Without warning, Superman lunged forward. Faster than thought, his fist cut through the air like a meteor.
Batman rolled to the side, the blow shattering the reinforced floor into molten slag.
He fired a cryo-pellet. Ice bloomed across Superman's shoulder—only for the Kryptonian to flex once, shattering it like glass.
"Clark, fight it!" Batman barked, even though he knew the attempt was useless.
Wonder Woman's lasso snapped out, golden light crackling. Batman flipped over it, his cape a blur, and hurled a flashbang. The chamber was consumed in white light, forcing even the Martian to shield his eyes.
But the League moved as one—methodical, relentless.
Flash blurred around Batman in a crimson cyclone, punches striking from every angle. Batman triggered his gauntlets—electric pulse emitters—and slammed them outward. The EMP wave rippled, forcing Flash to stumble as his nervous system spasmed.
"Still the strategist," Savage mused, folding his arms. "Still believing you can win against gods."
Green Lantern conjured chains of emerald light, pinning Batman's limbs. He twisted his body sharply, dislocating his shoulder to slip free, then slammed an explosive batarang into the construct. The blast shattered the chains and knocked Hal Jordan back.
Hawkwoman's mace came down in a blur. Batman raised his gauntlet, letting the nth metal connect—absorbing the shock with reinforced plating. Pain shot through his arm, but he twisted her wrist, using her momentum to fling her into Martian Manhunter.
J'onn phased, letting her pass harmlessly through him, then struck with a telepathic wave. Batman's vision blurred, his mind assaulted by alien whispers. He bit down on the capsule hidden in his tooth—releasing a chemical surge through his body that sharpened his focus, drowning out the psychic intrusion.
Aquaman's trident thrust forward. Batman ducked, rolled, and attached a magnetic mine to the shaft, forcing Arthur to drop it when the charge burned his hand.
Superman returned, heat vision blazing. Batman raised his cape, its microfilament weave refracting the beams, though the heat seared through to his skin. He gritted his teeth, deploying smoke bombs to cover his retreat.
The chamber was a whirlwind of gods and titans striking, and in the center of it all, a lone mortal refused to fall.
Batman's chest heaved, sweat dripping beneath the cowl. His gadgets were nearly depleted. His body screamed from impacts no human should endure.
And still, he stood.
"This ends here, Savage," Batman growled.
"Oh, it does." Savage raised a hand. "Now."
Black Canary uses her supersonic scream and Batman rolls out but Green Arrow shots three consecutive arrows around Batman. The arrows shot out cables trying to bind Batman. Batman without pausing the movement cut the cables but the cables are flowing electric and shocks him.
This makes Batman's movement slow for a fraction of second. It was enough.
Superman's hand closed around Batman's throat. The Dark Knight was slammed into the ground with inhuman force. Before he could recover, Wonder Woman's lasso wrapped his limbs, binding him. Lantern's construct pinned his chest.
Savage approached slowly, like a man savoring a masterpiece.
"You've proven why you are feared, Batman. You resisted longer than any mortal should. But in the end…"
Vandal Savage comes near Batman, holding a star-shaped organism. Batman strained against the bonds, but the Star attached to his cowl, tendrils sinking into his skin. His body convulsed once, then went rigid.
His breathing slowed. His eyes opened again now with blank state like others.
"Welcome, Dark Knight," Savage whispered, placing a hand over his chest as though knighting him. "Welcome to the Light."
The Watchtower chamber fell silent, save for the synchronized breaths of the enslaved League. Outside the window, the Earth spun on—unaware its guardians had fallen.
Savage raised his head, smiling with absolute certainty.
"The world… is already ours."
~ Gotham City ~
The streets of Gotham were drenched in mist and neon glow. A lone motorcycle sped through the back alleys, its engine muted with custom silencers.
Roy Harper's face was pale, his eyes bloodshot from shock. His hand trembled on the throttle.
"I'm the traitor. I'm the mole."
He ditched the bike in an abandoned lot, slipping through hidden routes until he reached an old safehouse—one he never told the League or even Ollie about. He slammed the reinforced door shut and collapsed against the wall.
For the first time in years, the archer shook with fear.
Mount Justice ~ December 31, 07:45 EST ~
"How did they always know what we are doing? We are sure there is no spy in our team." Robin said with upset tone.
Suddenly the zeta-tube lit up with Batman and Red Tornado arriving together. The Team gathered in tense silence—Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Artemis, M'gann, Rocket, Zatanna, Superboy, and Ryotaro.
Batman's voice was cold steel.
"We have a traitor who's Roy Harper. Red Arrow. He was never truly one of us."
Artemis frowned. "That's impossible—he's been with you guys for years!"
Red Tornado explained, his tone mechanical yet heavy. "Roy Harper was abducted during his time with Green Arrow. A clone replaced him. The real Roy was kept in stasis. The clone was conditioned with a sleeper program—one that activated only now."
Kid Flash's face twisted. "So the whole time… he didn't even know?"
"Correct," Batman confirmed. "He believed he was free. He believed he was us. Which made him the perfect pawn."
The words hung heavy in the air. Even Robin's composure cracked as he lowered his gaze.
Batman continued. "Roy has vanished. He knows he's compromised. Find him."
"I will return to the Watchtower," Batman said, voice low. "We must monitor the League's movements. Red Tornado will be with you kids."
Red Tornado who slowly moving towards the team start shaking and the android body power down itself.
"Two missions," Aqualad decided firmly. "One: track Red Arrow. We must find him before the Light does. Two: restore Red Tornado and analyze what happens."
Ryotaro nodded. "Then we move fast. The League won't wait."
The Team split:
Search Team: Artemis, Kid Flash, Superboy, Megan.
Recovery Team: Robin, Aqualad, Zatanna, Rocket, Ryotaro.
Deep in Tornado's chamber, sparks flickered as Robin and Zatanna worked on the android's systems. Ryotaro kept watch, Rider belt at his waist, while Rocket maintained a containment field.
Suddenly, Black Canary arrive and see what they are doing. Red Tornado's consciousness blinked online—but not in his mechanical shell. Instead, it had been forced into a synthetic human android body, pale-skinned, with eerie glowing veins.
"Run. She has been controlled," he said, his voice distorted. Black Canary screams ferociously at them but Ryotaro is faster with precise movement, struck out his legs and make her fall down. He then wraps one arm around Black Canary's neck, placing the bicep or forearm at a critical point on the neck and make her unconscious.
"This becomes more complicated." Robin shook his head.
*********
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