Two hours had passed since their escape from the collapsed building. Deep within an abandoned bank, silence reigned. The cracked walls echoed their ragged breaths, and the air was heavy with the scent of dust and dampness.
Peter sat next to the main vault, which was made of lead. He knew well that hiding behind it would make it hard even for Superman's X-ray vision to detect them. They all needed rest, but time offered no such luxury.
Batman silently stared at his portable device, while Diana stood guard by the only entrance. Black Canary and Green Arrow were still recovering from the effects of the gas they had inhaled earlier, but they were able to stand now.
Finally, Batman spoke in a low tone:
"I got a faint signal from Shazam. He and Flash are still alive, but their location is several kilometers away, in a heavily guarded facility."
He had managed that by hacking into the Justice League's systems in this dimension—though now they called themselves the Lords of Justice.
Despite the name change, the system architecture was still his—or Peter's. He could recognize the programming just by looking at it.
Diana cut in, "We need to move before they're transferred to a more secure prison... or worse—they might use our weaknesses against us."
Peter glanced at the device in front of him and pressed a small button on his wrist. A hologram appeared, displaying a feminine digital face.
"Karen?" he said sharply.
A calm, artificial voice replied, [I'm with you, darling.]
"I need a new suit. Something light, fast, capable of handling energy attacks and toxins. Fully nanotech. Can you generate one now?"
[I can begin assembling it immediately. But I'll need a stable power source to activate the nanites.]
Batman pointed toward a broken power column behind the vault.
"This place used to run on an industrial power line. I can reconnect it manually. It'll only give us a few minutes, but that should be enough."
Peter nodded, then sat at the center of the metal circle Batman had drawn. Tiny gray particles streamed from his wrist and began covering his body gradually, forming an organic-looking pattern that seemed to breathe.
Karen spoke [Nanoshield activated. The suit will respond to your physical input and adapt to your combat style. Toxic air support and a temporary telepathy blocker have also been enabled—for dealing with advanced minds.]
Peter smirked as he stood up.
"Nice. Finally, something going our way."
He turned to the team.
"We move now toward Shazam and Flash. If we lose them, we won't get another chance. Flash is the only one who can travel between dimensions and warn the others."
Everyone nodded—even Batman, though his nod was barely noticeable.
But before they could leave, sirens suddenly blared from every device. Massive screens across the ruined city lit up, and even the old terminals in the bank blinked with a single message:
"ALERT! DANGEROUS FUGITIVES: Spider-Man, Batman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and an unidentified Amazonian woman. These are not our heroes… they are impostors from another dimension!"
Their faces flashed one by one on the screens, accompanied by fake reports accusing them of attempting to assassinate Superman and blowing up the Justice Hall.
Peter looked at a broken screen reflecting his face.
"Looks like it's not going to be easy from here."
Batman pressed a small tool on his wrist.
"Our counterparts planned this well. They deceived us from the start… and now they've tightened their grip."
Diana, visibly angry, added:
"This makes our mission even more urgent. We're not just saving Shazam and Flash anymore. Look at the civilians!"
They all looked around. The streets were completely deserted.
Green Arrow spoke, stunned:
"What... no one's here?"
"Exactly," Black Canary replied flatly to her ex-lover.
…
Outside, the group slipped through old tunnels, heading toward the facility where Shazam and Flash were being held. It was buried deep underground, guarded by drones and energy shields.
Batman, peering through his night lens, said:
"We've got fifteen minutes before patrols rotate. If we're going to move, now's the time."
Diana took the lead, while Peter began hacking the security systems. His new suit allowed him to slip through undetected and absorb electromagnetic fields meant to expose intruders.
They reached the holding room. Shazam was bound in enchanted chains, semi-conscious. Flash was surrounded by waves that slowed his neural responses.
Peter gestured to Diana.
"This is your area."
She stepped forward and struck the magical chains with her divine sword. The restraints shattered in a burst of blue light. Shazam shuddered and slowly opened his eyes.
Batman had already deactivated the field surrounding Flash, who collapsed to his knees, gasping for air.
Peter helped him up.
"We're here. But we need you ready to run—soon."
Flash, his voice hoarse, replied:
"Soon? Give me thirty seconds."
At that moment, alarms blared all around.
"They've found us!" Batman shouted.
Peter hoisted Shazam over his shoulder and braced himself.
"Then let's get running again."
And into the darkness they fl
ed, knowing the next moments would only get harder—but also knowing that
The GAME START
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There's a poll on Patreon about whether Susan should be in the harem.
https://www.patreon.com/c/caesar20/posts
Link in bio.