Phoenix in DC

The dense jungle canopy swayed gently under the evening breeze, its tranquility masking the growing tension surrounding Marco's sanctuary. Unbeknownst to him, the outside world had started moving closer, drawn by the ripples of his actions.

In the dimly lit office of LexCorp Tower, Lex Luthor stood before a wall of holographic displays. The footage from the mini-cameras embedded in Solomon Grundy's and Weather Wizard's equipment played in a loop. While both villains had failed spectacularly, the images were far from useless.

The most intriguing frame was frozen on one screen: a figure, wings outstretched, surrounded by radiant blue flames that pulsed with power. Lex's sharp eyes examined every detail.

"I see now why they failed," Lex muttered, his voice low but charged with irritation. He turned to Mercy Graves, his ever-loyal assistant, who stood patiently nearby.

"Two of my best assets, defeated without even a proper fight. And all because of him." He gestured toward the image of Marco.

Mercy tilted her head. "We still don't know who or what he is. The footage reveals his abilities but offers no identification."

"True," Lex admitted, pacing. "But what we do know is that he's tied to those villagers. They led Grundy and Weather Wizard there. They have maybe the answers I need."

"Your orders?" Mercy asked, stepping closer.

Lex's lips curled into a calculating smile. "Send a reconnaissance team to that village—no metahumans, no flashy operations. I want answers, not collateral damage. And deploy drones into the jungle to scout further. Let's keep this precise, for now. I need to understand him before I act."

"Yes, sir," Mercy replied, already relaying the orders.

As she left, Lex stared at the frozen image of Marco, his mind racing. "Let's see how long you can stay hidden, little bird."

Across the country, the Teen Titans gathered in their iconic tower, their mission to stop Lex Luthor's operatives complete. But the encounter with Marco lingered heavily in their minds.

Robin stood at the center of the room, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. "We can't just leave it like this," he said, his tone sharp. "That guy—whoever he is—is a potential threat. You saw what he did to Grundy and Weather Wizard."

"Robin," Raven began, her voice calm but firm, "he only fought to protect those people. He didn't attack us or anyone else unprovoked. That doesn't scream 'villain' to me."

"Exactly," Starfire added. "His powers are incredible, yes, but he did not use them for destruction. He is… different."

Robin's jaw tightened. "Different doesn't mean safe. He refused to come with us for questioning and used that… whatever it was—his intimidation power—to make us leave."

"It's called strategy," Beast Boy quipped from the couch. "I mean, if I had his power set, I'd scare you off too. Guy's got style!"

Cyborg, sitting nearby, chimed in, "Robin's not wrong, though. We don't know who he is or where he came from. That's risky. But I don't think he's our enemy, either."

"Maybe he's both," Robin said, his voice low.

The room fell into an uneasy silence before a new voice broke through.

"Enough," Batman's figure flickered into view on the large monitor. The Titans turned their attention to the Dark Knight, whose expression was as unreadable as ever.

"Your priority is not to engage him unless necessary," Batman ordered. "If he wanted to harm anyone, he would've done it already. For now, monitor his movements and report any significant activity. There's something… familiar about this situation, but I need more information."

Robin's face tightened, but he didn't argue.

"Understood," he replied, though his tone was far from accepting.

Meanwhile, Marco sat cross-legged near the mango tree, his wings tucked neatly against his back. The jungle around him buzzed with its usual life, but something felt off. His eyes, sharp and eagle-like, scanned the treetops.

He had felt it earlier—a faint hum in the air, like an uninvited presence lurking just out of sight. He didn't know what, but something was here.

The tree's voice echoed in his mind, calm but tinged with concern.

"You sense it too, don't you?"

Marco nodded. "Yeah. Something's wrong. It's like… we're being watched."

The tree was silent for a moment before responding. "The world beyond the jungle grows restless. The incident with the intruders has drawn eyes to this place. Be cautious, Marco."

"I always am," Marco said, standing up and stretching. His black wings unfurled slightly, catching the fading sunlight.

Suddenly, a faint buzzing reached his ears. Marco frowned, tilting his head to locate the source. It was mechanical—distant but closing in.

He leapt into the air, his wings carrying him effortlessly above the canopy. His sharp eyes quickly spotted it: a small, sleek drone hovering a few meters above the treetops.

"Great," Marco muttered.

With a swift motion, he drew his arm back, summoning a thin arc of blue flame. He hurled it at the drone, which exploded in a shower of sparks and debris.

But it wasn't alone. As the first drone fell, two more appeared, zipping toward him like predatory insects.

Marco grinned. "Alright, then. Let's see what you've got."

The next few moments were a blur of motion. Marco darted through the air, weaving between the drones as they fired small bursts of energy. His movements were fluid and precise, a testament to years of training. With each strike, another drone fell, until the sky was clear once more.

He landed back near the tree, brushing soot off his shoulder. "That can't be all of them."

It wasn't.

From the shadows of the jungle, a group of armed mercenaries emerged, their weapons raised. Marco's eyes narrowed as he counted at least eight of them, all clad in dark tactical gear.

"Stand down and come with us," one of them barked, his voice distorted by a helmet.

Marco tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "You're trespassing."

The lead mercenary didn't hesitate. "Open fire!"

Bullets tore through the air, but Marco was faster. His wings snapped open, propelling him upward as flames ignited around him. He swooped down like a hawk, slamming into the ground with enough force to knock two mercenaries off their feet.

The others scrambled to regroup, but Marco was already moving. His claws slashed through their weapons with ease, rendering them useless. One mercenary tried to flank him, only to be met with a swift kick that sent him flying into a tree.

Within minutes, the mercenaries were defeated, groaning in pain as they lay scattered across the jungle floor. Marco stood in the center of the chaos, his flames flickering around him.

"This is your one warning," he said, his voice cold. "Stay out of my jungle."

Back at LexCorp, Mercy approached Lex with an update. "The drones were destroyed, and the retrieval unit has been neutralized. No casualties, but they were completely overwhelmed."

Lex's jaw tightened as he stared at the screen, which displayed the last image transmitted by one of the drones: Marco, standing amidst a sea of flames, his wings casting a shadow over the fallen mercenaries.

"Fascinating," Lex murmured, his irritation tempered by curiosity.

"What's the next step?" Mercy asked.

Lex smirked. "We need to adapt. Precision alone won't work if he can overpower us so easily. It's time to dig deeper—find his weaknesses, his connections, anything we can use to control him. Everyone has a vulnerability, and I'll find his."