Bruce felt his worldview crumbling.
He watched as Tel-Roar stared blankly at the Kryptonite, which slowly floated down before him.
"This is impossible."
Bruce's voice came through the voice changer.
"All Kryptonians are allergic to Kryptonite; it's common knowledge in the universe!"
Tel-Roar tilted his head, extended two fingers, and picked the Kryptonite out of the lead box as if plucking a piece of candy.
"Kryptonite? Oh, you mean the rock that turns my cousin into a weakling?"
He held the green stone between his fingertips and curiously squeezed it.
"Puff."
With a soft sound, the hard Kryptonite crumbled into sparkling green powder between his fingers.
Bruce's eye twitched.
That was 99% pure Kryptonite he'd spent thirty million dollars to get from the black market!
And it was just crushed into powder like that?!
Tel-Roar blew a puff of air, scattering the dust from his hands, and asked with an innocent expression, "It looks pretty, but you can't eat it, right?"
Bruce silently closed the now empty lead box.
He felt like his brain needed a reboot.
A Kryptonian who wasn't afraid of Kryptonite.
This completely overturned all his understanding and preparations.
"Are you really a Kryptonian?"
Bruce couldn't help but ask.
"Kryptonian? Of course I am."
Tel-Roar stroked his chin and smiled, taking it for granted.
"But I think I'm a little different from my cousin and Kara."
"He seems too... gentle."
"Gentle?"
Bruce thought of Superman's perpetually smiling face, and his mouth twitched.
If Clark was considered gentle, then this guy in front of him was a complete brute.
Tel-Roar yawned and stretched.
"Never mind, you're too weak, it's boring."
He turned to leave.
"Wait."
Bruce's low voice echoed in the night wind.
"You want to fight? I know a place with many strong people."
Tel-Roar's previously lazy posture stiffened.
He stopped and turned his head.
The dim light in his eyes reignited with excitement.
"Strong people? How strong?"
Bruce watched his excited expression, his mind calculating rapidly.
Since he couldn't deal with this monster, he would lead him to a place that could exhaust him.
Whether that place was controllable or not.
"Very strong."
Bruce's voice carried a seductive hint.
"The most dangerous criminals in this world are imprisoned there."
"Every one of them possesses superhuman abilities."
"And..."
He deliberately paused.
"They all really want to find someone to vent their anger on."
Tel-Roar's eyes lit up.
"Sounds good! Where is it?"
"Belle Reve Penitentiary."
Bruce slowly spoke the name.
"Also known as... the Gate to Hell."
Meanwhile, at Belle Reve Penitentiary in Louisiana, Amanda Waller sat in the monitoring room, watching the incarcerated super-criminals on the screens.
Killer Croc was doing push-ups in his cell.
Captain Boomerang was playing cards.
Harley Quinn was singing off-key.
Deadshot was cleaning his weapons.
Everything was calm.
Too calm.
Waller frowned.
She always felt something bad was about to happen.
Just then, her encrypted communicator rang.
"Waller, I'm sending you a new sparring partner for 'Task Force X'."
Batman's deep voice came through the communicator.
"Good luck!"
Waller's face turned grim.
Batman contacting her proactively, and with that tone... it was definitely not good news.
"What sparring partner? What are you talking about?"
But there was no sound from the communicator anymore.
Waller looked at the communicator in her hand, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart.
On the other side, above Gotham City, Tel-Roar was so excited after hearing Bruce's description that he almost jumped.
"Gate to Hell? Sounds very challenging!"
"What abilities do those criminals have?"
Bruce thought for a moment and began to explain.
"Killer Croc has crocodile-like skin and strength."
"Captain Boomerang, an Australian, is skilled in using various boomerangs."
"Deadshot, a world-class assassin, never misses a shot."
"And Harley Quinn..."
"Wait, Harley Quinn?"
Tel-Roar interrupted him.
"Is that a woman?"
"Yes, Joker's ex-girlfriend, a former psychiatrist, now a lunatic."
Bruce explained simply.
Tel-Roar stroked his chin.
"A lunatic, huh... sounds interesting."
"Is she strong?"
Bruce thought about Harley's incredible antics and nodded.
"In a certain sense, very strong."
"Good! That's the place then!"
Tel-Roar clapped his hands.
"Which direction is this Gate to Hell in?"
Bruce pointed south.
"Louisiana, flying from here it's about..."
Before he could finish, Tel-Roar had already vanished from the spot.
Only a streak of white light streaked across the night sky, speeding south.
Bruce watched the receding light, a curve forming on his lips.
He raised his hand and pressed the encrypted communicator to his ear.
"Waller, additional information."
"That 'sparring partner' should arrive in about ten minutes."
"I suggest you evacuate non-essential personnel in advance."
"Also..."
Bruce looked at the white light growing ever more distant in the night sky.
"Remember to send me a combat recording."
"I need to collect more data."
Waller's furious roar came from the other end of the communicator.
"Bruce Wayne! You bastard! What the hell have you sent me?!"
But Bruce had already turned off the communicator.
He turned and walked towards the edge of the rooftop, preparing to return to the Batcave.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.
And above Louisiana, a streak of white light was flying towards Belle Reve Penitentiary at supersonic speed.
Tel-Roar had an excited smile on his face.
"Gate to Hell... sounds very challenging!"
"I hope those guys don't disappoint me!"
Belle Reve Penitentiary's alarm system suddenly blared.
Red warning lights began to flash wildly.
"Warning! Unknown flying object rapidly approaching!"
"Estimated arrival in three minutes!"
Waller looked at the rapidly approaching dot on the radar screen, her face ashen.
"All personnel to Level One alert!"
"Activate prison defense systems!"
"And, connect me to the Task Force X cells!"
"Tell those bastards that a bigger bastard is coming to play with them!"