Saturday 10th October, 16:50.
Rhode Island,
Happy Harbour,
The Cave.
Grunting with exertion, Esau drove his fists into the punching bag, each impact sending it jerking backwards. Again and again, his blows landed with force, his teeth clenched in frustration as the battle against Black Adam replayed in his mind. No matter how much he tried to focus on something else, the memory wouldn't leave him.
He hadn't expected to win—victory had been the furthest thing from his mind. But he'd hoped to at least put up a decent fight.He hadn't even done that. The so-called 'fight' had been nothing more than a one-sided slaughter. Black Adam had toyed with him for most of it, barely even taking him seriously. Even when Aqualad and Miss Martian had joined the battle, it had changed nothing. If anything, it had made things worse—Black Adam had simply stopped holding back.
Not only that but Black Adam had dropped a metaphorical bombshell on his head.
Yokai.
The title Black Adam had given him echoed over and over in his head, just like the fight itself. Taunting and reminding him just how little he actually knew about himself.
"Esau, are you alright?"
Barbara's voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to reality. She stepped into the gym, glancing at him with concern. Their team fitness training had ended nearly half an hour ago, most of the team having left to shower and change. She had assumed Esau had done the same—until she passed by the gym and found him still here, still training.
"You should rest."
Esau landed one final blow before turning to face her, his chest rising and falling a little faster than usual. Sweat glistened on his skin, but despite that, he still looked like he could go on for hours. "I'm not alright," he admitted, wiping his face with a towel. "And I can't rest."
"Why?"
"Oh, come on, Barbara, do you even have to ask?" His tone was sharp, irritation lacing his words. Barbara frowned slightly, but before she could respond, Esau sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry for snapping," he muttered. "I'm just… frustrated."
Barbara stepped closer, reaching out to take his hand. "You're not blaming yourself for what happened, are you?"
"And why the hell shouldn't I?" Esau shot back, pulling away. "I'm supposed to be the leader of this team, aren't I? But what difference did it make? Black Adam destroyed me. He tore through me, Aqualad, and Miss Martian like we were nothing. And if the Justice League hadn't shown up when they did, he would have done the same to the rest of you. He could have killed us all, and I couldn't do a damn thing about it."
Now, Barbara truly understood why this was eating away at him.
It wasn't about the team failing to stop the Injustice League. They had stopped them. Aqualad taking out Atomic Skull had prevented the plant antenna from activating, weakening the plant creatures. Superboy taking out the Joker early on, followed by Atomic Skull, had rendered the creatures completely useless. With nothing powering or controlling them, the Justice League had been able to wipe them out easily and arrive in time to provide backup.
Esau had completed the mission.
By keeping Black Adam busy—something Barbara still couldn't fully comprehend how he'd even managed—he had ensured their success.
But that wasn't what bothered him.
What bothered him was that he had been completely powerless against Black Adam. And if the Justice League had been even a minute late, Black Adam would have turned his attention to the rest of the team.
That, more than anything, was what stung.
"Esau, you can't blame yourself for that," Barbara said firmly. "Black Adam can take on guys like Superman and Captain Marvel—"
"—And what chance do I have?"
Barbara shook her head. "That's not what I meant, and you know it. Black Adam is one of the biggest threats out there. That's why you chose to be the diversion. Someone like him isn't like Talon or even Deathstroke. He's in the same category as the guys who—if they really cut loose—could destroy the planet. Maybe even more than that."
She didn't need to say the rest. They both knew that, despite Black Adam's power, he still had a personal connection to Earth. Specifically, to Egypt. That was the only reason he hadn't unleashed his full might. If he had, there was no telling how much destruction he could have caused.
The same went for Superman, Captain Atom, Martian Manhunter, Captain Marvel and many more. None of them ever fought at their full strength. No one actually knew the true limits of the Justice League's top-tier members because they never went all out. They couldn't. If they did, the collateral damage would be catastrophic.
Black Adam was no different.
He was one of the few beings on Earth who could stand on equal footing with them.
Barbara sighed. "What did you expect, Esau?" She asked, her voice gentler now. "That you'd go from our level to their level in less than a year? Those guys are freaks of nature. Their strength was built over years of pushing past impossible limits. You can't compare yourself to them. Not yet."
Esau was silent, her words hitting him harder than he wanted to admit. After a long pause, he sighed, relenting. "I know. You're right," he muttered. "It's just…frustrating."
Barbara nodded, giving him a small smile. "You heard the news?"
"About Zatara being our new den mother?" Esau asked, grateful for the change in subject. "Yeah, I heard. What's he like?"
"He's a nice guy," Barbara said. "A little strict, very straight-to-business, but yeah, nice enough."
-X-
Esau leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, as he studied Jason Blood's reaction. The sorcerer's expression was unreadable at first, but Esau didn't miss the flicker of surprise that passed through his eyes.
Jason's lips pressed into a thin line before he finally spoke. "Where did you hear that name?"
"Black Adam," Esau answered without hesitation. "During our fight, he called me Yokai—like it was some kind of title. He seemed to know something about me that I don't, and I want to know what that connection is. What are the Yokai? And what do they have to do with my powers?"
Jason exhaled slowly, pacing to the nearby table, lost in thought. He rested a hand against the wooden surface, fingers tapping idly before turning back to Esau.
"Not much is known about the Yokai," Jason admitted, his tone carrying a rare edge of uncertainty. "They were a mercenary group who hunted demons exclusively—one that wandered across the world for a time before settling in Egypt. But their presence there was short-lived. They were wiped out."
"By who?"
Jason shrugged. "The records aren't clear. Some say it was a rival faction, others claim it was a coordinated effort by multiple groups. What's certain is that they were feared by just about everyone—and for good reason."
Esau frowned. "Because they dealt with demons?"
"More than that," Jason said, his gaze sharp. "They weren't just mercenaries who dealt with demons. They were described as demons in human flesh. That kind of description isn't unique—many groups throughout history have had similar accusations thrown at them. The Chikara Clan, for example. But the Yokai? The accounts about them are… different."
"Different how?"
Jason hesitated, then walked over to a bookshelf, pulling out an old, leather-bound tome. He flipped through the pages before stopping at an illustration. He turned it to Esau. The image was old, faded, but the details were clear enough—figures resembling humans, yet with tails, standing amidst flames, their mouths open as if breathing fire.
Esau stared at the page.
He recognised the transformation.
Jason watched him carefully. "It's likely that this was just magic being misunderstood by humans—warped into folklore and superstition over time. But among sorcerers, the Yokai are often used as examples of possible half-breeds."
"Half-breeds?" Esau echoed, eyes narrowing.
Jason nodded. "There's always been a theory that some bloodlines carry demonic ancestry. Most scholars dismiss it, believing it to be an excuse made by lesser sorcerers who couldn't accept that so-called inferior beings from a backwater continent were achieving feats they themselves were too cowardly to attempt. But…"
Jason trailed off, his gaze lingering on the image.
"But now you're not so sure," Esau finished for him.
Jason looked back at him, expression unreadable once more. "Your very existence is making me reconsider some long-held assumptions. If Black Adam recognised something in you… it means the Yokai weren't just myths. And if they were half-breeds—"
"Then so am I," Esau muttered, gripping the edge of the table.
The room fell into silence.
Jason closed the tome, regarding Esau with an almost fascinated intensity. "This changes things," he admitted.
Esau exhaled, his mind racing. His entire life, he had wondered about the nature of his abilities. Now, for the first time, he had a possible answer.
He just wasn't sure if he wanted it.