Risk It All: Unseen Hand (ch. 13) (Patreon)

Part of me wanted to deny the claim. Batman was a founding member of the Justice League. There was no way that he had resigned. This was just some kind of mistake. That Robin was wrong or he had misunderstood or something.

Another part of me felt sick as it believed him. Batman had covered for me. There were a lot of people criticizing him online, but… I thought that it had just been a vocal minority. Or that it was just the same people that always criticized Batman for his methods. I thought that things would go back to normal when people moved on to the next thing to be pissed at. That part of me wanted to deny it too.

The timing meant it couldn't be anything else. Batman had resigned… or been forced to resign because of what I did to Black Mask. Because he covered for me.

The last part of me came to a decision. I didn't think about it, not even for a fraction of a second. Because I might think myself out of following through.

"No," I decided, a deep frown tugging at my lips, the taste of iron in my mouth. "That's not happening."

Robin seemed like he misunderstood based on the look he gave me. Same for Kid Flash who spoke, "Uh, yeah it is. You got Batman booted from the Justice League. They're going to announce it today." He argued, crossing his arms over his chest.

However, I shook my head. "I'm not going to let that happen."

"What do you mean? You made this happen, Ren! This is your fault!" Robin spat at me, his hands clenching into fists. Megan hovered nearby, looking on worriedly while Superboy slowly stood up. The tension in the room grew until it became so thick you could cut it with a knife. I met Robin's glare unflinchingly, even though I couldn't see his eyes because of his domino mask.

I took in a deep breath and steeled my resolve. "It is," I agreed. "Which is why I'm not going to let Batman get kicked out of the League for something I did. I never should have let him cover for me in the first place. That was a mistake." I decided -- I felt like a complete tool. When Batman covered for me… I was annoyed. Pissed even. Because I had wanted the Prestige.

Never once did I think that covering for me would have consequences for him. Black Mask had been an unrepentant monster and he deserved what he got. It felt wrong that there should be consequences for what happened to him, but it felt more wrong that those consequences would land on someone who hadn't done the crime. That Batman, Gotham's hero, would suffer consequences for something I did.

There was absolutely no way I was going to let that happen.

Robin's eyes narrowed into slits, trembling as he stood in front of me. Kaldur realized what I meant. His eyes widened a fraction, "You intend to confess?" He asked, his tone laced with surprise. I wasn't sure why.

We were all here because we wanted to be heroes. I didn't exactly have a lot of training, and my track record was pretty messy, but even I knew that being a hero was about doing the right thing.

Always.

"The League hasn't made the announcement, right?" I questioned, looking at Kaldur for an answer.

"Ren…" Megan trailed off, uncertain what to say.

Kid Flash looked to Robin, who turned his glare down to the floor. He glanced to me, then at Kaldur before he scratched at his red hair, appearing uncertain. "It hasn't? But, dude, how are you going to confess? The League is already readying up a press release. It's too late."

"Not to mention the consequences for you should you confess. Batman is receiving a great deal of leeway for his past actions. You will not benefit from that," Kaldur pointed out. He shook his head, "I understand how you feel, Ren, but this is not your fault. Batman took the blame for your actions knowing full well what the consequences could be." He offered, but Kaldur really sucked at cheering people up. And talking me out of this because his words drove the point home.

Batman knew this could happen and he did it anyway.

I wasn't a child that needed to be protected from the wider world. I did something terrible and then I did something worse by letting someone else take the blame for it. My actions had consequences and I would be damned before I let them fall on anyone but me. It was a stupid and niave way to think about it, and I knew that. I understood it. I did. But…

I didn’t want to be someone who just stood back and did nothing when something I saw as wrong was being done. For my benefit or not.

"Not yet," I argued with Kaldur. There was still a window of opportunity, but it was closing fast. "Now, get out of my way."

"No."

Of all the people I expected to refuse, Robin was at the very bottom of that list. I looked down at him to find him glaring at me, catching me flat footed. He continued, "This was Batman's decision. He wouldn't want you to throw it away to make yourself feel better."

I swear, it was like he was disagreeing with me for the sake of disagreeing with me. "Okay, it looks like I didn't make myself clear -- I am not going to let Batman get kicked out of the Justice League because of me." I reiterated, not backing down in the slightest. Even if there was some truth in his remark.

Robin squared his shoulder, trying to look down at me despite being a head shorter. "And we aren't going to let you confess."

My eyes narrowed into slits, "What is your problem? This is what you wanted, isn't it? Why are you getting in my way?" I bit the words out, taking stock of my situation. Megan was off to the side, Superboy was behind me. Robin was directly in front of me, Kid Flash six feet behind him on my left while Kaldur was a little further and stood on the right. Beyond them was the door. The gym was a pretty open room, but I think that might work against me rather than help me.

I could hear Robin grinding his teeth, "Because… look, if you had just shrugged your shoulders and not cared, I would have totally kicked your butt!" He snapped, sounding just as pissed off as I was. "But you… confessing is going to go horribly for you, you know? Your best-case scenario is that you get dragged through the mud. Worst case is that you go to jail. You get that, don't you?"

I did.

My gaze flickered from Robin to Kid Flash, to Kaldur, to Robin again. I took in a slow breath, letting my lungs fill with air(,) and strength swelled in my body in response. "Get out of my way," I answered him flatly, unflinching.

"Make me," Robin responded, every bit as stubborn as I was.

So, I did.

I lashed out with a fist that Robin narrowly avoided before countering with an uppercut to the bottom of my jaw. It was a solid hit that would have rattled my teeth if I hadn't tilted my head back at the last second, lessening the blow as I leaned away. Stealing the momentum, I drove a knee into his diaphragm, but the blow felt off. Flipping backward in a back handspring, a hand went to my Gluttony Demon -- it seemed to understand my intentions because it spat out my bokken into my hand.

"Ren, what are you-" Kaldur began, his words lost to me as I flash stepped forward, attempting to bypass Robin altogether. However, despite my speed, it was a dumb mistake to try to outrun a speedster.

Kid Flash slammed into me, shoulder-checking me mid flash step, and sent me flying into a treadmill that I knocked over on impact. The impact should have hurt more than it did. The pain was there, but it felt distant. Almost like it was happening to someone else. It was like my brain didn't have the processing power to compute that I had been injured because it was completely dedicated to a single task.

Escaping this room.

"Oh, sorry- Dude! Just… okay, man?" Kid Flash said, saying nothing at all but somehow managing to convey his message, looking lost as I pushed myself up. He looked like he was unprepared for me to put up a fight. Like he couldn't understand why I was fighting.

My position changed. Now all of the team was in front of me with the door on my left.

Robin crouched, a hand going to his belt, "KF, he's not going to listen." Robin said, his tone frustrated and grim. Quite a turnabout from punching me in the mouth less than five minutes ago.

He was also right.

"Hold on, we shouldn't-" Megan began, trying to meditate, but my mind was made up. I would leave this room. They could let me go, or I would go through them. The sheer impossibility wasn't lost on me. I just didn't care.

Robin launched a set of bola ties at me, attempting to tie up my legs. The Gluttony Demon responded to my will and leaned down before opening its mouth wide. The bolas vanished into the gut of the Demon while I darted forward, flash stepping a short distance towards the door. Kid Flash responded by cutting me off. His expression lost its uncertain look, it had been replaced with a thin frown.

His ankle shifted(,) the only warning that I had that he was about to kick my ass faster than I could perceive. I swung my bokken in preparation and for the first time, I used what could only be described as my best Skill. The Tsubame Gaeshi.

My bokken slashed downward, attempting to divert Kid Flash from tackling me, but… it also didn't. At the same exact time as I made my first swing, I swung my bokken to the left in a sideways slash(,) and at the same exact time as I made those two swings, I swung to the right. The three swings happened simultaneously, each being started and executed at the same time. It wasn't that I was moving so fast that it just looked like I swung three times at once, but I had actually just swung my sword three times in a single swing.

The blow on the right caught Kid Flash in the midsection, folding him around a blow that… didn't happen, yet did. My confusion on what I just did didn’t slow me down at all. As Kid Flash skidded across the floor, slamming into a bench press, I pivoted and gave a silent order to my Gluttony Demon. It obeyed instantly and spat out the bolas(,) and they seemed to have kept their momentum.

Kid Flash's legs are bound up by them, much to his frustration. Any other time, I might have gaped at the fact that I had just taken down Kid Flash, a speedster. I didn't have time for it. Not a second later, the others joined in on the fight.

"RAHH!" Superboy shouted, leaping at me. I glanced up and I was nearly tackled by Kaldur for my lapse in concentration. I managed to avoid both by flash stepping backward, but it seemed Robin anticipated the action. It was only dumb luck that saved me from getting caught -- a second set of bolas hit my bokken instead of my legs, binding my wooden sword to my leg for a moment before I managed to free it.

My gaze darted right -- Megan, Kid Flash, Kaldur, Superboy, and Robin. On my left? The door.

I flash stepped to my left, half of the distance I could and saw a third bola fly through where Robin estimated I would be. Finishing the distance, I slammed my shoulder through the door. The hallway was empty, and it was a straight shot to the Zeta Tube. Which made it the most obvious escape route -- I was so thoroughly outmatched that I couldn't afford a single mistake. Every millisecond was precious and I wouldn't waste a single one.

The only reason why I hadn't been caught yet was because I tied up Kid Flash. That wouldn't last. A Zeta Tube would let me teleport to Gotham, but I had to input commands and that would take too long. I needed to buy myself time and space. That meant not doing the obvious thing.

Pivoting, I flash stepped in the opposite direction of the Zeta Tube. I heard Superboy crash through the door, ripping it off its hinges just as I turned the corner. I had no clue if he saw me or not, but given how sharp his ears were, it wouldn't be long until they started to catch up to me.

'Ren, please stop!' I heard Megan protest in my mind, sounding genuinely upset.

I felt bad, but not enough to stop. 'I have to do this, Megan. Or I lose every right to call myself a hero.' I didn't know how else to say it. How could I let my childhood hero make that kind of sacrifice for me? My only regret about this was that I hadn't done it sooner. Preferably when I wouldn't be squaring off against the entirety of the team.

With that, I closed the door to my mind, shutting her out. I sucked in a deep breath, flash stepping a half dozen times in rapid succession before I was forced to turn a corner. I opened the Market as I continued, using the precious time to search for something that could turn the tide. I had raised my rank up to Recognizable Face, so that should give me more options.

I needed something like invisibility, or phasing through objects. Or a teleporter.

There was nothing like that. It would seem those items and powers were still out of grasp.

However, I did find something interesting.

Earth Bending

T1R1

Stone is a stubborn element. To move it, you have to be a rock yourself.

Sand, Dirt, Metal, and Manmade Stone-like Material bending sold separately.

It had a twenty thousand price tag, but I could afford it. And it was my best plan B. After all, Mount Justice was a mountain. I bought it with zero buyer’s remorse and felt a pinch in my brain. With it, I gained the ability to Earth Bend.

Just in time too.

"Ren!" Aqualad shouted, prompting me to slid to a halt. He and Superboy were behind me. I'm guessing Robin and Kid Flash were going to go around. I wasn't sure what Megan was doing. "Stop this. It is unnecessary. This helps no one." He urged while Superboy crossed his arms over his chest.

His blue eyes met mine.

Then he nodded.

Huh. "You're a good guy, Kaldur," I told him -- he was standoffish, but he had been caught between friends, so to speak. "But you can't stop me."

I slammed my foot on the ground, feeling the earth underfoot. It was something I had never felt before -- a connection that I felt deeper than than just having my feet planted on the ground. I commanded the stone, but it resisted. It was stubborn, set in its ways, and unwilling to change. Not unlike me, I suppose.

Yet, as I clenched a fist and raised it high, the stone obeyed. A wall of it surged upwards, tearing through the floor. I saw a look of astonishment on both Kaldur and Superboy's faces before they were hidden behind the wall of rough stone. Or, rather, before I hid behind it.

My breathing was disrupted, the action taking more out of me than I expected. It would seem I would never have enough Endurance (to do all the things I wanted to), but the Moon Breathing Style helped. Pivoting on my heel, I heard the stone begin to crack as the two began to knock their way through it. It bought me precious seconds, however.

I had a way to control the terrain, but Kid Flash was the major issue. He was faster than me by half, and I was stuck moving in one direction with no reaction time while I flash stepped. It was a recipe for disaster. So, I needed to take him out. Which I was unlikely to do again.

But I had to try.

With my market still up, I made a few purchases -- flashbangs, oil, and I tore off the bola that still clung to my leg. I wasn't sure how useful any of them would be, but they were my best bet.

So was making an upgrade to my most frequently used skill.

Flash Step

T2R3

The Flash Step Stance's foundation is rooted in explosive movement to advance or retreat from an enemy’s position. To the untrained eye, the user will move in a blur -- however, the technique is limited to only being able to move frontwards and backwards.

Tier 2: Range has now been doubled

Rank 1: Marginal increase in distance.

Rank 2: Marginal increase in speed.

Rank 3: Lateral movement has now been enabled.

I kept upgrading the skill with my rapidly dwindling amount of points -- it really felt like the more I gained the faster I spent them. Of the near thirty-five thousand I once had, I was left with a mere thousand points. But it was worth it. The next time I flash stepped, I reached the end of the hallway that I ran down, putting even greater distance between me and the powerhouses of the team. And instead of slowing down to pivot, I flash stepped to the side.

Now I could move forward, backward, and side to side. With a little more investment, I might even be able to move at angles.

I reached my destination faster than Robin and Kid Flash. The garage. It was one of the three exits to Mount Justice -- the dock, the garage, then the Zeta Tube. Robin probably assumed that I would go for the dock since it was the least likely escape route, leaving the garage free.

They were underestimating me, I thought to myself. I was the rookie with next to no combat experience. Comparatively, I should be the weakest link on the team, and that's why I could beat them.

I pressed the opening button for the garage and the ramp began to descend. Flash stepping to a car, I pressed on a button, only to have nothing happen. I… shit, I think Robin just cut me off from the vehicles. They didn't need a key, just a press of a button from a registered user should be enough.

Fine. Opening up the market, I dumped seven hundred points on a motorbike -- I didn't even know what kind it was. Throwing a leg over it, I cranked the engine. My driver skill should let me drive it. It might not have four wheels, but I still knew the basics of the bike. I could use it.

However, before I could peel out, Megan descended in front of me. Her lips were pressed together in a thin line, looking distinctly upset. She was here to stop me.

I clenched my hand, my bokken at the ready. This is why I had run. If it came to a straight fight, then I had already lost.

She raised her hand and my bike lurched forward, the tire peeling out as I approached. The Gluttony Demon shifted, taking aim at her. It launched the flashbangs that went off in front of her -- I heard her cry out, but I couldn't see her. Even with closed eyes, I saw the things go off, and I still had white spots in my vision. The Gluttony Demon followed up the blinding assault by regurgitating the boa and sending it at her.

Megan was caught by the boa and it wrapped around her arms. She began to fall, seemingly losing her concentration for flight. My lips thinned as I shifted, dropping my bokken that was gobbled up by the demon before it could hit the ground, I shifted the course of my bike while I slammed on the breaks. The back tire screeched, whipping around and it would have sent me flying if Megan falling into my lap hadn't slammed the back tire into the ground. The momentum carried me to do a full 360, which I used to safely deposit Megan off the bike before I resumed speeding off.

I was off the team at the very least, but I didn't hate Megan or anything.

I didn't just avoid the fight because I would lose. I avoided the fight because I didn't want to hurt anyone.

And I think that went both ways.

My engine roared as it approached the ramp and I raced across. I only saw someone standing at the top when I raced past them -- Martian Manhunter and Zatara. Our eyes seemed to meet as my bike caught air when it reached the end of the ramp. Neither seemed shocked to see me and time seemed to slow to a crawl as I sailed between them. I thought that they would just reach out and stop me, but they did nothing as I sailed by them, landing heavily after catching a moment of air. I could only hope that I got some distance between us before they realized what was going on.

"Where is the Justice League Press Conference being held?" I asked my phone as I sped forward, reaching an empty road before speeding off. I didn't know what the speed limit was, but I'm pretty sure that it was less than a hundred and twenty. My phone answered me, making my lips thin. "Set course for the Hall of Justice, then."

It would be a six-hour trip to DC Washington from Happy Harbor. Maybe a little less given the terrible things I was doing to the speed limit. I would be cutting it close, but I could make it.

My speedometer didn't dip below a hundred once.

…

I peeked down at the Hall of Justice from my birds-eye view from the Lincoln Monument -- the Hall of Justice looked like it belonged in the central square, a stones toss from the capital building. The one complaint I had about it was that the (')Of(') wasn't located between the two pillar-like protrusions that ran up the entrance. I mean, I know it would look weird since one word on the left only had four letters, and the one on the right had seven… but that could be fixed by adjusting the font.

The Of should be in the middle. Not Hall Of 'space' Justice.

And I was distracting myself, I noted, turning my attention to the growing crowd in front of the Hall of Justice. Or, rather, the two crowds. The Justice League didn't often make press statements of their own initiative, so it attracted a number of people. The smaller crowd was a crowd of reporters that lingered around the first steps that would lead up to the Hall. There were a lot of cameras. A lot of cameras. One for every reporter, it would seem.

Behind them in a separate area, was a crowd of regular people. Some protesting, some cheering. There was tension in the air that was almost tangible as people with picket signs displaying a Bat symbol with a circle and a slash through it confronted(,) and were confronted by(,) Justice League supporters. It seemed that people had an idea what this press release would be about.

I took in a deep breath, eyeing my route -- around the crowd, over the fence, up the stairs, then I would be at the podium that the League had set up. However, the only issue with that were the Green Lanterns flying above, Captain Atom standing by the door, and Wonder Woman speaking to him.

They had to expect me by now. Six hours was a lot of time.

But, I had to try. Even if I didn't make it to the podium, if I made a large enough scene, then the message would still get out.

Batman was innocent. I was the one that crippled Black Mask.

"Okay. Let's do this," I told myself, dropping to the ground. I took in a deep breath of air, letting it expand in my lungs as I allowed myself one final moment to call this off. It was a planned moment of hesitation. Because there was no going back after this.

I still chose to go through with it. This might be a mistake. It might be stupid. But there wasn't a shadow of a doubt in my mind that this was the right thing to do… and I wanted my last act as a hero to be worthy of the name.

I flashed stepped across the monument, building up speed that sent me sailing over the stairs. My heart pounded in my chest as I double jumped to position myself to land in a roll and as soon as I was back on my feet, I flashed stepped forward. The general clamor of the crowds made it impossible to tell if anyone had noticed me. I'm sure someone did when I lept over the fence to separate the press from the crowd.

My momentum was building -- changes in elevation was the Flash Step's weakness, but it was lessened with the help of Double Jump. When I reached the start of the stairs, I leaped up, my momentum carrying me up to about halfway, then with a double jump and a flip, I landed on the top of the stairs. My gaze darted to Captain Atom and Wonder Woman, both moving to take action.

They were too slow.

I flashed stepped in front of the podium, grabbing it with both hands as I looked out at the crowd. I don't think I've ever seen so many people in one place at once before. But there was no time for stage fright. The Justice League was moving in.

"Batman is innocent. I crippled Black Mask," I told the crowd, the entire world, the truth. My voice didn't waver. Nor did it crack. My words sounded… final to my own ears as the crowd seemed to take in that revelation. The Justice League wasn't stopping me. So, I continued.

"He covered for me to give me the chance to become a hero. And to my shame, I let his name get dragged through the mud for my protection," I continued, looking out at the crowd but looking at no one in particular. "The Justice League scheduled this press meeting to announce that Batman would be resigning from the League -- maybe they thought he really did it, or maybe it was because of public pressure. I don't know. What I do know is that it's wrong for him to suffer for something I did."

They still weren't stopping me, "I crippled Black Mask. I did so knowingly of the consequences of my actions. No one forced my hand." I wouldn't stand here and make excuses. I was here to tell the truth. The whole truth.

"And I'd do it again," I proclaimed, my gaze drifting between the reporters. "Black Mask was a murderous psychopath that murdered and blackmailed his way to escape justice on several occasions. He attempted to take my life twice. In the second attempt, he murdered an innocent woman in the crossfire. If I had the chance to do it again, the only thing I would do differently would be that I would own up to it from the start," I told the press and anyone else who was listening.

My grip tightened on the podium, recalling that moment. When I looked back at-

"... Alice?" I breathed, recoiling ever so slightly as my gaze landed on a woman. Curly brown hair, a kind face, and lips curled into a slight smile. She stood at the front of the crowd, looking up at me.

It was her. Alice. There was no mistaking her. She had been my physical therapist. I watched her die. I couldn't forget her face even if I wanted to.

A breath caught in my throat -- did Alice have a twin sister? No… no, she didn't. She mentioned that she was an only child like me before she had died. It was one of her ways of trying to connect with me when I had been a sullen asshole that wanted to be miserable. Was it a doppelganger?

"What…" Something was wrong. The press wasn’t saying anything, content to let me speak. I've seen the press. They wouldn't be content until they had shoved a microphone down someone's mouth to get an answer.

The Justice League hasn't stopped me. They hadn't even cut the mic. Did they want me to confess?

I tore my gaze away from Alice to look at the crowd of reporters. My heart began to drop when I saw my Dad in the crowd. And my Mom. My mind froze for a moment before it began ripping into action, tearing apart the situation.

"This…" I drove straight here for six hours. Why hadn't Kid Flash caught up to me? Why hadn't the team regrouped and cut me off? Why didn't Martian Manhunter or Zatara stop me? Why didn't they catch me? Why didn't anyone stop me?

I shouldn't be standing here right now. It didn't make any sense. Alice was dead. Neither my Mom nor my Dad were reporters. This… this…

"None of this is real… is it?" I spoke, taking a step back from the podium. The moment I spoke the words, the color around me began to fade. The details became smudged, textures and sensations became muted…

Then I opened my eyes.

"Ah…" I uttered, looking at what could only be Earth. A blue marble with swirling clouds of white with masses of green and browns. It was beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking. I've seen this view in videos and pictures, but it was something else seeing it in person. However, my gaze dipped down to the floor when I heard footsteps behind me.

Slowly, I turned around and saw that it was Batman. He stood tall, clad in his gray and black, his expression offering no hint to what he thought or felt.

"I'm too late, aren't I?" I asked him, a crushing sense of defeat filling me. I already knew the answer.

Batman’s lips curled ever so slightly at the edges, offering a minuscule smile.

"You gave it your best shot."

,,,

Thanks to several generous patron, Risk It All will continue to receive three updates a month!

On another note, this is one of those defining character moments for Ren. Up until this point, Ren has idealized the Justice League because... well... he should. They save the planet on the regular, if that doesn't deserve a little bit of hero-worship, you are one jaded motherfucker. But, here, they mind whammied him and stopped him from doing what he perceived to be the right thing to do.

Were they right to? Yeah, probably.

Ren's actions were half based on guilt, half desire to be what he perceives as a hero is - selfless to a fault. Confessing came with some serious consequences, and not just for him. Batman got slack for being a member of the Justice League just as much as he was put on the hook for it. Had Ren confessed? The conversation goes from a narrow focus on a group like the Justice League to a much broader topic of kids with superpowers. But, Ren wasn't thinking about that. His focus was on himself, even if his intentions were mostly good.

Next chapter handles the aftermath of this. Needless to say, Ren's not happy with the League for some good reasons and he gets bit of a wake-up call.