Location - Central City (East Port)
Third Person
A loud shockwave rippled through the area, sending waves through the puddles forming on the docks, causing the droplets of rain to momentarily freeze in midair. The impact shook the earth, sending a deafening crack through the night sky. A massive figure loomed overhead in the darkness, his granite-like body reflecting the dim glow of the dock's floodlights. Cinderblock, a living monolith of raw strength, snarled in frustration, his stone-carved eyes searching for the blurred streak of red and yellow that danced just out of reach.
With a guttural roar, the Behemoth slammed his colossal fist into the ground. The cement cracked and exploded outward like shrapnel, sending jagged chunks flying in every direction. The sudden shockwave disrupted the figure's balance, and with a startled yelp, Kid Flash was thrown off his trajectory, careening straight into a rusted iron railing.
"Kid Flash!" a young voice rang through the storm.
Emerging from the shadows, clad in black and red, a masked figure gripped a steel Bo-Staff tightly. Robin, Gotham's boy wonder and the heir to the Dark Knight's legacy, lunged forward, launching himself into the air. He landed on Cinderblock's massive head, using his momentum to drive the Bo-Staff down like a spear, cracking against the villain's stone skull. Robin didn't let up—before the brute could retaliate, he somersaulted backward, seamlessly tossing three small, bird-shaped explosives mid-flip.
BOOM!
The explosion illuminated the stormy night as the concussive force sent Cinderblock staggering backward. The massive villain groaned, shaking the flames from his body before narrowing his eyes.
"You'll pay for that, you overgrown chicken!" Cinderblock rumbled, his voice like grinding boulders.
Robin smirked, twirling his Bo-Staff effortlessly between his fingers. "That's the best you could come up with? I guess being a blockhead is the only thing you're good at."
Despite the playful taunt, Robin knew he had mere moments before the villain recovered. He quickly stepped back, his eyes darting toward the fallen speedster. He reached down, gripping Kid Flash's arm and hoisting him up. "You good? Because I'm not taking this guy down alone."
Kid Flash groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "Ugh… yeah, yeah. Just give me a second—" He hissed as he staggered to his feet, gripping Robin's shoulder for support. "That hurt like hell."
Robin raised an eyebrow. "Welcome to my world. Now, how do you want to play this?"
Kid Flash wiped rain from his eyes, rolling his shoulders before smirking. "Fast."
Robin's gaze flickered around their surroundings, analyzing the shipping containers stacked high around the dock. His mind raced, formulating a strategy. Then, his lips curled into a grin. "You get him cornered, I'll handle the rest. Just don't get squashed, alright?"
Kid Flash nodded, stretching his arms before cracking his knuckles. "Oh, don't worry. I'm about to run circles around this guy."
With a gust of wind, Kid Flash vanished, moving at speeds beyond human comprehension. The rain itself seemed to bend around his form as he blurred past Cinderblock, darting in and out of his range. The villain growled in frustration, swinging his massive fists wildly, but his attacks met only empty air. Each missed strike caused the dock beneath him to tremble, sending shards everywhere under his sheer strength.
"You little gnat!" Cinderblock roared, twisting and turning, trying to predict the speedster's movement. But Kid Flash was relentless, his constant motion creating a dizzying effect, disorienting the behemoth further.
Robin, meanwhile, had already made his move. Using his grappling hook, he swung onto one of the enormous metal shipping containers, landing gracefully atop its slick surface. With precise movements, he dashed across, planting a series of small, specialized explosives at key structural points. He crouched, making quick mental calculations.
"Fifty-six percent…" he muttered under his breath.
Not great odds, but it would have to do.
"KID FLASH!" Robin's voice cut through the chaos.
Instantly, the speedster materialized beside him, his breathing slightly heavier. "We all set?"
Robin nodded, pressing a button on his wrist device. Within an instant, the dock erupted in controlled explosions. The stacked shipping containers groaned as their foundations crumbled, sending them toppling like dominos. A massive red container slammed into Cinderblock's side with a thunderous clang, denting his stone form before launching him into another pile of crates. Within seconds, the villain was buried beneath thousands of pounds of steel.
Silence fell over the dock, save for the sound of rain pelting the metal debris.
Robin exhaled, lowering his Bo-Staff. "That should keep him down."
Kid Flash stared at the wreckage, blinking in shock. "Dude."
Robin turned to him. "What?"
Kid Flash pointed at the destruction. "What the hell was that?! Since when do you blow up entire dockyards?!"
Robin smirked. "You're welcome."
Kid Flash groaned, rubbing his temples. "We are so gonna get chewed out for this."
Robin shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time. Now, let's move—we've got a meeting to get to."
Before they could take another step, a deep rumble echoed from the wreckage.
Kid Flash's face paled. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."
The metal debris shifted as an enormous stone hand emerged. Cinderblock's glowing eyes pierced through the darkness, his cracked face contorted into a snarl. He pushed himself up, his massive body covered in dents and scorch marks but still very much alive.
Robin tightened his grip on his staff. "Looks like round two."
Kid Flash groaned. "I really hate this guy."
Both heroes, Kid Flash and Robin, sat themselves into a fighting position as the flames of the surrounding area reduced the dampness of the docks. The air was thick with smoke, the acrid scent of burning wood and metal fuel stinging their nostrils. The shattered remains of the docks groaned under the weight of destruction.
Cinderblock, cracked and barely holding himself together, charged forward. Each of his thunderous steps sent violent tremors through the ground dented beneath his feet. His glowing red eyes burned with a murderous fury, his massive fists clenched with the intent to crush.
Robin and Kid Flash exchanged a glance. This wasn't just another battle—this was a death match. Cinderblock wasn't looking to capture or subdue. He was looking to kill.
With a roar that sent ripples through the very air, Cinderblock swung his massive fist down, the wind howling with its descent. Time seemed to slow as the heroes prepared to dodge—but before the blow could land, a violent explosion ripped through the night.
BOOM!
A sudden green portal materialized between the heroes and the massive villain, expanding in the blink of an eye before detonating in a blinding flash of energy. The force of the explosion sent Robin flying, his body smashing into a nearby shipping container. As his back collided with unforgiving steel, he instinctively activated the padding in his suit, which inflated slightly to absorb some of the impact. But the whiplash was brutal, his vision swimming with stars as he struggled to focus.
Kid Flash fared no better. The shockwave sent him skidding across the concrete at breakneck speed, his limbs flailing as he fought for control. His momentum finally ceased, and he barely managed to prop himself up before his stomach lurched.
"Aughh—" he groaned, retching onto the floor. He wiped his mouth with the back of his glove, groaning. "That's the last time I eat a burrito before a fight… yeah, that's a lie."
Thick green smoke curled through the air, obscuring the battlefield. A deep groan echoed from within the cloud. Cinderblock struggled to move, his once-solid body now riddled with deeper cracks, chunks of stone missing from his arms and torso. His breath came in ragged growls, his body betraying him. He knew he was weakening. But no—he wouldn't fall. He wouldn't be beaten by a bunch of sidekicks.
Then, before he could fully comprehend the situation, a figure exploded through the smoke.
A boy.
Barely edging close to his older teen years, his body was a mess of tattered rags—black and blue scraps of what had once been a uniform. His skin was marred with fresh wounds, deep cuts oozing crimson, burns so severe that flesh peeled away to reveal raw muscle and bone. His breath was ragged, uneven, but his eyes—his eyes burned with something darker than rage.
Hatred. Pure, unfiltered hatred.
"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!! YOU WON'T HURT ANYONE AGAIN!!" the boy howled, his voice raw with fury and pain.
Cinderblock barely had time to react before the boy's fist connected with his chest. The sound of impact was deafening—like a cannon blast, like an earthquake splitting the ground.
For the first time in his existence, Cinderblock felt fear.
His massive, stone-carved form trembled. The cracks that had already spread through his body reacted violently, splintering outward like a spiderweb of destruction. His glowing eyes flickered, his vision growing hazy. He tried to form words, to curse, to threaten—but his voice failed him. His mind blanked.
Then, he shattered.
His massive body crumbled, chunks of stone breaking apart midair, dissolving into dust before they could even reach the ground. What had once been an unstoppable juggernaut was now nothing more than a pile of gravel.
The boy floated for a bit before his body crashed into the hard concrete below with a sickening thud.
Silence.
Robin and Kid Flash stood frozen, their eyes wide in absolute shock.
Neither spoke.
Neither moved.
Robin's stomach twisted, his hands gripping his Bo-Staff tightly as a singular thought coursed through his mind like a dagger.
Cinderblock was dead.
Not knocked out. Not captured.
Dead.
And the boy—whoever he was—had done it without hesitation.
Robin took a cautious step forward, his eyes locked onto the unconscious figure sprawled across the battlefield. The kid looked barely older than them, yet his body was a warzone of pain and scars. Who the hell was he?
Kid Flash exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. "What the actual fuck just happened?"
Robin didn't answer. He didn't have one.
Instead, he activated his communicator. "Batman. We have a situation."