Chapter 42: The Right Hand Man

10 advance chapters on P@treon.com/Saintbarbido.

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(General P.O.V)

-The Watchtower-

-East Section-

Inside the server room, a shadow beside a server warped, depositing two individuals into the brightly lit chamber.

The cameras on the corners of the wall were stuck in a loop- it being the first thing the intruders had taken care of.

Breaking into the HQ of the world's premier superhero team had taken a lot of preparation. Months to be exact. But the two of them had succeeded.

The task was to enter and exit without being noticed. Something easier said than done.

One of the figures, dressed in a black suit with a hat on his head and white gloves, stepped forward.

He reached into his pocket and removed a Fatherbox. One that he attached to the chasis of a server.

The Fatherbox beeped, the circuit like lines across it's surface glowing yellow.

[How long is this going to take? I can't keep cloaking us from the Martian any longer. Just his passive psychic energy is like a weight pressing on my mind.]

Psimon telepathically informed Shade.

The telepath had his fingers pressed onto the sides of his large head, a deep look of concentration on his face.

[Not long now]

Shade replied.

The Fatherbox hummed, proceeding to slip through many Batman's firewalls and download everything stored in the League's database.

That was the task given to the two of them.

While Angel kept most of the League occupied, Shade and Psimon would infiltrate the Watchtower.

They had managed to upload a virus that helped bypass the Watchtower's A.I systems. something only possible due to Ivo's nanomachines.

[Just...hurry up. The Martian is probably the most powerful Psychic I have ever come across]

Psimon responded.

-0-

Unseen by the two of them, something was watching them, an eye connected to a green stalk of flesh which protruded through the wall.

The single eye narrowed, before retracting through the wall.

On the other side of the room, Martian Manhunter shapeshifted the eye stalk back to his hand, before turning to face the Flash.

"I was right. As experienced as he is, Psimon's mind cloak leaves a blank spot in my scanning range. He's only made it easier to notice them."

The Martian informed the speedster.

"I don't know if they're brave or just dumb enough to sneak on board the Watchtower. How did they even manage that?"

The Flash shook his head.

"One of them seems to have the ability to control shadows."

The Martian revealed.

The Flash's eyebrows raised.

"You don't mean..."

"Given Batman's report, I suspect he might be working for Angel."

The Martian replied.

At the mention of Angel's name, the Flash slammed his fist into his palm, anticipation at getting his payback welling up within.

"There's one way to find out for sure. Let's go bust some criminals."

Wearing his mask, he approached the door to the server room with purpose.

"Wait Flash. It would be wise to inform Batman and the others first."

Manhunter suggested.

The Flash's body begun to slightly blur as he accessed his speed.

"No time. We would just be distracting them from their mission. Just open the door. I'll have them in Power Dampening cuffs before they can escape."

Manhunter bit back his response and did as asked, placing his palm flat on the security pannel on the side of the entrance.

The second the door hissed open, the Flash zoomed in, a trail of red and yellow left behind.

Before Psimon and Shade could turn to the entrance, they were already handcuffed and their abilities locked away.

The Streak of yellow materialized close to the door, which had opened to reveal Martian Manhunter.

"Fuck me. We have some unwanted company Shade."

Psimon cursed, his face going pale upon spotting the Martian.

"Double fuck me. The Martian is here too!"

"You guys are in so much trouble."

The Flash laughed.

"And with the power dampeners, there is no way you're getting out."

Shade stared down at his hands. Indeed, he couldn't access his powers with the devices on them.

The cuffs were also bulky and created from a durable metal, so breaking them was out of the question.

Fortunately, the Fatherbox was close to copying everything in the League's data repository. Including the files that the Young Master had been searching for.

Unfortunately, he couldn't let them see it. Which also meant he couldn't use it to create a boom tube for them to escape.

The League would no doubt make the connection and ruin everything. So he made sure to stand directly before it, hiding the New God tech from notice.

"Hey...stop spacing out man!"

Psimon yelled at him, carefully backing away while keeping his eyes on the heroes.

"Huh...where does Brain guy think he's going?"

The Flash asked no one in particular.

"There's no backdoor in this place. The only way out is through us."

He added.

"Shut up. You're lucky I can't use my powers. I would have turned your brains into mush!"

Psimon barked out indignantly.

"Wrong."

Martian Manhunter fully stepped inside.

"Your Mind Control is impressive for a human, but nothing special to a Martian. You would lose in a heartbeat. In addition, The Flash is faster than you friend can create shadow portals. It is undeniably clear we have the upper hand. And even if you were somehow able to defeat us, there are 3 more Justice League members heading this way. Your only option is to give up."

"You heard the Martian, just surrender."

Flash echoed.

"Shit shit shit, you better come up with some way out of this mess, Shade! The League won't spare me if I'm caught! It will either be Belle Reve with that crazy bitch Waller, or Blackgate! Neither is preferable."

Psimon was in full panic mode as he addressed Shade.

"Hey, are you even Listening to me!?"

Shade finally looked up.

Compared to the frightened expression on Psimon's face, Shade was like a cool still lake.

'I cannot afford to fail the Young Master now. We can't get caught. We also need to erase traces of our presence, which means, I'll have to use...that.'

The Shadow manipulator concluded in his mind. He had ran through every possibility and finally settled on a plan.

"We won't surrender."

Shade declared to the two heroes.

Flash and Manhunter shared a look.

"I was hoping you would say that."

The Flash stated with an overexcited smile, cracking his knuckles.

"Because now I can..."

He went on to add, only for his sentence to be cut off by Shade's,

"Speed Demon."

The Shadow manipulator called out.

Manhunter suddenly had a bad feeling. He dove into Shade and Psimon's mind in a bid to knock them out...

But before he could, pain bloomed through his chest. A cry escaped his lips as he looked down at the vibrating hand piercing him from the back.

Face twisted in pain and disbelief, J'onn turned his head to stare at the Flash.

"W-why?"

Instead of giving an answer, the now blank faced Flash, pulled his hand down to the groin, parting his flesh and bisecting the Martian into two halves- held together by the upper part of his torso and head.

Red blood sprayed out like a geyser, the Martian's body falling to the floor, alien organs and innards pooling the metallic ground.

"Jesus!"

Psimon gagged at the sight, vomiting off to the side.

Shade held his hands up at Flash, and in a burst of speed, the Power Dampeners fell off the both of them.

After hurling out his last meal, the Mind Controller turned to Shade, shock in his eyes.

"What the fuck! Why did he split him in half?! Aren't they on the same side?"

He demanded.

"The Young Master implanted a mental suggestion in the Flash's mind, anticipating a scenario like this. Just one instant of his foresight."

Shade simply answered, turning to grab the Fatherbox which had by now completed its task.

He sent it through a shadow portal connected to Ivo's Lab.

"Oh, then that makes sense."

Psimon immediately accepted the response, after hearing that Angel was responsible.

In his mind, he was convinced there was nothing impossible for his Young boss.

"Still, we'll be in deep trouble if the rest find out we had a hand in the Martian's death. Didn't he say there were 3 more League members coming this way?"

Psimon questioned.

"How many and who are they?"

Shade asked The Flash, while taking a kneel before Manhunter's body.

"3. But expect 2. Red Tornado is monitoring the League's mission on Infinity Island. If anyone's coming, then it will likely be Shazam and Mr. Terrific."

The Flash answered in a monotonous tone.

'Shazam's presence complicates things. He's as fast as a speedster, I doubt we can subdue him long enough for Psimon to replace his memories. Mr. Terrific is also an unknown. Which means...'

"Flash, lead them away from the Server room and return back here in 2 minutes. If they ask about the Martian, inform them he's taking a shit or make up something sensible."

Shade instructed and with a burst of speed, the speedster disappeared.

"Nice."

Psimon complimented.

"Now we can get out of here."

"Not yet."

Shade refused.

"I need you to tweak the Martian's memories. The Justice League cannot suspect we were here. That will ruin the Young Master's plans."

Psimon pointed at Manhunter.

"Wait wait...you're telling me, he's not dead yet?!"

"Martian shapeshifting affords them a form of self healing. He is hurt, but as long as his brain is intact, he'll survive."

Shade answered, using a vial to collect a little of J'onn's blood and a piece of flesh that wiggled like a worm.

The blood on the floor was then drained into the shadow below Manhunter's form.

Shade pocketed the vials with the samples and got up, giving Psimon space.

The Mind Controller came forward while grumbling something about job hazards.

He knelt behind Manhunter's head, noticing that the Martian's body was slowly reconstructing itself. Even the bleeding had stopped. Just like Shade had said.

"Normally, entering your mind wouldn't be possible, Martian."

A condescending smirk appeared on Psimon's face, placing his fingers on either side of Manhunter.

"But thanks to your friend, you're under my mercy."

He closed his eyes and focused, diving into the Martian's head.

"Ohh, such an alien mindscape..."

Psimon muttered.

"Memories, memories...found you. Aaand erased."

A frown appeared on his face.

"What's this? A Martian guidebook on mind control? Ho ho ho, talk about a jackpot!"

Shade watched on as he carried out the memory erasure and when he was done, it coincided with the Flash's arrival.

"I sent them on the opposite direction."

The Flash answered in the same monotonous voice.

"Good. Once the Martian wakes up, he won't remember seeing us. If he has questions, just blame rats as the reason you came into the Server room."

Shade instructed, pointing at a shadow on the wall, which rippled as a few dozen rats ran inside the room.

"Rats can get just about anywhere. Even a space station thousands of miles above the planet."

Psimon whistled.

"Covering all our bases. I can see why the little Boss trusts you."

A knife found itself under his neck.

"Call him little boss again and I'll kill you."

Shade coldly warned, his killing intent leaking out.

Psimon gulped at the eyes staring at him.

"Understood."

The knife was retracted as Shade turned to the Flash once more.

"Lastly, you will forget everything you've seen since before entering the Server Room. Once I say the activation phrase, you will wake up only after Martian Manhunter has regained consciousness. If you're found out, you will use every means to escape. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

The Flash responded blankly.

"Speed Demon."

Shade uttered the phrase.

-0-

-Massachusetts-

-Angel's Mansion-

Once the two of them were back on Earth, Shade didn't waste time and sent a message to Angel.

"Young Master, mission accomplished. There were a few issues, but everything has been taken care of."