*Krios "James," Gotham University, Central Square Park
"What are you waiting? My social security will expire, and you'll still be sitting there."
James focused stayed firmly on the chess board.
Muttering softly, "I am thinking."
"So think already," Professor Läufer said impatiently.
Considering what his next move should be, James moved his knight into position which the Professor immediately took with a bishop. Retaliation followed swiftly with his queen taking the bishop leaving the older man humming.
"Good, you have gotten a lot better at the game," Professor Läufer remarked while moving a pawn.
James responded by moving his own pawn to block, "I am not sure about that, I find strategizing is a skill I lack."
"Nonsense," the Professor admonished as took one of James bishops.
"Most people assume strategizing is all about knowing every tactic, every move 10 steps ahead of what the opponent is doing."
The game increased in intensity as both began moving pieces back and forth, a pawn taken here, a castle lost there.
"But those same people often find themselves lacking the necessary actions to bring about the execution of goals that develop their strategy. Adaptability, situational awareness..."
Professor Läufer moved his queen close to f7 where James king had retreated to. Looking over the board he realized too late what had happened. The brief offensive they both launched had in reality been a choreographed play to push his king into a boxed in position. And now lacking the pieces to break out he could see the Professor's bishop taking position and check mating him in 3 turns.
"And a great deal of deception," Professor Läufer smugly said.
James merely sighed before knocking his king down and conceded defeat.
"I think my ego can only take so much punishment. We have played this game for a year now and I am no closer to beating you then I was before."
At that the Professor laughed, "Well I can certainly say that at least now you make the game interesting, something that could not be said for your previous attempts."
Grumbling a little, he could not help but allow a small smile to form.
The past few years had been both challenging and wonderful in ways he could never imagine.
Challenging in the sense that while his powers grew and he could now do feats that only some of the most powerful beings on Earth could, he still had not had the alleged awakening. It had taken time but he managed to contact Ra's Al Ghul for guidance in what he was missing. Al Ghul had in not so many words said, practice and train more. And while he could never say he knew the mind of the Demon's Head well, he could certainly derive from the conversation that the aged assassin had now idea why it hadn't happened.
'Maybe I should ask Deathstroke,' he pondered.
In terms of wonderful, well it had come about in the most unusual ways.
His relationship with Barbara perhaps was something he never saw happening. After all, not many could say they were dating both the Commissioner's daughter and Batgirl now could they?!?
His school work still honestly sucked, he may be proficient enough to get a degree but he would be no Rhodes Scholar. Right now in class he was probably in the middling rank in terms of exams, while in practical he was nearer to the top. Undoubtedly the advantage of having powers and at times cheating.
The other bonus was the unusual friendship he had struck up with his Medical Ethics & History Professor Läufer.
The Professor was serving as an adjunct from Oxford here in Gotham. With a crisp almost royal English accent and something else in the background, he brought a certain dry humor and charm to every conversation. Grey haired, lanky and tall, with a sharp look and even sharper wit the man honestly felt like something ripped from a Shakespearean court drama.
Still, he had run afoul of the man when after a particularly straining training day in Antarctica he had teleported back to Gotham and decided to ditch class. After all, Medical Ethics & History was not exactly useful in practical terms, rather it was a easy credit and way to learn how to avoid getting sued. Still though, he never expected the next class to be told to stay behind and reprimanded harshly by the man.
The carefree attitude had taken a deep turn to one of absolute seriousness. It was strange to think he had fought against members of the Justice League but the shiver of fear down his spine at some professor being angry was more pronounced.
Probably had to do with the accent. Accents always made things more interesting.
After the dressing down and admonition not to be late or missing from his class the man yet again did a 360 and asked if he wanted to grab lunch. James being thrown off by the sudden change said sure and that started their tradition of eating lunch and playing chess during the midday break.
These lunch breaks were strange in retrospect for James. He could honestly say besides Barbara, his mother Jane, step siblings, Deathstroke sort of and Cobblepot he never had any friends. Acquaintances sure, business partners and trainers also sure, but actual people he could consider friends could be counted on one hand.
"So now that the semester is ending," Professor Läufer said, "Are you excited to be soon entering your fourth year?"
The semester ending was a understatement, exams had happened just last week and everyone from the typical bachelor degree students to law and medical were taking a deep breath and enjoying the freedom.
James considering how fast things had gone these last few years shook his head, "It has gone by so fast. If anything it feels weird and..."
"And?" the professor prompted, as he took a drink from his water bottle.
"It feels," James said slowly, "It feels like something is about to happen. Kind of like being on the tip of a roller coaster right before it drops. There is a sense that I can't shake."
The professor scratched the back of his head, "Have you meditated on this like I taught you?"
Meditation. His old martial arts Sensei had encouraged him to give such a try to help control his anger in the past. It had not gone over so well.
When Professor Läufer suggested it he had almost burst out laughing but the serious look his friend gave made him reconsider. One lunch while he waited to meet up with Barbara he took the time to try the professor's method. Rather then clearing his mind he followed Professor Läufer's instruction of focusing entirely on a image, a image he could imagine with near perfect recollection. The professor explained that clearing one's mind certainly was the most common method but sometimes a person needed something to focus on before their mind could clear.
It seemed so simple and frankly stupid at the time but to the man's credit it actually worked somewhat. James spent awhile figuring out what his mind should envision. But after consideration he focused on the night sky over the old Eastside apartments he had lived in. It was strange, sitting on the grass in the GCU courtyard he could almost feel the old rusty metal grate that hung outside their apartment, the smell of the ocean mixed with the garbage of the city, the twinkling of stars slightly diminished due to the light pollution. The image was imperfect, and yet also perfect as it was one he knew well thanks to years of sitting there as a youth.
Focusing on such, for the first time he felt himself drift off and a certain amount of clarity came to his mind. It felt similar to floating in water, a certain aspect of relaxation and peace came upon him.
Snapping out of it, he had asked how Professor Läufer he knew what to do. The professor had just smiled and said he had had similar problems.
"Ya I meditated," James replied after breaking from his thoughts, "It helped somewhat but..."
"But?" Professor Läufer leaned forward.
It was strange but for James it felt good to talk to someone about this. Though he couldn't give the exact details, he felt comfortable enough to give an abridged version to professor. Besides, he was certain telling his college professor he had a vision of an eldritch like creature while training with assassins would certainly get him locked up in Arkham for insanity.
"While meditating it felt like something was watching me. Something big... I have felt something like this once while I was on my study abroad."
Taking a moment to think, James then said, "I felt it watching me, as if warning me something would be happening very soon. But I still don't know what exactly it means or why I am feeling this way."
The professor hummed before dryly saying, "Well that sounds like a mixture or absurd, paranoid and weird."
That made James laugh, "When I say it out loud it really does."
"I assure you it does," Professor Läufer chuckled with him, "But still, maybe your conscience is telling you to prepare yourself for changes. Certainly a new school year is coming, and I know your relationship with Mrs. Gordon is progressing along."
Nodding to James' considering look he then said, "Just because change is coming does not mean you should fear it. Fear is a dangerous thing, it can lead to anger, then to hate and eventually even suffering."
"Did you just paraphrase a Yoda quote to me," James blinked in surprise.
Silence.
"I like the music."
---------------------------------------
*Barbara Gordon "Batgirl," Batcave
Batman, Robin and her had returned from Argentina a week ago. Bruce had made both of them swear not to talk about their investigation and the discovery of Nazi gold to anyone.
For a week, she and Robin had gone about their business. Robin attending school and patrolling, while she focused on her own schooling and efforts as 'Oracle.'
While they focused on that, Bruce and Alfred had been investigating various files and information, compiling it and confirming suspicions. It seemed the discovery of the gold was a corner piece of a large puzzle that helped put together many of the other pieces. It all came to a head when she received a simple communication to come to the Batcave now.
Leaving in the middle of the night, she got there last as Batman with his cowl down sat in front of the Bat computer. Alfred was to the right and Jason to the left, and to her surprise standing right next to him was Nightwing, Dick.
Dick had certainly grown in the last year. Now only Bruce was slightly taller then him with he being nearly a head taller then Barbara. The built athletic and gymnast body he boasted had also bulked, this was no longer a boy wonder but rather a true man.
A quick glance from him showed a hesitation before a polite if stiff nod in her direction.
It had been months since they last talked but they had been able to patch up a few of the holes in their relationship. Dick had even come to mostly accept her relationship with James though there was still a simmering annoyance at his former crush.
'Starfire might of helped with him moving on,' she thought considering the kind Tamaranian princess. She and a few others had formed a new small vigilante team known as the Titans which Dick served as a leader for. Supposedly they had started a relationship and that had helped Dick relax and chill.
Time would tell though.
"Good your here," Batman said gruffly not turning from the Bat computer.
Barbara merely smiled, "Good to see you Alfred, Jason... Dick."
Jason and Dick both grunted at the same time which caused then men to stare at each other annoyed.
Alfred politely bowed his head, "And you as well Mrs. Gordon, a pleasure as always."
"Now that is out of the way," Batman said briskly, "Lets begin."
On the main screen a old, worn photo copy of a physical file appeared. The aged paper was pronounced as was the symbol of the Nazi Reich. Stamped across the file was various words which on one of the side screens was translated.
Top Secret by order of the Fuhrer: Operation Ahnenerbe
"In the 1930's, the Nazi's started a new program focused on 'Ancestral Heritage.' The program's intention was to prove the racial theories on the Aryan race via a very loose pseudoscience. This organization had a wide range of academics who through biology, psychology, science and archaeology tried to prove the idea of a single race improving all aspects of humanity."
"Wait," Jason interrupted Batman, "What does any of this have to do with the old gold we found?"
"Jason," Batman said firmly, "There is a thousand pieces of evidence that forms the full picture. Just be patient."
With his sidekick reprimanded he continued, "The ironic twist of such efforts only furthered disproved their theories. But that was not what the Fuhrer wanted, so they continued their efforts uncovering rare artifacts, treasures and secrets long thought lost."
"At some point in the 30's the Nazi's discovered in Egypt an original manuscript from the time of Abram the Mage. Possibly it was a fragment left when the Hebrews fled Egypt, but it detail an account of an ancient race. Beings that caused terror in the gods themselves. Naturally, Ahnenerbe became very interested in the implications, whether to support their own theories or merely lead to powerful artifacts they could use."
Alfred spoke up, "I presume master Wayne, based on what John Constantine said that the Nazi's had discovered a small portion of the history of the Precursors."
Barbara and Dick both tensed up remembering the cold and whispers that usually followed the mention of that name but nothing happened.
"Master Wayne hired Constantine to ensure the Batcave was protected from many magical gazes," Alfred said seeing their reactions, "He bought a few additional trinkets to ensure that name would not cause problems."
That was quite the relief to hear.
"So if I understand correctly," Barbara spoke her thoughts, "The Nazi's began excavating for ancient relics, they find something interesting about some old powerful beings and decide to try to find more information."
Batman clicked a button showing an image of a handful of surgeons, scientist and Nazi officers surrounding what looked like a medical room.
"They didn't try," he emphasized, "They found something."
Another image showed a young man with a loose hospital gown sitting on the bed of the same room. The age of the photo made the figure's face blurry but the body and height seemed to indicate someone 14 to 16 years old.
Jason leaned in, "He can't be older then me... what is this?"
Another click showed a variety of documents on screen, some appeared as medical, others strangely as psychoanalytic and mystical. The data provided showed an intensive study into the biology and metaphysical abilities of the individual. The amount of procedures performed were a massive list going for years. The implications of what exactly the scientists were doing to this young man was not lost on anyone in the room.
"These photos were taken around the 1940s, Ahnenerbe had found what they were looking for," Batman said softly.
Barbara typed a command into the computer, the image of the young man zoomed near the face and went through a few filters that did little to clear the blurriness. Still, the emotion of the face could be discerned and it was one of immense sadness.
"Why Bruce," she said with great emotion, "Why... how could they do this to a kid."
Batman spoke gently, "The boy's name in this photo is Klaus Kriegsmann, a name given by the state since his parentage was unknown. He was considered a meta by the authorities early on in the late 30s and taken for observation. At some point the scientists discovered the boy was unique among their other test subjects. In part for his rapid healing and exponential growth in power over time. The peculiarity of his powers eventually caught the attention of the Ahnenerbe who thanks to the manuscript of Abram the Mage and some of their mystics believed the boy's powers were connected to the Precursors."
Dick's eyes widened as he read the kids file, "Telepathy, extreme healing, time manipulation, gravity control... I'm surprised they didn't try to use him as a weapon."
Alfred coughed, "Actually master Grayson, they did. 1945 the Allies had pushed into Germany and every available resource or experimental weapon was deployed to the fronts. Apparently they sent the then young man into the Eastern front where he annihilated an entire Russian division. The Russians in response launched a significant bombing campaign that eventually incapacitated him."
"He was injured enough that by the time he could be deployed again the war was a foregone conclusion. Berlin was surrounded and reports had it that Hitler was dead." Batman continued where Alfred left off.
"At that point Ahnenerbe disbanded overnight, most of their paperwork was destroyed and many of its members were killed in the fighting or executed. Records that belong to them are extremely rare and even what I have is somewhat limited. But there is enough to finish this story. With the war lost a small band of zealots with many of their geneticists reformed themselves and using Klaus' powers, who at this point was promoted to the rank of Commander after fighting the Russians, managed to escape Germany. They took a significant amount of stolen gold and a few of their biological experiments."
Barbara saw the threads, "I see... they became the Order. The paramilitary organization that has been harassing the League for months. And the same guys who tried to bring Krios into the organization."
"But wait," Jason confused said, "If this ultra secretive organization has managed to stay hidden so long, why are they revealing themselves now?"
Silence followed but the gaze of Alfred fell upon Batman who returned it with a stony look.
Dick seeing this growled, "Should of known, still haven't changed much have you Bruce. Still holding out despite us being out there risking our lives."
"Dick," Barbara tried to intervene before things escalated.
"I don't recall ever saying I would share everything with you Dick," Batman stood, facing directly in front of Dick, "But I am sharing what I know about this because it will require everyone!"
The near shout made Dick take a step back in surprise. Bruce rarely if ever raised his voice, much preferring a quieter, sterner tone to emphasize his points.
This was a Bruce/Batman who was in no mood to argue.
The images on the computer changed to that of the book Barbara and Dick had seen at the House of Mystery.
"Abram the Mage like many of his contemporaries if you find uncensored wrote few details about the Precursors. We have yet to find anything that fully explains what connects the Commandant to them or how his powers relate to them. Most of those records we don't have due to being destroyed or lost after the war."
The image changed to show the blurry image of Klaus Kriegsmann, and on the side a image of the villain Krios, masked but with eyes burning in fury.
"The Commandant is a powerful individual, born with immense powers we don't understand. He seems to have been biding his time, waiting for something. It was only when Krios emerged that he became more relevant and started using the Order to distract the League. Perhaps to buy him time to find Krios... maybe there is a schedule he is trying to keep."
Sitting back down Batman looked tired, "The Commandant has been sighted a handful of times with brief fights against Ras Al Ghul, Black Adam, Klarion and a few others working in the shadows. I don't know the details of those encounters, and reports are even more scant. The only thing I am sure of is that they are all scared of him... no, terrified of him."
The following silence was telling. The names Batman had dropped were considered global threats requiring no less then 5 League members in the ideal situation. The fact that these heavy weights were scared said something about who they were dealing with.
"How does Krios factor into this?" Dick asked.
Batman switched the screens to show the various news reports, police files and his own notes.
"Krios, formerly known as 'Hound,' former Penguin associate and now wanted terrorist... I am not sure."
The admission from Batman was surprising to say the least.
"What I mean to say," he said quieting down the surprise, "His powers and exponential growth make him a strange anomaly even in our world. We know the Order is hunting Krios down. Krios was at the ground zero where the burst of energy was detected, that same burst that the Olympians warned was connected to Precursors. Whether he is like the Commandant, or connected in some other way we will find out when we catch him."
Everyone glanced around trying to gauge the others reaction to what Batman was saying.
"Ehhh," Jason said, "Shouldn't the Justice League be taking care of this? I mean, this sounds like we need some of the heavy hitters."
While Jason tried to sound nonchalant, Dick's angry tone was perhaps more accurate to what he was feeling.
"And why are you saying we need to handle this? I already have several ongoing cases in Bludhaven and New York but you are just expecting us to drop everything?!?"
Batman opened his mouth to speak but Dick was having none of it, "Shut it Bruce, Barbara is busy working with GCPD and is trying to pull back from donning the suit but now you are insisting she participate. Jason meanwhile is picking up your slack in Gotham and already has his hands full while you have been working on this side project."
The rant from Dick surprised Barbara as it did she notice for Jason. Despite their enmity, Dick had just acknowledge the work he was doing. It might of not been much but considering things it was a leap forward.
"Dick," Batman growled, "This is a credible threat to both the League and the world!"
"So include the League!" Dick shot back, "Bring in the U.N. investigators to help hunt these 'credible threats,' why are you having us take this on all on our own?!?"
Rising from his chair Batman was looking mad but Dick was not about to stop.
Barbara watching this could see things were heading to a full blown fight again. But she had to admit, she was curious what Dick was going to say.
"Face it Bruce, I know you haven't said a word to the League, or if you did you gave them just the bare minimum. Just like with me you can't handle trusting someone to do the job even when they are better suited for it. But unlike other times, you really can't handle it all by yourself so you dump it on us. This isn't about you trusting us but rather your ego not accepting anyone handling an investigation you like."
'Wow,' Barbara thought, Dick... he is not exactly wrong is he.
Gotham was a territory fiercely guarded by Batman and he rarely let anyone even Superman operate without his say so. This many argued in favor was because only Batman could protect such a dangerous city as Gotham. Only he knew how to handle the worst of the crazies and most dangerous of organize crime, and any other would exasperate the issue.
Many though both in the League and Team did not agree with this point.
It didn't help that Metropolis, the gleaming city dominated by its own billionaire and superhero was not that far away and stood in stark contrast. Many used it as an example of a more effective hero then say what Batman was.
To Barbara's mind it was not a fair comparison, but she agreed with Dick's assessment that Bruce's obsession did cause more harm.
Both men she could tell were about to throw punches but were saved when the Batcomputer began blaring.
BEEP BEEP BEEP
Immediately a birds eye view map of Gotham appeared before it zoomed over a mile section with the Gotham Superior Courthouse. A bright red box surrounded the effected area as reports of fires and explosions began to be listed.
At the same time another screen popped up with an emergency communique from her father.
"The Joker is back..."