54 A bigger stage I
What's up, everyone? Good news. I am about to post a few chapters in a shorter period. We're about to enter the bigger stages and not just Gotham.
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(3rd Person POV)
Some time has passed since Batman returned from his stay in Hell. Since then a lot of things happened. New players entered the stage and the world seemed to change slowly. The only one who was watching the change and understood it was Batman.
He knew the truth of their world. He knew where they came from originally. And the changes he was observing, were good. It proved that they weren't in a Dark Universe anymore. He checked with the 'Universal Programmer' many times. And every time, he got the same result. The concentration Crisis-Energies were rather low.
Right now, we see three GCPD choppers chasing Gotham's vigilante. The higher-ups were getting desperate. They wanted results. And because there was never an official chase anymore, it was decided that tonight was the time that the vigilantes would be captured. Not just the Dark Knight, but all of them.
Fools.
.
"We have Batman in our sights. He's running after someone."
{Man? Woman? What?}, came the voice over the earpiece of the GCPD sharpshooter inside the chopper.
"I can't tell. The face is covered."
{Is it one of them?}
"The way they're leaping twenty feet at a time? I'd say yes."
{Then ring them both down.}, the voice said.
.
.
(Batman POV)
*BRATATATATATATATATA*
*BRATATATATATATATATA*
The Dark Knight with my red and black suit, moved out of the way of the bullets. My movements seemed to be like water, gracefully dodging all of them. It is hilarious to think that I might have been worried about a situation such as this one.
But my stay in Hell cured me of almost any type of anxiety. Not that I had any before, but I could stand in front of Darkseid, without my equipment and still not worry or panic. My mind has undergone massive changes and improvements.
I didn't give myself any superpowers using the L-energy. The reason for that was simple ... why should I? I improved my body on my own; the tech I created is enough. I am Batman and not Superman. But I still keep the energy as a failsafe, for any unforeseen situation like the one I found myself in.
My soul is now protected. The rest is something I can take care of. And boy oh boy, did I take care of it.
.
I turn around and throw a few smoke grenades of my own design into the air. One might wonder how I can dodge bullets like this. The reason is my improved senses. After extensive research, I have made tremendous progress in the Hercules Method. My senses and control over my body are beyond human understanding right now.
*BWOOFF*
The explosives go off and the sky where the three choppers are turns black. I already have my grappling gun in hand and shoot it without looking. I hit the beast in his lower thigh.
[Picture]
"RRRRKK", the beast grumbles and turns around angrily. I use its momentum and pull myself in, hitting it and crashing into a wall. My weight is more than what my stature may seem. I land on top of him and pull off the linen covering his face, revealing an ugly, half-machine-like creature.
I know exactly what this is. A Parademon. The personal shock troops of Darkseid of Apokolips. The attack is imminent and the world will understand their place in this vast universe.
I take out a needle, I have prepared for this moment and stab the Parademon in the head with it. At the same moment, his face shines brightly and ...
*BWOOOOOSSHHHHH*
... A powerful energy wave is released by the beast. I am flung off him. I saw it coming, but doing what I wanted to, do was much more important.
"RREEEE!", the monster screams and appears before me. A powerful punch lands in my face. However ... I don't move from my spot and only turn my head slightly.
"My turn."
I catch his next attack with my hand, using my own variation of 'Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist' and moving his arm around. Then my fist smashes into his stomach full force.
*Thud*
...
The sound seems like nothing, but a second later.
*BOOOM*
The beast explodes. However, the effect is interrupted by a bright green light and a green hard light construct. A Firetruck crashes into the Parademon, who just exploded a millisecond earlier and pushes him away.
*BOOOOOOM*
"Batman? ... You're real?", the Green Lantern says, holding his ring in the air and shining brightly in the Gotham night, like an amateur.
"Turn down the light before they see us.", I say.
"God, what is with that voice? Are you even human? Wait! Before who sees us?", he asks.
{Put your hands in the air!}, the GCPD speaks through the microphone on the choppers that have caught up with the situation.
*BRATATATATATATA*
"Put my hands in the air? So they can just shoot me? What's the point in telling us to put our hands in the air then?", Green Lantern asks. He has created hard light men holding shields, to protect us. Little does he know ...
"Welcome to Gotham."
"They're wasting their bullets. This force field can stand up to ... well, anything."
"I know about your 'conflicts' with the Air Force out west so I know you know the drill."
"I know the drill. They don't like us."
"The world's afraid of us.", I say.
"You say that like it's a good thing.", he raises his voice slightly. I already know what sort of person, Hal Jordan is, since I took the time to ... set him up, if you will. So I understand his character and trigger points.
"It's necessary.", I say and then tilt my upper body backwards. Right before the Parademon smashes into Green Lantern. I can see that he has changed his body size. He has added wings and augmentations using technology. This is wonderful intel.
"ARGH!", Green Lantern screams.
*VVOOOOOOM*
A powerful beam of fire shoots out of the Parademon's mouth and hits the choppers.
*BOOOM*
The Parademon then jumps through the choppers and tries to get away.
"Don't worry tin can, Green Lantern's got this.", he says and creates giant green bats that carry the burning choppers. I would roll my eyes if I saw him as significant. I take out three small balls and throw them at the choppers.
*FOOUUP*
The three balls spout massive amounts of foam that attach to the choppers and put out the fires. The foam also creates a protective bubble for the choppers and the people in the streets. The foam has the property of phasing in and out of things. Meaning should a person be in the way, the foam would phase through the person and then become hard again afterwards to avoid hurting him.
Quite ingenious if I'm being honest.
.
The Parademon has landed on the streets and has transformed again.
[Picture]
"What is that? A Transformer? It just changed into some kind of dog."
"Take your flashlight and go home. Gotham's mine. Coast City's yours.", I say and jump off the building, gliding to the next rooftop.
"No, this entire space sector is mine.", he says.
"I don't care. Gotham is not a place for Boy Scouts.", I say and then leave. I know that will hit the mark because he actually was one.
"Wha- ... what did you say?!", he says and follows me.
I land on the ground, where the Parademon has entered the sewers. And Green Lantern is still explaining what his job is. I should have muted him when I had the ... wait! I could still do that. The nanites ... they're still inside his body. Good to know.
.
"Don't worry about the fires. I've got that under control too.", he says and forms fire trucks and firemen who are putting out the fires.
We descend into the sewers.
"Note to self, Batman: Green Lantern can handle anything."
"Except shut up."
"Wow, someone forgot to take their Tru Blood tonight."
"I'm not a vampire."
"Seriously? I thought with the darkness, the vanishing and the, what, super strength?"
"No."
"Can you fly?"
"Sure."
"On your own?"
"No."
"Wait! Hold on a second ... you're not just some guy in a bat costume, are you?", he asks me with disbelief.
I stop walking and turn around to face him. None of my face is visible, but he still understands the gesture.
"Are you freaking kidding me?!", he asks in outrage. I don't say anything and just look at him.
"What, no one asked you to prom, so now you dress as a bat and prowl around your parents' basement?", he asks me.
"Funny.", I say, "What's this do?"
I hold up a glowing green ring.
"Huh?"
"No buttons. I assume it works off concentration. Quite crude design ... and flawed as well.", I say.
"How did you do that?", he asks me.
"You weren't concentrating."
He looks rather angry. He points his hand towards the green glowing ring in my hand and mentally calls for it. The ring shines brighter and then floats to his finger, coating him in a green suit.
"You won't do that again.", he commands.
"Unless I want to.", I say and wait.
"That's it spooky, let's-"
*Thud*
*SPLASH*
He falls face-first into the water on the ground. I look down at him and see the confusion in his eyes. No wonder.
"Wha ... what was that?", he asks confused and looks at his ring.
"Your narrow-mindedness despite what you have experienced in space, is astounding.", I say.
"What do you mean? What did you do?!", he raises his voice.
"Look at yourself. Now you're all concerned and even believe it was my doing. But before you looked down on me. Is the green ring not working?"
"What did YOU DO?!", he screams and tries to punch me. I allow the punch to land.
*Crack*
"ARGH!", he screams again, but this time in pain. The bones in his hands all cracked. My suit is the most advanced piece of technology in the Universe, what did he expect?
I point my fingers at his abdomen and then hit him with a one-inch punch.
*BAM*
"PFFFFFF!!"
His body smashes into the wall behind him. I turn around and walk away when I hear his hoarse voice behind me.
"Wait ... please *cough* ... what did you do?"
I stop walking and look at him.
"Your weakness ... is your mind.", I tell him. He looks at me confused, so I continue to elaborate. I raise my hand and in it ... is another glowing green ring, the Green Lantern ring.
"What ... there's two?"
"No. There's only one."
"But then wha- ... you f*cking-", he begins to curse me but can't stand up because of the pain he is feeling.
"That's right. The green ring you're wearing is just that ... a green ring. Nothing more, nothing less. Everyone perceives reality differently, which means that there is not one definite reality, but many.
I swapped the ring for a dud. You saw a green glowing ring and assumed it was your Green Lantern ring. So when you wanted to fly towards me before, you fell on your face. That's all there is to it.", I explain.
"But ... how did you make the ring float towards me and even coat me with the Green Lantern suit? Also, how on earth did you have a spare one at hand?", he asks.
"The ring glows green and can float. I gave it a nuge so that it floated to your finger. As for the suit ... do you think that you're the only one who can use hard light?
Don't piss on my lawn ... Hal Jordan. Or I'll make your worst nightmares real."
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There you have it. I bet none of you expected that to happen, did you?
Green Lantern has officially been humbled. He might think he can take the original Batman, but not this one.
Shits about to get real
