288. Lady Shiva.
288. Lady Shiva.
An endless wind suddenly whipped up dust, as Alex gracefully raised his right hand. The moment his toe lightly touched the ground, a massive magic circle slowly unfurled with Alex at its center.
With a fluid movement of his arms, in the blink of an eye, Alex made several strange and mysterious hand gestures, giving off an eerie yet intriguing feeling. Ethereal green magical lightning crackled around Alex, and a powerful surge of energy erupted, forming a massive vortex that enveloped and consumed everyone.
As the magic circle took shape, both Kara and Black Canary swiftly finished off their respective enemies and descended next to Alex. The air began to tremble violently, and everyone could feel the magical energy coursing across their bodies. Suddenly, the gentle light contracted sharply, taking everyone's bodies with it as they disappeared from the spot.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world…
At a high-mountain in Tibet, within the fortress of the League of Assassins, one of the few remaining large-scale sanctuaries on Earth still standing.
Unlike the other sanctuaries, which housed large numbers of civilians, those guarding this one were warriors trained by the League of Assassins—each one a powerful fighter capable of taking on ten opponents single-handedly.
The League's fortress was built in a traditional Eastern style. Unlike castles or manors, the architecture here blended harmoniously with the surrounding environment. The stone carvings and brickwork gave the fortress a solemn and dignified air, evoking a sense of depth and mystery.
At the entrance of the fortress, a sudden gust of wind startled the guards of the League of Assassins.
If they remembered correctly, something similar had happened not too long ago.
After Constantine had barely helped Clark locate Damian, Raven had forcibly cast a teleportation spell that brought them directly here, resulting in a brief skirmish. They hadn't expected that, within less than ten minutes, a similar teleportation spell would manifest again.
The guards of the League were confused. The mystical forces they'd heard about, once so rare, now seemed to be everywhere. And how was it that so many "guests" now seemed to know the previously secret location of the League's fortress?
Though perplexed, their confusion didn't slow their actions. The moment they sensed an intrusion, the assassins immediately drew their weapons and surrounded the area where the magical energy had gathered.
Ethereal green light rippled through the air, a fierce storm swirling rapidly around them. Then, on the empty ground, a magic circle burst open, and after a blinding flash of light, Alex and his group appeared at the center of the circle.
"Cool," Ashley blinked in awe, a hint of envy in her voice.
On the other side, Black Canary curiously eyed Alex. "If I'm not mistaken, you didn't chant any spells just now. Is that magic from another universe?"
"Silent magic? You learned that so quickly?" Kara looked a bit surprised.
"It's not that," Alex, the mastermind behind all this, chuckled awkwardly. "I was just trying to use sign language to cast a reverse spell. I didn't expect it to actually work."
Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter. They had thought Alex's magical skills had taken another leap. Still, to combine reverse spellcasting with sign language, two seemingly unrelated techniques, was impressive. After all, not everyone could manage reverse sign language spells.
Their conversation lasted only a moment before they realized they were surrounded by the assassins.
"Who are these people?" Pietro frowned. He didn't like being threatened by swords and blades, and if the assassins hadn't restrained themselves, he probably would have already disarmed them.
At this moment, Jason Todd, who had remained silent, stepped forward.
As a former Robin, he naturally knew the origins of these assassins. The League of Assassins and Batman had always had a love-hate relationship. In the past, he had crossed paths with these individuals multiple times.
"You should at least recognize me, right?" Jason removed his Red Hood helmet, his expression cold as he stared at the assassins and spoke in a low voice. "I don't care who your leader is right now. Get them out here to see me."
Jason's imposing presence quickly intimidated the assassins. They exchanged glances, unsure of what to do.
Their leader, Damian, had only recently taken the last group of "guests" inside to rest and had specifically told them not to disturb him. And now, another group had arrived. Their hesitation was interpreted by Jason as defiance, which only added to his frustration. With a temper already on edge, Jason clenched his fists and started moving, ready to storm inside.
Before he had taken the super-soldier serum, these assassins weren't his match. Now that he was a true super-soldier, he regarded them as nothing more than ordinary people. However, just as Jason was about to make his move, the front gate of the League of Assassins suddenly opened, and a woman slowly emerged.
"We sure are popular today. Since when did the League of Assassins become a tourist destination?" The woman smiled wryly, her gaze sweeping over Alex and the others.
Seeing the person in charge appear, Jason halted, his eyes settling on the woman's face. He paused briefly, then nodded in greeting. "Lady Shiva."
"Long time no see, Jason," the woman, known as Lady Shiva, seemed pleasantly surprised, as though she couldn't believe Jason was still alive. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"
"Uh…" Jason hesitated briefly before turning to introduce Alex and the others one by one, while also explaining Lady Shiva's identity to the group.
Lady Shiva was known across the DC multiverse as one of the most formidable assassins and martial artists. She had defeated some of the most renowned combat-focused heroes, including Batman, Black Canary, Nightwing, and Green Arrow. Even Bane, Deathstroke, and Catwoman were no match for her.
Later, after leaving the League of Assassins, Lady Shiva operated independently and had even trained some heroes in combat techniques along the way.
She was a morally complex figure, respected by both heroes and villains, particularly those who valued hand-to-hand combat. She was principled and fiercely protective of those she cared about, making her a person of unique charisma.
However, Alex knew much more about her than just that. In other universes, Lady Shiva was also the mother of the third Batgirl. However, based on the development of this universe, it seemed that this point in her story hadn't been reached yet.
"We came following Superman. They should be here already, right?" Jason didn't waste time on small talk and got straight to the point.
"They arrived not long ago, with a demon, a Brit, and a scrawny little girl. They injured quite a few of us," Lady Shiva crossed her arms, sounding annoyed, clearly indicating that she hadn't come out of the encounter unscathed either.
It couldn't be helped, though. No matter how skilled a mortal body was, without some kind of special aid, it was impossible to contend with high-dimensional beings like demons. As if on cue, while Lady Shiva was recounting her recent encounter, the fortress gate behind her slowly opened again with a heavy creak.
It was Damian and the others, having finished settling Raven in. They'd heard the commotion outside and were coming out to investigate. At that moment, everyone's eyes suddenly locked onto each other.
.....
30 advanced chapters on p@treaon
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289. Finally Reunited!
290. The Instigator.
291. The Rock of Eternity.
292. "Accept Our Power"
293. Becoming a Demon!