O SINDSEG Guaratinguetá apoia a divulgação de oportunidades que promovem a inclusão e ampliam o acesso ao mercado de trabalho para os profissionais da Segurança Privada.
A Intelseg Segurança e Vigilância Ltda. está com VAGA EXCLUSIVA PARA PESSOA COM DEFICIÊNCIA (PCD) para atuação em Guaratinguetá e região.
📌 Vaga: Vigilante (PCD)
📍 Local: Guaratinguetá e Região
🎯 Benefícios: Conforme a Convenção Coletiva da Categoria.
Requisitos:
✔ Ensino Médio completo;
✔ Curso de Formação de Vigilante;
✔ Reciclagem em dia;
✔ Disponibilidade de horário;
✔ Residir nas proximidades.
📲 Interessados: envie seu currículo para o WhatsApp: 11 99461-9638
O SINDSEG acredita que a inclusão fortalece o mercado de trabalho e valoriza ainda mais a nossa categoria.
👉 Compartilhe esta oportunidade com quem está procurando uma
Kickstart Series, Adrian Chase x You (f!reader), Multi POV
WC: 5.9k / action, adventure, romance, angst
Summary: The team is reunited. The plan to fix the rift and return home is set. Superman has decided to tag along. Chris keeps getting his ass beat— what could possibly go wrong?
CW: Violence, blood, death, murder, injury.
AN: I hope you enjoy this part of the series! It's a quick read packed with action because we are following multiple Adrians, and in what world would more than one Adrian be a bad thing??? Also, indulging my need for Vigilcourt in these last few parts. Should I make them a thing? I want to so bad!
Part 19 will follow soon!
Master list Part 17
“Well, what do we need to do to fix this tear between dimensions?” Superman meets the eyes of each of them in turn.
Chris elbows Adebayo playfully. “Oh no! He's going to laser beam us…” He jokes from the corner of his mouth.
Shaking her head, Harcourt clasps her hands in front of her.
“It's going to take every one of us to make this plan work.” Her eyes meet yours before she steps back next to future Adrian.
Economos pushes his glasses up. “So, the last five years we've been studying not just where and when Sanctuary falls on the spectrum of dimensions, but also, why the portal failed and created the interdimensional rift in the first place.”
Happersen's chair creaks when he leans back into it. “Based on my calculations, the anchor was too weak. When the wormhole was activated for the first time,” He shoots an annoyed glance at you and Adrian, “its tether was too weak and it snapped, sending the bridge ripping through other dimensions. The obvious fix is that we need a stronger anchor to pull the threads back together and close the rift.”
“Which we have.” Economos chuckles confidently. Superman holds up a finger, a question lingering on his lips. Happersen pointedly ignores him.
“But, what we don't have is an anti-gravitational device to stabilize the wormhole. Once we have it stabilized, everyone who doesn't belong here has to go back and stop the rift from happening in the first place.”
Adebayo shifts on her feet, hands on hips. “And how the hell are we supposed to do that?”
Economos can barely contain his excitement when he sets the chrome briefcase on his lap. “With this.”
“You've had the quantum unfolding chamber this whole time?” Rip crunches on a cheeto, eyes narrowed. “Way to keep me in the loop.”
“It was my decision.” Harcourt admits. “This is our only advantage against Luthor and Flag.”
She presses her lips together. “I didnt want them to torture it out of you or something.”
Rip snorts. “Thanks.”
“Where can we get this anti-gravity device that we need?” You ask.
“Thats the catch.” Happersen grins. “The only other one that I know exists… Lex has.”
“And how do you know that?” Chris flings his hand out in frustration. “Very convenient that what we need Lex has. It smells like a big steaming pile of bullshit.” He narrows his eyes at Happersen. “Clearly this is a trap.”
“I know because I made it, you meathead.” Happersen lunges to his feet.
Adebayo holds Chris’ bicep when he takes a step forward at the challenge.
“He isn't lying.” Future Adrian's voice cuts through the arguing. He glances at Harcourt. “I’ve seen it.”
Superman raises his brows. “So have I.”
At this Happersen's lip curls. “Get fucked, boyscout.” He points at future Adrian. “This mental case, I get. But Lex would never expose that kind of tech to you.”
Superman's shoulders straighten in indignation. “He is my mortal enemy, but—”
“Okay, so we know it exists, we just have to find it.” Harcourt glances at Happersen. “What does this thing look like?”
His brows knit. “It's—”
“A silver sphere.” Future Adrian blurts.
“Like a black Rubik's cube…” Superman mutters.
Harcourt pinches the bridge of her nose.
Happersen leans back, a smug grin on his face. “I was going to say the device itself is little more than the size of a quarter. Lex would have housed it in something strong enough to contain its anti-gravitational pull.”
“Fuck, man! Why can this ever be easy?” Adebayo whines.
“Nothing worth doing is ever easy.” Superman grins at her and Chris rolls his eyes.
“Come on, dude. If you're going to hang with us you gotta cut that cutesy shit out.”
“Yeah, I'm the cutesy one!” Economos laughs.
Superman turns back to Harcourt. “So this anchor thing—we have one?”
Happersen flourishes his hands. “We're in it.”
“Headquarters?” Adrian asks.
“No, genius—the subway tunnels.” Economos grins.
“These tunnels are the perfect anchor to tether the portal to, we have miles of empty track to work with,” Happersen explains.
“It can fit like, a thousand door frames,” Chris says, awestruck.
“Sure—I guess.” Happersen shrugs.
Harcourt claps her hands, drawing everyone's attention.
“The plan is, we split into two groups. We —” She makes a circular gesture encompassing herself, future Adrian, Chris, Adrian, and you, “infiltrate LexCorp tower and get the device.” Adrian's hand squeezes yours.
“Happersen, Economos, Judomaster, and Adebayo— get the portal functioning and ready for the anti-gravity device. We wiĺl be coming in hot.”
All around the room different expressions settle on each face.
“What about me?” Superman's voice cuts through the quiet.
Chris slaps his knee, laughing. “Haha, dude she forgot you were here!”
“No, I didnt—shut up Chris.” Harcourt's sharp green gaze lands on the hero. “He is our distraction.”
“Question.” Your gaze flicks to Harcourt. “How are we going to breach LexCorp Tower?”
She grins and turns to Economos. “You want the honors, John?”
Economos leans forward. “Lex really doesn't have the gift of foresight because of his excessive hubris. He built his little company town on top of these existing subway tunnels with the intent to expand his fucked up empire outward into Evergreen. There's an entire web of them.” Economos grins. “But he hasn't done anything with them except give us an in—we can take these tunnels all the way to the subterranean levels of his tower.”
“You've tried it?” Adrian asks, jaw slack.
“There's a grate in the mechanical room.” Future Adrian nods and folds his arms. “We're as good as gold.”
“Fuck yeah!” Chris's voice booms through the chamber. “We're going to fix this shit—everything is going to go back to how it's supposed to be!” He looks around the room smiling. When he notices a half eaten corndog on the table he punches the air. “And there's corndogs? Get some, bitches!”
Future Adrian and Harcourt share a long look, it breaks when his eyes trail down to his boots.
Harcourt stares after Chris, who is pawing through the freezer, before turning back to the group.
“Since you all are here, if the anchor is ready, we can move as soon as tonight.”
“Why the rush?” Chris breathes around a steaming bite of corndog.
“It's been five long years waiting for this moment. Those five years have felt like an eternity.” A shadow passes behind her eyes. “The lighthouse has finally guided all the ships to shore. Now it's time to go home.”
“Wow, you've gotten poetic over the years.” Ads whispers.
Harcourt levels her gaze on her friend. “I'm done taking orders and keeping my toxic masculinity in check. It's time to shake things up.” Her fists clench at her sides. “Say your goodbyes now. We may not get a chance later.”
You and Adrian walk down the subway tunnel into the dark, away from his future self and Harcourt, who seem to be having a silent conversation with their eyes every time you look over.
You walk past a trio of motorcycles parked against the curving walls and through steel beams welded in arches to fit snugly against the concrete tunnel.
Adrian's fingers are twitching, they only seem to calm when he soothes his thumb over his middle finger, rubbing the two pads together.
When you look at his face, he's got a thoughtful, almost concerned crease to his brow. He watches the ground as he walks.
“I… I've always thought she was hot and all, but—acting on anything never came to mind. Especially after you joined the team.”
“What?” You glance over at him, wishing he would look at you. When he does, it's from under the fringe of his curls.
“Harcourt.” His eyes follow the beam of his flashlight cutting through the darkness ahead. “She's Peacemaker's girl, and I would never go against bro code—”
“I think he broke bro code first.” You offer a crooked grin when he glances over.
“You’re not mad?”
“No.”
“Oh, thank god. Honestly, it's weird seeing her be so nice to me—I mean, him.” His chuckle is a little manic. “I'm sure everything will go back to how it was when we get back.” His voice trails off quietly.
You press your lips together at the thought. You, Adrian, Chris, and Ads may be the only ones who know just how strangely the future plays out. That is, if you all make it back alive and if the wormhole doesn't melt your brains into soup.
You both walk on, until the conversation echoing out from the others fades.
–
Your silence is deafening in Adrian's ears.
“You sure you're not mad?” He stops and leans against the wall.
“I was just thinking about the possibility that all of us may not make it back.”
His eyes trail down the tunnel, trying to get a handle on the idea of crawling through a grate and into Lex Luthor's tower somewhere at the end of the line.
“If any one of us that came through the portal dies, there isn't a second chance waiting on the other side.” Your voice is so quiet it prompts him to grab your hands and pull you towards him.
“Hey, we came here together. That's how we're leaving.”
“Actually, you ran off and jumped through the portal without me.” You slap his shoulder and he smiles.
“Should've listened to me.” He mutters, pulling you into a soft kiss.
“When we make it back I—” His words are drowned out by sudden shouting.
Chris and future Adrian are brawling in the tunnel. Chris has got future Adrian by the collar, one fist swinging through the air in great swipes.
Adrian's and your foot falls echo as you run towards the commotion. Harcourt stands in the entrance of headquarters, arms crossed against her chest, shaking her head.
“You little fucker!” Chris slugs future Adrian’s jaw, snapping his face to the side.
“Emilia…” The name quivers out of Adrian's doppelganger's mouth just before the wind is kicked out of him. Chris withdraws his knee and rams it into the other man's diaphragm again.
“Fine, yes.” Harcourt mutters. “Just don't kill him—we need him.”
A small smile tugs at her lips when future Adrian shifts, grasping Chris's head between his bicep and forearm. When he heaves his former friend over his shoulder and slams his body into the muddy floor of the tunnel you're surprised the ground doesn't shake beneath your boots.
Chris groans, then wheezes when Adrian shifts him onto his back and wraps him in a chokehold. The toes of Chris's boots scrabble and scrape against the floor of the tunnel.
“Wha—what is with all the wrestling moves?” He sputters, face purpling.
“We don't have time for your ego trip, Chris.” Harcourt says evenly. “Are you calm now?” she says coldly, arms crossed in front of her.
“Yes—” he says thickly.
Harcourt glances up when Economos rushes over, face pale. Harcourt nods to future Adrian. He unwinds and Chris relaxes into the pavement, cheek resting in what could only be described as pondscum.
“Hey, there's something major—”
“Dye Beard—” Chris coughs and pushes himself up from the ground, “were you in on this?”
“In on what?”
“On Adrian getting with my fucking girl!”
“Don’t drag me into your shit!” Economos mops his sweaty forehead with his shirt sleeve.
Everyone turns when Happersen clears his throat from his desk. “Uh— I hate to break up the party, but like John was saying, we need to do this now. There's major movement out of Flags camp, they're headed in the direction of New Evergreen.” He taps on his keyboard lazily.
Harcourt goes stock still before jumping into her role as leader.
“Get strapped with weapons and comms—now!” You and Adrian follow everyone else into headquarters, grabbing extra mags and earpieces from where Adebayo is unloading them onto a table. “We have to get there before they do or we will be outnumbered forty to one—and that's being idealistic.”
She pushes by Economos, who rushes to his computer and starts typing wildly.
“We have three bikes, we're going to have to double up. Chris, you can go solo.” She orders.
Chris watches, nose still dribbling blood as everyone jumps into action. Superman nods when Harcourt says something in a voice too low to hear before taking a running leap and speeding out of headquarters.
“Where the fuck is he going?” Chris demands.
“He knows what to do, let him do it!” Harcourt snaps. “Adrian,” Adrian points at himself in confusion, “yes, you—come with me.”
Adrian shoots a nervous glance at you as he follows Harcourt. You're standing in the middle of the chaos, watching him go. There's a thousand things he still wants to say to you.
“I don't want to leave her.”
“We have to get you into an extra suit.” She hustles him into a small storage room. Inside is his Vigilante suit. Well, it's his future suit. He picks up the mask, staring at the teal tinted reflection looking back at him in the visor.
“Put it on.” She waves her hand impatiently.
His brows knit when she crosses her arms and raises her eyebrows. “What?”
“Can you at least turn around?”
Her eyes widen, a sheepish expression melting over her features before she turns her back to him.
He strips quickly, kicking his boots off and hopping foot to foot as he pulls his pants on.
“The both of you being suited up will give us an advantage.” She says quietly. “Cause confusion and give us twice as much access to Lex Luthor's inner sanctum.”
“Okay–” He strips his tee-shirt off and begins pulling on the kevlar reinforced second skin and ceramic armor.
“I know this is going to upset you, but you'll be riding with me.”
“What? No, I can't—”
“You have to. Neither of you can ride one of these bikes.” When he sputters she turns, throwing her hand out in frustration.
“You don't want her with Chris do you?”
“No—”
“Exactly.” She wets her lips. Adrian isn't sure he's ever seen Harcourt nervous before. Not around him anyways. Annoyed? Confused? Infuriated? Yes. But never nervous.
She picks up his sword, turning it in the dim light. Without taking her eyes off the blade she offers it to him. He slides it into place on his back.
“When we get there, you'll have to trust he's going to keep her safe.”
“Bullshit! I lost her once—”
“And I lost you! I thought I did, I thought I would be okay, but … I have to make sure you make it back, Adrian.”
“You have—” His mouth works trying to find the words to make sense of everything, “you have him, don't you?”
When the words leave his mouth, she takes a step back, cheeks flushed and eyes glimmering.
“Do not get it twisted. He is you. If you don't make it back— I won't forgive myself.”
Adrian's breath feels like it's been sucked out of him as he studies her green eyes, understanding washing over him.
“If he has to, he will die protecting her.” Harcourt's voice shakes.
“I know I will.” His nostrils flare before he pulls his helmet on. Then he studies her from behind his green blue visor. She really is a piece of work. Hard and stubborn and willing to do anything to make things right—and beautiful. His head tilts back.
“Fine.”
A shaky smile pulls at her lips. “You've always been smarter than I've given you credit for.”
Adrian's grateful she can't see his eyes behind the visor, because they would give away just how much of her plan he understands.
“Let's go save the fucking world.” He manages a smile when she playfully bumps his shoulder.
–
“Where's Adrian?” You let the slide snap back into place before stuffing your pistol into your holster.
“With Harcourt.” A muscle in future Adrian's face twitches as he finishes clipping on his armor.
“You’re coming with me.”
“Like hell I am!”
A wry smile pulls at his lips, and he shifts his stance, mask grasped in one hand.
“Do we really need to make a scene like before?” He nods to where Chris is threading holsters onto the tactical belt looped around his waist.
“I should get a say—”
The wind leaves your lungs when his shoulder presses into your diaphragm. Now you're looking at Chris upside down as future Adrian, older and stronger than the one you came here with, carries you over his shoulder like a kid due for a spanking.
“You're such an asshole…”
He shoulders his way into the dark tunnel and sets you down on your feet next to his motorcycle. “I warned you.”
You watch as he pushes his curls back, the scar on his face silvery and taut before he pulls his mask on.
“It's for your own good.”
You shove his shoulder hard, it doesn't even phase him.
“I'm the one who should be protecting him!”
He shifts his feet. “Why?”
“Because—”
“You won't let him out of your sight?” He steps closer, posture stiff.
“Of course not, he's—”
“You'll kill for him? Won't leave him behind?” He's closer now, visor tilted down as he assesses you. “Would die for him?”
“Yes! I would, I—”
“That’s the problem.” The crook of his gloved finger lifts your chin.
“It isn't!"
“That's where you're wrong— it's a problem for me. And I know it is a problem for him, too.”
Your mouth works silently for a moment. “You think I won't jump in front of a bullet for you, Adrian?” Your chest expands. “I will— I don't care what fucking timeline you're from!”
He's quiet for a long moment. “You're a bad liar.” He releases your chin to sweep a tear from your cheek.
“If I die, it will be because I won't let anything happen to you. It won't matter as long as you both make it back through the portal. But, you know that, don't you?”
Swallowing hard you glance at your feet, then back at his face, where his visor reflects back a pale, watery version of yourself. “Shut up and start the bike.”
You can almost hear the victory in his chuckle before the bike revs to life.
After a hushed argument with Harcourt, Adebayo returns to Economos, Happersen, and Judomaster, who are all busy priming the tunnel to transform into an anchor strong enough to stabilize the wormhole.
Chris's brows knit. “So, how do we know which anti-gravity device to use?”
“We don't." Harcourt swings her leg over the bike and Adrian slides on after her. “We're going to take both.”
Adrian is dressed identically to his doppelganger, minus about fifteen pounds of muscle. You wish you could see his face— you want to tell him it'll be okay one last time. But you know that's what you need to hear, Adrian has always been just fine running towards the blood and chaos.
You hug your arms around future Adrian's waist tighter. He shifts, rubbing your hands with his gloved palm.
“We got this, baby.” He whispers.
As the trio of motorcycles tear through the abandoned subway tunnel, you squeeze closer to future Adrian, grateful his broad frame is blocking the wind from your already burning eyes.
–
The grate providing access to the tower is barely big enough for Chris to squeeze his massive chest and shoulders into, but he pulls himself up and through. Harcourt and Adrian are next through, Chris's beefy hand grasping each of theirs in turn and pulling them up and out of sight.
Future Adrian gives you a boost up on his knee, his hands trail from your waist slowly, grasping gently until you are pulled from his grip. He pulls himself up a moment later, choosing to ignore Chris's proffered hand.
“Adrian, take her and find the sphere housing the anti-gravity device.” She shoots you a glance. “Watch his back.”
Your spine straightens in indignation at this.
“What about the other one?” Chris chimes in.
“Superman told me it's in Luthor's office.” She pulls a pair of temporary cuffs out of her pocket.
“Turn around.” She nods to Chris.
“What? Are you for real right now?”
“Yes— it's the only way.” She shoves his shoulder and he crashes into a concrete block wall. “Turn the fuck around.”
Chris lets his forehead rest against the gray painted wall as she secures the plastic cuffs with a zip.
“I can snap these right now if I wanted.”
“I know, genius—that's the plan.” She rolls her eyes. "We are heading to Luthor's office.” She pats Chris's shoulder. “I think he’ll like the little surprise we have in store for him.”
When the floor shakes beneath your boots, future Adrian places a steadying hand on your hip.
“What the hell was that?” Chris watches as drywall dust floats down from the ceiling tiles. When the lights flicker, Harcourt smiles, eyes drawing up as if she can see the penthouse office of the tower.
“That’s our distraction.”
-
Future Adrian and you run up the stairs and burst through a door and into a lobby where employees are gathering their belongings and rushing towards the windows that look out over the city. A few eyes land on him, but flit away quickly, back to the chaos outside where stacks of smoke are rising in dark plumes.
“He's lost his mind.” You hear one woman whisper to another.
“No—he wouldn't be doing this unless he had a reason.”
Outside, separated by a plate-glass window, is Superman. He's hovering, close to fifty stories in the air, cape billowing, and holding an enormous antenna nearly ten times his height.
“That's the central defense spire.” A man says, slack jawed.
“Now the LexCorp Security guards are the only people standing between us and an attack.” Another man murmurs.
Future Adrian pulls you by the hand through the crowd of shocked onlookers and towards the elevator, apologizing and straightening the lab coat of a woman he shoulders past.
He punches the call button for the elevator and orders a harried looking man carrying two cardboard trays of coffees out.
Like magic, future Adrian produces a stolen badge for the tech development lab from his sleeve and holds it to the elevator sensor before jabbing the floor he needs.
“Slick. Haven't lost your magic touch, I see.”
You smile up at him and he shrugs. “Being a nerd is handy sometimes.”
When the elevator stops, it opens into a lobby leading to glass doors where crimson emergency lights and alarms blare through the space. When three guards turn towards the open elevator, future Adrian steps in front of you protectively. Two guards are inside the tech lab, automatic rifles slung over their shoulders. The guard closest to the elevator steps forward, raising a gloved palm.
“Vigilante, there's been a breach! That caped crusader has finally lost his marbles. We're under lock down here—orders are straight from Lex.” His eyes crinkle into a grin above his balaclava when he glances over Vigilante's shoulder at you. “Who's this?”
Future Adrian's stance shifts, and his posture relaxes. His hand rests on the heel of a knife at his hip.
He nods in greeting. “Flag's men responsible for the breach?”
“We don't know yet.” His gaze flicks back to you and his gun swings from his shoulder and loosely into his grip. “Can I see some identification, miss?”
“Um, sure.” You shift, turning to hide the bulge of your handgun under the hem of your shirt. When he steps closer, the knife flies into future Adrian's hand and he presses it into the soft tissue of the guard's belly.
“You’re going to let us in, or I'm going to redecorate the tiles with your insides,” he hisses in the guard's ear, “you choose.”
–
“Walk!” Harcourt shoves Chris ahead of her while Adrian's stride falls into rhythm with hers. Guards wearing black kevlar chest plates move out of the way as Chris stumbles ahead, looking like a broken man, face already battered by both versions of Adrian in the last few days.
The elevator ride to the penthouse office is uneventful. Harcourt scanned her badge and the elevator zips right up towards the top floor of the building, though Adrian wished it would slow so he could watch Superman battle the jet pack clad guards after he tossed a steel spire into a nearby river.
The aerial battle disappears from view just as a barrage of bullets flew at the caped hero.
No way is he friends with this guy. So rad.
He looks over at Peacemaker, whose shoulders are slumped in defeat as he quietly murmurs to Harcourt.
“Everyone fucking hates me here.”
“Keith and Flag don't.” She replies coolly.
His blue eyes trail across the floor of the elevator before meeting Adrian's visor.
“I don't hate you, P.” Adrian reassures him.
“Thanks, V.” A small smile pulls at his lips.
“Glad that's out of your systems now, because neither of you can pull that shit in front of Lex.” Her eyes level on Adrian. “You hate him. You want to kill him.”
“Yeah, well why didn't he?” Chris demands.
“Because— I told him not to, Chris!” She twists his arms and pulls him closer. “I'm the only reason you even have a chance to get back home.”
“Why even bother?” He mutters before the doors slide open and Harcourt shoves him forward.
Adrian hangs back at Harcourt’s heels when she jerks Chris's elbow and marches him towards a marble desk, the man behind the desk pushes his spectacles up, eyes wide.
“Emilia, it's really not a good time—”
“Let me through, Brant!”
When a security guard falls into step with her she elbows him.
“Back the fuck off my hostage! I caught him creeping around the lower levels.” She eyes the man wearily, hand resting on the heel of her gun. “Way out of your paygrade.”
Marching in through a corridor, she stops for a retina scan before a stainless steel door slides up with a woosh. At the end of the hallway, two guards flank a heavy door.
“Now isn't a good time, you know.” One whispers.
“It's important. I have intel Luthor needs to hear, now!”
The other guard leans close to Adrian. “Surprised you haven't gutted him already, Vig.”
Harcourt pushes through them. “Get the hell out of the way already.” She pauses just before opening the door. “Where the hell is Graves?”
“He's about a dozen floors down battling Superman—crazy bastard has gone rogue.”
Harcourt pauses, lips pursed.
“Cameras are finally down. But that means the elevators are too.” Economos' voice echoes through their earpieces.
All it takes is a glance back at Adrian and he's ready. In a blink she spins her gun into fist and smashes the butt into one guard's temple. Adrian wraps his arm around the other's neck, and covers his mouth before a quiet crack stills the struggling man. He lets the guard slide to the floor before dragging the bodies out of view of the door.
“Fuck, Adrian.” She hisses. “You didn't have to kill him.”
Chris rolls his eyes.
Behind his mask, Adrian grimaces. “Sorry.”
“I forgot how much you still have to learn…” Her gaze pauses on Chris for a moment.
“Hold on.” She beckons Chris closer, and when he leans in, she punches him square in his mouth.
He jerks back, eyes watering, cursing under his breath.
“Need to make it believable,” she mutters before shouldering the door open.
Lex Luthor is standing with his back to the door, looking into a giant aquarium. The huge tank splits the office in two. On this side of the tank, book shelves line the walls, and pristine white leather couches and marble coffee tables serve as a lounge area. Behind the tank is Lex Luthor's desk and a solid glass window that wraps around the rest of the office, displaying his grand city in its entirety.
In the corner of the room is only what Adrian can only describe as a battle suit. The angular chrome armour shifts in color, as if preparing for the order to camouflage.
“Everything seems to be falling apart.” Lex says stoically, hands clasped behind his back as he watches a shark dart around the tank. Adrian's fingers twitch— it's a juvenile tiger shark.
Adrian takes the rest of the tank in quickly, blooms of corals and swaying anemones allow small colorful fish the ability to hide from the predator. The shark prowls, eyes cold and fixed.
“We have Peacemaker—” Harcourt shoves Chris forward on his knees and presses her gun to the back of his head. Lex Luthor glances over his shoulder at this.
“So, Flag finally made his move.” His cool blue eyes assess Harcourt shrewdly before passing over Adrian entirely to land on Chris.
“Did he not realize I have been waiting for this?” His grin is all sharp edges as he approaches, stopping a few feet from where Chris is on his knees.
Chris spits blood on the floor at Lex's feet, Lex looks disdainfully at the blood stained saliva and shifts. Adrian's gaze runs the room, searching for the black Rubik's cube that Superman described as housing the anti-gravity device.
“What are Flag's plans?” He tilts his head, a cruel smile playing on his lips. Chris hangs his head, wrists limp behind him. He pulls Chris's face back by his hair.
Adrian edges towards a shelf lined with books and trinkets. He spots a black cube under a glass dome. It floats, suspended in the air.
“Pathetic.” Lex lets go of Chris's hair and his face drops down again, fists bunching. Harcourt strides over when Lex's hand opens at his side. She settles next to him while he strokes the back of her thigh like she's some dangerous pet of his.
“How’s it feel knowing it was never real? How's it feel knowing you're a damned joke?” Lex's hand pauses and Harcourt's eyes flick over, tracking Adrian as he inches towards the cube. Her nose is pink, the velvetly skin around her lips taut, her eyes—bright green with unshed tears.
Lex glances down at Harcourt. “Do you think he knows who I'm talking to?”
Harcourt shifts her boots. “He's a fool, but—”
“Do you know who I'm talking to?” Lex's smile drops and a blade snakes out from his sleeve.
“I usually don't get my hands dirty but I'll make an exception for you.” The tip of the knife presses into the soft skin of her lower back. “Emilia, Emilia…” He tuts. “You think I don't know what you've been planning all this time?” His lips caress the shell of her ear. “I know all, I see all—”
Adrian pulls his gun when Peacemaker breaks his cuffs with a swift jerk of his wrists. For being as big as he is, he moves with swift grace for a man enraged— he head butts Lex, the blow is followed by his fist crashing into the other man's temple. The knife skitters out of Lex's hand and Emilia steps away as Lex crumbles like a ton of bricks.
“Yeah? Did you see that coming, fucker?” Chris bellows.
Lex, on his hands and knees, chuckles, blood trickling from his nose. “That should about do it.” Another manic laugh bubbles out of him.
“I think I broke his brain.” Chris grins.
“I want to thank you— sincerely thank the three of you for doing the hard work for me.” Lex sits back heavily, feet sliding out in front of him.
“I know about the time jump. I know we are in Sanctuary.” He pauses, nodding to himself. “It was a major oversight and it took me longer to realize than I'd like to admit—but I'm not the most powerful man in the world for no reason.”
Harcourt moves closer to Chris, pulling her pistol and pointing it at Lex Luthor's head.
“Then you know I won't lose a wink of sleep if I blow your head off right now.”
“Not if we have anything to do with it.”
Adrian's shifts, aligning the sights on his gun between the two men who just pushed through the door—future Peacemaker and his brother, Keith.
For a breathless moment, silence hangs heavy in the air.
“Put it down, Emilia. You know you're out gunned.” Keith flashes a predatory grin as he levels his gun at the back of her head. The boosters on his suit hiss, ready to take flight at any moment.
“You too, Vigilante. Unless you want the inside of her head on the outside.”
Adrian sets his pistol down.
“I should kill you where you stand.” Keith spits. “I thought we already did.”
“Turns out he can take one through the heart and survive.” Lex muses. “A medical aberration. The head physician of my metahuman research program wants to study him further.”
“Does his heart still need to be in his chest for it?”
“Preferably.” Lex drawls.
“He killed our father.” Keith's eyes flick to future Peacemaker.
A terrible expression of pain flicks across future Chris's eyes, but it's gone before Adrian can really put his finger on it. Instead, he looks at his younger doppelganger.
“I made the right decision once. Maybe this time it'll stick.” Future Peacemaker nods towards Adrian. “Kill him.”
Chris goes stiff. “No.”
“I said kill him. He killed your family, tried to kill your brother.” Chris's older self presses the butt of his gun against his younger self's shoulder. “I know you'll do what's right—hell, we've already done it.”
There's a long pause.
Despite the gun pressed to the back of her head, Harcourt's voice doesn't waver. “Fuck off, he won't—”
“You know what—screw it!” Younger Chris points a finger at Adrian. “You didn’t have to kill my fucking dad you little shit!” He grabs the butt of his gun, his hand resting on the fingers of his futures self.
“That's right—”
“And you didnt have to fuck my girl!” Chris bellows, face purpling. His hand grips the gun awkwardly as it rests backwards on his shoulder.
“Wait—what?” Future Chris's brows knit.
Future Peacemaker's confusion is cut off short when instead of turning and extending his arm forward towards Adrian, Chris lets the butt of the gun rest on his shoulder and shifts the aim of the long chrome barrel up. Then, he pulls the trigger.
Chris squeezes his eyes shut against the deafening crack of the bullet leaving its chamber and the gore that speckles the side of his face when the impact of the desert eagle's .50 round shatters his future doppelganger's skull.
Harcourt struggles in Keith's grip. He moves slowly in his heavy armor, but he's still quick and cold enough to pump three rounds into Chris's chest.
Adrian watches in horror as his friend's hand pats the holes in his chest. When Chris pulls his hand away, dripping red, a look of confusion settles on his face. He glances at Emilia, who's trapped in the vice of Keith's arm around her neck, tears spilling onto her cheeks, and at Adrian.
“I—I finally did something right.” He crumbles to his knees next to his future doppelganger.
He steadies himself by placing his hands on the floor, watching in disbelief as the puddle of blood below him grows. Then Peacemaker's face drops in defeat, and his hair falls over his eyes.
“Chris!” Adrian feels like he's trying to run through wet cement, his feet are being sucked into the ground— they aren't fast enough as he tries to rush to his friend's side.
Chris can't die.
Not like this.
Not for him.
Before Adrian can close the distance, Keith's elbow snaps back, and his steel armored fist smashes into Adrian's mask, shattering his visor in an explosion of acrylic. He gets one last look at Harcourt's wide green eyes before his vision goes black.
To be continued...
Part 17 / Part 18 / Part 19
Master list
Thank you to everyone who made it this far and as this series winds down, I want to say thank you to those of you who have been reading along! 🫶 The next part will be released soon, it's undergoing final edits. Look how funny Adrian looks in the photo below 🤣🥹 I miss these goofs.
