*"Is it true, Waller, that a junkie from Gotham took Compound T?"*
Sitting back in my chair, I listened to the aggravated voice over the phone. Only when he calmed down did I respond. "It's true, and he's responded to it well." Mercer was easier to bring to my side than I had thought—just a few kind words and smiles.
*"What about the rest? One subject couldn't have taken all the vials."*
I smiled slightly and leaned forward as I replied. "Batman was around it, so it was destroyed." I heard a sigh on the other end, while having only one test subject wasn't ideal, there was no use frothing at the mouth over it.
*"What about Batman and Firefly?"*
Sitting up slightly, I cupped my hands. "Batman is currently chasing Firefly. As for Firefly himself, he won't talk about it—he didn't know anything." I heard another hum before the man's voice started sounding distant, as if he was moving away from the phone.
*"If the reports on the subject are true, how do you plan to get him to fight?"*
I chuckled, knowing that it was almost already sorted, and hovered over the button to end the call. "Don't worry about that. Just keep an eye on the news."
With that, the call ended. It was time for me to get Mercer out of Belle Reve.
-
Waking up in a clean, white room, eating breakfast brought in by some lady who never spoke, reading books until Waller showed up—and then training started.
That had been my life for the past two weeks.
'It's nice.' Waller made sure I never had to worry about food and always seemed to make sure I was comfortable.
'Though that seems to be changing.' Reading people wasn't my strong suit—hell, nothing really was—but I did pick up on when people either found me disgusting or disliked me.
It wasn't like Waller hated me or anything, but...
'She's stressed.' She'd walk in a little later each day with one of those half-true smiles—the kind where you look like you're glad to see someone, but your mind is weighed down by something else.
I knew I couldn't be the focus of her attention all the time, and I wasn't asking for that, but I had hoped that if I improved—pushed further, bettered my training scores—she'd have a happier face like when we first met.
"Dean?"
I stood from my chair, placing my book down as Waller entered with that very smile I had been thinking of just moments ago.
"I hope you're not bored of this place yet."
I shook my head and pointed at the bookshelf before moving over to her chair and pulling it out for her.
"Thank you, sweetie."
Once she sat, I pushed the chair in before returning to mine.
"Umm... Waller?"
She hummed as she started the kettle on the table.
"Can I help?"
She looked away from the kettle and met my eyes, causing mine to look away, past her ear.
"Dean... What I'm dealing with isn't something a bit of training can fix."
My hands clenched under the table, my bones creaking loud enough to be heard over the kettle.
"But I'm strong, aren't I? Stronger than Batman, and he's..."
Waller chuckled at my words, and I felt embarrassed. She gestured toward my hands, so I brought them above the table into hers.
"Dean, I know you could help me. Truly, I do. But I don't want you to be scared of what'll happen when you do."
I frowned in confusion, but before she could say more, her phone rang.
"Hold on, sweetie."
She stood and answered, and my hearing picked up her conversation.
*"Madam Waller, there's a cruise ship heading for the beaches of San Pedro Bay!"*
"What? Where are the heroes?!"
My gut twisted.
*"There aren't any in the area! No League, no Lanterns. No one, Ma'am!"*
"Is the area evacuated?"
*"No, Ma'am. Police and officials are trying to clear as many people as possible, but they won't make it in time."*
"Shi—"
I stood up, the chair scraped against the ground.
"I can help, Waller!"
My jaw shut as I realized I'd yelled at her. She looked at me, eyes softening before she nodded and spoke into the phone again.
"Tell them help will arrive shortly."
Ending the call, she walked up to me, and I froze before relaxing as she gently held my arm.
"You wanted a chance to be seen, Dean. This is it."
I gulped but nodded as we rushed out the door toward the secret base.
-
"It fits well on you, Titan."
I looked up from the armored gloves I'd just put on to see Waller approaching as we stood on the helipad.
"T-think so?" I asked.
She chuckled and held the helmet out to me. "There's a GPS inside for you to follow. Get to the cruise ship and stop it."
Gulping, I stared at the sleek black helmet with the blacked-out visor—only my own reflection visible.
"What if… what if I don't make it in time?"
Looking up, Waller patted my armored arm reassuringly. "You will make it. Titan will save them. Now go!"
My shoulders squared at her words. I latched on the helmet with a hiss, then looked up at the sky, which seemed to darken just slightly. The GPS flickered to life, and I shot up through the clouds, heading straight for San Pedro Bay.
'I'll make it.'
'Titan will make it!'
Driven by a willpower I didn't know I had, I accelerated faster than ever before, fast enough to hear a booming sound trailing behind me.
-
"Madam Waller, it's ready."
Turning from where Mercer had shot off, I walked toward the monitoring area.
"Get his communications up now."
I received a chorus of "Yes!" as I kept walking. One of the men followed me into the elevator.
"Madam Waller, the ship is on route to crash in two hours."
I nodded just as the elevator stopped and we entered the monitoring room.
"Have them on standby to slow it down if he isn't fast enough to reach the area."
The man gave a firm yes and walked away as I approached the main desk in the center of the room.
"Communications are up, Ma'am!"
"Ma'am, Titan has reached Mach 1!"
I absorbed the information and then firmly asked another part of the room. "How long will it take him to reach San Pedro Bay?"
After a few seconds, the response came: "Over two hours, man. Three at most!"
I nodded and turned back to the communications team. "Connect to his radio."
They acknowledged, and soon I heard the sound of someone heavily breathing over the speakers.
'Pathetic.' Even after all his training, he should have gotten used to his power by now. 'Maybe this'll wake him up.'
"Titan, do you copy?" I said, tilting the microphone toward my mouth as a map appeared, showing his location and San Pedro Bay.
**"W-Waller—AH!—I… uh… yes, I copy?"**
"We've just found out the cruiser will reach the shore within two hours."
Hearing his breath hitch, I glanced at the monitor displaying his heart rate. 'Two hundred?'
I looked back at the main monitors and heard him respond quietly.
*"I… I can?"*
He muttered something about Superman, and I almost sighed before my expression shifted to a frown as the map showed him closing in faster.
Switching off the mic, I turned to one of the men tracking him.
"Well?"
"H-He's reached Mach 2, man! He should reach San Pedro Bay within an hour."
Raising a brow, I turned back to the monitors. 'Seems there's more to him than I thought.'
-
Flying fast was… exhilarating.
Never. Never in my life did I think I'd get to experience something so… so… empty.
'Apart from that poor bird.'
It was quiet. Way too quiet for me.
Gotham was always alive—gunshots, people screaming in madness or in laughter.
The place Waller set up for me was nice. Safe. No screaming, no gunshots—except the pellets during training.
'I want to go back.'
My arms stretched out in front of me, tensing tighter at the thought, my core twisting into a knot.
'Titan can't go back, though.'
Not yet. I couldn't.
-
It was supposed to be a break.
'How did it come to this?' Trying and failing to get up, stuck under a tipped-over ATV, she couldn't help but curse Wonder Woman out loud.
'If it wasn't for that bitch, she wouldn't have died and I wouldn't be here.'
"Hey!" she yelled at a man who ran past her. Their eyes locked and he froze. "Help me!"
His gaze shifted to the ship closing in on the shore, then back to her—and she saw that look. It wasn't pity or guilt.
"Don't you fucking dare!" I snarled watching him turn and continuing to run, even as she grabbed a handful of sand and threw it in his direction.
"Aren't you supposed to be a man?!"
Groaning from the pain in her ankle, she tried lifting the ATV once more. "Get. Off. Me. You pile of scrap!"
She managed a slight lift, then collapsed, unable to hold it any longer.
'Fuck.'
Her eyes snapped back to the ship as more people realized it was indeed closing in and began running.
"What's that?!" someone yelled. She turned to see.
"Is it a bird?"
"No, it's a plane!"
"It's Superman!"
'Superman here?'
"T-that's not Superman!"
Before she could scoff, a shadow engulfed her and she looked up.
There in the sky was not Superman, nor Batman.
Instead, it was a man dressed all in black, with a black visor lowered, staring right at her.
(pic)