Shadow Monarch in DC-Chapter 64: Team up Offer

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Jason exhaled sharply, glancing around the wrecked warehouse. "Yeah, well...not here. Your little 'dark lord' entrance probably lit up every freak in a five-mile radius." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "So, unless you're trying to get the whole Bat squad on our asses, I suggest we move."

Arthur's smile thinned, a flicker of amusement dancing in his cold, blue-glowing eyes. "Hmph. Alright then." Still, he gestured toward Kaisel without a word, the massive wyvern melted into his own shadow. "Lead the way, Hood."

Jason didn't wait, turning on his heel and disappearing into the night with the kind of effortless, predatory grace only a trained killer could manage. Arthur followed, his boots hitting the cracked pavement without a sound.

They travelled in silence, cutting through Gotham's filth-ridden alleys and half-abandoned streets. The city was restless, sirens wailing in the distance, the tension like always. But Jason moved like a shadow, weaving through the underbelly of Gotham with ease.

Eventually, he stopped in front of a crumbling apartment building, boarded-up windows, graffiti covering every surface, the faint stench of mildew clinging to the air.

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Jason kicked the rusted door open with his boot. "Welcome to the palace," he muttered, his voice dripping with mockery. He flicked on a dim, flickering light, revealing a wreck of a living space, half-scorched furniture, empty beer bottles, scattered gun parts, and a corkboard on the far wall covered in files and blurry surveillance photos.

Arthur stepped inside, his gaze sweeping the mess with mild distaste.

Jason smirked as he pulled off his helmet, shaking out his dark hair. "Oh...not to your liking, Master Arthur? Sorry I didn't roll out the red carpet." His voice oozed sarcasm.

Arthur snorted softly, stepping past him. He sank onto a half-broken couch, resting his elbow on his knee while his Promethium sword leaned against his shoulder. "Let's skip the jokes and get to the point."

Jason's amusement faded. He dropped into a nearby chair, pulling a sleek black USB drive from his jacket and tossing it onto the battered coffee table between them.

"Right," he said, his tone tightening. "I stumbled onto something, a real shitstorm. And it's bad." His hands clenched into fists. "Metahumans, a lot of them, are being abducted and forced to fight in underground arenas."

Arthur tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "Gotham's always had its share of blood sports. Why should I care?"

Jason's jaw flexed beneath his mask. "These aren't just criminals or rogues, Blackwynd. Some of them are kids. Runaways. Failed experiments, they're using anyone they can get their hands on."

Arthur's cold expression didn't waver, but Jason wasn't done.

"I thought it was just another scumbag operation. Some psycho with too much money and not enough morals." He leaned forward, his tone darkening. "So, I did what I do best I infiltrated one. Tore it apart. But the bastards running it?" His lips curled into a bitter smile. "They were ghosts. Gone before I got close."

Arthur's gaze sharpened. "Security was too good."

Jason snapped his fingers. "Exactly. Too good for the usual mob or rogue outfit. These guys weren't just ex-military or mercs." He leaned back, exhaling sharply. "I know government-trained operatives when I see them. And these guys? They were pro-level. Organized. Purposeful."

Arthur's fingers tapped idly against the hilt of his sword, his mind turning. "And you think they're still active?"

Jason scoffed. "I don't think, they are. I shut down one ring, but there's more. Way more. Someone out there is collecting metas, and they're not doing it for sport, they are collecting data for something."

For a long moment, Arthur said nothing. The shadows at his feet flickered, pulsing faintly as if responding to his thoughts.

"I think I know who they are," Arthur finally said, his voice cold and measured. "But I'm not in the habit of playing hero."

For a moment, Jason didn't respond. The only sound was the distant creak of the old apartment settling. But when he spoke again, his voice was different, lower, heavier. Personal.

"A friend of mine is dead." His words cut through the room like a blade. "A metahuman. Not a vigilante, not a criminal, just a kid who barely knew what kind of power he had. He only knew one thing..." Jason's fists clenched on his knees. "Someone was after him."

Arthur's expression remained unreadable, but Jason wasn't finished.

"I helped him. Got him off the radar for a while. Thought I did enough...but I was wrong. I found his body last week." His jaw tightened beneath his mask. "Whoever these people are, they don't leave loose ends."

Arthur leaned back, his fingers tapping idly on the hilt of his sword. "Tragic, and I'm sorry for your loss." he said flatly. "But I still don't see what this has to do with me."

Jason let out a bitter chuckle and shook his head. "You're sharp, Blackwynd, but don't play dumb with me." He leaned forward, voice cold and cutting. "Who do you think they'll go after next?"

Arthur's glowing blue eyes narrowed as his lips curved into a mock smile. "Batman and his little caped men, obviously."

Jason's voice was like a gunshot, calm but deadly. "Yeah... and you. And me."

Arthur tilted his head slightly, as if weighing the truth in Jason's words.

"You think they'll stop with a few street-level metas?" Jason pressed. "They're not after small-timers. They're moving up the chain...and like it or not, we're at the top of the damn food chain." His gloved hands curled into fists. "Batman and his crew? Sure, they'll track these guys down. Maybe even stop the operation, but that's where they'll leave it." His voice grew sharper, colder. "I'm not interested in 'stopping' them. I want them gone. Permanently. And that's where you and I come in."

Arthur exhaled through his nose, dragging a hand through his ashen white hair as he stood up. "You're really that determined huh?" he muttered, though his tone lacked the usual mockery. His glowing eyes shifted to the corkboard on the wall, photos of burned-out fight pits, bloodied arenas, and faces he didn't recognize.

Jason stayed silent, letting his words hang in the air.

Arthur rolled his shoulders, the weight of his sword humming faintly at his back. "If my intuition is right," he said slowly, his mind working through the pieces..."considering everything I know, everything you've just told me..."

His voice grew colder, sharper.

"The people behind this are ..."

****

Justice League watchtower -

The hum of advanced technology filled the air a constant, low vibration only those with enhanced senses could pick up. In the heart of the Watchtower, the Containment Sector isolated. Reinforced with alien alloys and powered by tech designed by both Batman and Martian Manhunter, it wasn't a prison, but it wasn't exactly welcoming either.

Behind the shimmering energy field, Supergirl stood with her arms crossed, golden hair cascading down her shoulders. Despite her confinement, there was no fear or resentment in her eyes only resolve.

Outside the containment chamber, Batman tapped rapidly on a holographic interface, his cape draped behind him like a shadow. Every keystroke tightened the security, layer upon layer of encrypted locks ensuring Kara stayed put for now.

Behind him stood Superman, arms folded, watching with a mixture of concern and disbelief. Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, stood nearby, their faces a bit grim.

Finally, Superman broke the silence. "Is this really necessary, Bruce?" His voice was steady, but the tension underneath was impossible to miss.

Before Batman could answer, Kara cut in sharply. "I agreed to this, Kal. Don't interfere."

Superman's jaw tightened, but her firm tone made it clear, this wasn't batman's choice alone, it was her choice as well.

Batman didn't stop working. His voice was calm, calculating. "She was Luthor's captive, Clark. We both know what that means." He turned slightly, the glow of the hologram reflecting off the sharp edges of his cowl. "And now, Cadmus a government-backed project has a spitting image of her attacking critical targets. Coordinated. Precise. Efficient."

Kara's fists clenched at her sides. "I can feel her," she admitted, her voice quieter but no less intense. "It's like... she's a part of me. I see things sometimes...flashes of what she's doing." She exhaled sharply. "She's not just a clone. There's more to this."

Martian Manhunter narrowed his eyes. "We fear that they might have done something else to Supergirl other than a simple DNA extraction, and that's why it's necessary that she is monitored here closer to us."

"And that is dangerous," Batman finished, cutting in smoothly. "We already know Luthor bankrolls Cadmus, but that's not the only thing Luthor can provide." His hands paused over the console. "She can't remember but she spent time there in Cadmus...longer than we thought. Unless..."

Superman arched a brow. "Unless what?"

Batman's voice grew even colder. "Unless he personally provided her DNA only, and kept her there in his own lab away from them."

Superman sighed and said "I can't decide which one is worse.."

That hung in the air for a beat.

Wonder woman stepped forward, her eyes glowing faintly. "Do the government fear us so much," She mused aloud, "that they would clone one of Krypton's most powerful survivors?"

Martian manhunter scoffed softly. "Fear makes people stupid. And desperate. We've all seen that before."

Batman didn't react. His focus was razor-sharp. "Our investigation indicates there's more than just Kara's clone. This isn't an isolated experiment, they're building something bigger." His voice grew darker. "We need to be smart. So far, they've kept to the shadows. Nothing that directly threatens the League. But that won't last."

Superman's eyes flashed briefly with heat vision before he suppressed it. "And when that day comes Bruce ? We need to strike them down now and stop wasting time, before they grow bold enough to threaten us or those we care about, they have done that once already."

Batman's voice didn't waver. "Soon, very soon."

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If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Solo leveling in Westeros.

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