Trust was forged in combat.
And tonight, the Justice League would find out just what I would do to defend them.
---
The Watchtower alarms screamed a noise that had only one possible meaning.
A breach.
I came to the command center to see Batman already seated at the console, his expression grim. The others were gathering Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, and J'onn.
"Situation?" I asked.
Batman's fingers danced across the keys. "Unknown organism. Extremely powerful. It invaded the Watchtower's defenses without ever activating them."
That made my stomach knot.
"Where is it currently?"
J'onn turned, his voice calm but laced with something dangerous. "It's already here."
A boom shook the Watchtower.
We moved.
---
The intruder stood in the main corridor a towering, armored figure, surrounded by swirling dark energy.
I recognized it immediately.
A Dread Titan.
A cosmic entity from a dead dimension, feeding on the concept of fear itself.
Green Lantern created a construct blade. "Who the devil is that?"
"Bad news," I grumbled. "It doesn't just battle you. It makes your own fear turn on you."
Superman didn't delay. He charged the Titan fist cocked back, prepared to drop it in one punch.
And that's when everything went awry.
---
Superman froze suspended in midair.
Not in body he was still in motion. But his mind?
I watched his eyes go wide, his face crumple in sheer horror.
The Dread Titan had already tunnelled into his mind, exposing him to his deepest fear.
Superman crashed to the floor, shaking.
The rest of the League paused.
I didn't.
I sprang quickly.
One minute I stood next to them, the next I was within the Titan's energy field.
Its null-like shape writhed toward me, its voice booming in my head. "You fear nothing. That is a mistake."
I grinned. "No, it just means you're screwed."
And then I reached into it.
Not in body. I reached into the idea of its being, grasping the threads of fear that bound it to reality.
And I ripped them asunder.
The Titan cried out.
The Watchtower shook as the form of the entity dissolved, unraveling into nothing.
Then silence.
Superman gasped, his body convulsing as he returned to himself. The rest of the League gazed at me, their faces inscrutable.
It was over.
But the look on their faces?
The fight had only just begun.
---
Back in the debriefing room of the Watchtower, the air was thick with tension.
Batman leaned forward. "Explain what you did."
I breathed. "I killed it."
Green Lantern's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, we got that part. What the devil was that? I never saw anyone tear an enemy to shreds conceptually."
I crossed my arms. "It was the only way to stop it. If I hadn't, it would've possessed Superman and killed us all."
Superman massaged his temples, shaking. "I saw…" He swallowed. "It doesn't matter."
J'onn's eyes were keen. "You did not simply destroy it. You unmade it. No one should possess such a power."
I held his gaze. "And yet, it kept you alive."
Wonder Woman broke her silence, speaking measured. "You wield power beyond anything we have ever known. And that is why we are hesitant."
I balled up my fists. "You think I'm dangerous."
Batman did not blink. "We know you are."
The room fell silent.
Then Superman got up. "I don't care how strong he is. He saved my life."
Flash nodded. "Yeah, and the Watchtower. I mean, holy crap, that thing nearly killed Superman."
J'onn said nothing.
Neither did Batman.
The rift was taking shape.
I had proven my usefulness.
But I hadn't earned their trust.
Not yet.
And for some of them?
Maybe I never would.
---
**End of Chapter 15**