154 The Final Act Part 5

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(Aden's P.O.V)

"So… this is where you hole yourself up." I commented looking around. "Might need some extensive interior decor."

The helmet of Fate resembled the real life one in that it was more banged up after our fight than before. Damn…I can't believe I could put out such a strength. Especially when you consider that he was probably capable of soloing the whole Justice League. Not easily of course but magic was versatile and potent. With enough ingenuity, you could take down anyone.

"Aden…Strong. What do you want? Come to gloat?"

His voice even sounded weak and unsure. Could it be really that simple? Hit the helmet a few times and Nabu starts needing a time out. Wow…the Lords of Order should have foreseen this and made it out of some durable material then. I'd suggest, Bullshit metal. Sorry, meant to say, nth metal.

"Hardly. You put up a good fight. You lost, I won. That's it."

I responded, still weirded out by the surroundings. I couldn't see the floor despite the fact that my feet were clearly standing on something. It felt like I was back at the gray space I'd been in before my advancement trial. Was it a soul thing or a mental thing? Infact what is the difference between them? Was I in danger just by virtue of being here in either forms? 

"Mmhh. Showing courtesy to an enemy. What brought on this change from your earlier uncouth behavior?"

Nabu questioned, clearly missing the fact that my mind was miles away. Coming here had been a shot in the dark. A risk I had been willing to take because a) I needed to know what was so important about me that the Lords of Order and Lords of Chaos, put aside their differences and decided to work together. And b) find a way to save The League from whatever Fate had done to them.

"Despite your current conduct however, I do not regret to tell you that your actions have led you to the same situation I foresaw." His voice broke me out of my conjectures due to the smugness dripping from every word. I looked at him in amusement.

"Oh? And would you be so kind as to enlighten me on what you mean by that?"

He saw the slight smile on my face but chose to ignore it.

"You have put on the helmet of Fate. As such, you are now under my control."

He confidently replied.

"Riiiiight. What control are you talking about?"

I looked at him dumbfounded, before bursting out in a fit of laughter. 

"What are you laughing for…wait…" Nabu asked, feeling insulted. However, a second later, his tone underwent a change. 

"How? How is this possible!? I cannot exert any control over your body!"

I didn't answer him. Instead, I closed my eyes and imagined a link forming to my body. The link established and I followed it. Opening my eyes, I found myself in the wrecked Watchtower, though everything had a certain yellowish tint to it.

Curious about the way I looked, I held up my hand and found myself clad in a form fitting costume. it was colored a very dark blue that could be mistaken for black, with yellow on the belt, the cape and the clasp of the cape around my neck. in the middle of my upper chest, a crystal ball was stitched on to the costume. The suit didn't feel as if it was an add on to my real costume. If anything it felt light, despite looking compact and denser. It didn't obstruct any of my movements either. Bringing my hand to my face, I stroked the helmet and felt the depressions on it's length from where I'd squeezed too hard. I wonder if Saisei could fix it? Probably.

"This…is impossible."

Nabu voice was full of disbelief. His presence was like a dim flashlight in the corner of my eyes. Or rather, the back of my head. I tried to shut him off and succeeded. His incessant and annoyingly formal voice disappeared and I was left alone, admiring myself. 

If I had his costume…did that mean I also had his powers. I tried but couldn't feel anything. Which made sense as I wasn't a Lord of Order. I turned on my energy signature and instantly felt faint as the criss crossing lines of mystical energy from an absolutely massive energy source covered me from head to toe. Unfortunately I couldn't access any of it! A headache started blooming as I dug in deeper to find out why I was blocked from some much needed order energy. From what I remembered…this stuff was fucking useful. It let me go toe to toe with Klarion when I could barely best Canary even with my powers a few months ago. 

My energy sense probed deeper and I saw a sort of energy block that originated from the massive source which separated my energy nodes from Nabu's. I snorted, finally getting an answer. Just like he couldn't steal my body, I couldn't steal his powers or use it if he didn't want to lend it to me. Finding that out dimmed my excitement by a lot. At the end of the day, your own personal power mattered the most. This was the prime example of how borrowed power could be taken away at any minute. 

With the mission hanging over my head, I stopped wasting time and unmuted Nabu.

"…blatant inconsideration. Never have I ever been subjected to such form of disrespect by a lower life form…"

I let him finish his rant which actually went on for a few more seconds and when he quieted down, I got right down to business.

"What do the Lords of Order and Chaos want with me?"

Nabu didn't immediately answer. 

"Come with me and you'll find out."

I looked at him weirdly before realization dawned on me. 

"Wait…you also don't know!?"

I was surprised. 

"Of course I do!" Nabu quickly interjected, which further added to my suspicion that he had no clue. I clutched my head, shocked.

"Oh my god…they sent you after me, made you fight the Justice League all without expressly telling you why? Are you their dog?"

"I Am No One's Dog!"

Nabu's voice boomed out louder than I'd yet to hear him. 

"Whoa whoa whoa! I'm Just calling it like I see it. Either they don't have much regard for you or it's a strictly need to know basis. Which... wouldn't make sense because you are a Lord of Order too." I looked at him unsurely before continuing.

"Unless...there is an hierarchy in place?"

"There is none." The aggrieved mystical powerhouse replied curtly. Upon my skeptical look he bristled in anger.

 "I have…my suspicions as to why they would want you."

He said, more calmly.  Inwardly I smiled. Nothing like manipulating someone to find out what they know. The other alternative was the stick which left distaste in my mouth when I recalled just how cold hearted I could be. I had crushed Aang's copy with my words alone. I didn't want to be that guy when it wasn't  required. Of course I would do so if it turned out to be a matter of life or death. I would be a fool not to use every single tool in my arsenal.

"Would it have anything to do with the fact that I rebelled from the Justice League?"

I played dumb. Which I kinda was but still...that question was way off from hitting the mark. Which was done intentionally. Clearly asking direct questions wouldn't work on this guy. They would prompt the Lord of Order to figure out he was in a position of power due to the answers he had that I needed.

Make it seem like a normal conversation however... and he would treat it as such.

"You honestly believe that I would concern myself with such theatrics, sodden with idiocy?"

He sneered. Actually sneered. I shrugged easily.

"The Lords of Order are not mere mortals. Our task is to conserve Order. Whatever mortals like you and the Justice League get up to is none of my concern."

He preached.

"Yeah...I get you." My face suddenly changed. As if I'd just stumbled upon a revelation. "Then is it because of the fact that I refused to be your successor? Don't tell me you still hold a grudge about that, told your superiors and thats why they want to get rid of me?!"

My words increased in volume.

"No! Do not disrespect my honor Mortal! I would never do such a thing. They only want you because you possess the unique essence of both Order and Chaos. Your potential is frightening and they along with the lords of Chaos might be wary because you truly have the power to instil balance to the universe. Rendering both roles ineffective and powerless!"

Bingo.

Nabu instantly went silent after that, but he had already said more than enough for me to get the full picture. The Avatar was the keeper of balance and master of all the elements. That fact was highly touted and preached all over the four elemental kingdoms of Avatar. 

Take that Mantle and bring it over to a world like DC, steeped in both science fiction, divine energies, mystical energies, spiritual energies, psionic energies and conceptual energies, you understand that the mantle suddenly has more relevance than before. And Raava was in actual fact the spirit of light and peace while Vaatu is the spirit of darkness and Chaos. Now, it has already been established that neither can fully exist without the other. And furthermore, a dark Avatar is still...an Avatar too.

We already know I am not a conventional Avatar. I didn't have a Raava spirit guiding me or something like that. I only had my Avatar state/spirit which was a different beast all together. Much more powerful than a regular avatar state, I imagine. My thoughts led me to a possibility that was both frightening and made a lot of sense. What if...I both had Raava and Vaatu's alignment inside me, manifested in my Avatar State instead? What if I wasn't traditionally aligned to one side of the evil vs good spectrum? What if I was a blend of both? Nabu had more or less confirmed it. 

I looked down at my hands in silence. Could I have just as much darkness in me as light? Was it why all my actions had had a bit of flavor of them both? Because I wasn't a true Avatar? Does that mean...I had the potential for just as much bad as good? Like Superman...would it only take one bad day for me to lose sight of myself?