Zane lay on the medical bed—shirtless, bruised, and wrapped in tight bandages. The sterile lights of the Watchtower's medbay hummed softly, but the phantom heat in his bones reminded him of what he'd just endured.
His fingers twitched, flexing slowly. They looked normal—human—but hadn't been when everything snapped. When he transformed into that monstrous 'echo from'.
'Echo-Form', the name came instinctual to him. When he transformed, it honestly felt amazing.
It wasn't just pain. It was deeper. Cellular. Like time itself pressed down on me, squeezing evolution through brute force.
He exhaled shakily.
Instinctual. Primal. His body rewound and fast-forwarded until it found the right answer for survival.
Artemis sat nearby, arms crossed, watching him carefully. Her expression was guarded but tired, as if she'd been through a long night.
Zane reached into his jacket out of habit. His usual stash—the cyanide capsules, hidden toxins—was gone.
He frowned, realizing the Justice League had been thorough.
'No quick exits allowed, I guess. They also probably think im a suicidal or something. '
He smirked dryly. 'Guess they want me alive, whether I like it or not.'
"So, you're still breathing, huh?" Artemis said flatly.
Zane gave her a lopsided grin. "Not for lack of trying."
She rolled her eyes but stayed seated. "I saw the aftermath—the walls, the floor… the mess you made. What the hell happened in there?"
Zane tapped a finger on the bedframe. "Not sure. Something snapped. Or woke up. Like I… evolved. Fast. Instinctively."
"Evolved?" Artemis raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Like my body just figured things out on the fly." He chuckled softly. "Basically become Darwin of Steroids. Somehow, I just survived."
Artemis gave a small, amused smile. "Well, it sounds like your raccoons are lucky you made it through. They still haven't forgiven you for leaving them behind."
Zane chuckled. "Papa Roach and General Crunch? Please. Those two are survivors. Probably teamed up with the alley cats by now—running a protection racket out of a dumpster."
She shook her head, trying not to laugh. "Yeah, I'm sure they're thriving without you."
"Thriving? They're probably CEOs of some underground rodent empire. When I get back, I fully expect a raccoon-sized briefcase and tax evasion charges."
That got a real laugh out of her—quick and surprised. She looked away for a second, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're such an idiot," she said, but the corner of her mouth stayed curled up.
Zane tilted his head, mock serious. "You laugh now, but I guarantee you, we're walking into a Ponzi scheme with trash currency."
Her gaze softened. "You're ridiculous. But… at least you've got someone waiting for you out there. Even if it's a couple of scheming raccoons."
He leaned back with a grin, then turned to her—voice quieting just a bit. "Yeah. But I've got you too now."
The smile on her face faltered for a half-second. A subtle pink rose across her cheeks, and she quickly looked away.
"I—shut up," she mumbled.
Zane smirked, satisfied. "Classic Artemis deflection. I'll take that as a yes."
She muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like "dumbass," but didn't argue.
"So, what happened to you? Last thing I remember, you were squared off against those arrowheads from the Justice League," Zane asked, his brow furrowed as he tried to piece together the moments before he blacked out.
Artemis let out an exasperated sigh, her eyes flashing with frustration. "Those bastards swarmed me. I swear, if it had been one-on-one, I could've taken down that speedy little pest without breaking a sweat."
Zane chuckled, a teasing grin tugging at his lips. "Yeah, I believe you. No way some Robin Hood knockoff can actually put you down."
And for a brief moment, the weight of their situation felt lighter.
The room settles into a somfortable silence for a while.
She sat back, arms crossed tighter. "They've been asking me questions—trying to figure out why I'm helping you. Like I had any choice. They don't trust me, and honestly, I don't trust them either."
Artemis's eyes flicked toward the door briefly, then back to Zane with a sharp, knowing look. "If you want to survive in here, you've got to make sure you're not the only one doing the watching."
Zane smiled a little," Your acting like this is some sort of prison."
"It basically is!! After we get out, we should go to the press!!" Artemis comically said, obviously infected by Zane as his weirdness.
Zane chucked at her antics, he knows this is just her trying to lighten the atmosphere for both.
But he still had to know some things.
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze narrowing as he mouthed quietly, *What happened to Desmond?*
Artemis's lips curled into a sly, playful smile, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Without a sound, she mouthed back, *He escaped.*
Zane's expression tightened into a grim line. He shook his head, mouthing again,*I should've killed that bastard.*
Artemis chuckled softly—silent to everyone else—and leaned in closer, exaggerating her mouth movements like she was putting on a show just for him. *I let him go. Bugged him already.*
Then, with a teasing glint, she added, *See? I'm useful. Next, all we have to do is folllow his trail.*
Zane blinked, caught off guard by her quick thinking. A slow smile crept onto his lips. He leaned in, meeting her gaze, and mouthed with a subtle smirk, *Next rerun, I'll make sure to keep you very close*
Artemis's eyes flickered with amusement, although not knowing what he meant by rerun, she was clearly enjoying the silent banter between them.
Before he could say more, the door slid open. A tall Martian figure stepped inside—J'onn J'onzz.
J'onn's calm voice broke the silence. "Whenever you're ready."
Artemis stood. "Guess I'll be waiting here, not like I have much of a choice."
Zane saluted jokingly at Artemis. Inside however, he was more than a little worried about having any interaction with the Martian Manhunter.
Amongst the Justice League, he was one of the very few that Zane felt could permanently casue him harm. Just imagining himself getting lobotomized made him feem cold.
J'onn gestured for Zane to follow. The grin faded slightly as he stood.
Time for answers.
Zane followed the Martian into the hall, leaving Artemis behind.
.....
Zane and J'onn J'onzz stepped out into the wider corridor, their footsteps echoing softly against the polished walls of the Watchtower. Zane's mind was a tangled mess, trying to hatch a dozen distractions to keep the Martian Manhunter from sneaking into his head.
'Think about something else, anything else... like raccoons running a crime syndicate or that time Artemis almost shot you by accident.'
"Try not to read my mind, yeah?" Zane muttered under his breath, shooting a sideways glance at J'onn.
J'onn's deep voice responded without missing a beat. "I'm not invading your thoughts. I respect your boundaries. But I can sense your emotions. It's less intrusive — more of a precaution, just in case something unpredictable happens."
Zane snorted. "Oh, so you're like an emotional stalker instead of a mind thief. Lovely."
J'onn's eyes twinkled faintly. "Better than the alternative, wouldn't you say?"
Zane gave a tight-lipped grin but didn't reply. 'I guess thats better than being mind-raped.....I really wich the Chronos seed has some protective measure against telepaths.
The only good thing is that I dont think Manhunter is trying to read my mind, atleast if he did I doubt he would be this calm about it.'
Pushing aside his thoughts, his mind drifted to the fact that all his escape plans — the cyanide capsules, toxins, the whole 'meet death on my terms' routine — were gone.
It would be very hard for him to even attempt killing himself in a tower full of superheroes. Hes actually suprised he wasnt restrained, considering they found all these suicide methods.
Normally what people do is they at least restrain you if your a suicide risk, but Zane suspects that Martian Manhunter was actually watching over him the entire time.
If he ever tried to kill himself, he would propably use his powers to stop him.
J'onn broke the silence again. "You know, your friend was wary of the League at first, understandably."
Zane raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, trust issues with authority run in our little group."
The Martian Manhunter shook his head. "I wasn't talking about Artemis."
Zane's confusion peaked. "Huh? Then who?"
Before he could press further, the heavy metal doors slid open with a soft hiss. The room beyond was dark, save for a single pool of light hanging over a chair. Shadows lurked in every corner.
Zane stepped inside cautiously.
Then he saw him.
Tall, imposing. Cloaked in his signature dark armor, the cape draped like liquid shadow around his shoulders. His eyes glowed faintly beneath the cowl, reflecting a sharp, calculating mind that missed nothing. The faint glow of his utility belt cast ominous blue lights on the floor, like a predator ready to strike.
The Dark Knight Of Gotham.....Vengence Incarnate...Child Labor Abuser.....Batman!!
"Sit," Batman's voice was gravelly but controlled, every word deliberate.
Zane didn't move. 'Those barbs on his arm gauntlet looks pretty sharp, bet I could cut my artery with those.'
J'onn's voice cut in. "There's something you need to explain. We managed to retrieve scattered drone footage — fragments of your fight with that scientist, Desmond we found out. The images clearly show… transformations. Something beyond normal."
Zane gave a bitter laugh. "Oh, those? Yeah, turns out I'm part raccoon, part monster. Next thing you know, I'll be growing a tail and hoarding shiny objects."
Batman's eyes narrowed, not amused.
"I want to know what that was. What you are."
Zane frowned, before he glanced down at his hands. "Honestly, I'm still figuring that out myself. One minute I was me — the next I'm this… primal, unhinged version that's more survival instinct than human."
Batman's gaze sharpened. "You're a threat — to yourself and others. We need to understand you before this gets out of control."
Zane smirked, though the words stung. "Yeah, well, No one is ever really in control. Your either Controlled by your ambitions or your emotions. Even you."
J'onn stepped forward. "We're not here to fault you, Zane. But if you don't cooperate, the consequences won't be easy. Not from us, but the Government would most likley get involved if they catch wind of this."
Zane folded his arms, eyeing them. "So, what? You lock me up, poke around my head, and wait for me to snap? I'm a ticking time bomb, right?"
Batman's voice was low, almost a warning. "If you don't want to hurt anyone else, yes."
Zane's eyes flashed silver for a split second, a flicker of that echo form lurking beneath the surface. "I wont be another Lab Rat. Trust me."
...
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