May 5
Mount Justice
"Is everything ready?" Kid Flash asked his friend curiously.
"They're ready, but it will take another week before sending it," Robin commented calmly while helping his friend improve the Cave's defenses.
"Good, the secondary sensors are online," Kid Flash declared calmly while closing the panel, and Robin used his wrist computer to calibrate everything and nodded.
"Everything online," Robin declared to his friend, who nodded at the notice.
"Good, the sensors are ready, but the weapons could stop someone without powers or of a low level, but against Grundy, Black Adam, Wotan, I don't trust them that much," Wally commented as they entered the kitchen and he looked for something to eat.
"Well, there aren't many weapons capable of stopping them," Robin commented calmly while accepting a drink from his friend.
"Your bounty still hasn't changed," Robin commented. Wally was the only one with a bounty; the others still remained unmarked.
"I can assure that part of it comes from the Bialya Mission, another part from Santa Prisca, and maybe Deathstroke," Wally commented calmly without giving it much importance.
"You really take it very lightly," Robin commented while looking at his oldest friend.
"Does it matter?" Wally commented calmly while Robin looked at him.
"I've fought Bane, Kobra, a Robot capable of using the League's powers, I fought Deathstroke and Killer Croc. There aren't many that can scare me more than those bastards," Wally commented calmly while finishing his protein bar.
"Besides, I need stronger protein bars," he commented calmly to his friend, who nodded.
"I understand. I'll look for a better recipe then, or do you have something in mind?" he asked curiously.
"No, just make sure the taste is tolerable," he asked calmly.
"You got it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to take care of some things in Gotham. Take care, bro," he said goodbye, and Wally returned the farewell.
Watchtower – June 1
The members attended their normal duties.
"The summit will take place in Taipei. The discussion—" Batman began.
"To prevent the conflict between North and South Rhelasia," he explained seriously.
"The neutral arbitrator is still unknown to everyone," he commented seriously.
"Will you send someone?" Black Canary asked.
"The options are limited. No one from the League can be sent," he commented seriously.
"Roy can do it," Green Arrow commented.
Some members did not seem convinced.
"He won't suffer any anger attack during his mission," Flash commented while looking at Arrow, who frowned.
"Roy can control himself," he commented, but Flash did not seem convinced.
"Red Arrow is an option. He is little known, but his temperament makes confidence in his ability to complete the mission satisfactorily difficult," Batman commented seriously while considering his options.
"Then who will you send?" Diana asked while looking at the Dark Knight.
"You can send Red Arrow," Batman commented calmly, and Green Arrow nodded.
"If he ruins it, he will have no support from the League," Batman commented seriously, making that point clear.
Green Arrow nodded, accepting Batman's condition in order to inform his former protégé.
Batman only thought about his options. He couldn't simply trust Red Arrow.
(Every time Red Arrow acts, the League of Shadows appears in his missions.)
He remembered Kid Flash's words and the recent confrontation between Roy and the League. That was not something that could simply be ignored. First Cadmus and then the League of Shadows. Something was being formed, and Batman still did not have the answers.
June 10
Central City
Savitar, as he was known at night, while during the day he was Kid Flash so as not to attract anyone and reveal something obvious.
"Everything quiet in the warehouses," he murmured calmly.
Not much happened in Central City if Flash wasn't in the area, and with Flash busy with his wife, Wally had to take care of things this time. Although his parents worried about his grades dropping, it wasn't something that worried Wally much. With his speed, he could read a book in seconds again and again until learning it. He didn't have to worry much about that part.
Besides, his pay was good: $1200, and anything of value they managed to obtain in missions was good payment as well. Besides, he didn't have to pay to repair his equipment. Batman was such a charitable soul.
Wally left his thoughts when he entered the last warehouse.
(Another one from Gotham. At this rate I'll take Batman's followers away.)
Wally thought when he saw Penguin supervising the delivery of weapons to a low-level mobster.
(Not that many weapons.)
He murmured when he only saw three normal-sized crates.
"Okay, those are military-grade rocket launchers," he murmured, now more serious. Those weapons were powerful. They weren't simple toy firecrackers.
"Looks like I'll have to dirty my hands tonight," he murmured while drawing his trench knives, his trusted weapons.
"Dust you are and to dust you shall return. And I will be the one to prove it," Savitar murmured while crossing his blades in the shape of a cross, his cold gaze on the mafia.
Penguin simply watched calmly as his employees placed the shipment for the poor mafia that wanted to establish itself here in Central City. Although Flash was one of the easiest heroes to deceive, his partner was not so easy. Kid Flash hit hard, striking criminals harder than Flash, breaking legs, arms, and ribs. It was even said that pedophiles were beaten so brutally that they were permanently incapacitated, although there was no solid proof that Kid Flash was responsible. The boy wasn't stupid enough to leave evidence, something Penguin could respect.
He was a businessman, nothing more. He didn't care what the weapons he sold were used for. He simply sold weapons, nothing more, and killed anyone who got in his way. But he didn't throw the first punch. That was true. Of all Gotham's criminals, he was one of the calmest.
Penguin blinked.
That was all he did.
He blinked.
But when he did, the mafia representatives were on the ground, bleeding and screaming in pain.
Penguin pulled out his trusty umbrella, prepared to fire at his enemy.
"Who dares interfere in my business?" he demanded to know while his employees searched for the intruder with weapons ready to fire.
"You are an idiot who creates slaves to do the dirty work for you," Savitar declared in front of everyone.
Everyone pointed their weapons at him.
"A coward and an incompetent, incapable of doing things yourself," he declared calmly while looking at his opponents.
"Open fire, idiots!" Penguin ordered his employees, and everyone opened fire on Savitar.
"Do you think your stupid bullets will hurt me?" Savitar mocked while the bullets passed through him without causing damage.
Savitar crossed his blades in the shape of a cross while looking at his opponents.
"Prepare to be purified," he declared seriously.
In less than five seconds everything fell silent. The screams of pain only lasted a few seconds more. Savitar's non-lethal but painful cuts struck everyone without mercy.
Like the old tradition of Chinese maidens of giving more cuts without killing their opponent in order to cause the greatest pain possible, that was what Kid Flash gave criminals. If he couldn't kill, he had to cause pain and fear. But fear could always be overcome. In the past Gotham's criminals feared Batman, but little by little they stopped fearing him as much.
Savitar did not want to create fear.
He wanted to create nightmares.
He wanted everyone to remember the pain when they saw their scars. The Blades of Pride left their mark. It didn't matter whether you were human, a metahuman, an Atlantean, an alien, or a god. You were marked by Pride to remember it, to remember the fear you felt at that moment and the nightmares that followed.
"You are not welcome in Central City, Penguin," Savitar declared while his right blade rested on Penguin's shoulder, making him hiss in pain.
"I hope not to see you in my city again. Batman won't be here to save you," he commented calmly while looking with boredom at Penguin, who froze when he saw the disinterest in Savitar's eyes, as if Penguin were nothing more than an ant and Savitar the boot. That was the difference.
"I'll leave right now," Penguin declared.
He knew his limits. He had no employees left, his weapon was destroyed, his buyers defeated. He wasn't going to fight the monster who defeated Killer Croc hand to hand.
"Monster," Penguin murmured.
"Monster?" Savitar repeated with amusement.
"I'm surprised that someone who enjoys selling weapons that kill his own species is capable of calling me a monster," he declared with a smile that couldn't be seen beneath his mask, which only revealed his green eyes. Everything else was covered by dark gray fabric and black armor with touches of camouflage green.
"Then if I am a Monster, I should remind you of how terrifying I can be," he declared calmly while bringing his second knife closer.
"Why so serious?" he commented before giving Penguin a smile, making him scream in pain.
"Savitar, any news?" Red Tornado asked through the communicator. The League had authorized him to return to the Cave, something that did not make Wally very happy, but he had to tolerate it for the moment.
"Everything under control. Nothing new to report in my patrol routine," he commented calmly while eating a good Mexican taco.
"Understood," Red Tornado replied, ending the call.
"That simple," he murmured while returning to his food.
September 16
"Your mission is to act if the League of Shadows appears. If not, remain hidden for as long as possible," he ordered.
"Understood, and so it shall be done," Savitar responded calmly while remaining in position and waiting.