131 CHAPTER 123
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[David Lance POV]
Aimlessly, I walked through the forest Klarion had left me in for hours, growing ever so desperate to find some sign of civilization as time went by.
Eventually, my aimless exploration paid off as I found myself face to face with a path leading out of the forest. It was a dirt road, barely more than a path, but by the way, it was shaped, it was easy to tell that it was a way out.
Smiling, I quickened my pace, eager to escape the forestal prison that encased me. But as I walked, I couldn't help feeling a sense of unease growing larger and larger as the seconds passed.
Keeping my pace, I shook off the feeling and continued running down the path until I found myself face to face with an empty highway, a sign standing in front of me.
I stopped, giving the sign a look. [Washington DC - 300 Miles Away].
Washington DC.
Had Klarion really just teleported me to a random forest close to Washington DC? So much effort for that?
It felt off.
Taking a deep breath, I shook my head, trying to clear my mind as I started to walk toward Washington DC; however, with each step, a cold breathing-taking chill ran down my spine until I was forced to come to a full stop.
My newest superpower was going crazy, haywire, telling me to go in the opposite direction.
I guess it would be best to listen, but unless I see the threat, I won't know how to plan and react accordingly. Reminding myself of Batman's words, I walked back into the forest, deciding to run a few miles inside the forest before putting on a civilian attire to continue my path.
As I walked back into the forest and started running, the unease remained, but it was now calm compared to before, like a whisper instead of a shout in my ear.
Eventually, after half an hour of running through the forest non-stop and covering quite some mileage, I exited the forest back into the highway, this time looking like a normal guy, a hitchhiker even.
[Washington DC - 125 Miles Away]
Taking a deep breath, I started walking down the highway, the hot sun beating down on my skin, as I kept a thumb up in order to try and get a ride.
Thankfully, it didn't take long before a car stopped in front of me, and an old man leaned out the window of an old truck, a Ford F-250, from 1978. "Where are you headed?"
Pulling out a notepad, I raised my hand to him before writing my answer. [I'm heading to Washington, I apologize for the note, the downsides of being mute.]
The old man nodded his head before motioning for me to get in. "Not a problem, son. I'm heading that way myself. Smart thinking, having a notepad with you."
I nodded my head in response before getting into the truck, the old man keeping up a single-sided conversation as we drove down the highway.
I guess he was just happy about having someone to listen to him.
As time went by, the conversation went from personal anecdotes the old man wanted to share to a topic that caught my attention, and not in a good way, not at all.
"I still can't believe what happened in Metropolis, you know? I had friends there," The old man said, his voice trembling slightly. "It's just not right, all those people dead. And for what?."
What happened in Metropolis? Was that the reason I didn't receive any backup for my SOS calls, or why no one seemed to get them in the first place?
"That Joker," The old man said, shaking his head. "I really hope he's rotting in hell right about now."
The Joker.
Metropolis.
Lots of dead people.
It... it can't be? right?
I turned to the old man, my mind racing a million miles a minute as I tried to process everything. Then, after a moment or two, I pulled out my phone, and using the text-to-speech function, I asked one simple question. [What about the nuclear radiation?]
The old man sighed, shaking his head. "No idea, son. They say it might take years, decades even before the city is livable again, and it's not because of the radiation."
My heart sank into my stomach as the old man's words sunk in. I was in the world of Injustice.
This wasn't my earth, my reality.
As the realization hit me, my heart started racing, and my breathing became erratic. I was in a world where the Joker had nuked Metropolis, destroying the city and robbing Superman of everything, I was in a world where Superman had gone mad with grief.
"Are you okay, son?" The old man asked, looking at me with concern. "You don't look so good."
I nodded, trying to clear my mind as I took a few deep breaths.
The old man looked at me for a few more moments before sighing and shaking his head. "Young people nowadays." He muttered before turning his attention back to the road.
I sat in silence for the rest of the ride. I know knew, with every cell of my being, this would probably be the last moment of peace I had, for a storm was brewing for me right ahead.
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[Batman - Injustice - POV]
I looked out the window, arms crossed. The wind was howling outside, and the trees were swaying. In the distance, I could see lightning and hear the thunder crashing as a storm started to brew in the city.
"Batsy!" Harley greeted, entering the room.
I turned to face her. "Harley, I need you to investigate something for me."
Harley cocked her head to the side, biting her lower lip before asking. "What is it?"
I handed her a paper with coordinates. "I received an SOS call near Washington DC. What really got my attention was that whoever sent this call was using an old line, one I don't use anymore because of the Regime."
Harley took the coordinates from me. "Sure thing, Batsy! Is whoever I'm supposed to bonk still here, or do I have to go commando super serious and stuff?"
"Unlikely. Whoever sent the signal turned the tracking off," I replied, wondering who this unknown was. I knew it wasn't the Regime. However, that didn't mean whoever this unknown was, wasn't an enemy.
"Well, I'll see what I can find!" Harley said with a salute before leaving the room.
