[A/N]:
TW for this chapter:
• Body horror
• Assisted self-harm
Lastly, before I disappear for a month... here's a little visual treat for everyone who stuck around up to this point:
Maxine, in an outfit inspired by what she wore on her first date with Lucian.
—=—=—=—=—=—=—=—
Throughout all of the bad that had happened, there was also some good news. Oracle contacted Lucian and Maxie again—discreetly. The Bats pulled some strings, in her own words, to help get private treatment for both Tammy and Joseph. Though there would be medical professionals present, Maxie could watch over them herself so long as she didn't interfere with their care.
She didn't dare question it. For once, something had finally gone right in the string of disasters that was her life. Desperate to make up for everything that she felt guilty for over the years, she urged Lucian to hurry over to the Watsons' home with her.
When they arrived, the house's first floor had already been repaired. Courtesy of Red Hood, Oracle told them. Tammy and Joseph were wheeled in by a private ambulance, and then taken to their own rooms by the medical personnel that were assigned to them. These personnel also happened to be private contacts of the Bats.
Though still restless, Maxie could finally let herself relax somewhat. She collapsed onto the couch in the living room, her body sinking into the soft cushions. Leaning back, she melted into the backrest, and her eyes fluttered shut.
"Still exhausted?" Lucian asked, leaning over from behind the couch.
Maxie hummed. "Could you whip something up to eat? Joe said on the way here that we should help ourselves to the kitchen if we needed anything to eat..."
"I can do that," he replied. "Just sit tight. Was there anything specific you wanted?"
"Hot soup, please... make it kinda spicy..."
...
Lucian drew a deep breath, heading for the kitchen. It'd been a while since he had a proper workplace to cook his own meals. Sure, the restaurant was well-equipped, but any food prepared in it would never be true home cooking.
He took out everything he needed for his dish—Joseph's kitchen was well-stocked. To make sure that everyone could eat, he also consulted the nurses what Joseph could have, and adjusted the recipe to fit those parameters.
While working his magic in the kitchen, he conversed with Penny.
'Alright. Game plan. Tonight, metamorphosis. After that, we'll do the rest. Hit me with the basic info. What do I need?'
[ Make sure to have stationery on hand for drafting spells. You'll be working with lead most often, so I'd be careful not to get it everywhere... though, considering this is Gotham, that might not be such a concern. As for the rest, you can sort them out later. This is as far as the basics go. ]
'Noted. Anything else I'm forgetting?'
[ You should slip more training in. Divvy up your nights between your skills to keep them all polished. ]
'Bet.'
Lucian soon served Maxie and Joseph a hot breakfast. The latter was especially appreciative, and apologetic to boot. Even knowing the state he was in, his guilt still lingered over how he thought of Lucian while under Aleck's power.
Some time during breakfast, Iñigo called to check in. Once he was sure that both Lucian and Maxie were fine, he moved on to questioning what had happened, out of sheer concern. Unfortunately for him, he wouldn't get any deeper information than what the Steeles themselves received.
"You should go in for work today," Maxie advised.
"But you're—"
She pressed a finger to Lucian's lips. "I need some time alone, too. But don't worry so much, okay? Just... to process. I know you need some time to think too, and I can tell you do that best when working. Go."
After cleaning up, Lucian bade Maxine goodbye for the day with a tender kiss. "I'll come back by sundown."
"And I'll be waiting."
...
The rest of the day went on as normal. Lucian helped in the kitchen some, and delivered meals the same way he always had. It was nice, hearing Iñigo's bike sputter along as he rode it through the city. It made him feel grounded again.
That afternoon was another lunch delivery. Like usual, he had his own meal packed alongside the rest, and he spent his lunch break at Jodie's.
"Ah! You little shit, I thought you died!" Jodie greeted Lucian with a big, warm hug, then hurried into the kitchen to set up the table.
"I did get pretty close," he admitted.
Sighing, Jodie sat down and let him handle plating the food. "Right. I... did see the news. I'm glad you took down that son of a bitch. How'd everything else go?"
"Like a cakewalk and like shit. It's really never the same every time you go out." Ceramic and silverware clinked and clacked as he set food down for both of them. "For one, I got like, almost a hundred grand raiding places owned by the mob and others like them."
Jodie very nearly spit out her drink. "God almighty, that's a fuckton of money," she exclaimed, coughing.
"Well, I also got shot. In the chest. Twice."
She reached over the table and thwacked him on the head with a towel. "Details. Now. I need to know how hard I have to hit you for fucking up."
Lucian told her about what he pulled during the animal shelter raid.
"Boot to the face," she decided. "And the other time?"
"If you saw the news, that was the second time. Plasma rifle to the chest while I was chasing people who were tryna skip the city."
Jodie took a deep breath, then grunted it out. "Well, I can't be mad at you for that. You did a good thing there. I'm just glad you're still alive."
Lucian pulled up his shirt, exposing his chest. "I'm completely fine now, by the way. I heal really fast."
"Just don't treat that healing factor of yours like a crutch," Jodie huffed.
...
The meal passed. Lucian handled the dishes as an apology for nearly getting himself killed. In the middle of it, he finally brought up a topic that he wanted to discuss with Jodie.
"Hey, so... remember when I had you make my costume?"
Jodie snickered, shaking her head. "It wasn't even that long ago. Of course I remember. What, you need a new one?"
"That," he replied, "and I also need you to make another for someone else."
She leaned against her chair hard enough to make it tilt back a bit. "Great," she groaned. "Now there's another dunderhead running around, looking to get himself killed."
Lucian grimaced. "Actually... it's a girl..."
Jodie's chair snapped back straight. "You're shitting me. You get yourself a woman?"
"Yes...?"
"Don't tell me you're making her do this."
"No," Lucian replied. "I just told her how I really was. Told her that if she wanted to do the same thing, I'd have her back, and now we're here."
Jodie sighed, tired. "Well, what can you do? Kids. Always a hero complex or some other delusional bullshit." She shook her head, without any levity unlike before. "Alright. What's the deal? Gimme your plans and some of that cash you racked up. I'll fix you two something good."
"Just do mine first," he said. "She's not in a good place right now, but I'll get you introduced soon."
She relented with a shrug. "Well, that's fine. What am I working with for your new outfit?"
Lucian switched to his Manticore loadout and took out several things from his belt. One was a sketchbook page with detailed designs and measurements. Following that was the lion's hide jacket that he got from the poachers, complete with the thick white mane. Last to be pulled out was the money. He pushed everything over to Jodie across the clean table, then shifted back to his civilian clothes.
"That's... goddamn, Luce, this is seriously a lot." She picked up the jacket first, turning it over and inspecting it in awe. "Is this genuine lion skin?"
"It is," he replied. "Looted it from some poacher-smugglers. Same guy that shot me in the chest with the fancy heavy pistol."
Jodie laughed voicelessly, setting the jacket back down. "Well... at least I won't be bored." She looked over Lucian's plans next, already calculating every facet of the project in her mind. "This'll be a lot of work. Be a week at least. You fine with that?"
"Yeah. I mean, you saw the suit, right? It's perfectly fine. I can wait a week no problem."
Lucian soon bade Jodie goodbye and returned to work. The afternoon hours went as easy as they were slow. Coworkers snooped whenever they could, asking about Maxie, and he told them what he could without giving too much away. Towards sundown, he was sent off, and he picked up a few things he needed before returning to the Watson household.
...
Lucian arrived just as the sun was about to set. Gold and pink dominated one side of the sky, casting the other end to deep blues and cold greys. Half the clouds up above were highlighted with fiery golden lining, and he walked up the driveway for the second time ever. He texted Maxie as he was coming up, and she replied when he was inside, telling him to come upstairs to Tammy's room.
He left his supplies by the couch and did as told. With three light knocks, he entered.
"Welcome back," Maxie greeted. Bags had started to form under her eyes, and her posture was unsteady. She was seated at the edge of Tammy's bed, who was hooked up to a monitor and an IV drip.
Lucian came up to her and leaned down. She met him halfway for a lingering kiss, which they slowly broke away from.
"How'd your day go?" she asked when they separated.
He sat down with her. "It went great. City's how it usually is. Made my bread. I met up with a friend, too."
She pulled up one leg and turned to the side, leaning forward to drape herself on his shoulder. "A friend?"
"Mm. Jodie. She's willing to modify your suit."
She chuckled. "Right... speaking of that vigilante shit... I'm still going to train tonight."
"You sure?"
"I need better control," she reasoned. "I'll have the girls help me with that. In the meantime..." She paused, hesitant, but pushed through anyway. "Could you check on Tammy for me?"
"Was already planning to," he replied.
"Thank you..."
She made room then, so Lucian could get a good look at Tammy for anything beyond what the doctors could see. His eyes filled with purple light, and he read the poor girl's lifeforce.
It was in tatters. Her body was like a pile of smoldering coals, and her life's flame barely clung to the embers. Any part of her that had stopped burning with life was no more than smoking residue. Worse yet, there was something else there. Stretched all over her body was this dark, mucky, root-like mass, heavy and sticky like wet cobwebs. Aleck's lifeforce—whatever was left of it—clung to her like it still served purpose.
'Lifeforce residue. Just when I thought he couldn't get more disgusting... Go figure.'
Lucian reached over and placed his hand on Tammy's forehead. Like he'd done many times before, he summoned his lifeforce and funneled it into her. Purple intermingled with white, slowly saturating, and the dark, murky leftovers shrank away from his fire's presence.
Slowly, over the course of minutes, Tammy's lifeforce assimilated Lucian's. Her aura gained a healthy glow, and the fractures caused by Aleck's interference mended. Still, it was only her body. No matter how hard Lucian tried, he could never fix someone's mind with a mere energy infusion.
Now done healing Tammy's flesh, he pulled away, sweat beading around his forehead. "There were leftovers of Aleck still in there," he explained. "Had to push myself to burn it away, but it's all gone now."
Relieved, Maxie released the breath she'd been holding. "We should give her some time alone," she said. "I'm gonna get ready to head out. Could you give me a ride to the Batcave?"
"Always. But... I got some stuff I need to handle, so I can't stick around with you. That alright?"
She chuckled, voiceless, and lightly bapped his cheek. "You don't even need to ask. Just do your thing. I'll be alright."
৹ ◎ ◉ ◎ ৹
Eduardo Dorrance pulled up to the Sionis estate, parking his sedan by the large fountain before the mansion. He stepped out of the driver-side door with a cigar in his mouth, blowing a near constant stream of smoke. A large duffel bag was slung over his shoulder, which sagged with sheer weight.
There was practically nobody inside when he entered through the gaudy, oversized front doors. There were some housekeepers, sure, but they were so few compared to the building's size that it may as well have been empty. He trudged his way through that opulent place, his heavy footsteps echoing like drumbeats.
Reaching the 'meeting hall' took up more time than he liked. The stairs were too long, and the hall itself too spacious. Even as he walked to take his place at the table, approaching Black Mask almost felt like a waste of time.
"You called," said Eduardo, electing to stand behind a chair rather than sit on it. "Now I'm here."
Black Mask stayed facing outward, fingers linked in front of himself. "War is coming, Bane. I'd like you to take part in it."
"I'm only here for an opportunity to face the Bat," Eduardo replied. "There is nothing else."
"And you won't have to do anything else," said Black Mask, turning to face his prospective conspirator. "I only need... no, want you to be around for the final, crowning moments. You want to break the Bat again, don't you?"
Eduardo was getting impatient. "There is nothing else for me."
"Yes, and his little posse keeps getting in the way. I can pave that path for you—just so long as you guarantee his death when the time comes."
"I will take my time with him," said Bane. "But the finality of death... I will break the Bat once and for all. And with him, I will break Gotham."
৹ ◎ ◉ ◎ ৹
Lucian returned to his territory after escorting Maxie to the cave, taking his supplies with him. As he had no commitments with them since the Donovan case, stepping away for a night was easy. It was even encouraged—Batman himself said that Lucian should take a break, especially after that chest wound he received during his last fight.
Back at home, he took to the apartment between his and the Steeles'. He had always planned to convert it into a workshop of sorts, and what he was about to do would be the christening of that. He barricaded the door from the inside and sat in the most isolated and secluded corner available. His clothes were also assigned to his third loadout slot and dismissed, leaving him completely naked.
'Hit me, Penny. All five levels, all in one go.'
[ Brace yourself, Luce. I'm literally about to melt your DNA and reshape it into a changeling's. The process would normally be bearable to most, but this is the same thing being done to you five times over, all at once. ]
'Yeah, and I don't have five hours to waste. I'll maximize how much productive time I can get, as much as I can. Now, come on. My body is ready.'
[ Remaining class levels have been allocated to the Basic class: Changeling. ]
Heat came first. During the first minute, it felt like being in the afternoon sun. Uncomfortable, but bearable.
Soon after, the sensations ramped up. It was like a sudden fever had blossomed in his body. His breath alone singed his nostrils coming out, and whenever his own skin touched another bit of itself, it felt like both surfaces would melt into each other. The room-temperature environment around him felt like sharp ice.
Ten minutes in, his skin began to sag. Bright red, it looked like some sort of strawberry fudge melting in an oven, and it smelled nothing like how it looked. He just hoped that the odor wouldn't linger.
The heat inside him intensified. Now, it felt like he was on fire. He could feel his muscles joining his skin in melting, and little drops of blood seeped out from his body. Before long, his organs were melting as well.
During all of that, he endured. By the halfway point, even his bones were being converted into mush. He'd mentally spent so much time in that state of liquification that it was more of a droning sensation than actual pain. His sight had vanished. He could neither smell nor hear anything. All that was left was his sense of touch.
Then, at some point, he felt something different. New. A shift in the process.
Little bits and pieces of himself were moving, shuffling along like little wet slugs. They crawled all over each other and formed a sort of barrier around his body. A chrysalis made of bone, keratin, and membrane.
The pain stopped. His felt this pleasant coolness replacing the heat, spreading all over the ooze that was his body. If he were to put into words how he felt in that part of the process, it would be like congealing gelatin, except he wouldn't stop at just being this jiggly mass of delectable goodness.
Not that he would even be delectable at all—no offense to creatures that favored humans in their diet.
He could feel his body being itself again. The rigid structure of his skeleton. The grounding presence of his musculature. His organs were all in place again—heart pumping, diaphragm shifting. Heavy, stagnant air filled his lungs with every breath, and he felt like he was coming out of his mother's womb.
True to Penny's words, by the time that the hour ended, his metamorphosis was complete. His body didn't feel awfully different, though it was hard to gauge because of the cramped nature of his chrysalis. Using his freshly-reformed hands, he pushed against the brittle surface surrounding him and tore it open.
The structure collapsed, exposing him to the apartment's still air. It felt like taking in a fresh breeze from outside, and his entire body felt lighter. More.... fluid, should he say, though he didn't feel melty at all.
Rising to his feet, he stretched this way and that. Nothing felt off about his muscles, nor his bones. His senses were as they should have been, but he felt like his bodily control had been amplified.
With a deep breath, he thought back to his new Changeling abilities:
[One Hundred Faces]
[Modify Extremities]
[Pigment Shift]
[Mutable Physiology]
[Limited Shapeshifting: Humanoid]
The abilities all explained themselves. A level 1 Changeling would only be able to change its face. At level 2, it could weaponize its limbs. At level 3, it would gain the chameleon-like ability to freely manipulate its skin to take on whatever color it wanted, even patterns that ranged from natural to tattoo-level designs. Level 4 would grant it the ability to alter its body shape with some leeway for exaggeration, and level 5 would meld all separate abilities together for more seamless and effortless transformations.
Lucian lifted his arm forward, giving it more bulk towards the end. His knuckles shifted to become more brutish and bone-like, and plates of keratin formed armor along his forearm. His fingernails even transformed into tough claws similar to what his gauntlets could manifest. He then modified the rest of his body in a similar way, turning himself into an organic living weapon.
'Gotham ain't ready for this,' he thought with satisfaction.
Aesthetically, changes were made as well. His body plating and weapons were dark grey, and his skin, he turned paper-white with black vein patterns to decorate it. He kept his hair the same color it always was, but he made it longer and shaggier, and he shrank away his lips and cheeks to expose misaligned rows of dull, metallic teeth. Two cracked horn stumps sprouted from his forehead, and beneath them, his eyes receded into deep, dark sockets.
He summoned his new sword and widened the blade, then propped it up against a wall. Inspecting himself, he perfected any minute details and memorized them as best as he could.
"The night beckons," he quoted, referencing a legendary game. He no longer needed Cloak of Distortion's help to warp his voice—modifying his vocal cords was more than enough.
That was it. The face that he would use for the Manticore. He couldn't keep it up 100% of the time as shapeshifting took energy and concentration to maintain—especially for extensive modifications like he'd just done—but he believed he could last a decent while in that form he's chosen.
As the last step to finalizing his new image, he donned his first loadout, and the purple suit wrapped around his body. Slipping his clawed fingers beneath the cowl, he unlatched the leather mask from the jaw brace and pulled them both away, matching how Midoriya wore the cowl of his costume.
'Perfect... This'll make for a great 'identity reveal' later on.'
He shifted back to his civilian clothes and turned his body back to normal.
'Now... training first. Body and mind. After that, I'll start working on my magic... Just hang in there, Max. I'll figure out a way to fix Tammy for you. I promise'
...
In the middle of Maxie's educational spar with Orphan, a sudden warmth bloomed over her chest, dead center.
'What was that...?!'
Surprised, she faltered, and she was knocked to the floor.
"Oh— Oh no, I'm so sorry!" Orphan exclaimed, hurrying to help Wraith up. "What happened? Are you okay?"
With her hand placed over a tiny lump in her jacket, Maxie realized what must have happened. She shook her head and smiled behind her mask. "It's no big deal. Just emotions getting weird. Go again?"
Orphan smiled herself, and nodded. They both returned to their starting positions and fell back into the rhythm of training.
—=—=—=—=—=—=—=—
[A/N]: And that's that. Chapter 50 closes this volume of DC:SR. Lucian spawned in, got funky, and only got funkier with time. He got into trouble, then into more trouble, then dealt with all of it and more. He even made some people's lives better along the way as a little bonus for the world.
Now, with this chapter, he receives his reward for everything he's done.
There's only more work ahead, more bullshit to out-bullshit, and more rewards to reap for his labors.
I'll see y'all again in a month. During that period, I'll put out two to four chapters of Gotham's Sabretooth so I don't get completely rusty by just spending all that time drafting.
Again, if you liked this experience and want to support me, you can find me on Ko-fi :3
Toodles~!