Chapter 33: Rainy Day Brothers Fight, Clear Day Seek Brother for Help
Chapter 33: Rainy Day Brothers Fight, Clear Day Seek Brother for Help
Lightning and thunder, wind and rain intermingle.
When Orm, in the identity of the King of Atlantis, declared war on humanity, a heavy rain began that would rewrite Gotham's history of rainfall.
The Atlanteans were stronger than humans, more technologically advanced, but once away from the sea, they were on par with armed humans.
Orm knew this, so he used Aquaman's authority to create favorable conditions for his people to fight. He summoned heavy rain, flooded the land with seawater, and combined it with their superior numbers.
Clearly, Orm understood tactics well. The conditions were in favor of Atlantis, and they felt justified. Every Atlantean believed humans deserved death, and their morale was high.
It would be even better if Aquaman stood by his side.
Thinking this, Orm thrust his trident toward Arthur's waist, but Arthur narrowly avoided it.
"Brother, you have no chance of winning. Don't resist in vain. Submit to King Orm!"
A white lightning bolt struck behind Orm, as if cheering for him. Under Orm's continuous attacks, Arthur was pushed back, his confidence waning.
Arthur was also trying to persuade Orm to surrender, saying, "Orm, stop. You've provoked him. The coastal people have all evacuated. He's about to strike at you!"
"What—!!!"
Before Orm could finish speaking, a human-sized figure dove down with a punching posture.
It felt like he was being hit by a high-speed swordfish, sending him flying meters away.
"Superman!" Arthur exclaimed in surprise.
Superman hovered in front of Arthur, slowly retracting his fist. "Arthur, it was your brother who started the war. Look around."
Seeing their king struck down, Atlantis' forces turned their focus to Superman. However, their energy beams couldn't even make him flinch.
On the other hand, Arthur, standing next to Superman, was caught in the crossfire of energy blasts, which left him flustered.
"Alright, you can beat him up, just don't kill or cripple him."
With no civilians needing rescue, Superman handled the battle with ease. He noticed a golden light on Orm and smiled. "Looks like I crashed the party."
Just as Orm was trying to regain his footing from the sea, a red lightning bolt circled him and tied a neat bow.
"Here you go, Wonder Woman." The Flash handed the other end of the rope to Wonder Woman.
"Thanks, Flash."
Wonder Woman kicked Orm's lower back, sternly questioning, "Why did you attack Gotham? Speak!"
Orm, bound by the Lasso of Truth, appeared furious but unaffected by its power. He roared, "To warn humanity! But that's in the past now. You insulted the king of Atlantis."
"This battle is fight to the death!"
Without Orm's command, Atlantis' forces attacked the Justice League. Their simple fish-scale armor concealed powerful energy weapons, and every close-range blast pushed back Superman.
The Flash was surrounded by a sea of people, creating a water barrier to defend against the attackers. He couldn't escape and could only dash in place. Meanwhile, a giant king squid rose from the waters below him.
Wonder Woman's fight against Orm didn't look promising either. The Lasso of Truth was ineffective against a mage like Orm.
Arthur understood Orm's intentions, but soldiers blocked their king. "Orm, no! You're taking this too far!"
Orm calmly looked at his brother. "It's already gone too far, brother."
A massive cyclone formed overhead. Wonder Woman, holding the rope, looked up.
"Beyond controlling the oceans, the Trident of the Sea grants dominion over storms!"
Countless lightning bolts struck down, hitting every hero on the battlefield with precision. Superman, with negative magical resistance, fell. The Flash, entangled with tentacles, disappeared after being struck by lightning. Only Arthur remained conscious—Orm had spared his brother.
The powerful currents temporarily incapacitated Wonder Woman, and the Lasso of Truth fell into Orm's hands. He marveled at its strength.
"A gift from the gods, so that's why I can't break free with my power."
This wasn't the time to study the artifact. Orm controlled the water, submerging the unconscious League members underwater.
"People of Atlantis."
Orm was lifted to the highest point by the water's currents, surveying his troops. Meanwhile, Arthur was flanked by two soldiers.
"For generations, our ancestors have shared tales of the horrors of the land. Now we've triumphed over our fear, stepping onto the land."
Seeing is believing. These air-breathing creatures weren't so fearsome. Raise your weapons and join me in sinking Gotham into the depths, making it Atlantis' new domain!"
"Long live King Orm!"
"Long live!"
Amidst thunderous cheers, Atlantis revealed its true might to humanity. Massive sea creatures were just their vanguard. The real strength lay in two airborne battleships emerging from the sea, their hangar doors opening to release flying vehicles.
Seeing this, the military, the instigators of the war, realized the disparity. Even the previously deployed aircraft carriers turned back; the technology gap was insurmountable.
Batman, leaving the Indian Hill with a captive, received a communication from Cyborg, this time with dire news.
"Batman, except for you and me, all Justice League members are offline. Aquaman has been taken as well. The Atlanteans are advancing alongside the water, and the coastline has retreated a kilometer. The Gotham police can't resist their forces."
"We need reinforcements, Batman!"
Cyborg sounded extremely anxious, ready to burst into action.
Batman stopped him. "No, Cyborg. Stay in the watchtower. You still have a human lung. This battle isn't suited for you."
"I'll replace it right away!"
"No need. I have a plan," Batman coldly rejected him. "Locate the remaining civilians for evacuation. Activate the Boom Tubes and send them to shelters. I need to complete this evacuation within ten minutes."
With that, Batman cut off the communication. This left Cyborg disappointed. Batman was always like this, his words were final. No one in the Justice League wasn't afraid of him. He was truly intimidating.
But this time, Cyborg decided not to listen to Batman.
"Batman says he has a plan, but I have my own plan. I was planning to observe longer, but time is short. Connect me to the grid."
Cyborg's mechanical side lit up with red lights.
"Grid connection established."
"Everyone, you've probably seen the footage I broadcasted earlier. The Justice League needs help, the world needs you."
A row of avatars lit up, representing new heroes joining the Justice League.
"Boom Tube is ready. Destination: Gotham City."
...
While Cyborg was in action, Batman was also busy. He didn't believe the Penguin was that kind-hearted, nor did he believe the Penguin could simultaneously guard three shelters. He sent Nightwing and Robin to assist with two of them.
As for the remaining shelter, Batman and Quinn went together.
Pressing the F button... no, pressing the call button, the Batmobile, super sleek and cool, emerged from somewhere, drifting to a stop in front of Batman.
"Get in."
Quinn knew he didn't have the right to refuse. He obediently took the passenger seat. Looking on the bright side, at least Batman didn't make him sit in the Batmobile's trunk.
(PS: The Batmobile's trunk has two locked seats, specifically for criminals. Gotham's major villains have all sat in it at some point.)
The car revved up, emitting a thunderous roar. Quinn felt his whole body press into the backrest, and the crisscrossed seatbelt across his chest didn't make him feel any safer.
"You killed Black Mask," Batman's low voice abruptly sounded.
Quinn had expected this conversation: "If I didn't kill him, Groudon would awaken immediately. By then, everyone underground and those who haven't entered the shelters, including us, would all die."
"So, between the majority and the minority, you chose the majority."
Quinn denied vehemently, "No, I didn't make any choices. I'm just fulfilling my duty. Police have the right and duty to use lethal force when civilian lives are threatened. It's reasonable, legal, and in compliance."
Several Trench creatures blocked the path ahead, but Batman maintained an ultra-high speed, ignoring them. As they approached, the Batmobile automatically ejected shock lines that zapped the creatures and tossed them to the side of the road.
"Gotham's police don't have that obligation." Batman corrected with a tinge of irony.
Quinn suddenly realized, "Oh, sorry, did I mixed that up, but I remember there's authority. The instructor mentioned it during training."
Batman remained silent, while Quinn's ears pounded, only hearing his own heartbeat. He clutched a terrified Manaphy in his arms; it felt like her soul had returned to square one.
"Jump."
With that, Batman disappeared from the driver's seat. Quinn was dumbfounded. He quickly began to unbuckle his seatbelt and jumped out of the car, pressing the Omnitrix on his wrist.
Transforming into Wildvine, he wrapped Manaphy in his vines, setting her down gently. In an instant, he reverted back to his normal form and deactivated the transformation.
"Data recorded."
Batman seemed completely oblivious to the information displayed on his mask. Calling out to his arm gauntlet, he ordered, "Batmobile, activate assault mode, engage remote control."
The Batmobile, once again, zapped a few Trench creatures and began transforming in response to the command. Four wheels expanded sideways, and two machine guns and a cannon extended from the front hood.
"Alfred, it's up to you."
In the Batcave, Alfred, wearing clean white gloves, grasped the control stick.
"Understood, Master Wayne."
"Butler, online."
Quinn covered Manaphy's eyes, turning her around. He wanted her to grow accustomed to fighting, not to slaughter.
The torrential rain intensified, soaking Quinn's uniform. He shielded his eyes from the rain until a tall figure blocked the wind and rain for him.
"Quinn, tell me how confident you are."
"A hundred percent!"
Quinn shouted loudly. Although the Omnitrix didn't have the features of a watch, the increasingly radiant light from Manaphy confirmed his guess.
"The time has come; he's awake!"
A series of explosions erupted in the underground chemical plant. The lab was buried under rubble, and an unknown green liquid flowed underground. Power was cut, and all the lights went out.
Golden eyes ignited, illuminating the darkness.
Golden light shot out from Indian Hill, reaching the sky, and after a moment's pause, it explosively expanded to cover all of Gotham.
Where the light passed, the dark clouds dispersed, and sunlight bathed the city.
Orm was astonished by the dissipation of the storm. The next moment, the sea surface began to ripple uncontrollably.
The ground quaked, and a sword-shaped peak replaced the low Indian Hill, becoming Gotham's highest point. At the top stood only one figure, clad in red.
"Roar—"
The Earth God Groudon, made his entrance.
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