Chapter 67: I’m Done.

 

(Aden's P.O.V)

"That was before I arrived to a fucking trial. That wasn't part of the plan either, Batman."
I refused to back down. Despite the intimidating glare that was leagues above what Robin could pull off, I was done with giving way.

"And why is that? I debriefed the Team and they had sufficient reason to call you out."
The dark Knight growled out. I took note of the way he worded his statement and read between the lines. He had said, The Team, not your team or the rest of the group or your teammates. He knew I wouldn't be coming back. No matter what.
"You have not been upfront with us. With me, Aden."
He continued.

I cocked my head to the side.
"Everyone is entitled to their own secrets Bruce. You know that more than most."
"Not when that information puts…"
"The rest of the team in danger. Trust me, I know that. I've heard it from our dear team leader."
Anyone else would have been shaking in their boots at interrupting the Dark Knight but after the adrenaline fueled close shaves and the eventful few days, fear was far from my mind.

Having the patience of the gods, Batman simply let the interruption wash over him with no reaction.
"You almost compromised the mission. Would have had the situation turned out differently."
Batman stated, his voice gaining a hard edge. I stared at his mask clad face and realization hit me like a ton of bricks.
"You held back. During the fight at the cave. Not only that but you've been actively leading the rest of the League astray while following the real lead to find me. Not that you could have but…wow."
A laugh of disbelief escaped me.

I started pacing a little, while connecting the dots.
"That's why when I reviewed my memories, something was off with your performance. You weren't trying too hard. I can think of a half a dozen ways you could have simply stopped me from destroying the Zeta Tube controls and that's just me."
I looked back at him, surprised. I don't even know why I was. This was such a Batman thing to do. I should have expected nothing less from him. Yet...it was still strange.

"Drastic measures." He casually waved me off. Giving me an excuse that we both knew wouldn't satisfy the rest of the League.
"You know better than me what we're up against. The meta knowledge you possess is crucial only if we capitalize on it. And you were the only one in that unique position. I did what I had to do."
I scoffed.
"I don't think that sentiment would be shared by Superman or any of the League for that matter. Besides J'onn of course. I wonder what they would say were they to learn that you steered the conversation to make the Justice League suspend me from the team just so that I could go undercover inside the Light."

Batman's jaw clenched in anger.
"You think I manipulated them. You're wrong."
He countered, making me shrug.
"Maybe I am. But you can't deny you took advantage of the situation." A touch of skepticism colored my next words.

"Is that really something a Superhero would do?"

His fingers closed into a fist.

"You tell me. You already seem to have all the answers."

The bite in his words would have made me flinch had it been a few months ago.

"I thought you understood what we were up against. An opponent who not only has a mole inside, feeding him information about our activities but the resources to counter the League. A good example would be the Yellowstone mission. That Intel came straight from you, yet nothing went according to plan."

Batman responded, accusingly.

"I had nothing to do with the mission parameters going off the rails and you know it."

I shot back, angry at what he was insinuating.

"I do. But eliminate all the emotional and mental impact it had on you and the team and leave behind the facts, had any of them been gravely harmed or killed the blame would have solely laid on me."

I looked back at him, surprised. The blame would have been his? But I was the one feeding him all that information. What was he talking about...oh, I see. He's talking about trust.

"This relationship Aden, needs to work on a mutual give and take but fueled with respect. I chose to trust you. J'onn and I both did. But that is because I believe you can handle the monumental task ahead of you. That you can plunge into the darkness, that would consume anyone else and come out untainted at the end of it all."

A strange feeling bloomed inside me. Was this Batman's version of a pep talk?

"Why do you have this much belief in me Bruce? You must know that, I'm now considered a Pariah to the rest of The League and the Team. This could cost you your position with the Justice League."

I warned.

"Because you know the stakes, better than I do. Better than J'onn, better than Superman whose senses can stretch out to cover miles, not missing a detail. There is much more you're hiding from me. Information that would help immensely but ultimately the decision to share lies solely with you. And because I still believe that deep down, you just want to do good."

He replied softly, completely changing his tune from before.

I closed my eyes, going over everything he'd said. It was crazy to know just how much my perception of Batman was wrong. No not wrong. He was exactly the way I had him pegged but...he was also real. He was a person and people changed to accomodate their environment, Adaptation according to external stimuli. It's basically human history, from fire making to making tools and weapons for defending ourselves from stronger animals.

Normally Batman would be all up on my ass, he would try to take me in and stick me in an interrogation room, forcing me to tell him everything he knew I was hiding through sheer intimidation and psychological manipulation. That was the suspicion fueled Dark Knight I knew. Not the one staring back at me. This one was understanding (sort of) and was speaking to me in an even playing field. Sincerity colored his words.

"Manhunter?"

I made a wild guess, still in disbelief that this was Bruce Wayne I was talking to. Batman smiled.

"No. It's all me."

He shook his head, his voice turning serious.

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"I just realized that you're not someone I can treat the same way I do everyone else. You're a key player in this Aden. Whether you want to or not." He placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You messed up son. But it doesn't have to stay that way. You can make this right Aden. Help me make this right."

I couldn't believe it. Then it finally started dawning on me why he was acting this way. Mother. Fucker. Manipulation. He needed me more than I needed them. I would know how to infiltrate The Light easily, without Batsy needing to intervene to make the transition seamless. The 'belief' he had on me was just a way to emotionally bind me to the mission, to make sure I stuck it out without switching sides. This was a long term carrot. Anyone else would have been fooled by it. And that subtle manipulation was the last straw.

I shrugged his hand off my shoulder in disappointment.

"I'm done. I want nothing to do with the League or The Team."

I stared back at the man who had helped me fit in. The Superhero who had shown great faith and belief in me. He had changed. And it was all my fault. You'd think that was impossible. That the vaunted Dark Knight, someone who had threatened Darkseid himself. Someone who had gone up against the monsters of hell and lived to tell the tale would not change so easily.

But maybe lying awake at night, mulling over the possibilities that this world, his whole reality might be fake was more than he could handle. Maybe subconsciously, the Dark Knight was... terrified and that terror was showing in the way he was doing things differently. The wrong decisions he was making.

I should have seen it before. Especially when he let me suffocate Robin just so we could talk. And the strange feeling I got when I found out he was actively sabotaging The League's efforts to find me. And then there was the manipulation part.

"You've changed Bruce. And I'm sorry that I played a role in it."

I told him sadly.

"Don't."

Batman responded. Likely hating the pity that was apparent in my tone.

I ignored him and reached out mentally to form a link with the telepathic prob that had been trying to read my surface thoughts. Manhunter's mental touch was different from M'gann's. While M'gann gave you the sense of deep power and excitement, like a puppy that had the firepower to blast your mental self into smithereens, Manhunter's was more like a cold breeze, a shiver that was barely noticeable but made goosebumps sprout on your skin.

I felt the mental link establish.

"Hello J'onn."

I called out.

"Aden, I apologize for the deception. I can feel you don't approve of our methods and you're right, this is not the way we do things. The... circumstances have blinded us."

His tone was soothing, like always and remorseful.

I rolled my eyes, mentally.

"Already trying to salvage the situation huh? I don't blame you J'onn. Not really. I can even understand where Batman is coming from."

A mental sigh of relief escaped him and he responded with,

"Then you understand the significance of our mission."

I shook my head.

"No J'onn. No mission is worth this. There's Compromising your ideals and then there's lying, trying to manipulate your allies. Those are two different things. When you do the former, you taint your soul to do what most be done to save others but when you do the latter, you're turning your weapons against your friends. The ones who have your back. I know it sounds hypocritical coming from me, but the difference between us, is that you're high profile. You have something to uphold. I've always felt that The League could do more good. Killing irredeemable monsters like Firefly, Szasz and The Joker being one of them without falling to using their methods and still be on the side of justice. True heroes. Willing to sacrifice everything except who they are for the sake of others. But what Batman just tried to do is the opposite. He's sacrificing who he is for the sake of the mission. You have to stop him before he goes off the deep end completely J'onn."

I went silent, cutting off the mental link. Batman was still staring at me, with an unreadable expression on his face. I had no doubt that J'onn would relay our entire conversation to him but I wanted him to hear it. I spared one look at Dick and smirked inwards. He'd already woken up and was just pretending to be passed out. I wonder how much of our conversation he heard.

"Goodbye Batman."

Saying that, I boom tubed back to The Elemental Dimension before he could do anything.

 

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