MTL NOVEL Chapter 45: Chapter 45
"Says the chicken who just got corrupted over chocolate," Ashborn said with clear disdain.
That was it. Ember snapped.
She vanished in a flash of fire, her fist rocketing toward Ashborn's face. But just before impact, his shadow surged from the ground, forming a barrier between them. The force of her attack was swallowed whole, vanishing into the infinite darkness as if it had never existed.
Ember's eyes widened in shock. She tried to yank her hand back, but the shadow moved, wrapping around her like living tendrils. The darkness coiled around her limbs, pulling her in. Instinct screamed at her to fight, but after a second, she stopped resisting.
She had realized something.
So, instead of struggling, she allowed herself to sink into Ashborn's shadow, disappearing without a trace.
The Justice League, however, wasn't about to stand by and let something so ominous unfold before their eyes.
Without hesitation, the Justice League surged forward to intervene, determined to save Ember from whatever darkness had just consumed her. But before they could reach her, a golden light flashed, and Doctor Fate appeared in their path, raising a hand to halt them.
"He's absorbing the corruption he missed," Fate stated calmly, his voice carrying an authority that made even the most headstrong heroes pause. "If you interfere now, you'll disrupt the process. More importantly, you're also weakening her connection to the Emotional Spectrum. If she experiences too many uncontrolled emotions, she could easily fall back into that dark, destructive state."
Ashborn gave a slight nod of acknowledgment, though his attention remained on the process at hand.
"Pretty much," Ashborn said with a shrug. "Emotions are still new to her, so it's best to start off with training wheels." His gaze swept over the gathered heroes before he tilted his head slightly. "So, what do you guys want?"
Batman stepped forward, his expression unreadable beneath the cowl, but his voice was firm. "You are an unknown, highly powerful being walking the Earth with control over darkness. We can't ignore your existence when it could pose a threat to everyone."
Ashborn sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Don't worry, I'm a reasonable man. I just plan to relax here on Earth until I recover my full strength. Then I'll leave your omniverse and return to mine." His tone was casual, as if this entire situation was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
"I'm afraid we can't just take your word for it," Superman interjected, his voice firm but not hostile. "You may not have ill intentions, but your power alone makes you a concern. And the girl in your shadow—she lost control and destroyed an entire city block without even meaning to. We need to ensure she's safe to walk among the people here."
"I understand where you're coming from," Ashborn said with a sigh while turning to leave.
"But I just don't want to. I spent months in a universe overrun with zombies, only to step out and fight the pawn of the ruler of the primordial void. Then I had to take on the void's ruler himself, survive an attempted assassination by its will, and watch it clash with the embodiment of the laws of my omniverse. And after all that? I somehow ended up here." He stretched his arms lazily. "So, forgive me if my top priority right now is relaxing, and staying far away from all of you is step one."
With that, he turned on his heel, waving a dismissive hand over his shoulder. "I'm going to get an ID. See you guys never."
"We can help you settle on Earth. Just answer a few questions, and you'll have everything you need by tomorrow," Batman said.
Ashborn paused for a long moment before replying. "Okay… five questions."
Batman hesitated briefly before asking, "When you awakened, our magic casters sensed numerous powerful eyes within your darkness. Are they connected to how you reanimated lifeless bodies across Gotham as shadows?"
Ashborn gave a slight nod.
"Are they under your complete and absolute control?" Batman asked.
Ashborn paused for a moment before answering. "Yes, but they have free will."
Batman's eyes narrowed. "Who is that girl in your shadow?"
"Ember," Ashborn replied calmly. "I can't go into more detail—I have no interest in attracting the attention of some omniversal being here."
'A phoenix with a unique connection to the Emotional Spectrum—so powerful that if her existence were known to the right beings, they would come looking for her…' Batman pieced the information together. Ashborn had called her a chicken, and she'd been offended. That alone made it obvious—she was a phoenix.
"Are you being corrupted by the corruption you absorb?" Batman asked. Ashborn simply shook his head.
"Nope. I was told my soul is far too clean for someone who bathes in darkness… I guess that's a good thing," Ashborn said lightly.
Batman glanced at the magic casters nearby, and they all gave a confirming nod—Ashborn was telling the truth.
"I'll save my last question," Batman said before stepping into the darkness and vanishing. …Well, it would have been cool if Ashborn couldn't see him perfectly, even in the shadows.
"I'm willing to pay for a nice mansion, immortality, bringing the dead back to life—whatever you want. Name it, and I can make it happen. I was going to go to Lex, but you'll do, considering how rich you are," Ashborn called out, making Batman pause and turn back to him.
"You'd work with Lex?" Batman asked, frowning.
"Sorry, but the whole hero and villain concept doesn't interest me. Think of me as a neutral party—someone who acts only by his own rules." Ashborn smirked. "Oh, and that was your fifth question."
Batman's eyes narrowed.
"A mansion is only worth a few million… nothing too extravagant. That's about equal to what, exactly…?" Ashborn mused, tapping his fingers against his arm as he searched for something of equivalent value.
He peered into his shadow, sifting through countless items like a merchant digging through a bottomless bag. After a few moments, his eyes lit up, and with a smirk, he reached in and pulled out a worn but undeniably advanced suit of armor.
"This," he said, holding it up with a slight flourish, "is The Model Two. It used to belong to a genius… until he turned into a zombie, anyway. It's a bit banged up, but come on, tech from another world's top mind has to be worth more than just a few million."
He gave the suit a solid slap, the metal ringing dully under his hand. "This thing can obliterate tanks, outspeed missiles, and do a whole lot more. With a bit of tinkering, I'd say it could take your capabilities to the next level."
"You have better ones?" Batman asked, stepping out of the shadows for a closer look at the armor. His eyes flicked toward Cyborg, who was already trying to scan it, before shifting back to Ashborn.
"Yes, sir," Ashborn replied smoothly. "I've got Model 3, Model 4… all the way up to Model 37." He let the words hang for a moment before continuing. "Now, Model 37—that one's a little too good. It's called the Bleeding Edge armor."
With a casual wave of his hand, he brought out all of the armor, but the one almost everyone looked at was the sleek, advanced suit, its metallic surface shifting with an almost liquid fluidity.
"This beauty has more than enough power to wipe out a planet," Ashborn said, his tone almost playful. "Best of all? It's made of nanotech. It can rest under your skin, just a thought away from activation." He grinned. "The going price? A modest 9.2 trillion dollars."
"What about this one?" Batman asked, his gaze settling on the massive Hulkbuster armor.