Chapter 3 The Avatar System

Superman led us through a few long hallways, and I got to see the layout of the Watchtower. I couldn't believe it. I was in space, staring down at the cradle of human civilization. PlanetEarthh was… "Beautiful, right?" I nodded in agreement with Superman. "She is." "It never gets old, you know." He said. "It's a sight that always leaves me amazed. Come. You'll get other chances to watch the Earth soon. The watchtower is not going anywhere." I followed him closely behind. The wonderful sight I'd just witnessed changed my perspective on things. On the walk to the cafeteria, I was already giddy at the prospect of what I could achieve. I was in a fictional world, for God's sake! That meant, wasn't restricted by the mundane anymore. I could…I could be a hero. No, that's too shallow a goal, I could be the GREATEST hero in the world. Many would kill to be in my shoes. So no more whining, no more crying, no more doubting myself. It was with a new resolve that we finally made it to the cafeteria. The place was huge and almost deserted. Almost, because of the Scarlet speedster munching on cupcakes and a silver colored man with a red star on his chest reading the newspaper. "Supes. There you are. Batman said to tell you about the meeting. I was supposed to get you, but…" Flash gestured to the cupcakes. " I got a bit distracted." Superman smiled and nodded at the other man present. "Captain." "Hello Su, permanent. So this is our current guest?" Superman lightly pushed me forward. " Aden, meet Captain Atom, Captain, in this is Aden Strong." I reached out a hand to shake his hand, nd and my palm disappeared in his huge one. Strang, his skin didn't feel as cold as it looked. "Nice to meet you, son." His voice was s, strong and I remembered he used to be in the army once. I, wooded, but before I could say anything else, the Flash whooshed in. "Hey there. We have already met, but I didn't introduce myself. I'm Flash, you know, the fastest man alive." I blinked. "Uh, yeah. I'm Aden Strong. The most confused guy alive, I guess." I added lamely, not expecting the laughter from Flash. Even Superman chuckled. I looked at them strangely. Was the bar set for jokes this low in this world, or are they just fans of dad jokes? Superman patted me on the shoulder. "Get something to eat, we'll talk some more after I'm done with the meeting." I nodded, and they all turned to leave. Flash waved at me lazily, and I smiled at his antics. I went over to the counter and marveled at the automated setup of the cafeteria. The league didn't have an alive-inn chef, but after biting into the burger, I was ready to pledge my undying loyalty to the one who had made the food. My plate cleared out quickly, and I finally had some time to think about the message I had gotten. It was time to check the Avatar System. "Menu." Instantly, a screen appeared in my vision. (The Avatar System) Bending Styles - Wind (UNLOCKED) Fire ( LOCKED) Earth ( LOCKED) Water ( LOCKED) Perks: Adaptable body. There was a plus sign on each of the major elements. I pressed on it, and for each element, a section opened up. Wind Mastery Level (Beginner) - Locked - Locked Fire Mastery Level (Locked) - Locked - Locked Earth Mastery Level (Locked) - Locked - Locked - Locked Water Mastery Level (Locked) - Locked - Locked - Locked NB: To unlock more bending styles, get the current bending style to Master level. To do that, unlock the sub-elements of each Element. I nodded in understanding. The outline of the whole screen was very straightforward. All I had to do to get access to firebending was master wiwindbendingBut what about the Avatar State? How did I achieve it if I didn't have past lives? And what were the conditions to use it? ? would have appreciated some answers, but whoever had brought me here had most likely forgotten about me. In the grand scale of things, I doubt powerful beings would watch me as entertainment. Which meant I would have to figure most of this out by myself. Oh goodie. Next, I clicked on the Adaptable body perk, and a bunch of information appeared. Adaptable Body:- Your body is susceptible to different exotic stimuli. As a result, it grows to adapt to different things without any drastic change of form. Ok, that's good. So if I burn myself with fire many times, as long as I hear, I'll eventually develop resistance to it? What an overpowered ability. Too bad, I don't have regeneration as a perk. Those two would pair well. Slow exposure would be the way to go then. The good thing is that I could grow stronger, faster, and more durable in the long run as my body adapted to heavy weights. Something else was bugging me… exotic stimul, I huh? My head perked up. It had been a long time since I'd watched the show, but wasn't there a strength serum or two? Venom? No, that's Bane's neo-steroid strength enhancer … Of course, the Blockbuster formula! It came with some adverse physical deformities, but an adaptable body would get rid of that for me. But if I want the very best, I think I should skip the blockbuster serum. There was an even stronger variant that was a fusion of the Blockbuster formula and Venom. It was permanent. Luckily, it was one of the highlights of the show,w so I remembered quite a fair bit about it. The other details were fuzzy, however. So I now have a clear direction I can take. The question remaining is what the Justice League is going to decide to do with me. And do they have Peini in this world? Batman was standing at the lower end of a U-shaped table. On his left side was Superman, and on the right sat Captain Marvel. He clicked the remote, and a projector placed in the open space between the two columns of the table lit up. A hologram of a young black kid appeared. "This is the subject of today's matter. His name is Aden Strong. He was on the scene during a fight between Penguin's men and Robin. I won't go into the details of the operation, but while I chased after Killer Croc, this happened." He clicked on the console, and the footage from before started playing. Once it was done. Different expressions appeared on all of them. Most were surprised at the power displayed by the young boy. "He seems to have control over the four basic elements: wind, fire, earth, and water. Although he displayed complex manipulation of these elements, he wasn't aware of himself at that moment. I had to use knockout gas in high quantities to take him down, showing that he also has a resilient physique." Batman continued. "There's one problem, however. He doesn't exist in any records or databases. No facial recognition has picked up on his face before. He's a ghost. Normally, there would be traces left of a data trail, but nothing this clean." There was concern etched on the faces of most of the Justice League. They exchanged uneasy glances, realizing the implications of a threat that could appear out of nowhere, with no background or history. This wasn’t just another villain; it was a serious challenge that could undermine everything they stood for. Superman leaned forward, his expression serious. "If he's that elusive, we need to be on high alert. We can't afford to underestimate him. What if he decides to strike again?" Wonder Woman nodded, her warrior instincts kicking in. "We should prepare for the worst. If he can manipulate the elements, we may need specialized strategies to counter his abilities." They all knew that in their line of work, preparation was key, especially against an unknown enemy. "What's your take on that, Batman?" Green Arrow spoke up. Batman grunted and pressed another key on the console, leading to the hologram shifting to an image of two Earths side by side. "I believe that he is from an alternate Earth." There was a collective murmur of disbelief. Batman continued regardless. " Such a theory would need more looking into and input directly from the source." Superman shook his head. "That's a huge leap. Even for you, Batman." "So more Earths exist?" Captain Marvel wondered in excitement. "Yeah. I've met a few people from alternate dimensions and travelled to others too bu, but still, Bats, I agree with Superman, it's a huge leap in logic." The flash was supplied from the side. "You know, we could just ask him. I doubt we can expect anything but the truth with a telepath and Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth." Hal offered a suggestion. It was popular enough that most of the others nodded. Batman acquiesced to the majority's view. "Alright. Moving on, there's the matter of what to do with him. He's responsible for 3 deaths and even more injuries." The mood turned grim. "The League has never condoned killing, but I think we can rule this as an act of self-defense." Surprisingly, Batman was the one to defend Aden's actions. Superman looked at him, surprised. An expression that was shared by all the rest. They knew that Robin had gotten injured, a cracked rib and a dislocated shoulder from an unavoidable hit from a stray rock. Superman looked proud of his closest friend. "That's incredibly understanding of you. Usually you're all like...I am Batman." Flash joked, changing his voice to an intimidating grunt at the end. There were a few chuckles as Batman stared down at the Flash. Somehow, this seemed like a usual occurrence. "Moving. On. His abilities seemed to draw themselves out when he was already hurt, evidenced by the blood stains on his clothes. That would suggest that they are something new to him. It's paramount that whatever we decide, he takes into consideration the training of his abilities to avoid outbursts like before." " I could take him in. Maybe having someone who shares the same roots and culture as a mentor would help him acclimate better to a different world." John, one of the two green lanterns around, said. Batman nodded. "That won't work, John. It would be appropriate if it weren't for your off-world duties." Hal's words to his fellow Green Lantern made him sigh. " Themyscyra is out for obvious reasons, but so is the rest of the League for other various things. My suggestion is we let Red Tornado oversee his training. His powerset is elemental manipulation,n and that would go a long way when paired with Tornado's experience." Green Arrow rounded up to look at the Dark Knight. "You're suggesting we make him a part of the black ops team in the works?" "Yes, but as a probationary member up until he gains complete control of his abilities or we decide otherwise." No. One refuted Batman's words, a nd after discussing more issues regarding league business, the meeting was concluded.