The Superior Rebirth: A Hero's Awakening

Veiled Allegiances

Time—it never waits. And just like that, it flew by again, too fast to hold.

Xavier stood at the familiar stone wall, the same one Adam had once guided them to—the threshold to the Lantern Society's hidden world. This time, there was no mask. No White Fang. Just Xavier—barefaced, steady-eyed—accompanied by Alcmena, who sat casually on his shoulder, and Anastasia, silent beside him.

Her eyes stayed on his back for a moment before she finally spoke, her voice low, hesitant.
"Are you sure about this, Young Master? There's still time to reconsider."

But before he could respond, Alcmena scoffed, cutting in dryly, "Don't bother. You know how he is—once Xavier decides something, not even the gods could change his mind."

Xavier didn't speak right away. He just exhaled softly, letting the words hang in the air. Then he turned his head halfway, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"You know me too well, Master."

"Of course I do," Alcmena replied with a teasing smirk. "You are my student, after all."

As the moment settled, Xavier placed his hand on the rough wall. Anastasia tilted her head, puzzled.
"How exactly are we getting in? We don't even know the code."

"You don't have to worry about that," Xavier said calmly. "I memorized the hand gestures Adam used... well, vaguely. My eyes helped with that."

"What?!" Anastasia blinked, surprised. "You can do that?"

Xavier scratched his head, letting out a nervous laugh. "Honestly, I surprise myself sometimes with these eyes."

He placed his other hand on the stone, face shifting into quiet focus. Closing his eyes, he inhaled slowly, then opened them again with sharp clarity. His hands began to move across the bricks—quick, deliberate, mimicking the sequence Adam once performed. It wasn't perfect, not by a long shot, but it was enough.

The wall responded.

Stone grated against stone as the hidden path began to open, faint tremors pulsing through the ground beneath their feet. Darkness yawned before them—a passage into shadows.

Without hesitation, Xavier stepped forward. Anastasia followed beside him, and Alcmena stayed perched on his shoulder, unshaken.

Far away, in a candlelit chamber hidden deep in the Society's core, two familiar voices clashed in hushed urgency.

Victoria pointed a sharp finger at Adam's chest, her tone controlled but fierce. "Adam. I don't know what's been going on with you these past few months, but something's changed. You're not the same."

He raised his hands in mock surrender, that trademark grin plastered on his face. "Viky, I have no idea what you're on about."

"You do." Her voice tightened. "Don't act like you don't. You know damn well what I'm talking about."

The grin faltered just slightly. Adam's eyes flicked to the side, gauging her.

"Alright," he said at last, tone dropping just a bit. "You've got my attention. What is it you think I've done?"

Victoria fixed her glasses, pulling a thin file from her coat. "I did some other digging on that boy. Xavier."

She paused, letting the name settle.

"And?" Adam asked quietly.

"Turns out his deceased adoptive father, Jonathan Ashford, was the twin brother of none other than Percival."

Adam's smile vanished.

"Jonathan," she repeated, voice heavy, "was murdered by Percival. But the records? They just say 'house fire.' No mention of his brother. No foul play. Just swept away."