Chapter 146 Doctor Batman

Earth -1

Underneath the Metropolis sewer system.

Darkness filled the entire area, giving off a solemn atmosphere as there was no entrance for light to pass through.

Screech!

Squelch!

The head of a Parademon caved in and fell to the ground. A second later, blood flowed down from the cracked area, slowly turning into a small puddle.

"And that makes .... How many?".

Amari swept his apathetic eyes around his surroundings. At this point, numerous bodies littered the underground cavern.

At some point, he had lost count.

Underneath the general Metropolis sewers was another underground area, not connected to the area above.

It wasn't even in the city schematics and hence, hidden from everyone who didn't know about it, or had the capability to search for it.

'The perfect place to hide something from Batman'.

Amari thought to himself as he turned away from the corpse before him and began to walk forwards.

The ceiling was high, and the walls were roughly made. The whole place looked like a natural cavern with some hastily made adjustments on various edges.

There was no security system, no lights, no hidden weapons. The whole place was plunged in darkness twenty-four hours a day. The only thing to serve as a defense line to protect what was hidden here were the large swarms of Parademons made of the transformed humans of this planet.

As well as the natural unfamiliarity one would have when first stepping in here.

'I have to admit ... He sure picked a good spot'.

Somewhere within this labyrinth of darkness, the Helmet Of Fate was hidden.

As the same way Batman had a thorough understanding of Clark Kent, this world's Superman knew the strengths of his Earth's Bruce Wayne.

If Batman wanted to get his hands on something, even banishing it to another dimension wasn't considered enough.

There was no impenetrable door, no security system, no vault or safe that could put him at ease to leave it in.

Upon going rogue, Clark had attempted to destroy everything and everyone that could possibly serve as a threat to him.

That included killing the previous host of the Nabu before he could put the helmet on ad taking it away so it couldn't be used against him.

Of course, that alone wasn't enough. Hence, he tried to destroy it.

His attempt proved unsuccessful as even with all his strength, denting the thing seemed impossible.

So hiding it away was the only option. Somewhere only he could reach, yet was unreachable for anyone else.

These underground caverns were the result of his search. The cavern expanse was rather wide, covering almost all of Metropolis.

The tunnels were almost endless, branching out in all directions and the earth below the feet were sensitive. Stepping on the wrong areas could cause one to fall into a sinkhole.

The helmet itself was untraceable by magical means. Courtesy of Nabu, coupled with the swarms of Parademons and the natural darkness ..... Earth -1 Superman finally felt reassured.

Aside from himself, no one else could find it. Or so Superman thought.

And this time, Amari wasn't talking about himself. As upon arriving at his destination in which the Helmet was hidden, Amari discovered that someone else had beaten him to it.

In the almost impossible case that the helmet was indeed somehow discovered, Superman had prepared one last layer of defense.

A formation of three of his former comrades. Queen Mera of Atlantis, Hawkman, and his Earth's Wonder Woman. Transformed into half human, half cyborg monsters, just like the Martian Manhunter he encountered earlier.

To serve as guards and to alert the Man Of Steel if there were any intruders. They would kill if the enemy was weak or stall for time. Enough for him to get there if the enemy wasn't.

However ..... As soon as Amari appeared at the edge of the cave, he found the badly destroyed bodies of all three reengineered cyborgs on the floor.

The earth before him was cracked with numerous pits appearing all over the expansive area and the clear traces of battle showed that they had recently faced a formidable enemy.

And lost.

Amari's eyes narrowed with slight surprise at the discovery.

'Someone on this world did all this?' His surprise was easy to understand.

Hawkman, Wonder Woman, Queen Mera. The first and last weren't really worthy of much attention. Especially when there was no water around to play to the former Atlanteans queen's strengths.

But Wonder Woman was different. Even if transformed into what she was now, the number of people who could do this could be counted on one hand.

"Well well .... Who do we have here?"

The voice quickly attracted Amari's attention as he turned his gaze towards the distance.

"Hello ...". The figure was clad in leather throughout. From head to toe with nothing but his hands, and the lower half of his face being the only part exposed.

He wore what Amari could only describe as a metal choker, obscuring his eyes and his face was pale white. The lips blood-red and he sported a crazy grin that Amari was always too familiar with.

Joker?

However, the getup he wore let him know who this clown really was.

Batman .... Who Laughs.

However, Amari's eyes widened when he saw the latter raise something over his head and put it on.

Nabu's helmet.

"..... And goodbye. Haha hahaha".

The helmet was put on, and a wave of order energy pulsed out of his body, followed by a dazzling transformation.

.....

Silence resumed, and the atmosphere was unbearably suffocating. Close to half a minute had elapsed, and Ares was lying on the ground breathlessly.

The stinging marks that wreaked havoc in his mindscape were gradually fading away. Nevertheless, the pain would take more time to fade.

Way more time to fade.

The silhouette floating above him didn't speak, nor did it urge him. Just silently watched the pitiful creature in front of it suffer in weakness.

A God? It was pathetic, really.

Although Ares's face was pointed downwards, away from its eyes, it mattered not.

He could see everything. The gnashing of teeth, the eyes about to pop with hatred and impotent rage, the panting chest that was rising and falling due to anger more than it was to pain.

As well as the slight trembling of his frame. He saw it all, and despised it even more.

This was supposed to be the new era of Gods?

Disappointing.

To think he could find no better pawn than this ... Thing before him was honestly pathetic. It made him indignant.

Ares should thank his father Zeus who struck him so hard that he was left in such a weakened state. As it was half due to this despise that the God of War still had his mind intact and hadn't had his soul devoured by him.

As the old God of Chaos, Loki despised weakness. And hence hated this "Old God" with little strength yet great desires.

Completely forgetting the fact that just as Ares was weak, he too was far from his own peak.

During the destruction of Urgrund, his body was destroyed, and he had barely managed to seal his soul into his most powerful divine weapon. The God suppressing Curse Chain forged out of the essence of countless deities.

Capable of infecting any being that was scratched by its edges with evil beyond measure. Consuming them whole and assimilating them into his own strength.

It was considered to be the natural nemesis of all Gods, and it was with this weapon that he joined in the great Ragnarök.

Sealed for millions of years within Urgrund's ruins. Until.... Someone picked it up.

Still, that changed nothing. Until an hour ago.

When Ares was scratched by the bladed chain, his chance to escape presented itself.

So he separated a part of his soul into the infected curse marks, invading Ares as a result and finally gaining a taste of his long-lost freedom.

However.... This wasn't enough.

"Wh... what do you ..... want from me". At that moment, Ares's panting voice filled with suppressed anger called out to him.

The old God raised his head slightly and stood on his knees, showing his involuntary surrender.

'Pathetic Indeed'. Loki spoke out without even trying to hide it. His disdain and contempt for Ares completely unconcealed.

The latter clenched his fists deeply. Anger burning within him. Ultimately, they unclenched.

He was a hothead, he was arrogant, and he had a temper, but Ares was no fool.

So he restrained himself.

Loki's fixed gaze lowered. Away from Ares and onto a new body. Laying less than a foot away from him.

The figure laying on the floor was dressed in black from head to toe, even his hair accommodating the same color.

He laid with his belly facing the floor and the "S" symbol was hence covered up for no one to see.

'Him'. The silhouette spoke in that deep, distorted voice, causing the eyes of the old God to narrow.

'My current goal is to regain my freedom. And your broken body ..... Will not do'.

The casual words made Ares's face turn ugly.

Loki didn't care and continued.

'This one on the other hand ... Shows potential. Promise in his genes'. The floating eyes narrowed.

'Good enough to serve as my first host'.

When Ares was struck by those curse marks, Loki had gained an entrance. While he was weak, he was still fully capable of using the curse marks to consume Ares, swallow his soul and take over his body.

But Loki chose not to. Not because he despised his strength, but because the latter still had value.

It would have been different if he could not find a more someone else. Now, a vessel with great potential was laying before him.

A much better candidate.

'Then, on your part. You have two roads to choose from. Swear a sacred oath regarding me as your one and only master from now henceforth, or two .... Your untimely demise'.

...

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