Chapter 23: The Fog
Hello readers, this is a double chapter, due to what was owed on Friday since I was not feeling well mentally and in terms of health.
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For the team, it was a quiet day, not knowing that it would be the worst day of their lives, and for the first time, they would meet a Demon, the most disgusting being in the universe.
Batman had called them; apparently, a mission had come up unexpectedly. Everyone changed into their uniforms and gathered in the main room. Wally arrived loaded with beach gear and fell to the ground.
"I love the uniform you might have exactly," Artemis said teasingly, with Wally sitting up and looking at her.
"Who is she?" He said, confused, looking at Artemis.
"Artemis, your new companion," Artemis said, smiling.
"Kid Flash, I've never heard of you," said the surprised one, with Green Arrow approaching.
"She's my new protégé," Green Arrow said.
"What happened to the previous one, with speed?" Wally said.
Suddenly, the computer rang, "Recognized Speedy B08." They all turned to see the ex-companion of Green Arrow entering.
"To begin with, I'm not Faster, I'm Red Arrow," said the boy who entered. Green Arrow saw him and was surprised.
"Roy, you look," Green Arrow said, looking at his former protégé.
"Replaceable," he said in response, quite angrily when he saw Artemis.
"Then why look for a substitute? She doesn't even know how to use a bow," he said. Before it got worse, I intervened.
"I don't care about their dramas, but in the cave, I don't want personal fights," I said, looking at Roy, who glared at me.
"Besides, I do know how to use it," Artemis said, seeing that he had intervened.
"Boy Flash, irritated, 'Who are you anyway?'" he said, with Artemis and Arrow responding at the same time.
"I'm her niece," she said, and Arrow with "She's my niece." Something vibrated inside, and I knew it was a lie, but she gave me a familiar feeling. She was similar to me, so I won't say anything for now.
"Another niece," Robin said amused.
"She's not your replacement. We've always wanted you on the team. We don't have a limit for team members," Aqualad said, trying to pacify the situation.
"And if we did, you know who we'd pick," Wally said. Artemis was angry, so I put a hand on her shoulder and shook my head.
"Whatever you say, guardian of the bay. I came to stay," Artemis said angrily.
"Boy Flash, enough! We on the team trust each other's lives to our teammates. Enough of petty disputes that only ruin everyone's work. Red Arrow, you came to the team for a reason," I said, with Boy Flash grumbling.
"Dr. Serling Roquette," Robin connected her laptop to the main screen.
"Genius of nanorobotics and claytronics at the Royal University of Star city, disappeared two weeks ago," Robin said, showing the profile.
"Kidnapped two weeks ago by the League of Shadows," Red Arrow said.
"Old man, you want us to rescue her from the shadows?" Robin said.
"I already rescued her, but there is a problem. They forced her to create a weapon called 'the Mist' by the doctor, made up of millions of nanotechnology infiltrator robots. It can destroy everything in its path: concrete, steel, or flesh and blood.
But their true purpose is not destruction; it is theft. They consume and store raw data from any computer system and deliver it to the shadows, giving them access to everything," Green Arrow said.
"Perfect for manipulation, extortion, and chaos. If it's perfect for the shadows," Artemis said. Kid Flash got impatient.
"As if you knew something about the shadows," Boy Flash said to which Artemis just looked at him and smiled.
"Who are you?" Boy Flash yelled, exasperated.
"Roquette is working on a virus to disable the Mist," said Red Arrow, showing the research.
"If the League finds out, it will be bad," Robin said, worried about what he was reading.
"For now, it is offline. If they find out, it will become their target. I've hidden it in the laboratory of the local high school," said Red Arrow.
"You left her alone?" Green Arrow said in dismay.
"She's safe for now," Red Arrow said nonchalantly, which seemed strange to me.
"Then you and I will keep it that way," Green Arrow said, advancing.
"You and I? Don't you want to take your new protégé?" Red Arrow said defiantly. Batman stopped Green Arrow, who looked at Batman.
"You brought this to the team; it's her mission, which means it's hers now," Green Arrow said, pointing to Artemis with his hand.
"Then my job is done," Arrow said, walking away.
"Recognized B08 Fast." The computer said.
"Update is Red Arrow B08," Red Arrow said furiously.
"Okay, Boy Flash, change course. Artemis, come with me. I'll give you your first aid kit. The rest of you, get your things ready. We're defending Doctor Omega's priority," I said, watching Boy Flash look at Artemis angrily and leave. Artemis and I arrived at the kitchen.
"What's wrong with him?" Artemis said irritably.
"He doesn't like you. He thinks you're a replacement for his friend, but let it be," I said as I took out the medical kit and a sprayer.
"Well, basic equipment. This spray is made from my feathers. It will heal any wound or poison, no matter how lethal. Everything except a few things on the supernatural side. How many arrows can your quiver carry?" I said while pulling out a golden feather, another growing and turning to dust.
"About a hundred, of different types," Artemis said, showing me some.
"Well, if you run out of arrows, just tell me, and I'll make more. As for my powers, imagine a Superman without heat vision and more of a support role. Oh, and I almost forgot, I'll give you a space bag. Just drop a drop of blood, and you can use it," I said.
"At least you're nice," she said, laughing and taking the bag, cutting her finger a little so that the blood fell and the bag glowed.
"They all are. Give them time," I said, smiling and healing her.
After 5 minutes, the team was on the bio-ship, and we arrived at the high school.
"This is bad. A great place with lots of entry points for assassins. Conner, Megan, Artemis, and I will be outside, covering the access points. Robin, Kaldur, Wally, cover the inside. Robin, you'll have motion sensors on your belt," I said to Robin.
"Some. I'll place them in the hallways. They'll alert us if anyone comes in," Robin said, nodding.
"Right. And remember, keep Doc and the virus safe," I said as everyone
disembarked.
As we descended, we went to the room where the doctor was. When the woman arrived, she was scared.
"Doctor Roquette, we're in charge of keeping you safe," I said to calm her down.
"Well, at least there are more, but where is the League?" she said, still typing on the computer.
"They're not here. This mission is ours. Miss Martian, link us up. We'll avoid radio contact," I said, looking at Megan.
"Linked, everyone," Megan said mentally.
"This is weird," Artemis said, leaning against a table in shock.
"And annoying. I'm working on a child's computer with less RAM than a wristwatch. Now I have to listen to the thoughts of some teenagers," the doctor said, rubbing her head.
"Doctor, calm down. Team, split up," I said, leaving with the others. Kaldur, Kid Flash, and Robin monitored the interior, while the rest of us took up positions on the roof. I circled above, monitoring everything.
"They know the virus is useless if we don't find the weapon," Robin said.
"First, my Fog is not a weapon. It's just science—great science. To find it, you should go online. Doing it from here would be like painting a neon sign that says 'kill me'," Roquette said.
"We will protect you, Doctor," I said mentally.
The doctor considered it. "Okay," she said, tracking the fog. Eventually, she found it in Philadelphia, but at the same time, they located us.
"We've found its location in Philadelphia," Kaldur said.
"Okay, Robin, Superboy, you're up. Miss Martian, configure the ship to transport them," I said, still keeping an eye on Calibraxis' battle.
"Ready," Megan said, and Robin and Superboy took off. Meanwhile, I noticed a surge of demonic energy approaching—terrible and ominous.
"Damn. Everyone inside the building. The League sent a demon," I yelled mentally.
"I've got it in front of me," Megan said when she saw a crimson figure approaching. It had several arms and black knives, emanating a terrifying aura.
"Come on, how hard can it be?" Artemis said, shooting several arrows at it. The demon shattered the arrows and began to laugh gutturally.
"Silly humans. I'll enjoy eating your entrails," it shouted, lunging at Artemis. I quickly intervened, sending it flying with two shots. The demon roared with anger and charged me with its blades.
"Miss Martian, cut my mental connection. It could use it to its advantage," I instructed.
"Understood," she said, cutting the link.
"Calibraxis, who sacrificed enough souls to elevate you to the rank of a Hellish Duke?" I shouted in rage.
"Kwkwkw, someone who wants you dead," it said, attacking me. I managed to deflect its attacks and fought it off, but its daggers were potent, and the battle was intense.
In the midst of the Calibraxis fight, he pulled out a red crystal orb, its demonic energy vile and nauseating. He swallowed it.
"You forced me to use what my master Azazel gave me. Now you won't be able to beat me," it said, transforming into a more grotesque form. The sky turned blood red, and a putrid smell spread.
"Do you think I'll let you flood the island with your vile filth?" I said, creating a large protective circle that clashed with the blood-red sky.
"I release my Divine grace. I invoke the Grace of Justice to defend my brothers from evil in my name, Ethan Demiurgos," I declared, my wings extending fully, electrifying arcs coursing through them. My eyes glowed with golden fury.
"I pronounce my judgment. I am the judge, jury, and executioner," I said, pointing Punishment at its head and firing. A cry of pain echoed through the air as the demon was erased from existence, leaving behind only a red crystal orb. I took it before collapsing against a wall, blood and pain engulfing me.
Calibraxis had been eradicated, but I was bleeding profusely, poisoned by its demonic energy. My strength wavered, and I knew I had to end it quickly. I flew towards Calibraxis as fast as I could, managing to slam its skull into the pavement.
It retaliated ferociously, attacking with all its might. Each blow was powerful enough to shatter reinforced walls, and its attacks left me bleeding more. But I persisted, pushing back against the onslaught.
In the midst of our battle, someone sneaked into the facility. The assassin scattered metal balls near the pool, catching Kid Flash's attention. He sped over to investigate and fell into the pool face down. The assassin sprinted down the hallway, avoiding alarms and slipping inside.
Shooting poison darts at Dr. Roquette, the assassin was intercepted by Kaldur, who deflected the darts with his arm.
"Atlantean skin. We're quite resilient," Kaldur said, countering the assassin's attacks.
"My darts are rather poisonous," the assassin taunted.
"Medusa's venom. I'm almost immune," Kaldur replied, though he felt its effects slightly. The assassin managed to knock him down, flinging him into the doctor with her sai.
"Almost," she remarked, eyeing the doctor.
Kaldur deflected the sai, sending it crashing into the wall.
"Miss Martian, Artemis, in the lab!" Kaldur ordered through the comlink.
Megan had located a drowning Wally and performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to save him. Artemis assisted Kaldur, and the assassin seized the opportunity to escape.
"Archangel, we need to act. We're engaged," Kaldur reported through the comlink.
"Fall back, but avoid the front. I'm facing a formidable adversary, a demonic Duke from Hell. Kaldur, take charge. I'll keep it at bay, no matter what. Don't assist me. He wields weapons that could kill us with the slightest cut," I relayed, my voice strained.
In the midst of my battle with Calibraxis, it produced a red crystal orb, oozing vile demonic energy. I held on as long as I could, knowing that if I let go of the protective circle for even a moment, the island would be consumed by infernal miasma. Calibraxis attacked with renewed ferocity, his strikes threatening to overwhelm me.
"You damn angelic bastard! Die, die, die!" Calibraxis shrieked, lunging at me with his daggers. The demon's fury knew no bounds, and his onslaught intensified.
"You're right," I gasped, showing my face, causing Calibraxis to recoil in fear. With my strength waning, I managed to drive his skull into the ground, momentarily dazing him.
"No, it's not impossible. Lord Lucifer," Calibraxis stammered in terror, dropping his weapons.
"No, I am Ethan Morningstar, the Third Demiurge, Son of Samael, Demiurge. I claim my full powers," I proclaimed, my wings extending to their full span, glowing with golden radiance, electric arcs cascading across them. My eyes blazed with intense
with intense light.
"Calibraxis, a demon known for possessing history's worst murderers. Cruel and sadistic, his power rivals that of an infernal prince. If I hadn't faced him, he would have tortured and consumed us all, dragging us to Hell. He wounded me with the only weapon capable of killing us—an infernal blade," I explained to my team, exhausted.
Meanwhile, Artemis chased the assassin, using her arrows to slow her down. The assassin managed to outwit Artemis and escaped into the cyber cafe.
The fight had left me bleeding heavily, poisoned by the demonic energy of Calibraxis' daggers. Artemis rushed to my side, attempting to staunch the blood flow and using the medical spray.
"What do I do? The bleeding won't stop," Artemis said, panic creeping into her voice.
Kaldur emerged from the cyber cafe, helped by the doctor. "Ethan, what happened?" he inquired.
"Hellblade wound," I managed to say, revealing the source of my injury—a black knife—while coughing up blood.
"Quick, Artemis, use the medical spray," Kaldur urged.
"I've already used everything. It's not working," she said, her fear palpable, even as she continued to press the wound.
Wally and Megan arrived on the scene. "It won't work. Wounds caused by that weapon don't heal. They're deadly for humans. Even though it didn't strike a vital organ, my nephew is seriously poisoned by demonic energy," a voice declared. The entire team turned to see a man descending from the heavens, gray wings spread wide.
"Uncle Uriel," I murmured, pain evident in my voice as I leaned against the wall, spitting out more blood.
"Hello, nephew. I see you've released part of your power. Your father contained it to prevent it from annihilating the universe," my uncle Uriel said mentally, approaching me.
"Calibraxis was manifested on Earth in a corporeal form. Your grandfather will want to know how many souls were sacrificed to bring him. Also, take a look at this," I said, showing him the red orb.
Uriel examined it with fury, causing the whole room to tremble. "One hundred thousand condensed souls—a demonic orb. This reeks of Azazel's handiwork," Uriel growled, looking at me for confirmation.
"There's no time, nephew. Father has given me this. It will hurt you like never before," Uriel said, producing a golden-hilted sword of fire. Flames engulfed the blade, and a sheet of pure fire extended from it.
"Count to three. No one should touch the blade, or they'll be wiped from existence," Uriel warned. He brought the sheet of fire close to my wound, and I felt the searing pain as he cauterized it. A heart-wrenching scream escaped my lips, but the wound was sealed.
I fell unconscious from the pain, and Uriel carried me. "Children, return to the cave. We'll take Ethan. He'll be out for a while," Uriel said, his wings spreading as he transported everyone back to the cave.
As the team materialized in the cave, they were met with tense league members ready to attack. Batman observed the newcomer carefully.
"Lower your weapons. No one stands a chance against me. Especially you, Batman," Uriel declared, holding me in his arms.
Batman looked at the man, his demeanor grim. "Another relative of the Archangel," Batman noted.
"One of your many uncles. I am Uriel, tasked with welcoming souls to Heaven," Uriel introduced himself.
"What happened? Ethan is covered in blood," Black Canary inquired, concerned.
"A demon. The League used a demon to attack us. Ethan engaged it in battle," Kaldur explained while Roquette stayed close.
"Calibraxis. A demon known for possessing history's most notorious murderers. Cruel and sadistic. If Ethan hadn't confronted him, we all would have been tortured and consumed, dragged to Hell. Ethan was struck by the only weapon that can kill us—an infernal blade," Uriel clarified with a hint of annoyance.
Black Canary examined me closely, noting my weak pulse and pallor. "How long will he be like this?" she asked, worried.
"He'll recover in a few hours. He'll be weak but fine. I'll take him away. He can't remain on Earth," Uriel decided, looking at me before taking the corrupted orb and leaving behind four infernal daggers.
Black Canary and Tornado transported me to the infirmary for a thorough assessment. "Massive bleeding, poisoned by an unknown element, scarring on his liver, necrotic flesh around the wound but healing rapidly," Tornado reported after scanning me.
"It's horrific. His entire right side is infected," Black Canary remarked, observing the black tendrils around the wound.
"It's not any form of human poison. Nor is it associated with these daggers. Let me know when he awakens. I need your report," Batman said, leaving to deactivate the fog with the other League members.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
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