78 - Hunting

And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

( Isaiah 32 : 17 )

*****

[ Target: Rosvon Cade]

[ Gender: Male]

[ Age: 32 ]

[ Location: Gotham sewers ]

[ Background: Hailing from a branch family of one of the crime families of Gotham. He was nothing but a simple handy man. Seem like he is stepping up to take over the owner-less underworld. He has been gathering tails, nothing big enough to pop in our radar.]

"Okay," Zion spoke, "Did you find anything from the woman?"

['No sir.']

['The lady is too distraught to answer']

"Keep her under surveillance."

['Will do. sir']

"What are you going to do?" Amaterasu questioned.

"Well, its been longs since I stretched my limbs," Zion said with a grin. "I will continue my stroll alone. You are free to do what you want."

Zion didn't wait for her reply and walked toward an empty street and climbed down to the sewer. He covered his nose at the smell, nearly considering turning into something that doesn't have nose.

Zion just covered his nose and walked forward, returned to the opening the woman had climbed out from. He crouched down and check the footprints she had left. Light flashed from his coat and revealed what couldn't be seen by the eyes.

Tracks left by the lady led north. He could just follow them back.

"If you are going to be here, be useful. Will ya?" Zion spoke to the dark sewers.

"Why did you call?" Batman walked out of the shadow.

He asked, having already scanned the location and tracks to where it would lead. He had already grasped the basic situation. But his question was why Zion called him. Especially after what had gone down between them.

Zion was especially ready to throw hands with Batman.

"You know, this and that," Zion said as he stood up. "So, thought about joining the justice league? It would be good if you joined."

"Explain," Batman asked as they began walking.

"The team would need someone to lead the group. Someone with enough paranoia to prepare for every situation. Moreover, I need a human among the In-humans that I am assembling.

Can't have masses shaking in fear." Zion began.

"Superman is all about justice, but he forgets to think things through sometimes. Flash is fast and intelligent, but again, his thirst for justice makes him jump into danger without thought. Diana is a warrior, she will not back down from as challenger. Green Lantern is narcissistic, and wouldn't obey anyone's command.

So are the other. All of them have the heart to fight justice, but in it, they forget about the dangers."

"You need me to be their leash," Batman pointed.

"You could be or, you could be their guide," Zion returned. "Of course, you will not be their defacto leader. You will have to earn it. They will challenge you all the way."

"..."

"Oh! I almost forgot," Zion faked an, I almost forgot, expression. "The JL will function as a separate entity from government body. Coming under no authority, even mine."

"..."

"So join the JL or at least just attend the meeting," Zion said as they arrived at the end of the tracks.

They saw the way up, to a manhole. Zion's wrist flash, displaying that he was directly below an estate. One of the estates that his sentinels should have cleaned up. The woman had climbed down and escaped through this.

Zion looked up, "I will deal with this. So, attend the meeting Batman, otherwise..." Zion turned to the darkness. "I will make Bruce Wayne the Mayor."

Even though Zion couldn't see anyone in the darkness and Batman seem to have left, he knew that Batman would be listening. He was having easy time talking to Batman than Superman. He didn't need to hide his feeling and his grey moral. Superman was a bit annoying to deal with. He sees too much good in humanity.

Superman saw the bright light, but Batman lived in the darkness of the shadow hidden in the light.

Zion didn't expect any answer and began to climb ladder. He then slowly pushed the cover away, sliding it to the side and climbing out. He scanned the terrain for any hostiles, but the manhole was perfectly covered by the bushes.

Zion checked for tracks around the manhole, before confirming that he was at the correct location. He moved near the bush before pressing the button on the collar. The collar instantly projected his helmet, covering his face while revealing that was hidden.

He could see multiple heat signatures moving though the estate, guarding. Most held weapons, mostly normal rifles and pistols. But they seemed disorderly, Zion deduced that it was from the rough recruitment.

He had cleaned the capable henchmen off the streets. Even if some were left, they wouldn't have join anyone, they knew the difference between working for a head and a tail.

And sentinels made good impressions on their first day.

Zion quickly scanned the layout of the estate. This estate had a big garden and a bangalore at the center. This was a typical big boss estate, where the head of the crime family lived. But now it was the den of the detached tails.

Zion smiled at the god given opportunity, he was feel itchy since he had been using the Omnitrix less. It was like having your favorite toy and not playing with it. However, he couldn't do anything about it. Most of the alien were street level compared to what he fought.

But these idiots won't worth the sweat.

"Who should I change in to? Should I go stealth or...?" Zion asked himself as he hovered his hand above the Omnitrix. His fingers tracing its faceplate.

A golden disk projected out, displaying the aliens. His eyes scanned the many forms he could take, unable to decide which one.

It was a deep trouble.

*****

Zion finally decided on the alien he wanted to use,

A golden light flashed.

"Hey, did you see that now?" Goon 1

"What?" Goon 2

"A light flash,"

"I didn't see anything, are you sure?"

"Yes,"

"Where then?" Some rats might have sneaked in," Goon 2 lifted his rifle, ready to shoot.

"There," Goon 1 pointed with his own.

The two goons looked at each other before they divided as one moved towards the bush to check if someone was present. Goon 1 took careful step towards the bush, his fingers on the trigger. His gulped as nervous sweat formed on his head, pure tension coursing through his body. 

After two steps he arrived next to the bush, moving quickly to locate the intruder. But what he saw was ice laying on the floor, reflecting the setting sky. The goon turned left and right, trying to see if someone was hiding.

Confirming that no one was present, he moved to check the ice. He crouched to touch the ice to notice that the ground was fully frozen. At the revelation, his eyes narrowed as he bounce back to his feat. He turned immediately to his friend to inform him of the threat.

Only to see an ice sculpture of his friend. Frozen as he stood guarded, not even aware of his fate. The goon stumbling back reached for the radio at his waist, only to feel the coldness of ice through his shaking hands.

He looked down, his communicator cascaded in ice.

He gulped, sure of his fate. He was a Gothamite, not some metropolis goon. He has seen the cruel darkness of Gotham. He had worked under different villains and seen their methods on dealing with enemies.

If his guess was right, he was being targeted by Mr. Freeze.

Not just him but the whole gang.

"Wrong," Spoke a chilly voice into his soul.

The goon frozen in fear, notice the frost forming on his skin. Yet it was too late as two large green eyes materialized before him. He screamed in fear, yet no sound released. His cry stuffed by the rapid formation of Ice. He was eternally frozen into a sculpture depicting pure horror. The green eyes then vanished, leaving not sign of its presence except the two ice sculptures.

This repeated as the goons around the estate were frozen into horror depicting statues.

*Bzzz*Crack*

"Is everything okay there?" The voice spoke from the communicator. "Answer, team 3 has gone offline."

A hand reached and crushed the communicator,

The goons in the estate began to panic as the intruder seemed more than capable. They tired to deduce who it would be. Some saw the ice sculpture that were guarding the estate. They quickly deduced that it could be Mr. Freeze, but didn't know if it was really him.

The goons went to battle mode and crowded the hall way leading to the main office. They didn't try to moved the boss in case of an ambush. Clearly the intruder was aiming for the head.

On the hall before the main office, the goons huddled together aimed their guns. They fingers ready to shoot down anything that moved.

"Isn't it a bit hot?" A question, asked in an ghastly voice.

The question was followed the rushing cold wind, a tidal wave of ice rushing towards them. In an instant the whole hall was frozen by ice. From the plants to the rich painting on the wall to the the light were frozen solid. The goons legs were only frozen to the point they were attached to the ground.

Their trepidated breath condensed as they shivered at the chill. They couldn't see their opponent, nor can they moved to avoid the attack. Their only way was to confront and be frozen.

They were beaten too many time to not know their fate.

"Its cozy," The ghastly voice spoke like the grim reaper as the figure of a blue cloaked ghost.

"Shoot," A goon screamed as he pulled the trigger.

*Pew* *Pew* *Pew* *Pew* *Pew* *Pew* *Pew* *Pew* *Pew* *Pew*

....

The rain of bullets echoed inside the office, making those that stood guard feel a rise of nervousness. Their cold sweat made them aware of their cold surrounding and the condensing breath.

The room was getting cold, condensation forming on the glass window. The target Rosvon Cade rubbed his hand due to the cold, his breath condensing before him did not help his rattling soul.

This was the first time he was standing at the forefront of an attack by an unknown enemy. He was not uninformed like the other. He knew that Mr. Freeze was removed from the asylum. But this was not his methods.

Mr. Freeze would have frozen the whole estate instead of acting like a ghost.

*Pew*

The final should of bullet echoed in the silence that followed, increasing their anxiety to the max. The gunman griped their weapons tight. They were shitting their pants but they would not go without a fight.

They had fought Batman many times before. Quitting didn't bring them here.

*Click*

The door handle twisted, its lock snapped back covered in cold. The door slowly opened, cold flooding the room. The cold made them shiver so did the sight of blue. The whole hallway and 20 or so men frozen solid. Each of them looked desperate as they stood frozen.

The men gulped, their throat sore in cold.

"Is it too cold?" Asked a voice, directly behind the target.

The man startle jumped forward, crashing into the table. The goons turned and pointed their guns at the book shelf, fear gripped their hearts as they found none. Their cold sweats began to froze but they were already too frightened to notice.

"We need to get out of here," Rosvon Cade ordered as they retreated.

The two guards flanking him, slowly moved towards the bookself on the side. Rosvon pulled 5 different book, prompting the shelf to slid open. The guards slipped into the hidden passage with Rosvon, leaving the others to stand guards.

"AHHHHHHH."

Rosvon quickly closed the door, only for him to hear the screams of his guards at the last moment and the barrage of bullets being fired. He couldn't help but wish for an escapable reality. He should have hidden in the back ally forever.

They were not attacked, nor they feel threatened in the rest of their journey. Even the coldness was lifted off them. They arrived at the underground parking lot. The bright place had one black Mercedes, standing in the middle.

They quickly rushed to the car, checking to make sure they were not tagged or bombed. Confirming that they were in the clear, they guards boarded the front seat while Rosvon took the back.

The car throttled and rushed out. The trio didn't want to stay at all.

The car rushed out of the estate and jumped to the road, leading straight to the heart of Gotham.

"Really going to Gotham? Isn't it save to leave," Someone asked the question.

"No, we have a safe house," Rosvon replied before he realized that its was not one of them who asked the question.

The guards turned to look back, one pointing his gun as Nion sat next to Rosvon. They looked at his iconic outfit, which was his neon helmet, and gulped. If one couldn't recognize the man before them, they should be living under a rock.

They looked to Rosvon for order, not knowing what to do.

"Focus on the road," Nion commanded, before turning to Rosvon.

The guards turned to Rosvon. Rosvon gestured them to continue. He then turned to Nion.

"What did I do to invite the King?" Rosvon asked.

Nion placed his hand on the chin and looked to be in thought.

"Where should I start?" Nion mused, "Should I start from where you tried to create a new gang to rule the underworld or sending your mistress to steal my data?

Can't say I am not impressed. Sending a technopath to steal the data from the shelter was a very good idea. My system wouldn't have noticed her anomaly if my men weren't present. {His system even though capable enough to stop intrusion from Brainiac, would have overlooked the plot behind it.}

But what more intriguing is that a detached tail like you thinking of that idea? I have read your whole history and you have never displayed such remarkable thinking.

So who is behind you?"

Rosvon gulped at Nion's question. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of the water.

"You don't need to think hard," Nion spoke. "Just tell me the name and I will let you go,"

"Really?" Rosvon asked.

"Sure," Nion answered.

"It was man named Vandal Savage, he approached me to use my girlfriend's power to infiltrate the shelter and gain its data. I don't know who he was, he just promised an amount that I couldn't refuse." Rosvon spilled the bean.

"Okay," Nion nodded, "Now, get out of my city."

Nion glitched away, back to the shelter. Leaving Rosvon and his goon bewildered. Only for them to be caught by police and taken into custody. They will rot in prison for years before they are released.

Zion didn't mind that end for some tails dying off.

He informed the bots to inform the woman and send her back. Since she was with a child, he decided to look past this transgression. He didn't want an orphan in the streets, the world already had too many. 

He also put her in dept for her treatment and gave her a work at the shelter. With that he easily got a sla-*Ahem* worker.