GOTHAM - BATCAVE
The Batcomputer cast a cold glow across the cavern, its layered screens alive with movement. Data streams, global maps, incident reports each one marked with pulsing red indicators where Gates had appeared, flared, and either been cleared or not.
The red color had begun to shrink, blue and green replaced them, the color of stability and gates being cleared.
Bruce Wayne sat in the chair before it all, unmoving except for the occasional flick of his fingers across the controls. His eyes tracked everything at once, absorbing patterns, changes, inconsistencies.
Behind him, Alfred approached, but Bruce didn't turn.
"The situation is stabilizing," he said.
Alfred stopped a short distance behind him, setting a tray down on a nearby surface with care.
"One would certainly hope so," he replied calmly "I take it you're referring to the Hunters."
Bruce's eyes flicked briefly to a different screen, footage of a recent raid. Armored figures exiting a gate in formation.
"They're adapting to the situation," Bruce said. "Faster than I expected."
Alfred allowed himself a small nod, folding his hands behind his back.
"The establishment of a global organization has a tendency to do that," he said. "Structure, rules, a sense of purpose… it does wonders for otherwise chaotic individuals."
"The World Hunter Organization," Bruce murmured, almost to himself. "They've centralized communication. Standardized operations. Most of them understand what they're dealing with now.. And of course, the organization itself answers directly to the Justice League."
"At least… They understand what to do to survive."
He leaned back slightly, the chair shifting under him as another set of reports scrolled past his screen.
"They know where their abilities come from. They know what the Gates are. And they know what happens if no one steps inside."
His gaze hardened slightly.
"That's enough motivation."
Alfred's expression didn't change,
"And yet," he said gently, "motivation does not always equate to responsibility."
Bruce exhaled faintly through his nose.
"No," he agreed. "It doesn't."
His hand moved again, pulling up profiles, dozens of them. Hunters from across the world. Power rankings. Behavioral notes.
"Some of them are doing this just for profit," he continued. "Contracts, sponsorships, private raids. There's already markets forming around it... just like Arthur said would happen.."
Another screen flickered, footage of a Hunter standing over a defeated monster outside a gate, basking in the attention of cameras.
"Some think this makes them untouchable."
"Gods even."
The word carried a quiet disdain.
"And others…" Bruce's voice lowered slightly. "They walk into their first Gate and come out different."
Alfred tilted his head slightly.
"Traumatized?"
Bruce didn't answer immediately.
"They see what's inside," he said. "And they realize it doesn't follow any rules they understand.. After all it is not a game, small mistakes are fatal inside."
Alfred stepped closer, his gaze drifting over the screens.
"I imagine," he said carefully, "that such an environment would be… difficult to regulate."
Bruce's jaw tightened slightly.
"That's the problem."
He tapped a command, bringing up a blank feed, an absence where something should have been.
"We can't see inside."
Alfred's brow lifted just slightly.
"None of your surveillance methods?"
"None of them," Bruce confirmed. "No drones or satellites and no signal transmission work inside these Gates."
His voice sharpened,
"Everything we rely on becomes useless the moment someone crosses that threshold. I only managed to record one."
That got Alfred's attention.
"Oh?"
Bruce's eyes flickered toward a separate file, locked and encrypted.
"The Red Gate incident," he said. "The only reason we have that footage is because of Arthur."
Alfred's expression shifted slightly at the name.
"His… shadows?"
Bruce nodded once.
"Their technology is quite different, they made something that allowed me to record inside that gate."
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze narrowing as the memory replayed behind his eyes.
"The monsters inside are difficult to deal with too… conventional weapons don't work, not effectively. You can hit them, slow them down maybe, but you won't kill them."
He tapped the screen again, pulling up analysis data.
"They require mana. Magic. Or overwhelming physical force beyond what most humans can achieve. All these informations are public knowledge now."
Alfred hummed softly.
"Well, I suppose that explains the sudden surge in… enchanted weaponry."
"It does," Bruce said.
Another pause followed, Alfred studied him for a moment before speaking again.
"Now that I see that look on your face," he said, tone shifting just slightly, "I assume that you are still monitoring Miss Kara."
Bruce didn't even deny it. "…Yes."
"She's been active," he continued. "More than any hunter or league member."
A flicker of movement crossed one of the side screens, footage of Kara in mid-flight, descending toward another Gate to enter.
"She volunteers for the higher-risk raids. Requests them personally from me."
Alfred's eyes softened, just slightly.
"A coping mechanism of some sorts?"
Bruce's expression didn't change, but something in his voice did.
"Yes, she's angry.. But surprisingly she is not exactly reckless," he added after a moment. "Not yet at least, she is using this to burn out that anger and frustration."
Alfred clasped his hands together lightly.
"And the source of that anger?"
Bruce's gaze lingered on the screen a second longer before he answered.
"Her boyfriend."
"He left," Bruce continued. "Took the fight to whoever's behind the Gates."
Alfred nodded slowly.
"A noble endeavor, one might say."
"It is," Bruce said. "But that's not how she sees it, she wanted to go with him," he added. "He didn't let her."
Alfred allowed himself the smallest sigh.
"Ah." He understood it all.
Bruce leaned back again, his eyes dimming slightly as his thoughts moved ahead.
"He made the right call," he said. "He's the only one who understands what's out there. The scale of it. The unpredictability."
His gaze sharpened.
"Even for someone like Superman… it's not a guaranteed outcome."
Alfred's tone softened,
"And yet he chose not to share everything he knows."
Bruce's jaw tightened slightly.
"No," he said. "He didn't, but he gave enough, Information and warnings, fragments of a much larger picture, we can't ask much more than that."
"In this situation," Bruce continued, "he's our greatest asset."
The screens reflected in his eyes again, maps, data, patterns aligning.
"So far… everything is under control."
He said it like a conclusion, but it didn't feel like one.
Alfred noticed.
"And yet," he prompted gently, "you remain somewhat unconvinced."
Bruce didn't respond right away.
"For something we're missing," he said finally.
"There's a gap," he continued. "Something we haven't accounted for. Something important,"
Alfred studied him for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"I must admit," he said lightly, "this is not an unfamiliar predicament for you, Master Wayne."
Bruce huffed faintly.
"No."
Alfred allowed the faintest hint of a smile.
"Though I gather… this time, it feels different."
Bruce's eyes didn't leave the screen.
"…It is... I don't know what it is yet," he admitted. "But we're overlooking something."
Silence settled between them.
Then Alfred straightened slightly,
"Yes," he said. "You are."
Bruce's brow furrowed just a fraction.
Alfred gestured lightly toward the tray he had set down earlier.
"You are overlooking rest."
Bruce closed his eyes briefly.
"…Alfred."
Alfred didn't budge.
"If I may be so bold, sir," he continued smoothly, "even the world's greatest detective is of little use when operating on exhaustion and caffeine alone."
Bruce didn't respond for a moment, Then finally he exhaled in defeat.
****
Kara sat at the edge of the mountain, legs drawn up, elbows resting on her knees, hands cradling her chin. The wind pulled at her cape, tugging it behind her in restless waves, and she didn't move to adjust it. Below her, the city stretched, lights flickering on as dusk settled in, Kara's gaze lingered on it all, yet she saw nothing but a reflection of the emptiness she felt.
"I hate this," she muttered softly, her voice lost almost immediately to the wind. Her brow furrowed, fingers tightening against her face. "We were supposed to fight together! Not you playing hero and shouldering everything alone!" She let out a bitter laugh that didn't reach her eyes. "Damn it… it's only been a month, and I miss him terribly."
Her eyes flicked to the horizon as though she could will him into sight with her stare. She exhaled sharply, letting her shoulders slump just slightly, "…and yet here I am, running around cleaning up Gates while he's out there… probably tearing through another dimension like it's just another Tuesday."
The words came quietly, "You always do this… take everything on yourself, carry it all like it's your job to hold the world together! And now you don't even let me help!" frustration crept into her tone.
Her gaze softened as she glanced back at the city, "I'm not weak… I could've fought by your side. I just wanted to be there." The wind whipped her hair across her face, "What am I doing... having a conversation with myself..." she whispered.
A sigh escaped her, barely audible. "…just don't die, okay?" Her lips curved into the smallest, almost imperceptible smile. "Because if you do… I swear I'll find a way to drag you back just so I can punch you myself!" Her fingers loosened their grip on her chin as she leaned back, letting the wind push at her.
/-\
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