Eidolon was pretty sure he'd just figured out what the best way to travel was: flying through the night with Mera in his arms, watching Gotham's skyline slowly crawl toward them like the villainous city it was. Honestly, there was something about the wind whipping through your hair and knowing you could drop in on a city of crime and chaos at any moment that made it feel way cooler than any Batmobile. Sure, you could argue that a cool car is nice, but when you've got wings made of raw, primal power, it kind of puts all that stuff to shame.
Mera, in her usual no-nonsense way, wasn't exactly holding on for dear life. No, she was just resting in his arms, grinning up at him like she had all the time in the world. Her fingers brushed his cloak, which, let's be real, had a tendency to billow in the most dramatic way possible. He was pretty sure it was enjoying this, like it had a vendetta against all things subtle.
"Enjoying the view?" Eidolon asked, his voice smooth, with just a hint of teasing.
Mera raised an eyebrow, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Enjoying the ride. Though, I'm not sure why you insist on flying. I could flood this entire city in seconds."
Eidolon's grin widened behind his helmet. "Where's the fun in that? Besides, the views are better from up here." He gave a little flourish with his cloak for good measure. "Also, Gotham's traffic is basically a myth. I'm pretty sure the Batmobile doesn't have the luxury of flying over it."
"Is that why you're all into dramatic entrances?" Mera teased, the amusement in her voice making it clear she really was enjoying this. "Just so you can avoid traffic?"
"Exactly," he said, almost sounding proud of himself. "If you're not doing it for the drama, why bother?"
A voice crackled in his ear, smooth as silk and impossible to ignore. Cyborg, as always, was the bearer of bad news—or, you know, mission updates. "Alright, team. You're almost in Gotham's airspace. Quick heads-up: Amunet Black is hosting an exclusive auction tonight. It's all about Apokoliptian weapons, the kind that could wipe out entire blocks. And guess what? She's selling them to some of the worst criminals we've got on the planet."
Mera, who was normally way too chill for anyone's good, arched an eyebrow. "Exclusive buyers, huh? What's her guest list look like? Any old faces or new ones?"
"Both," Cyborg replied, sounding like he was reading from a dossier of doom. "We've got the usual Gotham scum—plus a few surprises. And the worst part? We're talking weapons that could tear this city apart if they end up in the wrong hands."
Eidolon felt a thrill run through him—this was what he was made for. He shifted Mera slightly in his arms, his magic swirling around them like it was eager to join the fight. "A weapon that could level a city, huh? Sounds like she's got no idea who's coming to her party."
Diana, who was flying slightly behind them, spoke up, her voice a steady presence that kept them grounded, even in the chaos of the mission. "How long until we hit the ground?" she asked, her voice calm, yet heavy with purpose. "We can't give Amunet any more time than she deserves."
Cyborg didn't miss a beat. "Five minutes," he said. "Beta-9's got eyes on the ground, and I'll have a clear path mapped for you."
Eidolon's grin was wicked. "Perfect. I've been meaning to visit Gotham, anyway. Time to make an entrance."
As if on cue, Beta-9's voice rang in their ears—smooth, sultry, and oh-so confident. "You'll be there in two minutes, big guy. Just don't forget to give Gotham a show. They've been waiting for a storm."
Mera let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "Trust me, Beta-9. If Eidolon's involved, Gotham's going to get more than a storm."
Eidolon could feel her energy shifting, that subtle but undeniable chemistry between them. He didn't need to see her face to know she was all in for what was coming next. Still, he couldn't resist adding, "Keep up, Mera. I'm not planning on going easy on them."
Mera's laugh was a little too smooth, a little too knowing. "Keep up? Please. I was born ready."
And then, just as Gotham's outline began to loom larger beneath them—dark and forbidding, like an old wound never quite healed—Beta-9's voice echoed through their comms again. "Amunet's auction is in an old warehouse by Gotham's industrial district. Trust me, the only thing that's going to be abandoned tonight is her entire operation."
Eidolon's eyes burned brighter under his helmet, his hand tightening just a little on Mera, though she barely seemed to notice. "Time to rain some hell down on Gotham."
Mera's voice, always so low and steady, carried a hint of something more—something like a challenge, or maybe a promise. "Let's make sure Amunet Black doesn't leave Gotham in one piece."
"Oh, don't worry." Eidolon's voice was dark, dangerous—alive with anticipation. "She won't."
Diana, always the warrior, was silent for a moment, her golden armor gleaming like the sun behind them. Finally, she spoke, her voice as steady as ever. "Get ready. This is going to get loud."
As the trio descended into Gotham, the storm that was about to hit felt like it was going to shatter the very city itself. Gotham had no idea what was coming—but Eidolon, Diana, and Mera sure did. And whatever Amunet Black had in store? It wasn't going to be nearly enough to stop them.
And if Gotham's criminals thought they could hide in the shadows, well, they were about to learn the hard way that sometimes the storm chases you.
—
The moment their boots hit the cracked, rain-slicked pavement of Gotham, it felt like the entire city held its breath. The air smelled like damp concrete and old pizza—Gotham's signature scent—and if the ground groaned under their combined weight, nobody seemed to notice. Mera, Diana, and Eidolon stood in the alley, eyes locked on the looming shadows of the city ahead.
"Nice to know we're still the most intimidating things Gotham's seen all week," Eidolon quipped, adjusting his armor, which, for the record, had a tendency to glow like a neon sign whenever he was in the mood for a dramatic entrance. Which, let's face it, was always.
Diana didn't even look at him as she pulled a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Gotham doesn't intimidate easily. It's like that one friend who insists on challenging everyone to a fight, no matter how much bigger you are."
"Sounds like someone I know," Mera said with a raised eyebrow, winking at Diana. There was that signature playful glint in her eyes, the one that made everything sound like a tease, even when it wasn't. "But let's be real—Gotham's got a thing for brooding heroes, not flashy ones like us."
Eidolon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because nothing says 'hero' like dressing up in all black and scaring children. Really sets the mood."
Just as the banter hit its stride, a shadow detached itself from the darkness, and Batman emerged, like a silent predator, his cape fluttering in the night breeze. He didn't even break a stride as he stepped into the circle of light that Mera and Diana had created, his cowl pulled low to hide most of his features. But those eyes—those damn eyes—could pierce you even if you were standing five miles away.
"You're late," Batman said, his voice that trademark gravelly growl, like it had been run through a blender and then dipped in acid. "I've already got a plan in motion. Amunet Black is about to make her move."
Eidolon raised an eyebrow. "I mean, the plan's already in motion? We don't get to add a little chaos into the mix first?"
Mera let out a low laugh. "You sure you can handle all of us, Bat? Don't want you to get overwhelmed."
Batman ignored them both and turned his attention to Diana, the only one who didn't seem to be immediately ready to throw a quip back in his face. "Amunet Black's auction is going down at the old warehouse in the industrial district," he said, his voice a low hum that was all business. "She's got two trucks of Apokoliptian weapons coming in—serious firepower. And she's not alone. There's a small army circling the place."
"Small army?" Mera asked, feigning disbelief. "Sounds like a Tuesday for Gotham."
Batman's lips twitched, but the expression was gone before anyone could be sure it had even been there. "I've been keeping tabs on her for an hour. The weapons are only part of the problem. She's got muscle. A lot of it. We need to take them all out, fast and clean."
"Fast and clean? Oh, you mean like a surgical strike? Sounds like a job for someone who's not afraid of getting their hands dirty," Eidolon said, cracking his knuckles. His armor crackled with an eerie, dangerous hum as the Savage Burn flowed through him. "Just say the word, and it'll be like Gotham's New Year's Eve—explosions, fire, and chaos."
Batman glanced at him, his face still hidden beneath that dark mask, but there was something in his posture that told Eidolon Batman wasn't entirely opposed to the idea. "You do your thing, but make sure it's clean. This is about sending a message."
Diana tilted her head, watching Batman with those steel-blue eyes of hers. "You want to send a message? We are the message." She cracked her neck as she gripped her sword, ready for action. "Where do we hit?"
Batman's gaze shifted to the hologram he activated on his wrist, a blue light flaring to life. "We've got eyes on the warehouse. There's a perimeter around it. Cyborg's already got surveillance up. You three take care of the inside, while I clear the outside. Keep them from running."
Eidolon couldn't resist a smirk. "So we hit it hard and fast, then let you handle the clean-up? You sure you don't want to join the fun, Batman?"
"I'll be busy keeping your exits covered," Batman said dryly, his voice clipped as usual. "I don't need to play the hero in this one. You three already look like the star show."
Mera gave a dramatic sigh. "You're really killing the vibe, Bat. You're not even going to make an entrance? That's the fun part."
"I work alone," Batman said, like a mantra, though even he didn't sound entirely convinced. His eyes flicked to Mera, and she didn't even try to hide the smirk playing on her lips.
"Uh-huh," she said, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. "That's why you called us, right? Just admit it, you can't handle all the chaos by yourself."
"Let's just make sure Amunet doesn't slip away," Batman said, ignoring her. He turned to Diana, who was standing with that look of regal confidence that could probably get anyone to shut up just by making eye contact. "The perimeter's tight. Cyborg's got eyes on every door, window, and crack. The weapons are our first target, but Amunet's not going to let that go down without a fight. We hit her hard, get what we need, and make sure she knows this city belongs to us."
Eidolon's grin was downright devilish. "Make it sound so easy. You'll get the outside, Bat. We'll take care of the fireworks."
Mera leaned in, her breath teasing the air between her and Eidolon, her eyes glinting with mischievous fire. "And make sure it's an explosive fireworks show," she added, her voice low and sultry.
Diana's gaze flicked between the two, and for a moment, there was an unmistakable chemistry between them all—something heated and electric. It wasn't just about the fight; it was about something deeper, something dangerous, like the calm before the storm. She leaned closer to Eidolon, her voice steady, with a hint of playful challenge. "Just make sure you don't burn the whole city down."
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," Eidolon said, his grin widening as the Savage Burn crackled, ready to set Gotham ablaze. "Not this time."
Batman gave a single nod, activating his comms. "Cyborg, Beta-9. We're on the move. Make sure all exits are locked down tight. We don't want any surprises."
From the comms came a smooth, confident voice: "You got it, Bats. Everything's locked up tighter than my secrets. Just make sure you keep up." That was Beta-9, voice smooth like silk, calm and composed, with that Beyoncé-like authority. "We've got this."
Cyborg's voice cut in next, full of confidence and something like humor. "Everything's set on my end. Got eyes on all of Gotham. You just do your thing. Make sure Amunet's not going anywhere."
Eidolon gave a lazy salute. "Roger that, Cyborg. We'll make sure it's a show worth watching."
The night was heavy with anticipation, the air crackling with the promise of chaos—and as the three of them moved toward the warehouse, Gotham felt like it was about to shatter under the weight of their power.
And when Eidolon let loose, it wasn't going to be pretty. But it was going to be damn fun.
—
Eidolon wasn't exactly one for subtlety. If he were, he'd probably just walk in through the front door like a normal, boring person. But no—subtlety wasn't his thing. So, he decided to make his grand entrance as explosive as possible.
Above, Amunet Black was giving a perfectly charming presentation about the exclusive alien weapons she had procured. The room was dimly lit, but Amunet's smile shone like a lighthouse in a storm, and honestly? It made everyone in the room think they were in the right place.
"Gentlemen," she purred, gesturing to the glimmering display of weapons—dangerous alien weapons that definitely shouldn't be for sale in Gotham. "Allow me to introduce you to the future of warfare. Apokoliptian tech—guaranteed to make your enemies extremely dead. You'll be the envy of every villain in the galaxy."
The bidders—mostly faceless shadows behind cocktail glasses—didn't seem to mind the dangerous toys. One of them, probably the highest bidder, raised his glass in an exaggerated salute as he ogled the glowing green energy cannon on display. It looked way too much like something you'd find in a superhero comic.
And then—BOOM.
Yeah, that was the sound of a literal superhero crash-landing through the ceiling.
I mean, you don't even get a warning. Just a massive explosion of dust, rubble, and crimson energy. Eidolon, clad in armor of swirling crimson veins, dropped from the second-floor mezzanine in what could only be described as the most extra superhero landing in the history of superhero landings. It wasn't just cool; it was entirely unnecessary but also so completely epic that no one had time to complain about the hole in the ceiling.
THOOM.
The sonic boom reverberated through the entire warehouse, rattling every single light fixture and weapon on display. The bidders? Yeah, they went flying. Some of them crashed into tables, others ricocheted off walls. One particularly unlucky guy had a chandelier fall square on top of him—oof—and another guy's tie got stuck in a plasma rifle, which caused a very blue light show.
Eidolon's voice followed the chaos, deep and rumbling, like a thunderclap.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," he said, standing tall in the center of the stage, arms crossed over his chest. "I hope you didn't get too comfortable. It's about to get very uncomfortable in here."
Amunet, completely unphased (seriously, does this woman ever blink?), just arched an eyebrow and smirked. "Well, well. Looks like someone's here to spoil the fun." She shot him a wink that should have been borderline illegal.
Eidolon's eyes—glowing like the fires of hell—didn't move from her. "Spoiling fun? Nah. I'm just here to remind you that no one, and I mean no one, gets to mess with Gotham—not while I'm around." He paused for dramatic effect, because why not? "And trust me, sweetheart, your little auction just got canceled."
He snapped his fingers.
And with that, the room exploded—not literally, though, it would have been cooler if it did. But what did happen was a brutal wave of crimson energy shot out from his fingertips, slamming into the walls and everything in sight. The room shook, the floor cracked, and the alien weapons started to do what they do best: unleash pure chaos. One plasma rifle overheated and discharged a wild blue arc of energy, ricocheting off the walls like it had no clue what was happening.
Amunet, bless her, looked mildly annoyed. "You have no idea what you've just done," she hissed, stepping forward, hands on her hips. "You think you can just waltz in here and—"
"You talk way too much," Eidolon interrupted, his voice dripping with disdain as his magic crackled around him. "Let's put that theory to the test, shall we?"
And with a flick of his wrist, a massive surge of energy exploded across the room, flinging several of Amunet's bodyguards into the air with bone-crunching force. Meanwhile, the crowd? They were too busy diving behind anything that looked like cover—a cocktail table, a suit of armor, even a very expensive-looking vintage weapon that probably cost more than a small country.
Amunet was still standing, though. She wasn't going anywhere, not yet.
Just then, Eidolon's comms lit up. Mera's voice crackled through. "You having fun yet, or should we make our move now?"
Eidolon smirked. "Oh, we're just getting started."
In the next instant, a pulse of red energy swirled around him, sending a storm of chaotic power spiraling upward, warping the air itself. This was no ordinary magical attack; this was the Savage Burn, a force of pure, untamed power, and it was hungry.
"Do I need to say it again?" Eidolon's voice rumbled through the air. "I hope you're ready for the show. Because I'm not the only one making an entrance tonight."
And that's when Diana's voice came through, clear, calm, and unshakable.
"You're not alone, Eidolon," Diana's voice was a soothing balm to the chaos. "Mera and I are on our way. Let's give Gotham a show they'll never forget."
Eidolon's grin widened behind his mask. "Perfect timing, Diana. Let's do this."
And with that, he raised his hands high, a final surge of crimson energy crackling around him like a storm ready to break.
Gotham? It wouldn't know what hit it.
—
Outside the warehouse, Gotham's night air buzzed with enough tension to light up a small country. A small, heavily armed country.
The security perimeter—twenty-five mercs in serious body armor, tricked out with alien tech—stood at ready. Or at least, they thought they were ready.
Up on a crumbling stone gargoyle, Batman crouched like a nightmare no one had ordered, his black cape draped around him. His cowl's lenses flickered as Cyborg's voice snapped through his earpiece.
"Yo, B. We got twenty-five tangos, six rooftop snipers, three drones, and, because this just wasn't hard enough already, two Apokoliptian shock troopers guarding the alley," Cyborg said, voice a mix of cool and concerned. "It's like a 'Who Wants to Die First?' convention out here."
Batman didn't flinch. "Understood."
Next to Cyborg, Beta-9 flipped her sleek hair—yes, she had holographic hair—and gave a smoky smile into the Justice League's holo-display. "Tactical suggestion, boo: Activate stealth mode. Take out the roof rats first. Minimal noise. Maximum drama."
Batman smirked under the cowl. Beta-9 had flair, he had to give her that.
"Execute plan," he growled, and dropped into the darkness like the world's angriest bat.
—
Inside the warehouse, things were not exactly cozy either.
A few terrified buyers made a break for the main doors—because obviously that was going to work—and—
BOOM!
The iron doors exploded inward in a high-pressure blast of water and twisted metal. Mist flooded the room like an invading army, and out of it, like a queen from the depths, stepped Mera.
If looks could kill, hers would've taken out half the galaxy.
Without breaking stride, she flicked her wrist, and the broken pipes shuddered. Water whipped around her like a living beast, blasting the fleeing buyers across the room like soggy bowling pins.
They hit the ground, gasping and flopping like very expensive, very unconscious fish.
Before the mist even settled, Diana—aka Wonder Woman, aka everyone's favorite walking definition of "you're screwed"—strode through.
The mercs hesitated, which turned out to be their second-to-last mistake.
Their last mistake was raising their weapons.
Diana smiled—not a friendly smile—and moved.
Blaster fire screamed toward her, but she raised her shield with the kind of casual grace that said been there, blocked that. Sparks flew. In three impossibly fast steps, she was among them.
A sword sweep disarmed the first two. A shield bash flipped the third onto his back like a pancake. One idiot tried to run—Diana caught him by the back of the neck and slammed him into a crate.
Mera grinned, and with a twist of her fingers, yanked the weapons out of the next three mercs' hands using a spiraling water whip. They landed in a clanging pile behind her.
Across the room, Eidolon—better known to his friends (and enemies) as Harry—watched the chaos unfold with a look of lazy amusement. Crimson fire coiled around him like a giant, very affectionate serpent.
He folded his arms. "Ladies, remind me to never make you mad."
Mera threw him a dazzling smile over her shoulder. "Oh, honey," she said, her voice practically purring, "you wouldn't survive if we got mad."
Diana winked at him—yes, Wonder Woman winked—before smashing her shield into another mercenary. "He might survive," she teased. "But he'd beg for mercy."
Harry very much did not mind the mental image that conjured.
—
Meanwhile, outside—
One of the rooftop snipers twitched nervously. He was not paid enough for whatever this was.
Unfortunately, instincts didn't save him.
Batman appeared behind him like a horror movie jump-scare, disarmed him, and choked him out faster than the guy could say "oh no."
Three seconds later, the sniper was zip-tied to a vent, drooling.
Another rooftop.
Two mercs chuckled about how "easy" this gig was.
Yeah. About that.
A batarang zipped through the air, short-circuiting their rifles, and then something huge and very, very angry dragged one into the shadows.
The other merc barely got his hand to his radio before Batman's fist cracked into his helmet.
Nighty night.
Down in the alley, the Apokoliptian troopers—each the size of a small SUV—roared, weapons raised.
Batman tossed a handful of explosive batarangs, each one targeting the exact micro-joints in their armor.
Boom. Boom.
One trooper stumbled, sparks coughing from his knee. The other swung a cannon—
Too slow.
Batman slapped a magnetic mine onto the cannon's core. The weapon exploded backward like a bad sci-fi prop, sending the giant metal brute crashing into a dumpster.
Over the comms, Batman spoke, voice cold as a Gotham winter:
"Perimeter almost clear. Phase Two ready."
Cyborg, tapping away like a mad DJ, said, "Roger that. Eidolon's doing his best fireworks impression in there."
Beta-9's voice purred through the comms. "Mmm, Harry's always setting something on fire, isn't he? Boy's hot."
Cyborg snorted. "You ain't wrong."
"You're not bad yourself, boo," Beta-9 cooed, making Cyborg blink so hard he almost fumbled his controls.
—
Inside—
The buyers who weren't unconscious were zip-tied, lassoed, or suspended midair in swirling water bubbles. It was very artistic. Very humiliating.
Eidolon floated a few inches off the ground, crimson flames curling around him like a dragon ready to breathe. He looked impossibly relaxed—because, well, he was.
Across the wreckage, Amunet Black—all lethal swagger and platinum blonde attitude (Katee Sackhoff vibes dialed up to eleven)—dusted off her jacket.
"You think this ends with me?" she sneered.
Harry shrugged. "Lady, I've been threatened by gods, demons, and one very angry three-year-old with a slingshot. You're not even Top Ten."
He flashed her a grin so cocky it probably had its own zip code.
Turning to Mera and Diana, he said, "Ladies? Shall we?"
Mera licked her lips, slow and deliberate. "After you, my fiery prince."
Diana tossed her hair back and said, "Try to keep up."
Amunet's grin twisted into something less cocky, more desperate.
She hit a hidden switch on her wrist.
Underneath them, the ground rumbled.
Cyborg's voice exploded in their ears. "Heads up! Apokoliptian war engine coming online! That thing's basically a tank designed to ruin your day!"
Harry's hands ignited with savage fire.
He grinned like a man about to do something very stupid and very satisfying.
"Oh good," he said. "I was worried this would be too easy."
Mera's water tendrils tightened around her fists, her body gleaming in the mist. Diana raised her shield, her sapphire eyes flashing excitement—and something else—at Harry.
Batman's voice cut through the comms, cold and absolute:
"Contain it. No matter what."
Harry cracked his knuckles, magic roaring around him.
"Guess it's time," he said, eyes flashing molten gold.
He smiled, cocky and wild and impossibly charming.
"Let's break something expensive."
—
Inside the warehouse, the Apokoliptian war engine rumbled like a rabid T-Rex with jet engines. The floor shook with each pulse of its core, and the thing looked like someone had let a mad god loose in a junkyard and told it to build a death machine. Spoiler alert: it nailed the assignment.
Amunet Black, draped in dark leather and smugness, watched the rising mechanical monster with a smirk that said, "I've read the evil overlord handbook. Twice."
"Fools," she sneered, her voice a smoky purr. "You think you've won? This—" she gestured dramatically at the war engine "—is my ride out."
She turned to vanish into the mist like a Bond villain with terrible timing.
Thunk.
A batarang sliced past her cheek, close enough to ruin her makeup. A second later, Batman descended from the shadows like an angry ghost, cape billowing like it had its own theatrical agent.
He landed without a sound. Because of course he did.
"Not so fast," he said, and his voice could have chilled lava.
Before Amunet could so much as flip her hair, a grappling hook zipped out, wrapped around her wrist, and yoinked her into Batman's grasp like she was on a yo-yo string.
"You—" she began, but his hand clamped over her mouth with surgical precision. Her muffled protests were pure opera.
Batman dragged her away like she weighed nothing. Frankly, she was too busy mentally rewriting her exit monologue to resist.
Meanwhile, the war engine finally decided it was done warming up and ready to turn everything into flaming rubble.
Diana, Mera, and Harry didn't need a formal invitation.
"Positions!" Diana barked, her voice full Amazon General.
The war engine's cannons locked onto them with all the subtlety of a freight train.
Diana raised her shield just as the first blast hit—a sonic boom of pure destruction. She flew back, landing in a warrior's crouch thirty feet away, her shield smoking.
"Okay, that stung," she muttered.
Mera was already in action, water coiling around her like snakes on caffeine. She spun to the side, sending a spiral of compressed ocean into one of the war engine's legs.
"Seriously, who builds these things? Mordor Industries?" she quipped, voice bright despite the chaos.
"Definitely not OSHA compliant," Harry said with a grin that could melt steel. Actually, it almost did.
Magic erupted around him—a torrent of crimson fire that roared like a dragon in a bad mood. Flames coiled around his body, turning him into a walking furnace of fury and sarcasm.
"Let's dance, you oversized blender."
He shot forward, fire trailing behind him like the comet of impending doom. His first strike hit squarely, flames splashing across the war engine's hull. The metal glowed, but held.
"Oh, you're sturdy," Harry growled. "Cute."
The war engine answered with missiles. Lots of them.
"Incoming!" Diana shouted, vaulting to Harry's side with a spinning slash that deflected three missiles. "Harry, try the core!"
"Trying!" he yelled, diving into a roll, fire shielding him as explosions tore up the ground around him.
Mera redirected a water spout to intercept a rocket mid-air, grinning like a lunatic. "You're welcome!"
Harry looked back. "Marry me!"
"Which one of us?" Diana shouted, grinning.
"Surprise me!"
A new voice crackled through the comms. Warm. Sassy. Very Beyoncé.
"Beta-9 here. Y'all look like you're auditioning for 'Justice League: The Musical.'"
"Do we get solos?" Harry asked, ducking a laser beam.
"Baby, if you survive, I'll write you a ballad. Now hit that core."
Harry obliged.
He surged forward, magic blazing, and punched straight into the heart of the machine. The flames turned white-hot, melting through layers of alien armor. The war engine howled like a wounded titan.
Cyborg's voice chimed in through the static. Smooth. Cool.
"You've got 60 seconds before that thing goes critical."
"Plenty of time!" Harry called back, already lighting the next section of hull on fire.
"Harry!" Mera shouted. "Core's glowing. That's usually a bad sign."
"Unless you're a fire god," he said with a wink.
"You are so full of yourself."
"You love that about me."
Diana landed next to him with a crash, hair windswept, eyes blazing. "Less flirting, more stabbing!"
"Copy that, Princess."
Together, they drove their attacks into the exposed core. Sword, fire, and tidal force collided in a blinding crescendo.
With a sound like a collapsing sun, the war engine exploded.
Shockwaves rocked the warehouse. Flames shot into the sky. Debris flew everywhere.
And the trio stood, bruised but unbroken, in the smoldering remains.
Harry straightened, shirt scorched, grin firmly in place.
"Well," he said, hands on hips. "That was definitely in the top ten."
Mera sauntered over, soaked, glowing, and perfect. "Only top ten? Rude."
Diana rolled her eyes. "He says that every time."
"Only when it's true," Harry replied.
Batman's voice came over the comms. Flat. Gruff.
"Wrap it up. We're not done yet."
Cut to the side, where Batman deposited Amunet Black in a heap next to a pile of groaning mercs. Her hair was a mess. Her scowl could curdle milk.
"You're not going anywhere," Batman said.
"You suck," she spat.
"You scream too much."
Back in the warehouse, Beta-9's voice hummed in again. "Gotham is clear. Justice League, you look good."
Cyborg chuckled. "Beta, you flirting again?"
"Boy, I stay flirting."
Cyborg grinned. "Dinner later?"
"Only if you wear that half-metal tux I like."
Mera and Diana exchanged a look.
"Should we be worried they're cuter than us?" Mera teased.
Harry shrugged. "We'll just have to be more dramatic."
Mera grinned. "Oh, I can do dramatic."
Diana raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure we invented dramatic."
Harry lit his hands again with the faint glow of Savage Burn.
"Rematch later?"
"Shirtless," Mera added.
"Obviously," Diana agreed.
And just like that, the chaos faded into silence. Gotham's monsters were caged, its war machines destroyed, and its shadows once again answered to the League.
The night was theirs.
For now.
---
Hey fellow fanfic enthusiasts!
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Whether you loved it, hated it, or have some constructive criticism, your feedback is super important to me. Feel free to drop a comment or send me a message with your thoughts. Can't wait to hear from you!
If you're passionate about fanfiction and love discussing stories, characters, and plot twists, then you're in the right place! I've created a Discord server dedicated to diving deep into the world of fanfiction, especially my own stories. Whether you're a reader, a writer, or just someone who enjoys a good tale, I welcome you to join us for lively discussions, feedback sessions, and maybe even some sneak peeks into upcoming chapters, along with artwork related to the stories. Let's nerd out together over our favorite fandoms and explore the endless possibilities of storytelling!
Click the link below to join the conversation:
https://discord.com/invite/HHHwRsB6wd
Can't wait to see you there!
If you appreciate my work and want to support me, consider buying me a cup of coffee. Your support helps me keep writing and bringing more stories to you. You can do so via PayPal here:
https://www.paypal.me/VikrantUtekar007
Or through my Buy Me a Coffee page:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/vikired001s
Thank you for your support!