Currently up in the Watchtower, in the Justice League Council Chamber, where a new vote is about to take place. This time is for the new Central City vigilante, Balerion. Currently, the members present have read the report given by Diana and Billy, but most didn't really read Billy's.
He just said, "This shadow dude is chill and cool, let him in the League."
Currently, Superman is taking the stage at the head of the table to address the gathered League members.
"I hope everyone has read the reports compiled by Diana and Barry. Both have met and spoken to Balerion in detail."
Billy raised his hand clearly frowning. Superman sighed.
"Yes, Billy?"
"You didn't even mention me, I gave a report too."
Superman glanced at the third 'report', which was written in permanent marker and was just a sentence.
"Of course, how could I forget your 'report'. Anyway, now it is time to vote. Balerion's request is clear: he seeks formal recognition and League affiliation. He is asking to join the League and stand as one of us."
Batman, currently sitting at the table, is clearly not on board.
"He clearly is a risk and a threat. His use of unknown magical abilities that no one can reference makes him an unknown magical combatant with no clear source for his power. He refuses to give us his identity, which is one thing we all did."
Batman is instantly interupted by Green Arrow.
"Actually, Bruce, you didn't give us your identity for months. Don't you remember that we had to have a couple of meetings about you not doing that? We voted then that it was optional, not mandatory."
Bruce instantly responds as if expecting this.
"That may be so, but he also breaks bones with minimal provocation. We bring him in, we send a message that brutality is tolerable."
Cyborg, who is seated there now, brings up the facts.
"Bruce, that is what you do all the time. We have had many incidents because that is pretty much all you do. You break bones, cause concussions, as knocking someone out is not clean. As for minimal provation, you say, they are all criminals and they live."
Bruce, clearly not expecting to be called out twice, is clearly squinting.
Regardless, Diana continues with her point.
"That also is one thing you two have in common. He hasn't killed anyone just yet, and he gives the people of Central City hope. As for the secret identity that is standard in this profession, and didn't we all start with our identities secret and independent?"
Many of the members start to agree, as that is pretty much how most vigilantes start. No one asked them to do it, and few operate with a backer. Balerion is not the first, and he will not be the last either.
Zatana now glances at Barry, who is wearing the suit that Balerion enchanted for him. He took it back despite them wanting to keep studying it.
"Now, we can go over his clear, unique mastery of magic. I don't fully trust magic, I do not understand or can't refrence. I couldn't decipher the runes on Barry's suit despite what me and Doctor Fate did to try. They rearranged as if they were programmed not to be read. Whatever magic system he uses isn't ours, and that is what unsettles me."
Doctor Fate, behind his golden helm, nods as he was there as well.
"I examined them as well. The runes are not alive in the traditional sense. They are self-obfuscating, similar to magical constructs in older planes. His method is alien, but not malicious since I personally searched for any curse, or malicious magical hex, and I found none."
Barry smirks in his proudly glittering enchanted suit.
"Told you."
Green Arrow, leaning on the table, smirks as he looks at the suit.
"Looks fancy, he charging for his services? I could do with a magic tune-up. Regardless, Balerion sounds like a dark wizard Batman with a giant shadow dog. Honestly, Gotham could use the help as we have suggested."
Martian Manhunter, the calm one of the group, notes something.
"From his actions, he clearly is deeply disciplined. With his power it would be extremely easy to end a life with a blow to the right place on the human body, but his deaths are still zero."
Batman corrects him.
"That we know of. I have noted at least 23 disappearances since the time Balerion showed up in Central City."
Cyborg nods.
"That is true, but there is zero evidence that he had anything to do with those incidents. Central City is a large city center, and people go missing every day. Some never get reported, and you can't blame every missing person on him just because he lives in Central City."
Shazam, on the other hand, is leaning his chair with his legs on the table.
"Wisdom of Solomon says he didn't do it. Plus, he has a dog, and the dog and the dude are epic. I vote yes already."
Superman, after listening to all these points, turns to Barry.
"You met him before any of us, and your wife met him twice, once with you present. Do you trust him?"
Barry looks down at his suit and the interviews and his two talks with Balerion, and he knows his answer.
"Not 100%, but I do trust him. He hasn't given me a reason not to trust him."
Superman then turns to the gathered members.
"Everyone, it's time to vote."
From the table, two buttons emerge, a green and red, and the choice is up to the Leaguer in question. Superman: Yes, Batman: No, Wonder Woman: Yes, Flash: Yes, Hal Jordon: Abstains, Martian Manhunter: Yes, Zatanna: Yes, Doctor Fate: Yes, Shazam: Yes, Aquaman: Yes, and Green Arrow: Yes.
The results are out of 11 votes, 9 votes yes, 1 abstained, and 1 voted no. As a result, it is declared that Balerion is gaining a provisional membership, which will be reviewed once he meets with the full League before his first League mission.
---
While the League was having their vote, Viktor was in his heavily warded home while in deep study in his ritual room. He had glowing diagrams of Europe hovering around him in a suspended magical interface.
Guardenia was over his shoulder with her arms crossed.
"It's good that you're planning thoroughly. Romania is an old land. The dark breeds differently there. If we were back in my home universe, I would tell you to not be so guarded, but here, we've got to be careful."
Viktor fully agreed with her.
"Exactly. We are not going to stumble into vampire territory without preparation. The Fae are definitely going to be worse. One fuck up and you broke one of their dumb Fae rules. Don't eat the foot, don't step off the path or some crap. Romania is a dark land, but not the Fae wilds, that is for sure.
I need a soul worthy of Incinerate Anthem's crucifixion after all.
guardenia nodded as that was true.
"That is the point of this particular Longinus. It was never meant to hang off your neck it was always supposed to be a burning cross behind you so I geninely believe you already have a Sub Species Longinus which is pretty damn rare.
The crucifixion aspect might be different compared to the original schematics by God."
Viktor touched the cross hanging off his neck since that was a good point. He knew the DxD LNs better than most, and he knew this gear was not a piece you could wear; it was a giant burning cross that formed behind you.
"Sub Species is always fascinating. I haven't even gone Balance Breaker with either of my gears. Once I get to Romania, I'll scry the leyline fractures, find what's nesting in the black mountains. Though we got something they aren't expecting."
Guardenia smiles.
"Incinerate Anthem, the second most holy object turned into a Longinus by God. The Cross and the Spear of Longinus were all touched by the Blood of Jesus Christ."
Viktor raised his hand, enveloped in deep purple holy fire.
"Exactly, my Angel. Those blood suckers will burn like they don't know."
---
After the vote was tallied and it was determined that only Hel and Batman either voted no or abstained, he had won by a landslide, with 9 of 11 in his favor. They waited 2 days, not because they needed to wait, but to allow the League members time to either change their votes or argue in favor or against.
It was clear, though, that only Batman wasn't a fan, but he had already been called out twice, so he was more silent than useful. After 2 days, it was clear that he had won the vote.
However, they now had a problem about how the hell they were going to get in contact with Balerion since he could literally just jump into his shadow, and no one knew where he lived.
So Barry said he would get in contact with Balerion.
---
That night, when they needed to find Balerion, Barry, after dark, stepped out of his house. Iris was with him and was wondering how he would find Balerion.
"So what are you going to do?"
"Run around until he drops by."
Iris shook her head as that might not work, but what choice did they have? Barry could tell she didn't buy it.
"Just trust me."
After that, he took off and started running all around Central City. He wasn't looking for Balerion directly he just hoped that he noticed him after dark since Barry didn't normally operate at night.
At his speeds, though he could cover most of Central City rapidly, and within 5 minutes, he got lucky when Viktor dropped down from a building in front of his path. When Barry saw that he almost crashed, something that actually made him take pause was when Viktor side-stepped him, showing extreme reaction speed.
Barry took note of it before he managed to stop and run back. Hound, of course, was right there jumping out of Balerion's Shadow, and Lorna flew in from that same building.
Balerion crossed his arms as he glanced at Barry.
"Testing out the enchantments or looking for me?"
Barry walked over, glad he found him.
"A bit of both. The League managed to come to a vote, and you got 9 votes in favor against 2."
Balerion glanced at Lorna, who, despite being in her fully concealing armor, clearly gave him a thumbs up.
"And here I expected to have to struggle for a few votes. Most impressive. Now then, what now? Do I take a provisional status, or do I have to do a full interview with the full League? I am fine with whichever?"
Barry once again notes that both.
"Both once again. We've got to get a way to talk to you, but we need to go to the Watchtower. You ready?"
Balerion nodded, but he remembered one thing.
"Hold on."
He reached down and deactivated his anti-scrying rune on his armor since it also protected him from stalites and other such technology.
"Done. We're ready."
With that, Cyborg in the Watch Tower finally got a lock on them and, through a Zeta-Tube, brought all 4 of them up to the Watch Tower. Once they arrived, the 11 members of the League instantly locked on Balerion as once he stepped off the teleporter, every shadow and light in the room seemed to drift to him.
He waved his hand, and he basically willed both to stop.
"I am Balerion, this is my apprentice Polaris, and my familiar Hound. Barry has informed me that this is going to be my introduction to each member of the League yes?"
Superman walks toward him and extends his hand.
"Yes, that is why we are here. Allow me to welcome you to the Watchtower."
Viktor reaches down and shakes his hand.
"It is my pleasure, Superman, first let us all sit."
Balerion takes his seat beside Superman and Shazam while Yami jumps into his lap in full armor. Lorna stands right behind him, partially leaning against his chair. The first thing anyone notes about him is obviously the armor and his sheer bulk. In full plate, he is 7 feet tall, but under it, he is around 6'8, so he is an intimidating specimen.
Superman starts things off first.
"On behalf of the League, I want to thank you for coming. We are fully aware that you seek to enter the Justice League, and through your actions in Central City, we see that your method is reminiscent of Batman, but just like him, you haven't been killing. Is this accurate?"
Balerion nodded.
"That is correct. I do seek League status since I am aware that operating solo permanently can leave you isolated, and I do value my independence, but I am fully open to cooperation. As for comparing my methods to Batman would also be accurate, but unlike him, who is limited by his lack of magic or Meta Abillities, I am not limited by human restraints."
Just that Batman cuts in as he clearly has reservations.
"I would not say your actions are like mine. I have limits, while you clearly do not. The broken bones are not the issue. The incident where you left a man without limbs through fire was a clear use of magic for torture. You also have cut off arms and legs with that sword on your back, so you go further than I do."
Balerion glanced around at the other members of the League, particularly Victor.
"Victor Stone, Cyborg. Glad to see you, I would like you to show that particular incident report as reported by Joe West, who found the guy. I did what I did because I saw him in the process of trying to force himself on a child, so I dealt with the problem with permanence."
Cyborg did as Balerion asked and showed Joe's report.
"This clearly states that the man in question was a registered predator and had previous convictions. The individual, when found by police in the morning, confessed to his crimes, and the victim in question clearly said they were saved by Balerion. That checks out."
Batman frowns.
"That clearly does not excuse the excessive force you used. This was too far."
Balerion crosses his arm.
"What about Jason Todd, who has killed quite a few individuals in Gotham since his resurrection from the Lazarus Pit and his time under Joker?"
Everyone goes silent, especially Batman. Green Arrow turns to Hal and elbows him in the shoulder.
"He has a point."
Batman glares, but doesn't respond. Balerion keeps going dead calm as he runs his hand down Yami's back.
"You and I both use fear, and we have both broken more than a few bones. The only difference is that your enemies come back every few months and are mobsters; mine wear gang colors.
The difference is mine doesn't go to Akrham, I get them, I break them, and they live. As for Red Hood, your former Robin shoots who he wants, so who is really the menace here, Batman?"
Lorna snorts and begins to gently run her hand across his helmet's fanged jaws. Zatana glances at Lorna and asks about her.
"You're the apprentice, right? Polaris? Are you a Homo Magi, or a Meta?"
"Meta, I just learned magic from the big guy."
That made everyone present think about it. Viktor glanced around, and he stood up.
"I think it best that I take my leave for now. I will let you all process.
He extends his hand toward Lorna, who reaches out and takes it. The shadows immediately pull the three of them down through the floor like mist catching fire, causing them to vanish.
The silence is instantly broken by Barry.
"Okay, but seriously. How do they keep falling into shadows? They're not liquid. They're not solid. They're shadows."
Zatana rolls her eyes.
"Magic, Barry."
Green Lantern crosses his arms.
"He does remind me of Batman if he talked more, had magic, and a metal wolf."
Wonder Woman had to agree.
"He's blunt. But not wrong, and he did call silence Bruce with Jason."
Superman nodded.
"And he brought up a good point. The vote still stands. He's in, but he's under review for now. One major League mission, one full debrief. Then we revisit."
With that, the meeting was ended, but it was clear that Batman was not happy. Then again, when was he happy?