| Zero | The Backdrop Of A Grand Show
Kon-El is missing. He has been for half a decade. Superhero of every era, all corners of the earth, searches for him. That is, until, a body was recovered in the artic. At the very spot that the first Kid Flash himself had passed. His symbol was hanged above as if marking a gravesite. As if sending a message. No has ever been able to find his killer. And so, the image of Superboy was cast up in the Hall of Heroes bitterly. Miss Martian hasn't been seen since. Time went by and the ache of his loss never faded. To this day, Nightwing has been searching. And with the new year, it was proven to not be in vein.
[The] year 20XX began with the death of Aquaman; Kaldur'am. It was in a similar manner to Kon-El. Superheroes went on high alert and so, they had front-row seats to the appearance of a powerful evil. Buried across the North Pole was a casket and it opened to release a shadow that no one could remember. Any clues to its existence was the casket; etched with symbols and NUMBERS burned into their memory. And feets away was the presumably dead Kid Flash; ageless.
However, nothing came of The Shadow. In fact, midway into the year, a sort of silence had settled. No villain attacks. Nothing greater than petty crime and criminals. And that was scarier than something happening. Even citizens lived in a constant state of unease.
Winter rolled in early; cutting fall of by half and putting heroes at high alert. Gotham was half-buried in snow with crisp and suprisingly clean air greeting the city. Batman didn't like it. Nor does the rest of the Bat Clan. And this includes -
A small figure jumps off the walls of buildings, practically running the sides of five in a split second, and onto the roof of a warehouse. They leap across roofs and chimneys and sleets of metal that act as the top of decrepit houses with expertly times rolls, jumps and flips. Their hands act as spring boards and their feet barely scratches the ground. The figure was clearly a skilled in parkour and does so in silence. And they were dressed in a manner that clearly speaks to their experience and training; for they dawn the bat-symbol across their chest and a domino mask on their face.
Notable features of their attire is a deep hood that rims their Greek nose and gloves missing the pinky to reveal five fingers with nails painted black. They have three pairs of utility belts over the scarf tied around their waist, with twin (amazonian) daggers at the hip, combat boots and the kryptonian A (Man of steel version) at the center of the middle belt. Every tool of his is etched with a symbol unique only to him with inspiration from an alphabet he learned from White Martian.
They land in a narrow alley with an abandoned telephone booth nearly. A voice resounds in greeting and reprimand "Nightshade"
'Nightshade' turns to the shadows, unsurprised.
"Red Hood," a male voice responds
Jason Todd, or Red Hood, walks out to stand beside the vigilante. Next to him, Nightshade is clearly a child. Probably 13. He threads along Avery's height with a tanned complexion, worry build and lean muscles. An eagle lands on their shoulder, revealing the back of their cloak has a faint tribal eagle design.
"You shouldn't be here kid."
"I could say the same to you."
<<< XXX Years Ago >>>>
An endless green glade runs across the middle of mountains that gleam almost purple under the light of two moons. The sky is a painting smeared in shades of black, purple, green and blue. Stars have never seemed so bright. Soon a shooting star streams by and one-by-one, twelve constellations glow white. A dark shadow melts from the night sky, forming a feminine silhouette with long hair that dances around her without wind.
Entering moonlight, the shadow is revealed to be a woman of peerless beauty. Silver hair contracts greatly to ebony skin and pupil-less white eyes are framed with long eyelashes. She is cladded in white silks with golden thread forming a dress akin to that of Ancient Greek attire.
The sky bleeds a bloody crimson as she finally touches the earth. The woman lands on the thinnest branch of a Willow tree that quickly dies under her touch.
Her lips part and from the moon, an ivory white glass raven is born. Its eyes gleam like rubies as she breathes WILL into it.
"Hello old friend," she murmurs "It is almost time to act. A great evil will come and revenge is a delicate art that I must take time to perfect. And by the skies I swear I will have it."
<<< 13 Years Ago>>>
The Watchtower never fails to impress new recruits. Warieth (Arabic | Heir) leads Red X through the doors to the meeting room where all heroes were present. He glares at the still unseal sight of Wonder Woman and Superman sitting on opposite ends of the room. Martian Manhunter isn't even visible but at least he often visited the manner. The man gets that you can't force a relationship between parent and child when all parties were victims but you would think Superman would learn. And Wonder Woman did not have such hesitation when Cadmus revealed the Girl Wonders, Olympia and Troia.
Batman stands before everyone; cowled even if the face of some civilian identities. Only The Originals are privy to his identity after all. He turns to initiate Red X into the fold whose requested their identity to be hidden. That's fine, Batman knows who they are after all. Soon out from his clock comes NightShade. His hood is down to reveal jet black hair with streaks of purple. The kid was blank-faced.
"This" Batman starts in response to the surprise. Even Superman and Wonder Girl jolt, "is Nightshade, my newest Protege"
Nightshade wears a sleek turtleneck, one arm guard, calf-length boots, a shoulder cape and fitted cargo pants. No tights, no offense.
"Good evening, it is an honor" The monotone, accented formality offers bittersweet nostalgia
Wonder Woman flinches.
"Please, please, tell me we don't have another demon spawn on our hands," Flash begs, earning a slap on the back of the head from Hawk Maiden
Warieth smirks
Madam Martian steps forward warmly, "It is good to finally meet you."
The two shook hands and the Martian feels her instincts scream. How curious. They step back though as they feel their mentor stand by the child.
"Bats are usually so stingy with their protege's!" Flash grins shaking the hand of Night, unprompted, "Anyway, so YOUR the mysterious nephew, huh?"
Nightshade looks past Flash to Superman. Not so mysterious, he grimaces.
Batman stopped the speed handshake. Any longer and his second youngest would lose a limb. Babs would kill him.
"Kid has style" Smirks Green Arrow
"Unlike some of us," Red Arrow agrees
"Were you the one on the Joker Case!" Green Lantern interjects
As conversations rolled, two figures still stand apart from the crowd. They have been since the final fall of Cadmus. No one moves to involve them.
"Does your name mean something to you?" Madam Martian inquires, suspicion curdling in her stomach
"Yes"
The answer was simple, but it also wasn't. Nothing could have prepared her for the onslaught of emotions that came with it. While it is obvious the boy loves what he does, loves his found family, he is riddled with a darkness that seems so achingly familiar. Madam knows the story of Dark Mars after all. Anger, sadness, hate (mostly for himself) laced him.
I Have To Speak With Batman, she thought to herself
~Time Skip~
"I See" Mutters Bruce Wayne
The man sits with Jennifer Jones in a quaint cafe with little to no people.
"Bruce . . . you'll have to proceed with cautious. The boy is — troubled."
Bruce glares at her but already she is grimacing at her own language.
"I will." He lets the offense go for now
"I trust you can keep this to yourself?" Bruce states and Jenn nodded
"You know you'll have to bring Canary into the fold." She says and Bruce grimaced. The idea of Dinah puts him off more than therapy does - especially after what happened. But nothing worries him more than more people learning of the truth
The story of Altair Wayne (Alt-el, Altair Prince of Themyscira — a name Hippolyta happily bestowed in the ceremony he had alongside his 'siblings', A'ltair J'onzz) is not a happy one. Especially when you consider the wounds that still hasn't healed. Wounds that. It even Alfred could heal.