Chapter 211: The Strange Bank Robbery

"Damn it, those cursed criminals!"

Though Batman's face remained expressionless, he was silently cursing to himself.

Why did those damned criminals have to rob his family's bank?

Without saying a word, Batman quietly walked to his room.

A short while later...

A specially designed space jet shot out from the space station, speeding towards the blue planet below.

"What... What's going on with them?"

The others watched as both Batman and Superman headed to Earth, just to handle a simple bank robbery, and couldn't help but find it odd.

"How about we join in on the fun too?"

Aquaman suddenly suggested with a hint of excitement on his usually honest face.

Even though they had created this special Watchtower space station to respond to crises on Earth at the fastest possible speed, they generally only deployed in full force during major incidents. Up until now, Earth had only faced fewer than three incidents severe enough to threaten an entire city.

Most of the time, they handled simpler crises like this by sending the outer members stationed on Earth to provide support.

It seemed that the others were also starting to feel a bit bored staying in space.

"Well, it looks like you all might be feeling a little bored too."

Wonder Woman glanced around at the others and noticed that while they weren't saying anything, they all seemed eager to join in.

"Alright then, Cyborg, you stay here and watch over the headquarters. As for the rest, if you want to join in, feel free to do so."

In the end, they decided that aside from Cyborg, who would continue to stay behind, the others could act freely.

After all, it was just a simple Level 3 security incident, so they might as well treat it as a short vacation back on Earth.

Soon after, another space jet shot out from the Watchtower, heading towards Earth below.

...

Meanwhile, on Apokolips, far away from Earth…

Peter and the excited Desaad had already left the grand hall and arrived at a special arena.

"Great King, please wait for a moment. Your loyal servant will soon present you with an extraordinary display!" Desaad said obsequiously to Peter, then quickly began preparing for the show.

Not long after, a figure much larger than a Parademon slowly emerged in the center of the arena.

This massive creature had wings several times larger than those of a Parademon, resembling a demon from the depths of hell. Its body bore the blood-red hue of a Parademon, with two huge, bone-white spikes protruding from its shoulders. Its scarlet eyes and white fur added to its menacing appearance.

Compared to an ordinary Parademon, this new experimental creature, the Doomsday Demon, exuded an even more intense aura of intimidation. Just looking at it would fill anyone with an overwhelming sense of fear.

"Is this your latest creation?" Peter asked, his eyes slowly scanning the enormous figure, as he turned to Desaad.

"Yes, Great King. This is the new bio-weapon I created by merging the technology of Parademon production with the technology of Kryptonian Doomsday, as per your instructions—the Doomsday Demon!" Desaad looked at the colossal and oppressive figure with excitement, as if he were gazing at his most perfect masterpiece.

"It looks decent on the outside, but I wonder if its abilities will meet my expectations..." From its appearance alone, this Doomsday Demon was much larger than both an ordinary Parademon and the original Doomsday. The sense of pressure it exerted was also far greater. However, Peter was curious whether it truly possessed the power to satisfy him.

After all, in an anime movie Peter knew, Doomsday had once wiped out the entire Justice League with ease, under Darkseid's command. Countless powerful heroes had met their end at the hands of Doomsday.

"Great King, please watch closely!" Desaad seemed very pleased and confident in his creation. Sensing Peter's doubts, he immediately prepared to showcase the capabilities of the Doomsday Demon.

"Doomsday Demon, begin! Show us your immense power!" Desaad commanded. Instantly, the Doomsday Demon's eyes flared with a fierce light. Its scarlet eyes seemed filled with intense rage. With a flap of its enormous demonic wings, its massive body lifted off the ground and shot into the sky at incredible speed, breaking the sound barrier in an instant. In the blink of an eye, it demonstrated a speed far surpassing that of a normal Parademon.

The Doomsday Demon first displayed its incredible flight speed, comparable even to Superman in his normal state, capable of reaching several times the speed of sound. It streaked across the sky, leaving several red afterimages in its wake.

"Great King, the Doomsday Demon possesses incredible flight capabilities and extreme speed. No creature can escape its pursuit," Desaad said, his face filled with pride as he watched the Doomsday Demon zip through the air.

"Well... its speed is acceptable," Peter said casually. While the Doomsday Demon's speed hadn't exceeded his expectations, it was enough to satisfy him. After all, for a mass-produced bio-weapon to possess such speed was already quite impressive.

"Uh..." Desaad, who had been brimming with confidence, felt a bead of cold sweat form on his forehead. He hadn't expected that such speed would only be deemed "acceptable" by Peter.

"Great King, the Doomsday Demon's strength is what truly instills fear. Its hands can practically tear through anything in its path..." Perhaps eager to gain Peter's approval for his creation, Desaad immediately began demonstrating the Doomsday Demon's terrifying power.

Suddenly, the Doomsday Demon, which had been flying at high speed, changed direction abruptly, hurtling towards a massive Apokolips warship hovering in the sky.

Boom!

In an instant, the enormous warship was pierced through by the Doomsday Demon, leaving a massive hole that tore through the entire ship. But the Doomsday Demon didn't stop there; it quickly changed direction again, plunging into the ship from the other side.

Boom!

This time, the entire warship exploded violently, disintegrating completely under the Doomsday Demon's assault. Countless fragments rained down, and as the flames gradually died down, only the Doomsday Demon's figure remained, floating in the air, seemingly unscathed.

"So, Great King, are you satisfied with the Doomsday Demon's terrifying power?" At this moment, Desaad, seeing such a dazzling display, seemed to regain his confidence.

"The strength is alright, but I'm curious about its defensive capabilities," Peter replied. While the ability to dismantle a warship with bare hands wasn't particularly impressive to Peter, it did demonstrate the Doomsday Demon's considerable power. After all, that warship was a product of Apokolips' most advanced technology, far superior to anything human civilization could create. This level of strength was adequate—at least enough to put up a decent fight against Superman in his normal state.

"Great King, while this creation's other attributes are indeed impressive, what truly satisfies me is its nearly indestructible defense and a unique ability to absorb energy from attacks and evolve..." Desaad's face now bore an undeniable look of confidence and satisfaction.

"In that case, let's see it in action..." Peter was also eager to see the Doomsday Demon in action. Given its Doomsday genes, the ability to evolve through damage wasn't surprising but was something to anticipate.

...

Meanwhile, at a bank in Gotham City…

The area within a few hundred meters of the bank had already been cordoned off by the police. Countless police cars surrounded the entire bank building, and armed officers with guns ready were positioned behind their vehicles and riot shields, nervously aiming at the building, prepared for any sudden attack or attempted escape by the criminals.

"What's the situation here?"

Suddenly, a police car with its siren blaring pushed through the crowd of onlookers and "war zone" reporters with their cameras, entering the police perimeter. A figure dressed as a police commissioner stepped out of the car and approached one of the officers to inquire about the situation.

"Commissioner Gordon, it's not looking good. The criminals have taken dozens of hostages and are holed up in the lobby, refusing to surrender. We're having a hard time making any progress," the officer reported, shaking his head to indicate that the situation was grim.

"Is that so? Have they made any moves yet?" Gordon asked, nodding slowly while glancing at the sky, his words hinting at something unsaid.

"Not yet. I expect they're on their way," the officer replied, shaking his head again, clearly understanding what the commissioner was implying.

"In that case, we'll have to handle this ourselves!" Gordon said decisively. Although he had a secret agreement with the Dark Knight, Batman, to jointly protect Gotham City, he knew he couldn't rely solely on Batman. The police couldn't afford to become useless.

"Prepare yourselves. I'm going to try talking the criminals into surrendering again," Gordon ordered, donning a bulletproof vest as he prepared to enter the danger zone alone and negotiate with the criminals inside.

Just as he was about to proceed, another officer ran over.

"Commissioner, those reporters are demanding a live interview with you to ask about the situation. What should we do?" the officer asked, sounding a bit exasperated.

"These damn reporters, always causing trouble at critical moments!" Gordon muttered. He often found these unscrupulous journalists to be a nuisance, especially in tense situations like this.

"Keep them back! Absolutely do not let them into the perimeter!" Gordon instructed, showing no interest in an interview. He took a megaphone from another officer and prepared to step into the danger zone to address the criminals.

Swoosh!

However, just as Gordon was about to act, a sharp sound sliced through the air above the crowd.

"Look, it's Superman!"

"Awesome, I finally get to see Superman in person!"

"Even Superman is here? Those bank robbers are doomed!"

In this world, you might not know who the president is, but you definitely know who Superman is. As the familiar figure flew overhead, the crowd erupted into cheers almost immediately.

...

Meanwhile, inside the bank building, several armed criminals, fully clad in special gear, were behaving unusually. They didn't appear to be the least bit frightened by the police surrounding them. Even with the cheers outside and Superman's arrival, they showed no signs of fear.

"He's here. What should we do now?" one of the criminals asked in a deep voice, looking at a tall figure who seemed to be the leader.

"Stick to the plan. He's not our real target. We need to continue escalating the situation to draw our actual target in. If necessary, reveal our abilities," the leader instructed calmly, showing no signs of anxiety despite Superman's presence.

"Hmm? These criminals seem odd. None of them are guarding the hostages. Instead, they're huddled together, discussing something," Superman thought, hovering in the sky. He didn't rush into the bank to apprehend the criminals. Instead, he used his x-ray vision to observe the situation inside.

But as he watched, the criminals' behavior struck him as peculiar. "Could there be something hidden that I can't see?"

Despite this, Superman didn't act impulsively to rescue the hostages. He was no longer the inexperienced hero he once was; having experienced death and resurrection, he had learned to approach situations with caution. He also knew that the weakness of his x-ray vision—its inability to see through lead—was no secret to some.

Given the strange circumstances, it was hard for him not to suspect that the area around the hostages might be rigged with explosives covered in lead. Exercising his usual caution, Superman flew around the building at high speed, scanning it from all angles with his x-ray vision to check for any special setups. He also used his super hearing to listen carefully to all the sounds inside the building, focusing especially on the hostages to see if their heartbeats were too rapid or if they seemed overly tense.

"Strange. Could it be that these criminals really don't care about the hostages?"

However, Superman's investigation led him to conclude that the hall where the hostages were gathered indeed had no special arrangements. Even the hostages themselves didn't seem overly anxious; they appeared merely trapped rather than terrified.

"Well, that's good news…"

Finally, after finding nothing suspicious, Superman turned his attention to the area where the criminals were gathered. It was clear that he was now preparing to take down the entire group in one fell swoop.

...

"Look! What's that?"

"A jet? No, it looks like two! Could this be the entire Justice League mobilizing?"

"Oh my gosh, is this more than just a boring bank robbery? Could it be a massive event threatening the whole city?"

As two distinctive jets rapidly approached from the distance, the crowd's excitement intensified. The last time the entire Justice League was mobilized, it was for a nuclear threat in Central City—an event significant enough to require the involvement of every member, something capable of destroying an entire city.

And now, for what seemed like a simple bank robbery, the Justice League had once again deployed its full force. No wonder the crowd was skeptical.

"Are you sure this is just an ordinary bank robbery?" Even Commissioner Gordon, who was about to negotiate with the criminals, couldn't help but turn and ask one of the officers in charge at the scene.

"Uh... It should be, right? I haven't received any reports of anything unusual other than the bank robbery!" The officer in charge, sweating nervously under Gordon's scrutiny, wondered if there was some hidden factor he had missed.

"Hmph, then what's their deal? Are they here for a group vacation or something?" Gordon grumbled as he watched the Justice League members nearly all arrive in the sky.

Meanwhile, inside the bank, in the area where several criminals had gathered:

"Great, it looks like they're all here, and our target is among them."

"Good. Stick to the plan. No matter what, we must capture the target, even if it costs us everything."

"Everyone, don't let your conscience hold you back. Remember, the fate of our universe depends on this mission!"

The criminals seemed excited that their target had been so easily drawn in. However, the leader remained composed, reminding them to follow the plan precisely.

"Clark, what's the situation on the ground?" Batman asked through the comm system to Clark, who had arrived first.

"It's strange. The criminals haven't set any traps where the hostages are gathered. Instead, they're huddled together, as if waiting for us to take them down!" Clark reported, not questioning why Batman and the others had arrived together, but rather sharing his findings.

"Hmm? That is odd," Batman's expression turned serious as he sensed the strangeness of the situation.

"Regardless, our priority is to rescue the hostages," Batman continued. "Barry, you'll extract the hostages as quickly as possible. Clark, your job is to keep the criminals occupied to give Barry time and to try and figure out if they have any special plans. Everyone else, maintain security and be ready for any surprises!"

After a moment of thought, Batman laid out the rescue plan.

"Understood, Bruce!"

As the jet landed softly on the rooftop of a nearby building, a streak of lightning shot down from the roof, speeding down the building.

"I'm in position..."

The Flash's voice came through the comm system.

"Good, everyone get ready. Now, move!"

With Batman's command, the Flash once again turned into a bolt of lightning, zipping into the building. To avoid unnecessary complications, he vibrated through the walls, taking the shortest route to the hostages.

In a flash, he began grabbing hostages, one by one, and whisking them to safety.

"First... Twelfth... Last one!"

The Flash moved at incredible speed, making nearly thirty trips in less than a second, successfully rescuing all the hostages.

At the same time, Superman smashed through the bank's wall, charging into the room where the criminals were gathered. Hovering above them, he looked down at the group.

"Damn it, Clark! Can't you use a window?" Batman, the owner of the bank, couldn't help but grumble at Clark's destructive approach as he heard the sound of shattering walls.

"Ahem... I suggest you surrender, or I might need to stretch my muscles a bit," Clark said with a smile, casually cracking his knuckles as he looked at the criminals, who were fully covered in gear.

Despite being outnumbered, Superman had no doubt that he held the upper hand.

"Dream on!"

Seeing that it was Superman and not their target who had arrived, the leader immediately raised his machine gun and fired at Superman.

The gun roared, and bullets rained down on Superman's body. But he didn't flinch, walking towards the criminals without even trying to dodge.

Ting!

A bullet hit Superman directly in the eye. But instead of piercing through, the bullet flattened against his unyielding gaze.

As the leader opened fire, the others snapped out of their daze. Recalling their plan to create more chaos and draw their target closer, they also opened fire on Superman. If he could see their faces under their masks, he'd notice some of them grinning, as if they had been waiting for this moment.

More bullets poured down on Superman like a storm, striking his body and face, but not leaving a single mark.

The Man of Steel, living up to his name.

"Is that all you've got?"

After several seconds, the gunfire finally ceased as the hundreds of bullets were spent. Superman, unscathed, calmly walked up to the leader. His face was serene, his body untouched, emanating an aura of overwhelming power and intimidation.

At this point, most criminals would have dropped their guns and surrendered. However, there were always a few foolish ones who, after seeing their guns fail, would throw them aside and instead try to punch Superman—an act even more futile.

"Heh, I really have to question your intelligence. If your bullets can't pierce my skin, do you really think your fists will..."

Superman smirked as the leader, like those foolish criminals before, swung a punch at him.

But the next moment...

Boom!

The punch suddenly accelerated, carrying with it a force that shocked even Superman. It came at a speed and with a power that he found impossible to dodge.

Crash!

In an instant, Superman was sent flying as if struck by a meteor, crashing through the bank building and soaring several kilometers away before finally coming to a stop.

"What just happened?"

"Get to the bank, now!"

The other Justice League members, stunned that the mighty Superman had been knocked back by a single punch, immediately rushed into the bank to provide backup.

...

(End of Chapter)

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