Ascension Code: Reborn in the DC Universe - Chapter 103

The static from the transmission still lingered in the air like a poisonous echo when the screen finally faded to black, plunging the Mount of Justice meeting room into an oppressive silence. The weight of the revelation crashed down on each of them like a wave of wet concrete, crushing the air and making it difficult even to breathe. The cold white lights on the ceiling seemed more intense now, highlighting every line of tension on the young faces of the team. No one moved. Their hearts pounded loudly enough to be heard.

Forge stood, arms crossed over his pale green chest, his skin still glistening slightly with the residual sweat from the interrupted training session. His blue-green eyes were narrowed, fixed on the now-black screen. The elemental fire in his chest pulsed intensely, hot and restless, responding to the adrenaline coursing through his hybrid veins. Seven heavyweights working together. This is no longer an isolated crisis. It’s a declaration of war. His mind coldly calculated: the stakes had risen exponentially. The harem he had so carefully built—Artemis at his side, Starfire floating a little higher—was now exposed. He wouldn’t allow them to be prey. Never again. The survival he had planned since birth demanded he accelerate everything.

Batman was the first to break the silence. His gloved fingers pressed the communicator to his ear with military precision. He listened for long seconds, the impenetrable expression like a stone mask, jaw clenched, cold eyes analyzing every invisible detail. Finally, he answered in a deep, controlled voice, without a hint of unnecessary emotion:

“Positive. We’re on our way. Prepare for rescue as a backup. But it won’t be necessary.”

Robin didn’t waste a second. His fingers flew across the holographic keyboard with surgical speed and precision, his youthful face focused, his furrowed brows in perfect focus. The main screen flickered, the recording rewound rapidly to the exact moment the Joker had turned the camera. The seven terrorists reappeared in high definition, frozen like digital ghosts.

“Count Vertigo, Joker, Poison Ivy, Ultra-Humanite, Atomic Skull, Black Adam, and Wotan,” Robin listed, his voice tense and heavy with gravity. “Seven heavyweights. Probably the ones behind everyone we’ve faced so far.”

Kid Flash let out a low whistle, his eyes wide with pure shock, his mouth slightly open, his whole body leaning forward as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“This is the secret society…”

“It’s not that secret,” Artemis retorted immediately, her voice thick with bitter sarcasm and suppressed anger. Her gray eyes were hard, her jaw clenched, her fingers gripping the bow so tightly that her knuckles were white. The blonde archer looked ready to shoot something—or someone—right there.

Aqualad stepped forward, his expression serious and analytical, his brow furrowed in deep concentration, his arms crossed over his broad chest. His leadership posture was unwavering, but his eyes showed the weight of understanding.

“Perhaps after India they realized that we would discover the truth sooner or later. They no longer had any reason to hide.”

Forge felt a cold, almost predatory smile form at the corner of his lips. His voice came out calm, low, but laden with deadly and calculated intent:

“That was their mistake. Now we’re going after those botanical guys.”

Batman ignored the comment and continued, his voice sharp as a blade, without taking his eyes off the team:

“The Justice League will take care of… the plants and the wave of destruction. I have another task for you.”

Kid Flash flashed an exaggerated grin, trying to ease the tension with his usual humor, his eyes gleaming with his usual impulsive energy.

“What would that be?…”

THWACK!

Robin’s hand struck the back of his neck with an audible and precise slap. Kid Flash flinched, rubbing the spot with a grimace, his face red with irritation and surprise.

“Hey! Will you stop that?” he complained, turning to Robin with narrowed eyes.

Robin didn’t even blink, his expression serious and impatient, his finger still pointing at the screen.

“Dude, listen up, Wally. If the big guys are going to fight the plants, who do you think we’re going to fight?!”

Kid Flash opened his mouth to reply, his voice beginning to gain speed:

“Really? We’re going…”

But Robin simply pointed to the big screen, where the seven villains were still displayed in all their menacing splendor. The words died in Kid Flash’s throat. His eyes scanned each figure—Poison Ivy’s green skin, the Joker’s maniacal grin, Black Adam’s imposing presence, the dangerous glint in Wotan’s eyes. The speedster swallowed hard, his face completely colorless, his mouth open without making a sound. The shock was visible: shoulders slumped, hands trembling slightly at his sides.

Zatara, who until that moment had remained completely silent in the corner of the room, finally spoke. Forge realized that the sorcerer had been staring directly at him since the moment he and Batman had entered. There was something calculating and assessing in that penetrating gaze, as if Zatara were measuring something invisible in Forge’s aura. The sorcerer turned to Batman, his blue cape rippling slightly with the movement.

“Do you realize what you’re really asking of them?” Zatara questioned, his voice deep and filled with genuine concern, his eyebrows raised in warning.

Batman held the wizard’s gaze without hesitation, his expression unwavering, his voice as firm as a rock:

“They are already ready.”

“Ready?” Kid Flash repeated, incredulous, his eyes wide again, his whole body leaning forward in shock. “Ready for what?”

THWACK!

Another precise slap to the back of the neck. Kid Flash turned back to Robin, rubbing the spot harder, his face now red with irritation and frustration.

“Do you want to stop this, man?!”

Batman left no room for more games. His voice echoed in the room with absolute authority, cutting through the air like a command:

“With the plants attacking in so many places simultaneously, there must be a central control system. Your mission is to destroy it.”

Zatara stepped forward, his blue cloak billowing elegantly. He still glanced occasionally at Forge, as if sizing up something invisible within him, but now his focus was on the mission. His expression was serious, his brow slightly furrowed in concentration.

“Indeed. Wotan’s presence indicates that witchcraft is part of the way these plants are controlled…”

He turned to Robin, his voice firm:

“Robin, is it possible to create a holographic map?”

Robin nodded quickly, his fingers dancing across the console with renewed speed. In seconds, a giant, detailed hologram of planet Earth materialized above the center table, slowly rotating in shades of blue and green, continents and oceans shimmering with crystal-clear precision.

Zatara approached the hologram. The entire room fell into absolute silence. Forge watched with extreme attention, his green eyes fixed on the mage—it was rare to see magic used so openly and powerfully. His Martian senses were on high alert, capturing every nuance. A true mage. This could be useful for my own experiments in the basement. Morgana will want details.

“I’m going to look for signs of concentrated magical energy,” Zatara announced, his voice low and focused.

He slowly closed his eyes. Slowly, he raised both arms in a fluid, ritualistic gesture. A strange yellow glow began to emanate from his hands, growing in intensity until it formed pulsating auras. Even with his eyes closed, small sparks of golden light escaped through his eyelids, as if pure energy leaked from his body in tiny rays. When he opened his eyes again, they shone with the same luminous, almost blinding power. His mouth began to move, reciting words in an ancient, guttural language that no one in the room could understand—heavy syllables, full of ancestral power, that seemed to vibrate in the air and make the hologram tremble slightly.

Thirty seconds passed. Nothing. The tension in the room was palpable. Artemis bit her lower lip, her body rigid, her eyes fixed on the wizard. Starfire clenched her hands tightly, solar energy subtly dancing between her fingers, her expression worried. Megan floated closer to Superboy, almost unconsciously, her green skin slightly lighter with anxiety. Superboy kept his hand on the white wolf’s back, his brow furrowed. Kid Flash scratched the back of his neck, restless.

One minute. Still nothing. The air seemed heavier, heavy with expectation.

Two minutes. Breaths were held. Forge felt the elemental fire burning hotter, responding to his own controlled impatience.

At exactly the fifth minute, a bright red dot suddenly flashed on the hologram, shining brightly over the southern United States, specifically the Louisiana region.

“There it is,” declared Zatara, his voice tired but triumphant, his arms slowly lowering as the yellow glow faded.

Robin smiled quickly, his fingers already saving the data.

“It’s already recorded. Located in Louisiana.”

Aqualad turned to the team, his expression determined, his natural leadership shining through in every line of his body. His eyes swept over the group with calm confidence.

“We’re on our way.”

With a respectful nod to Batman, he gave the signal. The team began moving toward the exit of the meeting room, heading towards the locker rooms to change gear and prepare for the mission that could define their future. Footsteps echoed on the metal floor, low voices exchanged quick comments, the air still thick with adrenaline and shock.

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