10 advance chapters on P@treon.com/Saintbarbido.
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(Angel's P.O.V)
Finally, I had achieved my goal. From here on out, the League of Shadows was mine.
I realize Ra's was particularly gracious to me. I don't think he would have allowed anyone, whether they were champion of the tournament or not, control of his assassin organization.
But he was gaining a lot from our deal as well.
With me came nigh endless resources and the opportunity to grow the strength of the League of Shadows.
Just imagine, Ninjas in specialized suits of armors! Like Ninja Kamui, one of my favorite shows back in my old life.
I even had Ivo working on something like that, though a prototype was a few months away - greenlighting the project had been dependent on whether I could acquire the League of Shadows or not.
Fortunately, I had succeeded on that front, and could now give the go-ahead for those special Ninja suits and build my own private army of Assassins!
The more immediate issue I had to deal with, was the Justice League's (un)expected presence.
Nine members in total stood on the Arena with me.
At the lead was an older man in a top hat that lightly made the Mana within me sizzle, so he had to be Zatara, the magician. The one responsible for transporting them here.
And going by the rest of their costumes, there was Batman, Wonder Woman, The two Hawk heroes, Green Lantern who was levitating in the air - a green aura around his body, Black Canary - she was way too beautiful for Green Arrow, who stood beside her and lastly, and perhaps the one person I was both glad was here and also wary of, Superman.
"We're under attack! Protect the master!"
Sensei immediately ordered, and all the shadows kneeling before me jumped to surround Ra's Al Ghul.
A few stayed with me and Sensei, but none of them were stupid enough to get between the Justice League and me.
Points for good judgment. I like smart minions.
The large bell that was used to announce the fights rang twice, no doubt an alarm to call in more shadows to the Training Grounds in response to the intruders.
Most of the Fighters in the stands were also running away.
Surprisingly, some of them, the ones I had become acquainted with - Goku, Jinx, Cheshire and Ravager, ran up to the Arena and stood with me.
I made a note to remember it.
Luckily, the heroes were missing a few troublesome members - the Martian, Shazam, and of course, the fastest man alive.
They were probably left behind to guard the Watchtower as well as handle any issues that came up during the majority's absence.
That, more or less, worked out for me.
Despite their considerable firepower, I wasn't helpless.
Not to mention, I had planned for this.
If everything went smoothly, I could benefit once again from this encounter.
But it was going to be a big risk. The biggest I had ever taken.
"Batman, it's so like you to drop in unannounced."
I called out with a wave.
"I'm guessing this is yours? Or maybe...your Sidekick's?"
I held up the tracker Robin had slipped on me.
The Dark Knight remained silent, his body betraying nothing. Mmh, he's truly more than a man. Psychological warfare won't easily work on him.
"Angel Savage, on account of your criminal activities, we're here to bring you in. It would be wise if you surrendered son."
Superman stepped forward, his voice filled with unshakable strength and determination.
The iconic S symbol on his chest added to his larger-than-life persona.
This was my very first time meeting Superman.
And it was the first time in a while where I was truly nervous.
This was a man who had a dozen ways to deal with anything I could dish out just by relying on his raw strength and speed alone.
And if that turned out not to be enough, then he had other powers like freeze breath, heat vision, etc., to fall back on.
I used the nanomachines in my body to subtly adjust my hormones, forcefully calming myself down.
I couldn't lose my nerve right now. Not when everything relied on me being focused.
("Young Master, Operation: Archive is underway. Psimon and I are inside the Watchtower, making our way into the operations deck. I won't be able to assist you for the time being, do be careful.") Shade's voice came through the nanites placed on my ear.
I couldn't answer back as there was the risk of Superman's super hearing catching on and ruining the whole plan.
My part of it was to keep them occupied for as long as possible.
That was the only reason I hadn't high-tailed it off the Island the second I won the Tournament.
Because after being in this world for the last 10 years, I had learned where the true battle lay. It wasn't just about clashing powers, it was also about clashing wits.
"Superman...Batman, really pulled out all the stops if he brought you along."
I motioned to the rest of the League.
"But don't you think the others are overkill? You alone can take on everyone on this Island and easily win, if you had to."
"That is not how the Justice League operates."
Superman replied in a stiff tone, pulling out a letter.
"This is a stamped and approved document from the president of the United States of America, calling for your arrest."
He ignored me and turned to the Second Floor of the main building where Ra's was standing.
"Ra's Al Ghul, our quarrel is not with you. Order your men to stand down or there will be consequences." The Man of Steel casually threatened.
"You have no authority here, Superman. Infinity Island is the home of the Shadows. The detective knows not to poke a sleeping bear. You would be wise to heed my warning and leave while I still show you mercy."
Ra's Al Ghul replied, eyes set on Batman, not the least intimidated.
"Hey, hey, shouldn't we be running away right about now?" Jinx whispered from my rear left,
"You know I got your back, but that's the freakin Justice League!"
"Everyone of them is so strong, especially that red and blue guy...his power level is crazy! I wanna fight him but I wouldn't stand a chance. But I still wanna."
Goku added, tone laced with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.
"They're right. We can't win," Ravager muttered under her breath.
"Our best bet is to use their inevitable clash with the Shadows and escape."
"Escape?"
I scoffed,
"That's not an option. They would just leave the Shadows behind and come after me. You guys would be better off if you left me behind and ran."
I could sense them considering it.
"No way. You still owe me a fight," Goku stated,
"And facing strong opponents makes me stronger. Master Roshi didn't teach me to show my back to an opponent. That is not the way of the Turtle School Martial Arts!"
There was a brief pause as we all digested his statements.
Jinx let a chuckle.
"I agree with Monkey boy. He may be a dumbass, but he's right. You're not alone in this. Besides, with my powers, I am most useful in this kind of fight. I excell in chaos."
"You would put your freedom on the line?"
I curiously asked.
To our front, the Justice League seemed to be discussing something, tightening their formation as more and more Shadows poured in from other parts of the Island, filling the training grounds and surrounding the Arena.
"My end goal for fighting in the Tournament was to join the League of Shadows."
Jinx explained,
"With my powers, I could have easily won too. Curse my luck that I met you on the first round and lost. So yeah, I was never going to be buddies with the good guys anyway. My powers don't do good, so why not throw my lot in with you? If anything, my intuition tells me you're probably the safe bet outta here."
So, she wanted a place to belong. I could respect that.
"All this sappy crap is upsetting my stomach. I'm only on your side because of our mutual dislike of the heroes. But if I die, I'm so haunting you."
Cheshire stated.
'Not unexpected from Sportsmaster's daughter. She's probably fought against a few members of the Justice League before.' I thought.
"Don't worry, I won't forget this," I assured her.
"What about you, Rosey?"
I asked Ravager, who stayed silent before giving her answer, which coincided with the sound of a blade being unsheathed.
"We're friends," she stated firmly.
Huh? A small grin spread across my face.
"I guess we are." I remarked.
As long as I can remember, I have always fought alone. Shade had been there, but he was mostly confined to support or left behind to guard Candie. So this was a new feeling for me.
I always emphasized personal strength above everything. That was something I knew about myself. It was a principle I had ingrained within my body through training, but also one that had become a mantra through Psimon's telepathy. That's how much I valued my own power.
That said, relying on the four people behind me did not feel like a betrayal to that principle. It actually felt...nice.
'I won't refuse their help,' I decided.
"Standing with me is standing with a king. I promise you, this debt of goodwill shall be repaid tenfold."
I declared, looking back with a smirk and spotting the varying expressions of surprise on their faces.
"So don't worry."
I turned to face our front, unbuttoning my jacket and revealing the pommels of both Blaze and Frost, which I had with me from the very start of the day.
"Win or lose, no one will die, and no one will be left behind."
(General P.O.V)
Batman and Ra's silent conversation was broken by the leader of Shadows' head shake.
"I see then. You truly cannot be swayed from your group's foolishness, Detective. If so, perhaps this will change your mind."
He snapped his finger, and from his back, a tied-up and gagged Dick was pushed forward.
"Halt."
With that single word from Lady Shiva, who was the one to bring in the hostage, Boy Wonder came to a stop behind Ra's Al Ghul.
Dick initially couldn't meet Batman's eyes due to his feelings of failure.
"Hold your head high, boy."
Ra's instructed.
"A true warrior faces adversity head on."
Using the tip of her blade, Shiva moved Dick's chin up.
Batman met his protege's gaze, which he held for a time. Then he shifted them back to Ra's.
"Angel Savage is a criminal responsible for the death of two Justice League members."
Batman began in a steady voice.
"His other crimes include murder, assault, theft, grand larceny, arson, terrorism, weapons smuggling, money laundering, cybercrime, racketeering, vandalism, breaking and entering, forgery, illegal experimentation, bribery and corruption, environmental crimes, and multiple escapes from custody. His profile matches the 6th most wanted villain, Scorchus on the F.B.I, and 3rd on Interpol's global wanted list. We cannot and will not allow a danger like that to run free in society. There will be no negotiations, Ra's Al Ghul. We are arresting him. If you get in the way, we will bring you in as well."
There was a stunned silence as everyone digested his words. More than a few people stared at Angel in question.
"Y- you...did all that?"
Goku asked Angel in an unsure tone.
Even Jinx changed the way she was staring at his back.
Only Ravager held an understanding and almost pitying expression in her eyes.
Angel sighed.
"Yes. Not to justify myself, but I had no other choice. I am not good, Goku. I was not raised to be good. If that makes you hesitant to stand by me, I understand and will not judge you."
Goku warred with indecision before resolve appeared in his eyes. He glared towards the League,
"I don't know much about the outside world or any of you people. But we all have pasts we would not like to remember. For this reason, you can count on me. At least in this battle."
"Same," Jinx affirmed.
"Lousy parenting huh? Ravager and I know something about that, so I'm still with you. Let's kick some hero ass."
Cheshire added.
As for Ravager, she didn't need to say anything. Her and Angel already knew each other's past.
On the second floor, Ra's Al Ghul's gaze jumped to Angel before shifting back to the League.
"That man is our new Leader. True loyalty is blind, Detective. You want to know whether I'll step aside or not? My answer is clear. Show me your worst, Justice League!"