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EARTH – GOTHAM OUTSKIRTS
The world snapped back into existence with a violent rush of wind.
One moment there was scorched crimson sky and a wasteland filled with the stench of blood and rot.
The next
They stood beneath a quiet, earthly night.
The Red Gate spat them out like unwanted guests. Batman landed first, boots striking with a heavy thud. His knees bent slightly to absorb the impact, cape fluttering behind him in ragged strips.
Zatanna stumbled out moments later, nearly collapsing before catching herself against a nearby tree. Her normally pristine stage attire was torn in several places, soot streaking across the white fabric of her sleeves. The magician's breathing was shallow, controlled but clearly exhausted.
Kara came through third.
She landed on her feet, though even she looked worn down. Her hair was tangled, the symbol on her chest scorched from battle. Unlike the others, she carried no visible injuries but the fatigue in her posture displayed how hard that fight had been.
Last came the shadow lantern.
And then The Red Gate collapsed.
Not with an explosion, It simply… folded inward and vanished.
For a moment, no one spoke.
The four of them simply stood there in the cold night air, the distant sounds of the city slowly creeping back into their ears.
Batman raised his arm, activating the interface embedded in his gauntlet. A faint blue display flickered to life across the armored plating as his fingers moved quickly over it.
Diagnostics. Time stamps. Satellite sync.
His brow tightened beneath the cowl.
"It seems," he said calmly, "only four hours have passed here."
Kara's head snapped toward him.
"What?!"
Her voice cracked with disbelief.
She stepped closer, staring at the data flickering across his gauntlet.
"That's impossible.." she said. "We were in there for what.. four days?"
She ran a hand through her hair, trying to piece it together.
"Two of those days were just trying to find the stupid boss monster alone!"
Zatanna let out a tired laugh that sounded halfway between amusement and despair.
"Right…" she muttered, pushing herself off the tree. "And let's not forget the lovely undead army, the rivers of acid, and the giant demon with the spine collection."
She rubbed her temples.
"As for the time issue … this doesn't feel like time magic or anything."
Batman finished typing and closed the interface with a soft click.
"I already told you the possibility, Arthur's shadows mentioned it." he said. "Time flows differently inside Red Gates."
He looked back at the empty space where the portal had vanished.
"But this degree of distortion…"
Even he sounded unsettled.
Kara folded her arms.
"It's crazy," she finished for him.
Batman didn't disagree.
Instead, he turned to them.
"Your assistance was valuable," he said, his voice firm despite the exhaustion in it. "Thank you, Kara. Zatanna."
Both women looked mildly surprised at the rare acknowledgment.
"You should rest."
Zatanna didn't argue.
Honestly, she didn't have the energy to.
"We'll discuss this later," Batman continued. "I need to verify whether the others encountered Red Gates as well, they are dangerous after all."
Kara frowned.
"You're kidding, right?"
Batman said nothing.
She gestured at him in disbelief.
His suit was shredded in places. Deep cuts ran across the armor plating. The cape hanging from his shoulders looked like it had gone through a warzone.
Which… technically, it had.
"You're the one who needs rest, Bruce," she said.
Batman simply looked toward the sky.
"I'll rest," he replied flatly, "when we deal with this threat once and for all."
Right on cue
A sound echoed through the night.
The Batwing descended from above, like a phantom predator the aircraft slowed just enough for Batman to fire a grappling line upward.
The cable shot out with a sharp metallic snap.
Kara sighed.
"Of course."
Batman didn't respond.
He fired the line, locked it, and launched upward. His damaged cape trailed behind him as he disappeared into the open hatch of the Batwing.
Seconds later the aircraft lifted again, vanishing into the clouds.
Silence settled once more.
Zatanna watched the sky for a long moment.
Then she shook her head slowly.
"That man," she muttered.
Kara gave a tired chuckle.
"He's insane."
"More like obsessed with a terrible sense of duty towards this planet," Zatanna corrected gently.
Kara rubbed the back of her neck.
"Well… yeah. That too."
They stood there for another quiet moment, letting the calm of Earth settle back into their bones.
After four days in a nightmare realm, even the cool air felt like paradise.
Zatanna stretched her sore arms.
"I'm going home," she declared. "I need a shower… a week of sleep… and maybe a therapist."
Kara smirked faintly.
"Make it two therapists."
Zatanna winked.
"Goodnight, Supergirl."
"Night, Zee."
With a flicker of magic, Zatanna vanished in a swirl of blue sparks.
Kara watched her empty space for a moment longer.
Then she looked up at the sky where Batman had disappeared.
"…Try not to break yourself, Bruce," she murmured.
The shadow lantern hovered silently beside her.
A quiet guardian made of darkness.
"You too Arthur, Raven." Kara exhaled, rolled her shoulders, and launched into the sky.
Within seconds she vanished into the night.
****
THE BATCAVE -
Batman stood there facing his Batcomputer, his cowl rested on the console beside him, leaving Bruce Wayne's face exposed. The injuries from the Red Gate were more visible now without the mask, bruises along his jaw, a shallow cut across his head, and exhaustion lining his eyes.
Still, his posture remained rigid and focused.
The large central monitor displayed several live connections at once.
Holographic projections of Justice League members flickered above the table.
Superman hovered slightly above the ground on the other end of the transmission, his arms crossed, the glow of the Fortress of Solitude faintly visible behind him.
Wonder Woman stood in a dimly lit command room somewhere in Themyscira, armor still dusted with ash.
Flash leaned against a wall, vibrating faintly with restless energy.
Aquaman's image through a watery filter from Atlantis.
And several others.
They had all answered the call.
Batman's fingers moved across the console, pulling up reports from around the world.
Red markers dotted the digital globe.
Each one slowly turning green.
"The gates have been neutralized," Batman said, voice calm and steady.
Flash whistled softly.
"Man… those things were nasty," he said. "So many bugs, even humanoid ones crawling out like it was Halloween on steroids."
Wonder Woman nodded grimly.
"The creatures were relentless. They fought without fear or hesitation."
Aquaman added, "Atlantis encountered a gate as well. The shadow lanterns Arthur left behind proved… effective."
Batman glanced briefly at the data feed.
The shadow lanterns had performed exactly as expected.
Efficient and Lethal when necessary.
"They assisted in every encounter," Batman confirmed. "All Justice League members report successful closure of their respective gates."
For a moment, relief spread across the holographic table.
They had handled the situation.
Superman gave a faint smile.
"Good," he said.
Batman didn't smile.
His eyes remained locked on the map.
"Arthur was not exaggerating," he said quietly.
That caught everyone's attention.
The room fell silent.
Batman enlarged a data stream, displaying the recorded footage from several gates.
Demons.
Undead.
Creatures clawing their way into the world or at least trying to.
"These were scouts," Batman continued. "Remnants of a larger force."
His fingers tapped once.
The display zoomed out.
Far beyond Earth.
"These beings are part of a massive army."
Superman's expression hardened.
"An army that could invade at any moment. We should never forget that part."
Batman nodded once.
"We might yet stand a chance," he said.
His voice remained clinical.
Analytical.
"But the civilian population won't."
He turned slightly, staring at the projection of Earth.
"Cities like Gotham… Metropolis… places under constant protection might endure."
He paused.
"Everywhere else…"
The words hung heavy in the cave.
"…millions would die."
Superman frowned.
"Bruce.."
"Don't say it," Batman interrupted.
Clark exhaled slowly.
But he said it anyway.
"We've faced worse odds."
He looked around the table.
"…haven't we?"
Batman met his gaze.
And answered without hesitation.
"No."
The word landed like a hammer.
No sarcasm or exaggeration.
Just a simple fact.
Even Flash stopped fidgeting.
Superman looked down briefly, absorbing that.
Then he tried again.
"Then we take the fight to them," Clark said. "Find where they're coming from and stop it at the source."
Batman leaned back slightly.
"Too risky."
Clark frowned.
"Why?"
"Because we don't know where they are," Batman replied.
His fingers flicked across the screen again.
Unknown energy signatures.
Dimensional distortions.
Unstable coordinates.
"We'd be entering unknown territory with limited intelligence against an enemy that clearly understands interdimensional travel better than we do."
He paused.
"That's a losing strategy."
Clark sighed.
"…So we wait?"
Batman nodded.
"For Arthur."
The room shifted slightly at that.
"He has the most knowledge about these beings," Batman continued. "And the only one who can fight them at a large scale."
Clark rubbed the back of his neck.
"Speaking of Arthur…"
Batman remained silent.
Clark tilted his head slightly.
"Do you know where he is?"
Bruce didn't even blink.
"No idea."
Clark seemed mildly surprised.
"Oh," he said. "I thought you might."
He shrugged slightly.
"Either way. We'll keep clearing gates whenever they appear."
He smiled faintly.
"Just another Tuesday for the Justice League."
Batman gave a small nod.
"Stay alert."
The transmission began closing.
Clark gave one last look.
"We'll talk later, Bruce."
Then the connection faded.
One by one, the other holograms disappeared until the cave returned to quiet.
Only the sound of computers remained.
Bruce stood there for a moment, staring at the empty display.
Behind him.
Alfred Pennyworth approached with his usual quiet steps.
A tray rested in his hands.
Tea.
And medical supplies.
"Master Bruce," Alfred said calmly.
Bruce didn't turn.
Alfred placed the tray beside the console.
"Is there a particular reason," Alfred continued politely, "why you didn't inform Master Clark of Arthur's whereabouts?"
Bruce finally leaned back slightly against the console.
"…Hard to explain."
Alfred raised an eyebrow.
Bruce glanced briefly at the darkened screen.
"I could tell him Arthur is currently in Hell," he said flatly.
Alfred blinked once.
"Yes. That would certainly raise questions."
Bruce nodded.
"And it wouldn't stop there," he continued. "It would lead to more questions. More explanations."
His gaze drifted slightly.
"And I'd rather avoid that conversation right now."
Alfred gave a thoughtful hum.
"That is rather fair."
He picked up a bandage from the tray.
"Now then," Alfred said.
Bruce sighed quietly.
"Remove the shirt, Master Bruce."
Bruce glanced at him.
"…Alfred."
"You were impaled twice," Alfred replied calmly.
Bruce paused.
Then reluctantly reached for the armor clasps.
Even Batman knew when he'd lost an argument.
And in the Batcave
Alfred always won.
****
TWO NEW FANFICS OUT! Make sure to check them out now!
The Witcher: Heir of Fire! & Shadow Monarch in One Piece!
/-\
If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Shadow Monarch in One Piece / The Witcher: Heir of Fire!
&
If you wish to read more or simply support me than check out my patreon at
"https://www.patreon.com/FrenzyAren"
You can Get Access to 7 More Chapters if you want !