Surrounded

Tracking the creature wasn't difficult. Thanks to Batman's detective mode, he could follow a bright, glowing path in the air, guiding him like a trail marker. It was almost like a video game level, with visual hints leading him right to his target. Batman's visor displayed a course marker, and a signal strength meter on the side of his vision showed how close he was to the creature's magnetic signature. When he flew in the right direction, the signal got stronger; if he veered off course, it weakened.

This high-tech detective mode had made things much easier for Batman. Just like fingerprint or DNA technology transformed police work, Batman's advanced equipment made tracking criminals or creatures almost effortless.

After following the trail for three or four miles, Batman noticed that the surroundings were getting quieter. The area was on the outskirts of Riverton, a place where low-income families lived. The further he flew, the darker it became. Eventually, even the faint lights of the city were left behind, and Batman found himself over a dense forest under an almost pitch-black sky.

Though his suit could fly at supersonic speeds, Batman kept his pace steady to avoid losing the trail. The computer in his helmet needed a few seconds to keep up with analyzing the flight path, and moving too fast might cause him to miss something important.

Then, without warning, the creature attacked.

It struck from above, diving down silently like a predator. A dark shape fell from the sky, barely making a sound until it was almost on top of Batman. The attack warning symbol blinked on Batman's visor just as the creature hit him, almost knocking him out of the air.

Batman managed to hit the counter button in time, slamming his elbow backward into the creature's chest. But it was like hitting solid metal; the creature barely budged. Its claws were long and sharp, and it tried to dig into Batman's side, but its claws only scraped against Batman's ultra-thin alloy armor. Even though the armor held, the creature's strength was tremendous, and Batman's vision blurred for a moment as a red outline flashed on his visor, warning him of damage.

The creature's grip was strong, using its wings and clawed hands to latch onto Batman from behind. In any fight, being behind an opponent is a huge advantage—especially in close combat. While monsters didn't follow formal combat training, this creature's instincts were sharp and deadly, like it had learned from countless battles of its own.

Batman quickly hit the counter button again, following the on-screen Quick-Time Event (QTE) prompt. He drove his elbow into the creature's face three times, each strike powerful enough to crush a human skull. Finally, the creature's grip weakened, giving Batman a small opening.

Taking his chance, Batman activated his thrusters, aiming the jets directly at the creature's chest. A burst of fiery exhaust shot out, blasting the creature and forcing it to release its hold with a shriek of pain.

The creature flapped its wings and rose higher, giving itself some distance from Batman. Meanwhile, Batman dropped for a moment, tucking in his wings and letting gravity pull him down before spreading his cape to steady himself and shoot back up, now in control of the chase.

With a final burst from his thrusters, Batman zoomed up, positioning himself above the creature. Finally, he could get a clear view of it.

The witness descriptions had been accurate: the creature looked like a massive bat, far larger than any real bat. Even though Batman was tall and muscular, he looked small next to this monstrous figure. The sight reminded him of the villain Man-Bat, a scientist who had mutated himself with bat DNA to gain bat-like features. But something about this creature was different. 

Man-Bat had always looked like a mix between human and bat. This creature, however, was purely monstrous, like a regular bat that had been scaled up to impossible proportions. Its face was fierce, with sharp teeth and eyes that gleamed in the darkness. Its claws were deadly, and its wings stretched wide, giving it the look of an ancient vampire out of a nightmare.

The creature screeched in anger, its eyes locking onto Batman with a furious look. It beat its wings, lunging toward him with sharp claws ready to strike. But now that Batman was prepared, he had the upper hand. His suit's flight controls were precise, allowing him to move faster than the creature. Batman dodged to the side, avoiding the swipe of its claws.

As the creature swung at him again, Batman shot upward, letting the creature pass beneath him. He extended his right hand and pressed it against the creature's head. Instantly, his glove's shock system activated, sending a jolt of blue electricity through the creature's body. Sparks crackled along its skin, and it let out a loud scream, smoke rising from its fur.

But the creature was tough. Though stunned for a moment, it quickly recovered, flapping its wings hard to gain distance.

Batman noticed a look of fear in the creature's eyes as it turned to face him. Despite its fierce appearance, it seemed to realize it was outmatched. The creature beat its wings faster, trying to escape as quickly as possible.

Batman had no intention of letting it go. He activated detective mode again, scanning the creature to send data back to the Batcomputer.

"Sir, preliminary scans indicate the creature is similar to a bat," Friday, Batman's AI assistant, reported. "It seems to be blind and uses ultrasonic signals to 'see' its surroundings."

"Oh, so you're saying…"

"Yes, sir. The anti-Kryptonian sonic cannon should work on it," Friday confirmed.

Batman smirked. "Let's rename that. Kryptonians are friends, not enemies."

Friday chuckled. "You're the boss."

The sonic weapon finished charging, and Batman activated it. Although the sound was inaudible to human ears, the creature reacted immediately. It stopped in mid-air, its entire body trembling as it let out an agonized shriek. The creature dropped from the sky, crashing into the muddy ground below and creating a large crater.

Though badly injured, the creature was still alive. It tried to crawl away, its claws digging into the mud as it struggled to escape. Batman landed in front of it, blocking its path. The creature froze, staring up at him in terror.

Batman watched it closely, his mind racing.

The creature didn't seem human. It wasn't like anything he'd seen before. It wasn't an infected person or an ancient creature. It looked like some kind of beast, but it had abilities far beyond any normal animal.

This was a new kind of threat, something he needed to investigate. Batman knew he couldn't just let it go. He had to capture it and study it to understand where it came from and what it might mean for Riverton.

Suddenly, Friday's voice broke through his thoughts. "Sir, I'm detecting multiple heat signatures nearby."

Batman activated detective mode again, turning on night vision.

In the darkness, more figures appeared. They were different shapes and sizes, some crawling and others standing, and some were even larger than the creature he'd just fought. Each one had strange, non-human features, and they all had their eyes fixed on him.

Batman realized he was surrounded.

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