The ruined gym reeked of dust, rust, and blood. The Toyman groaned, clutching his shattered arms, when a voice cut through the space like a blade:
"This is the line you don't get to cross."
Robin stood atop the debris of the broken window, his cape billowing against the red glow of the lights outside.
Ethan released the villain's collar, letting him drop to the ground like a ragdoll. His breath came heavy beneath the helmet, his fist still throbbing with violence.
"A line?" Ethan's voice echoed cold. "Did you see out there, Robin? The deaths, the screams, families torn apart… and you still tolerate him breathing? How?"
Robin didn't blink. He speak with the calm of someone who had trained his whole life to face monsters.
"Batman always say: 'If you kill a murderer, the number of murderers in the world stays the same.'"
His green eyes flared as he locked onto Ethan.
"He will be judged. But not by you."
The Toyman, still on the ground, began to laugh through his broken mouth, spitting blood between missing teeth. The thin, mocking sound echoed like an insult.
Ethan's fists clenched, rage flooding every cell of his body as he locked eyes with Robin. He said:
"Judged by who? Corrupt bureaucrats?" — his voice echoed coldly. Then.. His tone shifted, dripping with disdain. "Fortunately, for the little dilemma you just mentioned… all I have to do is kill more than one murderer, isn't that right?"
Robin stepped forward.
"Either you stop now… or I'll stop you myself."
The silence was heavy, broken only by the distant wail of sirens echoing through the gym. Ethan lifted his chin, his gray eyes flashing beneath the visor.
"I'd love to see you try… Damian."
The name dropped like a stone in the water. For an instant, Robin froze—his eyes narrowing. Then he leapt, cape flaring open, and landed in the center of the court. As he rose, he slipped seamlessly into a combat stance.
Ethan strode toward him, each step firm, the black overcoat billowing behind him.
The villain on the ground groaned, dragging himself weakly, but both ignored him.
Now there was nothing else. Only Ethan and Robin.
They faced each other in silence at the center of the gym, like warriors from opposing eras about to collide.
And then, they moved.
Damian did not hesitate. In a single motion, he pulled three explosive discs from his belt and hurled them in a perfect arc, the blades slicing through the air like an arrow.
Ethan raised his arm, and in that instant one of the shadow-forged pistols materialized in his hand. The shots thundered through the gym, each one colliding with the deadly projectiles midair.
BOOOM ! BOOM! BOMMMM!
Explosions lit up the place, the clash of shadow and steel roaring like thunder, veiling the battlefield in smoke.
Ethan tried to track the boy, but in the very next instant, Robin was already on top of him.
A spinning kick came fast, aimed at his face. Ethan stepped back half a pace, raising his forearm, the impact vibrating through his bones. Before Robin's feet even touched the ground, another kick followed, driving him back.
Without giving him a moment's respite, Robin pressed forward with ferocity, unleashing a flurry of three punches. Ethan blocked each one—until, in the middle of the exchange, another batarang slammed into his chest and detonated. The blast hurled him backward, yet he stayed on his feet, his armor now cracked from the explosive impact.
"… He's not as fast as the monsters I've fought," Ethan thought. "But he's far more skilled... I'm not used to fighting against feints like this."
Robin spun through the air. His fists and kicks came in relentless sequence, each attack flowing seamlessly into the next like a true martial arts master. Ethan dodged, raised his arms to block, and stepped back as best he could—but Robin gave him no respite.
In the middle of a flurry of batarangs, Ethan raised his arms to shield his face— but sunddely a punch smashed into his helmet, making him stagger back a step. With an acrobatic leap, Robin followed up with a kick that struck Ethan square in the face, sending his helmet flying across the gym floor. Robin landed and stopped three meters away.
"I've faced bigger guys than you. Surrender, now."
Ethan slowly lifted his gaze toward Robin, and for the first time, the young hero felt a chill crawl down his spine.
Ethan's eyes gleamed with a deep, spectral blue, the pressure radiating from him so heavy that Robin involuntarily stepped back.
"I don't want to hurt you badly, Robin" He speak, his voice low and edged like steel. "But I will… if you force me."
Without waiting for an answer, Ethan propelled himself forward at blinding speed, materializing in front of him in the blink of an eye. His fist cut through the air and slammed squarely into the Boy Wonder's chest.
The impact was brutal. Robin was hurled across the gym, crashing into the wooden bleachers, which splintered apart under the force.
Ethan advanced with heavy steps. Robin was already dragging himself back to his feet, knees shaking, blood tracing a line from the corner of his mouth, yet refusing to stay down.
Ethan clenched his fist before him, his voice like iron:
" Enough, Robin. It's over."
But Robin didn't listen to him, and continued to get up.
Ethan let out a weary sigh, tired of the boy's stubbornness.
"Fine…" he muttered, raising his hand.
TUUUUM!
Suddenly, a sonic cannon blast ripped through the air, detonating between them and forcing Ethan to leap back. The impact thundered across the gym, cracking the floor beneath their feet.
He snapped his head to the left—Cyborg stood there, his right arm still locked in its weapon form.
"Stop right there," Victor said, his voice firm.
At the same time, still gasping for breath, Robin pulled three batarangs from his belt, the blades glinting as he locked them between his fingers.
Ethan reacted instantly — shadows swirled around him, and in a heartbeat, Ebony and Ivory materialized in his hands.
Once again, the air thickened with tension, ready to snap at the slightest spark.
And then — from above the ruined gym, a green hawk swooped down, its wings slicing through the smoke. Mid-flight, its form twisted and expanded, feathers melting into muscle and fur until Beast Boy landed heavily between them, shifting back into his human self. Arms spread wide, he stood like a living barrier between the two sides.
"Guys! there's no reason for us to fight!" Beast Boy said, glancing from one side to the other. "Come on! Ethan helped me take down the robots earlier… let's end this before someone gets really hurt!"
Ethan looked at him. To tell the truth, he hadn't come here to start a war with the Titans — he had only answered Robin's attack.
With a weary sigh, Ethan let the shadow-forged guns dissolve into smoke. Beast Boy let out a shaky sigh of relief, his shoulders finally dropping as Ethan's guns dissolved.
Cyborg, still on guard, powered down his sonic cannon, the arm folding back into its normal shape.
Robin stood in silence for a few heavy seconds, emerald eyes sharp, before finally sliding the batarangs back into place.
In silence, Ethan stared at the three of them for a few lingering seconds before speaking, his voice steady and cold:
"Then I'll leave the Toyman in your hands."
He turned, heavy footsteps echoing across the ruined gym. Just as he reached the shattered doorway, he paused. Slowly, he glanced back over his shoulder—his eyes blazing with an otherworldly blue light.
"But know this… every death he caused tonight—and all the others before—rests on your shoulders. I won't carry that weight on my conscience. So make sure he never escapes again."
The silence weighed heavy in the air. Cyborg clenched his fists. Robin say nothing. Beast Boy looked away, unable to answer.
In the corner of the ruined gym, slumped against the wall, the Toyman grinned. Blood slicked his broken teeth, his mangled lips curling into a soundless laugh, as if he relished watching the heroes turn on each other.
Ethan strode toward the exit. None of the Titans spoke. The silence was too heavy.
As the gym doors shut behind him, muffling the wail of sirens and the tense breathing of the others, his voice slipped out low, almost a whisper:
"Switch."
The shadows swallowed him in an instant. And in the blink of an eye, Ethan was gone.
(continue...)
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