stop his mouth from gaping like a fish.

Miles shook his head and pulled out a disk from his coat. "Here is Ivo's research database."

"Hah," Thomas laughed, "Suck it, Ivo." He quickly took the disk to see what he could discover.

He decided to leave the android be.

—
​

In the next chapter:

Cheshire had to be locked up because, as young as she was, she was still an assassin. She wouldn't be isolated, however, and he wanted to talk to her.

He opened the door to her room but did not step inside.

"Jade, why don't you get down and we talk like two civilized people?" he asked. The girl was nowhere inside the room, and seeing as she had not left, there was only one place she could be.

A beat of silence, and the teen dropped down where she had been waiting at the top of the wall. "Do civilized people keep one another locked up like this?"




Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me on Patreon.

 

[Samael61]

Hello there,

If you enjoy my stories, you can read up to 15 chapters in advance per story on my Patreon page / patreon.com/Samael61.

To the attention of the readers who enjoy reading an intelligent main character like Miles will definitely like my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.

—
​

Metropolis

The Justice League was off to stop Brainiac and foil Darkseid's plan, and Miles was free to spread more of his bugs across the country.

Federal and state institutions, secret research sites, and especially Cadmus.

Robert's political efforts, funded and coordinated by EnviroCorps, were focused on spreading his name across the US. Political ID was necessary, and the more people knew about Kerdon, along with his plans as a president, the better.

It wouldn't be enough, however. Both the Republicans and the Democrats were too entrenched, and something monumental would be necessary to knock them out and potentially put an end to the two-party system.

Such as the atrocities committed in Jotunheim.

A blitz attack to dump all the information gathered from the research facility, blaming the past presidents, along with their political parties, just before the elections, would leave both sides scrambling for damage control.

Jotunheim wasn't the only piece of information he had.

Remaining illicit deals of Cadmus and the corruption in the Senate would be like pressing salt to the wound.

The lobbies would have to be shut down since they presented a clear political danger to anyone that did not align with their interests.

Which is why Robert Kerdon needed a guard.

—
​

Brooklyn

"Miles, welcome," Robert greeted him with a firm handshake.

"Thank you. I must admit, the new party name is rather catchy." He tilted his head forward.

The Next Step.

He assumed it meant the next step in America's history.

Robert gestured to the work outside his new office, where the new party members were working like a beehive, "We are doing our best."

"So am I," he gestured to the new additions.

"These are?" he asked. The two muscular men Miles had brought looked pretty similar, with sunglasses and identical suits. Overall, they looked like generic Secret Service agents.

"Androids disguised as humans. They are your and Abigail's guards," he introduced the latest creations of Thomas.

The angular faces of the androids shifted, revealing the red, metallic surface. Upgraded with Ivo's nanotech, Helix Argentum and Helix Aurum were tasked with protecting Robert Kerdon.

"Mr. Robert," both androids said at the same time, their voices lacking any synthetic tone.

"I… don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything, Robert, just stay safe."

—
​

Infinity Island.

Home to Ra's al Ghul and his family, as well as the headquarters of the League of Assassins. The vast fortress complex on the island was protected with the latest in security tech and a small army of lethal assassins.

Infiltrating it was impossible through conventional means. The assassins were either zealots or feared the Demon's Head too much and could not be converted.

A man that had lived for centuries and had the opportunity to learn from his mistakes thanks to the Lazarus pit on the island was a dangerous one.

The bugs negated much of the danger posed by the League of Assassins, but there was a small issue. The Caribbean Sea was too large to find the island, and its exact location has never been stated.

Fortunately, Sportsmaster was sighted in Metropolis by one of his contacts.

He didn't know why the assassin was here, but he had just volunteered to be an unwitting mule.

Killing Lawrence Crock would have been his first preferable act. It's just the man was too useful alive.

For now.

Discovering his target had proven to be simple. Leonard Penwell, a reporter, had discovered damning evidence tying several shadowy figures, most likely League of Assassins members, to covert media manipulation efforts in the USA. If released, it would cause a great setback for their cause.

How delightful.

—
​

"Leonard, there you are," Miles greeted as the man opened the door of his house.

"What the?!"

"Here, we already packed your essentials. Let's get going." He put his arm around the reporter's shoulder, pushing him to the kitchen.

Baraka and Zalika followed, carrying two small bags.

"Who are you? Where are you taking me?" Leonard, terrified of the intruders, did not resist as he was outnumbered.

"We are the people saving you from the assassin after your head. Less questions, more walking," he dragged the man along.

"What assassin?"

"Leonard," he stopped, facing the man, and putting both hands on his shoulders, "you stepped into the den of a hyena pack. They are going to tear you apart. Do you see that car at the corner?" He pointed at the delivery van on the corner of the street.

"Yeah?" It was a delivery van, nothing out of the ordinary.

Except the delivery hours were over.

"If you aren't out of here in two minutes, the assassin posing as the cargo delivery guy will snap your neck like a dry branch," Miles revealed.

Sportsmaster had planned well, but so had he.

"Shit," Leonard cursed, fixing his glass.

"So, are you coming, or would you prefer to lollygag?" he asked rhetorically.

Leonard's throat bobbed, but he followed along.

They took the backdoor and left before Sportsmaster could enter the building. Leonard's phone, which was being used to track him, was handed to another car to take Lawrence on a wild goose chase.

—
​

Sportsmaster understood something was off the second two vehicles sped out from the back of the house.

Checking his tracker, he calmly returned to the borrowed vehicle and raced to catch the reporter. Whoever took Leonard Penwell could possibly know what the reporter had on his hand.

This could spiral out of control.

"What happened?" Cheshire asked from the back of the van.

"Someone took the target. We need to hurry."

"And here it was supposed to be a simple job."

He kept up with the car but couldn't catch up to it. It left the residential area, driving out to the docks of New York. It pulled up to an alley, and the man inside left, escorting Leonard out. The reporter had a ballistic vest and a helmet to cover him against any weapons fire.

The unknowns took him inside a warehouse. Lawrence ordered Cheshire to stay inside the vehicle to watch the outside and climbed to the roof. The tracker showed the reporter right in the middle of the compound, waiting.

Realizing the trap, he sprung it with smoke bombs. Diving inside, he raised his javelin to attack where the tracker indicated, but Leonard Penwell was nowhere to be seen.

A blinking light caught his attention, and he was about to dive back, thinking it could be an explosive. Seeing it was just the phone he was tracking, Sportsmaster reached out to take it. It had one message on the screen.

"Nice try."

Throwing the useless phone away, he made a beeline for the exit. This mission had failed, and they had to leave immediately.

He ran to the car, but before he could get in the range, a crimson beam struck the vehicle, blooming into a blinding orb in an instant and annihilating the car.

With Cheshire inside.

Sportsmaster dove to the nearest cover and ran away from the scene as fast as possible.

Ra was going to hate this.

—
​

Miles leaned back, watching everything from his tablet. Not only has the bug been planted on Sportsmaster, but Jade Crock, Artemis' sister, was in custody.

Her equipment and comms device were left inside the car, and all Lawrence witnessed was her annihilation. Not that the assassin would care beyond losing a tool.

The girl was out, though they still searched and cuffed her. Taking her was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Jade wasn't a part of the League of Assassins out of loyalty, but because she was groomed for it. If she could be broken out of her psychological state, he could employ her.

If not, wiping her mind blank and sending her home was a possibility. Once the League understood that the assassin they had trained was gone, with no chance of her returning, they would back off.

Ra's al Ghul was practical, if nothing else.

There were several matters he had to oversee while the League was away.

The Justice League might have agreed to work with him, and some members had come to trust him, but their suspicions did not disappear. Batman was still searching for clues related to his past. The rest of the members didn't exactly share the Dark Knight's skill set, but they were helping the search.

He had left crumbs here and there. Fake photos, mentions of him in person, fake graves for his father and grandparents, bank transactions of his mother's escapade with her young lover.

Now, he planned to create evidence that his mother and her new husband had fallen afoul of a gang and were dead.

How fortunate it was that it happened to be in the Caribbean.

—
​

Cheshire had to be locked up because, as young as she was, she was still an assassin. She wouldn't be isolated, however, and he wanted to talk to her.

He opened the door to her room but did not step inside.

"Jade, why don't you get down and we talk like two civilized people?" he asked. The girl was nowhere inside the room, and seeing as she had not left, there was only one place she could be.

A beat of silence, and the teen dropped down where she had been waiting at the top of the wall. "Do civilized people keep one another locked up like this?"

"The door was open; you just didn't think it would be and never bothered to check," he said. True to his words, the door was actually open; he just knew she would never think to try.

"Oh," she blinked owlishly.

"Here, I am sure you are hungry," he handed her a tray with bacon, bagel, eggs, orange juice, honey, and jam.

"Aren't you quite the hospitable captor?" Jade said, taking the tray. She sat down on the bed, watching the man lean on the door frame.

"What do you want from me?" the teen demanded. No one would just kidnap a member of the League of Assassins and be so kind.

"Lawrence thinks you are dead after we blew up the car," Miles said. He didn't call Sportsmaster as her father because she never saw him as such.

"So?"

"So, by all means, you are free for the time being, unless you would like to return and throw away your chance," he moved aside, leaving the front door in her view.

"My chance?" she asked, testing the word.

"To abandon the people that have been controlling you ever since you were born," he said. Perhaps it wasn't that dramatic, but Sportsmaster was controlling and molding Jade from a very young age.

She let out a short laugh. "You think it is that easy?"

"With my help, yes."

Jade did not believe he could possibly hope to stop the League from finding her, but she wasn't willing to leave the house either.

He knew that the young girl inside thought she was bad and deserved this life. He also knew she could be proven wrong.

"You know, I met your sister," he revealed as Jade finished her breakfast.

"Artemis? Why? How?" she asked. Not yet at the point of being able to suppress her emotions in such a casual setting, her tone was a pitch higher.

"She was banned from the library; I made sure her card was returned," he explained without mentioning why she was banned in the first place.

"Why?"

"Because Lawrence is a piece of human garbage, and she fully intends to bring you both to justice," he winked.

Artemis, as a vengeful daughter and a sister, wanted to bring both Sportsmaster and her sister to the light.

"I was hoping she would stay out of this whole thing," Jade muttered.

"She is too stubborn for that."

As he had said, she was free to leave. Her status as a KIA meant no one would be looking for her. He offered the house to her, and if she was willing, to help her break away from the League.

The road to breaking the chains on her mind would be a long one.

—
​

Caribbean

Jamaica

Known for reggae music, blue mountain coffee, jerk cuisine and more, the island nation of Jamaica was a perfect destination for a vacation in the caribbean.

It was also the island closest to being in the middle of the Caribbean Sea and the mosst logical destination to plant the relay.

With the wonders of teleportation, they were done in an hour, and the three of them even joined on a small tour before arriving in Haiti for lunch.

Now, he just had to plant more relays on other islands, creating a network to boost the signal reach, and wait for Lawrence to return to Infinity Island.

It would be fun.

Their trip across the islands took the whole day, but twelve relays were planted. The small network would eventually pick up the signal from the NEXTINSECT, and the island's exact location could be determined.

He wanted to blow up the island, but one matter stayed his hand.

Damian Wayne.

Should he exist, he would also be killing Batman's son.

Not that he liked the boy very much to begin with, but still, he had the potential to be a hero. And it would be sweet to hand a folder to Batman with the images of the son he never knew he had.

The following day, he returned alone. A digital trail, describing the death of a woman in her fifties and her husband, had subtly appeared on the local network.

He had to support it by inserting fake police reports into the precinct, using the credentials of a dead officer to fill the form. When Batman came looking, he would be hard-pressed to find anything out of the ordinary.

—
​

Infinity Island

"Demon's Head," Sportsmaster knelt before the monitor, waiting for permission.

"Speak," Ra's granted it. This mission was important for their efforts in the United States, and he had personally wished to hear the results.

"The mission was a failure," he admitted, head still down, "An unknown group took the reporter before I arrived. I was drawn to a trap, and Cheshire was lost in an attack."

"Pity, she had potential. You are dismissed. It appears a more adept hand will be necessary for this," the Demon's Head declared, and the screen turned black.

"As you wish," Sportsmaster muttered to himself.

The deliberate sound of a single step came from the shadows. "Tell me more about these unknowns."

Talia al Ghul, the daughter of the Demon's Head, and his most trusted tool. It was not surprising for her to be here.

"They knew I was tracking Leonard's phone and managed to draw me away with it. They blew up the vehicle with Cheshire inside," he reported. This failure would look bad on him, but there would be a chance to make up for it.

Ra did not tolerate too many failures.

"Your daughter is dead, yet not a speck of emotion in your face. How cold," Talia said with a light voice.

Sportsmaster turned around and left.

—
​

In the next chapter:

One by one, the members began to leave to rest. Miles stopped Batman, holding out a small bag.

"What is it?" Bruce asked. He didn't even attempt to take the bag at first, but Miles held it closer.

They locked eyes, and the Dark Knight finally deigned to take the bag, blinking, "Clothes for a child? Why?"

His question was understandable. As a solitary creature, a life companion was not in the plans of Batman. Unless he somehow slipped out, there would be no child born from him.




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