Chapter 026: Meeting a True Hero

The night air hung heavy with the smell of salt and blood as Adrian stood amidst the sea of crushed G-Elves, breathing heavily. Guardian staggered forward, the G-Gnome’s claws sunk deep into his shoulder, its glowing horns pulsing with malicious intent. The man’s body moved like a marionette—awkward, yet terrifyingly efficient. 

Adrian cracked his neck, the exhaustion gripping his muscles. But he couldn’t stop. Not now. Not with this thing using Guardian like a weapon.  

“You don’t wanna do this,” Adrian muttered, clenching his fists as bone spikes emerged from his knuckles. The silica sand around him rippled like a living thing, waiting for his command. “Don’t make me put you down.”

Guardian didn’t respond. His shield raised, and in an instant, he charged.

Adrian reacted, sending a stream of silica sand forward like a coiled serpent. The sand wrapped around Guardian’s legs, trying to pull him down, but the G-Gnome’s control over his body ignored human limits. Guardian pushed through, his muscles straining beyond what should’ve been possible as he dragged Adrian’s sand trap forward step by step.  

“Goddamn puppet strength,” Adrian growled, twisting his hand to tighten the sand around Guardian’s legs. But before it could fully immobilize him, Guardian leaped into the air, his shield aimed downward like a missile. Adrian barely rolled out of the way before the shield crashed into the ground, sending cracks splintering through the concrete.  

Adrian flicked his fingers, and the silica sand exploded upward in a blinding wave. Guardian stumbled back, sand clinging to his helmet and armor. Adrian took the opening and charged, bone-covered fists flying. The first punch connected with Guardian’s ribs, the second with his shoulder, and the third with his jaw. But the hits that should’ve staggered a normal man barely made him flinch.  

Guardian’s shield swung like a wrecking ball, catching Adrian in the side and sending him flying into a shipping container. The metal groaned under the impact, and Adrian collapsed to the ground, gasping for air as pain radiated through his ribs.  

Before he could get up, Guardian was on him. The man’s knee drove into Adrian’s chest, pinning him down as the shield raised high above his head.

“Shit,” Adrian muttered, summoning a last-second defense. The sand swirled around him, forming a hardened shield just as Guardian’s own shield came crashing down. The impact shattered Adrian’s sand barrier, sending shards of silica flying like shrapnel, but it absorbed enough of the blow to save his skull from being caved in.

Adrian kicked Guardian off him and scrambled to his feet, coughing. “You don’t give up, do you?”

Guardian didn’t answer—he charged again. Adrian cursed, summoning a wave of sand to block him, but Guardian didn’t slow down. The sand wrapped around his arms and legs, but the G-Gnome’s control ignored every limitation. Guardian’s muscles bulged unnaturally as he tore through the sand, his shield swinging in a deadly arc.  

Adrian ducked, the shield grazing his shoulder and ripping through the fabric of his jacket. He retaliated with a bone spear that shot from his forearm, aiming for Guardian’s leg. It pierced through the armor, but Guardian didn’t even flinch. Instead, he grabbed Adrian by the neck and slammed him into the ground.  

The world spun as Adrian gasped for breath. His vision blurred, but he saw Guardian standing over him, shield raised high once again.

Adrian felt the grains shift and obey, but it wasn’t enough. He needed something more.  

Then, an idea sparked.  

With a flick of his wrist, Adrian sent a thin stream of sand crawling up Guardian’s back. The sand found its way to the G-Gnome’s claws, grinding against them. Guardian’s shield wavered, his movements slowing as the sand disrupted the connection.  

“Just a little more,” Adrian muttered, his hands trembling as he pushed himself off the ground.  

But the G-Gnome fought back. Its claws dug deeper into Guardian’s shoulder, and the man let out a guttural roar. His shield exploded forward like a battering ram, slamming into Adrian’s chest and sending him crashing through another container wall. Metal crumpled around him as he hit the ground, coughing up blood.  

I can’t take another hit like that, Adrian thought, struggling to his feet. His ribs ached, and every breath felt like fire in his lungs. But he wasn’t done. Not yet.  

Adrian’s chest rose and fell with each ragged breath as Guardian advanced, the glow from the G-Gnome pulsing like a sinister heartbeat. Guardian’s body moved with unnatural efficiency, his muscles straining as though resisting the very thing controlling him. Adrian could see it—the man wasn’t entirely gone. He was fighting it. But the G-Gnome was winning.

Adrian tightened his grip on the shifting sand around him. One last push, he thought, readying another wave. But before he could act, something whizzed through the air, slicing cleanly through the G-Gnome. The creature shrieked as it tumbled from Guardian’s shoulder, twitching on the ground before going still.

Adrian’s eyes narrowed as he spotted the weapon lodged in the G-Gnome’s body—a batarang. His blood ran cold.  

Batman.  

His head snapped toward the shadows, his breath hitching. But instead of the looming figure of Gotham’s dark knight, someone else stepped into the light.  

“Oh,” Adrian sighed in visible relief. “It’s just you.”  

Batgirl’s eyebrows furrowed as she stepped closer, her shadow stretching long across the concrete. “What’s that supposed to mean?”  

“For a second, I thought Batman was here,” Adrian said with a chuckle, wiping blood from his split lip. “He’s the last guy I wanna meet right now. But you? Well, at least I get to meet the beautiful Batgirl.”  

Her brow arched slightly at the comment, but she said nothing, studying him instead. Adrian Wells. He didn’t match what she expected—not physically, not emotionally. She had braced herself for someone broken and erratic after enduring two years of torture and experimentation at Cadmus. Instead, this man was grinning through the blood and bruises, cracking jokes like he wasn’t one wrong move away from death.  

“I’m here to help you,” Batgirl said.

“Good. Then you can start by scanning me.” Adrian tapped his stomach. “Pretty sure they’ve got some trackers in me.”  

Batgirl frowned but pulled a small device from her belt, activating it with a flick of her thumb. A beam of light swept over Adrian’s body. Her expression hardened as the scan confirmed his suspicion.  

“There are microscopic trackers embedded in your stomach lining,” she said.  

“Called it.” Adrian clicked his tongue. “Can you do something about them?”  

Batgirl pulled out a cylindrical device, twisting the cap to activate it. “This will emit an EMP wave localized enough to disable the trackers without frying your insides.”  

“That’s good to know,” Adrian muttered. “Wouldn’t wanna be extra crispy.”  

The device hummed, and Batgirl waved it over his abdomen. After a few seconds, the hum stopped, and she nodded. “Done.”  

“What exactly did you do?”  

“They’ll think you’re stationary for the next 24 hours before they realize they’ve lost the signal.”  

“Nice,” Adrian said. “Well, thanks for the assist, hero. I’m out of here.” He turned on his heel and started walking away, only for Batgirl to step forward and block his path.  

“It’s dangerous out there,” she said, her eyes narrowing slightly. “I think you should come with me. The Justice League can protect you.”  

Adrian’s smile faded. His posture stiffened, and he met her gaze head-on. “Thanks, but no. I can take care of myself.”  

Batgirl’s expression didn’t waver. She stepped closer. “I insist.”  

Adrian’s jaw tightened. “Or what? You gonna drag me back? Throw me in a cell like Cadmus did? Is that what heroes do now?”  

His voice rose, sharp with anger. The smile he had been wearing moments ago was gone, replaced by a bitterness that seemed to pour out of him unchecked. “You’re not taking me anywhere,” he said. “I’m done being anyone’s prisoner.”  

Batgirl didn’t back down, but she let the silence stretch for a moment, her eyes softening. Finally, she sighed. “I’m not here to capture you, Adrian. You can go. I can’t force you to come with me.”  

Adrian blinked, caught off guard by the admission. “Just like that?”  

She nodded. “Just like that.”  

“Guess heroes aren’t as dead as I thought.”  

“You don’t like superheroes?” she asked, genuinely curious.  

Adrian hesitated before answering, the bitterness creeping back into his voice. “People love heroes because they’ve been saved by them. But me? I’m one of the many they couldn’t save.”  

Batgirl flinched slightly at his words. She could feel the weight behind them, the years of pain and anger woven into every syllable. “I understand,” she said quietly.  

Adrian’s gaze flicked to her, surprised by her honesty. “That’s not very hero-like of you to admit.”  

“I’m not perfect,” Batgirl said with a sad smile. “I couldn’t save Maya Cruz from being killed.”  

Adrian’s lips thinned, and for a moment, his usual cocky demeanor cracked. He nodded slowly, his voice softer. “Thanks for telling me. It’s part of life, I guess. Death happens. But you? You’re alright in my book, Batgirl.” He reached out and gently patted her shoulder. “I’m sure you did your best for Maya.”  

Batgirl’s gaze held his, but she didn’t say anything.  

Adrian turned, ready to leave when her voice stopped him. “Hey.”  

He turned around, catching the small piece of paper she tossed to him. He unfolded it to see a phone number scrawled across it.  

“What’s this?”  

“A number you can call,” she said. “I know you don’t want the League’s help. But a lot of powerful people will be coming after you. And whether you want it or not, we’re still here to help.”  

Adrian smirked. “Wouldn’t it be easier to slap a tracker on me or something?”  

“Maybe,” Batgirl replied, “but I don’t think you’d appreciate that.”  

He laughed, shaking his head. “No, I wouldn’t.” He tucked the paper into his pocket. “Thanks for everything, hero.”  

Without waiting for her response, Adrian turned and jogged toward the container bound for the U.K. His footsteps echoed against the docks before disappearing into the night.

Batgirl stood at the edge of the dock, her boots firmly planted on the weathered wood, as she watched Adrian disappear into the maze of shipping containers and shadows. The cold wind from the harbor brushed against her face, tugging gently at her cape. Her breath fogged in the night air, but she barely noticed.  

She pressed her fingers to her earpiece. “Bruce,” she said softly. “He’s gone.”  

“Did you give him an out?”  

“Yeah. He took it.”  

Another beat of silence. Then, Bruce’s voice: “You’re sure that was the right call?”  

Barbara thought for a moment, her gaze still locked on the spot where Adrian had vanished. “I am,” she said. “I could’ve forced him to come with me. But what would that have done? He doesn’t trust anyone right now, especially people in masks. If I’d pushed him, he’d just see us the same way he sees Cadmus—another cage. Another hand on the leash.”  

“And you trusted him to make the right choice?”  

She gave a soft laugh. “No. I trusted him to make his choice. Whether it’s right or wrong—that’s up to him. But at least it’s his.”  

Batman was quiet for a moment, and she could almost hear him analyzing her response. “You’ve grown,” he finally said.  

“You sound surprised.”  

“I’m not,” Bruce said. “You’ve learned to balance the mission with compassion. That’s not easy.”  

She looked down at the piece of paper she’d written her number on, imagining Adrian tucking it into his pocket before running off. “He’s been through hell, Bruce. He hides it well, but it’s there. Cadmus didn’t just experiment on his body. They tried to break him.”  

“And yet he’s still standing,” Batman said.  

Barbara nodded. “Yeah. He’s stronger than even he realizes. But I think it’s more than that.”  

“What do you mean?”  

“I think he’s dangerous,” she admitted. “Not just because of what Cadmus did to him, but because of the anger. The resentment. It’s eating at him, and I don’t think he even knows how deep it goes.” She tightened her fist. “If that takes over… he’ll be just like the people he’s running from.”  

“But if it doesn’t,” Bruce replied, “he could be the one to tear them down.”  

Barbara smirked. “That’s what you’re hoping for, isn’t it? That he’ll burn Cadmus to the ground from the inside.”  

“I hope,” Bruce said, “that he survives long enough to decide who he really is.”  

The weight of those words pressed against her chest, but she nodded. “I left him a way to contact me. Told him we’re still here, even if he doesn’t want us to be.”  

“Good,” Bruce said. “It’s his call now. But if he reaches out, don’t hesitate.”  

“I won’t,” Barbara promised. She let the comm line go silent and lowered her hand.  

For a moment, she stood there, watching the ships bob in the harbor, their lights casting fractured reflections on the dark water. The wind tugged at her cape again, but this time, she welcomed it.  

With one last look toward the shadows where Adrian had vanished, she turned her attention to the mess of guardian and the others.

Sometimes, being a hero wasn’t about saving someone.  

Sometimes, it was about letting them save themselves.