GOTC:…………
Ace: Ok, I'll bite. What are you doing?
Squeaky: Squeak. (Waiting for inspiration.)
Ace: Inspiration? For what? The last chapter?
Squeaky: Squeak. (Yep.)
GOTC:……….
Ace: So let me get this straight….She's written this whole thing, even started the second story, and she's waiting for inspiration- what's that rumbling?
GOTC: I. HAVE. IT!!
Ace: Uh-oh….Squeaky, you want to do the disclaimer before she heads into a frenzy?
Squeaky: Squeak. (Good idea….You all know the drill! Read the fic, review, and the crazy lady owns nothing but Ace and the clothes on her back!)
Rise of the Guardian: Ancient Power, Modern Age
CHAPTER 19: A Fresh Start
Batman sat down in the Cave pouring over images that popped up across the screen of his computer. Most of the images were in hieroglyphics, and completely illegible, being written in a dialect forgotten thousands of years ago. But they all had one thing in common, in each depiction, a faceless man stood with a black sword in one arm, and blue energy surrounding the other.
They weren't all consistent by any means. They all portrayed the man differently, either wearing a helmet or using shadows to obscure his face. And the energy around his arm was different each time, from being a soft glow, or cold fire, to even what looked like lightning crackling around his fist.
"It's called aura. Some Martial Arts masters have trained their bodies and minds to the point where they can even stop and start the beating of their own hearts. Those two over there have been able to take that technique a step further, by harnessing their very life-force to use as a weapon…."
Batman sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes in frustration. Working with the League had put him face-to-face with some of the strangest beings in the universe, but for someone to actually be able to not only access, but control the very essence that caused their heart to continue to beat was something he couldn't wrap his head around.
"Why not?" he asked himself, "I work with three aliens, a man with an alien ring, a science experiment, and an Amazonian princess…"
But there was still something about Ace that unnerved him. Even looking at the still images on the screen gave him the same cold feeling Ace's stare did. That was part of the reason he had Ace brought to Wayne Manor to recover, always keep your friends close and enemies closer. And until he knew which Ace was, he wasn't about to let him out of his sight.
A beeping caught his attention, as a silent alarm went off in the house. Batman pressed a button and dismissed all of the hieroglyphs from the screen, and zoomed in on the source of the alarm. Ace's room. Quickly, he pressed another button, activating a small tracking device and watched it move towards the city before contacting the rest of the League.
"Wow, that was fast," Lantern remarked as Batman called in.
"Just be ready, he'll be heading your way." Batman said before standing to go meet the rest of the League.
--
Ace looked cautiously around the nearly empty parking lot, before checking the slip of paper the nurse gave him again. She'd said that Sarah and Anna had been released earlier that day, and were staying at this hotel, until they could find a new place to live.
Ace sighed and looked at an envelope in his hand. He shouldn't even be here, but he just needed to make sure they were going to be ok. He strode quickly across the lot and knocked on the room door. For a moment, it seemed like no one would answer, but before he could leave, the door opened.
"Ace?"
Ace's eyes narrowed at Sarah's form standing in the doorway. In a single fluid motion, Ace drew the sword on his back, but Sarah's arm seemed to stretch and move at a blinding pace and struck him hard in one of his still healing injuries.
"Not fair J'onn," Ace coughed, as he staggered backwards and J'onn morphed back into his true form, "Where's Sarah and Anna?"
"Safe," Batman said dropping down behind Ace from the rooftop, "Commissioner Gordon has them both in witness protection in case your friend is still in town."
"Then I guess there's no reason for me to hang around anymore-" Ace started, turning to leave, and running into Superman.
Ace backed up a few steps from the Man of Steel, as the rest of the League emerged behind him.
"You know Ace," Superman started, "You never actually gave us an answer to our offer about joining the League."
"Really?" Ace scoffed, "I thought taking off in the middle of the night would have made for a pretty obvious 'no thanks'."
"Can you at least tell us why?" Wonder Woman asked
"I already have," Ace sighed, "It's just better for everyone if I work alone."
"And did you decide that before or after Cody died?"
Ace looked away unable to meet the eyes of the League.
"Look," Wonder Woman asked, "Just give us a chance?"
Ace sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair, and started to pace the parking lot.
"Why me?" He said to no one in particular, "There are so many other heroes out there that would grab at the chance to work side by side with you. And here I've already told you no, and you all come out like an intervention group to get me to join."
"Argon won't let it rest," He went on, "If you become a part of this, he Will. Not. Stop. until each and every one of you is dead or dying at his feet. Do you know that?"
"It's called having an archenemy," Flash shrugged, "Nothing new."
Ace didn't say anything for a moment, and just looked up into the night sky. It was hard to tell what was going on behind his eyes, until he turned and faced the League and pointed directly at Flash.
"The first 'Ace-in-the-hole' joke I hear come out of your mouth-" He said holding back a grin.
Flash never let him finish the sentence. In an instant, he was leaning against Ace, one arm around his neck going on about finding a costume for him.
"I don't do spandex Speedy," Ace said shrugging off Flash's arm, "Or capes. So forget it ok?"
"Awwww come on!" Flash whined as the rest of the League rolled their eyes, "What about a name at least?""
"And what makes you think I don't already have one?"
"Well 'Ace' is alright but not for a superhero name-"
"Wasn't the name I was talking about…"Ace said walking away.
"Really? Then what is it?"
"The Guardian." Ace said nonchalantly glancing over his shoulder.
"The Guardian?" Flash asked puzzled, "Of what?"
--
"We could take them out now Master," A shadow said in the darkness, eyes watching the League's every move.
"No, let him spend some time with his friends," Argon said leaning back against the seat of a dark car, "The money from the Shade was more than enough to meet our friend's initial investment. And besides-"
Argon watched as a smile crept across Ace's face as he walked off with the League.
"-When his time comes, I want to break him."
--
GOTC: IT. IS. FINISHED!!
Ace: Good for you….
GOTC: Come one everyone! After-party!!
Ace: No thanks……
GOTC: Awww…You are no fun at all. I guess I'll just have to put in a sneak peek of the next book in as a substitute…
Ace: You do that. I'm going to watch T.V.
GOTC: Whatever. Viewers!! Behold your first inside look into Rise of the Guardians: Forbidden Memories…..
--
The trees were so thick, it was a wonder Kyadreon even knew where he was going as he lead the League through the twisted jungle. IT was a welcome sight to see, as the trees thinned out at last, and they came to a rest at the top of a deep valley. Flowering trees were in full blossom below, and a light breeze carried the fragrant scent up to their lofty perch.
"This place is beautiful…" Hawkgirl remarked, breathing in the air with satisfaction, "Why would Ace hate coming here?"
"Take a closer look at the trees down there," Batman said pulling a pair of binoculars from his eyes, "The trees aren't natural. They're growing in perfectly even rows."
"So?" Flash shrugged, "Everyone likes to take a moonlit stroll through a flowering orchard."
"Maybe," J'onn said quietly, "If it were an orchard."
"What do you mean?"
"That whole valley," Batman said standing up, "Is a graveyard."
"And the sole reason, why Ace became a Guardian," Kyadreon said looking into the valley with mournful eyes.
--
GOTC: That's all you get. Sorry, you'll just have to read the next story when I post it! Be sure to R&R plz!!