I will get you back no matter who stands in my way.

Part 22 Resolve

"So any volunteers?"

Martian Man-hunter asked again who would take the dangerous path with him to provide mental support.

The League members were hesitant to answer until Batman stepped forward. "I will go".

"Then let us not waste any more time further".

Batman touched John as he was entering Hajime's mind. 

They appeared in a pitch black dark cave with no sign of any life in sight.

"John what is this place".

"I have no idea but if I were to guess... this place that we are in is a past memory of Hajime's from before he entered our world".

"If that is the case then why did we start out here?" 

"The two of you are here because I wanted you to understand my determination and resolve to protect those that are close to me so I though it was a good idea to show you how I came to be the person I am today". 

The voice came from Hajime appearing from thin air behind the 2.

"... How are you here" said Martian Man-hunter.

"I don't really see why you are so surprised this is my mind after all besides isn't it common sense that I would be able to appear in it".

"Why that may be true most aren't strong enough for it to work".

"Do you think that I look weak to you".

Martian Man-hunter had no words to say regarding the question Hajime asked.

"Why are we in your memory's Hajime me and John was supposed to wake you up from the League defeating you in battle. instead we ended up here" said Batman.

"It's all over your face you know"

"What is?" 

"frustration, I bet you wanted to know everything you could find out about me and try to figure out all of my motives from the first time we met correct. That way encase we fought again you would use what you learned against me to stop me. So while you did come to support your friend over there your true motive was investigation and knowledge about everything that I can do that you haven't already seen right".

Batman stared silently with a scowl forming on his face.

Martian Man-hunter saw Bruce's expression and felt slightly betrayed from his friends unexplained actions towards his ask for help.

"You wanted to know more about me so I came to show you because when I do show you about how I came to be the person I am today then that should feed your curiosity enough to get you off my back. Now with the explanation over let the story begin".

"It all started with me and my classmates being summoned to another world called Tortus in order to stop a race of devils from destroying the people of that world. My job was that of a synergist the most commonplace job in the world and because of that I was the weakest out of everybody there. After vicarious training me and some people from my class entered a dungeon only to get myself betrayed from a former classmate at the time".

"Why did he betray you" said Martian Man-hunter.

"The reason behind his actions was because he was after a girl who came close to me and through his jealousy and hatred he acted the way that he did".

"What happened to him?" said Batman wanting to know.

"I beat him to a bloody pulp and fed him to demons later on not because of what he did to me then but because of what he did later on".

Batman's eyes went wide with a serious expression after hearing what he said.

"Anyway getting back to the topic at hand due to his betrayal I ended up falling down dozens of levels that had been unexplored".

An image appeared before the 3 heroes showing a younger version of Hajime laying injured on the floor.

"I was able to move after miraculously surviving from the drop. I got up recalled my thoughts then ran into a rabbit type monster which struck me down to the floor causing me a bloody and broken left arm. While withering in pain the rabbit creature stopped before it finished what it started and looked up above".

A bear appeared in the image along side the rabbit and Hajime.

"What happened after that" said Batman.

"The bear killed the rabbit ate it's corpse then set it's sight upon me as I tried to get away. However before I knew it my left arm was cut and eaten right in front of me before I screamed out in pain. After awhile scared out of my mind I used my synergist skills to get away by creating a path behind me. I hit my head while escaping and collapsed while tired and dying of blood loss from the event. I stayed there for a few days suffering in that pit of hell just waiting for my death to arrive however that didn't happen because coincidentally I stumbled across a special crystal that restores your mana meaning I wouldn't die but would continue to suffer from any starvation and feeling the pain that was previously struck. In that cave I swore to my self to kill anybody that became my enemy because in that world it was kill or be killed".

Batman and Martian Man-hunter had no words to say after seeing and hearing the story of Hajime's struggle for survival. They both grew troubled about his explanation and whether or not they should ask him to continue from there.