Reincarnating As A Prince in the DC Universe

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...

Aiden was walking aimlessly through the corridors of the Magic Tower, deeply lost in thought as the exchange he just had with his family played through his head.

Following the end of the war meeting, he'd approached his family. It had been years since he last saw them, and although his elder sister and mother weren't around, spending time with his father and elder brothers was as pleasant as ever.

Yet, the possibility of this being the last time they'd all gather like this was immensely high.

Over his years of studying as a mage, he had obviously also delved into the study of enchantments and object magic and had left various Protection charms for his brothers and father who would be fighting.

Aric, his eldest brother and heir to his father's throne was strong enough to hold himself in any battlefield but Aiden was still worried. He probably knew the horror of Darkseid more than any human currently alive.

Damon on the other hand was not combat oriented but management oriented.

He wouldn't be on the battlefield but…a case of 'Had I known' wasn't something Aiden wanted to live through, so he gave him a few protective amulet too.

He also gave his father a few. One for his own personal use and the rest for his mother, sister and any other person he feels like giving it too. He had also met Arslan, the Knight Commander of the Kingdom.

Although he looked weary with age, his presence was still as domineering and imposing as ever and after a short gauge of his strength, he found that his aura was no less than an Archmage's.

Aiden didn't take too much of his or their time as he was aware that like him, they also had duties and responsibilities awaiting them.

"Sigh." sighing out loud, Aiden came to a halt and rubbed his temples in frustration. "There's only so much I can do."

He was right.

Aiden was not arrogant enough to think that he alone could change the course of whatever could and would happen during the confrontation with the forces of Apokolips.

Just as he was about to take a step forward to continue with his trek, he felt a presence speeding towards him and reflexively wanted to dodge but controlled himself upon sensing the familiar energy the presence was exuding.

"Yo." Just then, like a speeding bolt of lightning, unaccompanied by the sound of thunder, Finn reached Aiden and wrapped his hand around his shoulder. "What had you sighing like those old geezers. Don't tell me the great Aiden of House Atlan is feeling scared…"

Throwing the newcomer an unamused glare, Aiden shrugged off his hand and scoffed. "I should be the one asking you that. What do I have to be afraid of?"

Unbothered by his cold reception Finn followed after Aiden while letting out a soft chuckle. "As expected of our resident monster. So? What got you depressed?"

"I'm not depressed, just…undecided."

"My my. That's so unlike you my freaky friend." Finn said and rushed to the front of Aiden and faced him, causing Aiden to stop in his tracks. "What got you in the twist?"

"I was wondering…whose life was more precious, yours or Jaxon's and thankfully, I've gotten my answer." Aiden said and walked around a frozen Finn.

It took a few seconds for Finn to get back to his senses, and when he did, he blitzed after Aiden and stopped him again, this time with an expression of hurt. "How could you say that..?"

"Stop that. No one would take that face of yours seriously." Aiden rolled his eyes and walked past him again and continued. "This is no time for jokes Finn, it's serious this time. If you're not strong enough you'll die."

Dropping his mask, Finn stood up straight as his expression turned serious with a hint of anger. "And what of it?"

Aiden frowned and came to a pause hearing his question. "What of…it?" He asked, his voice carrying a bit of confusion as he turned around. "What of it? You're seriously asking me that?"

"Yes." Finn replied and also turned around and met Aiden's gaze. "So what. You've never truly seen us after all these years, have you?"

"What?" Aiden uttered confusedly.

"Your worry is needlessly disrespectful to us, Aiden." Finn said, his tone serious.

"What are you talking about?" Aiden asked as thoughts of genuine confusion swept through him. Since when did being worried become a form of disrespect?

"Rank aside, do you truly see us as weak?" Finn asked, his expression turning sad for an instant before returning to its original one.

"You're all immensely powerful even amongst sorcerers, what are you talking about?" Aiden asked.

"How about you? I don't know about Mira and Jaxon, but personally I've always felt there was this disdain you had when mages talked about their ranks. I also don't know why but I have a general idea."

"You-"

"Be quiet and listen!"

"Wha-"

"Just.. listen. I think the last time you truly listened to us was just after our promotions from Novice to apprentices. Since then, you've rarely listened to us with an intention to understand."

"How else have I been listening then?"

"There!" Jaxon cried as he pointed right at Aiden with an intense glare. "Right there, Aiden." He said softly. "You've never listened. I just asked you to be quiet and listen to me, but all you do is absorb my words and create a suitable reply."

Aiden squinted his eyes at that accusation but kept quiet as he'd been asked. Wasn't that how a conversation should take place?

"I don't know how your brain works, but to the rest of the world…" Finn paused and brought his hand down. "Listen. Just listen."

"Why don't we sit down and have a talk then?" Aiden offered seeing as Finn had a lot of things to say.

"... Let's." Finn nodded and began walking towards Aiden and walked past Aiden. Aiden on the other hand waited for a few seconds before following behind him, his mind calm yet at work trying to understand what was happening.

….

Aiden and Finn walked down the long stone corridors of the Magic Tower. Finn had been silent for the last few minutes, a rarity in itself.

The two of them walked with a natural ease, their strides matching the other's despite their differing physiques. As they approached the lower levels of the tower, Aiden's sharp ears picked up a noise—a series of voices, loud and filled with scorn.

He slowed his pace, and Finn, sensing the disturbance as well, narrowed his eyes.

"Sounds like trouble," Finn remarked, his voice low but still laced with his characteristic mischief.

Aiden merely grunted in acknowledgment. The source of the commotion wasn't far. Just ahead, around the bend, a small group of young novices seemed to be gathered, their tones harsh, taunting.

Without a word, Finn gestured for Aiden to stay back, masking his presence. He moved ahead, disappearing around the corner. Aiden frowned but followed after.

When they arrived at the scene, they saw it clearly, a small group of four novices, no older than thirteen or fourteen, stood in a rough semi-circle, surrounding a fifth novice.

The boy they surrounded had sandy brown hair that fell messily over his face, and his thin frame shook slightly as the others jeered at him.

"Look at him. The only thing he can do is heal," one of the boys sneered, his voice loud and mocking.

"That's all he's got! What a waste of time. Even our worst spells are more useful than that." another chimed in, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Yeah, who needs a healer when real mages can regenerate on their own," the third boy added, his smirk cruel. "What are you going to do, heal a scrape? Maybe patch up someone's broken nail? Trash. You're utterly useless."

The boy in the center, the one they were bullying, kept his head down, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. He was clearly trying to hold himself together, but the weight of their words was visibly affecting him. His shoulders trembled, his knuckles white.

The insults kept coming, each one sharper than the last.

"Imagine being the only mage in history with healing magic as your main attribute. It's like being born without legs," the tallest of the bullies said, his tone oozing mockery. "Not that you'd ever understand what it's like to be useful, of course."

"Yeah, you'll never be strong enough to fight beside the real mages like us," another added. "Healing is for the weaklings, the ones who can't keep up with the rest of us."

The boy remained silent, taking the abuse without a word, his eyes fixated on the ground beneath him. Aiden, observing from the shadows, felt a wave of irritation.

The ignorance of the young boys was astounding, and while he had no intention of interfering, seeing someone belittled for their abilities, especially something as valuable as healing magic, made him shake his head.

Healing magic wasn't useless. In fact, it was rare and often vital in battlefields. The more powerful a mage became, the more difficult it was to heal themselves in critical moments.

While regenerative abilities developed naturally with magical advancement, they weren't a catch-all solution, especially in situations where severe injuries or lethal magic came into play.

These novices, still in their early stages, knew nothing about real combat or the world outside of their small sphere. Their ignorance, however, was not something Aiden felt compelled to correct.

The boy would have to learn to defend himself or walk his own path.

But just as Aiden was about to step back and let the situation play out, Finn disappeared from beside him. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared directly in front of the bullied novice, his presence towering and sudden, catching the bullies completely off guard.

"Yo, looks like we've got some brave souls here," Finn said, his voice casual, but his eyes sharp and dangerous. "Picking on someone for having a different skill set than you? Bold."

The tallest of the boys, the apparent leader, took a step back, his sneer faltering as he realized just who had appeared before him. Finn's reputation within the Magic Tower was well-known.

His mastery of lightning magic and his speed made him one of the most feared among the younger mages alongside Jaxon and Mira.

They were the geniuses of the current era of young mages..

"W-we weren't doing anything wrong," one of the boys stammered, clearly shaken by Finn's sudden arrival.

"Oh? Is that so?" Finn replied, his tone still playful but with an underlying edge. "Because it sure sounded like you were calling someone trash just for having a different kind of magic. Pretty pathetic behavior if you ask me."

The leader of the group, though clearly intimidated, tried to save face. "We're just telling him the truth! Healing magic is useless—especially for mages who'll never make it past a certain rank. He's weak! He'll never amount to anything in a real battle."

Finn's eyes narrowed, and his playful demeanor dropped instantly. "Weak, huh? Is that how you see people who don't fit your idea of strength?"

The boys said nothing, the tension in the air palpable.

"You've got a lot to learn," Finn continued, stepping closer to the leader, his voice low and cold.

Aiden frowned at this as he knew it was a blatant waste of time talking to idiots like these. They were the kind who'd only learn the hard way or die somewhere without a complete corpse due their arrogance.

"Real strength isn't just about power. It's about knowing your limits and using everything you've got to protect those around you. Healing magic? That's a gift. Something most of you idiots would die to have in a real battle." As if to complement Aiden's thought Finn said. His words, while harsh, were the truth.

These boys, like many novices, were blinded by the allure of combat magic, thinking that brute strength and offensive spells were the only things that mattered.

But in the grander scheme of things, healing magic, rare, delicate, and difficult to master, was indispensable.

Why'd one think to ask why Mira, who was a wood mage could use magic?

"Look," Finn said, his voice softening just a bit as he glanced at the boy in the center of the group, the one who had been the target of the bullying.

"Don't listen to idiots like these. Your magic is just as valuable as theirs—if not more. The fact that they can't see that only shows how limited their understanding is."

The boy looked up, his eyes wide with a mixture of disbelief and gratitude. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. He simply nodded, tears welling up in his eyes.

The bullies, now thoroughly cowering by Finn's presence, shuffled awkwardly before one of them mumbled an apology and the group slowly dispersed.

As they left, Finn turned to Aiden, who had remained silent throughout the entire exchange, his expression unreadable.

"See?" Finn said, raising an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You didn't see the need for this act, did you?" Finn asked to which Aiden remained silent causing Finn to shake his head and turn to the boy. "Be on your way now."

The boy stood up and tapped his uniform to rearrange them before bowing. "I thank you for your kind gesture, but I'd appreciate it if you left it alone next time." Saying that he turned and walked away with a look in his eye, one that Aiden recognised.

…

"That was an unnecessary gesture." Aiden reappeared to Finn who was looking at the boy walk away with a smile on his face. "The world could end in a few days."

"I'll ask you the same question I asked you earlier…What of it?" Finn asked, causing Aiden to crunch his brows in confusion.

"Why lift their hopes like that?" Aiden asked.

"Isn't that why they don't know about it in the first place?" Finn replied to the question with a question of his own.

"What are you getting at..?" Aiden sighed defeatedly and asked.

"When on the battlefield, fight to protect this ignorance, this peace. Now however, be present. You can't possibly tell me there was something that could make you astronomically stronger than you are now to change the course of the battle."

"..." There wasn't.

"Then why worry? Every living thing must die one day, the question is not when but how." Finn said and turned to Aiden. "Haven't we tried all we can? Your worrying is disrespectful because you are doubting the efforts you've put in so far."

"That wasn't my intention."

"It never is your intention. That's the annoying part. It's never your intention. You're always doing it for something else but how do you think we receive that?" Finn asked.

"..."

Aiden remained silent as he and Finn locked gaze.

There was an invisible pressure between the two that didn't seem would buckle anytime soon, and just as it was about to reach a tipping point, an aged voice broke the pressure with a calm soothing presence.

"Hohoho. How intense. Would you both allow his old man to chip in?"

Finn and Aiden's eyes widened in shock as they immediately went on guard. To have not felt anyone reach this close to them could only mean they were immensely stronger than them, or was immensely talented in hiding their presence.

But just as they were on their toes the owner of the voice stepped out from what looked to be the void and stood before the two.

"You're…" Finn began but his words hitched on his throat.

"Grand Magus."