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DCU: Blacklist
- Thread starter Samael61
- Start date
Chapter 16 - Fury of a Woman Scorned
Samael61
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2025
- Messages
- 139
Hello there,
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever,
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU,
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon,
and DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world
All stories are six chapters ahead now.
Metropolis
Miles closed the door behind him, hung his coat and hat, and walked to the living room, where Claire and the teens were watching TV while eating pizza.
"Hey, how did it go with the Feds?" Claire asked after swallowing her bite with some soda.
"Nothing to worry about; it was just the FBI. How about you three?" This wasn't his first tango with the federal authorities, and most likely wouldn't be the last.
"They picked their rooms, and we're going shopping in an hour."
"Good. In the meantime, here are your IDs as citizens of the United States of America." Miles handed the teens two envelopes containing the beginning of their new lives.
As Zalika and Baraka tore the paper apart with grins, Miles took a slice of pepperoni pizza and sat down.
"I have documents to sign for the company while you take Zalika and Baraka to the mall. I don't believe I need to warn you about keeping a low profile."
"Don't worry, we'll be back without a fuss." Claire waved away his concerns, sure that a shopping trip couldn't end badly unless a villain attacked.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mary-Anne Loraine had already bought a medium-sized building for EnviroCorps, and the paperwork for the company to begin its operations only lacked the signature of the corporation's owner.
"Mr. Beckett, great to see you again."
"Just call me Miles, Mary; Mr.Beckett was my father." He couldn't help but feel as if his father was there whenever someone called him Mr. Beckett.
"As you wish. I have all the relevant documentation here, and then we will have to talk about who you want on the Board of Directors and how to enter the market." Mary had several documents in her hand, most likely her plans and ideas.
"In order, I don't have any names for the Board of Directors except myself and you, obviously. If you feel it is necessary to fill any positions, ensure the candidates don't cross me. As for the market, we are going to break in with advanced fusion reactors, starting with hydrogen, and when we have orbital infrastructure, we will switch to deuterium reactors."
He was legally obligated to have a board of directors by law, but no pencil pusher would tell Miles how to run his company.
"Research into fusion reactors is new and nowhere near ready to be commercially available." Mary did not make any plans for that, thinking they would be doing something less complex than fusion reactors.
"You let me worry about the scientific and technological part; I want you to focus on preparing the groundwork and facilities and gathering the closest thing we have to experts on the subject." Miles sounded so sure that the CEO could only shrug in response.
If he could not deliver, Mary did have several backup plans.
"Yes, sir, now, here are the documents requiring your signature."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading and signing the documents took less time than one might expect, as Miles was a fast reader.
He was riding to the Metropolis Mall to meet with Claire and his new charges while planning to talk with Hawkgirl about assisting Thanagar in winning the war against the Gordonians.
For a price, of course.
But it could afford to wait while he perused the mall.
A heatwave hit him as soon as he entered through the door, and coupled with people running in terror, Miles had an idea who the culprit was.
Avoiding the panicking masses, he eventually came across Claire, who was shooting up a pillar of fire to the sky in her fury.
Zalika and Baraka had taken cover in a shop, shouting at her to calm down, which did nothing.
The target of Claire's flames was none other than the couple standing before her, a brown-haired man dressed in a suit and a woman with hair coloring eerily similar to the pyrokinetic, and seeing as she was totally out of control, his bodyguard had crossed paths with her parents, and she wasn't happy about it at all.
"Claire, enough." His voice cut through the screams and the chaos of the situation.
"They abandoned me, and now here they are, strutting around as if nothing happened." Clare screamed, hoarse and hurt, and she was about to make it someone else's problem.
"You can't kill them because you will regret it, and you, rightfully so, can't forgive them. The only choice you have is to get over them, because any other decision you make will only harm you, no one else."
"He is right; stand down now." Just as he thought this day couldn't get any worse, Supergirl had to come floating down, and if he did not manage it well, the two volatile, superpowered individuals could start a fight.
"Supergirl, sorry to ruin your debut, but it would be for the best if you let me handle it." This couldn't have been a worse time for the young Argoan to make her first appearence as a hero.
"Who are you?" Kara hadn't even introduced herself and wondered how the man even knew her.
"Miles Beckett, perhaps Superman mentioned me?" At least he hoped Clark did, otherwise convincing her could be a hassle.
"You are him?" She said, not expecting to meet the man so soon and like this, " Alright, I'll let you handle this." Kara backed off, thinking about how her first attempt at being a hero went in a completely different direction.
Miles slowly approached Claire through the blistering heat, getting between her and her parents.
"I can't begin to imagine the pain you are feeling right now, but it is up to you to leave that part of your life behind and move forward." He finally got through to Claire as the flames slowly died and she began to take deep breaths.
Tears of rage, which were evaporating before, slowly trickled out, and Claire turned back, marching to the car without saying a single word.
Leaving him, Supergirl, the teens, and a lot of terrified civilians that he had to silence.
"My apologies for the damage and scare this family issue caused to everyone. Allow me to make up for it. I'll pay for everything you fine citizens of Metropolis buy for the next hour as compensation." His declaration was met with hesitant silence.
Miles motioned the siblings to go out after Claire while he cleaned up this mess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He talked with the manager of the mall, paying for the damages Claire caused while also guaranteeing to pay for all the purchases the visitors did in the next hour, which caused a frenzy as people rushed to buy the most expensive things they could.
When the officers arrived, people were too happy and busy to be making a complaint, and they left after trying and failing to get a statement from anyone.
Claire's parents, John and Natalie, however, stalked him like bloodhounds, asking questions about their daughter.
"Look, you saw how Claire reacted. Unless she approaches you first, going near her will not end well for you." Miles warned. He was more worried about Claire going to prison than anything else at this point.
"But…" Natalie Selton started to object, but Miles cut her off.
"No buts, you left her to the mercy of an institute that gave her up to the government." He didn't know how much Claire's parents knew about what happened to her, but unless they didn't check at all, they should have known about her disappearance.
"We only wanted to help her." John Selton said, his voice so small and broken at seeing how much his little girl hated him.
"Unfortunately for you, the road to hell is paved with good intentions." They nodded helplessly, leaving without further objection.
"So, who was that, and why was she so angry?" Supergirl asked, dressed in a white blouse with the red S at the center and a red cape, a blue skirt, red shoes, and white gloves.
"My bodyguard, Claire. Her parents sent her to an institute so she could control her powers, only for the government to try to make a weapon out of her."
Perhaps those Kara and Claire could be friends rather than enemies in this timeline.
"I see." Kara didn't know what to say to that and chose to say nothing at all.
"At any rate, while I would love to stay and chat, I have to go and make sure she is fine."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Claire was sitting inside the car, her head leaning on the window, her puffy eyes looking far away with barely dried tears.
Miles drove home without saying anything, stopping to pick up some ice cream on the way.
She did not make a sound the whole way and immediately went to her room, silent as a grave.
"Miles, do you think she is alright?" Zalika was worried, but seeing Miles keep his silence, she and Baraka did the same to give the young woman some time.
"Claire is strong, and I believe she will be fine, eventually. In the meantime, get settled in your rooms while I go see how she is doing."
He knocked on the door to no answer and went inside anyway.
"I am not in the mood to talk, Miles." Claire was lying on her back with an arm over her eyes, not even having bothered to change her clothes.
"Then let's not talk. Here." He held out the ice cream and a spoon, and after a couple of seconds, Claire slowly moved her arm to look at what Miles was offering.
"Ice cream?" She might have found it irrelevant to the current mood but still took the offered bucket.
"What better way to increase your dopamine levels?" The amount of sugar and chocolate in the bucket certainly would.
"Thanks."
"You know, I once had the chance to taste Turkish ice cream in a local restaurant. They make it with goat milk, orchid bulb flower, and sugar. It is dense enough you can cut it with a knife and eat it with a fork like a steak. Perhaps it was the best ice cream I have ever eaten." One side of not having mandatory attendance to college was he could go and travel the world while only coming back for the exams.
"What are you, a connoisseur of ice cream?" She took a spoonful, enjoying the taste.
"I enjoy the finer things in life."
The ice cream was eaten in silence after that, and while she wasn't ready to talk yet, Miles could see Claire was feeling a bit better.
"When you are ready to talk, I will be there to listen."
"What a generous and thoughtful boss I have." Claire snarked with no bite behind it.
"Don't think of me as your employer right now, but as someone you can lay down your troubles to."
Claire nodded, laying back down, and Miles left to give the young woman some time to get her thoughts together.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Do we have to go to school?" Baraka asked out of the blue, since they didn't want to talk about Claire without her present.
"Do you want to?" With all the teenage drama, hormones, bullying, and the current state of the American public or private schooling, it was an unappealing thought to Miles.
"Not really." Zalika shook her head. The only education she and Baraka had was what they picked up while trying to survive. Luckily, their parents had taught the two how to read and write before their deaths.
"I can hire you private tutors for any subject you wish to learn, and you can go to college if you wish." It would be good for the siblings to study subjects they were interested in. All work and no fun made for a terrible habit and lowered productivity.
"We'll get back to you on that." Baraka didn't have any dreams beyond saving Zalika and himself from the gang; now that he was in a whole different country, he had no idea what to do for himself.
"Understandable. Now." Miles pulled out the laptop he had bought, booting up the high-end device. "It is time to see what you can do with your powers." He pulled the chair next to him for Zalika. She took a deep breath and sat down, ready to test herself.
"I am going to run you through some exercises so you can get a feel for your powers."
First, he had her open random tabs and hack the camera and some of the neat little hacking techniques he had learned, all without even pressing a single key.
Interfacing with the computer was like a second nature to the young technopath, as if it was just another part of her, and half an hour later she had already accessed his banking information, highlighting just how dangerous her ability could be.
Of course, since the laptop wasn't exactly secure, Miles kept Zalika from going into more dangerous places. In this world, you might never know what was lurking on the internet.
With a supercomputer, Zalika could possibly watch every city, every street, every unencrypted phone call, message, and basically every place on this planet that had CCTV or access to the internet.
Surveillance capabilities the technopath could offer would be invaluable.
That wasn't all, though. She could empty bank accounts, track financial trails, and hide Miles' activities.
Zalika could be the master of the internet.
Working for him as a loyal friend.
In the next chapter:
Since Batman was unlikely to not monitor every room in the Watchtower, going down to Earth was their best choice.
They were in his car, driving to a place out of sight, when Sheara spoke, "You may have offered to help, but Thanagar already has plans in motion." which Miles shook his head at.
"Ah yes, the insipid little Hyperspace Bypass Generators plan. Really, it is something straight out of the plot of a second-rate sci-fi movie." There was actually an old movie like that, but he couldn't remember its name now.
Shaera's confusion was understandable, though what General Talak was thinking when he sent in an agent to infiltrate a planet's defence forces without giving clear mission parameters wasn't clear.
Explaining the plan to Shaera, who had thought she was only here to assess Earth's defences to prepare them against the Gordonians, Miles offered a better alternative.
"Fortunately for you, I have a much better idea to defeat the Gordonians. I just need to speak to your commanding officers, someone with the authority to make deals." Shaera naturally had her doubts, as it was her promised who had sent her here, though she agreed to relay his offer.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me in Patreon.
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever,
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU,
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon,
and DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world
All stories are six chapters ahead now.
Metropolis
Miles closed the door behind him, hung his coat and hat, and walked to the living room, where Claire and the teens were watching TV while eating pizza.
"Hey, how did it go with the Feds?" Claire asked after swallowing her bite with some soda.
"Nothing to worry about; it was just the FBI. How about you three?" This wasn't his first tango with the federal authorities, and most likely wouldn't be the last.
"They picked their rooms, and we're going shopping in an hour."
"Good. In the meantime, here are your IDs as citizens of the United States of America." Miles handed the teens two envelopes containing the beginning of their new lives.
As Zalika and Baraka tore the paper apart with grins, Miles took a slice of pepperoni pizza and sat down.
"I have documents to sign for the company while you take Zalika and Baraka to the mall. I don't believe I need to warn you about keeping a low profile."
"Don't worry, we'll be back without a fuss." Claire waved away his concerns, sure that a shopping trip couldn't end badly unless a villain attacked.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mary-Anne Loraine had already bought a medium-sized building for EnviroCorps, and the paperwork for the company to begin its operations only lacked the signature of the corporation's owner.
"Mr. Beckett, great to see you again."
"Just call me Miles, Mary; Mr.Beckett was my father." He couldn't help but feel as if his father was there whenever someone called him Mr. Beckett.
"As you wish. I have all the relevant documentation here, and then we will have to talk about who you want on the Board of Directors and how to enter the market." Mary had several documents in her hand, most likely her plans and ideas.
"In order, I don't have any names for the Board of Directors except myself and you, obviously. If you feel it is necessary to fill any positions, ensure the candidates don't cross me. As for the market, we are going to break in with advanced fusion reactors, starting with hydrogen, and when we have orbital infrastructure, we will switch to deuterium reactors."
He was legally obligated to have a board of directors by law, but no pencil pusher would tell Miles how to run his company.
"Research into fusion reactors is new and nowhere near ready to be commercially available." Mary did not make any plans for that, thinking they would be doing something less complex than fusion reactors.
"You let me worry about the scientific and technological part; I want you to focus on preparing the groundwork and facilities and gathering the closest thing we have to experts on the subject." Miles sounded so sure that the CEO could only shrug in response.
If he could not deliver, Mary did have several backup plans.
"Yes, sir, now, here are the documents requiring your signature."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading and signing the documents took less time than one might expect, as Miles was a fast reader.
He was riding to the Metropolis Mall to meet with Claire and his new charges while planning to talk with Hawkgirl about assisting Thanagar in winning the war against the Gordonians.
For a price, of course.
But it could afford to wait while he perused the mall.
A heatwave hit him as soon as he entered through the door, and coupled with people running in terror, Miles had an idea who the culprit was.
Avoiding the panicking masses, he eventually came across Claire, who was shooting up a pillar of fire to the sky in her fury.
Zalika and Baraka had taken cover in a shop, shouting at her to calm down, which did nothing.
The target of Claire's flames was none other than the couple standing before her, a brown-haired man dressed in a suit and a woman with hair coloring eerily similar to the pyrokinetic, and seeing as she was totally out of control, his bodyguard had crossed paths with her parents, and she wasn't happy about it at all.
"Claire, enough." His voice cut through the screams and the chaos of the situation.
"They abandoned me, and now here they are, strutting around as if nothing happened." Clare screamed, hoarse and hurt, and she was about to make it someone else's problem.
"You can't kill them because you will regret it, and you, rightfully so, can't forgive them. The only choice you have is to get over them, because any other decision you make will only harm you, no one else."
"He is right; stand down now." Just as he thought this day couldn't get any worse, Supergirl had to come floating down, and if he did not manage it well, the two volatile, superpowered individuals could start a fight.
"Supergirl, sorry to ruin your debut, but it would be for the best if you let me handle it." This couldn't have been a worse time for the young Argoan to make her first appearence as a hero.
"Who are you?" Kara hadn't even introduced herself and wondered how the man even knew her.
"Miles Beckett, perhaps Superman mentioned me?" At least he hoped Clark did, otherwise convincing her could be a hassle.
"You are him?" She said, not expecting to meet the man so soon and like this, " Alright, I'll let you handle this." Kara backed off, thinking about how her first attempt at being a hero went in a completely different direction.
Miles slowly approached Claire through the blistering heat, getting between her and her parents.
"I can't begin to imagine the pain you are feeling right now, but it is up to you to leave that part of your life behind and move forward." He finally got through to Claire as the flames slowly died and she began to take deep breaths.
Tears of rage, which were evaporating before, slowly trickled out, and Claire turned back, marching to the car without saying a single word.
Leaving him, Supergirl, the teens, and a lot of terrified civilians that he had to silence.
"My apologies for the damage and scare this family issue caused to everyone. Allow me to make up for it. I'll pay for everything you fine citizens of Metropolis buy for the next hour as compensation." His declaration was met with hesitant silence.
Miles motioned the siblings to go out after Claire while he cleaned up this mess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He talked with the manager of the mall, paying for the damages Claire caused while also guaranteeing to pay for all the purchases the visitors did in the next hour, which caused a frenzy as people rushed to buy the most expensive things they could.
When the officers arrived, people were too happy and busy to be making a complaint, and they left after trying and failing to get a statement from anyone.
Claire's parents, John and Natalie, however, stalked him like bloodhounds, asking questions about their daughter.
"Look, you saw how Claire reacted. Unless she approaches you first, going near her will not end well for you." Miles warned. He was more worried about Claire going to prison than anything else at this point.
"But…" Natalie Selton started to object, but Miles cut her off.
"No buts, you left her to the mercy of an institute that gave her up to the government." He didn't know how much Claire's parents knew about what happened to her, but unless they didn't check at all, they should have known about her disappearance.
"We only wanted to help her." John Selton said, his voice so small and broken at seeing how much his little girl hated him.
"Unfortunately for you, the road to hell is paved with good intentions." They nodded helplessly, leaving without further objection.
"So, who was that, and why was she so angry?" Supergirl asked, dressed in a white blouse with the red S at the center and a red cape, a blue skirt, red shoes, and white gloves.
"My bodyguard, Claire. Her parents sent her to an institute so she could control her powers, only for the government to try to make a weapon out of her."
Perhaps those Kara and Claire could be friends rather than enemies in this timeline.
"I see." Kara didn't know what to say to that and chose to say nothing at all.
"At any rate, while I would love to stay and chat, I have to go and make sure she is fine."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Claire was sitting inside the car, her head leaning on the window, her puffy eyes looking far away with barely dried tears.
Miles drove home without saying anything, stopping to pick up some ice cream on the way.
She did not make a sound the whole way and immediately went to her room, silent as a grave.
"Miles, do you think she is alright?" Zalika was worried, but seeing Miles keep his silence, she and Baraka did the same to give the young woman some time.
"Claire is strong, and I believe she will be fine, eventually. In the meantime, get settled in your rooms while I go see how she is doing."
He knocked on the door to no answer and went inside anyway.
"I am not in the mood to talk, Miles." Claire was lying on her back with an arm over her eyes, not even having bothered to change her clothes.
"Then let's not talk. Here." He held out the ice cream and a spoon, and after a couple of seconds, Claire slowly moved her arm to look at what Miles was offering.
"Ice cream?" She might have found it irrelevant to the current mood but still took the offered bucket.
"What better way to increase your dopamine levels?" The amount of sugar and chocolate in the bucket certainly would.
"Thanks."
"You know, I once had the chance to taste Turkish ice cream in a local restaurant. They make it with goat milk, orchid bulb flower, and sugar. It is dense enough you can cut it with a knife and eat it with a fork like a steak. Perhaps it was the best ice cream I have ever eaten." One side of not having mandatory attendance to college was he could go and travel the world while only coming back for the exams.
"What are you, a connoisseur of ice cream?" She took a spoonful, enjoying the taste.
"I enjoy the finer things in life."
The ice cream was eaten in silence after that, and while she wasn't ready to talk yet, Miles could see Claire was feeling a bit better.
"When you are ready to talk, I will be there to listen."
"What a generous and thoughtful boss I have." Claire snarked with no bite behind it.
"Don't think of me as your employer right now, but as someone you can lay down your troubles to."
Claire nodded, laying back down, and Miles left to give the young woman some time to get her thoughts together.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Do we have to go to school?" Baraka asked out of the blue, since they didn't want to talk about Claire without her present.
"Do you want to?" With all the teenage drama, hormones, bullying, and the current state of the American public or private schooling, it was an unappealing thought to Miles.
"Not really." Zalika shook her head. The only education she and Baraka had was what they picked up while trying to survive. Luckily, their parents had taught the two how to read and write before their deaths.
"I can hire you private tutors for any subject you wish to learn, and you can go to college if you wish." It would be good for the siblings to study subjects they were interested in. All work and no fun made for a terrible habit and lowered productivity.
"We'll get back to you on that." Baraka didn't have any dreams beyond saving Zalika and himself from the gang; now that he was in a whole different country, he had no idea what to do for himself.
"Understandable. Now." Miles pulled out the laptop he had bought, booting up the high-end device. "It is time to see what you can do with your powers." He pulled the chair next to him for Zalika. She took a deep breath and sat down, ready to test herself.
"I am going to run you through some exercises so you can get a feel for your powers."
First, he had her open random tabs and hack the camera and some of the neat little hacking techniques he had learned, all without even pressing a single key.
Interfacing with the computer was like a second nature to the young technopath, as if it was just another part of her, and half an hour later she had already accessed his banking information, highlighting just how dangerous her ability could be.
Of course, since the laptop wasn't exactly secure, Miles kept Zalika from going into more dangerous places. In this world, you might never know what was lurking on the internet.
With a supercomputer, Zalika could possibly watch every city, every street, every unencrypted phone call, message, and basically every place on this planet that had CCTV or access to the internet.
Surveillance capabilities the technopath could offer would be invaluable.
That wasn't all, though. She could empty bank accounts, track financial trails, and hide Miles' activities.
Zalika could be the master of the internet.
Working for him as a loyal friend.
In the next chapter:
Since Batman was unlikely to not monitor every room in the Watchtower, going down to Earth was their best choice.
They were in his car, driving to a place out of sight, when Sheara spoke, "You may have offered to help, but Thanagar already has plans in motion." which Miles shook his head at.
"Ah yes, the insipid little Hyperspace Bypass Generators plan. Really, it is something straight out of the plot of a second-rate sci-fi movie." There was actually an old movie like that, but he couldn't remember its name now.
Shaera's confusion was understandable, though what General Talak was thinking when he sent in an agent to infiltrate a planet's defence forces without giving clear mission parameters wasn't clear.
Explaining the plan to Shaera, who had thought she was only here to assess Earth's defences to prepare them against the Gordonians, Miles offered a better alternative.
"Fortunately for you, I have a much better idea to defeat the Gordonians. I just need to speak to your commanding officers, someone with the authority to make deals." Shaera naturally had her doubts, as it was her promised who had sent her here, though she agreed to relay his offer.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me in Patreon.
Last edited:
Lillie Jones
Well worn.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 7,971
nipping the traitor Shayera issue with Thanggarian and Gordianans war in the bud ,Miles trying unsuccessfully though.
Guess we'll see how it goes next time for Miles and Black list adventure.
Continue on
Cheers!
Guess we'll see how it goes next time for Miles and Black list adventure.
Continue on
Cheers!
PaterRichard
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2020
- Messages
- 691
Miles: I have this friendly fellow named Darkseid, saved as Number 6 on my Phone. Let me give him a Call and we see how it goes.
The Green Lantern Corps spying on him:...Oh Crapbasket.
The Green Lantern Corps spying on him:...Oh Crapbasket.
Chapter 17 - Agent Orange
Samael61
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2025
- Messages
- 139
Hello there,
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever,
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU,
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon,
and DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world
All stories are seven chapters ahead now.
Watchtower
The Javelin docked in the hangar of the Watchtower, and Claire followed Miles out to go and find Hawkgirl.
His reason?
To help Thanagar win their war against the Gordonians.
Claire had a suspicion it wasn't for purely altruistic reasons.
Said alien woman was in the training room, turning metal training posts to scrap with her Nth metal mace. Miles decided not to interrupt the heroine's training, and the two sat down in the observation lounge, waiting for Hawkgirl to finish.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Miles." Shaera nodded at him while cleaning her face with a towel.
"Shaera. We didn't really have any opportunity to talk. How are you doing?" Miles couldn't read anything from Shaera's face, as years of war and military training gave her an excellent poker face.
"I am well."
"And how is the war against the Gordonians going?" That got her eye to twitch, and he could guess it wasn't good.
"I thought you knew everything." Snark was strong with this one, though Miles couldn't blame her.
"I know a lot of things, certainly, but I am not omniscient."
"How can I help you?" Miles shook his head at Sheara, "Actually, I was going to offer my help, though perhaps we should speak somewhere more private?"
"Agreed."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since Batman was unlikely to not monitor every room in the Watchtower, going down to Earth was their best choice.
They were in his car, driving to a place out of sight, when Sheara spoke, "You may have offered to help, but Thanagar already has plans in motion." which Miles shook his head at.
"Ah yes, the insipid little Hyperspace Bypass Generators plan. Really, it is something straight out of the plot of a second-rate sci-fi movie." There was actually an old movie like that, but he couldn't remember its name now.
Shaera's confusion was understandable, though what General Talak was thinking when he sent in an agent to infiltrate a planet's defence forces without giving clear mission parameters wasn't clear.
Explaining the plan to Shaera, who had thought she was only here to assess Earth's defences to prepare them against the Gordonians, Miles offered a better alternative.
"Fortunately for you, I have a much better idea to defeat the Gordonians. I just need to speak to your commanding officers, someone with the authority to make deals." Shaera naturally had her doubts, as it was her promised who had sent her here, though she agreed to relay his offer.
"And why should we agree to this?" The Thanagarian female did not pull her mace but was still holding it tightly.
Miles stopped the car as they had arrived. "Why? Because you can't deceive or defeat the Justice League if they know you are coming." and turned around to give Shaera an "isn't it obvious?" look.
He spent the next hour explaining his plan.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Four days later, General Hro Talak came to Earth on a shuttle built for clandestine operations.
Shaera had to burn a lot of goodwill to convince the general to step away from the war and come to Earth, claiming it could end the war faster than the Hyperspace Bypass program.
He finally agreed against his better judgment.
"General Talak." Miles gestured to the seat, but the Thanagarian general preferred to stand.
He was tall, muscled, and wore green, black, and red armor with the golden-winged helmet covering his head and, most importantly, his scar.
"So, you are the one Shaera says can end this war. Tell me, why should I even bother to listen to someone whose species hasn't even left their solar system?" Talak was angry at having been taken away from war, all just to listen to a human.
He only agreed because of Shaera but wasn't happy about it at all.
"Because Gordonians will take Thanagar before you can finish your generators. Even if you defeat the Justice League and take Earth without any issues, it will be too late." Hro's eyes narrowed at the mention of their secret plan, though he opted to observe for now. "I, on the other hand, offer you a much faster and more immediate solution to this war." Miles explained, and the general finally took a seat.
"Even if your Justice League agreed to help, it wouldn't be possible." Shaera had sent him records on the Justice League, as it was her mission, and while they were impressive individuals, they weren't enough to defeat the Gordonians.
"What if a Lantern Corps decided to help you, General?" Miles had the general's attention now as Hro began to consider it, especially if the human was as dangerous as Shaera reported him to be.
"Green Lanterns? They can defeat the Gordonians, but the Guardians would never agree to it." They had, in fact, reached out to the Guardians before but were met with refusal.
"I had the Orange Lantern Corps in mind." His claim was met with confusion. Claire didn't know any other lanterns than the green ones,
"Orange Lanterns? Never heard of them." Hro had heard rumors of other lantern corps, but not these Orange Lanterns, and if they existed and were strong enough to destroy the Gordonians, they should be well known across the galaxy, just as the Green Lanterns are.
"You wouldn't. The Orange Lantern Corps has only one member, as he killed the rest and took all the power for himself. He is extremely dangerous and volatile, so much so the Guardians had no choice but to make an arrangement with him rather than destroy him and his rings." Larfleeze had some ridiculous feats, and for all their strength, Gordonians shouldn't be able to match him.
"Who is this individual?" Anyone the Guardians were wary enough of would make a worthwhile ally.
"His name is Larfleeze. He is one person Lantern Corps, and believe me, Gordonians won't stand a chance against him." Miles was confident enough that General Talak decided to listen more.
"Let's say I am interested. What do you want in return?" Nothing in this galaxy was ever for free, and Hro didn't think this human was an outlier in that regard.
"Here is a list of what I need."
Hro Talak took the list written on Sheara's data pad and began to read. It was a list demanding technical and scientific assistance in developing several technologies this planet did not have yet.
"You want a lot of things." They were not important enough to outright refuse, but Hro didn't trust the human.
"General, are you telling me winning the war is not worth that list?" His offer was too good for the general to not at least consider it, but he was just playing coy right now.
"It is, and I can guarantee everything you need. The problem is, can you deliver on your claims?" Hro took a couple of steps forward, staring the human right in the eye with a cold gaze.
"I need Gordonian prisoners and transport to Okaara, and you will see." Miles returned it with equal force.
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Vega System
"If this does not work, I will kill you myself." Tolak warned as the small ship, with a much larger prison ship following, approached the Vega system.
The human's plan was simple and, if his knowledge of Larfleeze was correct, could have a reasonable chance to succeed.
"Duly noted, general."
General Tolak gave Miles a scrutinizing look before getting back to guiding the ship to Okaara. Hra started to scan the planet for large energy sources to detect the Orange Lantern central battery, which didn't take long due to the sheer power it was radiating.
The prison ship's engine suddenly blew up due to a malfunction, and it was caught by the gravitational pull of the planet.
It began to accelerate out of control, heading close to the cave entrance leading to the energy source they detected while the Thanagarians evacuated the ship.
All part of the plan.
Thanagarians aboard the ship had already evacuated, and upon crash, all doors unlocked, letting the serpentine aliens out. They watched as the aliens tried to commandeer the vessel, only to find out all systems were dead, before abandoning it as one of them took charge.
Hro opened fire on the prisoners, missing on purpose to herd them towards the caves and into the tender mercies of Larfleeze.
Gordonians scattered, following their leader away from the ship and into the cave ahead.
Now, it was time to wait.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Without a strong enough mind, it was easy to be corrupted and drawn by the orange power rings.
The unassuming Gordonians felt the pull and moved deeper into the cave, a primal desire in their hearts guiding them forward.
Too bad Larfleeze didn't like to share.
When one of the serpentine aliens picked up a ring and almost put it on, Larfleeze woke up.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Larfleeze blasted an orange beam from his ring and destroyed the top half of the last thief before he noticed the vessel landing close to him.
Thinking it was more enemies, he got ready for a fight but stopped when he detected a green power ring.
Four people came out of the ship, though only one was carrying a ring.
"Green Lantern! Why are you here?!" Larfleeze approached, snarling at having the deal he made with the Guardians broken.
They would leave him in peace, and Agent Orange wouldn't leave Okaara in return, but one was here now.
"I am no Green Lantern, Larfleeze. I came here to warn you about a danger to your treasure, but it seems they got here first." The pink male said, raising his hands in surrender.
"Danger? Them?" Larfleeze scoffed; the thieves weren't dangerous to him, they were mere bugs.
"That was just a scouting force. Gordonians want to use your rings to fight the Green Lanterns, and as soon as they are done with Thanagar, "The one speaking motioned towards the Thanagarians, 'they intend to target you.'"
Larfleeze growled. No one would have his treasure; it was all his, his, his!
He would kill anyone who would try.
"Here, an offering of peace." The pink male held out a green power ring, and Larfleeze's eyes glowed, well, glowed even more, as Agent Orange desired the ring. He snatched it from the human, who didn't offer any resistance, and he began to corrupt the ring, slowly turning it from green to orange.
"What will you do now?"
Larfleeze snarled. He couldn't let those thieves attack him, but the deal with the Guardians forbade him from leaving the planet.
"If you are worried, I have cleared it with the Guardians. You can leave Okaara for this instance, though you will have to make your decision now, as it won't be possible after I leave, and the Gordonians will be too close to your treasure." The pinkie said, "A human," his ring claimed, and took out a datapad from the Gordonian corpse and held it out. Larfleeze scanned it, revealing the Gordonians' plan to target his treasure, including the time of their assault, which was approaching closely.
"They'll die; it's all mine!" An energy blast sent wind in all directions, and the pinkies covered their eyes.
"Yes, they will, but why risk one of them getting lucky and taking a ring? Why not destroy the Gordonians before they even have the chance?"
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Larfleeze began to pace up and down, considering Miles' words.
Agent Orange was most likely stuck between agreeing to destroy a danger to his treasure and being away from the said treasure.
"We are leaving now, and remember, this is your only opportunity to destroy the Gordonians before they come for you." Larfleeze was getting more unhinged, greed fueling his fury at the thought of the Gordonians coming.
"Where are they?" Agent Orange growled, and Miles smiled.
So easy.
"I am sure he can give you the coordinates to their homeworld," Miles nodded at Hro, who held a datapad out to Larfleeze, letting the ring scan it, "but you should start with the Citadelians, their allies who are in this star system and won't hesitate to target your rings when you are gone." Taking the Citadelians would leave the Psions in a place to take over the Vega system, but that was a problem to be solved later.
Perhaps he could convince Larfleeze with something valuable enough later on to destroy them as well.
Larfleeze blasted off to space, turning to an orange streak so fast Miles was sure he would annihilate the Citadelians before they even reached there.
"General, shall we?"
In the next chapter:
As he entered through the door and showed his ID card, something on the noticeboard caught his eye.
A photo of a blond preteen with dark grey eyes was pinned under the banned section of the library.
Artemis Lian Crock.
"Oh dear, what did Artemis do to be banned from the library?" He asked the librarian, who took her eyes off the computer to look at him.
"Destroyed one of the computers. You know her?" She sounded irritated, either at his interruption or at remembering the destroyed computer.
"Why yes, I actually knew her mother. Would it be possible to rescind her ban if I were to donate computers? I mean, I used them once, and they are too outdated to be used in any library." He wasn't joking about the computers being outdated, as it was a miracle he even managed to hack GCPD with them.
"Well, sure. How many are you going to donate?" The librarian stood up, smiling now that the library was getting donations.
"How many do you have?"
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me in Patreon.
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever,
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU,
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon,
and DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world
All stories are seven chapters ahead now.
Watchtower
The Javelin docked in the hangar of the Watchtower, and Claire followed Miles out to go and find Hawkgirl.
His reason?
To help Thanagar win their war against the Gordonians.
Claire had a suspicion it wasn't for purely altruistic reasons.
Said alien woman was in the training room, turning metal training posts to scrap with her Nth metal mace. Miles decided not to interrupt the heroine's training, and the two sat down in the observation lounge, waiting for Hawkgirl to finish.
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"Miles." Shaera nodded at him while cleaning her face with a towel.
"Shaera. We didn't really have any opportunity to talk. How are you doing?" Miles couldn't read anything from Shaera's face, as years of war and military training gave her an excellent poker face.
"I am well."
"And how is the war against the Gordonians going?" That got her eye to twitch, and he could guess it wasn't good.
"I thought you knew everything." Snark was strong with this one, though Miles couldn't blame her.
"I know a lot of things, certainly, but I am not omniscient."
"How can I help you?" Miles shook his head at Sheara, "Actually, I was going to offer my help, though perhaps we should speak somewhere more private?"
"Agreed."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since Batman was unlikely to not monitor every room in the Watchtower, going down to Earth was their best choice.
They were in his car, driving to a place out of sight, when Sheara spoke, "You may have offered to help, but Thanagar already has plans in motion." which Miles shook his head at.
"Ah yes, the insipid little Hyperspace Bypass Generators plan. Really, it is something straight out of the plot of a second-rate sci-fi movie." There was actually an old movie like that, but he couldn't remember its name now.
Shaera's confusion was understandable, though what General Talak was thinking when he sent in an agent to infiltrate a planet's defence forces without giving clear mission parameters wasn't clear.
Explaining the plan to Shaera, who had thought she was only here to assess Earth's defences to prepare them against the Gordonians, Miles offered a better alternative.
"Fortunately for you, I have a much better idea to defeat the Gordonians. I just need to speak to your commanding officers, someone with the authority to make deals." Shaera naturally had her doubts, as it was her promised who had sent her here, though she agreed to relay his offer.
"And why should we agree to this?" The Thanagarian female did not pull her mace but was still holding it tightly.
Miles stopped the car as they had arrived. "Why? Because you can't deceive or defeat the Justice League if they know you are coming." and turned around to give Shaera an "isn't it obvious?" look.
He spent the next hour explaining his plan.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Four days later, General Hro Talak came to Earth on a shuttle built for clandestine operations.
Shaera had to burn a lot of goodwill to convince the general to step away from the war and come to Earth, claiming it could end the war faster than the Hyperspace Bypass program.
He finally agreed against his better judgment.
"General Talak." Miles gestured to the seat, but the Thanagarian general preferred to stand.
He was tall, muscled, and wore green, black, and red armor with the golden-winged helmet covering his head and, most importantly, his scar.
"So, you are the one Shaera says can end this war. Tell me, why should I even bother to listen to someone whose species hasn't even left their solar system?" Talak was angry at having been taken away from war, all just to listen to a human.
He only agreed because of Shaera but wasn't happy about it at all.
"Because Gordonians will take Thanagar before you can finish your generators. Even if you defeat the Justice League and take Earth without any issues, it will be too late." Hro's eyes narrowed at the mention of their secret plan, though he opted to observe for now. "I, on the other hand, offer you a much faster and more immediate solution to this war." Miles explained, and the general finally took a seat.
"Even if your Justice League agreed to help, it wouldn't be possible." Shaera had sent him records on the Justice League, as it was her mission, and while they were impressive individuals, they weren't enough to defeat the Gordonians.
"What if a Lantern Corps decided to help you, General?" Miles had the general's attention now as Hro began to consider it, especially if the human was as dangerous as Shaera reported him to be.
"Green Lanterns? They can defeat the Gordonians, but the Guardians would never agree to it." They had, in fact, reached out to the Guardians before but were met with refusal.
"I had the Orange Lantern Corps in mind." His claim was met with confusion. Claire didn't know any other lanterns than the green ones,
"Orange Lanterns? Never heard of them." Hro had heard rumors of other lantern corps, but not these Orange Lanterns, and if they existed and were strong enough to destroy the Gordonians, they should be well known across the galaxy, just as the Green Lanterns are.
"You wouldn't. The Orange Lantern Corps has only one member, as he killed the rest and took all the power for himself. He is extremely dangerous and volatile, so much so the Guardians had no choice but to make an arrangement with him rather than destroy him and his rings." Larfleeze had some ridiculous feats, and for all their strength, Gordonians shouldn't be able to match him.
"Who is this individual?" Anyone the Guardians were wary enough of would make a worthwhile ally.
"His name is Larfleeze. He is one person Lantern Corps, and believe me, Gordonians won't stand a chance against him." Miles was confident enough that General Talak decided to listen more.
"Let's say I am interested. What do you want in return?" Nothing in this galaxy was ever for free, and Hro didn't think this human was an outlier in that regard.
"Here is a list of what I need."
Hro Talak took the list written on Sheara's data pad and began to read. It was a list demanding technical and scientific assistance in developing several technologies this planet did not have yet.
"You want a lot of things." They were not important enough to outright refuse, but Hro didn't trust the human.
"General, are you telling me winning the war is not worth that list?" His offer was too good for the general to not at least consider it, but he was just playing coy right now.
"It is, and I can guarantee everything you need. The problem is, can you deliver on your claims?" Hro took a couple of steps forward, staring the human right in the eye with a cold gaze.
"I need Gordonian prisoners and transport to Okaara, and you will see." Miles returned it with equal force.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vega System
"If this does not work, I will kill you myself." Tolak warned as the small ship, with a much larger prison ship following, approached the Vega system.
The human's plan was simple and, if his knowledge of Larfleeze was correct, could have a reasonable chance to succeed.
"Duly noted, general."
General Tolak gave Miles a scrutinizing look before getting back to guiding the ship to Okaara. Hra started to scan the planet for large energy sources to detect the Orange Lantern central battery, which didn't take long due to the sheer power it was radiating.
The prison ship's engine suddenly blew up due to a malfunction, and it was caught by the gravitational pull of the planet.
It began to accelerate out of control, heading close to the cave entrance leading to the energy source they detected while the Thanagarians evacuated the ship.
All part of the plan.
Thanagarians aboard the ship had already evacuated, and upon crash, all doors unlocked, letting the serpentine aliens out. They watched as the aliens tried to commandeer the vessel, only to find out all systems were dead, before abandoning it as one of them took charge.
Hro opened fire on the prisoners, missing on purpose to herd them towards the caves and into the tender mercies of Larfleeze.
Gordonians scattered, following their leader away from the ship and into the cave ahead.
Now, it was time to wait.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Without a strong enough mind, it was easy to be corrupted and drawn by the orange power rings.
The unassuming Gordonians felt the pull and moved deeper into the cave, a primal desire in their hearts guiding them forward.
Too bad Larfleeze didn't like to share.
When one of the serpentine aliens picked up a ring and almost put it on, Larfleeze woke up.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Larfleeze blasted an orange beam from his ring and destroyed the top half of the last thief before he noticed the vessel landing close to him.
Thinking it was more enemies, he got ready for a fight but stopped when he detected a green power ring.
Four people came out of the ship, though only one was carrying a ring.
"Green Lantern! Why are you here?!" Larfleeze approached, snarling at having the deal he made with the Guardians broken.
They would leave him in peace, and Agent Orange wouldn't leave Okaara in return, but one was here now.
"I am no Green Lantern, Larfleeze. I came here to warn you about a danger to your treasure, but it seems they got here first." The pink male said, raising his hands in surrender.
"Danger? Them?" Larfleeze scoffed; the thieves weren't dangerous to him, they were mere bugs.
"That was just a scouting force. Gordonians want to use your rings to fight the Green Lanterns, and as soon as they are done with Thanagar, "The one speaking motioned towards the Thanagarians, 'they intend to target you.'"
Larfleeze growled. No one would have his treasure; it was all his, his, his!
He would kill anyone who would try.
"Here, an offering of peace." The pink male held out a green power ring, and Larfleeze's eyes glowed, well, glowed even more, as Agent Orange desired the ring. He snatched it from the human, who didn't offer any resistance, and he began to corrupt the ring, slowly turning it from green to orange.
"What will you do now?"
Larfleeze snarled. He couldn't let those thieves attack him, but the deal with the Guardians forbade him from leaving the planet.
"If you are worried, I have cleared it with the Guardians. You can leave Okaara for this instance, though you will have to make your decision now, as it won't be possible after I leave, and the Gordonians will be too close to your treasure." The pinkie said, "A human," his ring claimed, and took out a datapad from the Gordonian corpse and held it out. Larfleeze scanned it, revealing the Gordonians' plan to target his treasure, including the time of their assault, which was approaching closely.
"They'll die; it's all mine!" An energy blast sent wind in all directions, and the pinkies covered their eyes.
"Yes, they will, but why risk one of them getting lucky and taking a ring? Why not destroy the Gordonians before they even have the chance?"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Larfleeze began to pace up and down, considering Miles' words.
Agent Orange was most likely stuck between agreeing to destroy a danger to his treasure and being away from the said treasure.
"We are leaving now, and remember, this is your only opportunity to destroy the Gordonians before they come for you." Larfleeze was getting more unhinged, greed fueling his fury at the thought of the Gordonians coming.
"Where are they?" Agent Orange growled, and Miles smiled.
So easy.
"I am sure he can give you the coordinates to their homeworld," Miles nodded at Hro, who held a datapad out to Larfleeze, letting the ring scan it, "but you should start with the Citadelians, their allies who are in this star system and won't hesitate to target your rings when you are gone." Taking the Citadelians would leave the Psions in a place to take over the Vega system, but that was a problem to be solved later.
Perhaps he could convince Larfleeze with something valuable enough later on to destroy them as well.
Larfleeze blasted off to space, turning to an orange streak so fast Miles was sure he would annihilate the Citadelians before they even reached there.
"General, shall we?"
In the next chapter:
As he entered through the door and showed his ID card, something on the noticeboard caught his eye.
A photo of a blond preteen with dark grey eyes was pinned under the banned section of the library.
Artemis Lian Crock.
"Oh dear, what did Artemis do to be banned from the library?" He asked the librarian, who took her eyes off the computer to look at him.
"Destroyed one of the computers. You know her?" She sounded irritated, either at his interruption or at remembering the destroyed computer.
"Why yes, I actually knew her mother. Would it be possible to rescind her ban if I were to donate computers? I mean, I used them once, and they are too outdated to be used in any library." He wasn't joking about the computers being outdated, as it was a miracle he even managed to hack GCPD with them.
"Well, sure. How many are you going to donate?" The librarian stood up, smiling now that the library was getting donations.
"How many do you have?"
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me in Patreon.
PaterRichard
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2020
- Messages
- 691
Ares/Athena watching Miles using Orange Lantern to end the Gordians and Citadel Species (Dominators have fucking deserved it!):
"Is that one of my Champions?"
Tim the Hawkperson opposed to the Hyperspace Corridor Plan:
"SEE, WE WARNED YAH. TERRANS ARE MAD AND WE SHOULD LET THEM ALONE!"
"Is that one of my Champions?"
Tim the Hawkperson opposed to the Hyperspace Corridor Plan:
"SEE, WE WARNED YAH. TERRANS ARE MAD AND WE SHOULD LET THEM ALONE!"
Samael61
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2025
- Messages
- 139
Thank you
Lillie Jones
Well worn.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 7,971
thanks for the chapter
G1 Convoy
Versed in the lewd.
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2021
- Messages
- 1,889
TFTC.
Seriously, what is it with some people thinking they can consistently control an extremely powerful creature or person that is little better than a rabid dog? Larfleeze is a one-time use, fire and forget weapon, point blank period. Any thoughts otherwise will almost certainly lead to said dog turning on you.
Talak, put down the idiot ball, slooowwwly!
Seriously, what is it with some people thinking they can consistently control an extremely powerful creature or person that is little better than a rabid dog? Larfleeze is a one-time use, fire and forget weapon, point blank period. Any thoughts otherwise will almost certainly lead to said dog turning on you.
Samael61
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2025
- Messages
- 139
Control ? No, more like point him in a direction away from you, and straight to your enemies.
G1 Convoy
Versed in the lewd.
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2021
- Messages
- 1,889
Exactly! That sort of tactic more often than not only works a handful of times, if at all. Larfleeze isn't stupid and Talak might have better luck playing Russian roulette than trying to utilize the same trick more than once to take out his enemies, because he's gambling with lives of everyone in and around Thanagar, if the orange lantern realizes he's being played.
Last edited:
Chapter 18 - Back to Gotham
Samael61
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2025
- Messages
- 139
Hello there,
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever, is 7 chapters ahead
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU, is 7 chapters ahead
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon, is 8 chapters ahead now
and DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world, is now 8 chapters ahead.
Vega System
Claire whistled, really impressed and more than a bit scared.
Citadel Homeworld was surrounded by a ring of asteroids that had been turned into fortresses, offering an impressive amount of defense for the planet.
Larfleeze had smashed through everything, turning the fortresses and the ships into wrecks floating freely in the vacuum, and the planet was burning right now.
Hro and Shaera were monitoring Larfleeze through the sensors and long-range visuals. They watched as he summoned hundreds of energy constructs of the dead Orange Lanterns, sweeping the Citadelians' defenses aside like they were nothing, and no amount of weapons, which were familiar to the Thanagarians as the Gordonians used them as well, did not seem to deter Agent Orange at all.
The Citadelians fought and died in droves, and Hro Talak could imagine the same thing happening to the Gordonians.
Perhaps he had judged the human too harshly.
Overall, the attack was short but extremely brutal, and Larfleeze once more blasted off into space, heading to confront the Gordonians.
"Shaera, you will take the humans back to their planet while I monitor the situation with the Gordonians. If the situation changes, I will contact you." This could be the end of their long war, and Hro would not miss it for anything.
His promised nodded, and Hro left for the prison ship.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Earth
"Will you tell the Justice League about Thanagar's plans?" Shaera still had her mission, and unless the Gordonians were destroyed, it would proceed, though she would stand against Thanagar if victory came at the cost of innocent lives.
"There is no reason to, for now." There was still time for Thanagar's invasion, but none of that mattered with Larfleeze out there, fighting the Gordonians.
"Then let's hope your plan succeeds."
"It will."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miles wasn't idle while waiting to hear from Hro Talak. Talking with Claire regarding her parents, testing more of what Zalika could do with her powers, and helping Baraka find out what he was good at.
What he didn't expect was to get a call from one Roman Sionis.
Black Mask, one of Gotham's most notorious gangsters.
"Am I speaking to Miles Beckett?" A voice he did not recognize came, which he expected to happen sooner or later, as this number could be accessed easily through public channels.
"Depends on who you are?"
"Roman Sionis. I have a business pro…" Miles ended the call, wrote down the number, and snapped the phone and the SIM card before pulling out another phone.
"Zalika, see if you can track every call this number has made." He handed the paper to her, and Zalika nodded, starting her first official business for Miles.
She had made great strides getting used to her powers in a short amount of time, and this job should be simple for her.
"This number is only used once, but I am tracking other calls made from the same location." Her eyes were glowing blue now as her powers gave Zalika unmatched power and speed on the web.
"Check any numbers registered to Roman Sionis and calls made from his company." She nodded before more tabs began to pop up, showing phones registered to his company, though
"Got it." She began to inspect the numbers. "There are a lot." and most of them were for the legal front of his business.
"Any calls with someone from Metropolis Gold Exchange or its branches?" It was either them, or the FBI had a leak, but Miles had his bet on the former one.
Where there was money, there was a way.
"Found one. It's a call made last week by Charles Lopez, a mid-level executive at the Metropolis Gold Exchange." So, Roman had informants to keep an eye on wealthy individuals.
Miles could appreciate the idea, though not when he was the target.
"Well done. Claire, let's pay a visit to dear Charles."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Metropolis Gold Exchange
Autopark
Charles unlocked his car and got in, ready to go home. He cracked his neck and put his key in to turn on the ignition.
Just like every other day, he had been working in this company for the last ten years.
"Neck troubles, Charles? Sitting too long, hunched before a computer could do that. You should be more physically active." A distinguished voice came from the backseat, startling Charles.
"What the fuck!" Charles jumped on his seat before the passenger's door opened and a red-haired young woman sat down.
"Who are you people, and what do you want?" He scrambled to open the door before the woman held him by the collar, and her hand burst into flames, a clear warning to him.
"Sit down, Charles." The man in the hat warned him, and Charles took a good look at him from the rearview mirror.
"Shit, you're that Miles guy." Charles had seen the photos and didn't think he was more than just another rich boy but obviously was mistaken.
"Yes, and you seem to have a second job, working for Roman Sionis. Doesn't the company have rules against that?" He said playfully, though Charles guessed it was just a front.
"It's nothing personal, I swear. Roman Sionis isn't the type of person you can say no to." He pleaded. Black Mask had made some very real threats he wouldn't hesitate to carry out, and coupled with
"I know, that's why you are alive. But we can't have you going around telling people about my wealth now, can we?" The men held out a gun, though it looked nothing like any weapon he had seen before. Charles didn't think the man would just wave a toy to scare him.
"I swear I'll keep my mouth shut."
"Not enough." The man shook his head, and Charles could feel dread pooling in his stomach. "Tell me, Charles, how long have you been working for Metropolis Gold Exchange?" Charles gulped, realizing what the man was going to want.
"Ten years, going on eleven."
"Any ambition for higher places?" The woman next to him lowered her hands, though she still kept an eye on him just in case.
"I wish. Too much corporate politics for that." He attempted to be a branch manager several times, but it didn't work, and he stopped trying.
"Maybe we can reach a mutually beneficial agreement where you won't have to worry about Black Mask anymore." Miles offered, and Charles knew he was in dangerous waters now.
Refusing Miles could see him dead at worst, or the man could oust his deal with Black Mask, and he would be in a heap of legal trouble, not to mention Black Mask wouldn't just let him live long enough to testify.
On the other hand, if Black Mask was gone, working with Miles could offer him better prospects.
A man as wealthy as Miles could definitely have Charles rise in the ranks of the corporation.
"I am listening."
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"You think that's going to work? What if he just runs to Black Mask?" Claire asked as she and Miles were sitting at the back while Baraka drove, as he was the only one besides Miles who knew how to drive.
"Charles will either sink with the ship or change ships; there is no alternative. I have a feeling he isn't the type to go down with it." The man was practical, and when Miles got rid of Black Mask, that would leave him in a position to have Charles work for him.
"Is that so?" Miles was observant, and Claire would take his word for it, though not without doubts.
"I also bugged him." Miles pulled out his phone, giving it a little shake.
"That's more like you. What now?" Claire chuckled at the admission.
"I should probably take out Black Mask. He is too unhinged to accept my refusal." Considering the man had burned down a mansion with his parents inside, Roman Sionis didn't take kindly to no.
"Take out as in?" Claire knew about his no-kill rule, but there was more than one way of taking out someone.
"You'll see."
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Miles set up a higher-end computer for Zalika and had the teen try tracking Black Mask's operations, accounts, calls, and everything else she could, down to hacking his company's security system to access the cameras and servers.
Sionis was smart enough to not keep any record of his illegal dealings on computers, but money still could be tracked.
His offshore accounts, as well as the accounts of his shell companies, couldn't escape Zalika, who, with each dive into cyberspace, was getting better.
The problem was to get evidence to put Sionis behind bars permanently.
Without operators on the ground to trail and gather evidence, Zalika's efforts would not be enough.
It was time for him to start building his network, starting with Gotham.
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Gotham
His first step was the library, not for any business reason, but he did set up a computer for sabotage, and with how busy the library was, someone must have burned the computer when they plugged it in.
As he entered through the door and showed his ID card, something on the noticeboard caught his eye.
A photo of a blond preteen with dark grey eyes was pinned under the banned section of the library.
Artemis Lian Crock.
"Oh dear, what did Artemis do to be banned from the library?" He asked the librarian, who took her eyes off the computer to look at him.
"Destroyed one of the computers. You know her?" She sounded irritated, either at his interruption or at remembering the destroyed computer.
"Why yes, I actually knew her mother. Would it be possible to rescind her ban if I were to donate computers? I mean, I used them once, and they are too outdated to be used in any library." He wasn't joking about the computers being outdated, as it was a miracle he even managed to hack GCPD with them.
"Well, sure. How many are you going to donate?" The librarian stood up, smiling now that the library was getting donations.
"How many do you have?"
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Contacting a local computer shop, he had all the old library computers changed with brand new ones in a couple of hours, paying extra for fast delivery and installation.
"Thank you so much. We'll give her a call and return Miss Crock's library card." The librarian shook his hand vigorously.
"I am heading to her home right now; would it be possible for me to deliver it?"
"I mean…" It was official business, and handing it over to someone, even if it was a donor, was against the regulations.
"Please, I insist. You are already busy enough; let me take this off your shoulders." Miles smiled charmingly, bending his knees a bit to look the aging woman in the eyes.
"Alright, but she'll have to sign some papers when she returns." She blushed a bit, handing him the library card.
"I'll be sure to let her know."
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"Who is Artemis Crock, and why are you so interested in her?" Claire asked as they stood before the entrance to the apartment.
"Her father is Sportsmaster, and her mother is a former criminal named Huntress. She hates her father and has the makings of a hero if carefully guided." Miles hadn't intended to seek any of the future members of Young Justice, but one had been affected by his actions and sought to remedy it.
"Planning to recruit a sidekick?" Claire asked humorously as Miles told her to wait outside.
"No. Just helping an aspiring hero to be."
Miles unlocked the door of the apartment building entrance and walked up to the indicated address. He was about to leave the laptop and the library card on the door before going down and ringing the bell from outside, but to his luck, Artemis herself opened the door, ready to go out.
"Are you Artemis Lian Crock?" He asked, pulling his phone out to check the information, posing as cargo delivery now that she had seen him.
"Who are you?" She nodded, half ready to shut the door, suspicious of him.
"Special delivery from one Miles Beckett to you." He held out the package, waiting for her to take it, though Artemis did not even reach out to accept it.
"I don't know who that is." She shook her head. Perhaps it was someone her mother knew?
"It has already been paid for, and there is a note for you, as well as a library card, I believe." Artemis finally took the bag, confused about who the man was and why he would send her anything.
"Have a good day, miss." Miles walked back down to the entrance without looking back.
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"Wait a minute." Artemis muttered to herself, thinking this might just be something from her father, and ripped the package apart, finding the mentioned note inside and her library card.
"My apologies for the little mishap at the library. Don't worry, this has nothing to do with your father. Say hi to your mother and enjoy." There was nothing else on the note, besides a smiley face at the end.
She gently pried open the box, finding a brand-new laptop inside, and whistled.
"Mom, you need to see this."
In the next chapter:
The crew of the ship was brought out at gunpoint, and the leader spat at his feet. "I don't know who you are, boy, but you made the last mistake of your life."
The mercenary behind the man slammed his face to the dirt in return. "That is rich, coming from someone stupid enough to sell drugs in Batman's territory. Perhaps I should hand you over to him and see how long it takes before you sing like a canary." Miles mocked, knowing these criminals didn't have the mental fortitude to resist the Dark Knight.
"We aren't afraid of the Bat." Another one scoffed, and Miles just shook his head.
"Yes, I wager you aren't smart enough to feel fear, but an interrogation session with him would do wonders for your intellect." Miles turned to Captain Neuman, handing him a piece of paper that would lead them to a safe place to hide the ship. "Take the ship to this location, and keep them locked inside until I call you."
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Vega System
Claire whistled, really impressed and more than a bit scared.
Citadel Homeworld was surrounded by a ring of asteroids that had been turned into fortresses, offering an impressive amount of defense for the planet.
Larfleeze had smashed through everything, turning the fortresses and the ships into wrecks floating freely in the vacuum, and the planet was burning right now.
Hro and Shaera were monitoring Larfleeze through the sensors and long-range visuals. They watched as he summoned hundreds of energy constructs of the dead Orange Lanterns, sweeping the Citadelians' defenses aside like they were nothing, and no amount of weapons, which were familiar to the Thanagarians as the Gordonians used them as well, did not seem to deter Agent Orange at all.
The Citadelians fought and died in droves, and Hro Talak could imagine the same thing happening to the Gordonians.
Perhaps he had judged the human too harshly.
Overall, the attack was short but extremely brutal, and Larfleeze once more blasted off into space, heading to confront the Gordonians.
"Shaera, you will take the humans back to their planet while I monitor the situation with the Gordonians. If the situation changes, I will contact you." This could be the end of their long war, and Hro would not miss it for anything.
His promised nodded, and Hro left for the prison ship.
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Earth
"Will you tell the Justice League about Thanagar's plans?" Shaera still had her mission, and unless the Gordonians were destroyed, it would proceed, though she would stand against Thanagar if victory came at the cost of innocent lives.
"There is no reason to, for now." There was still time for Thanagar's invasion, but none of that mattered with Larfleeze out there, fighting the Gordonians.
"Then let's hope your plan succeeds."
"It will."
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Miles wasn't idle while waiting to hear from Hro Talak. Talking with Claire regarding her parents, testing more of what Zalika could do with her powers, and helping Baraka find out what he was good at.
What he didn't expect was to get a call from one Roman Sionis.
Black Mask, one of Gotham's most notorious gangsters.
"Am I speaking to Miles Beckett?" A voice he did not recognize came, which he expected to happen sooner or later, as this number could be accessed easily through public channels.
"Depends on who you are?"
"Roman Sionis. I have a business pro…" Miles ended the call, wrote down the number, and snapped the phone and the SIM card before pulling out another phone.
"Zalika, see if you can track every call this number has made." He handed the paper to her, and Zalika nodded, starting her first official business for Miles.
She had made great strides getting used to her powers in a short amount of time, and this job should be simple for her.
"This number is only used once, but I am tracking other calls made from the same location." Her eyes were glowing blue now as her powers gave Zalika unmatched power and speed on the web.
"Check any numbers registered to Roman Sionis and calls made from his company." She nodded before more tabs began to pop up, showing phones registered to his company, though
"Got it." She began to inspect the numbers. "There are a lot." and most of them were for the legal front of his business.
"Any calls with someone from Metropolis Gold Exchange or its branches?" It was either them, or the FBI had a leak, but Miles had his bet on the former one.
Where there was money, there was a way.
"Found one. It's a call made last week by Charles Lopez, a mid-level executive at the Metropolis Gold Exchange." So, Roman had informants to keep an eye on wealthy individuals.
Miles could appreciate the idea, though not when he was the target.
"Well done. Claire, let's pay a visit to dear Charles."
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Metropolis Gold Exchange
Autopark
Charles unlocked his car and got in, ready to go home. He cracked his neck and put his key in to turn on the ignition.
Just like every other day, he had been working in this company for the last ten years.
"Neck troubles, Charles? Sitting too long, hunched before a computer could do that. You should be more physically active." A distinguished voice came from the backseat, startling Charles.
"What the fuck!" Charles jumped on his seat before the passenger's door opened and a red-haired young woman sat down.
"Who are you people, and what do you want?" He scrambled to open the door before the woman held him by the collar, and her hand burst into flames, a clear warning to him.
"Sit down, Charles." The man in the hat warned him, and Charles took a good look at him from the rearview mirror.
"Shit, you're that Miles guy." Charles had seen the photos and didn't think he was more than just another rich boy but obviously was mistaken.
"Yes, and you seem to have a second job, working for Roman Sionis. Doesn't the company have rules against that?" He said playfully, though Charles guessed it was just a front.
"It's nothing personal, I swear. Roman Sionis isn't the type of person you can say no to." He pleaded. Black Mask had made some very real threats he wouldn't hesitate to carry out, and coupled with
"I know, that's why you are alive. But we can't have you going around telling people about my wealth now, can we?" The men held out a gun, though it looked nothing like any weapon he had seen before. Charles didn't think the man would just wave a toy to scare him.
"I swear I'll keep my mouth shut."
"Not enough." The man shook his head, and Charles could feel dread pooling in his stomach. "Tell me, Charles, how long have you been working for Metropolis Gold Exchange?" Charles gulped, realizing what the man was going to want.
"Ten years, going on eleven."
"Any ambition for higher places?" The woman next to him lowered her hands, though she still kept an eye on him just in case.
"I wish. Too much corporate politics for that." He attempted to be a branch manager several times, but it didn't work, and he stopped trying.
"Maybe we can reach a mutually beneficial agreement where you won't have to worry about Black Mask anymore." Miles offered, and Charles knew he was in dangerous waters now.
Refusing Miles could see him dead at worst, or the man could oust his deal with Black Mask, and he would be in a heap of legal trouble, not to mention Black Mask wouldn't just let him live long enough to testify.
On the other hand, if Black Mask was gone, working with Miles could offer him better prospects.
A man as wealthy as Miles could definitely have Charles rise in the ranks of the corporation.
"I am listening."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You think that's going to work? What if he just runs to Black Mask?" Claire asked as she and Miles were sitting at the back while Baraka drove, as he was the only one besides Miles who knew how to drive.
"Charles will either sink with the ship or change ships; there is no alternative. I have a feeling he isn't the type to go down with it." The man was practical, and when Miles got rid of Black Mask, that would leave him in a position to have Charles work for him.
"Is that so?" Miles was observant, and Claire would take his word for it, though not without doubts.
"I also bugged him." Miles pulled out his phone, giving it a little shake.
"That's more like you. What now?" Claire chuckled at the admission.
"I should probably take out Black Mask. He is too unhinged to accept my refusal." Considering the man had burned down a mansion with his parents inside, Roman Sionis didn't take kindly to no.
"Take out as in?" Claire knew about his no-kill rule, but there was more than one way of taking out someone.
"You'll see."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miles set up a higher-end computer for Zalika and had the teen try tracking Black Mask's operations, accounts, calls, and everything else she could, down to hacking his company's security system to access the cameras and servers.
Sionis was smart enough to not keep any record of his illegal dealings on computers, but money still could be tracked.
His offshore accounts, as well as the accounts of his shell companies, couldn't escape Zalika, who, with each dive into cyberspace, was getting better.
The problem was to get evidence to put Sionis behind bars permanently.
Without operators on the ground to trail and gather evidence, Zalika's efforts would not be enough.
It was time for him to start building his network, starting with Gotham.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gotham
His first step was the library, not for any business reason, but he did set up a computer for sabotage, and with how busy the library was, someone must have burned the computer when they plugged it in.
As he entered through the door and showed his ID card, something on the noticeboard caught his eye.
A photo of a blond preteen with dark grey eyes was pinned under the banned section of the library.
Artemis Lian Crock.
"Oh dear, what did Artemis do to be banned from the library?" He asked the librarian, who took her eyes off the computer to look at him.
"Destroyed one of the computers. You know her?" She sounded irritated, either at his interruption or at remembering the destroyed computer.
"Why yes, I actually knew her mother. Would it be possible to rescind her ban if I were to donate computers? I mean, I used them once, and they are too outdated to be used in any library." He wasn't joking about the computers being outdated, as it was a miracle he even managed to hack GCPD with them.
"Well, sure. How many are you going to donate?" The librarian stood up, smiling now that the library was getting donations.
"How many do you have?"
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Contacting a local computer shop, he had all the old library computers changed with brand new ones in a couple of hours, paying extra for fast delivery and installation.
"Thank you so much. We'll give her a call and return Miss Crock's library card." The librarian shook his hand vigorously.
"I am heading to her home right now; would it be possible for me to deliver it?"
"I mean…" It was official business, and handing it over to someone, even if it was a donor, was against the regulations.
"Please, I insist. You are already busy enough; let me take this off your shoulders." Miles smiled charmingly, bending his knees a bit to look the aging woman in the eyes.
"Alright, but she'll have to sign some papers when she returns." She blushed a bit, handing him the library card.
"I'll be sure to let her know."
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"Who is Artemis Crock, and why are you so interested in her?" Claire asked as they stood before the entrance to the apartment.
"Her father is Sportsmaster, and her mother is a former criminal named Huntress. She hates her father and has the makings of a hero if carefully guided." Miles hadn't intended to seek any of the future members of Young Justice, but one had been affected by his actions and sought to remedy it.
"Planning to recruit a sidekick?" Claire asked humorously as Miles told her to wait outside.
"No. Just helping an aspiring hero to be."
Miles unlocked the door of the apartment building entrance and walked up to the indicated address. He was about to leave the laptop and the library card on the door before going down and ringing the bell from outside, but to his luck, Artemis herself opened the door, ready to go out.
"Are you Artemis Lian Crock?" He asked, pulling his phone out to check the information, posing as cargo delivery now that she had seen him.
"Who are you?" She nodded, half ready to shut the door, suspicious of him.
"Special delivery from one Miles Beckett to you." He held out the package, waiting for her to take it, though Artemis did not even reach out to accept it.
"I don't know who that is." She shook her head. Perhaps it was someone her mother knew?
"It has already been paid for, and there is a note for you, as well as a library card, I believe." Artemis finally took the bag, confused about who the man was and why he would send her anything.
"Have a good day, miss." Miles walked back down to the entrance without looking back.
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"Wait a minute." Artemis muttered to herself, thinking this might just be something from her father, and ripped the package apart, finding the mentioned note inside and her library card.
"My apologies for the little mishap at the library. Don't worry, this has nothing to do with your father. Say hi to your mother and enjoy." There was nothing else on the note, besides a smiley face at the end.
She gently pried open the box, finding a brand-new laptop inside, and whistled.
"Mom, you need to see this."
In the next chapter:
The crew of the ship was brought out at gunpoint, and the leader spat at his feet. "I don't know who you are, boy, but you made the last mistake of your life."
The mercenary behind the man slammed his face to the dirt in return. "That is rich, coming from someone stupid enough to sell drugs in Batman's territory. Perhaps I should hand you over to him and see how long it takes before you sing like a canary." Miles mocked, knowing these criminals didn't have the mental fortitude to resist the Dark Knight.
"We aren't afraid of the Bat." Another one scoffed, and Miles just shook his head.
"Yes, I wager you aren't smart enough to feel fear, but an interrogation session with him would do wonders for your intellect." Miles turned to Captain Neuman, handing him a piece of paper that would lead them to a safe place to hide the ship. "Take the ship to this location, and keep them locked inside until I call you."
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Lillie Jones
Well worn.
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- Jan 31, 2020
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- 7,971
thanks for the chapter
Chapter 19 - I Spy
Samael61
Know what you're doing yet?
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Hello there,
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gotham
After handling Artemis' little gift, Miles started to gather enough evidence on Black Mask's illegal activities to get him put away forever.
Then empty his bank accounts and every other source of wealth he possessed to remove his influence.
Which would start with the GCPD because Zalika had caught something interesting. She was following Roman through the CCTV while monitoring his phone calls and caught something really interesting.
For operations of less than legal status to proceed smoothly, such as Sionis' crime empire, you either had to have good relations with law enforcement or informants.
With James Gordon leading the GCPD, the first option was not possible, and in a city like Gotham, having informants in the police department was relatively simple.
One of Roman's lieutenants, Thomas, was meeting with one of their informants in the GCPD, Officer Lang, and Miles was currently posing as a waiter in the small diner.
Miles put down the coffee cups and the pies on the table. Can I get you anything else, sir?" He asked, smiling at the gangster's suspicious look.
"Are you new here?" Thomas watched him like a hawk. "Yes, sir, just taking over the shift of a sick friend." Miles nodded, completely innocent.
"Jonathan's shift?" The gangster baited him, and Miles, for his part, acted confused. "I don't know any Jonathan, do you mean Tony?" He had done his research before coming in and paid Tony off to call in sick with someone else to fill in his shift.
"Nothing else." Thomas dismissed him, his suspicion abated for now, unaware Miles had bugged him.
He nodded, moving to the next table to handle their orders, at least until the two of them left.
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Minimum wage work in the United States was not something to behold. Annoying customers constantly complaining about something, Karens, and the heavy workload.
Fortunately, his targets had left the diner after an hour, unaware their conversation had been taped.
Paying the owner to keep quiet, Miles headed out back to meet Claire, who was waiting at the car and monitoring the listening equipment.
"We got everything. GCPD got wind of a drug smuggling operation and is going to hit it tomorrow." Claire reported as she sat in the car with Baraka, who they had agreed to bring due to lack of manpower.
"And now, Sionis knows about it, meaning GCPD's operation is going to be a bust." The drugs could be found later; right now it was best to let Sionis lower his guard.
"Should we warn them?"
"No, we don't want Sionis alert for any possible leak; we will continue to gather evidence, and the GCPD can be informed at an appropriate time. Now, let's see where Thomas went." Besides bugging the gangster, he had also stuck a GPS tracker in his car and was receiving transmission now.
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Thomas stopped his car before a warehouse, handed the keys to another gang member, and walked inside.
"Boss, we've got a problem. Gordon learned about the drugs coming to the docks; there is going to be a raid tomorrow night."
"Hmm, call our contacts, tell them the delivery location changed; we'll take the shipment at the shore rather than the docks."
"Yes, boss."
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Tomorrow Night
Miles had bought a camera for this event, and he and Claire were situated on a hill watching over the shore as a small ship approached with Roman Sionis and his men waiting, while Baraka was waiting with the car to act as their escape plan if something went south.
They had to ditch the car far away and make their way to the hill on foot several hours ago and were hidden under a thermal blanket to avoid any possible surveillance.
The ship approached enough for the sailors aboard to put down a walkway, and a man dressed in a suit with a fedora hat, much like his own, came down the stairs, with pallets loaded with packages following.
"Roman, what's with the last-minute change?"
"Just the GCPD being nosy. You got the stuff?" Roman asked, and Miles could see on the camera as the other man handed over one of the packages. One of Black Mask's men took the package for testing, and
"Yeah, let me see the money." Sionis nodded, and several pallets filled to the top with dollars were brought forward.
"It's clean, boss." The tester reported, and Roman grinned, his mask giving him a terrifying appearance. More pallets filled with drugs were brought down from the ship while Roman handed over the money.
"Pleasure doing business with you." Their transaction concluded, and both sides left happy with their haul.
Miles was content too, as he had gathered significant evidence on Sionis, but it was nowhere near enough for him.
Roman left with his truck full of drugs, and the ship sailed away, but Miles wasn't done yet.
That ship carried a significant amount of cash, and it would be oh so terrible if someone took it.
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An hour later, the ship sailed back to the shore, men in snow masks coming down, a small but competent mercenary outfit he had gathered and armed.
He had considered hiring more distinguished names, but it would be an overkill, and his name would no doubt travel around.
"Gentlemen, I assume there was no trouble?"
Captain Matthew Neuman, leader of the mercs, shook his head. "No sir, we got them all alive as you said." He had armed them with non-lethal weapons, as he was sure James Gordon would appreciate having the opportunity to interrogate the drug sellers.
Miles clapped his hands, pleased to hear the raid on the ship was going without a hitch. "Excellent."
The crew of the ship was brought out at gunpoint, and the leader spat at his feet. "I don't know who you are, boy, but you made the last mistake of your life."
The mercenary behind the man slammed his face to the dirt in return. "That is rich, coming from someone stupid enough to sell drugs in Batman's territory. Perhaps I should hand you over to him and see how long it takes before you sing like a canary." Miles mocked, knowing these criminals didn't have the mental fortitude to resist the Dark Knight.
"We aren't afraid of the Bat." Another one scoffed, and Miles just shook his head.
"Yes, I wager you aren't smart enough to feel fear, but an interrogation session with him would do wonders for your intellect." Miles turned to Captain Neuman, handing him a piece of paper that would lead them to a safe place to hide the ship. "Take the ship to this location, and keep them locked inside until I call you."
"Yes, sir, what about the money? There is at least fifty million dollars there." If every operation was going to be this rewarding, Neuman knew he made the right choice.
"Keep it for now; I'll have it retrieved later."
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The mercenary group wasn't the only people he contacted. People that were in positions to come across information of value were contacted to work for him in return for payment, though some with ill reputations had to be convinced through other means.
Zalika's technopathy came in very handy during the negotiations.
Evidence on Roman Sionis was moving along well, as his lieutenant Thomas wasn't still aware of the bug, and Miles kept tracking their illegal deeds across Gotham, which included protection rackets, weapon smuggling, and drug sales for the most part, along with several smaller hustles.
Now, it was time to act.
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Gordon's Residence
James Gordon, commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, released a sigh in contentment, as he was finally home after a long day.
Barbara, his beloved daughter, opened the door, greeting him with a hug. "Welcome, Dad, how was your day?"
"Same old. How was yours?"
Barbara shrugged, as Jim knew school was rather easy for her. "The school is the same as always. Oh, you got this envelope. I think it is a flash disk, but I didn't open it."
"Thank you, sweetheart; I'll open it after dinner."
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Dinner was one affair where father and daughter worked together for some bonding time, and after they were done, James sat before the television and opened the thick envelope. Inside it was a phone number on a piece of paper and a flash disk, which he inserted into the television and played, wondering who sent them and why.
His eyes were glued to the TV when it played a recording of Black Mask in the middle of a drug deal. GCPD was after evidence like this for months but had come up empty-handed, and with Batman busy with the Justice League and metahumans that were popping out of nowhere, the caped crusader didn't have the time to target Roman Sionis.
James Gordon rang the number.
"Good evening, commissioner. I believe I have your interest." A suave and captivating voice answered the call, one that was foreign to James. "Yes, you do. Who am I speaking to?"
"Miles Beckett, we have a mutual caped associate." James was inclined to believe the man, because it would be pretty stupid to claim to know Batman to the one man in the GCPD that was known to work with him.
"Batman, huh? I don't remember him mentioning you before." Not that the caped crusader talked much about his friends.
"I tend to stay out of his territory, you know how protective he could be, though I had to make an exception as Roman Sionis came to me first."
"What did that bastard want from you?"
"Tried to offer me a business deal, though I am afraid I didn't listen to the details before ending the call. Now, if you wish to hear what I have on Sionis, we should talk face-to-face.
"Come to the department then." The man should have no problem coming to GCPD, as James could ensure his safety. If not, he would go prepared.
"You have a rat infestation, Commissioner. That is why your raid on the docks failed."
James clenched his hands, remembering the smug look on Black Mask's face as they didn't find anything at the docks. "I knew something like this was possible, but not who. Got a name for me?"
Which soulless bastard had sold them out to someone like Roman Sionis?
"Officer Lang, I have him on video informing Thomas Moore of the raid." Lang was a pretty unassuming face, all things considered, and James guessed if it was true, that must be the reason why Sionis picked him.
"Fine, do you have a place in mind?" He would take precautions, of course, but this was an opportunity he could not miss.
"I'll pick you up." On cue, a car horn blared outside, and James got up to go and look, seeing a black limo outside.
"Give me a minute." He ended the call and dialed Batman's contact to verify the man's claim.
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Claire opened the door, letting Commissioner Gordon inside, and Miles gestured to the seat across from him as Baraka drove for a tour around the block.
"I called Batman; he didn't know you would be in Gotham."
Miles smiled, ignoring "I wanted to work without his glare at my back."
"Well, what do you have on Sionis?"
The man pulled out several flash disks, handing them over, each one labeled with the crimes Black Mask was suspected of and a couple more they didn't know, and photos of Lang sitting with Thomas Moore, eating pie. "These should be more than enough for you to put him behind bars for life."
The man had a cold look in his eyes now, with a smile that was more threatening than assuring, and leaned closer to James. "Though, I happen to have something more interesting in mind. How would you like to catch Sionis red-handed?
James smiled, imagining that bastard in cuffs. "Very much so."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon had reviewed the evidence, including the moles they had in GCPD, and planned according to that.
He had sent Barbara out of Gotham for the duration of the operation, since Roman Sionis was just the type of scumbag to target her in retaliation.
Tonight, Roman Sionis was going to sell weapons to a warlord from Africa, and if the intel provided by Miles Beckett was true, it would open the doors of the continent's black market to Sionis.
Which could not be allowed.
Moles inside GCPD were called to the department for an impromptu operation against the Penguin and were arrested, cutting Sionis off from his informants.
It was an all-hands-on-deck operation, and right now, dozens of vehicles were making their way into the docks where the meeting would take place.
Roman Sionis was just about done.
In other parts of Gotham, Miles' mercenaries were getting ready for an operation of their own.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the next chapter:
"What do you mean the money is gone?!" Jim screamed at the phone as the district attorney gave him the bad news.
"We don't know anything except that all of his accounts have been emptied before we could freeze his accounts. It is being investigated, and I will be sure to keep you informed, Commissioner." The district attorney's tone was calm, but it was clear he did not appreciate being shouted at.
"Thank you." Jim ended the call, pressing the button with a lot more strength than necessary.
Wonderful.
"What happened?" The Dark Knight appeared from the shadows of his office, irking Jim Gordon slightly, though he was getting used to it.
"Sionis' money is gone; he must have some contingency in place if he was arrested, but I don't understand how he could have moved this fast. It doesn't make sense." It was barely a couple of hours since they put Black Mask in a holding cell; no way anyone could have moved that fast unless they were informed.
"I'll let you know what I find out." And just as silently, he disappeared, leaving James Gordon to his thoughts.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me in Patreon.
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever,
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU,
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon,
and DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world.
All stories are 8 chapters ahead, and you can vote on how you want the fanfiction to proceed, as well as read special chapters.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gotham
After handling Artemis' little gift, Miles started to gather enough evidence on Black Mask's illegal activities to get him put away forever.
Then empty his bank accounts and every other source of wealth he possessed to remove his influence.
Which would start with the GCPD because Zalika had caught something interesting. She was following Roman through the CCTV while monitoring his phone calls and caught something really interesting.
For operations of less than legal status to proceed smoothly, such as Sionis' crime empire, you either had to have good relations with law enforcement or informants.
With James Gordon leading the GCPD, the first option was not possible, and in a city like Gotham, having informants in the police department was relatively simple.
One of Roman's lieutenants, Thomas, was meeting with one of their informants in the GCPD, Officer Lang, and Miles was currently posing as a waiter in the small diner.
Miles put down the coffee cups and the pies on the table. Can I get you anything else, sir?" He asked, smiling at the gangster's suspicious look.
"Are you new here?" Thomas watched him like a hawk. "Yes, sir, just taking over the shift of a sick friend." Miles nodded, completely innocent.
"Jonathan's shift?" The gangster baited him, and Miles, for his part, acted confused. "I don't know any Jonathan, do you mean Tony?" He had done his research before coming in and paid Tony off to call in sick with someone else to fill in his shift.
"Nothing else." Thomas dismissed him, his suspicion abated for now, unaware Miles had bugged him.
He nodded, moving to the next table to handle their orders, at least until the two of them left.
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Minimum wage work in the United States was not something to behold. Annoying customers constantly complaining about something, Karens, and the heavy workload.
Fortunately, his targets had left the diner after an hour, unaware their conversation had been taped.
Paying the owner to keep quiet, Miles headed out back to meet Claire, who was waiting at the car and monitoring the listening equipment.
"We got everything. GCPD got wind of a drug smuggling operation and is going to hit it tomorrow." Claire reported as she sat in the car with Baraka, who they had agreed to bring due to lack of manpower.
"And now, Sionis knows about it, meaning GCPD's operation is going to be a bust." The drugs could be found later; right now it was best to let Sionis lower his guard.
"Should we warn them?"
"No, we don't want Sionis alert for any possible leak; we will continue to gather evidence, and the GCPD can be informed at an appropriate time. Now, let's see where Thomas went." Besides bugging the gangster, he had also stuck a GPS tracker in his car and was receiving transmission now.
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Thomas stopped his car before a warehouse, handed the keys to another gang member, and walked inside.
"Boss, we've got a problem. Gordon learned about the drugs coming to the docks; there is going to be a raid tomorrow night."
"Hmm, call our contacts, tell them the delivery location changed; we'll take the shipment at the shore rather than the docks."
"Yes, boss."
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Tomorrow Night
Miles had bought a camera for this event, and he and Claire were situated on a hill watching over the shore as a small ship approached with Roman Sionis and his men waiting, while Baraka was waiting with the car to act as their escape plan if something went south.
They had to ditch the car far away and make their way to the hill on foot several hours ago and were hidden under a thermal blanket to avoid any possible surveillance.
The ship approached enough for the sailors aboard to put down a walkway, and a man dressed in a suit with a fedora hat, much like his own, came down the stairs, with pallets loaded with packages following.
"Roman, what's with the last-minute change?"
"Just the GCPD being nosy. You got the stuff?" Roman asked, and Miles could see on the camera as the other man handed over one of the packages. One of Black Mask's men took the package for testing, and
"Yeah, let me see the money." Sionis nodded, and several pallets filled to the top with dollars were brought forward.
"It's clean, boss." The tester reported, and Roman grinned, his mask giving him a terrifying appearance. More pallets filled with drugs were brought down from the ship while Roman handed over the money.
"Pleasure doing business with you." Their transaction concluded, and both sides left happy with their haul.
Miles was content too, as he had gathered significant evidence on Sionis, but it was nowhere near enough for him.
Roman left with his truck full of drugs, and the ship sailed away, but Miles wasn't done yet.
That ship carried a significant amount of cash, and it would be oh so terrible if someone took it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An hour later, the ship sailed back to the shore, men in snow masks coming down, a small but competent mercenary outfit he had gathered and armed.
He had considered hiring more distinguished names, but it would be an overkill, and his name would no doubt travel around.
"Gentlemen, I assume there was no trouble?"
Captain Matthew Neuman, leader of the mercs, shook his head. "No sir, we got them all alive as you said." He had armed them with non-lethal weapons, as he was sure James Gordon would appreciate having the opportunity to interrogate the drug sellers.
Miles clapped his hands, pleased to hear the raid on the ship was going without a hitch. "Excellent."
The crew of the ship was brought out at gunpoint, and the leader spat at his feet. "I don't know who you are, boy, but you made the last mistake of your life."
The mercenary behind the man slammed his face to the dirt in return. "That is rich, coming from someone stupid enough to sell drugs in Batman's territory. Perhaps I should hand you over to him and see how long it takes before you sing like a canary." Miles mocked, knowing these criminals didn't have the mental fortitude to resist the Dark Knight.
"We aren't afraid of the Bat." Another one scoffed, and Miles just shook his head.
"Yes, I wager you aren't smart enough to feel fear, but an interrogation session with him would do wonders for your intellect." Miles turned to Captain Neuman, handing him a piece of paper that would lead them to a safe place to hide the ship. "Take the ship to this location, and keep them locked inside until I call you."
"Yes, sir, what about the money? There is at least fifty million dollars there." If every operation was going to be this rewarding, Neuman knew he made the right choice.
"Keep it for now; I'll have it retrieved later."
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The mercenary group wasn't the only people he contacted. People that were in positions to come across information of value were contacted to work for him in return for payment, though some with ill reputations had to be convinced through other means.
Zalika's technopathy came in very handy during the negotiations.
Evidence on Roman Sionis was moving along well, as his lieutenant Thomas wasn't still aware of the bug, and Miles kept tracking their illegal deeds across Gotham, which included protection rackets, weapon smuggling, and drug sales for the most part, along with several smaller hustles.
Now, it was time to act.
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Gordon's Residence
James Gordon, commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, released a sigh in contentment, as he was finally home after a long day.
Barbara, his beloved daughter, opened the door, greeting him with a hug. "Welcome, Dad, how was your day?"
"Same old. How was yours?"
Barbara shrugged, as Jim knew school was rather easy for her. "The school is the same as always. Oh, you got this envelope. I think it is a flash disk, but I didn't open it."
"Thank you, sweetheart; I'll open it after dinner."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dinner was one affair where father and daughter worked together for some bonding time, and after they were done, James sat before the television and opened the thick envelope. Inside it was a phone number on a piece of paper and a flash disk, which he inserted into the television and played, wondering who sent them and why.
His eyes were glued to the TV when it played a recording of Black Mask in the middle of a drug deal. GCPD was after evidence like this for months but had come up empty-handed, and with Batman busy with the Justice League and metahumans that were popping out of nowhere, the caped crusader didn't have the time to target Roman Sionis.
James Gordon rang the number.
"Good evening, commissioner. I believe I have your interest." A suave and captivating voice answered the call, one that was foreign to James. "Yes, you do. Who am I speaking to?"
"Miles Beckett, we have a mutual caped associate." James was inclined to believe the man, because it would be pretty stupid to claim to know Batman to the one man in the GCPD that was known to work with him.
"Batman, huh? I don't remember him mentioning you before." Not that the caped crusader talked much about his friends.
"I tend to stay out of his territory, you know how protective he could be, though I had to make an exception as Roman Sionis came to me first."
"What did that bastard want from you?"
"Tried to offer me a business deal, though I am afraid I didn't listen to the details before ending the call. Now, if you wish to hear what I have on Sionis, we should talk face-to-face.
"Come to the department then." The man should have no problem coming to GCPD, as James could ensure his safety. If not, he would go prepared.
"You have a rat infestation, Commissioner. That is why your raid on the docks failed."
James clenched his hands, remembering the smug look on Black Mask's face as they didn't find anything at the docks. "I knew something like this was possible, but not who. Got a name for me?"
Which soulless bastard had sold them out to someone like Roman Sionis?
"Officer Lang, I have him on video informing Thomas Moore of the raid." Lang was a pretty unassuming face, all things considered, and James guessed if it was true, that must be the reason why Sionis picked him.
"Fine, do you have a place in mind?" He would take precautions, of course, but this was an opportunity he could not miss.
"I'll pick you up." On cue, a car horn blared outside, and James got up to go and look, seeing a black limo outside.
"Give me a minute." He ended the call and dialed Batman's contact to verify the man's claim.
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Claire opened the door, letting Commissioner Gordon inside, and Miles gestured to the seat across from him as Baraka drove for a tour around the block.
"I called Batman; he didn't know you would be in Gotham."
Miles smiled, ignoring "I wanted to work without his glare at my back."
"Well, what do you have on Sionis?"
The man pulled out several flash disks, handing them over, each one labeled with the crimes Black Mask was suspected of and a couple more they didn't know, and photos of Lang sitting with Thomas Moore, eating pie. "These should be more than enough for you to put him behind bars for life."
The man had a cold look in his eyes now, with a smile that was more threatening than assuring, and leaned closer to James. "Though, I happen to have something more interesting in mind. How would you like to catch Sionis red-handed?
James smiled, imagining that bastard in cuffs. "Very much so."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gordon had reviewed the evidence, including the moles they had in GCPD, and planned according to that.
He had sent Barbara out of Gotham for the duration of the operation, since Roman Sionis was just the type of scumbag to target her in retaliation.
Tonight, Roman Sionis was going to sell weapons to a warlord from Africa, and if the intel provided by Miles Beckett was true, it would open the doors of the continent's black market to Sionis.
Which could not be allowed.
Moles inside GCPD were called to the department for an impromptu operation against the Penguin and were arrested, cutting Sionis off from his informants.
It was an all-hands-on-deck operation, and right now, dozens of vehicles were making their way into the docks where the meeting would take place.
Roman Sionis was just about done.
In other parts of Gotham, Miles' mercenaries were getting ready for an operation of their own.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the next chapter:
"What do you mean the money is gone?!" Jim screamed at the phone as the district attorney gave him the bad news.
"We don't know anything except that all of his accounts have been emptied before we could freeze his accounts. It is being investigated, and I will be sure to keep you informed, Commissioner." The district attorney's tone was calm, but it was clear he did not appreciate being shouted at.
"Thank you." Jim ended the call, pressing the button with a lot more strength than necessary.
Wonderful.
"What happened?" The Dark Knight appeared from the shadows of his office, irking Jim Gordon slightly, though he was getting used to it.
"Sionis' money is gone; he must have some contingency in place if he was arrested, but I don't understand how he could have moved this fast. It doesn't make sense." It was barely a couple of hours since they put Black Mask in a holding cell; no way anyone could have moved that fast unless they were informed.
"I'll let you know what I find out." And just as silently, he disappeared, leaving James Gordon to his thoughts.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me in Patreon.
Raphiel
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2022
- Messages
- 645
Batman knows who took it. He just doesn't care that much compared to getting Black Mask behind bars, and it's probably miles.
Lillie Jones
Well worn.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 7,971
thanks for the chapter
Chapter 20 - Fallen Mask
Samael61
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2025
- Messages
- 139
Hello there,
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever,
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU,
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon,
and DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world.
All stories are 8 chapters ahead, and you can vote on how you want the fanfiction to proceed, as well as read special chapters.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gotham
Black Mask's business may have a legal front, but that did not mean he kept all his money in the financial system. A considerable sum was stashed all around Sionis' territory in Gotham as a precaution in case of asset forfeiture by the authorities.
Roman had four locations where he hid his wealth: a church, two warehouses, and a vault beneath a fast food restaurant—places people wouldn't exactly think to search for millions of dollars of cash.
Captain Neuman was handling the warehouses with his men; armed with cryogenic weaponry, they didn't have to worry about collateral damage.
Miles, along with Claire and a couple of mercenaries to move the wealth Sionis had hidden, was to deal with the fast food joint and the church.
Dressed in Gotham City Fire Department uniforms, with the helmet and mask covering his head, along with an engine and an ambulance, Miles barged inside the restaurant. "There is a gas leak on this street; everyone evacuate and get away as far as you can right now." He ordered, and the people stood still for a second, processing his words, before launching themselves out of the store in a stampede.
Cameras in the store were shut down by Zalika, and the group got to work immediately.
Claire melted the door hidden inside the storage area, and the crew began to carry the bags filled with money out of the vault and into the fake ambulance they had brought, with the remaining crew making sure no civilians were in sight.
Ten minutes, and they had moved out millions of dollars belonging to Roman Sionis before anyone even realized there was no gas line in that street.
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The church was a somewhat trickier affair, since there was a mass going on, so Miles had to resort to more direct means.
A dispersal device, filled with a condensed, fast-acting anesthetic gas, was deployed inside the church beforehand, and when the time came, all it took was the push of a button, and the members of the church began to fall asleep one by one, unaware anything was going on at all.
Cleaning out the vault took noticeably longer since Sionis had hidden more of his wealth there than at the fast food restaurant, though they were long gone before anyone even woke up and called the police.
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They didn't just target the physical wealth he had on hand but his accounts as well. Zalika, working through the new computer he had installed, began to siphon Sionis' wealth, directing it to offshore accounts and wiping out any trace of the transactions from the system.
When someone checked the accounts, it would appear as if the money had simply vanished.
And he had just the perfect scapegoat.
"Sir, we found Sionis' accountant. What should we do with him?"
"Bring him to me."
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GCPD
Commissioner's Office
GCPD had arrested Roman Sionis on a list of charges as long as Batman's cape, who had arrived as soon as Jim Gordon requested his assistance, citing the danger Roman posed.
Black Mask's would-be business partners were arrested as well, putting an end to any aspirations he might have toward expanding his weapon smuggling network.
"What do you mean the money is gone?!" Jim screamed at the phone as the district attorney gave him the bad news.
"We don't know anything except that all of his accounts have been emptied before we could freeze his accounts. It is being investigated, and I will be sure to keep you informed, Commissioner." The district attorney's tone was calm, but it was clear he did not appreciate being shouted at.
"Thank you." Jim ended the call, pressing the button with a lot more strength than necessary.
Wonderful.
"What happened?" The Dark Knight appeared from the shadows of his office, irking Jim Gordon slightly, though he was getting used to it.
"Sionis' money is gone; he must have some contingency in place if he was arrested, but I don't understand how he could have moved this fast. It doesn't make sense." It was barely a couple of hours since they put Black Mask in a holding cell; no way anyone could have moved that fast unless they were informed.
"I'll let you know what I find out." And just as silently, he disappeared, leaving James Gordon to his thoughts.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trucks full of money stolen from Roman Sionis were making their way out of Gotham, since the further away from Batman, the better.
Speaking of the Dark Knight, he was calling right now. "Batman, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He must have gotten the news of the disappearance of Sionis' wealth by now.
He got straight to the point with his gruff voice. "Black Mask. His accounts have been emptied. Do you know anything about it?" He wasn't exactly accusatory, but Batman was no fool and no doubt considered that Miles may have a hand in it.
"I'll have to make some calls." Which was just an excuse to say he didn't know.
Batman did not just take him at his word. "You already helped the GCPD. Weren't you keeping an eye on his finances as well?" His suspicion was understandable and expected.
"I don't keep much of a presence in Gotham in respect to your territorial possessiveness. But I am sure I can find the one responsible for it." It was well known that Batman didn't like other heroes and vigilantes entering Gotham without his permission.
"Understood." Batman ended the call, and Miles just had to wait for now.
"I have a feeling you are not going to confess to Batman that you were the one responsible." Claire had enjoyed robbing one of the top criminals of Gotham.
There was something enticing about the concept of heroes stealing from the villains for their own ends rather than for any altruistic reason.
Miles smirked in response. "Of course not."
Half an hour later, he called Batman back.
"That was fast." Batman's tone did not convey any praise, only suspicion.
"Please, I am a professional." Miles sounded offended just to play along. "Turns out Sionis' accountant, Saul Whiteman, did not relish the thought of working for him for a lifetime. He took what he could to offshore accounts and is already on a private jet heading to Dubai."
Miles, in fact, had a jet with the man's name on the list fly to Dubai, since Batman would no doubt investigate.
"Any idea what he is going to do with all that money?"
"A hedonistic lifestyle consisting of prostitutes, drugs, and alcohol." Batman wouldn't chase someone who didn't intend to do anything villainous with that money and leave it in the hands of the authorities.
"That's all?" That was a lot of money to just waste like that.
"He is not a man of greater aspirations."
"Thanks." Batman would research, but since it was Gotham he had to deal with, Miles would erase any footsteps left behind.
The said accountant, who was tied to the seat and gagged, listened with sweat darkening his clothes as he was basically handed over a death sentence.
If Roman Sionis thought Saul was the one who stole his wealth, the crime boss would not stop until he had his revenge. He had seen enough dead bodies to know the fates of those who crossed Black Mask.
"Don't worry so much, Saul. As the name suggests, he is a bat, not a rat, and won't tell Black Mask anything. Though, with you in the wind while everyone else is arrested, I am sure your boss will put the clues together and reach a conclusion, albeit a wrong one." Miles nodded, and Claire removed the gag and untied the man.
Saul looked as if he had given up on life and looked seconds away from fainting.
He put his hands on the man's face, raising his head to look him in the eyes. "But, it just so happens a man of your talents could prove useful to me."
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His final business in Gotham was the ship belonging to the drug dealers. He had the money switched with counterfeits, and the ship experienced an accident that sent it to the bottom of the sea, with the criminals seeing that the money was still inside the ship.
One of the fake bills made it to the shore as they watched the ship sink, and Miles picked it up in front of the mercenaries and the drug sellers. "Well, there goes all your ill-earned fortune."
They were handed over to the GCPD, and the money was moved out of Gotham with the rest of the amount plundered from Roman Sionis.
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Metropolis
Three-quarters of the money was moved into the banking system with the help of Charles, who was elated to hear of Black Mask's downfall. The rest was kept on hand in case of an emergency.
While waiting to hear from General Talak, Miles decided to get Victor back to his old job.
"Mary, how are you?" He called the CEO of his company, and Miles could guess she was hard at work with all the background noise.
"Busy but fine, Miles. How can I help you?"
"Have you heard of GothCorp?"
There were a couple of seconds of silence as Mary racked her brain since the name did sound familiar. "The cryogenics company?" She asked, continuing to type on her keyboard.
"Yes, that one. I want you to acquire it and then fire the CEO, Ferris Boyle. I'll wire you the funds." He didn't want someone like Boyle in his employ in any capacity.
"Understood. Anything else?"
"After you fire Boyle, make sure to shut down the weapons research program he is running and secure everything related to it. I'll have it picked up later." He didn't intend to continue the research since there were a myriad of options when it came to weapons tech.
Mary stopped any weapons research. "I'll be sure to let you know when it's done. Anything else?"
"No, not for now. Have a pleasant day, Mary."
"You too."
"GothCorp?" Claire was watching a reality show on the TV, but Miles' phone call was more interesting.
"The company my friend used to work at. It's time his vacation ends." Miles believed Victor must have had enough time with his wife, and it was time to start working.
The company would have to be restructured and start focusing on medicine and commercial applications for cryogenics tech after Miles shut down the weapon research.
A phone call to inform Victor he would be returning to his old workplace, this time with a different management and in a new position, Miles and Clare boarded the private jet, heading to Manhattan.
He was going to need defenses against telepathy to avoid having his mind read and his plethora of secrets revealed, and Madame Xanadu, the ancient sorceress, would provide the means for a fee.
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Manhattan
Downtown Area
Greenwich Village
"Hokus & Pokus Occult Curioso?" Claire read the ridiculous name, turning to Miles. "This sounds like one of those stalls you would see in an amusement park."
The windows of the shop were covered with occult symbols and did not seem very magical to her at all.
"That is precisely the point. I mean, who would think to look for a magician in a shop with a name that screams scam except for those who can actually use magic or know about the place?" It was undoubtedly a clever game on Nimue's part to name her shop this way to keep nonbelievers at bay.
"Guess you're right."
Miles pushed the door open with Claire right behind, ready in case something went wrong.
Rows of books filled the walls, with weird and curious-looking objects placed all across the interior, from weird-looking animals to substances they could not identify.
"Welcome." Madame Xanadu greeted simply.
Dressed in a simple pink dress with a keyhole, she was a tall woman with black hair and green eyes, and a circlet adorned with around her head holding a blue diamond in place on the middle of her forehead.
"Please be seated." She gestured to the seats, taking her left hand off the tarot cards. "What brings you curious guests to my shop?" Nimue must have sensed her guests, at least Claire due to her metahuman nature, weren't here for fun.
"May I say what a pleasure it is to meet you, Madame Xanadu? Or would you prefer Nimue? Miles responded with his suave voice as he took a seat, accepting the offer graciously.
Claire chose to stand, keeping an eye on Madame Xanadu while she perused the shop.
Nimue smiled, her eyes watching the two sharply. "It has been some time since I had guests like you here. I believe the pleasure is mine." The tarot cards slid across the desk and returned to their deck.
"Now, how may I be of assistance to you?" Nimue wasn't playing around, it seemed.
All the better for him.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the next chapter:
"So, what do you think?" Nimue called out, waiting for her companion to come out.
"Etrigan didn't like him at all." Jason Blood's smooth voice responded as he stepped out of the back room.
She had called him to get a second opinion on Miles Beckett, as none of her means of investigating the man had yielded tangible results. "I don't know what else to tell you, Nimue. He is a human, but other than Etrigan not liking him, there isn't much I sensed. Want me to look into him?" He offered, but Nimue shook her head.
"I only wanted to get your opinion since you were close, though Etrigan's dislike of him does confirm something is weird with that man. Thank you nonetheless." The man did not mean any harm, and she could always try other means.
Miles Beckett was becoming increasingly intriguing with each passing moment.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me in Patreon.
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever,
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU,
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon,
and DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world.
All stories are 8 chapters ahead, and you can vote on how you want the fanfiction to proceed, as well as read special chapters.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gotham
Black Mask's business may have a legal front, but that did not mean he kept all his money in the financial system. A considerable sum was stashed all around Sionis' territory in Gotham as a precaution in case of asset forfeiture by the authorities.
Roman had four locations where he hid his wealth: a church, two warehouses, and a vault beneath a fast food restaurant—places people wouldn't exactly think to search for millions of dollars of cash.
Captain Neuman was handling the warehouses with his men; armed with cryogenic weaponry, they didn't have to worry about collateral damage.
Miles, along with Claire and a couple of mercenaries to move the wealth Sionis had hidden, was to deal with the fast food joint and the church.
Dressed in Gotham City Fire Department uniforms, with the helmet and mask covering his head, along with an engine and an ambulance, Miles barged inside the restaurant. "There is a gas leak on this street; everyone evacuate and get away as far as you can right now." He ordered, and the people stood still for a second, processing his words, before launching themselves out of the store in a stampede.
Cameras in the store were shut down by Zalika, and the group got to work immediately.
Claire melted the door hidden inside the storage area, and the crew began to carry the bags filled with money out of the vault and into the fake ambulance they had brought, with the remaining crew making sure no civilians were in sight.
Ten minutes, and they had moved out millions of dollars belonging to Roman Sionis before anyone even realized there was no gas line in that street.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The church was a somewhat trickier affair, since there was a mass going on, so Miles had to resort to more direct means.
A dispersal device, filled with a condensed, fast-acting anesthetic gas, was deployed inside the church beforehand, and when the time came, all it took was the push of a button, and the members of the church began to fall asleep one by one, unaware anything was going on at all.
Cleaning out the vault took noticeably longer since Sionis had hidden more of his wealth there than at the fast food restaurant, though they were long gone before anyone even woke up and called the police.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They didn't just target the physical wealth he had on hand but his accounts as well. Zalika, working through the new computer he had installed, began to siphon Sionis' wealth, directing it to offshore accounts and wiping out any trace of the transactions from the system.
When someone checked the accounts, it would appear as if the money had simply vanished.
And he had just the perfect scapegoat.
"Sir, we found Sionis' accountant. What should we do with him?"
"Bring him to me."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GCPD
Commissioner's Office
GCPD had arrested Roman Sionis on a list of charges as long as Batman's cape, who had arrived as soon as Jim Gordon requested his assistance, citing the danger Roman posed.
Black Mask's would-be business partners were arrested as well, putting an end to any aspirations he might have toward expanding his weapon smuggling network.
"What do you mean the money is gone?!" Jim screamed at the phone as the district attorney gave him the bad news.
"We don't know anything except that all of his accounts have been emptied before we could freeze his accounts. It is being investigated, and I will be sure to keep you informed, Commissioner." The district attorney's tone was calm, but it was clear he did not appreciate being shouted at.
"Thank you." Jim ended the call, pressing the button with a lot more strength than necessary.
Wonderful.
"What happened?" The Dark Knight appeared from the shadows of his office, irking Jim Gordon slightly, though he was getting used to it.
"Sionis' money is gone; he must have some contingency in place if he was arrested, but I don't understand how he could have moved this fast. It doesn't make sense." It was barely a couple of hours since they put Black Mask in a holding cell; no way anyone could have moved that fast unless they were informed.
"I'll let you know what I find out." And just as silently, he disappeared, leaving James Gordon to his thoughts.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trucks full of money stolen from Roman Sionis were making their way out of Gotham, since the further away from Batman, the better.
Speaking of the Dark Knight, he was calling right now. "Batman, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He must have gotten the news of the disappearance of Sionis' wealth by now.
He got straight to the point with his gruff voice. "Black Mask. His accounts have been emptied. Do you know anything about it?" He wasn't exactly accusatory, but Batman was no fool and no doubt considered that Miles may have a hand in it.
"I'll have to make some calls." Which was just an excuse to say he didn't know.
Batman did not just take him at his word. "You already helped the GCPD. Weren't you keeping an eye on his finances as well?" His suspicion was understandable and expected.
"I don't keep much of a presence in Gotham in respect to your territorial possessiveness. But I am sure I can find the one responsible for it." It was well known that Batman didn't like other heroes and vigilantes entering Gotham without his permission.
"Understood." Batman ended the call, and Miles just had to wait for now.
"I have a feeling you are not going to confess to Batman that you were the one responsible." Claire had enjoyed robbing one of the top criminals of Gotham.
There was something enticing about the concept of heroes stealing from the villains for their own ends rather than for any altruistic reason.
Miles smirked in response. "Of course not."
Half an hour later, he called Batman back.
"That was fast." Batman's tone did not convey any praise, only suspicion.
"Please, I am a professional." Miles sounded offended just to play along. "Turns out Sionis' accountant, Saul Whiteman, did not relish the thought of working for him for a lifetime. He took what he could to offshore accounts and is already on a private jet heading to Dubai."
Miles, in fact, had a jet with the man's name on the list fly to Dubai, since Batman would no doubt investigate.
"Any idea what he is going to do with all that money?"
"A hedonistic lifestyle consisting of prostitutes, drugs, and alcohol." Batman wouldn't chase someone who didn't intend to do anything villainous with that money and leave it in the hands of the authorities.
"That's all?" That was a lot of money to just waste like that.
"He is not a man of greater aspirations."
"Thanks." Batman would research, but since it was Gotham he had to deal with, Miles would erase any footsteps left behind.
The said accountant, who was tied to the seat and gagged, listened with sweat darkening his clothes as he was basically handed over a death sentence.
If Roman Sionis thought Saul was the one who stole his wealth, the crime boss would not stop until he had his revenge. He had seen enough dead bodies to know the fates of those who crossed Black Mask.
"Don't worry so much, Saul. As the name suggests, he is a bat, not a rat, and won't tell Black Mask anything. Though, with you in the wind while everyone else is arrested, I am sure your boss will put the clues together and reach a conclusion, albeit a wrong one." Miles nodded, and Claire removed the gag and untied the man.
Saul looked as if he had given up on life and looked seconds away from fainting.
He put his hands on the man's face, raising his head to look him in the eyes. "But, it just so happens a man of your talents could prove useful to me."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
His final business in Gotham was the ship belonging to the drug dealers. He had the money switched with counterfeits, and the ship experienced an accident that sent it to the bottom of the sea, with the criminals seeing that the money was still inside the ship.
One of the fake bills made it to the shore as they watched the ship sink, and Miles picked it up in front of the mercenaries and the drug sellers. "Well, there goes all your ill-earned fortune."
They were handed over to the GCPD, and the money was moved out of Gotham with the rest of the amount plundered from Roman Sionis.
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Metropolis
Three-quarters of the money was moved into the banking system with the help of Charles, who was elated to hear of Black Mask's downfall. The rest was kept on hand in case of an emergency.
While waiting to hear from General Talak, Miles decided to get Victor back to his old job.
"Mary, how are you?" He called the CEO of his company, and Miles could guess she was hard at work with all the background noise.
"Busy but fine, Miles. How can I help you?"
"Have you heard of GothCorp?"
There were a couple of seconds of silence as Mary racked her brain since the name did sound familiar. "The cryogenics company?" She asked, continuing to type on her keyboard.
"Yes, that one. I want you to acquire it and then fire the CEO, Ferris Boyle. I'll wire you the funds." He didn't want someone like Boyle in his employ in any capacity.
"Understood. Anything else?"
"After you fire Boyle, make sure to shut down the weapons research program he is running and secure everything related to it. I'll have it picked up later." He didn't intend to continue the research since there were a myriad of options when it came to weapons tech.
Mary stopped any weapons research. "I'll be sure to let you know when it's done. Anything else?"
"No, not for now. Have a pleasant day, Mary."
"You too."
"GothCorp?" Claire was watching a reality show on the TV, but Miles' phone call was more interesting.
"The company my friend used to work at. It's time his vacation ends." Miles believed Victor must have had enough time with his wife, and it was time to start working.
The company would have to be restructured and start focusing on medicine and commercial applications for cryogenics tech after Miles shut down the weapon research.
A phone call to inform Victor he would be returning to his old workplace, this time with a different management and in a new position, Miles and Clare boarded the private jet, heading to Manhattan.
He was going to need defenses against telepathy to avoid having his mind read and his plethora of secrets revealed, and Madame Xanadu, the ancient sorceress, would provide the means for a fee.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manhattan
Downtown Area
Greenwich Village
"Hokus & Pokus Occult Curioso?" Claire read the ridiculous name, turning to Miles. "This sounds like one of those stalls you would see in an amusement park."
The windows of the shop were covered with occult symbols and did not seem very magical to her at all.
"That is precisely the point. I mean, who would think to look for a magician in a shop with a name that screams scam except for those who can actually use magic or know about the place?" It was undoubtedly a clever game on Nimue's part to name her shop this way to keep nonbelievers at bay.
"Guess you're right."
Miles pushed the door open with Claire right behind, ready in case something went wrong.
Rows of books filled the walls, with weird and curious-looking objects placed all across the interior, from weird-looking animals to substances they could not identify.
"Welcome." Madame Xanadu greeted simply.
Dressed in a simple pink dress with a keyhole, she was a tall woman with black hair and green eyes, and a circlet adorned with around her head holding a blue diamond in place on the middle of her forehead.
"Please be seated." She gestured to the seats, taking her left hand off the tarot cards. "What brings you curious guests to my shop?" Nimue must have sensed her guests, at least Claire due to her metahuman nature, weren't here for fun.
"May I say what a pleasure it is to meet you, Madame Xanadu? Or would you prefer Nimue? Miles responded with his suave voice as he took a seat, accepting the offer graciously.
Claire chose to stand, keeping an eye on Madame Xanadu while she perused the shop.
Nimue smiled, her eyes watching the two sharply. "It has been some time since I had guests like you here. I believe the pleasure is mine." The tarot cards slid across the desk and returned to their deck.
"Now, how may I be of assistance to you?" Nimue wasn't playing around, it seemed.
All the better for him.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the next chapter:
"So, what do you think?" Nimue called out, waiting for her companion to come out.
"Etrigan didn't like him at all." Jason Blood's smooth voice responded as he stepped out of the back room.
She had called him to get a second opinion on Miles Beckett, as none of her means of investigating the man had yielded tangible results. "I don't know what else to tell you, Nimue. He is a human, but other than Etrigan not liking him, there isn't much I sensed. Want me to look into him?" He offered, but Nimue shook her head.
"I only wanted to get your opinion since you were close, though Etrigan's dislike of him does confirm something is weird with that man. Thank you nonetheless." The man did not mean any harm, and she could always try other means.
Miles Beckett was becoming increasingly intriguing with each passing moment.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me in Patreon.
Last edited:
Lillie Jones
Well worn.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 7,971
thanks for the chapter
The Big Sister
Fourth Deadly Sin
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2019
- Messages
- 44
What a refreshing ffic, been a while. Thank you for sharing!
Chapter 21 - Matters of Arcane and Alien
New
Samael61
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2025
- Messages
- 139
Hello there,
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever,
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU,
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon,
and DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world.
All stories are 9 chapters ahead, and you can vote on how you want the fanfiction to proceed, as well as read special chapters.
Note: Apple store payments will be refunded, because of the company's 75 day hold, and I'll have to block you until the charge is refunded.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manhattan
Downtown Area
Greenwich Village
"My companion and I need protection against telepathy and all other kinds of mind reading." Miles would have loved to stay and chat with the sorceress, but he was, as always, strapped for time.
Nimue played with the tarot cards in her hands, her eyes glued on Miles. "That can be arranged." She was one of the oldest sorcerers in the world, and while creating defenses against telepathy was not a commission she had received before, it was simple for Madame Xanadu to do. "Though, I have a question first."
"No questions, two briefcases." Miles put the briefcases on her desk, opening them to reveal the money inside, "and you throw in that Incan Conopa. I am a sucker for effigies like that." He nodded at the small figure placed on the shelf behind Nimue.
Miles had gathered quite a decent collection in his travels, but it was all gone now, and this was a stellar opportunity to start again.
She took the small Conopa, putting it on the table. "The effigy is charmed to bring prosperity." Nimue explained. It was a small token she had picked up in her travels as a nomad, though it was not something she was attached to.
"Three cases, then." He upped the offer.
Nimue considered the proposal. She knew a guest would arrive; her tarot cards had said that much, but the man sitting before her was not included, and it was rare for her cards to fail. She was curious, but it was also rare for a customer like this.
She finally acquiesced. "Very well. Come back in a week, and I'll have two amulets ready for you." It would be wonderful if the man became a regular customer. She handed over the effigy, since it was a mere curiosity she had picked up, and put it in a box and handed it over.
"Splendid. We'll be back in a week."
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So who exactly is that woman?" Claire asked after they got in the car. Miles had not told her anything about Madame Xanadu beforehand, and he wondered what brought him to this little shop.
Miles started the ignition and drove. "She is King Arthur Pendragon's half-sister and was a pupil of Merlin himself."
Claire blinked, recognizing the names as part of a legend, not actual history. "Those people are real?" Then again, there were aliens and Amazonians who worshipped the Greek gods on this world; perhaps the existence of King Arthur wasn't that shocking.
Miles nodded, stopping at the red lights on the way to the hotel. "Very much so. Nimue is old and one of the strongest sorcerers alive." There were others, but none worked with money, except maybe Constantine.
"Damn. How did you even learn about her?" Someone that old must have been excellent at hiding her tracks.
"She left her marks on history; it was just a matter of putting the clues together." That was another excuse, of course. He had no doubt Nimue could be traced, but it wouldn't be easy.
They drove in silence for a while before Claire had another question. "I have a question about this no-killing rule of yours. How long do you think it could last?"
"If I go and kill Joker right now, Batman would not stop until he finds the one responsible for it. If a gangster or a small-time criminal in some random place dies, neither he nor anyone else will think of it more than just another homicide."
It was a complex affair, the Justice League's no-kill rule. Their reasoning for it was to not take justice into their own hands, but it was just an excuse created by the comic book writers. If the villains died, they would have to create new ones, which would be unprofitable.
"So, it's just the big names we can't kill." It's not that she wanted to go out of her way to kill people; just the thought of someone more dangerous than Black Mask coming after Miles was bothering her.
"Yes, although leaving a trail of bodies in our wake is not a good strategy either. Law enforcement is bound to see a pattern, and a criminal that leaves patterns isn't a very good one." Patterns meant someone could easily be traced and caught.
"You are the boss. I was just curious."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There wasn't much to do for a week while waiting for Madame Xanadu to finish her amulets, except make connections and bug some government offices.
The day before they would return to receive the amulets, Shayera called Miles. "We need to talk. General Talak is here; send me your location and we'll meet you there."
Moving to a remote location where her shuttle wouldn't be seen, Miles and Claire waited for the general to come down on his ship, which didn't take long, though he wasn't alone.
Hro Talak was following another Thanagarian, most likely a superior who walked with an air of entitlement few could match. "So you are the human Hro told me about. The one responsible for the defeat of the Gordonians." The alien measured Miles before clicking his tongue. "You don't look like much."
Miles smirked. "Appearances can be deceiving, you, though, are exactly as you appear."
The Thanagarian was confused at the remark, crossing his arms. "What does that mean?"
"I'll leave that to you to figure out." He turned to Hro Talak, who was watching the exchange with annoyance. "Now, General, I wasn't aware we were having a guest."
"This is Councillor Uru Zedak; he is here concerning the deal we made."
"Yes, General Talak seems to have reached an agreement with you, yet Thanagar's laws prohibit us from giving advanced technology to other races."
Miles turned to General Talak. "I do remember you being authorized to grant my part of the deal, General."
Hro nodded in agreement. "I am; I just did not expect the Council to have such a strong negative reaction to it." And in truth, he thought the Council would agree to the deal regardless of the law since defeating the Gordonians was worth anything in his opinion.
"I wonder why. Gordonians are defeated due to my interference, and Thanagar is saved from an imminent defeat. Yet they are unwilling to honor our agreement." They were being unreasonable, and Miles had no patience for it.
Uru Zedak did not appear to care. "The law is the law."
Miles got on the Thanagarian's face, looking straight into his eyes, making the winged alien unnerved. "Make an exception for me, Councillor." He insisted, but Uru stood his ground, barely.
"If we make an exception for you, it will set a precedent." Councillor weakly excused himself, and Miles could smell fear.
Miles took a step back, his eyes still on the Thanagarian politician. "Councillor Uru, I defeated the mortal enemy of Thanagar with some forged evidence that took ten minutes to prepare. What do you think I'll do to you if I don't get what was promised to me?" His words were met with shocked silence from the Thanagarians, and Claire realized things could quickly devolve into a fight.
"Is that a threat?" Uru Zedak watched warily.
Miles smirked, enjoying scaring the Thanagarian. "No, it is a warning. There are worse entities in the galaxy than Larfleeze, and if you renege on our agreement, I'll rain hell on Thanagar."
"Worse than Larfleeze?" General Talak had watched as the Orange Lantern tore apart the defensive line the Gordonians had. The line Thanagar could not hope to pierce through even with all their might brought to bear on it.
He did not show any mercy and, after the defensive line had collapsed, proceeded to burn the planet, one city at a time.
It was terrifyingly beautiful and so satisfying to watch.
"There is something Darkseid has been searching for a long time, something that will give him complete control over all life. Just the rumors that it might be on Thanagar would be enough for him to burn your homeworld to ashes and enslave whoever remains." The Anti-Life equation was most likely beyond the Source Wall since he was in the Justice League Animated universe, but there were discrepancies, so he couldn't be entirely sure.
Not that Darkseid would care, since even the mere mention of the Anti-Life Equation would send the Dark God of Apokolips on a warpath.
And he was bluffing, because not only did he not have any way of reaching Darkseid, he also wouldn't do it in the first place for any reason.
Councillor Uru reconsidered his earlier statement at the mention of Darkseid. "General, see to it that the deal is carried out as you agreed to it."
"Not so fast." Miles stopped the Councillor from leaving.
He would not let him get off so easily.
"What?" Uru asked, puzzled as to what the human wanted now.
"You just tried to make a fool out of me, Councillor. I want you to make amends." Miles implored. He would not let anyone take advantage of him, much less walk away scot-free after attempting to.
"What else do you want?" The technological assistance that was part of the deal would be invaluable to a planet grappling with environmental issues and poverty, and Uru Zedak didn't know what else the human could want.
"An Nth metal sword as compensation." Gravity negation, healing acceleration, increasing the strength, and protecting the user from extreme temperatures. Nth metal had all those properties, along with many unknown ones, and now that Uru Zedak gave him the opportunity, Miles would definitely take a weapon made of it.
Uru Zedak visibly recoiled. "That's too much!" Nth metal was only known to exist in Thanagar, and giving it to an outsider was not something done lightly, if ever.
"Enough for you to risk a war with Apokolips over it?"
Uru Zedak was conflicted, his face contorted as he considered what to do before nodding, knowing that the threat of Darkseid was not something they could handle, and by General Talak's accounts, the human was dangerous enough to carry out his promise.
The Councillor nodded and went back into the ship.
Hro was glaring at him now. "I like the way you dealt with him, but I don't appreciate you threatening Thanagar at all." The Thanagarian General was naturally displeased at his warning, though Miles didn't give a damn.
"And I don't appreciate someone trying to make a fool out of me. Now that the Councillor knows better than to step on my toe, I am sure our interactions moving forward will be much smoother."
If not, it would be at Thanagar's expense.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next day, after sending the Thanagarian Councillor packing, Miles and Claire visited Madame Xanadu to pick up the amulets.
They were two golden chains with a Celtic shield knot hanging at the end. "As agreed, two amulets to protect you from telepathy." She held out the cushion, and Miles picked the amulets, handing one over to Claire.
He put the amulet on, hiding it beneath his white shirt to keep it concealed. "Pleasure doing business with you, Madame Xanadu."
She escorted them to the door. "Be sure to come back if you need anything else."
"I'll be sure to." It would be inevitable for him to need assistance of an arcane nature, and Madame Xanadu was one of, if not the best, choices he had.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So, what do you think?" Nimue called out, waiting for her companion to come out.
"Etrigan didn't like him at all." Jason Blood's smooth voice responded as he stepped out of the back room.
She had called him to get a second opinion on Miles Beckett, as none of her means of investigating the man had yielded tangible results. "I don't know what else to tell you, Nimue. He is a human, but other than Etrigan not liking him, there isn't much I sensed. Want me to look into him?" He offered, but Nimue shook her head.
"I only wanted to get your opinion since you were close, though Etrigan's dislike of him does confirm something is weird with that man. Thank you nonetheless." The man did not mean any harm, and she could always try other means.
Miles Beckett was becoming increasingly intriguing with each passing moment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the next chapter:
The living room of his house had been burned down, though the rest of the house was fine. The inspection showed they had overloaded an extension lead, and the insurance did not cover that.
Not a problem for Miles.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me in Patreon.
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever,
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU,
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon,
and DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world.
All stories are 9 chapters ahead, and you can vote on how you want the fanfiction to proceed, as well as read special chapters.
Note: Apple store payments will be refunded, because of the company's 75 day hold, and I'll have to block you until the charge is refunded.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manhattan
Downtown Area
Greenwich Village
"My companion and I need protection against telepathy and all other kinds of mind reading." Miles would have loved to stay and chat with the sorceress, but he was, as always, strapped for time.
Nimue played with the tarot cards in her hands, her eyes glued on Miles. "That can be arranged." She was one of the oldest sorcerers in the world, and while creating defenses against telepathy was not a commission she had received before, it was simple for Madame Xanadu to do. "Though, I have a question first."
"No questions, two briefcases." Miles put the briefcases on her desk, opening them to reveal the money inside, "and you throw in that Incan Conopa. I am a sucker for effigies like that." He nodded at the small figure placed on the shelf behind Nimue.
Miles had gathered quite a decent collection in his travels, but it was all gone now, and this was a stellar opportunity to start again.
She took the small Conopa, putting it on the table. "The effigy is charmed to bring prosperity." Nimue explained. It was a small token she had picked up in her travels as a nomad, though it was not something she was attached to.
"Three cases, then." He upped the offer.
Nimue considered the proposal. She knew a guest would arrive; her tarot cards had said that much, but the man sitting before her was not included, and it was rare for her cards to fail. She was curious, but it was also rare for a customer like this.
She finally acquiesced. "Very well. Come back in a week, and I'll have two amulets ready for you." It would be wonderful if the man became a regular customer. She handed over the effigy, since it was a mere curiosity she had picked up, and put it in a box and handed it over.
"Splendid. We'll be back in a week."
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So who exactly is that woman?" Claire asked after they got in the car. Miles had not told her anything about Madame Xanadu beforehand, and he wondered what brought him to this little shop.
Miles started the ignition and drove. "She is King Arthur Pendragon's half-sister and was a pupil of Merlin himself."
Claire blinked, recognizing the names as part of a legend, not actual history. "Those people are real?" Then again, there were aliens and Amazonians who worshipped the Greek gods on this world; perhaps the existence of King Arthur wasn't that shocking.
Miles nodded, stopping at the red lights on the way to the hotel. "Very much so. Nimue is old and one of the strongest sorcerers alive." There were others, but none worked with money, except maybe Constantine.
"Damn. How did you even learn about her?" Someone that old must have been excellent at hiding her tracks.
"She left her marks on history; it was just a matter of putting the clues together." That was another excuse, of course. He had no doubt Nimue could be traced, but it wouldn't be easy.
They drove in silence for a while before Claire had another question. "I have a question about this no-killing rule of yours. How long do you think it could last?"
"If I go and kill Joker right now, Batman would not stop until he finds the one responsible for it. If a gangster or a small-time criminal in some random place dies, neither he nor anyone else will think of it more than just another homicide."
It was a complex affair, the Justice League's no-kill rule. Their reasoning for it was to not take justice into their own hands, but it was just an excuse created by the comic book writers. If the villains died, they would have to create new ones, which would be unprofitable.
"So, it's just the big names we can't kill." It's not that she wanted to go out of her way to kill people; just the thought of someone more dangerous than Black Mask coming after Miles was bothering her.
"Yes, although leaving a trail of bodies in our wake is not a good strategy either. Law enforcement is bound to see a pattern, and a criminal that leaves patterns isn't a very good one." Patterns meant someone could easily be traced and caught.
"You are the boss. I was just curious."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There wasn't much to do for a week while waiting for Madame Xanadu to finish her amulets, except make connections and bug some government offices.
The day before they would return to receive the amulets, Shayera called Miles. "We need to talk. General Talak is here; send me your location and we'll meet you there."
Moving to a remote location where her shuttle wouldn't be seen, Miles and Claire waited for the general to come down on his ship, which didn't take long, though he wasn't alone.
Hro Talak was following another Thanagarian, most likely a superior who walked with an air of entitlement few could match. "So you are the human Hro told me about. The one responsible for the defeat of the Gordonians." The alien measured Miles before clicking his tongue. "You don't look like much."
Miles smirked. "Appearances can be deceiving, you, though, are exactly as you appear."
The Thanagarian was confused at the remark, crossing his arms. "What does that mean?"
"I'll leave that to you to figure out." He turned to Hro Talak, who was watching the exchange with annoyance. "Now, General, I wasn't aware we were having a guest."
"This is Councillor Uru Zedak; he is here concerning the deal we made."
"Yes, General Talak seems to have reached an agreement with you, yet Thanagar's laws prohibit us from giving advanced technology to other races."
Miles turned to General Talak. "I do remember you being authorized to grant my part of the deal, General."
Hro nodded in agreement. "I am; I just did not expect the Council to have such a strong negative reaction to it." And in truth, he thought the Council would agree to the deal regardless of the law since defeating the Gordonians was worth anything in his opinion.
"I wonder why. Gordonians are defeated due to my interference, and Thanagar is saved from an imminent defeat. Yet they are unwilling to honor our agreement." They were being unreasonable, and Miles had no patience for it.
Uru Zedak did not appear to care. "The law is the law."
Miles got on the Thanagarian's face, looking straight into his eyes, making the winged alien unnerved. "Make an exception for me, Councillor." He insisted, but Uru stood his ground, barely.
"If we make an exception for you, it will set a precedent." Councillor weakly excused himself, and Miles could smell fear.
Miles took a step back, his eyes still on the Thanagarian politician. "Councillor Uru, I defeated the mortal enemy of Thanagar with some forged evidence that took ten minutes to prepare. What do you think I'll do to you if I don't get what was promised to me?" His words were met with shocked silence from the Thanagarians, and Claire realized things could quickly devolve into a fight.
"Is that a threat?" Uru Zedak watched warily.
Miles smirked, enjoying scaring the Thanagarian. "No, it is a warning. There are worse entities in the galaxy than Larfleeze, and if you renege on our agreement, I'll rain hell on Thanagar."
"Worse than Larfleeze?" General Talak had watched as the Orange Lantern tore apart the defensive line the Gordonians had. The line Thanagar could not hope to pierce through even with all their might brought to bear on it.
He did not show any mercy and, after the defensive line had collapsed, proceeded to burn the planet, one city at a time.
It was terrifyingly beautiful and so satisfying to watch.
"There is something Darkseid has been searching for a long time, something that will give him complete control over all life. Just the rumors that it might be on Thanagar would be enough for him to burn your homeworld to ashes and enslave whoever remains." The Anti-Life equation was most likely beyond the Source Wall since he was in the Justice League Animated universe, but there were discrepancies, so he couldn't be entirely sure.
Not that Darkseid would care, since even the mere mention of the Anti-Life Equation would send the Dark God of Apokolips on a warpath.
And he was bluffing, because not only did he not have any way of reaching Darkseid, he also wouldn't do it in the first place for any reason.
Councillor Uru reconsidered his earlier statement at the mention of Darkseid. "General, see to it that the deal is carried out as you agreed to it."
"Not so fast." Miles stopped the Councillor from leaving.
He would not let him get off so easily.
"What?" Uru asked, puzzled as to what the human wanted now.
"You just tried to make a fool out of me, Councillor. I want you to make amends." Miles implored. He would not let anyone take advantage of him, much less walk away scot-free after attempting to.
"What else do you want?" The technological assistance that was part of the deal would be invaluable to a planet grappling with environmental issues and poverty, and Uru Zedak didn't know what else the human could want.
"An Nth metal sword as compensation." Gravity negation, healing acceleration, increasing the strength, and protecting the user from extreme temperatures. Nth metal had all those properties, along with many unknown ones, and now that Uru Zedak gave him the opportunity, Miles would definitely take a weapon made of it.
Uru Zedak visibly recoiled. "That's too much!" Nth metal was only known to exist in Thanagar, and giving it to an outsider was not something done lightly, if ever.
"Enough for you to risk a war with Apokolips over it?"
Uru Zedak was conflicted, his face contorted as he considered what to do before nodding, knowing that the threat of Darkseid was not something they could handle, and by General Talak's accounts, the human was dangerous enough to carry out his promise.
The Councillor nodded and went back into the ship.
Hro was glaring at him now. "I like the way you dealt with him, but I don't appreciate you threatening Thanagar at all." The Thanagarian General was naturally displeased at his warning, though Miles didn't give a damn.
"And I don't appreciate someone trying to make a fool out of me. Now that the Councillor knows better than to step on my toe, I am sure our interactions moving forward will be much smoother."
If not, it would be at Thanagar's expense.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next day, after sending the Thanagarian Councillor packing, Miles and Claire visited Madame Xanadu to pick up the amulets.
They were two golden chains with a Celtic shield knot hanging at the end. "As agreed, two amulets to protect you from telepathy." She held out the cushion, and Miles picked the amulets, handing one over to Claire.
He put the amulet on, hiding it beneath his white shirt to keep it concealed. "Pleasure doing business with you, Madame Xanadu."
She escorted them to the door. "Be sure to come back if you need anything else."
"I'll be sure to." It would be inevitable for him to need assistance of an arcane nature, and Madame Xanadu was one of, if not the best, choices he had.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So, what do you think?" Nimue called out, waiting for her companion to come out.
"Etrigan didn't like him at all." Jason Blood's smooth voice responded as he stepped out of the back room.
She had called him to get a second opinion on Miles Beckett, as none of her means of investigating the man had yielded tangible results. "I don't know what else to tell you, Nimue. He is a human, but other than Etrigan not liking him, there isn't much I sensed. Want me to look into him?" He offered, but Nimue shook her head.
"I only wanted to get your opinion since you were close, though Etrigan's dislike of him does confirm something is weird with that man. Thank you nonetheless." The man did not mean any harm, and she could always try other means.
Miles Beckett was becoming increasingly intriguing with each passing moment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the next chapter:
The living room of his house had been burned down, though the rest of the house was fine. The inspection showed they had overloaded an extension lead, and the insurance did not cover that.
Not a problem for Miles.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me in Patreon.
Last edited:
TFTwink
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2024
- Messages
- 203
throw
TFTC!
Still wondering why Etrigan wouldn't like him when the foremost clairvoyant doesn't have an opinion.
Lillie Jones
Well worn.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 7,971
Thanks for the chapter
Faraway-R
Not too sore, are you?
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2014
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- 283
Maybe something akin to uncanny valley effect.
Nimue can't get a read on Miles - he is occluded from supernatural senses in some manner.
Etrigan is a powerful demon, the kind of being that would have supernatural senses.
Think of it like looking at a picture and realizing there's something wrong with it. The details don't fit, there's something missing.
Chapter 22 - Feds, Aliens and Scholars
New
Samael61
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2025
- Messages
- 139
Hello there,
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever, is 9 chapters ahead
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU, is 9 chapters ahead
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon, is 10 chapters ahead
and DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world, is 10 chapters ahead.
By supporting me, you can read advanced and special chapters, as well as vote on how you want the fanfiction to proceed.
Note: Apple store payments will be refunded, because of the company's 75 day hold policy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Metropolis
Beckett Residence
Miles was placing the Incan Canopa in a glass casing when the doorbell rang. Claire went to check it since she was closer. "Miles, it's those FBI agents with a tagalong."
"No need to be rude, Claire. Invite the nice gentlemen inside." Miles got up to greet his guests, leaving the effigy on the table.
Agents Morris and Delecrux came in, along with another man in his fifties with greying buzz-cut hair, dressed in a suit and holding a briefcase.
"Mr. Beckett. We are here to inform you that the FBI has validated your ownership of the gold you sold to the Gold Exchange." A string of communications through proper channels had established that the young man did in fact own all that gold.
Which had drawn the government's attention.
"I am Anthony Coleman, representative of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Mr. Beckett, we are interested in buying your gold." He held out his hand, and Miles took it with a smile that actually reached his eyes.
"By all means, Mr. Coleman, take a seat and let's talk business." A literal golden egg-laying goose had stepped on his porch, and Miles was going to take advantage of it to the fullest.
"What is the amount the Federal Reserve is interested in?"
"For now, ten thousand tonnes, the same amount you sold to the Gold Exchange, each year."
"That is wonderful to hear." Since it was a federal contract, there would be no taxes, meaning no working overtime to evade taxes.
The man pulled out a document from his briefcase, putting it on the coffee table. "However, the Board will need assurances that you will not conduct any transactions regarding your gold with any third countries." They didn't want all that gold going to the hands of anyone not in line with the United States.
Miles took the document, scanning it. "In that case, the Board will have to offer me incentives." After all, free market principles dictated Miles could sell his gold to whomever he wanted.
"Such as?"
"Twenty percent above the market rate." His demand had caught the representative off guard, and the man was silent for a while to think on it.
That was a steep price, and Anthony would have to call that in. "I'll have to discuss that with the Board. If I may?"
"Of course, perfectly understandable."
Anthony stepped out of the house to relay Miles' demand to his superiors, and he turned to the FBI agents. "Can I get you anything to drink? I have an excellent jar of Cranberry Cosmopolitan Mocktail in the fridge."
"No, thank you." The agents refused, which he did expect since Delecrux was not good at hiding his expression yet. He must have been still sore about Miles' comment on his acting.
The representative of the Board returned not long after he had left. "The Board can only offer five percent at most, Mr. Beckett."
Miles leaned back, calm as one can be. "Do tell the Board that is nowhere near enough, and that the Federal Reserve will sooner run out of gold to buy than I'll run out of buyers. If they can't make it worth my time, I have no reason to accept. I mean, the Russians and the Chinese made more incentivizing offers." They had not, but the Board had no way of knowing it, and he specifically mentioned those countries, as they were technically the enemies of the United States.
His claim seemed to have rattled Anthony, who stood straighter. "How incentivizing?"
"Russians offered ten, the Chinese fifteen percent above the market rate." Miles put his hand over his heart. "Now, just as any other patriot, I would love nothing more than to sell my gold to the United States Federal Reserve, but I need to think of my interests as well." Patriotism would not resonate with the man, but if the Federals believed Miles had a nationalistic bone, they would be less inclined to further suspect him of anything foul when he did sell his gold to other buyers if he became strapped for funds.
"Excuse me for a moment." Anthony went out again, staying out for longer this time, while the FBI agents sat in silence, watching Miles as he moved the glass container to the shelf he had prepared for his collection.
Ignoring the agents, Miles went and got himself a glass, bringing Claire along. The FBI would most likely bug his house, so he gave Morris and Delecrux the opportunity.
Ah, such fun he would have with that.
Hearing the door open, Miles and Claire went back to the living room.
"The Board will agree to buy your gold twenty percent above the market rate if you agree to not sell your gold to anyone not approved by the Board."
The agreement was amended, and Miles signed it, with the details of how the Federal Reserve would take the gold to be discussed later.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shushing Claire as she opened her mouth to speak, Miles began to check the probable places one might put a listening device.
Under the coffee table, between the cushions, around the TV stand, and on the shelves.
He found three of them, one under the glass display, one beneath the sofa, and one stuck to the back of the TV stand.
Cute.
"Are you going to destroy them?"
"No, play along." Miles took a notebook out of the table and began to write, ripping the page and giving it to Claire.
"So, are you just going to sell all that gold to the Federal Reserve?"
"Of course, who else would I sell it to? I would have done the same even if they hadn't offered more than Russia or China."
"Miles Beckett, a patriot to the end."
"To the USA." Miles held out his glass, and Claire brought hers closer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"How are you going to get rid of those devices now?" If the devices went silent right after Miles talked about being a patriot, then only a fool would believe it wasn't fabricated.
Miles smirked. "We are going to eat out tonight."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They found a cozy little authentic Italian restaurant in the city center and had sat down to order. Since Claire, Zalika, and Baraka had no idea about the Italian kitchen, they ordered Fettuccine al burro as Miles had done.
Now if only that infernal Karen could shut her trap and let them eat in peace.
"I want to see your manager!" The blond woman screamed for some insipid reason, and Miles just had enough of her. He put one hand on her shoulder and another to discreetly push the butter knife on her back. "Miss, you look faint; perhaps you would like to take a seat?" He jabbed the knife, not enough to draw blood but enough to make her feel it, and seated the frightened woman.
"There are people here, having come to unwind after a long day's work, and you are making it a miserable experience for everyone, especially the workers. Now, you will eat your food in silence, pay, leave, and never come back, or else no one will ever hear your shrill voice again. Nod if you understand."
The woman nodded, trembling like a leaf in a hurricane.
"Just drink some water, miss; I am sure you will be fine."
Going back to his table, Miles continued to eat.
"That was cool." Baraka wanted someone to tell that woman to shut up, but seeing Miles go and scare the life out of her was definitely better.
Miles put down his fork as he was done with his lunch. "Some individuals think they are entitled to everything, like that woman, but life doesn't care who you are; other individuals do, and I don't care who she is at all." Calling her a woman was too much, as she acted more like a spoiled child, but Miles didn't want to get into the semantics of the matter.
They finished, and he paid the check, along with a very generous tip, and searched for ice cream outside, but his phone rang before he could find a place.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The living room of his house had been burned down, though the rest of the house was fine. The inspection showed they had overloaded an extension lead, and the insurance did not cover that.
Not a problem for Miles.
Coincidentally, all listening devices had been incinerated. There would no doubt be suspicions from the FBI, but they couldn't prove anything, so Miles was safe from any more espionage, for now.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Metropolis Forest
General Talak was back with Shaera in tow, and half a dozen scientists along with a codex containing the technologies Miles had demanded in return for his assistance.
"This is Mra Hedat, the chief researcher in charge of this unit. Per our agreement, he and his team will stay on Earth to teach your people." Said scientist simply nodded, dispirited at having to teach what they perceived as primitives.
"Marvellous." Miles simply said, waiting for the general to hand over the sword, which he did with great reluctance.
"And an Nth metal sword, as promised." Miles pulled the sword out of its sheath. It was four and a half feet long, and just like Shaera's battlemace, the sword was of a dark grey color, with two hawk sigils on the handle. Sheathing the sword, he gestured at the van for the scientists to get in, which they did after pulling their wings closer to their bodies.
He had made sure it was as large as it could be, but for now they would have to make do.
Hro's grimace had turned into a small smile, the best a warrior like him could make, and Miles had an idea why. "Now that our agreement is concluded, it is time we leave this planet, Shaera."
General Hro was no doubt looking forward to having his promised back with him since her mission was technically over with the destruction of the Gordonians, rather than being stuck on a primitive world as a spy.
Miles hated getting between lovers ever so much. "I am afraid not."
"What now?" In the short time they knew each other, Hro had learned it wasn't a good thing if the human before him had an objection.
"You are a Thanagarian of your word, general, but you cannot guarantee the Council won't do something monumentally ludicrous like breaking our agreement. Until the task of your scientists is over, Shaera stays on Earth as insurance."
"That's!" Talak started to object, but Shaera stopped him. "He is correct. We cannot allow Council to make all the sacrifices made by our people worthless just for their agenda. I can stay for however long it takes." Shaera had worked with all that she had for years to see this war end; she could afford to do more.
Shaera also wanted to have some to think about Hro's deception in not telling her the real reason she was sent to Earth.
Hro seemed to be considering an alternative offer before he spoke again. "I can send someone else to take her place."
"You may, but there is no one else in this galaxy you would fight the Council so ferociously for as Shaera." Shaera was his fiancée after all, and Hro Talak would stand before the Council to the end if it meant she would be safe.
Hro snarled, but Shaera nodded, and he backed off reluctantly.
"Very well. I will return on regular intervals to check on the progress." Which was his way of saying he would come to visit Shaera at every opportunity he could find.
"By all means, General, though do inform us beforehand."
The Thanagarian general left without a word after sharing a tender moment with Shaera.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EnviroCorps Clean Energy Research Center
Mary-Anne informed him that she had gathered several of the prominent researchers on fusion technology and on components relevant to the field, along with the location of the pristine research center where he was taking the Thanagarians to.
He drove the car right into the underground garage, one he had specifically requested to avoid any prying eyes. Parking the vehicle, he went to greet Mary, who was waiting all alone, while Claire opened the door for the Thanagarians.
Miles had a satisfied smile as he shook her hand. "Mary, well done once again. You certainly meet my expectations." He had read the files on the scientists, and their acumen, combined with the Thanagarians' advanced scientific knowledge, would mean they would be the saviors of humanity from its greatest adversary.
Humanity itself.
"Thank you, Miles. You will also be happy to know EnviroCorps bought GothCorp, and Ferris Boyle is out of work. Your friend, Victor, has also started working again." He didn't have the opportunity to call Victor and noted to rectify that later.
"Serendipitous news, in the meantime, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Hedat and his fellow scientists, who will be educating our research team on the fields we have spoken about." As the Thanagarians slowly left the van, Mary took a step back in shock.
"My god."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the next chapter:
Without even offering any greetings, the Dark Knight went straight into the matter. "That alien healer you contacted, can you bring her to Earth again?"
"Hello to you too, Batman." He greeted the Dark Knight. "And yes, I'm confident I can persuade her to come for another visit." If love was involved, Yrra Cynril would be bound to come.
"Though perhaps you should explain what this is about so I can see if there is an alternative solution that does not require anyone to travel light-years?" Seeing as the man in question did not need any medical assistance, it must be someone else, someone he cared about dearly.
Which was a short list.
Curious about the next chapter? Please consider supporting me in Patreon.
If you enjoy my stories you can read advanced chapters in my patreon page
Commander Shepard, The Greatest to Ever Live, a Mass Effect story where Shepard is greater than ever, is 9 chapters ahead
Geek's Guide to Thriving in a Low End Fantasy World a Robert Baratheon OC SI in an AU, is 9 chapters ahead
Her Eternal Excellency, a Genshin Impact and ASOIAF crossover, Raiden Ei Reborn as Argella Durrandon, is 10 chapters ahead
and DCU:Blacklist, a Raymond Reddington inspired OC SI using his knowledge for his own advantage, as well as the rest of the world, is 10 chapters ahead.
By supporting me, you can read advanced and special chapters, as well as vote on how you want the fanfiction to proceed.
Note: Apple store payments will be refunded, because of the company's 75 day hold policy.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Metropolis
Beckett Residence
Miles was placing the Incan Canopa in a glass casing when the doorbell rang. Claire went to check it since she was closer. "Miles, it's those FBI agents with a tagalong."
"No need to be rude, Claire. Invite the nice gentlemen inside." Miles got up to greet his guests, leaving the effigy on the table.
Agents Morris and Delecrux came in, along with another man in his fifties with greying buzz-cut hair, dressed in a suit and holding a briefcase.
"Mr. Beckett. We are here to inform you that the FBI has validated your ownership of the gold you sold to the Gold Exchange." A string of communications through proper channels had established that the young man did in fact own all that gold.
Which had drawn the government's attention.
"I am Anthony Coleman, representative of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Mr. Beckett, we are interested in buying your gold." He held out his hand, and Miles took it with a smile that actually reached his eyes.
"By all means, Mr. Coleman, take a seat and let's talk business." A literal golden egg-laying goose had stepped on his porch, and Miles was going to take advantage of it to the fullest.
"What is the amount the Federal Reserve is interested in?"
"For now, ten thousand tonnes, the same amount you sold to the Gold Exchange, each year."
"That is wonderful to hear." Since it was a federal contract, there would be no taxes, meaning no working overtime to evade taxes.
The man pulled out a document from his briefcase, putting it on the coffee table. "However, the Board will need assurances that you will not conduct any transactions regarding your gold with any third countries." They didn't want all that gold going to the hands of anyone not in line with the United States.
Miles took the document, scanning it. "In that case, the Board will have to offer me incentives." After all, free market principles dictated Miles could sell his gold to whomever he wanted.
"Such as?"
"Twenty percent above the market rate." His demand had caught the representative off guard, and the man was silent for a while to think on it.
That was a steep price, and Anthony would have to call that in. "I'll have to discuss that with the Board. If I may?"
"Of course, perfectly understandable."
Anthony stepped out of the house to relay Miles' demand to his superiors, and he turned to the FBI agents. "Can I get you anything to drink? I have an excellent jar of Cranberry Cosmopolitan Mocktail in the fridge."
"No, thank you." The agents refused, which he did expect since Delecrux was not good at hiding his expression yet. He must have been still sore about Miles' comment on his acting.
The representative of the Board returned not long after he had left. "The Board can only offer five percent at most, Mr. Beckett."
Miles leaned back, calm as one can be. "Do tell the Board that is nowhere near enough, and that the Federal Reserve will sooner run out of gold to buy than I'll run out of buyers. If they can't make it worth my time, I have no reason to accept. I mean, the Russians and the Chinese made more incentivizing offers." They had not, but the Board had no way of knowing it, and he specifically mentioned those countries, as they were technically the enemies of the United States.
His claim seemed to have rattled Anthony, who stood straighter. "How incentivizing?"
"Russians offered ten, the Chinese fifteen percent above the market rate." Miles put his hand over his heart. "Now, just as any other patriot, I would love nothing more than to sell my gold to the United States Federal Reserve, but I need to think of my interests as well." Patriotism would not resonate with the man, but if the Federals believed Miles had a nationalistic bone, they would be less inclined to further suspect him of anything foul when he did sell his gold to other buyers if he became strapped for funds.
"Excuse me for a moment." Anthony went out again, staying out for longer this time, while the FBI agents sat in silence, watching Miles as he moved the glass container to the shelf he had prepared for his collection.
Ignoring the agents, Miles went and got himself a glass, bringing Claire along. The FBI would most likely bug his house, so he gave Morris and Delecrux the opportunity.
Ah, such fun he would have with that.
Hearing the door open, Miles and Claire went back to the living room.
"The Board will agree to buy your gold twenty percent above the market rate if you agree to not sell your gold to anyone not approved by the Board."
The agreement was amended, and Miles signed it, with the details of how the Federal Reserve would take the gold to be discussed later.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shushing Claire as she opened her mouth to speak, Miles began to check the probable places one might put a listening device.
Under the coffee table, between the cushions, around the TV stand, and on the shelves.
He found three of them, one under the glass display, one beneath the sofa, and one stuck to the back of the TV stand.
Cute.
"Are you going to destroy them?"
"No, play along." Miles took a notebook out of the table and began to write, ripping the page and giving it to Claire.
"So, are you just going to sell all that gold to the Federal Reserve?"
"Of course, who else would I sell it to? I would have done the same even if they hadn't offered more than Russia or China."
"Miles Beckett, a patriot to the end."
"To the USA." Miles held out his glass, and Claire brought hers closer.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"How are you going to get rid of those devices now?" If the devices went silent right after Miles talked about being a patriot, then only a fool would believe it wasn't fabricated.
Miles smirked. "We are going to eat out tonight."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They found a cozy little authentic Italian restaurant in the city center and had sat down to order. Since Claire, Zalika, and Baraka had no idea about the Italian kitchen, they ordered Fettuccine al burro as Miles had done.
Now if only that infernal Karen could shut her trap and let them eat in peace.
"I want to see your manager!" The blond woman screamed for some insipid reason, and Miles just had enough of her. He put one hand on her shoulder and another to discreetly push the butter knife on her back. "Miss, you look faint; perhaps you would like to take a seat?" He jabbed the knife, not enough to draw blood but enough to make her feel it, and seated the frightened woman.
"There are people here, having come to unwind after a long day's work, and you are making it a miserable experience for everyone, especially the workers. Now, you will eat your food in silence, pay, leave, and never come back, or else no one will ever hear your shrill voice again. Nod if you understand."
The woman nodded, trembling like a leaf in a hurricane.
"Just drink some water, miss; I am sure you will be fine."
Going back to his table, Miles continued to eat.
"That was cool." Baraka wanted someone to tell that woman to shut up, but seeing Miles go and scare the life out of her was definitely better.
Miles put down his fork as he was done with his lunch. "Some individuals think they are entitled to everything, like that woman, but life doesn't care who you are; other individuals do, and I don't care who she is at all." Calling her a woman was too much, as she acted more like a spoiled child, but Miles didn't want to get into the semantics of the matter.
They finished, and he paid the check, along with a very generous tip, and searched for ice cream outside, but his phone rang before he could find a place.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The living room of his house had been burned down, though the rest of the house was fine. The inspection showed they had overloaded an extension lead, and the insurance did not cover that.
Not a problem for Miles.
Coincidentally, all listening devices had been incinerated. There would no doubt be suspicions from the FBI, but they couldn't prove anything, so Miles was safe from any more espionage, for now.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Metropolis Forest
General Talak was back with Shaera in tow, and half a dozen scientists along with a codex containing the technologies Miles had demanded in return for his assistance.
"This is Mra Hedat, the chief researcher in charge of this unit. Per our agreement, he and his team will stay on Earth to teach your people." Said scientist simply nodded, dispirited at having to teach what they perceived as primitives.
"Marvellous." Miles simply said, waiting for the general to hand over the sword, which he did with great reluctance.
"And an Nth metal sword, as promised." Miles pulled the sword out of its sheath. It was four and a half feet long, and just like Shaera's battlemace, the sword was of a dark grey color, with two hawk sigils on the handle. Sheathing the sword, he gestured at the van for the scientists to get in, which they did after pulling their wings closer to their bodies.
He had made sure it was as large as it could be, but for now they would have to make do.
Hro's grimace had turned into a small smile, the best a warrior like him could make, and Miles had an idea why. "Now that our agreement is concluded, it is time we leave this planet, Shaera."
General Hro was no doubt looking forward to having his promised back with him since her mission was technically over with the destruction of the Gordonians, rather than being stuck on a primitive world as a spy.
Miles hated getting between lovers ever so much. "I am afraid not."
"What now?" In the short time they knew each other, Hro had learned it wasn't a good thing if the human before him had an objection.
"You are a Thanagarian of your word, general, but you cannot guarantee the Council won't do something monumentally ludicrous like breaking our agreement. Until the task of your scientists is over, Shaera stays on Earth as insurance."
"That's!" Talak started to object, but Shaera stopped him. "He is correct. We cannot allow Council to make all the sacrifices made by our people worthless just for their agenda. I can stay for however long it takes." Shaera had worked with all that she had for years to see this war end; she could afford to do more.
Shaera also wanted to have some to think about Hro's deception in not telling her the real reason she was sent to Earth.
Hro seemed to be considering an alternative offer before he spoke again. "I can send someone else to take her place."
"You may, but there is no one else in this galaxy you would fight the Council so ferociously for as Shaera." Shaera was his fiancée after all, and Hro Talak would stand before the Council to the end if it meant she would be safe.
Hro snarled, but Shaera nodded, and he backed off reluctantly.
"Very well. I will return on regular intervals to check on the progress." Which was his way of saying he would come to visit Shaera at every opportunity he could find.
"By all means, General, though do inform us beforehand."
The Thanagarian general left without a word after sharing a tender moment with Shaera.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EnviroCorps Clean Energy Research Center
Mary-Anne informed him that she had gathered several of the prominent researchers on fusion technology and on components relevant to the field, along with the location of the pristine research center where he was taking the Thanagarians to.
He drove the car right into the underground garage, one he had specifically requested to avoid any prying eyes. Parking the vehicle, he went to greet Mary, who was waiting all alone, while Claire opened the door for the Thanagarians.
Miles had a satisfied smile as he shook her hand. "Mary, well done once again. You certainly meet my expectations." He had read the files on the scientists, and their acumen, combined with the Thanagarians' advanced scientific knowledge, would mean they would be the saviors of humanity from its greatest adversary.
Humanity itself.
"Thank you, Miles. You will also be happy to know EnviroCorps bought GothCorp, and Ferris Boyle is out of work. Your friend, Victor, has also started working again." He didn't have the opportunity to call Victor and noted to rectify that later.
"Serendipitous news, in the meantime, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Hedat and his fellow scientists, who will be educating our research team on the fields we have spoken about." As the Thanagarians slowly left the van, Mary took a step back in shock.
"My god."
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In the next chapter:
Without even offering any greetings, the Dark Knight went straight into the matter. "That alien healer you contacted, can you bring her to Earth again?"
"Hello to you too, Batman." He greeted the Dark Knight. "And yes, I'm confident I can persuade her to come for another visit." If love was involved, Yrra Cynril would be bound to come.
"Though perhaps you should explain what this is about so I can see if there is an alternative solution that does not require anyone to travel light-years?" Seeing as the man in question did not need any medical assistance, it must be someone else, someone he cared about dearly.
Which was a short list.
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TFTwink
Know what you're doing yet?
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2024
- Messages
- 203
Ouuch, lmao
Maybe it's the woman from the Batman Movie, Phantom something?
Lillie Jones
Well worn.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 7,971
thanks for the chapter