Chapter 105: 105

Words : 1059 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

| ??? - August 20 In a darkened conference room shielded from all prying signals, seven monitors flickered to life—each one displaying a shrouded figure bathed in cascading light, their identities obscured even from one another. The eighth monitor remained dark. "Once again, the Team has proven a thorn in our collective side," a deep, composed voice said, laced with disdain. "The absence of Klarion confirms as much. Their apparent leader, Starfire, and their unpredictable powerhouse, Nova, are growing bolder." "It's fortunate we orchestrated Starfire's demise using the Silver Swan," another voice chimed in. "The first successful subject of Project Nano. Speaking of which—how goes her recovery?" A woman's voice answered, tense and seething. "I tried retrieving her, but Nova intervened. I couldn't control him. He resisted me. She is probably in League custody now. And... Nova knows about the Light. He might have psychic capabilities." "That complicates matters," the first voice growled. "Nova remains a wildcard. A being that powerful, operating outside the shackles of the U.N.'s jurisdiction? Unacceptable. We must assume he knows more than he's letting on. Elimination is necessary." "Agreed," the woman hissed. "Starfire was just the beginning. It's time to strike again." A fourth voice—calm, calculating—cut through the tension. "Peut-être we needn't do it ourselves. There are hunters—very successful hunters—not of this monde. I propose contacting one." "A bounty hunter?" another voice asked, intrigued. "Off-world?" "Oui. He never fails. And his discretion is... légendaire." "Then proceed," the first voice ordered. "Send the signal." "Let it be known," another voice added, "Nova will die... so that all will eventually see the Light." The screens flickered off, one by one, leaving only darkness. ** | Gotham – August 20 Joseph lay on his couch in gray sweatpants and a black shirt, staring at the ceiling, the light outside suggesting it was afternoon. The TV was on playing G. Gordon Godfrey, the GBS pundit, as he ranted about aliens. This time the target was Thanagarians. He'd been woken by a phone call, though he hadn't checked the number—only answered out of habit. "I saw the news," Selina's voice said softly in his ear. "Is Kori okay? Are you okay?" "Kori's alive," he answered, voice flat. "She's with the League. Healing. But it'll be weeks before she's back on her feet." He paused. "And I'm... managing." "And Silver Swan?" "Handled," Joseph said, his tone cold and final. Selina didn't press. "Good," she replied after a beat. "Listen, if you need to talk, I'm always here. I'm at a gala in Milan, so I'll call you later, okay?" "I appreciate you checking in," he said, then ended the call and let the phone fall onto the bed. The League hadn't been pleased. He'd disobeyed a direct order, nearly got himself and Vanessa killed, and as a result, was now effectively benched for an indefinite amount of time—no missions, no patrols. Chicago would be covered by others. They'd even gone as far as taking his suit away. Still, he didn't regret one bit of his actions. And the fact that the League expected him to obey all their orders when he wasn't even part of their organization was laughable. They kept treating him like a kid. He'd been too harsh on Speedy because he was tempted to follow suit and go solo. With his connections, he could always get another suit and get access to a network of information. But it was not wise to burn the bridges he'd spent months building and further anger the foremost protectors of the planet. Plus, Kori was still in their care. Still, the weight of vengeance had lessened a little bit. Silver Swan was gone, Vanessa recovering in League custody. And more importantly, he'd gotten a glimpse into the group responsible: the Light. He'd already informed the League of what he knew—Queen Bee, Klarion, and Luthor were among them. Their purpose remained unclear, but Joseph trusted Batman would dig into it... eventually. Either way, it didn't matter. If they didn't act fast enough, he would. He wasn't bound by red tape. Queen Bee, for now, was untouchable for now. Killing a sitting dictator would destabilize an entire region. That kind of chaos would cost thousands of lives and that wasn't something he was willing to have on his conscience. But sooner or later, a suitable replacement for her would show up and she'd appear in public—and he'd be ready. Klarion? Not a threat. He'd personally seen to it that his anchor, Teekl, died. And then there was Lex. Joseph clenched his jaw. LexCorp had funded the experiments that injected him with nanites as a child. That same tech—modified and enhanced—was what turned Vanessa into a monster. Lex had known. He had to have known. His name listed as one of the members of the Light had all but confirmed his involvement in illegal human testing, in deaths, in suffering. In his nightmares. Luthor's days were numbered. Metropolis was just a four-minute flight away. Joseph could end him at any time—a simple bubble of vacuum around Luthor's head. Silent. Swift. But not yet. The League was already watching him closely. For now, he would wait. He seemed to be doing that a lot these days. He sighed and turned to his phone. It would be months—maybe years—before he could enact his revenge on all members of the Light without suspicion. Until then, he'd take comfort in Kori's recovery. She was getting stronger every day. Batman hadn't asked how he'd obtained the information about the Light. But the League was probably now aware of some of his old and new abilities from Vanessa. Not that it changed much. His eyes drifted to the ceiling again. Being benched made him realize how much time he'd spent as Nova. Patrolling. Fighting. Saving. Surviving. And strangely... he enjoyed it. The rush. The purpose. The clarity. Even the danger. Maybe the League was right about this one thing. Maybe he needed some time off. Time to reconnect. Time to breathe. He unlocked his phone, opened a group chat, and typed: "Yo Andrew, Jackson, y'all trynna link?"

Chapter 105: 105

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