149 Innocent
30 advance chapters in my Pat.reon. Pat.reon.com/Saintbarbido.
Please gimme 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 ah fuck it...
::---------------------------------------------------::
(Aden's P.O.V)
"…And then I intervened before he could land the finishing blow."
I concluded, the lasso of truth glowing golden in confirmation.
"He is telling the truth. The Lasso compels him to."
Wonder woman informed the other two.
"Are you sure Diana? He could bypass that restriction the last time."
Canary asked the Demi-goddess who shook her head.
"Not anymore, I commissioned for the divine enchantments to be strengthened. The gods were strangely eager to help me, especially when Haephestus learned of a mortal able to subvert it's immutable nature."
I chuckled. "Not subvert, merely misdirect."
And it was true about it being stronger, I could feel it. The Lasso had been very powerful before but now? Now it felt completely inviolable. My energy sense was on, trying to decipher the essence of the energy it used yet…all I got was the feeling of trying to collect water with a sieve or trying to hold a wet soap with very slippery hands. It didn't take.
I held up my hands feeling the divine influence of the Lasso at the back of my head, forcing me to be truthful.
"So I answered all your questions truthfully. Batman even showed you the image he managed to capture before Lobo went off world." The Dark Knight grunted, standing in the corner. Due to this being League business, he had decided to give precedence to the actual league members.
Canary and Wonder woman were interrogating me. The former due to her psychology expertise and the latter was the current president of the Justice League. There was a camera above the door that was transmitting real live footage to the rest of the League members. And Martian Manhunter was in the next room over, trying to sneak into my mind without me finding out. He was in a state of being that I found really strange, a pseudo intangibility that didn't register in my air sense. Luckily, it didn't seem like they knew about my ability to sense energy or someone's soul. So their ploy didn't work. I wasn't going to tell them that though. Whenever I felt a brush across my mental walls I started thinking of Wonder Woman's shapely… fundamentals as well as she doing some naughty stuff with Canary and J'onn pulled back in a little disgusted understanding. I probably soured the opinion he had of me. Then again, what did he expect? I'm a teenage boy…of course that's what I'll think of!
"It's my word against Luthor, an evil genius megalomaniac with delusions…" I paused. Say what you will but Luthor could walk the talk. So I corrected myself.
"Ambitions of grandeur. Think about it, how many times has he tried to kill Superman!? Ah! It was only time before he pulled this kind of crap. I was just unlucky enough to be the guy at the right place and in the right time. And now because of that, despite knowing who's really responsible…the League can't do anything because you're all shackled by the law. I'm not."
Wonder Woman shared a look with Black Canary who had been treating me with a cold shoulder ever since I was brought in. The implication that I was going to do something to Luthor was neatly grossed over. I was sure it would sooner or later come up though. They just filed it away as ammunition for later.
"Then why did you agree to be brought in, knowing full well that we would interrogate you severely? And…hold you accountable for your past misdeeds?"
The Themysciran princess asked. I leaned forward slightly.
"Because, he." I motioned at Batman. "Told me that the League would recognize who the real enemy is. Because, I'd like to think the League would understand putting our differences to the side for the sake of taking down The Light takes priority over a spatting match against a 17 year old. And lastly because…I am actually innocent."
I leaned back and let them mull over my words.
Wonder Woman's earpiece started blowing up. I caught the tell tale end of Hawk woman's words and smiled a little. The team had arrived. Oh this is about to get very entertaining.
"Keep them somewhere secure for the moment. I don't want any interference before we're done."
She ordered making me smile a little lewdly, then I remembered I didn't want to get punched as my cracked ribs were still healing and wisely swallowed my next words.
"So…am I free to go?"
I held my lassoed hands out and enquired.
Batman pushed off of the wall, coming out into the light.
"There are still a few questions you need to answer." Oh I guess now it's his turn. Wonder woman didn't look too happy with his intervention but nonetheless she didn't oppose him.
"Why did you lie your way into the Watchtower?"
Oh shit. My mind went blank for a second. That question came out of nowhere. I could feel the influence of the Lasso, urging me to tell the truth. So I used my previous trick… drawing upon the influence of the Avatar system security measures and answered.
"I was trying to see if I could familiarize myself with it incase I ever needed to portal in for something."
He narrowed his eyes.
"It wasn't your first time on the Watchtower. Why would you need to sneak in again when you could already make a boom tube to take you there?"
"Yeah, you're right." I started slowly. "But before that, the only places I could create a boom tube to were the medical room, the meeting hall and one of the private rooms. All places under heavy monitor. I was trying to look for places I could easily sneak in without being found out."
He placed his hands on the edges of the table and loomed above me.
"Why?"
He insisted.
"I thought it might be useful incase the good guys were ever taken out and the Watchtower, which is a technological marvel fell into the hands of the bad guys. The world would not survive."
I answered with a shrug, though I was sure that neither of them bought the explanation. It was pretty weak but what could they do? The Lasso glowed to show I was telling the truth to the best of my knowledge. I felt another brush of psychic energy along my mental walls and pretended not to notice still lost in my fantasies about the two women infront of me.
"Moving on…"
I swallowed a groan. Seems like we were going to be here for some time.
(General P.O.V)
"I can't believe they stuck us in a room like kids."
Kid Flash complained while lying on the couch, an empty packet of chips was strewn across the table.
"We technically did…break into the Watchtower uninvited. It makes sense why we would be put on house arrest."
Artemis pointed out.
"Don't you mean, room arrest?"
Miss Martian tried to joke only for the joke to fall apart and for the rest to give her weird looks. She blushed and looked away.
"Robin is better at this."
Connor rubbed her back affectionately making the Martian smile.
"Speaking of which, What is the Boy Wonder up to now?"
Artemis questioned, prompting all of them to stare at Robin who was busy tapping something out on his holographic wrist computer, a cable run from the device to the terminal present in the room.
"Hopefully not hacking anymore League systems, not after the severe warning we just…"
Aqualad started out with authority.
"Relax Kaldur, I'm just trying to see this from a… different perspective."
There was a hum and the screen installed on the wall came on.
"Accessing League database for the viral clip…got it. Mapping out a 3D remake of the video using the Holo comp and…there. Oh… I knew it!"
Robin shouted in glee. The video was 5 second only long.
The rest scrambled towards him as the device on his wrist projected a 3 dimensional outlay of the paused clip. The image showed Aden hovering on top of a broken Superman. Boy Wonder motioned with his finger at a point in the video abd explained the discrepancy. The rest gasped, being quick on the uptake.
"We now have all the proof we need to show that Aden is innocent."
He smiled.
"But how are we supposed to get this to them, did you forget we are still on…"Connor stopped and looked at M'gann with a smile. "Room arrest?"
The Martian girl preened in happiness.
"I mean…I've hacked into the most secure database before…a single automatic door is child's play."
Robin stated.
Everyone turned to stare at Aqualad. The Atlantean sighed before nodding his head in determination.
"We have already come this far. Do it."
(In The Meeting Hall)
A live footage depicting the ongoing interrogation was playing as the rest of the League members, barring a few missing figures watched. Batman had asked almost any conceivable question he could. Going as far as to enquire on the nature of Aden's realm. That question hadn't particularly made the boy happy but he stuck to the truth yet still managed to be awfully vague. The interrogation had gone far and beyond the scope of the questions they needed to ask and although it left a bad taste in a few heroes mouths…it was necessary. Aden Strong was an unpredictable element.
And finally…the interrogation was over. The holographic visual feed switched off as the league members all stared at each other with grim faces.
"Well…that was both enlightening and…not. Everything he said is a version of the truth we either suspected or knew."
The Flash stated.
"He is right though, we need to marshall up a correct response to The Light's continued schemes, sooner or later they will deal the world a blow that we won't be able to recover from."
The King of Atlantis pitched in.
"Aquaman is right. I propose the same."
Hawkman added in his support for Orin.
"How?" Green Lantern Stewart held up his hand to stop any misunderstandings. "I am not saying that we do nothing. In combat situations like this, the strategy is to low-key carry out an attack on the aggressor without concrete proof of them making the first move. A covert operation. That's not how the League works, despite already knowing the Light's secret identities we are shackled by our principles. Which is a selling point. My question is how are we going to justify going after a monarch, a billionaire philanthropist not to mention the rest, lawfully?"
The members went silent.
"I propose we go back to our discussion on what to do with Maelstrom. It's better if we deal with one thing at a time."
Green Arrow spoke up. While his words had merit, it was clear to see that he still held a bit of vendetta against Aden. Before any of them could say anything, a young voice interrupted.
"Nothing. Aden is innocent and we can prove it."
Robin's entrance was dramatic, the doors to the meeting hall were pushed in as the whole junior team walked in.
"How did you…"The Flash started before he snorted. "You hacked the Watchtower's system didn't you?"
Robin merely smirked. Some of the other Leaguers were not too thrilled with their actions however.
"This is a private meeting. Time and time again, you have gone against direct orders and our authority. Last I checked this team was still in suspension."
Stewart said in a no nonsense tone.
"Explain yourself, Aqualad."
Aquaman ordered.
Kaldur stepped forward and saluted.
"I apologize for our disrespect my Annax but frankly speaking...the League left us with no choice in the matter. Aden Strong was a member of our team. Not the League. He is our responsibility and we should have all been included in the proceedings. It is not only a blatant show of distrust in our capabilities but also a gross mistake to judge him harshly without sufficient evidence to prove his innocence. Evidence that only took Robin a few minutes of keen observation to acquire, while the League has experts more than capable of doing the same. At this point, we are wondering why the League seems intent in prosecuting him for a crime he did not commit."
The Leaguers shared a look and some of them like did not look too happy by the conclusion of the mental conversation going on among them. There was a haze in the air and Martian Manhunter appeared through the walls of the meeting hall.
"The floor is yours Robin. Show us this evidence."
The Martian said, taking a seat. Robin and the rest released a sigh of relief as the tension in the room bled out a little. Boy Wonder stepped up and cleared his throat. A short tap on his wrist computer and he gained access to the projector placed in the middle of the long table between all the League members. The same image he'd showed the team appeared, this time enlargened.
"Look at the shadow placement. It's subtle. Very subtle but given the height of the sun in the sky… Aden's shadow should have extended a few degrees to the left. And his leg too, his costume is a unique blend of material that Batman went to the trouble of making, to not reflect any light whatsoever…the gray undertones should be even more faded than the cloak which is a personal recent addition, yet they seem to have the same visual shade. That is not the case for his right leg which perfectly blends in with the shadows cast from his cloak, making the leg placed on Superman's chest a deep fake."
The Boy Wonder's explanation left the whole meeting hall silent in surprise for a few seconds.
"Why would they go to the length of framing him and then leave behind mistakes like this?"
Hawkwoman questioned while steepling her fingers on the table.
"Because that was not the goal. They knew that this wouldn't hold up. That the League would release a counter statement. The goal was to use that as an excuse to release Aden's identity out into the public."
The gruff voice belonging to Batman answered.
The new group arrived from a different set of doors. Aden was placed in between Captain Atom and Wonder Woman with Batman at their front and Canary along with Green Lantern at the back. Surprisingly, Aden was not in cuffs as the teens had expected. He smiled at the team, hiding the turmoil in his emotions. He couldn't believe that they were actually standing up for him. It made no sense whatsoever.
"Man, with people like you, who needs a lawyer?"
