Santa Prisca, 2:13 AM~
A battered transport truck screeched to a halt beneath the looming shadow of a crumbling Spanish fortress—its ancient walls scarred by decades of revolution and cartel wars. The humid air was thick with oil, sweat, and the distant tang of gunpowder.
Brick's men spilled out, weapons raised, expecting easy prey in a land where the law was just another commodity.
But Speedy was already in position, bow drawn, hands trembling ever so slightly. Black Canary stood beside her, throat raw from too many screams, jaw clenched until it ached.
"On my mark," Canary whispered, her voice hoarse.
The first thug rounded the corner—Speedy's arrow pinned his sleeve to the truck, but her breath caught, and she nearly fumbled the next shot. Canary's kick sent another sprawling, but her recovery was slower than usual, muscles burning from fatigue.
Brick barreled through the chaos, shrugging off darts. Speedy's next arrow missed by inches. She swore under her breath, frustration flaring.
Canary stepped forward, voice steely.
"We're done waiting for disaster."
Brick roared, swinging at her. She ducked, but the movement jarred her, and she winced. Speedy fired a smoke arrow, covering their retreat as Brick's men regrouped.
Every victory felt hollow. Mia's hands shook as she lowered her bow.
This isn't working. We're just patching holes in a sinking ship.
Canary caught her eye, offering a silent, weary nod. In Santa Prisca, where old tyrants' ghosts and new drug lords ruled, they were losing ground—one desperate fight at a time.
***
Prague, 5:47 AM~
Rain hammered the rooftops, turning the city's cobblestones slick and treacherous. Count Vertigo's laughter echoed through the twisted streets, a maddening counterpoint to the storm.
Green Arrow and Arsenal moved in tandem, arrows flying—one green, one red. Vertigo's powers warped gravity and sense, making every step a struggle.
"Left!" Roy shouted, firing a flashbang arrow at a group of Vertigo's henchmen. Green Arrow vaulted over a toppled kiosk, landing beside his protégé.
Vertigo appeared atop a statue, arms wide.
"You're always too late, Arrow!"
Ollie's jaw tightened. "We'll see about that."
He fired a grappling arrow, swinging up as Roy covered him with a volley. But Vertigo's power surged—Ollie's vision spun, the world tilting beneath his feet.
Roy's stomach churned, sweat beading on his brow. His next arrow slipped from his fingers, clattering to the cobblestones.
Another one slips away. Are we even making a difference? Or just running in circles?
Vertigo vanished into the mist, leaving only confusion and chaos behind.
***
Star City, Night~
Brian Nudocerdo, now a powerful city councilman, toasted his latest "business partners" in a penthouse suite overlooking the city. His smile was all teeth, his words dripping with false sincerity.
Beside him stood Hatchet—armored, silent, a living threat. Once a mercenary with a reputation for brutality, tonight he was just muscle for hire.
Brian's phone buzzed.
"Handle this," he said, nodding to Hatchet as he slipped into a private office.
Hatchet stalked into the hallway just as the lights flickered and died.
His visor activated, casting an infrared glow. Energy blades hissed to life in his hands.
"Show yourself, coward."
Above him, Kairon watched through the crimson kaleidoscope of his Sharingan—eyes that perceived every muscle twitch, every nerve impulse, every intention. The world slowed, details sharpening into focus.
Hatchet's muscles tensed, a fraction of a second before his visor activated. Predictable. The intent to strike, raw and unrefined.
He dropped silently, landing behind Hatchet without a whisper.
Genjutsu: Phantom Stab.
Kairon's Sharingan mapped Hatchet's neural pathways, crafting an illusion so perfect it mirrored real pain. Hatchet gasped as Kairon's blade seemed to pierce his chest. The mercenary staggered, armor clanking, his nervous system shutting down from the phantom trauma. He collapsed, never realizing it was all in his mind.
Kairon knelt beside the unconscious man, voice icy:
"Your armor is a crutch. Your strength, an illusion. Remember that when you wake."
***
Brian Nudocerdo's Office~
Brian's office reeked of expensive cologne and nervous sweat. He spun at the sound of the door, but Kairon was already there, Sharingan eyes boring into his soul.
Brian fumbled for his desk's panic button. Too late.
Kairon raised a hand, arcane sigils glowing violet:
"Binding Seal: Chains of Stillness."
Shimmering energy shackles pinned Brian's arms to his chair.
"W-who are—"
Kairon's Sharingan whirled, locking onto Brian's eyes. The words died in Brian's throat.
Kairon's voice was low, almost thoughtful.
"This city," he murmured, "is but a fleeting shadow beneath my gaze. A ripple in the endless ocean of my inevitable dominion. My will, Brian, is the genesis of all reality. It will bend this city's fate. My Golden Path to absolute power—that is the only truth that will prevail."
He paused, eyes burning into Brian's.
"If the hand of a corrupt politician, steeped in the filth of this world, is the key to unsealing the gates of my empire… then so be it. By my decree, it shall be done. This is the unwavering resolve that commands even the heavens themselves."
A low, knowing murmur, heavy with the weight of ancient truths, settled over the room like a final judgment:
"To believe one can forge a new world alone is the delusion of lesser minds. True creation demands the orchestration of all beings. That, dear fool, is the breathtaking truth of manipulation—the unseen, omnipotent force that weaves the very fabric of destiny."
And then, the final, piercing verdict—delivered not with the detachment of a god, but with the chilling certainty of a man who walks an impossible path, forging destiny with his own hands:
"A man who cannot command himself? He is a hollow husk—a ship without a rudder, adrift on an endless ocean of despair he can never fathom. My path, however, is not merely clear; it is carved through impossibility itself, an eternal current for all who would claim true destiny. Only those who seize the very essence of their being may carve a golden, indomitable future, illuminating even the darkest cosmic depths."
As Brian's mind shattered and reformed, Kairon's will became law—an edict written in the marrow of his soul, binding him to a fate far greater, and far more terrible, than he could ever imagine.
The genjutsu flooded Brian's mind—not just control, but rewiring. Corrupt instincts twisted into tools for Kairon's design:
Access codes to underworld vaults
Political leverage over judges
Blackmail files on allies
All of Brian's own brilliant ideas.
Kairon leaned close, whispering:
"You'll open every door. Redirect every resource. And when your usefulness ends…"
He didn't finish. The implication hung heavier than any threat.
Before he left the penthouse, Kairon stripped Hatchet's armor, leaving the mercenary in boxers on the cold marble. A touch to his temple:
"Memory Seal: Oblivion."
Hatchet would wake remembering nothing but shame and confusion.
The armor folded into Kairon's inventory. He vanished into the night, Brian's mind now a weapon—and Star City's corruption his unwitting toolkit.
***
Justice League Watchtower~
Hal Jordan slammed his fist on the table.
"We're not catching up. Every time we move, the enemy's already gone. It's like we're fighting shadows."
Mr. Terrific's eyes narrowed as he scanned new surveillance feeds.
"Worse than shadows, Hal. There's a new player. Not on any roster. Someone… who moves like a ghost. And they're not just reacting."
He flagged the footage, curiosity and wariness growing.
***
Location Unknown~
Far across the city, another blackout swept through the financial district. A figure stood atop the ruined edge of a high-rise, shrouded in the city's blackout. The white cape caught the faintest glimmer of distant firelight, draping over broad, gold-armored shoulders. Purple and gold gleamed in the darkness: gauntlets, shin guards, a belt with a prominent buckle—all framing a form-fitting black suit that seemed to swallow the night itself.
A helmet, regal and gladiatorial, concealed his features. Only his mouth was visible, twisted in a slow, satisfied smile as he surveyed the chaos below.
He flexed his gold-clad fingers, savoring the panic that rippled through the city. The League would scramble, as always—predictable, reactionary, blind to the true threat. He relished their confusion, their helplessness.
His gaze lingered on a monitor embedded in his gauntlet, cycling through feeds of heroes running to and fro, always a step behind. He traced a slow circle on the screen, marking targets only he could see.
"You chase shadows," he murmured, the words barely more than a breath behind the visor. "But soon, you'll find there's nothing left to save."
The city below churned, a chessboard already set for destruction. He watched, patient and hungry, as the first piece fell.
And in the reflection of his helmet's purple visor, the ghost of a plan—painstaking, surgical, and utterly devastating—glimmered in his eyes.
Sirens wailed. Traffic lights flickered and died. In the distance, another substation exploded, sending up a brief, electric bloom. But he merely watched from his own darkened perch, a thin, satisfied smile on his lips.
"Let them scramble," he murmured, a completely separate game unfolding in his mind. "The more they chase this, the more they lose track of what truly matters."
***
Rooftop, Star City~
Kairon stood atop a rooftop, Hatchet's armor stored away, Brian's secrets swirling in his mind.
Below, the city churned—heroes and villains, order and chaos.
"The old rules are gone," Kairon murmured, looking down at the city. "Heroes. Villains. They cling to ancient scripts. Time to write my own."
He vanished into the night, a wild card in a game no one else could see.
End of chapter:13
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading! In this chapter, heroes and villains alike find themselves chasing shadows, struggling to keep pace as unseen forces weave new webs in the city's darkness. With every move, the balance shifts, and the rules are being rewritten. I hope you enjoyed the ride—stay tuned to see what secrets and surprises await in the chapters ahead!