Risk It All: Pocket Kings (ch. 14) (Patreon)

"I was always going to leave the Justice League eventually," Batman informed as he stepped forward, standing next to me as we both turned our attention to Earth. Emotion swirled in my chest, a volatile mix that left me clueless as to what I actually felt. "For one reason or another. My methods are necessary in Gotham, but Gotham is not all of America, much less the entire world. This day was always going to come."

I clenched my jaw as I leaned against the railing, trying to find the words. "I get that," I started after a moment of silence, "but that doesn't change that you got booted out of the League for something that I did." He was trying to absolve me of my guilt by saying that this was inevitable. And maybe it was. But it was two very different things, whether Batman was forced to resign from the League for something he did, or for covering for something I did.

In the first case, that sucked. It did. People didn't understand that Gotham wasn't like other cities. It needed Batman. It needed him to do what he did, or the already terrible city would find a way to somehow be worse. However, in that case, Batman being forced to leave the League was due to his own actions. It wasn't fair, and the thought of it still pissed me off, but I could swallow that bitter pill. In the end, Batman had made his bed.

Actions had consequences.

But that wasn't what was happening. The consequences for my actions were falling on Batman's lap. That, I couldn't accept. I wouldn't accept. It was fucking absolute bullshit. I fucked over my childhood hero. The worst part of it was that when I finally realized that there would be consequences, they stopped me from owning up to them with… whatever the hell that had been.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Batman glance at me. He didn't say anything for a long moment as I stewed in my failure. In the end, I broke the silence.

"There's no way for you to not have to resign?" I asked, really fearing who exactly asked Batman to resign. Was it a knee-jerk reaction to the public? Or… did the Justice League really think that he did it and forced him out? Because if it was the latter, I'd start swinging at the Justice League.

Batman was silent for a moment longer before he chose to answer me, "The Justice League disagrees with my decision to resign," he told me as if he had sensed my fears. I didn't relax. I couldn't exactly believe that on account of the whole screwing with my mind thing. "The UN has been trying to force me out for some time. We… have enemies in the UN and US Senate. Not everyone is happy with the existence of the Justice League."

Yeah, I knew that. They were morons. Who in their right mind gets pissed off at the guys and girls saving the world? Did they not understand that they lived on Earth too?

"This was a political maneuver on behalf of the Justice League," Batman continued, earning a sharp look from me. I opened my mouth to say something but he continued before I could. "By 'forcing' me to resign, they look better in contrast. They've reaffirmed that they are above reproach and will tolerate no exceptions to excessive force."

I got what he was saying. Annoyingly. "So, you turned them trying to use you to make the League look bad into making the League look better. I get it. It's just…" I didn't know how to explain it. I didn't want to go to jail. I didn't want to get punished either. And I didn't want the entire world to think poorly of me, but I'd rather that than dragging Batman through the mud for my sake.

"Ren, do you honestly believe I care what the public says about me?" Batman questioned, and I knew the answer. It pissed me off even more, but I did. More so because I didn't have the same attitude.

I shook my head, looking away from Batman to look down over the railing. There was another floor below us, while glass made up the majority of the wall, revealing Earth and space. Huh. I was in space? Cool.

"I made my decisions the way I did because I believed you have the capacity to be a hero. This wasn't how either of us thought this would play out, but you've proven that you do, not just to me, but to the entire League." Batman stated, and the praise was somehow worse than the condemnation I thought I'd receive.

I mulled that over, "So, I'm betting that most of them weren't happy that I joined the team?" I remarked, and based on the beat of silence, I was right. Great. I had pissed off the entire Justice League. I really sucked at this whole hero thing.

Batman seemed to sense that I already knew the answer, "No, they weren't."

"So… is that what that was?" I asked, gesturing to my head as my lips curled into a frown.

There was a small, but telling beat of silence. "In part," Batman admitted. "Things did not go completely to plan. Robin wasn't supposed to find out about my resignation. The conflict between you and the team was also unexpected."

"But trapping me in an illusionary world was the plan?" I asked, finding myself bitter. I… I don't know how I felt. Part of me was almost relieved that they stopped me. Part of me was bitter that they had. Part of me was angry that I went through that song and dance at all. Part of me was almost thankful that I got to try -- I went through with it, even if it wasn't real.

"It was," Batman answered without hesitation. "You were about to make an emotionally charged mistake," he stated, holding up a hand when I opened my mouth to argue. "You tried to do what you thought was right. No one blames you for it. However, your confession would have impacted a great many people beyond yourself -- your parents, for starters."

To that, I winced. I… I hadn't… I hadn't thought about them at all when I made the decision. I made a conscious choice to not think about them because I feared thinking myself out of taking action.

“Meta-humans are becoming the new reality of the world. Most of which are proving to be teenagers or young adults. Following your confession, the question around the world would have been what to do with children that are powerful enough to enact their personal brands of justice.” Batman said, and I frowned deeply.

“I thought Black Mask was going to keep trying to kill my family. He was-” I started to defend myself because, despite it all, I still stood by that action. Black Mask was a monster of a man and he desreved what he got. The entire world was better off without him in it.

“I know, Ren. I understand that better than anyone else,” Batman responded, and… I believed him. “But do you think the public would care?”

That was the crux of the issue. I didn’t think they would. A person was smart, but people were always dumb. I’m sure that his past would muddy the waters a bit, but most people wouldn’t care who Black Mask was. What they would care about is that a ‘hero’ had ruthlessly crippled him for life. People cared about the deed, no one ever gave a shit about the context. And that deed would be used not only against me, but other would-be heroes too.

"More than them, your confession would have impacted the entire world. Until this point, the issue at hand has been that a member of the Justice League brutalized a man. With your confession, the topic would have shifted away from a narrowly focused group like the Justice League, and accountability for our actions, to what should be done about teenagers with dangerous superpowers enacting vigilante justice and going too far." Batman stated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

My lips thinned as I looked away, but he wasn't done. "The Justice League's credibility would also be called into question. The reason people trust us is because they see us as beyond reproach. They see that unlike every other organization in the world, we have no dirty secrets and we tell no lies -- a public confession would have exposed that we not only lied to the world, but we covered up a major crime."

Each word was like a gut punch. I stood tall despite the verbal hits, but it wasn't easy. I don't think I did the wrong thing exactly, but it was increasingly clear that I didn't think it through. I completely overlooked how my confession would impact other people. I had only focused on how it would affect me and Batman.

And it didn't help that Batman was chipping away at the image I had of the Justice League, because he more or less laid out exactly what I thought about them, took it behind the barn, and put it down like Old Yeller'. The Justice League were capital H Heroes. They saved the world over and over again. They didn't lie. They had no agenda beyond helping people. They were a pure force for good in the world.

Except they did lie. They did have an agenda. I was a part of their black ops team. That didn't make them evil or anything like that -- it just meant that they were… they weren't perfect.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, not sure what else to say. Sorry for not thinking. Sorry that my heroes didn't live up to my expectations. What was there to say? I nearly started an international incident to make myself feel better. And I had been manipulated out of it by Batman.

"Don't be," Batman dismissed, his tone flat. "You did what you believed to be right. You took action to see it through, no matter the consequences to yourself. You acted like a hero, Ren, no matter how misguided." He said, and…

I sighed, "But why make me act out the confession? You could have just knocked me out, or something," I pointed out. He gave me the clues I needed to figure it out. My place on the team hadn't been secure at all. Me joining was an overall unpopular decision -- I guess the League didn't want someone that crippled over a dozen men corrupting their sidekicks. So, this song and dance was me showing that I belonged on the team.

I was manipulated. That pissed me off, but at the same time, it was for my benefit.

"For your sake," Batman answered, but I had a gut feeling that wasn't the whole truth. "You would have wondered if you would have gone through with it otherwise. This way, you know that you know what kind of man you are."

I glanced at Batman, "You know, cheating at cards is more than just knowing how to bend the rules. It's reading people. I was pretty good at it, getting shot in the head notwithstanding, since technically, me getting shot had nothing to do with me cheating," I pointed out to him, my tone dry.

Batman had the decency to not deny it at least, even if he had tried to hide the truth. "Zatara and Martian Manhunter are unbiased. They saw what you tried to do then informed the League of the specifics." God, the League really didn't want me as a part of the team, did they? "The plan was to give them reason to revise their opinions of you. The plan worked."

"My childhood heroes no longer hate me? Fan-fucking-tastic," I sighed. "Should I even be on the team? I kinda fought my way out of the Mountain," I muttered unhappily. I was moping. It was annoying, more so now that I realized it, but… damn. This really sucked.

"Your place on the team isn't in danger. Things will likely be awkward for a time. Robin will apologize for punching you," he stated, and I honestly kinda forgot about that.

I shrugged. I got it. So far, me and Robin haven't exactly had a good interaction. He didn't like me, made no secret of it, and we avoided one another. Now I had gotten his mentor booted from the Justice League, that dislike felt more than earned, even if it sucked. "Robin didn't punch me. I tripped and fell into his fist," I responded -- there was no way he would buy that, but I was hoping that he would go easy on Robin if he saw I wasn't angry.

"Even so," Batman responded, his tone flat. Sorry, Robin. I tried. "Provided that you still desire to be on the team, tomorrow there will be a meeting at twelve."

At this point, I probably should just leave the team. It really felt like I had screwed the pooch on that one. Half the team didn't like me, and after fighting to escape the mountain, it seemed likely that more than half was a distinct possibility. Honestly speaking, I should hang up my metaphorical cape while I was at it. My track record was anything but stellar.

I thought it over for a moment -- so far, the team just wasn’t working out. At all. Half the team didn’t like me, and now my spot was only secure thanks to jumping through some mental gymnastics? “Can I think about it?" I asked him, earning a curt nod before Batman turned to leave, cape flaring. He paused a few steps away, and I caught him looking back at me in the reflection on the glass, but he said nothing and continued on. When he was gone, I let out a low sigh, pushing my hood back and running my fingers through my hair.

My head hung low as the events really settled in. Starting with the punch to my face, to fighting to escape, then to that illusion I was placed in to keep me occupied while Batman officially resigned from the Justice League.

I got played. By Batman. It was for my benefit, and I could see that, but I still didn't like it. It felt like I was a pawn on a board in a game of politics.

Yet, at the same time… I screwed up. Big time. I hadn't thought things through. I nearly screwed things up for a lot of people everywhere. All because I didn't think things through.

I wanted to be a hero but how could I do that when I didn't think I could trust in my own judgment?

A sigh escaped me as I turned my attention to the Earth. My gaze lingered on it for a long moment -- I looked to the general space where Gotham should be in North America, but everything was too small to see any detail. It really was one incredible view of the world. And humbling to think about, because the world really was so much larger than Gotham. Gotham was one of America's most populated cities, but it was still so small. Barely a blip on the face of the planet.

It made everything else seem so much smaller in comparison.

My musing was interrupted by someone walking over and leaning on the railing next to me. Of all the people I expected it to be, turning around and finding Wonder Woman wasn't even on the list. She glanced at me, her eyes kind, "How are you feeling, Ren?" She asked, and that was a loaded question if I'd ever heard one.

I shrugged, "I'm fine. You know, for the most part."

For some reason, she didn't seem to believe me, "And the truth?"

The truth? The truth was… well… "I'm so pissed off and frustrated, I don't know if I'm going to cry or start screaming. I might do both. Just to make sure I cover my bases." I responded, my lips pressing together in a thin line. Wonder Woman smiled lightly as she reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. It was mildly reassuring.

"I thought as much," Wonder Woman said, sounding unsurprised. "As much as you will want to blame yourself for this, understand that you did everything in your power. Ren, it's easy to stand back when you see an injustice done rather than standing up and taking action. I can't think of anything harder than choosing to fight for something you believe in when your friends try to stop you. You chose to make a stand."

A sigh escaped me, "Tried to,” I corrected, “For all the good it did."

"You won't always succeed, Ren. A huge part of being a hero is accepting that… you won't be able to save everyone. That you can't be everywhere at once. And that some choices aren't yours to make. Batman took the fall for you because he believed you to be worth it. Will you dishonor that and yourself by giving up and wallowing in self-pity?" She asked, her voice firm but not harsh. She didn't need to be. She already knew my answer.

I couldn't just walk away now because things would be a little awkward with the team. They could hate my guts for all I care, but my path was set. I was going to be a hero. The very best one that I could possibly be. Not just to prove that Batman was right, or even to pay him back for what he did for me.

I wanted to be a hero.

"No, I won't," I answered, meeting her eyes as she straightened up and stood tall. She was taller than me by a couple of inches, roughly the same height as Batman. A smile graced her lips, glad to hear that she was right to believe in me.

"I'm glad to hear it. The Justice League has put some thought into what you said -- you joined the team in search of guidance but have received none so far. This will be remedied. With your consent, I would like to take you as my apprentice." Wonder Woman offered, earning a slow blink from me.

"Huh?" I uttered, "I thought..." I gestured to myself, not quite sure how to phrase it. Luckily, Wonder Woman seemed amused instead of confused.

"You might be male, but you fought for truth, Ren. You chose the most difficult path, the one that had the greatest expense to yourself, because you believed it was the right thing to do," Wonder Woman said. "That is why I wish to train you. Your gender plays no part in the decision."

Huh. I had meant the fact that I had crippled over a dozen men and been the one that set events in motion for Batman to leave the League, but the fact I was a guy also made me an odd choice, I guess. This… wasn't what I expected. At all. I had a mentor now? An actual mentor. Who would, hopefully, teach me not to make so many dumb mistakes. Dumb mistakes that I only realized were mistakes after I had made them.

Wonder Woman cocked an eyebrow and I realized that I hadn't actually answered yet, "Uh, yeah. I… accept. Thank you, Wonder Woman," I said, the surprise quickly wearing off and what she had offered sinking in. I offered a deep bow, knowing that the words alone didn't convey just how thankful I was.

"Diana Prince," Diana corrected, "If you decide to still be on the team, then we can speak after the meeting. Currently, I'm afraid the Justice League is dealing with the fallout of Batman's resignation." She informed me, and that took the edge off of my good mood, but I didn't comment on it.

Instead, I nodded, "I understand. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Diana nodded, "You will." she confirmed, giving me a gentle pat on the shoulder before she walked off. I watched her go until she vanished, teleporting to somewhere else with the Zeta Tube. When she was gone, I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. This day had not gone how I thought it would. But, that was okay.

Things would work themselves out. Probably.

…

Something interesting was happening with my various Metube accounts, I discovered after a day that felt like it had lasted a month. What had tipped me off was when I checked my Prestige to mourn over how much I had spent in my escape. Earthbending was going to get some use -- not only did I have increased mobility, I now had terrain manipulation. That was worth buying for alone.

Instead of seeing only a few hundred points, I saw a much larger number.

Prestige: 33,000

It wasn't quite what I spent on improving my various skills, but it was two whole extra zeroes more than what I expected. At first, I assumed that the video of me fighting Grundy was being tossed around, and it was, but that wasn't all. People seemed very impressed with the visual effects of Moon Breathing, and having fun making fun of me since Superboy had come out of nowhere and started pummeling Grundy like it was nothing. However, the number of views I was seeing across the various websites didn't match up.

Most people were left reeling from the announcement that Batman had left the Justice League. All of the founding members, except for Batman, had been in attendance to deliver the news. During that meeting, I had been in space on something called the Watchtower. Which was the Justice League's secret base. It was pretty cool, but I only got to see the lobby of it.

Public reception was fierce on both sides. Those that had protested were feeling vindicated, but they were quickly silenced by the tidal wave of people that had been silent until this point. Black Mask's past was getting shared around, the sheer number of suspected crimes and murders he had committed was used as evidence that what 'Batman' did was completely vindicated. It was an absolute mess and a quick look at any forum showed that threads were being locked, or mods were making sweeping decisions and banning people for the slightest hint of trouble.

But, Batman had been right. No matter what position you had about Batman, the Justice League came out smelling like roses.

However, that wasn't the source of my major influx of points. Looking online gave me my answer -- my Metube accounts, at least the ones that had videos posted to them, had all taken off. About a dozen of them, all at the same time -- each previously getting a few hundred views at most -- suddenly had a couple thousand views. My subscriber count was shooting through the roof, and there were comments thanking me or requesting an additional explanation. They weren't just bots because my Prestige was climbing.

One of them taking off? I could buy that. Metube was becoming increasingly clear that it was a luck of the draw-type thing. There didn't seem to be much logic behind what got recommended or why. One blowing up randomly was easy to believe, but all of them? That made much less sense.

"Is that you, Robin?" I guessed, leaning back into my chair when I was satisfied that the views weren't just bots. He was the only one that came to mind. Batman clearly knew about my accounts, but he never messed with them. Robin, on the other hand, had the skills to make sure my accounts hit the recommended page. "I guess this is your apology?" I muttered to myself -- Robin had no clue about the game aspect of my powers. I guess he thought that I was using Metube to make money with my various skills.

I wasn't going to complain. I didn't exactly hold it against him that he had been pissed. It was clear that Batman was a huge chunk of his life, and because of me, Batman was getting dragged through the mud. It wasn't okay that he punched me, but I got why he did. I might punch me too in that situation.

Still, it gave me some points to work with. My gaze slid over to Guppy -- my summoned Magikarp -- to find him swimming around in his new home and having a grand old time. He swam through a castle I had set up for him in his larger aquarium tank, before zeroing in on a treasure chest that opened up to release bubbles to aerate his water. I wasn't sure how to increase his power -- he was a Spirit Beast according to my system, which could be forced to evolve or would grow over time. The idea had been to invest points into the little guy, but I wasn't finding anything for it.

Nor could I find anything that gave me magic resistance or illusion resistance. All I had was my basic Mind Defense to keep what the League did from becoming a repeat. And I made sure to bump it up a few ranks to start with, giving me Mind Defence T1R3. Not sure how much that would help things out, but I wouldn’t be happy until I had maxed the skill out.

I had over twenty thousand points left, and I had some rolls because of my increase in Rank. My next one was rather far off -- five hundred thousand points to reach the rank of That Guy. It was probably a good strategy to save my rolls where I could, but I was curious what options became available with my increase in Rank. And I could gain some extra points while I was at it.

So, I bought a roll.

I thought that the games would grow more difficult, but I was very shocked to see a hand appear in front of me. Rock, Paper, Scissors -- one game of it. I could bet on myself winning if I wanted.

Pursing my lips, I looked down at my hand for a moment before nodding to myself. Then I made my bet. "I'm going to choose rock," I told the machine and the system, curious about how it would respond. My fist bounced twice before I displayed my choice -- rock. The hand across from me displayed scissors.

Interesting, I thought to myself as I raked my points, now sporting a grand total of forty-six thousand thanks to a Risk It All. Had I just out thought the system, or was my luck pulling through? I didn't know. And I don't think I really had a way to find out.

Black Heaven and Earth Technique

T4R5

A dangerous and forbidden technique that allows the human body to push well beyond its limits. The user will become faster, stronger, and their techniques more powerful, but there is a dangerous risk that the user will enter a mindless berserker state and attempt to kill all those around him.

At T4R5 -- All stats receive up to a 50% increase when using the Black Heaven and Earth Technique.

Sinking past the threshold is now a conscious choice. When you sink too deeply, much like falling asleep too quickly, your body will jolt to wake you up. Continue past that point at your own and others' risk.

That was… rather worrying. I think it was the first skill that I had gained that had a drawback like this. It gave me a 50% increase to my stats, but possibly murdering everyone around me? That was… it was almost tempting to sell the skill. Losing control of myself like that? That sounded like my worst nightmare. I might have if my shoulder didn't still ache from my fight with Grundy.

So, I kept the skill. It was one that I knew would see some use despite my hesitation. It would only get better as my stats continue to rise. Which I might do soon enough, but for now, I think it was time to look to improve more of my preexisting skills. Get them into a good place, then when I focused on my stats, I would reap the dividends. And there were some clear winners.

Tsubame Gaeshi

T3R1

Three separate sword strikes from three different angles in a single swing. A technique fit to be called the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Spiritual Enlightenment used to create the technique is sold separately.

At T3R1 -- the user can perform a fourth strike.

Sell/Increase/Combine

I blinked at the additional option underneath the improved skill. "Combine?" I asked my system and received my first tutorial in a good long while.

Tutorial: Some skills are able to be combined with one another to increase their ability and effectiveness. At your current Rank, all skills must be of the same tier to be eligible for combination.

"Huh," I muttered, tempted to try the feature out. However, I couldn't with my best Skill. That was just stupidity. Looking at the skill listings, I scrolled through, taking a closer look at my new options. I had a fair few. However, there were only a few that clearly could be eligible for combination.

I eyed the cost -- it'd take a chunk out of my points, but I think it would be worth it.

Waterbending

T1R1

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup.

Breathing: Water Style

T1R1

A Breathing style that is shaped like water -- everchanging currents, pounding force, and with enough pressure, it can cut through diamonds.

It was tempting to go for Firebending and Sun Breathing, but that seemed a little destructive to me. I would get water first, and if it worked, then I would get those two because I would at least have a way to put out the fire. Pressing the combine button, I saw both were valid options to be combined. So was Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, but that was Tier 3. With both skills selected, I pressed the combine button and I received my prize.

Water Shaping Style

T1R1

So long as you maintain the Water Breathing Style, water will bend to your will. The current limit of water you can bend is 80 gallons.

“Cool,” I muttered, pushing my chair back and breathing in. The Style was different from Moon breathing, it strengthened my body in different ways but there was a fair amount of overlap. Looking to my aquarium, I saw Guppy swimming around. I raised a hand and the water began to lift from the tank. Guppy apparently felt like going for a ride because he surged upward into the trail of water that I gathered. It was roughly a gallon or so of water if I had to guess.

Guppy swam around in the water, before surging forward, and if I didn’t lead him along, he would have popped right out the water ball. It took a moment to get used to, the breathing style was very different from Moon breathing. It was more… specialized if I had to say.

A knock at the door nearly made me drop him and the water, but I looked over just in time to catch my Mom poking her head in. “Ren-” She began, only to blink when she caught me water bending. Which is probably the least offensive thing she could have walked into my room to catch me doing. Her mouth parted, but she closed it a second later. “Ren, stop playing with your… fish. Your Dad wanted to speak to you.”

“Right,” I said, depositing Guppy back into his tank. He swam in circles, apparently a bit miffed that the fun was over so soon. I rolled my shoulders and dropped the breathing style, leaving my lungs feeling empty as I headed out of my room. I hadn’t exactly kept my promise of only improving the skills that I already had, but I think it was worth it.

I had rock and water bending. Much greater mobility on top of a new skill that let me increase my base stats. Then I had a very solid arrangement of techniques. It could be fleshed out a little more, that much was true, but the breathing styles and swordplay more than made up the difference. Next, I should focus on my stats, then look to getting a few more offensive techniques under my belt.

After that, I would be good. I might not be able to punch out Superboy, but that was something I had to work towards. Baby steps.

Dad was sitting on the table, wearing an expression that made me freeze midstep. He didn’t look particularly angry, or anything, but there was a harshness in his eyes that I only saw when I was in the deepest of shit. However, his gaze softened a fraction when he looked at me. He took in a breath and let it out. “Ren… why did you face Grundy?”

Was… this a trick question? “You told me too…?” I tried, glancing at Mom for a clue as to what was going on. Because of that, I nearly missed Dad’s reaction. His hands lashed out, slamming down on the table hard enough that the wood splintered -- the look in his eyes could only be described as murderous. He trembled with rage. I hesitated, but Mom walked forward and reassuringly placed her hands on his shoulders to help calm him down. Dad only seemed to realize he had wrecked the table when he unclenched his hands.

I swallowed thickly, realizing what was going on. I’m guessing that he hadn’t told me to go fight Grundy. “The text said that it was from you -- it told me to challenge myself and there was a video of Grundy tearing up Chinatown,” I said, having the Gluttony Demon spit out my phone. I went to go prove it, but Dad raised a hand as he shook his head.

“No, I believe you. I did not send that text, I would never put you in danger like that…!” Dad hissed, visibly straining to remain calm.

“So, it was Uncle then?” I guessed, glancing at Mom, whose lips thinned.

Dad took in a deep breath as he nodded, “It would seem so. I’m not sure how he managed it. He cloned my number, perhaps? I don’t know. But it seems he is not content to leave things be.” He said, pinning an intense gaze on me. I slowly walked forward and took a seat next to him, trying to show that as absolutely pissed as he was, after the shock of my even-keeled Dad being pissed wore off, it wasn’t him that I was scared of.

“He’s going to try to bring me to China?” I questioned, an edge in my tone. My Uncle had missed his chance for that. Before, me suddenly vanishing to Mainland China would go relatively unnoticed. Now the entire Justice League knew who I was and I was going to be mentored by Wonder Woman herself.

To that, Dad shook his head. “No, that is unlikely. He gave his word that he would make no such attempts. My younger brother has never lied to me before. Despite everything, I don’t believe that has changed… but that doesn’t mean he won’t try to use you for his own ends.”

“What ends would that be?” I asked him, and Dad paused, almost as if he wasn’t sure himself. Or, rather, how to phrase it.

“Our family has cultivated our martial arts and abilities for thousands of years, Ren. For many of them, our ancestors were immensely powerful. They could shape the world as they saw fit. However, in their lust for power, they destroyed the sources of their strength. Those that came after them could never reach the heights of power they once had. Now? Now our family is a mere shadow of what it once was,” Dad explained. “All of our kind faces a fundamental issue.”

He sighed, “Stagnation. My brother is a prodigy that comes once in a generation, but in today’s world, that simply means he reached his limit at an earlier age than most. He simply can’t grow any stronger than he is. His techniques cannot be refined any more, he has reached his physical prime, and he has no worthy opponents to challenge himself against.”

I didn’t like where this was going, “So… he wants for me to get stronger, so we can fight?” I questioned, finding that a bit backward. Why me? Why didn’t he just throw hands with Grundy? It wasn’t like the world was lacking assholes that needed a solid punch to the nose.

However, Dad shook his head. “No, not him. His daughter,” he corrected, his tone grim. “I fear he wishes to pit you against each other so his daughter can reach her true potential. According to him, your Cousin is a prodigy that comes once in a thousand years.”

I had a cousin? And my Uncle wanted us to fight in some kind of death match so she can get stronger? That was… rather worrying, mostly because the implications weren’t lost on me. My Uncle had sent me against Grundy to improve myself, but I hadn’t been able to do much to him. He seemed to expect that I could, though.

Meaning… whoever my Cousin was? Right now, they were stronger than me.

And that thought did not sit well with me.