GOTHAM - BATCAVE
Violet light flickered at the edges of the Batcave, and then Arthur Blackwynd stepped out of the shadows and into the cavernous space, Raven materializing beside him.
They stood in the heart of Batman's domain, a place of technology and obsession, the Batmobile sat in its alcove.
Arthur appeared directly beside Batman's chair.
The Dark Knight didn't flinch, his hands continued to move across the keyboard, his eyes fixed on the screens before him. He had known Arthur was coming had felt the shift in the air the moment before he emerged, the subtle change in pressure that preceded the Shadow Monarch's arrival.
Alfred, however, was not so prepared.
The butler stood near the tea trolley, his hand frozen mid-reach for a cup. His eyes widened just slightly, just for a moment before his composure reasserted itself.
"Master Blackwynd.." Alfred said, his voice carrying the barest hint of surprise. "You do know how to make an entrance..."
"Sorry for appearing like this so suddenly." Arthur said.
Batman didn't turn around, his fingers continued to dance across the keyboard.
"How was the dungeon?" he asked.
Arthur moved to stand beside him, his eyes scanning the screens. "Dragons." He paused. "You were right, it was dangerous for that team."
Batman's hands paused just for a moment, then resumed.
"But your guild member is dependable," Arthur continued. "He held his own, even fought the boss dragon alone and won."
Batman said nothing, but something in his posture shifted a subtle relaxation of his shoulders.
"However," Arthur said, his voice hardening, "all of this is not important right now."
Batman turned.
His cowl swept across Arthur's face, reading the tension in his jaw, the tightness around his eyes. The Dark Knight had known Arthur long enough to recognize when something had gone wrong.
"What did you encounter?" Batman asked. "I can tell from your voice alone, this wasn't exactly a smooth raid."
Arthur's hand rose to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Someone appeared, her name is Grail. The daughter of Darkseid."
Batman's eyes narrowed behind the cowl.
"She took a corpse of a dragon, one that was killed by my shadow marshal," Arthur continued. "Through a Boom Tube, I want you to find out what she could possibly use it for." He paused. "And since she was inside that dungeon, there is also a chance that she was inside others. Maybe not only her, maybe Darkseid sent more of them and they are already among us, entering Dungeons, taking monsters." His voice darkened. "This is not good at all."
Batman was already moving.
His hands flew across the keyboard, pulling up the Apokoliptean data they had extracted from Steppenwolf's ship. The information was vast, a treasure trove of intelligence that would take years to fully process. But Batman had already cross-referenced it with everything he knew about Darkseid's operations, his men, his methods.
"Grail," Batman said, his voice flat. "Daughter of Darkseid, apparently she is Amazon just like Diana... though there isn't much known about her." He paused, reading further "She has access to Apokoliptean technology, including Boom Tubes, but again this only means she is part of Darkseid's new gods, but there isn't much about her here."
Arthur's eyes narrowed. "And her current activities?"
Batman scrolled. "Records are... minimal. She operates independently from Darkseid's main forces. She has been seen on Earth before briefly a long time ago since she was raised in Themyscira for a while, she seems to prefer infiltration over direct confrontation."
He paused.
"That is concerning. But we haven't received any sort of reports like this, meeting shady individuals inside Dungeons is not common at all." He looked up at Arthur. "But it is possible that she was doing this without drawing any sort of attention."
Arthur nodded slowly. "As for what she needs the corpse for there are many possibilities."
Batman's fingers stopped moving.
"Cloning, experimentation, weaponization." His voice was grim. "Or something else only Darkseid knows about, I will need time to analyze the possibilities."
Arthur crossed his arms. "I thought of cloning as well, but I fear it might be far more complicated than that. They have the technology after all."
Batman turned to face him fully. "How did she escape you, though?"
Arthur's jaw tightened, his eyes flickered with something that might have been embarrassment.
"She didn't even try to fight me," he admitted. "Apparently, she is not stupid. I thought she was there for Steppenwolf, but her mission was different." He shook his head. "Darkseid clearly doesn't give up."
Batman studied him for a long moment. Then he nodded.
"Well, thanks for reporting this," he said. "I will try to carefully look through the data and monitor the recent Dungeon reports. I'll also contact you once I come up with a conclusive result about what they could possibly want with corpses of monsters." He paused. "My initial theory is cloning, but it is too simple, don't worry, I'll see to it with the help of your shadows. Owl and Lex in the Watchtower."
Arthur nodded. "Very well."
Batman turned back to his screens. "How was my Hunter Ethan?" he asked.
Raven stepped forward, "Arthur was very harsh and difficult with him. He let him fight the boss by himself? a very strong dragon but he prevailed." She glanced at Arthur, a small smile playing on her lips. "So your new Robin is not bad at all."
Batman didn't comment on the "Robin" comment.
But Alfred did.
"New Robin?" the butler asked, his voice filled with interest. "Is Master Ethan being considered for such a role?"
Arthur's lips curved. "She is just joking."
Alfred's expression remained perfectly neutral. "Of course, Master Blackwynd. I would never suggest otherwise, though Master Bruce might need a Robin, since Master Dick is never here."
Batman's voice cut through the exchange. "Alfred..." He then looked at Arthur. "Well, thanks for the help."
Alfred stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back. "Master Blackwynd, if you would like to stay for tea.."
Arthur raised a hand, his smile apologetic. "I appreciate the offer, Alfred. But I have things to take care of, I really need to go."
Alfred inclined his head. "Of course, sir. Another time, perhaps."
Arthur glanced at Raven. She nodded.
And they were gone, a gust of shadows, and the Batcave was empty save for the two men who had watched them depart.
Alfred looked at the space where they had stood.
"He is a remarkable man," Alfred said. "Despite everything he carries."
Batman didn't look up from his screens. "He does carry too much."
Alfred's eyebrow rose. "And you are one to talk, Master Wayne?"
Batman's hands paused on the keyboard.
"Touché," he said quietly.
.
.
.
.
The Fortress of Solitude -
The Fortress of Solitude rose from the ice, its crystalline spires caught the pale light of the Arctic sun, refracting it into rainbows that danced across the snow. The structure was beautiful in a way, it was a place of science and memory, of Krypton's legacy preserved in crystal and light.
And it was, for the moment, a prison, a prison of choice.
Kara Zor-El sat in the main chamber, her legs curled beneath her on a crystalline bench, a tub of ice cream balanced on her knee. She wore comfortable clothes sweatpants, a loose sweater, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. The ice cream was chocolate. It was her third tub.
She looked miserable.
Clark Kent stood a few feet away, his arms crossed, his expression a mixture of confusion and concern. He had been trying to understand his cousin's behavior for three days now, and he was no closer to an answer.
"Are you really going to stay here?" he asked, his voice gentle.
Kara didn't look up from her ice cream. "Am I bothering you with my presence here?"
"No! No, not at all." Clark uncrossed his arms, stepping closer. "It's just... well, shouldn't you be with Arthur right now? Back in Gotham? This is a bit..."
"I will remain here until.." Kara paused. "Until I feel like leaving."
Clark's eyes drifted to her midsection. The sweater was loose, but it couldn't hide everything. There was a curve in her belly. A change that Kara was clearly trying to pretend didn't exist.
"Look," Clark said carefully, "I know why you're doing this... But you don't look so bad. I mean, you look great!"
Kara's eyes snapped up. "Not another word, Kal," she said, "I'm staying here."
Clark sighed, he walked to the bench and sat down beside her, keeping a careful distance. He had learned, over time, that Kara had a temper when she felt cornered.
"Did Arthur say anything about this?" he asked. "Other than the fact that there are two mean-looking shadows outside in the snow, standing watch over you?"
Kara's spoon paused halfway to her mouth. "He sent out his shadows?!"
Clark winced. "Yeah. The Doomsday-looking one and the knight, saw them like a day ago."
Kara's eyes went wide. "Doom and Igris?!" She set down the ice cream, her voice sharp. "Did Arthur really send out Doom and Igris to watch over me?!"
Clark raised his hands defensively. "I assume those are some of his strongest? Also is that a bad thing?"
"They are his strongest!" Kara stood, pacing across the crystalline floor, she whirled on Clark. "Arthur sent his two most powerful Marshals to babysit me?!"
Clark's expression was carefully neutral. "Doesn't that just means that he cares about you?"
"HE SHOULDN'T HAVE SENT THEM!" Kara's voice echoed through the chamber. "I don't need protection! I'm not weak! I'm not.." Her voice broke. "I'm not..."
She stopped, her hands dropped to her sides. Her shoulders slumped.
'What is wrong with her emotions and the sudden mood swings...' Clark said to himself.
Clark rose and walked to her, his hands finding her shoulders. "Kara. Look at me."
She looked up, her eyes were wet.
"You are not weak," Clark said softly. "You have never been weak. You're one of the strongest people I know, stronger than me, in ways that matter."
Kara shook her head. "Then why do I feel like... like I'm getting weaker day by day?"
Clark smiled. "Because you're clearly scared, and that's okay."
/-\
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