Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Priapus, Marethyu, Mike God of Lore, Beans
The Guild of Gamers: The Nightmare
Chapter 17: Bond
– Lex Luthor –
Waking up with an immense headache, he immediately tried to take stock of where he was. Nude, bloodied, and incredibly angry with his hands behind his back, he opened his eyes to see the smiling face of Legion's mask staring back at him.
"You are playing with dangerous forces, Legion. Do you really think the Light will tolerate-"
"Who the fuck are the Light?" Legion asked, scratching his mask. "Ah, it's probably some supervillain thing. Boring. Not why you're here."
"...what?" Lex asked, pausing. "Why would you attack me if not-"
"For the good of Mother Earth," Legion cut in, sounding far too amused. "You've been picked as the VIP contestant for my next game, Man vs Nature!"
Looking around, he paused as he spotted Poison Ivy watching him with a deeply amused and satisfied look.
"Ivy here is our game host, where you and a few dozen other CEOs, whose companies have done the most damage to nature, will find out what happens when nature fights back," Legion explained playfully, clearly taking far too much pleasure out of this.
"Lexcorp has not-"
"You deforested a tenth of the Amazon in the past five years," Ivy cut in, her tone furious despite the pleasure on her face at seeing him reduced to this state.
"I was in jail, no longer the CEO. I only just got my position back two months ago. Since then, I have done nothing against nature," Lex said truthfully. "I cannot be held responsible for the actions of other people.
"Hmm… what's your company called again?" Legion asked. "Oh, right. Lexcorp. Your name is right there on the building. But, maybe you have a point."
Ivy looked betrayed for a moment, but he could bribe the eco-terrorist. Not with money, but she was very susceptible to another type of green. He had the resources to bring extinct plants back and-
"So we'll leave it up to the audience. They do love a good poll," Legion continued, gesturing as a screen activated.
'Is Baldy responsible for Lexcorp's actions?'
Within seconds, tens of thousands of votes had been cast, the two bars shifting rapidly as 'Yes' shot to near-full. His fate, in the hands of the common idiot on the internet? Comments flew by, but he caught countless Superman fans calling for him to be punished. Ha, Kent would be aghast at his own supporters calling for this. It didn't make the fact that his life was in the hands of such idiots feel any less insulting.
…so many comments were just shouting 'Bald'.
Legion had weaponised the common idiot, and that might be the most dangerous thing he had done.
"The people have spoken, Lex," Ivy said, clearly smug.
"Have ya tried not being bald? Seems to be the main reason they're voting," Harley piped up. He hadn't even seen her lurking in Ivy's shadow.
This was not how he was going to die.
– Bruce Wayne (Batman) –
"And if I hadn't, Alfred would be dead. Maybe Barbara, too," Kara shouted as Clark hesitated. Clark didn't want to say she was in the wrong, because she was doing exactly what he would do, but Legion had truly become the boogeyman for heroes after Green Arrow, Nightwing and Starfire. Bruce could see Clark's concern that Kara would be targeted next, clear on his face. "Should I hide on the Watchtower? Never put my hero outfit on again? I thought the S symbolised hope, not… not spinelessness!"
With her piece said, she flew off, proving that Clark was right to be worried as she acted like a teenager who'd been grounded. Clark sighed, guilty at having scolded her for saving lives. For doing the exact thing he would have done in her position.
"How is Gotham doing?" Clark asked, clearly wanting to change the subject.
"Bad," Bruce replied simply. "Batwoman and Zatanna are helping while I'm dealing with the Nightwing situation, but the gang war is only getting worse and Legion just keeps stoking the flames. He's begun spreading out his power vials to civilians caught in dangerous situations. The number of empowered individuals in Gotham has increased tenfold."
"You're moving them all to Watchtower, then?" Clark asked.
"I am. They don't agree, but I won't risk it. Wayne Manor is not secure," Bruce agreed. "...Alfred just asked me to find out what types of tea all the members like."
"He already knows my tastes," Clark said, trying to lighten the mood.
"He knows everyone's preferences. I think he was trying to distract me from his near-death state. It didn't work," Bruce replied grimly. "You realise what we're doing, don't you?"
"Gathering up everyone Legion might want to go after and putting them all in one place. I know. I half considered trying to find a way to secure sections of the Phantom Zone to keep my parents and Lois in until this is over," Clark said with a sigh. "Or using the Fortress of Solitude, but we can't be sure he can't get inside there either."
"Danae's teleportation is worryingly effective. If she's unseen, she can reappear anywhere else where nobody is looking. We have to assume Legion's is similar but superior," Bruce agreed. Even if they put cameras literally everywhere, all it would take is a space under a bed, a closet where the camera is covered by clothes, or even a moment of a camera's view being blocked by someone else and poof, Legion could be inside the Watchtower before they could stop him. "He seems focused on his 'Man vs Nature' game, at the moment but he's shown impressive multitasking skills before."
"Harley is still sending you information? I can't believe she managed to fool Legion," Clark replied with a frown.
"She almost certainly didn't. Much like with Danae, I think he simply doesn't care what she sends us. Ivy agreed to be the 'host' of the game. Originally out of fear of reprisals, but Legion has rapidly won her over," Bruce admitted. "Ivy fled with Legion because she was convinced she'd be sent to Arkham if she stayed with me, and she has reasonable fears that Legion is going to go for Arkham eventually."
"It's worrying that he hasn't yet. All those villains in one place, it should be a buffet, but he's not biting," Clark agreed. "I hate this. We're completely on the backfoot, and all attempts to predict what Legion is going to do have ended in failure."
"He's similar to the Joker in that regard. I think it has something to do with the possession method we suspect he's using. Each host could be influencing him differently. Sometimes he's more… lustful, other times he seems utterly disinterested. His targets are equally nonsensical, jumping all over the world with no clear pattern," Bruce said.
"You're still looking into Markus Grey, then?" Clark asked.
"The Male Legion is rarely active while Markus is awake. It's not unheard of, but his activity drops considerably whenever Markus is moving around. But, at the same time, Markus never leaves his bed at night. It isn't that he rises and Legion takes over, Markus remains fast asleep," Bruce explained with a deep frown. "I'm having Diana bring Danae here. I want samples to compare to Markus."
"What do we do if it is him?" Clark pointed out. "Half the League have been mind-controlled at some point, and even if we lock him up, then what? Legion switches hosts?"
"Barbara believes, and I agree, that Markus seems of special importance to Legion. More than any of the other hosts. As for what that actually means, I don't know. If Markus is imprisoned or incapacitated, we could just release Legion to act more freely. It's the same situation as with you. The villains preferred it when you spent half your time as a bumbling reporter," Bruce answered. "Legion has grown beyond just the Male Legion, but he's the mastermind and his time inactive works in our favour. Unless that's just another red herring. He takes pleasure in leaving us second-guessing, and we're only assuming he's inactive because he's not openly seen."
His 'Bat-Paranoia' was infamous amongst the Batfamily and the League, but it was times like this where it felt all too justified.
Clark paused, clearly hearing someone approach, and turned as Diana entered with the deepest scowl he'd seen on the warrior princess's face.
"What's wrong, Diana?" Clark asked, frowning. It wasn't fear on her face, or worry, but genuine fury. "Is Themyscira safe?"
"They are, but I am no longer Princess Diana of Themyscira," Diana replied, hurt mixed with fury.
"Diana, what happened?" Bruce asked quickly.
"The Gods forbade any Daughter of Themyscira from warring against Legion. I was called before my mother and ordered to swear to not involve myself in the battle against Legion. I refused, and was exiled for it," Diana admitted, the room going quiet.
This wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Metropolis was calling for Superman not to bring Legion upon them. Vegas had banned Zatanna's show and forbade her from doing hero work in their city. But the Greek Gods themselves were doing the same?
"What about Danae?" Bruce asked.
"She's still welcome on the island, as one of its Princesses. She's made her lack of interest in fighting her father clear from the start. She's there now, though she said she'd be returning to continue as my sidekick shortly. I, however, am no longer permitted on the island and was banished," Diana repeated, her entire posture a mixture of fury and hurt. It was only now that he noticed that her lasso and armour were missing, wearing a more generic version of the Amazonian armour, not the blessed armour she usually wore.
"Your mother would truly-"
"She had no choice. She may be the Queen, but the Gods remain above her. If she defied them, she would not remain queen for long. All that would achieve is removing her from the throne so she could join me in exile," Diana cut in. "It's… cowardice. Nothing more. The Gods have declared that the issues in Man's World are not the business of Themyscira, and forbade any Amazonian from leaving the island without permission. As of this moment, Danae alone has that permission. Donna has been recalled and forbidden from leaving."
"I wouldn't have thought she'd agree to such a thing," Clark admitted.
"She didn't, until I pushed her to. Legion has made it clear that he has plans for Themyscira, and I need someone there I can trust to contact me if he shows up," Diana explained.
"Risky. If Legion hits, she might not have a chance to do so," Bruce points out.
"And if she accepted exile, she'd likely be just as vulnerable. Whatever game Legion is playing, I don't think he intends an outright invasion. He wanted Danae for a reason, losing all interest in me the moment he got what he wanted," Diana countered.
"You think he's going for something more subtle than his usual games?" Clark asked, arms crossed.
"We've seen that he can be sneaky. Even just last night," Bruce reminded them. Nobody suspected anything was wrong with Starfire until she struck. "Danae could be a long con, especially with you exiled. If Danae became Queen, he'd get Themyscira without needing to invade. Perhaps even with the Gods' approval."
"I want to say it won't happen, couldn't happen, but I can't. He's reviled on the island for what he did to me, cursed in the same breath as Heracles, but Danae hasn't inherited his reputation. Even with her refusal to demonise her father. Aresia taught her well, she already knows most of Themyscira's customs," Diana admitted frustratedly. "But she's also still my daughter. I can't, won't, send her away."
Even if she did, with no authority on Themyscira it wouldn't stop Danae from taking action on the island. They'd have to rely on Donna to find out what Danae was doing when she was away from Diana's side.
"How is Starfire?" Diana asked, changing the subject. There was a lot of that going around.
"She's retreated into her own mind. Zatanna and Doctor Fate examined her, and it seems that Legion inflicted a split personality in her. One which never escaped her time as a slave. He used that personality to implant suggestions into her head that the 'Hero' persona would follow unknowingly," Bruce explained. "When faced with the realisation that she'd murdered her lover, she… retreated back into her slave persona and is resistant to efforts to bring her out. Several of her former Titan teammates have tried, with no effect. Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg all tried, but she won't even acknowledge that she knows them at all."
"Can they not remove these false memories?" Diana asked.
"They aren't false. As far as they can tell, they are entirely real. And attempts have had… mostly negative results. Legion seems to have left boobytraps in her head, ready to end her should anyone attempt to tamper with them," Bruce explained with a scowl. Memory erasure was never his first option, but Zatanna and Doctor Fate attempted it without telling the others, entirely too confidently to have not done something similar before.
Doctor Fate was rebuffed, but Zatanna was knocked out and wouldn't explain what happened, only that 'Legion had taken preparations against such things.'
"We've kept her locked up for now, and she is making no attempt to escape as she has no current orders from her 'master'. She's effectively in denial, because if she doesn't leave her new persona, Nightwing is a stranger to her and his death means nothing," Bruce said bluntly. "Even if we could get her to accept reality, we can't guarantee that she has no other implanted orders."
It would be entirely in character for Legion to have her murder Nightwing for the sole purpose of making them think that was the only order, leaving something worse ready to trigger further down the line when they thought they were in the clear.
As they continued to talk about the current situation and the multiple crises that Legion was unleashing across the globe. He was keeping them on the defensive, forcing them to react to more and more issues so they didn't have time to gather or come up with a real plan to counter him.
And for once, Batman didn't have a plan. He had no contingency for this. No countermeasures for the ever-growing, ever-adapting Legion. All he had was a dead son, a burning city and a completely crippled Justice League.
He needed a plan. He needed some way to fight back. He needed something that could stop Legion for good.
– Markus Grey (Legion) –
…that's it?
As Neo gives me a curious look, I feel a frown forming on my face as I purge the last remnants of the toxin from my body.
"That's so fucking lame," I admit with a sigh. "'Fear Toxin' my ass. This is Scarecrow's masterpiece? Even the fear it produces sucks. It's like… going from a world-class restaurant to a microwaved burger. Man, I thought it'd be better than that. Fear is his entire thing."
Neo makes some gestures, getting my attention as she points at the TV. Ha, Lex isn't having a great time in the Savage Lands. Still, he's doing pretty damn well in this survival game. Ooh, he murdered another of the CEOs in an argument about food. He wasn't willing to share what he alone had worked for. Ivy didn't let them even keep their clothes, so he's wearing a fucking leather loincloth. Hey, he's getting some fans online for it, so good for him. You know, if he survives.
Sometimes, my admin privs reveal things that people would really not want me to know. Mercy Graves is watching and thirsting to post about her boss, which is expected. What isn't expected is Supergirl's 'secret' account doing something similar. Guess he's the ultimate bad boy that her overprotective brother would never approve of.
"He's not scared. Pissed, but not scared. His ego is so large that he can't picture himself dying in such a way," I explain with amusement. "Funnily enough, he's more angry at Ivy than us, despite the whole kidnapping thing. He hates us, don't get me wrong, but he's still convinced he can manipulate or use us for his own ends. That's cute."
Analysing her gestures, I snort again.
"Probably. For now, I'm amused enough at his Tarzan cosplay to leave him to it. Rig the game to keep him alive until the final week. This is too funny for Ivy to kill him too quickly, and she plans to make sure he doesn't escape because she knows how petty he is," I order lazily. Neo nods, before pausing and twirling in place as her outfit is replaced with her own Tarzan cosplay, a thin hide loincloth and absolutely nothing else. "Nice."
She gives me a mocking bow before she gestures at the wheel of misfortune, but I shake my head.
"No. Or, not yet. We're winning too hard. Turns out you can only cause so many issues before the heroes get overwhelmed, instead of an appropriate amount of whelmed. Life is gonna be boring if they all go and die on us," I point out. "But, you know something? I've been thinking. Scary, I know."
Neo jumps, placing her hand in front of her mouth with an appropriately shocked and fearful expression.
"They're starting to give up. Not the big names, obviously, but the smaller heroes, the civies, even the villains. They're losing hope, and hope is the spice that makes their fear taste so much better. It's the seasoning I need for their despair to cook properly," I explain, with all the confidence of a master chef. Neo nods rapidly, her outfit being replaced with a chef hat and an apron with 'fuck the chef' written on it. "But more importantly, it's just no fun. If I wanted to fight someone who couldn't fight back, I'd go and throw hands with the coma patients at Gotham General… Neo, make a note to kidnap the coma patients for a game. We'll wake them up and give them the opportunity to earn a second chance."
Getting out our notebook, she doodles the latest scheme into it.
"As I was saying, it's just no fun if they can't fight back and we're doing too much, too fast for them to keep up. Adding on that half the 'heroes' have pussied out and are hiding their heads in the sand as if I won't come for them if they just don't bother me, it's insulting," I continue. As if I'd limit myself to just Gotham if they don't come for me.
It's supposed to be us vs all the heroes, but half of them have already dropped out and are just hoping I ignore them. That's not the way this game is played. I might have to start punishing the cities that are banishing their heroes for daring to play with me.
"But I don't want to sit on my hands and let them catch up, that'd be so boring," I continue, getting a nod of agreement. "So, we need to give them a chance so it's even better when they lose and I've got an idea of how to do just that."
I've had to think long and hard about this (it even distracted me while I… punished Deadshot's bootycall and daughter for his failure. Tch, tch, he didn't anticipate them having reinforcements, sloppy work for someone who is so convinced that he's the best assassin around).
I am a man of my word, and had he succeeded in killing Alfred, his big booty latina ex-hooker girlfriend and daughter would be safe and free. He didn't, so they aren't.
I'll probably think of something to do with them eventually, but for now I'm just keeping to my word. Daddy Dearest failed poor Zoe Lawton.
Now, how should I give the heroes a fighting chance? Well, that's simple. They're already going deep in their schizo theories about Markus Grey, so they've given me the perfect way to pass information to them to make the games more entertaining.
— Markus Grey —
Heading into work, I can't help but stumble a little. To say I haven't slept well would be an understatement of epic proportions, as my night was filled with…
I hesitate to call them nightmares, because they felt too real, had details I couldn't possibly have made up in a feverish state.
"Damn, Mark, you're looking rough. Surprised you didn't call in sick," Harvey says, getting my attention. I just snort, opening the donut box for him to get one. I always bring a box in to work with me, mostly for myself while I work but cliche aside, it's made me popular.
"Considering our forensic team is still me, myself and I? Time off isn't something I can take lightly," I snort. They sent some replacements, but Falcone attacked the transport they were in and killed them all. At this point, there's been three different attempts to fill the forensic team and each one has ended in everyone being murdered. "I'll be fine once I've got some coffee in me."
"Ha, barely been here a month and you've already got the hang of the basics," Harvey laughs, slapping my back before he trails off seeing Captain Sawyer entering.
Things have been a little chaotic recently. Well, that's an understatement and a half given the rise of empowered beings and the rampant gang war, but I mean specifically in the GCPD. Captain Sawyer found evidence of a lot of officers being corrupt in the wake of the gang war, but with the sheer amount of work to do, she wasn't able to really do anything about it beyond in-house punishments. Can't fire half the department for corruption when we're understaffed as it is and no other city is going to aid us and risk drawing Legion's eye.
She was already unpopular for being a female cop from out of town that got promoted to the Head of Major Crimes over the homegrown cops, plus being an open lesbian in a police station that feels like an old boys club half the time. Now, she's an unpopular lesbian captain who's actively punishing half the force. If she didn't have Commissioner Gordon's support, things would be worse but it's led to a… hostile working environment.
If Maggie hears the whispers and feels the stares, she doesn't show it as she heads to her office, head held high. I heard someone tried to kill her in a drive-by last week, and I wish I could say that I don't think any of my co-workers were involved but I really can't.
Funnily enough, as grumpy and pervy as Harvey Bullock can be, he's one of the few who wasn't found to be guilty of anything particularly bad. Plus, aside from a few lewd comments about Maggie and her girlfriend, Kate, he doesn't overly seem to have a problem with her either.
"Sheesh," Harvey mumbles, taking a bite of his donut. "Better get to work, the Captain's in a mood. You coming for drinks tonight?"
"Maybe. Need to talk to the Comish about something. If I'm free, sure," I say, giving him a nod as we head our separate ways. I've got no reason to antagonise my coworkers by distancing myself from them. My job is hard enough without me joining Maggie on the GCPD's most loathed list, and lab geeks like me have a dodgy reputation in Gotham.
Given that the Riddler had been my predecessor and it seems like there is a clear connection between 'education' and 'willingness to put on a silly outfit and run around calling yourself something stupid while you kill people', I'm not overly surprised. Seriously, why do all the main villains in this city have PHDs?
It's caused a weird mistrust in people who graduated from University in Gotham. Oh, you graduated top of your class? Yeah, you're a serial killer in the making.
Heading to the lab, I start my work with a stretch. There's always work to do in GCPD, and that's when your department is made up of more than a single person. In my case, I've become a modern day Sisyphus.
And my boulder is made of bodies.
I'm five reports in by the time someone shows up, distracting me from the latest autopsy. A large part of my new job is to work out what powers the new villains have by analysing the bodies. Not normally something you'd have to do but the explosive increase in empowered villains means I've had a lot of weird bodies to examine.
"You wanted to see me, Markus?" Commissioner Gordon asks, closing the door behind him. I left a message with his secretary for when he got in, but I was expecting him to call me up rather than come down to my lair (basement).
"I did," I confirm, pushing my chair away from my desk where I'd been typing away. "Do you know how to get into contact with Batman? Or any of the League, actually."
He goes still at that, his face going more serious. The fact that Batgirl/Oracle turned out to be his daughter was a major source of gossip in the GCPD, with arguments whether he knew or not. Some have pushed for him to resign because Batman and his crew remain technically wanted vigilantes because of his weird-ass position and having a wanted vigilante as a daughter be one of them is one hell of a conflict of interests.
"Is this about Legion?" James asks. Turns out, saving his daughter from a jungle of death gets you on first name basis with your boss. Just a little employment tip for anyone struggling to get a promotion.
"God, I hope not. Frankly, I'm hoping they tell me that I'm just hallucinating from stress or my mind is overworked and has trouble sleeping, but I've been having… something between nightmares and visions," I admit with a frown on my face. "At first, I didn't think much of them beyond being tired when I woke up, but the last one. It felt too detailed to be fake. Especially as I pictured someone I've never seen before, and barely heard of, perfectly. I searched them up when I woke up."
"Better to check with them, it's not like we have a clue what Legion can truly do, and you were in their hands for far too long," James agrees after a moment, stroking his chin. "After work, meet me on the rooftop. I don't think Batman is in the city at the moment, but I'll see what I can do."
"Will do, Commissioner," I agree with a grateful look. So, I get to see the infamous bat signal? "Oh, and I sent the reports on the last batch of bodies. I think I've worked out Falcone's newest monster's abilities, as best I can from the aftermath at least."
"Much appreciated. God, Gotham has gone insane lately. And that's saying something," James sighs. "But knowing what I'm sending my men into might save their lives. You're doing indispensable work, Markus."
I have a feeling a lot of my reports are finding their way to Oracle. Not that I mind.
"Just doing my job, and my part doesn't involve going out to potentially fight empowered mobsters or unleashed monsters," I point out with a dark chuckle. "I've got the easy part as long as the bodies in the morgue don't get back up."
"Don't jinx it. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised," James agrees, giving the morgue attached to the forensic lab a shifty look. "You've got a gun, right?"
"In my desk drawer," I agree, patting the desk. "Never leave home without it."
Lab techs don't usually get a service weapon, but… well, Gotham. Even if the Legion situation wasn't ongoing, and I wasn't a prime target for Legion wannabes, I'd still need it because random violence is at an all time high in Gotham.
You can do everything right, then become a victim because some of Joker's henchgoons were bored and decided to go around throwing grenades into crowds for the fun of it. A gun won't help against a lot of the threats the average Gothamite has to live with, but it still works as a deterrence for the common thug if nothing else.
"Good man," James agrees. I've heard Batman has a no-guns thing (that Red Hood doesn't follow, given how many dead Black Mask, Penguin and Falcone thugs I've had through my lab with the same custom high caliber of bullets in their skulls). Clearly James doesn't agree with Batman on everything.
Saying goodbye, I watch him leave before I spin my chair back around and return to my desk. Lots of dead thugs today. Red Hood is in prime form, and he's barely even trying to hide that it's him.
This one was tortured, severely, before being put down with the same custom bullet that I've seen a dozen times at this point.
— Katherine Kane (Batwoman) —
Perching on top of a water tower, she waited as James Gordon and Markus Grey came out, perfectly still and silent.
Which was why she froze as Markus turned to face her instantly, his eyes locking with hers despite the total darkness she was lurking in.
"I hope we didn't keep you waiting," Markus said softly, causing James to pause in confusion before he followed Markus' stare. Even looking right at her, he needed to squint slightly to spot her.
"You didn't," Batwoman replied as she jumped down. "Commissioner Gordon said you had information for the League."
"I'll leave you to it," James said, patting Markus on the shoulder. He was still… displeased to have found out Barbara was Oracle during such a catastrophe, but he was too professional to let his personal feelings get in the way.
"Thanks, James," Markus agreed. He was very soft spoken. He waited a moment as the Commissioner sent back inside, staying silent until the door closed. "I'd like to start this by saying that I'm not entirely convinced this was nothing more than nightmares. In any other situation, I wouldn't bring it to anyone's attention, let alone the Justice League's."
"Believe me, I've seen weirder. Legion has shown the ability to affect dreams before," Batwoman responded bluntly. She was well aware of the current theory that Markus was an unwilling host to Legion, and that gave his words weight. "What did you see?"
"Three things," Markus admitted. "Firstly, a woman frozen in ice and Gotham trapped in a blizzard."
Nora Fries. Legion had already shown that he'd kidnap villains' loved ones and force them to obey his commands with Deadshot.
"It was blurry, like looking at something through a thick fog, but I got a good look at the woman. I had never seen Nora Fries before, until I searched her up this morning. She looked exactly like she did in my dreams," Markus continued. She briefly paused, something he noticed. "I did do my research on Gotham's villains and it wouldn't be the first time Mister Freeze plunged Gotham into an ice age."
"You said three things," Batwoman continued. It wasn't any real leap of logic to get to Mister Freeze from a vision of an ice age. Especially for someone with access to GCPD resources.
"The second was a building. Belle Reve, and an obese black woman. That was the blurriest of the three, but I felt… myself staring at the rows of cells, and the female Legion looking into one of them before the building was engulfed in mist," Markus admitted with a frown. Amanda Waller. What was the bitch up to this time? Was it too much to ask that the multiple major threats Legion kept unleashing would get her to stop fucking around for once? "The third was the one that felt the most… intense. It was the clearest by far."
"Continue," Batwoman said simply. Markus was seeing through Legion's eyes? Or was remembering what Legion did while puppeting Markus? No, neither had happened yet. He was seeing what Legion was planning?
The good old Bat-paranoia was going haywire, but if he was lying, he was damn good at it.
"I felt… smug, and I saw the image of a grey-skinned girl in a dark blue cloak trying to talk to an orange-skinned alien. I could feel… anticipation? Amusement," Markus explained. Katherine went still.
Starfire was on the Watchtower, and Raven had returned to try and get through to her former teammate.
"I felt myself giving orders to the orange girl, and then saw the grey girl chained to an altar, naked with red runes all over her body as a portal opened," Markus continued. "I had heard of the Teen Titans, and of Raven, but I'd never seen a picture of her before. Again, I looked her up and she was a perfect copy of what I saw in my head."
Would Legion be insane enough to try and summon Trigon? What was she saying, of course he would be. If he was sane, they wouldn't be in this mess.
"I need you to come with me,' Batwoman decided, seeing him stiffen before he nodded with a serious look on his face.
"I expected as much," Markus admitted. "I was really hoping you'd tell me I was just insane."
"Things are rarely that simple," Batwoman replied with a hint of amusement despite the severity of the situation.
It was possible that he was just having bad nightmares after spending months in Legion's hands, but all three of those 'visions' sounded dire enough for her to take them seriously. At worst, she wasted some time.
— Bruce Wayne (Batman) —
Watching as Zatanna worked her magic, he remained silent. Markus was laid down on a table, with her hands on either side of his head. Martian Manhunter stood nearby, his eyes closed.
Markus was asleep, having willingly been put into a magical coma, but Batman couldn't help but fear that this was some Legion plot.
The Flash and Superman stood nearby, both ready to act in an instant. He still didn't enjoy having other heroes in his city, disrupting the careful balance or encouraging the villains to escalate, but he couldn't take any chances and Legion was beyond his ability to handle alone.
"Zatanna?" Superman asked as she stepped back, watching as she rubbed the bridge of her nose with a shudder. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Zatanna replied as she shook her head for a moment. "Markus was right to bring this to our attention. There's a psychic bond between him and someone else, presumably Legion. It's not quite magic, but that's no surprise given what we are dealing with. Jon?"
"I concur. There is a connection between Markus and another, it is unlike any telepathic bond I have ever encountered. I believe I could try to follow to the other side but… I cannot say with confidence that I would remain undetected," Jon said calmly. "Nor that we have been undetected so far."
"It doesn't seem active, but I agree. Following it back to the source is one thing, doing so without alerting them or inviting a mental attack is another entirely," Zatanna agreed.
"Flash. Raven is with Starfire as we speak. Head back, keep an eye on them. Diana is there, but we might need your speed," Superman ordered, getting a salute as the Flash vanished in the blink of an eye. "Batman, can you locate Nora Fries?"
"I don't know her current location, but I should be able to find her. Mister Freeze is currently in Arkham, but he tends to secure her before any scheme so she won't be endangered if he's captured," Batman responded, sending word to Oracle. It shouldn't be that hard to locate whichever lair he'd stashed her in, even if he always made sure to try and disguise it. "And Belle Reve?"
"What's the chance that Waller listens to our concerns?" Superman asked, already knowing the answer.
"Slim to none," Batman agreed. There were few people in the world as self-assured as Amanda Waller. Her connection to Lex and this 'Light' that had stolen Roy Harper hadn't been missed in all the chaos. "She won't evacuate the prison on our word alone."
Batman suspected that half the prisoners there were off the books, relocated from other prisons or held without being officially charged. She'd already tried to get Deadshot off them. As irritating as Waller could be, she had the protection of the government and going against her came with far more trouble than it was usually worth.
"So, what do we do with Markus?" Kate asked, getting to the crux of the situation.
If Legion went after the three targets Markus had seen, it meant they'd finally have a way to predict what the madman was doing.
And yet, it felt entirely too… convenient.