JustIIce League: Calamitous World

3 - Trepidation

Thunder crashes in the sky as I sit still upon a rooftop. The rain is merciless and stings my skin as the wind howls throughout the night. I am watching the city and tracking movements. 

Everything seems to be the same. I can't notice anything out of the ordinary except that there seems to be a slight fog in the air. Everything is covered in an ashen silt. 

Vestra has worsened pollution I see. 

I jump and shoot my grappling hook to a nearby ledge so I can get to the next building. The lighting flashes and guides my way. 

The smog clears as I roll onto a gravel rooftop. I walk to the other side and observe some more of the same. I just see cars and people with umbrellas sprinting to get inside. 

I kneel and pull a round steel ball from my belt. It is a tracker that notes any changes in weather or atmosphere. I set one down to mark this building. I use them to keep track of the cities  changes. 

I feel something on the back of my neck. I freeze and tilt my chin up. I listen closely and hear footsteps behind me amongst the wind and rain. They are light, precise, and delicate.  There is a half second delay between each stride. It sounds like a woman. I pause and think about enemies I've encountered who fit the timing of the gate. 

A small pit forms in my stomach, but the feeling isn't fear, it's hatred. Anger begins to boil in my blood because it sounds like Tempest. It sounds like the witch that took everything from me. The one that ruined peace as the world used to know.

Think Bruce. Tempest is asleep. She can't be here. 

But then it comes to me. This is Vestra. I stand taller and make my shoulders appear wider. I swallow and clench my fists. I raise my voice to be heard over the rain. 

"Vestra."

The footsteps pause. A light voice answers confidently, "Good ears, Bruce."

I paused. She said my name. How did she know who I was? It must be remnants of knowledge from the Complex. 

I turn around full and meet her face to face. We stand three feet from each other, both wearing dark hoods and masks to protect ourselves. I wanted to strangle her and watch the life leave her violet eyes. Once she was dead all of the mind control she had on people would vanish. It had to. 

She cleared her throat and continued. "I don't like making visits, but I was starting to think that you weren't coming for me."

"You don't know anything about me."

She laughed. "Oh, please. Bruce, you're smart, but you sure are childish at times." She stepped toward me. I clenched my fists even harder. I would strangle her when she got close. "I'm here because I want to make amends. If this new world is going to prosper, I can't have you slaying the city's guards as an act of rebellion. They are the very people you're trying to protect."

She took another step forward. 

I kept my voice calm even though rage was clouding my mind. "They are your people. Not mine. Once you change them with your mind control, they are no longer my people."

We stood eye to eye, so close to each other that I could finally strike. 

"I will get what I-" I interrupted her by putting a hand on her throat. I squeeze as hard as I can, anger fueling every ounce of force. 

I kick her away and she falls onto the ground. Rain splatters as she gets to her hands and knees and coughs. She tries to get up, but I am already at her side. I put a boot on her back and force her down. I grab a knife from my belt and kneel over her, my foot still keeping her down. 

"I've been waiting for this." I say almost happily instead of anger.

I take the knife and slit her throat. 

Blood pools everywhere and her body writhes under me as I smile and enjoy the feeling of her death. She chokes on her blood and I tilt my head as I watch her violet eyes dim to a green. 

I knew there was something there. 

Thunder crashes and lightning fills the sky. I take my bloodied knife and stand. I observe it and feel content. 

Murder is rightfully good. 

I put the knife away and shoot my grappling hook. I jump of the building and laugh a full happy laugh. My pain and suffering is over and I can rule the streets again. 

But, all of a sudden, the line of my hook snaps and I am falling stories among stories into grey fog. I feel weightless as I fall faster. 

Darkness consumes me as a pain stabs my chest. 

******

Thump. Thump. Thump.

 I wake up in a cold sweat to my head aching and my heart pounding. It was a dream.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

I clutch my chest as my heart beats faster and faster. I gasp in pain as I twist and convulse on my bed. My heart feels like it's going to burst. I flick on a nearby lamp and see the that the veins in my arms are protruding from the skin.  

I let out a moan as I fall out of my bed. On my hands and knees, I crawl to a nearby mirror on the wall. I glance up when a sudden pain shoots through my whole body. 

I fall onto my side and grab my stomach. In the mirror I can see my body shaking and how pale I am. Without warning, I felt my stomach heave. I throw up by the mirror. 

I'm in so much shock that I can't completely register what's going on. 

I feel alone and confused as to what's happening to me. I'm also sickened by what I dreamed. I liked hurting Vestra. I liked it. 

The feeling of bloodlust is coming back. I am going through withdrawals and the homicidal maniac side of me is showing. 

I have to control this poison within myself, even it if kills me, but I know that I can't stop being Batman because someone has to stop Vestra.

God help my soul.