Chapter 104: 104

Words : 1049 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

| Dream State - August 20 Joseph appeared instantly in the Dream State—a pristine white expanse stretching into infinity, empty yet strangely serene. He turned, immediately spotting Nova's avatar, a shifting voxel-shaped humanoid made of golden light. Standing nearby were two women—both versions of Silver Swan. One was the Silver Swan he knew: red-haired, silver-winged, and furious. The other was dressed like a silver ballerina, weeping on her knees. A glowing silver cord connected their chests, as if tethering two halves of one broken soul. Before he could react, Silver Swan lunged with a primal scream, wings spread like blades. Joseph was done playing with her. With a thought, he commanded Nova's avatar to intercept. It surged forward, grabbed Swan mid-flight by the leg, and slammed her into the white floor. In a fluid motion, it mounted her, knees pinning her arms as it sat firmly on her chest. She screamed, wings slashing down, her mouth unleashing sonic blasts that tore through the air. But they were useless. Each time she landed a hit, Nova's avatar simply reformed, unfazed, maintaining its grip. Joseph ignored her rage and turned to the other woman—Vanessa. She trembled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry." He frowned. "What's going on?" he asked calmly. "We've probably fallen into the ocean by now, and with the density of nanites in your system, you're going to sink like a rock. Unlike me, I'm not sure you survive underwater." She shuddered but slowly looked up. "It's all my fault," she whispered. "I just wanted to dance again... I just wanted Diana to see me. And instead, I became... her." She gestured weakly to the restrained Swan, who shrieked in protest. Joseph's mind clicked. Wonder Woman had been sure the nanites had corrupted her mind. It seemed they'd fractured her psyche. Silver Swan and Vanessa weren't just aliases. They were two minds now, two entities trapped in one body. "You created her?" he asked, already guessing the answer. Vanessa nodded. "The pain... the surgeries... I was so angry. And then the nanites—they changed everything. They made her real." "Let go of me, fucker!" Silver Swan snarled beneath Nova's avatar. Another scream ripped from her throat. Joseph sidestepped it easily. "And where did these nanites come from?" he asked. "I don't know," Vanessa said, wiping her face. "The doctors said it was experimental. My only chance to dance again. And... and the people who implanted them? They're dead. I killed them all." Joseph's jaw clenched. She wasn't lying. He could read her mind. She'd watched through Swan's eyes as innocent people died. She'd lived every second of it. The guilt was killing her. He glanced at Swan, still thrashing under Nova's grip. This easily could've been him—if AI Nova hadn't changed. If his mind had fractured instead of endured. But he wasn't here for therapy. Black Canary could do that. He was here for answers—and revenge. "What were you doing with Queen Bee?" he asked coldly. Vanessa hesitated. "Don't say anything, Vanessa!" Swan spat. "Queen Bee loves us! Unlike that whore Diana!" "She... she was there when I woke up in the hospital," Vanessa murmured. "She told me I could go to her for help. And after I—after I killed Starfire... she contacted me." Joseph's eyes narrowed. Queen Bee had taken advantage of Vanessa's vulnerability. Used her as a weapon. Was this all planned from the start? Another scream came from Swan—but Joseph moved Vanessa out of range. He'd had enough of this. It was time to end it. He considered absorbing Swan's psychic energy like he had done with Count Viper—but he remembered the aftermath. Overloading his own mind was a mistake he wouldn't repeat. But Nova's avatar had no such limitations. With a thought, he commanded it. "Absorb her. Leave nothing." Swan's eyes widened. "No—NO!" She screamed again, but her voice cracked as her form began to dissolve. The silver cord between her and Vanessa dimmed, then frayed, then vanished altogether. Within seconds, Silver Swan was gone. Vanessa collapsed to her side, pale and visibly weakened. Half of her soul—gone with Swan? Or just drained? Joseph wasn't sure. He didn't fully understand what psychic energy was. He only knew that his ability could convert spirits into it—and manipulate it. Gently, he willed Nova's avatar to return the energy it had taken from Vanessa. It touched her shoulder, and golden light passed into her. Her breath steadied. Her color returned. Joseph crouched beside her. "It's over," he said softly. "Silver Swan is gone." Vanessa blinked, dazed. "She's... really gone?" He nodded. And with that, he willed them both to exit the Dream State. ** | Atlantic Ocean- August 20 Joseph jolted awake—underwater. There was a hole in his suit where his heart should be, the exposed skin already almost completely healed. His helmet was gone. His lungs burned. He glanced around. Judging by the pressure and the darkening blue, he was over 100 feet deep in the Atlantic. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his Nova Sense. Vanessa. He felt her. She was deeper—dozens of feet below. Still alive. He dove. Using his anti-gravity field, he raced downward. Her body drifted, unconscious, pale in the water. The nanites seemed to have retracted, and her hospital gown floated around her like a shroud. He reached her and created an air bubble large enough to envelop them both with his anti-gravity field. She sputtered and coughed violently, water streaming from her mouth as she gasped for breath. Joseph held her steady. Then, carefully, slowly, he ascended—no faster than necessary. He knew the risks of decompression sickness, of barotrauma from rising too quickly. Minute by minute, they climbed. After four long minutes, Joseph broke the surface—Vanessa cradled in his arms, coughing but alive. Hovering above the water, waiting for them, were Captain Atom, Martian Manhunter, and Wonder Woman. He spotted Batman's jet above them. All three stared down at him with crossed arms and unreadable expressions. Joseph sighed. He really wasn't in the mood for this.

Chapter 104: 104

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