Chapter 20: Shadows and Origins

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The wind was cold and sharp as it sliced through the treetops of Star City's outskirts, the eerie silence hanging thick over the Justice League members gathered near the ruins. Zatanna, Constantine, Green Arrow, Doctor Fate, and Green Lantern stood in a semi-circle, eyes fixed on the twisted twin towers that loomed ahead. The ominous symbols etched into the stone pulsed with a dark energy, casting faint shadows that seemed to move with a life of their own.

Then, without a sound, Alexander appeared.

Like a wraith emerging from the void, he materialized behind them, his presence so faint that even the most seasoned members of the League failed to sense him. He didn't fly in, didn't make a sound. One moment there was nothing, and the next, he stood there in the darkness, his black armor and cloak blending seamlessly into the night. The only thing that distinguished him was the faint glow of his eyes, hidden beneath his helmet.

Constantine was the first to react. He stiffened, his usual air of casual arrogance momentarily replaced by something that resembled genuine alarm. Turning his head slightly, he caught a glimpse of Alexander's towering form standing directly behind him, the massive figure barely a foot away.

"Bloody hell—!" Constantine muttered, reflexively swinging his fist backwards in a quick jab aimed at Alexander's chest. The hit landed but to no avail. Constantine's knuckles collided with the immovable, unyielding armor of Alexander's torso, sending a jolt of pain up his arm. The sorcerer winced, clutching his hand, his expression caught between frustration and disbelief.

"Well, that was a mistake," Constantine grumbled, shaking his hand as if trying to rid himself of the pain. "Could've given me a bloody warning, mate."

Alexander's voice came deep and resonant, a low rumble that seemed to echo in the very air around them. "I did not need to." His tone was indifferent, almost detached as if Constantine's reaction had been entirely predictable.

The others turned, their collective unease only slightly alleviated by the familiarity of Alexander's form. There was always a tension when he appeared—like a predator that kept its claws sheathed, but never too far from striking distance.

Green Lantern tensed, his ring glowing faintly as if by instinct, though he didn't raise a hand to attack. Zatanna's eyes darted between Alexander and the towers ahead, her expression cautious. Doctor Fate, ever the calm observer, simply inclined his head in acknowledgment, though the energy field surrounding him pulsed slightly, as though preparing for any potential threat.

Only Batman, standing in the shadows behind Green Lantern, didn't flinch. He had already been watching—waiting. His eyes, hidden behind his cowl, had been studying Alexander since his arrival, dissecting every movement, every shift in demeanour. Batman had noticed something others hadn't, though he kept the observation to himself for now.

Breaking the tense silence, Alexander's voice cut through the air. "These ruins, these symbols—they are not of your world's making."

The League members exchanged glances, still uncertain of what to make of the situation. Constantine, ever the skeptic, took a drag from his cigarette, trying to play off the tension. "Yeah? And what are they, then? Some ancient alien scribblings?"

Alexander didn't answer right away. Instead, he took a step forward, his eyes tracing the ruins with a cold, detached scrutiny. He had seen them before—these symbols, these twisted monoliths of darkness. They were all too familiar. Turning to face the League, his gaze rested on each of them in turn before he finally spoke again.

"They belong to the Inferiors," he said, his voice low and ominous. "A species older than time itself. A shadowy race that existed long before the dawn of your Earth. They have no home, no world of their own. They exist within the darkness between realities—feeding, consuming, and corrupting everything they touch."

Zatanna's breath hitched at his words, her mind already spinning with possibilities. "You've... fought them before?"

Alexander nodded once, his expression grim beneath the helmet. "Since the beginning of my people's existence, we've known of the Inferiors. Their corruption spread across galaxies, bending entire worlds to their will. We fought them—we still fight them. My people have long been the defenders against this... darkness."

For a moment, the group was silent, absorbing the weight of his words. This wasn't just some alien invasion or a rogue villain bent on destruction. This was something far older, far more malevolent.

"I know their weaknesses," Alexander continued, reaching into the folds of his cloak. His gauntleted hand pulled out a small, sleek data slate, the device humming faintly with encrypted knowledge. Without another word, he extended it toward the group, specifically aiming for the shadowed figure just behind Green Lantern.

Batman stepped forward, emerging from the darkness like a specter. The rest of the group, including Green Lantern, looked on in surprise—no one had noticed Batman's arrival. It wasn't the first time Batman had moved unnoticed, but the fact that he had arrived without even alerting Alexander raised some eyebrows.

Batman's eyes met Alexander's for a brief moment, his expression impassive. He accepted the data slate without a word, his fingers wrapping around the cold device. Even though the two men were polar opposites in many ways, there was mutual respect in that brief exchange. Batman, as always, had been watching, and scrutinizing Alexander's every movement since his arrival.

Green Lantern blinked in disbelief. "Batman... you were here this whole time?"

Batman's response was a grunt, a nonverbal acknowledgement that he had, indeed, been present. His mind, however, was already focused on the data slate in his hand. He didn't trust easily, but the information on this slate—if it truly held the key to understanding and fighting the Inferiors—could be invaluable. He turned his attention back to Alexander, his voice low and skeptical. "What's on this?"

"Everything you need to know about the Inferiors," Alexander said simply. "Their strengths, their weaknesses, how they've survived this long. My people have been fighting them for millennia. This slate holds the knowledge we've gathered. Use it wisely."

Batman's grip tightened slightly on the device. He didn't respond, but the dark look in his eyes spoke volumes. His mind was already racing, calculating, planning. The Inferiors were a threat unlike any other—and the Justice League couldn't afford to underestimate them.

As the group processed the gravity of the situation, Alexander's gaze drifted back to the ruins. His mind was far away, locked in memories of battles fought in distant galaxies, of wars waged in the shadows of forgotten worlds. 

"These ruins are just the beginning," Alexander warned, his voice low. "The Inferiors are coming. And if we're not ready... your world won't survive."

With that, he turned, his form vanishing once more into the night, leaving the Justice League to grapple with the enormity of the threat that loomed just beyond the horizon. 

And in the shadows, Batman's mind continued to race. The battle with the Inferiors was coming—and they had little time to prepare.