Aden's Break.
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(Aden's P.O.V) A week Later.
One week had gone by. Well 6 days to be exact, so by all counts, almost a week. One week where I forgot all the pressure bearing down on my shoulders. One week where I took the time to get in touch with my roots again. Seeing as I couldn't travel anywhere else without calling attention to myself through using the new I.D and passport Batman had procured for me, I decided to stay in L.A.
It was home, just in another universe all together, so if there was a place I could feel at ease and relaxed it was here. Hence I begun my week of fun by hitting the places that I shared memories of all my loved ones at. The first place was the arcade. My friends and I used to go there almost every day after school, before it was shut down and a gym replaced it. It was more of a way to hang out with them more than playing games.
Then I made sure to hit the basket ball court with a few of the locals, where my neighborhood used to be. Of course every residential area was different than what I was familiar with back at my world but the feel of the place was the same. Heck, even the spot where I used to go to school had an highschool built on it. So barring a few things, I could close my eyes and listen with my ears, pretending that I was still…home.
I did a lot of things during that week. Fortunately most of the places I grew up going to, were present in this world, in some form or other. There was an ice-skating rig my pops used to take me, where I went to and enjoyed myself. An old movie theater that was crazy enough almost the same as the one in my memories. The smell of the seats and the set up was an exact replica that left me drowning in a sea of good memories. An Italian restaurant that had been renovated and funnily enough been turned into a Chinese restaurant. The sea food there was amazing.
And now six days later I was sitting inside a table at a Fro-yo shop. This wasn't a place that brought about Nostalgia. Looking at the newly painted walls, it was clear that the shop was relatively new. But I love Fro-yo so…
"We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news. A sudden press address has been called by the Justice League and our on scene reporter, Cat Grant is there to bring us more information."
I frowned while watching the screen. What could the League be up to? A week had gone by after my little stunt at the Watchtower and I hadn't heard anything about the fall out of both my actions and the mission. That said, it didn't take a genius to deduce that they were not my biggest fans now.
Superman stepped forward and took center stage. Not all League members were present. There was a distinct lack of the Thanagarian heroes, the resident speedster, Aquaman, Captain Atom and Green Arrow. Everyone else was gathered behind Superman. He tapped the mic once and the gathered press went silent. The same thing happened in the shop, where everyone turned their attention to the Kryptonian. The camera focused on his face and it was obvious whatever he wanted to say was not good news.
"Hello, everyone. I want to thank you all for making it here despite the short notice." He briefly went silent before he continued to address the crowd. " The Justice League is more than just a gathering of like minded individuals. It's more than it's roster of powerful, skilled and smart heroes. It's more than the numerous wins against the injustice of the world or the obstacle to be overcame by those seeking to harm others. The Justice League is a symbol of freedom and hope. A beacon of light when things turn dire. The Justice League is an idea."
He stopped to clear his throat and continued amid the flashing lights and snaps from the camera.
"That said, it is never easy when we lose one of our own." His voice took on a somber tone.
"We are gathered here today to inform you of Batman's resignation from the League." Shock hit the crowd like a lightning bolt. I heard a small crash and saw one of the waitress hurriedly cleaning up Fro-yo from the floor, she had dropped the cup in surprise at the unexpected news.
Supes held up his hand to get everyone to quiet down.
"I know you all have questions. But please, let me finish first. Batman is a hero unlike any other. We have all learnt something from working with him. He's someone who inspires you to do your best. To give nothing less than 100% of your effort when doing something. His resignation is due to personal matters that I am not at liberty to discuss. However, let me assure you that the League will not stumble or fall in the absence of his leadership and companionship. We will use this chance to honor him. To honor his legacy by doing what we do best, save the world. Any further questions can be directed to our Public Affairs Officer, miss Catherine Cobert. Thank you."
"Well damn. They fucked."
Someone said in a booth further inside the shop. I spared a glance and saw a young kid with cornrows, another wearing a long Lakers basketball jersey and a girl with braces and pig tails. They looked to be about Wally's age. So probably juniors or sophomores in highschool.
"What you mean Coop?"
The cornrows kid asked. I raised an eyebrow at the name drop.
"Think about it. Bats is the strategic mind of the team. Most of the fights the League's been in, his help has been invaluable. I'm telling you guys, the League is in big trouble."
The kid wearing a Lakers basketball jersey shook his head.
"You're wrong. He doesn't even have Superpowers! Look at Superman and Wonder Woman. The only reason the villains ever get the jump on them, is because they never go all out. We could count the number of Supervillains who can go toe to toe with them on one hand. So they will prolly not even notice his absence."
"Both of you ain't wrong. But you still missing the point. Shawn, it ain't always about the power, dawg. It's utility. Look at Manhunter, you'd think that dude can probably take out the whole League due to the many superpowers he possesses but that ain't ever happening coz he ain't resourceful with them. On the other side skill and strategy can't bridge the gap between a peak human like The Dark Knight and Superman. So like he said, The Justice League is gonna be fine even with Batman. Because it ain't about one person, it's the sum of all parts."
The Cornrows kid said.
The other two stared at each other in a little surprise.
"Daaaaaaamn Spence, when'd you turn into one of those Cape geek analysts on us?"
Coop joked.
"Coop's right, I wasn't expecting that."
The one called Shawn added while laughing.
Their names sounded very familiar…
I put it out of my head when the screen shifted from Cat Grant to show G Gordon Godfrey's smug face plastered on the screen. Damn, the guy had such a punchable face, my fingers involuntary tightened as I felt like kicking his ass just on principle. The oily words coming off his mouth sounded so…gross.
"Well well well. Can't say I'm surprised folks. This! This is what happens when you cannot control your own house. When you have skeletons hiding in your own closet. And no folks, I am not trying to spin this into something like a conspiracy theory but look at the facts…a founding member of the Justice League has just resigned. Why? Ask yourself why someone like Batman, known for his staunch belief in upholding justice would choose to leave the organization he himself help found? The League is clearly hiding something. Something huge from the public. After the fiasco with the destruction of Mount Justice, one can't help but wonder…has the Justice League finally outgrown it's usefulness? Are these cases of incompetence going to increase? We might not know what happens behind their closed doors my fellow Americans but one thing is for sure, the whole world is watching."
He concluded in an ominous tone that just didn't sit right with me. That guy… something was definitely wrong with him.
Batman leaving the League would no doubt affect the view the world had on the Justice League. Batman and Green Arrow were the only two heroes in that line up, who didn't possess alien origins, a meta gene that gave them power, super powerful alien weapons or an accident that gave them superpowers. They were just normal dudes. Normal highly trained dudes whose entire deal was to use gadgets and their brains to stand next to literal gods.
And now that Bats was out, the fear and prejudice that the average unaware person had would increase. Their biggest hope and protectors were made up of… abnormal people. Because humanity likes to shit on the minority, The League were not going to have it completely easy. Not to mention Batman or Bruce Wayne was their main source of funding as well. I wonder how that set up was going to work now that he was out of the picture.
Not like any of it concerned me. I got up from my seat and paid, leaving the shop but promising myself I would be coming back. They had really good Fro yo. I went behind the alley to the shop, a boom tube appearing at my front and jumped in. Now that the week was over, it was time to get back to the grind. I had a sub skill to master.