Chapter 5: Hero Name and Costume

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(General P.O.V)

Batman walked out of the Zeta tube in silent contemplation. The introduction of the young team to Mount Justice was only two days away. Batman wondered how that would go. Robin and the others were insistent on having more responsibility heaped on their shoulders.

They didn't have an idea of what they were asking for. No, having them act as a black-ops team would be better. Batman himself would vet their missions and little by little as they matured, so would the trust to handle more, be given. He had no doubt they would step up to the challenge. 

Having them become a part of the Justice League was currently ill-advised. Especially given the fact that their enemies had grown smarter, careful and less visible. They were operating in the open yet hidden. Partnering up and shoring each other's weaknesses. 

The shipment with Penguin was a cache of altered cocaine that lasted longer and with stronger effects. No trace had been found and the Penguin was hiding. Bruce could direct his considerable resources into finding out his whereabouts but he decided to take another approach. Waiting. 

His contemplation moved on to why he was here today. Aden Strong. 17 years old. Alien from another earth. An earth where all of their struggles was just entertainment to their masses. Batman wasn't sure what to make of that but he did what he always did, took it in stride and created countermeasures, incase any of the sensitive information Aden had given them came true.

It wasnt a lot though. A few villains, invasions and the unlikely but terrifying prospect of Superman going murder hobo after losing his wife and unborn child. Batman's hand clenched and he stopped in place. He wouldn't let that happen. Bruce would sooner break his oath to never kill, to put the Joker down rather than see his best friend go through grief like that. That would also be the day that he would have to give up the cowl.

Back to the young boy, Batman knew he didn't mean any harm. He could see a lot of loneliness in his eyes but Aden was bravely holding on strong. That was enough for Batman to give him a chance. Bruce knew that treating him with suspicion would only distance him and that could turn badly. The information that Aden contained was dangerous in the wrong hands but what made Batman cast his vote into keeping the boy closer was his powers.

Batman had seen it…the white eyes that had stared at him during that night, were filled with…so much power. Superman was called a god by some but what Bruce saw that day…was more… 

Bruce reached the training room and found Red Tornado hovering before Aden, who was cross legged on a mat. His hands were outstretched, cupped Infront of him. A swirl of air rolling between the palms, in the form of a ball. 

"Am I interrupting something?" 

Red Tornado turned to look at him. 

"Batman." He nodded then continued, "No. We were just getting finished for the day."

He said and left the room. Batman turned his gaze to Aden and found him scrunching his eyebrows in effort. The ball of air swirled around his body as he simultaneously jumped. The ball stabilized below him, connected to his body by one leg as the other was crossed over it. 

The ball then started rolling around as Aden rode above it around the room. Batman's eyebrows rose up at the casual display of high level air manipulation. 

"Yes I did it!" 

He excitedly said before spotting Batman and directed the ball to him. The air ball disappeared and Aden landed on the ground gracefully. 

"You've gotten better." 

Batman observed. Aden nodded his head in a little pride. 

"Yeah. I have been practicing a lot this past week. Red Tornado has also taught me some awesome moves." 

It was also true. Even the level of his proficiency in the air element had gone up.

Air Element (Practitioner) 

-Locked. 

-Locked.

He wanted to get the mastery to Expert before he tried unlocking any of it's sub-branches. Aden had gotten to know how the proficiency ranking went. It was, Beginner - Practitioner - Expert -  Master - Grandmaster.

He had a feeling that he was nearing Expert and that was because of all the air manipulation exercises he had done. He had also asked Red Tornado to get him a book on the basics of Ba Ghua Zhang. 

That martial art shared a lot of similarities with air bending and once Red Tornado had gotten him the book, his skill in air bending had shot up.

"That's commendable. Follow me." 

Batman said after a while. 

(Aden's P.O.V)

I followed after the dark knight, taking the chance to study him some more. He walked with a natural grace. Like a predator ready to pounce and attack. With my improvements in bending, my intellect and observational skills seemed to improve a little as well. Air-bending involved a lot of meditation and maybe that had given me some more benefits.

We made it to the meeting hall and right there on the table was a briefcase carrying something I had been looking forward to, the entire week. I looked back at the dark knight and asked, 

"Is that what I think it is?" 

He nodded and I jumped to study it. The briefcase opened up to reveal…

"This is not what I drew when you asked me to make a sketch of my super suit." 

I told him a little dissatisfied.  

"Your costume idea was impractical for your powers. Currently you don't have access to the full scope of your abilities as you yourself told me. This suit will be more appropriate for the time being."

I took a minute to reason it out and had to nod at what he was saying. My design was a little too ambitious. It was too outstanding in its magnificence. No cap. My design had a white hood, a dark blue sleeveless tunic that run from my neck attached to the hood, down to between my knees and a white pair of pants that were shoved into black boots.

There were white bands along my open arms, two on both biceps and one above the gloves covering my palm and wrists. To top it off, on the chest was an emblem with a modernized take on the symbols of the four elements. 

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Instead of that visual orgasm of a super suit, Batman had commissioned something else entirely. For starters, it was the same type of style as Kid Flash's costume. The difference being that most of the suit was black with white accents on the ribs. An emblem of air was in the middle of the chest represented by a swirling circle. 

For a mask, it was styled akin to Kyle Rayner's but instead of a domino mask, a visor was in place. The whole suit looked...unique if a bit average. The thing I disliked most about it was the emblem for air on the chest. It felt like...like I would undermine myself if I accepted it. I was the Avatar for crying out loud not an average Airbender. What would villains think when they saw me...

It was like an electric shock went through me as I turned to the Dark Knight.

"You want them to underestimate me, don't you?"

It all made perfect sense. After seeing the upper levels of my power, Bruce had probably come up with this ruse. To put me in a costume that by all accounts wasn't a clear representation of what I could actually do given enough time. 

After Supervillains get used to me being an Airbender...bam! I hit them with fire or water or earth. Any countermeasures to beat me in the future would useless because...my powers would grow and grow and grow past them all. I looked at Batman in a new light. 

"Have you decided on a name for yourself?"

Batman's voice cut through my thoughts. I looked at the emblem on my new suit. Initially, I wouldn't have accepted any other name but Avatar. Looking at it from a different perspective...I didn't deserve that name yet. 

Batman had a point in his actions and if there was one thing I knew about him...he never did anything without taking every single detail into account. I would trust his judgement.  

"Maelstrom. For now, call me Maelstrom."

(Elsewhere)

A row of screens were placed before a hidden figure. 

"The shipment was compromised."

The hidden figure said. 

"All within expectations."

One of the figure in the screen spoke.

"I agree. If the plan had worked out, we would have found ourselves in partnership with a very shrewd man."

Another intoned.

A deeper voice than the previous two, supplied it's own thoughts.

"With the Penguin, currently indisposed, we can place our very own tool to gain us more footing in Gotham."

Another voice sighed.

"Batman has always moved to crush any new... ambitious forces in Gotham. He seeks to maintain the current delicate balance."

The deep voice from before snorted.

"He is someone who strikes from the shadows and darkness. Our methods have evolved to work in the light. We need no fear."

A female voice was the next to speak.

" Our whole purpose is for humankind to be unhindered in it's growth. Every step we take has been for that sole purpose and anyone who steps in our way, will be made to see the light.'

With that, no one else spoke and the screens went static. 

Lex Luthor stappled his fingers together as he thought. 

"Not one of them asked how the plan failed. More for me then."

He said to himself. On another screen was an obscured image of a floating boy with the four elements surrounding his form. The elements had messed with the picture but the one thing they failed to hide was the glowing eyes. 

"You're not a metahuman are you? You're something more."

Lex said to the picture.

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