Chapter 69: Confrontations
The towering skyline of Gotham was as grim as ever, dimly lit by flickering streetlights and the occasional neon sign. Chaos echoed through the narrow alleys as the nightly news broadcast droned on in apartments across the city.
On one such screen, an older male reporter with graying hair stood before a grainy black-and-white image of a caped figure. His voice carried a mix of deadpan humor and caution.
"This just in," the reporter announced with a dry tone, "Gotham's infamous vigilante has been spotted again, scaring the daylight out of an unlucky ATM user. Parents, you might want to send the kids to bed for this one." He chuckled softly before adding, "Our masked hero, apparently dressed like a bat, not exactly the friendly neighborhood type, huh?"
As the news continued, the scene shifted away from the anchor to something far more immediate, far more dangerous—a shadowy alley in the heart of Gotham, where danger was always a heartbeat away.
---
A scream pierced the night air. In the darkness of the alleyways, a monstrous figure—hulking, over six feet tall—sprinted across the rooftops. Wrapped in a ragged grey cloak, it clutched a terrified woman in one arm as it leapt from rooftop to rooftop with inhuman agility. Her terrified cries grew distant as the creature bounded effortlessly through the night, a blur of muscle and tattered fabric.
On a nearby rooftop, a figure cloaked in shadows watched, his eyes narrow behind the iconic mask of Gotham's protector. Dressed in black and grey, the Batman stood silently, his cape fluttering in the wind. The elongated tips of his cowl—resembling the ears of the creature he was named after—cast a haunting silhouette against the Gotham skyline.
Just as Batman prepared to act, a streak of green light shot through the night sky. The glowing figure zipped past him, trailing emerald energy as it flew in pursuit of the kidnapper. Batman's eyes narrowed even further.
'Hmm,' he thought. 'What is he doing in Gotham?'
It was Green Lantern.
Batman fired his grappling hook, launching himself into the air in pursuit of both the Lantern and the kidnapper. He moved silently as Green Lantern acted, summoning a giant, glowing dragon construct that hovered in front of the cloaked figure, blocking its escape.
"Your move, precious!" Green Lantern called out with a cocky grin.
The response was immediate and brutal. The kidnapper hurled the woman off the rooftop, sending her plummeting toward the pavement below. She screamed in terror as her world spun out of control.
"No, no, don't!" Green Lantern shouted, abandoning his dragon construct and diving after the falling woman. He quickly conjured a platform of emerald energy beneath her, which transformed into an elevator and gently raised her back to the rooftop.
Batman watched from the shadows, noting the Lantern's cocky demeanor. 'Hmm. Overconfident,' he mused as Green Lantern flashed a grin at the woman.
"Thank you," she stammered, still shaking from the ordeal. "So, what's the catch? What do you want from me?"
Green Lantern's grin faltered as he opened his mouth to respond—but before he could, the cloaked figure slammed into him, tackling him through a nearby signpost. The impact caused a fiery explosion that lit up the sky. As the smoke cleared, the tattered cloak fell away, revealing the creature beneath—a hulking monster with golden armor, red glowing spots, and a grotesque form of black flesh streaked with green veins.
A Parademon.
---
The Parademon hurled Green Lantern across the rooftop like a ragdoll, slamming him into a brick wall. Stunned but still conscious, Green Lantern staggered to his feet and flew back into the fight, only to be battered aside by the creature's brute strength again. His green energy flickered as he struggled to maintain his constructs.
Without hesitation, Batman leapt into action. The Dark Knight tackled the Parademon mid-flight, driving it into a nearby chimney. The force of the collision sent debris flying as they tumbled to the rooftop.
"What were you doing at the docks?" Batman growled, pinning the Parademon to the ground. "I want answers."
The Parademon didn't speak. Instead, it opened its maw, releasing a torrent of fire toward Batman's face. Batman barely had time to duck, rolling to the side as the flames scorched the chimney behind him.
Green Lantern reappeared, conjuring a massive green train construct that slammed into the Parademon, crushing it against the rooftop.
---
High above, hidden among the clouds, a figure watched the battle unfold. His long robes fluttered in the wind, and his glowing, milky-white eyes observed every movement with interest. Toneri hovered silently, analyzing the scene below.
'Another Parademon,' he thought, frowning slightly. 'They're becoming more frequent now.'
His mind drifted back to his previous encounters. He remembered how Flash had dispatched one of these creatures with ease, and how Superman had done the same. The increased frequency of these appearances wasn't a coincidence.
Toneri's thoughts drifted back to the mysterious boxes he had destroyed.
'Are they speeding up their plans?' Toneri mused. 'Is it because I destroyed those boxes?'
As the Parademon flailed below, Toneri continued to follow the heroes and their foe, his mind racing with possibilities. 'If they are preparing for something, I need to find out why. Is it Earth they're after? Or is it just the mortals… are they mere ingredients for their army?' His gaze remained on Batman and Green Lantern as The parademon flew over the city and Batman with his grappling rope attached to its leg and green lantern flowing behind telling Batman this was his space sector.
'Hmm,' Toneri thought, observing the Lantern. 'His role is the same here as it was in the previous world. Good to know.'
Green Lantern created a giant green bear trap, clamping down on the Parademon's wings. But the construct didn't hold. The Parademon dipped low, its altitude dropping dangerously fast. Batman, still clinging to its leg, nearly got hit by a truck as they skimmed over a highway.
The driver of the truck swerved, losing control as the truck careened toward an oncoming car filled with children. From above, Toneri watched. He extended his hand and used the Deva Path, manipulating gravity to halt both vehicles in their tracks. The cars stopped just inches from colliding.
'This isn't going to end well,' Toneri thought grimly, as he watched the Parademon spew fire once again at Green Lantern, who shielded himself with a glowing green barrier.
The Parademon veered toward a building, smashing Batman into the glass windows. As Batman braced for impact, Toneri subtly pushed a child who was standing near the window away from danger by manipulating the wind around the boy to carry him away. Batman crashed into the glass, shattering it but managing to hold on.
The Parademon kept maneuvering, trying to slam Batman into various buildings as they flew over the city. Batman shot a grappling line to a nearby structure, hoping to tether the Parademon, but the line snapped under the strain. Batman was dragged through the air, slamming into walls and windows.
Toneri, watching the scene unfold, thought to himself with some amusement, 'How is it that he's not dead? Most humans would turn to mush after being thrown around like that. Then again, this explains why his bones are so messed up.'
Green Lantern finally managed to pin the Parademon's wings with a construct. The Parademon screeched in defiance, tearing off its own wings and diving straight into the ground below. It crashed into a parked car, causing a massive explosion. As the smoke cleared, it disappeared into the sewers beneath the city.
Toneri, floating high above, kept his eyes on the creature, using his enhanced sight to track its movements underground. He watched as Batman and Green Lantern landed at the sewer entrance.
"What's this thing doing in Gotham?" Green Lantern asked, still slightly winded from the fight.
Batman straightened his cape, his face grim. "Witnesses saw it planting bombs near the docks. When confronted, it spewed fire—just like we saw."
Unseen and undetected, Toneri stood a few feet away, invisible to both heroes. His back was turned to them, but his eyes remained locked on the Parademon beneath the ground. As Batman and Green Lantern descended into the sewers, Toneri sighed and let his body turn intangible. He slipped through the concrete, following them into the darkness below.