Batman watched from a distance, where the others had dropped him due to the area ahead being contaminated with radiation. The ground trembled with booms, sending pressure waves in every direction with each clash, dousing the flames from the recent explosion wherever they passed. Green constructs—trains, planes, missiles, guns—were conjured only to shatter a second later. Heat vision streaked through the chaos from whom he could assume was Superman.
The only figure he could make out clearly was Green Lantern who was glowing in the darkness.
The clash suddenly paused for a moment, and a green figure, much brighter than Green Lantern, appeared in his line of sight. Batman pulled out his night vision goggles and scanned the battlefield. Through the lenses, he saw Green Lantern, Superman, and Wonder Woman surrounding Max in a triangular formation.
Max was glowing green, his top shredded to rags, revealing his bare upper body. Strange papers with tattoos were pasted across his chest. He stood in a boxing stance, hands jet black, a sneer curling across his face.
Batman's hands tightened around his binoculars, teeth clenching. Normally, when an opponent proved too strong for the League to handle, he would provide support and tactical advice—but now, he was completely helpless once again. Still, he wouldn't waste the opportunity to gather intel on Max's abilities. It was obvious Max had grown stronger than before.
Previously, Batman had hesitated to prepare countermeasures against Max—partly because he clung to the hope that Max wasn't truly a bad person, and partly because no security system is foolproof. If such measures were stolen, it could spell disaster.
"Yo!"
Batman was startled. He quickly pulled out a batarang as he turned and saw another max standing next to him, his Sharingan glowing in the darkness.
Batman threw a batarang at Clone Max, who tilted his head as it flew past, then exploded—releasing smoke that clouded the area. Batman threw more batarangs into the smoke and stood on guard for a few seconds before whipping around fast, aiming a punch—only to suddenly freeze in place, his fist stopping inches from Max Clone's face. Sealing marks spread across Batman's body as he clenched his teeth, trying to move.
Max Clone chuckled.
"I thought they had left you behind. Imagine my surprise when I saw you here while scouting the area for more of your buddies."
He then sat down on the ground, leaving Batman in his awkward position, and watched as the battlefield lit up in another explosion, the fight resuming in the distance.
Batman was quiet for a while before speaking.
"This isn't about fighting for your escape, is it? There are many methods you could use that don't involve this."
Clone Max turned and looked at him.
"Sharp as ever. Yes, you are correct. After all, Boss hasn't fought any of you before, so he relishes the opportunity."
"What happened to Waller?" Batman asked.
"Boss killed her, of course. You, of all people, should understand Boss more than anyone," Clone Max replied.
Batman's jaw tightened.
"After all, you're not as stealthy as you think," Max Clone said.
"So you knew?"
"Of course I knew. You slipped up when you thought I had left and showed yourself. And the fact that you didn't tell the others tells me something about you."
Batman's voice was calm but firm.
"I only refrained from alerting the League due to various reasons. There are impulsive members such as Green Lantern and Flash who would have definitely gone after you, which would be bound to end in a confrontation in a populated area—an outcome with high chances of being… undesirable."
Another explosion shook the battlefield, followed by a warm gust of wind sweeping over them.
"Hm. I suspected as much," Max Clone replied.
"After what you've done tonight, you'll be branded an enemy of the state for killing a government agent. More people will spring up, plotting ways to take you down. Will you kill them too?" Batman asked.
"I couldn't care less what they do or say—as long as they don't try cloning me again, it's fine. But I will not tolerate any attack from them. I'm not a monster who kills just because I can. I simply find the idea of dealing with the same individuals over and over, and allowing monsters to live absurd. Unlike you—who does it on a daily basis in the name of your so-called justice."
Max Clone's eyes glinted as he added,
"You blind yourself to reality and use the word 'hero' and 'justice' to excuse yourselves from doing what has to be done."
Batman's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. "Justice isn't about vengeance or bloodshed. It's about restraint. The real sacrifice is holding back when it would be easier to end it. That's what makes us who we are.
Max clone's laugh was low, mocking,
"Restraint? That's your justification, You call it sacrifice, holding back… but what does it accomplish? The same monsters keep coming back, committing atrocities.While you hide behind your precious cliché lines ,pretending they mean something but In the end… it's just cowardice masquerading as virtue.
Batman's eyes narrowed, his voice low and unwavering. "Cowardice? You misunderstand. The restraint you call weakness is what keeps us from becoming the monsters we fight. Every life you take, every atrocity you commit is proof that you don't understand sacrifice Max. You're not a hero because you kill, you're just enslaved to your own power and use it to justify your actions.
Max clone's lips curled into a dark, mocking grin.
"At least my actions yield true results, and unlike you, I don't cling to justice and hope the world will change. But I'm clearly talking to a dillusional man who lives in his own dream world and is yet to wake up to reality and see the world for what it truly is."
He turned and began walking away. Then, glancing back over his shoulder:
"My set time is up. You'll be free in two minutes to go check on your other dillusional friends… because they'll be needing you after what Boss will do to them."
With that, he leapt away, vanishing into the night as silently and abruptly as he had shown up.
Down on the battlefield, Superman and Wonder Woman were both breathing hard, blood streaking their bodies. Wonder Woman's hair clamp had long since broken, leaving her hair loose and wild, while Superman's forehead was cut, his suit torn in several places, and his cape completely shredded. Green Lantern was nowhere to be seen—Max had taken him out with a single punch which was really disappointing.
Max stood opposite them, bare-chested, streaks of dried blood across his torso, his pants reduced to torn shorts. A blue aura flickered around him, lightning crackling through it, while his hands were jet black—a terrifying combination of Haki, the Raikage's lightning cloak, and the Seventh Gate. The fusion allowed him to compete with Superman blow for blow and outpace him in short bursts of speed. The only downside so far was the tremendous pressure it put on his body, which his regeneration largely neutralized; the bigger concern was the massive stamina drain it caused.
"Time's up," Max said, his voice steady but carrying a hint of respect. "I told you to come at me with lethal intent if you truly wanted to stop me. Yet, even when the chance to land a crippling blow appeared, you held back. I… admire your tenacity, your strict adherence to your code, even when the situation says otherwise, we'll of course I can't say the same for the princess of the Amazons. But you are naïve—and I hope one day you wake up from your dreamland."
He clasped his hands together in a precise gesture, his aura surging. "Our short exchange has been… educational for me, in ways I hope it has been for you too. But now, it's time to end this."
"No! Max!" Superman shouted, blurring forward with Wonder Woman at his side.
Max leapt upward as they barreled toward his previous position.
"Daytime Tiger!"
A massive white tiger, forged entirely from compressed air, roared into existence, charging straight at Superman. Clenching his fist, Superman slammed it into the approaching tiger, sending a shockwave of air racing forward to intercept it.
The two forces collided with a deafening explosion, the air itself ripping apart in a blinding flash as shockwaves surged across the battlefield.
The shockwave from the collision ripped across the battlefield, flattening what little vegetation remained and sending pressure waves that forced even Superman and Wonder Woman skidding back. When the dust finally settled, Max's perfect Susanoo towered over the battlefield.
Max, having deactivated the Gates and the Lightning Cloak, stood atop its forehead, breathing heavily. He had one last thing to test. The Susanoo reached for its massive blade, ready to unsheathe it—when a heavy blow struck its chest.
Max's eyes snapped down to see Superman, his fists blurring as he hammered strike after strike into the armored giant, forcing it to stagger backward. Wonder Woman, bloodied but unbroken, staggered to her feet. Summoning the last of her strength, she hurled her golden lasso, wrapping it around one of Susanoo's massive arms and pulling with everything she had. The colossal warrior groaned, its hand dragged toward the ground.
Then, in the distance, a boom tube ripped open in the sky. From it emerged Flash, Cyborg, and Shazam, while Batman's Batwing broke off and veered toward the mountains on a separate route.
A distance away…
Shazam and Flash streaked toward the towering blue figure immediately, sonic cracks trailing in their wake. Cyborg, meanwhile, scanned the battlefield and caught a weak energy signature. He followed it to a massive boulder where Green Lantern lay slumped, his arms broken and limp at his sides, unconscious.
"Hang on, Hal. I've got you," Cyborg muttered as he carefully lifted him. Opening a boom tube, he stepped through, carrying Lantern to safety.
---
Back within the Susanoo, Max gritted his teeth as blows rained down. Superman and Wonder Woman pressed him relentlessly, each impact shaking his colossal construct. Shazam shot in from above, striking from another angle, while Flash blurred across the battlefield, pelting the giant with hit-and-run attacks. The Susanoo trembled, cracks forming across its armor.
But Max refused to yield. He poured more Haki into the construct, reinforcing it as fast as it broke. His body burned with strain, his breath ragged.
Superman and Shazam shot into the sky, then plummeted back down together, their combined descent creating a sonic boom. They aimed straight for the Susanoo's crown—where Max stood.
At the last second, both heroes slammed into something invisible. The force hurled them away, sending Superman and Shazam crashing into the ground on opposite sides of the battlefield.
Wonder Woman, still straining against the lasso, was suddenly knocked back as well, her weapon snapping free.
Now unrestrained, the Susanoo raised its massive sword. Sparks of Haki raced along the blade, crackling violently as Max's aura surged.
In a single motion, the Susanoo unsheathed its blade and unleashed a devastating slash, the very air screaming as a powerful shockwave was unleashed.
End of chapter
What's up guys, hope you're all doing good!
Just a quick heads-up — if you spot any mistakes or missing parts in this chapter, my bad I was writing it while super drowsy.
Anyway, enjoy the read and have a great day , a chill night or whatever.