JUSTICE LEAGUE WATCHTOWER -
Dozens of screens floated in front of Batman and every one of them displayed footage from across the world.
News stations replaying the Titans emerging from the red gate in Metropolis.
Hunter Association reports and civilian footage captured on phones.
Arthur standing before the collapsing gate with glowing violet eyes behind the black mask.
Bruce watched it all silently, arms crossed with a calm expression.
Behind him, Martian Manhunter stood calmly with his hands folded behind his back while observing the screens with thoughtful eyes.
On one hologram, Beast Boy was enthusiastically reenacting Kamish annihilating wyverns for a group of reporters despite Robin clearly trying to stop him.
Another screen showed civilians cheering after the red gate vanished.
Then another displayed the masked Arthur walking away from the scene while reporters desperately followed behind barricades.
J'onn tilted his head slightly.
"You knew he was going to join them, didn't you?"
Bruce didn't look away from the screens.
"Yes."
The answer came immediately.
"With Raven on the team, Arthur was bound to involve himself eventually."
A different recording began playing automatically.
Arthur stepping into the gate first without waiting for the Titans.
Bruce almost looked amused for half a second.
"He would've joined regardless if they found themselves in danger," he continued. "Even if he hadn't planned to initially."
J'onn nodded slowly.
"That much is obvious."
The Martian's gaze shifted toward another screen showing drone footage of the Titans returning from one of the earlier gates Arthur cleared almost instantly.
"Still…"
Even J'onn sounded impressed now.
"It is remarkable that they cleared a red S-rank gate in such a short amount of time."
Bruce finally leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Yeah."
For once, there was no skepticism in his tone, just honesty.
"It's fortunate Arthur was with them."
He tapped one of the holographic reports.
Robin's mission logs immediately expanded across the screen.
Dungeon structure analysis, threat estimations, hostile species.
Estimated giant population and wyvern density.
Bruce's eyes narrowed slightly as he reviewed it again.
"According to Robin's report," he said calmly, "that dungeon shouldn't even have been classified as S-rank."
J'onn moved closer to the hologram.
The Martian's expression grew more serious the longer he read.
"…Army-class population density," he murmured. "Large-scale dimensional territory. Multiple fortress structures. Air superiority threats."
He looked up.
"Basically, a death trap."
Bruce nodded once.
"Exactly."
J'onn exhaled quietly.
"I'm glad they entered it with Arthur, it could have been ugly."
Bruce remained silent for a moment before speaking again.
"It seems Arthur wants us to reevaluate global dungeon raid regulations."
J'onn glanced at him.
"And?"
Bruce looked toward the footage of the red gate disappearing.
"At this point…"
His voice became quieter.
"He's right."
The Watchtower lights reflected faintly across Bruce's cowl as he continued.
"The gates are becoming increasingly unstable all over the world ever since the Monarch gate appeared in Gotham."
More screens lit up.
Rising casualty percentages, mutation probabilities for the monsters inside dungeons, new dungeon variants and Unclassified magical readings for certain gates.
Bruce continued analyzing all of it in silence before J'onn spoke again.
"We should also make contact with the unclassified hunters."
Bruce immediately understood what he meant.
"The vessels of the Rulers."
J'onn nodded.
"All seven of them."
Bruce finally turned slightly toward him.
"You found the remaining two?"
A faint smile appeared on Martian Manhunter's face.
"Of course."
There was calm pride in his voice now.
"You entrusted that mission to me."
He folded his arms.
"I could hardly disappoint you."
Bruce huffed quietly.
For Batman, that practically counted as praise.
"Good."
He turned back toward the screens again.
"We need communication established with all of them."
J'onn's expression shifted subtly afterward.
"Though…"
Bruce immediately noticed it.
"You're worried about one."
J'onn nodded.
"The Japanese hunter."
Bruce sighed already.
"Renshiro."
"Yes."
The Martian actually looked mildly exhausted just saying the name.
"He may prove… difficult to convince to come have a chat with us after recent events."
Bruce almost smirked beneath the cowl.
"Oh."
"That incident involving Arthur."
Several screens immediately changed.
Footage from Tokyo appeared.
The destroyed office inside Samurai Guild headquarters.
News coverage, witness reports and a pictures of Arthur and Raven entering the building earlier that day.
J'onn crossed his arms.
"The entire situation became an international incident in under twenty minutes."
Bruce answered flatly,
"That sounds about right for Arthur."
J'onn gave him a look and Bruce continued calmly.
"I knew Arthur would eventually seek out one of the vessels, he said so himself."
He enlarged another report and magical energy burst.
Light explosion and spatial distortion.
"…I just didn't expect him to blow up the man's office."
J'onn actually chuckled quietly at that.
Bruce narrowed his eyes slightly at the footage again.
"But something about it was clearly wrong, the fact that they both vanished after that was weird. I did a bit of investigation, and it turned out to be that the Hunter attacked Arthur not the other way around."
His tone sharpened now.
"Arthur is impulsive. Arrogant too, sometimes."
J'onn nodded in agreement.
"But he doesn't randomly attack people."
Bruce tapped another command.
New footage appeared, live footage.
Renshiro standing outside Samurai Guild headquarters surrounded by reporters and cameras.
The Japanese hunter looked dramatically overconfident even while discussing the incident.
His massive frame towered over most of the reporters while his absurdly ornate katana rested at his waist.
One reporter quickly asked,
"Guildmaster Renshiro! Is it true the shadow man attacked you personally?!"
Renshiro crossed his arms confidently.
"Hmph. Attack is a strong word."
Bruce and J'onn both stared silently.
Renshiro continued proudly.
"He likely came seeking a challenge after witnessing my overwhelming power."
Bruce slowly removed his gloves halfway.
That was never a good sign.
Another reporter immediately asked,
"Then did you defeat him?!"
Renshiro smiled broadly.
"Defeat is unnecessary when your opponent realizes the gap in strength."
J'onn blinked once.
Bruce just stared at the screen.
"If Arthur attacked him truly… I understand him," J'onn admitted.
Renshiro continued speaking dramatically.
"Of course, had we truly fought seriously, Mount Fuji itself may not have survived."
Bruce closed his eyes briefly.
"Dear God."
J'onn actually laughed this time.
A genuine laugh.
"That man truly is..."
Bruce rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"That explains why Arthur teleported him away... this person was clearly hard to talk to.."
J'onn looked curious.
Bruce answered immediately.
"He was probably too confused to share useful information."
On-screen, Renshiro suddenly pointed confidently toward the cameras.
"But rest assured! Should this shadow man threaten the strongest hunters again, I, Renshiro, shall stand against him!"
Bruce stared at the screen for several long seconds.
Then quietly muttered,
"…Arthur is going to hate this."
.
.
.
.
Deep within the uncharted reaches of space, where light itself seemed reluctant to travel, a dying world burned.
The planet's civilizations had already been reduced to ruins, its continents carved open by warships that never belonged to its history. What remained was resistance. Not from armies or kings, but from a handful of warriors who refused to let it end quietly.
Six Shadow Lanterns had answered its final call.
Wherever they flew, darkness followed. Parademons filled the horizon in endless waves, screeching as they descended upon the planet's broken cities.
But the Lanterns did not retreat.
A towering insectoid Lantern raised both arms, forming twin crescents of condensed shadow that sliced through an entire swarm of parademons in a single attack. Another, cloaked in drifting black mist, descended into the ruins below and emerged seconds later with dozens of shadow spears hovering behind him, each one launching upward to impale incoming enemy fliers before they could even reach the ground.
"We hold the line!" one of them roared across the battlefield, his voice amplified through his ring as it pulsed with unstable violet energy. "We must protect this planet from the forces of Apokolips!"
The others answered without hesitation.
"For the fallen!"
"For the living!"
"For NYX!"
At the mention of that last name, their power surged.
The shadows around them deepened, as if responding to a presence far beyond the battlefield. The parademons faltered for the first time, their formations breaking as the Lanterns pressed forward with overwhelming force.
It almost looked like victory.
Almost.
Then the sky tore open.
A massive warship descended through the rupture, its hull jagged and black, etched with omega runes.
The Shadow Lanterns immediately halted their advance.
Even the parademons paused.
The warship landed beyond the battlefield with a force that shattered the surrounding terrain, sending shockwaves rippling through the ruins.
Then the hatch opened, and he stepped out.
The figure was enormous, clad in armor that looked forged from conquest itself.
Steppenwolf.
His eyes swept across the battlefield with cold indifference, as though the destruction around him was nothing more than an inconvenience. Parademons lowered their heads instinctively, sensing authority far beyond their own terror.
Then his gaze locked onto the Shadow Lanterns.
A slow, dismissive smile formed on his face.
"So these are the pests... The Shadow Lanterns…"
His voice carried effortlessly across the battlefield,
"It is not wise to continue meddling with the affairs of the Great One."
One of the Shadow Lanterns tightened his fists, shadows flickering violently around him as his ring responded to his anger.
"Stand your ground!"he muttered, though the tension in his voice betrayed him. "Do not let him intimidate you."
Another Lantern, standing slightly ahead, narrowed his glowing eyes.
"That is Steppenwolf…"
The name alone carried weight.
Even among warriors who had faced planetary extinction events, even among those who had survived the horrors of Apokolips, that name was not spoken lightly.
Steppenwolf tilted his head slightly, as if amused by the recognition.
"You know of me," he said calmly. "Of course you do."
He began walking forward and each step cracked the ground beneath him.
"I was told there were warriors here who wear borrowed darkness," he continued. "Power taken from a source they barely understand."
All Six Lanterns responded instantly, forming constructs in unison.
Blades of shadow materialized in their hands. Wings of darkness unfolded behind them. Entire formations of energy coalesced into weapons shaped by will alone.
"We are not your prey," one of them declared firmly. "This world is under our protection."
Steppenwolf stopped, then he laughed.
"Protection?"
He repeated the word slowly, as though tasting its meaning.
"You mistake yourselves for the guardians."
His hand tightened around the massive axe resting at his side.
"You are obstacles."
And then he moved.
"Nothing more."
/-\
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