82: Adjusting The Plan.

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(General P.O.V)

Something was wrong.

Deadman had started noticing...a difference within himself the more he trailed after Davian. His powers had changed. Becoming stronger.

He was powerful to the point that he could now invoke his spirit-exclusive abilities while possessing people. That meant flight, phasing and a little bit of telekinesis.

He had also developed an instinctual spirit sense not unlike the one he had felt from Davian. He found it incredibly useful for navigating.

It felt like the process had started out when he had entered the Silver haired man's Spiritual Zone.

And when that...cat creature had entered the picture, the rush of fresh spiritual energy, this time tainted with something foreign had almost crushed his disembodied self.

Not a lot could hurt the spirit, after all he had no flesh to cut into, no limbs to break, no blood to spill. Deadman was simply put, fearless because he'd gone through the ultimate source of fear, death.

But this time...he was reminded of his days back as a trapeze artist, he had been the best too.

There was a rush everytime he jumped off of something and every instant, in a small short span of a second, there was this potent fear that he would slip and fall.

That he would land wrongly, that the rope would snap while he was walking on it...that he would lose his balance.

He felt his own mortality whenever he thought of that scene from two days ago. A massive purple cat, licking it's teeth while standing over the torn, ripped, shredded body belonging to a human being.

Deadman had endeavored to stay away from the man and his monster cat. Staying away though did not mean, he couldn't stalk him...so he did, keeping out of range.

And thats when it had started happening, his abilities behaving weirdly. He stopped a mugging and managed to stop a knife from plunging into the body he was possessing.

Phased a kid who had wandered out into the street through a car that was speeding down the street, too fast to stop.

Then of course possessing a cat and making it fly when it lost its grip on a branch. Sometimes the adjustment from a bipedal form to quadrupedal one took time.

The new abilities were welcome, even though it was bitter sweet. If he'd had them one week ago, he would have been able to save that sailor from drowning.

Deadman had also noticed that his target was scouting the Penguin's spot. This alone made the disembodied spirit do research on whether Davian was a hero or a villain.

The results worried him.

Scarlet Devil, is what they called him.

And it was fitting as well, the Oni mask he carried with him was intimidating as hell. He beat up criminals and stole money and drugs from them.

The drugs usually turned up at the GCPD but he kept the money. He was also a trending search after footage and images of him duking out with a possessed Superman.

That part would have sounded unbelievable to anyone else. Not to Deadman though, he had seen it first hand.

It didn't take a genius to know that Davian was casing the joint, aiming to break in and do something.

Deadman's money was on beat up Penguin and steal his money.

Brand would have even let it happen, if he didn't know how ruthless and cruel the Penguin could be. If he couldn't find the culprit, he would go after innocent people just to prove a point and keep a hold on his authority.

He needed to stop Davian. Preferably through conversation, Deadman knew he didn't stand a chance otherwise.

But just in case things went south, he would need some back up but not Zatara level yet, so he approached the Tin Roof Club, Selina was a friend after all. No one knew the Gotham crime underworld like she did. She was the best for this.

Of course Deadman was not prepared to hear that Constantine was dead.

And that the Scarlet Devil was responsible.

(Davian's P.O.V)

How come she was this Strong? I was considering using my spirit pressure to subdue her when a hiss sounded out from the side.

I looked at the source and frowned. A plant snake hybrid leered it's head over the roof of the 4 storey building. It was smaller than the one I'd seen with them a few days ago.

"You got yourself a new pet?"

I asked, successfully detaching myself from the 5'7 clown who was now pouting.

"Not a pet."

Ivy glowered, the gently rubbed the snake's head.

"It's a child."

She said much softly.

"We call her Snakey. I chose the name. Brilliant right Cop-killer?"

Harley cut in proudly.

"It's Davian, not Cop-killer."

I answered, turning away from them, more people were arriving. Seems like it would be a packed night. Perfect.

That will give me enough chance to move in cleanly and out the same way. I wanted to avoid making any loud moves just in case the Bats got wind of me. Though, now that Harley and Poison Ivy are here, keeping my intentions secret was going to be hard.

I heard hurried steps then Harley grabbed my shoulder. I looked back and it wasn't her eyes.

"Don't you think you've done enough? Killing John is one thing, he was a bastard first, a friend second."

She gritted her teeth looking inches away from attacking.

"But this plan you have, is crazy! You attack the Penguin and it will be an all out war. He will try to prove a point and just because he won't get to you doesn't mean he won't retaliate."

Ivy tensed, I could feel her hunch over the serpent's ears, whispering.

I didn't say anything, merely looked into her eyes...and then flicked her forehead. There was a small thwack!

Harley's head rocked back as a red outline flashed from her back.

"What?"

The spirit asked, looking at his hands in shock.

"You broke my possession?"

He asked in shock.

"Mmmh, that's interesting."

Chase commented.

"I agree."

There was something different about the Spirit. For starters, he felt more tangible. As if he'd moved closer to being alive more than dead. His energy network was changing.

Before, his power had been drawing from an unseen source. Now there was a very small spirit link between us. A very weak string that I could probably simply overpower with a flex of my own spirit energy.

The plant serpent moved to lunge at me but my spirit pressure immediately suppressed all movements in my zone.

Everyone crashed to the ground as if gravity had been dialed up all the way to 11.

"What...is...this?"

The spirit questioned breathlessly, face planted to the floor.

"Hahahahahaha. It's like a spa day! Like a deep deep massage...you know how to get a girl wet Cop-killer."

Harley said from her position on the floor.

"She doesn't seem to be in any discomfort. Who is this human?"

Chase sounded genuinely curious. I didn't want to get into the headache that was Harley so I didn't respond, instead walking over to the Spirit. The closer I got the more I could feel it.

A pale white thread.

I pulled on it and in response, his body shot out of the floor while under my control. It was like he was forcefully tugged and now I had my hand enclosed over his neck. How had I done that?

"Your abilities have undergone a massive change, my Wielder. Perhaps you need the training more urgently than we realized."

Chase theorized.

He was right. Which is why wasting time talking to them was counterproductive to my plans. They already knew that I was after penguin.

"Next time, you need a better disguise."

Chase pointed out.

"I could use the Shikai to form a thin layer of strings over my skin. If I can change the color of the strings, then I could basically have a mild form of Shape Shifting that would come in handy when I need to infiltrate a place."

I responded, my mind already working overtime as I considered if it was feasible.

A choking sound reminded me that I had my finger's around someone's neck. I had unknowingly tightened them.

The spirit stared at me in fear, trying to claw my hand away but having not the power to do so.

"Listen...I will say this once. Stop stalking me. I have little patience for heroes right now. Next time I see you, I'm giving you the Konso. Which is forcefully sending you to the afterlife."

I growled, injecting as much seriousness as I could.

His eyes betrayed his fear.

"Of course, you wouldn't have to worry if you were a good guy when alive. If you weren't...then not even whoever gives you your powers will be able to save you."

I withdrew Chesha Neko from its sheath with my left hand.

Then I pointed the blade at a spot in his chest where his Saketsu was. It was the origin of the small spirit link between us. I applied a small pressure and severed it.

The Spirit gasped, then slumped into unconsciousness. I threw him to the floor and he sank right through the concrete.

'Damn, hope he wakes up before he reaches the Earth's core. Meh not my problem.'

Something rolled on the floor, gently colliding with my heel. It was a silver bat.

"Ah. Blasted! Sorry bout that Cop-killer, I was trying to stand up I swear! Not attack you when your back was turned away from me."

She hurriedly explained.

"You."

I said in frustration.

Then I withdrew the spirit pressure and everything could move again. The plant serpent hissed, it's eyes filled with malice as it stared at me.

I threw a look at Ivy and she immediately tensed in a little fear.

"Let me make something clear."

I addressed both of them.

"Just because we fought together doesn't mean shit. We are not friends. We will never be friends." Harley looked as if I had slapped her.

"This city took something from me. I'm going to take something away from it."

I told them, walking towards the edge of the roof.

"You. The cancer that grows off it."

I could feel Ivy gritting her teeth. Harley on the other hand, had her lips slightly parted. A strange expression present on her face.

"Stay on the straight and narrow. Otherwise, we'll meet sooner than you think."

With that promise, I slipped into a Shunpo, speeding away.

I really hoped they would listen to me and keep being the Antiheroes they were shaping up to be. I'd hate to kill Harley. Annoying she is but she's also always genuine.

I landed on a cell tower before flash stepping onto a water tank. The next Shunpo, cleared the block and I arrived on top of a building that overlooked the Iceberg Lounge closely. The latter was just a street over.

There was no more need for subtlety. The fact that the three of them now knew I had my sights on Penguin meant that I couldn't really hang around here anymore.

Penguin better be ready for my impromptu visit because I was going in now.

"What are you going to do about the prospect of a gang war if something goes wrong?"

Chase asked.

A smile worked it's way onto my face.

"Easy, we make it so that he won't think of hurting anyone again. Crippling won't work..."

I trailed off looking at the fine establishment.

"DC has no shortage of healers...that leaves me with only one option. Killing him."

Welp, seems like I was going to start my plan a little earlier than expected.