[One Week Later]
The mansion grounds had seen better days. Scorched trees, cracked rocks, and half-melted soda cans littered the field like confetti after a thunderstorm. Every day for the past week, the valley had been filled with flashes of gold and blue light.
Harley and Maureen had mastered more than half of what John showed them, and what they didn't learn from him, they learned using Zehuti's wisdom. The divine intellect flowed through them like an extra brain whispering in their ears. Harley used it mostly for dumb stuff—like calculating how to juggle six eggs mid-air without making omelets.
Right now, she was doing exactly that.
"Behold!" Harley shouted, tossing an egg high into the air. "The mighty Quinn, goddess of breakfast, defier of yolks!"
She spun, caught two eggs behind her back, and bounced the others off her elbow, lightning flickering around her hands for show. Not a single one cracked.
John stood nearby with his arms folded in his enhanced form. "You know I don't want to say this but you managed to gain control over your strength. Good job, Harl."
Harley caught the last egg and grinned. "Really? Gimme a kissy Johnny baby."
Maureen, floating a few feet above the ground, clicked her tongue and whispered. "Flirting every second instead of training."
Harley gasped. "Oh, my... Someone's jealous."
John groaned quietly. He already knew what was coming.
Within seconds, the air exploded with streaks of gold and blue. Harley shot into the sky, twirling like a comet. Maureen followed, her cape trailing a shimmering line of frost. The two women zipped around the mansion like living fireworks, laughing, yelling, and hurling sparks at each other.
"Bet I can reach the mountain before you!" Harley shouted over the wind.
"You said that last time," Maureen called back. "And I still beat you!"
Harley grinned and pushed harder. "Not this time, snow cone!"
They both blurred into streaks of light, shaking the treetops as they sped through the valley. Birds scattered, thunder rolled, and John just stood there on the ground.
By the time the two of them returned, the air was still crackling from their energy. Harley landed first, her boots hitting the ground with a thud. Maureen landed right beside her, barely breathing hard.
Harley put her hands on her hips. "Okay, okay, fine. You win. But next time, I'm bringin' Red Bull."
Maureen smiled faintly. "Pretty sure divine lightning's enough caffeine for anyone."
"Yeah, but mine comes with style," Harley said, flipping her pigtails back.
John stepped forward. "You both are getting faster, but you're losing focus. You need to keep your energy stable when you fly that fast."
Harley mock saluted. "Yes, Captain Buzzkill, sir."
Maureen stifled a laugh, trying to look serious. "We'll work on it."
"You are doing great with your speed and enhanced ice power. Keep it up," John praised Maureen, and she blushed a little.
As John turned away to check something near the SUV, Harley leaned close to Maureen with a teasing grin. "Sooo... you've been starin' at him a lot lately."
Maureen blinked. "What?"
"Don't play dumb, Frosty. You've been tryin' real hard to get his attention. I saw the way you 'accidentally' zapped that tree near him yesterday."
Maureen looked away, cheeks coloring slightly. "That was an accident."
"Sure it was," Harley said, grinning. "You're about as subtle as a disco ball in a blackout."
Maureen crossed her arms. "I'm not trying to flirt. I'm… just being friendly."
"Yeah, friendly with the guy who could bench press a tank," Harley said, smirking. "Don't worry, sugarplum, I get it. He's got that whole broody thunder daddy vibe. That makes us want to... Mumm~" She clenched her fists and made a hugging sign. "...just hug him like a panda."
"Harley…" Maureen warned.
"What? I'm just sayin'. You're cute when you try, though. You get all shy and awkward. Like a penguin with a crush."
Maureen exhaled through her nose. "Maybe I should freeze your mouth shut."
Harley winked. "Oh, go ahead. I'll thaw it out with my charm."
Before Maureen could answer, John called out, "You two done gossiping?"
Harley turned around, flashing her biggest grin. "Yup! Just talkin' about how amazing you are, bossman."
He raised a brow. "Uh-huh. Go to the town and take a break. Oh, and bring back supplies. We are running out of food." Although they don't need food to survive in their enhanced form, they still turn back to base form during eating, then back to enhanced form.
As John walked inside, Harley leaned closer to Maureen again and whispered, "See? Ain't he hot?"
"Yeah, he is," Maureen babbled out after getting dragged into Harley's pace.
Harley grinned at her when she finally said it. Her smile said: 'I got you, Bluebell.'
"Ahem! We should get the supplies," Maureen flew up into the sky.
"Wait up! Bluebell," Harley yelled as she flew after her. "Let's go and play laser tag before shopping. Loser gets to carry the shopping bags."
...
[A few minutes later]
John poured two cups of coffee and placed them on the counter. He said, "How long are you going to watch us? You do know how creepy that is, right?"
The space before him cracked like shattered glass. Fractured light spread outward in a web before folding in on itself, and from within the rift stepped a man in golden armor and a blue cloak. The air hummed faintly with power as Dr. Fate emerged, the crack sealing behind him.
John didn't flinch. He pushed one of the cups toward him. "So, what does the great Dr. Fate want from me?"
Fate tilted his head slightly, then reached up and removed his helmet. The gold dissolved into glowing dust, revealing Kent Nelson's weathered face. His eyes, sharp and tired, met John's. He accepted the cup, took a slow sip, and said, "I've seen what is coming, John."
John leaned back against the counter. "People always say that right before something bad happens. Go on."
Fate's expression stayed grave. "A future that burns. Cities swallowed by fire, oceans turned to ash. The heroes you know—Superman, Wonder Woman, even the Lanterns have fallen. The gates between realms are broken. And demons walking among men."
John didn't move. His voice was calm, almost too calm. "And?"
Fate set his cup down gently. "In every vision I've seen, you fight. You stand until the very end. But even your power will not be enough to stop what comes."
John's eyes narrowed. "You didn't come all this way just to tell me the world ends."
Fate hesitated, the weight in his voice deepening. "No."
John clenched his fists as he got a bad feeling about where this conversation was headed. "Harley and Maureen. What happens to them?"
Fate nodded slowly. "I saw their deaths, John. Even with the divine strength you gave them. They fall before your eyes. Their light fades before the final battle. Then you charge after the demon, alone... That's where all my vision ended. No matter how many timelines peeked into, the end result is always the same."
For a moment, silence filled the kitchen. Then lightning flickered across John's shoulders, running up his arms. His eyes glowed for a moment. The cup in his hand shattered, shards scattering across the counter as steam hissed from the spilled coffee.
The surge of divine power pressed through the room like a wave. Dr. Fate's eyes widened slightly. For that instant, he felt it—pure, unrestrained rage and killing intent. It was deeper than anything he had sensed from mortals, darker than the wrath of any god he'd encountered.
Then it was gone.
Fate took his cup and sipped his coffee before saying, "I had to tell you. What I saw wasn't an illusion or a trick. It was one of the most consistent visions I've ever had. No matter what I change, the thread always ends the same way."
John's voice was low, almost too calm. "You're saying they die no matter what I do?"
"I'm saying the odds are against them," Fate replied. "But nothing has been set into motion yet. There are infinite threads with infinite possibilities. And out of those infinite possibilities, we have to find a way to step into the path that leads to our victory."
Countless thoughts ran through John's mind before he asked.
"You said demons... It started at Khandaq?" He asked.
"Yes, you know something?" Fate asked.
"I think I have an idea. Ever heard of the Seven Deadly Sins?" John asked with a serious expression.
Fate's expression darkened. "The origin of the Seven Deadly Sins is unknown. They presumably hailed from an unknown dimension to Earth and spent centuries corrupting and killing humans. At an unknown point before 1600 B.C., they were imprisoned by an unknown force inside a vault within the territory of Kahndaq."
John nodded slowly. "Yeah, but that's the watered-down version of the story."
Fate tilted his head slightly. "There's more?"
John set the broken cup aside. "In ancient times, the original Black Adam got corrupted by a demon named Blaze, and he unleashed the Seven Deadly Sins for revenge. His family was murdered by his enemies, and he wanted them to suffer. But with all that rage and a corrupted mind, he didn't see what he was truly releasing. Those demons turned on everyone, killing millions. Entire civilizations burned before anyone could stop them."
Fate remained silent, listening intently.
John continued. "The wizard Shazam and his six brothers fought the Sins, but the cost was too great. All six of his brothers were killed before Shazam finally managed to imprison the Sins inside the Eye of Sin. He placed the Eye within the Rock of Eternity and encased the demons in seven stone statues to suppress their powers. That's where they've stayed… until now."
Fate's eyes narrowed. "Someone has released them."
John looked at him, voice steady but heavy with certainty. "If your visions are true, then yeah. The fire, the destruction, the demons… it all fits. Someone found the Eye of Sin and woke those freaks up. And if they regain their full power, it'll be over. We won't be able to contain the chaos that follows."
Fate set his cup down carefully. "Then we must find who released them before the chain reaction begins."
"Dr. Sivana, Fawcett City," John said as he sat down on the chair.
"How do you know?" Fate asked.
"Let's just say, you aren't the only one with knowledge." John paused for a moment as he closed his eyes, arranging his thoughts. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. "So, aren't you going to ask the real question you came here to ask?"
"That power of yours..." Fate narrowed his eyes.
"Yes. Same as the Original Black Adam, and yes, Blaze is involved. She saved me when I was dying... Haha... Bitch probably waited and watched all the torture and pain I went through. That manipulative bitch thought she could control me and corrupt my mind. You see, the lust for power is very hard to control. But..." John opened his hand, and sparks of lightning began to swirl over his palm.
He continued, "...I'm different. It was hard at first, but over time, I learned to control this power. Learned some tricks to cut her influence and made this power mine. So, you don't have to worry about me going berserk. As for Dr. Sivana, you won't be able to stop him alone, Superman is weak to magic, and I want to test out something. So, send him and me to a pocket dimension, and I'll take care of him. The Sins haven't yet gained their power, so I should be able to beat the shit out of him... obviously with your help. Then I'm going to establish a team of heroes just like the Justice League and Justice Society. And you are going to take care of the political problems and Waller."
John extended his hand toward Dr. Fate.
"Deal?"
Dr. Fate thought for a few seconds. From his expression, it looked as if he had just seen a new vision of the future.
"The path has already been set," He shook John's hand. "I'll make some preparation on my end. We'll meet again in four days."
---[HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE]---
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