"Did you just race through a city and trick a literal New God?"
"I'm Batman."
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Steppenwolf's axe flew through the air, spinning with deadly precision toward Silas Stone. But before it could strike, Victor dashed in front of his father, deploying a shield from his arm just in time. The axe lodged itself into the energy shield, sparking upon impact.
"Dad, run!" Victor shouted as he strained under the force of the blow.
Steppenwolf, watching the two scurry off, looked mildly amused. "Do you have to kill the father?" Grayven asked, hovering just above the ground, his tone almost conversational as he observed their escape.
"What, are you feeling mercy?" Steppenwolf retorted, wrenching his axe free from the shield.
Grayven shook his head with mild amusement. "No, just curious why you'd choose to play this cat-and-mouse game. Wouldn't it be quicker to crush them outright?" His voice was casual, but there was an edge of condescension in his words.
Steppenwolf smirked, swinging the axe over his shoulder. "What's the rush? This way, they learn fear."
As they casually followed their prey, Silas frantically led Victor down the halls of S.T.A.R. Labs, fumbling with his ID card before swiping it through a panel. The door slid open, and they rushed inside, barricading themselves in a secret room filled with emergency equipment.
Silas was panting, his heart racing. "What... what was that, Victor?" he asked, his voice trembling.
Victor, still catching his breath, shrugged. "No idea. I tried to warn you."
Silas frowned, his frustration building. "What do you mean, warn me—"
Before he could finish, a beam of searing energy cut through the wall behind them, melting the steel. Grayven's eyes flickered back to their normal color as he calmly stepped through the smoldering hole. "Oh, hello," he said with a smug grin, as if they were old friends.
Steppenwolf followed, wasting no time as he swung his axe toward Silas again. Victor instinctively blocked the blow, but the sheer force nearly ripped his mechanical arm off. "AH!" Victor shouted in pain, the mechanics in his arm sparking as he staggered back.
Steppenwolf, not giving them a moment's respite, prepared for another strike—when suddenly a smoke bomb exploded between them, filling the room with thick, choking gas. The rev of an engine echoed through the chaos.
From the smoke emerged the unmistakable silhouette of the Bat-Symbol.
"Follow me if you wanna live," Bruce Wayne, the Batman, said in his gravelly voice, grabbing Silas and using his grappling hook to zip them both toward the waiting Batmobile.
Victor, struggling to reconstruct his damaged arm, followed close behind, sprinting through the smoke and toward the vehicle. Behind them, Grayven floated casually above the chaos, watching the retreat with amusement.
"It's just smoke," Grayven said, unimpressed.
Steppenwolf, however, was more cautious. "It's not just smoke. There's some kind of gas in it. Nothing serious, but enough to be a nuisance."
As the Batmobile screeched away, Steppenwolf prepared to jump after them. Grayven, with a burst of speed, flew above, his eyes locked on the retreating vehicle.
The Batmobile's Escape
Inside the Batmobile, Bruce sped through the streets of the city, weaving between traffic. "Why didn't you run earlier?" he asked, his voice calm but pointed.
Silas, still trying to calm his racing heart, snapped back, "Well, if someone said something—!"
Victor, his temper flaring, interrupted. "IF YOU WEREN'T SO CONSUMED BY WORK, MAYBE YOU'D LISTEN!" His mechanical voice was laced with pain and anger, the long-simmering resentment bubbling to the surface.
Bruce said nothing, his attention fixed on the road ahead. Up ahead, he saw a large silver figure—Steppenwolf—blocking their path, raising his axe high above his head.
With a devastating slam, Steppenwolf brought his axe down, cracking the street and sending debris flying. People on the sidewalks screamed and scattered, while a news helicopter hovered above, the camera trained on the chaos below.
Unfazed, Bruce switched the Batmobile into climbing mode, the wheels shifting as the car began ascending the side of a nearby skyscraper. "Please avoid vomiting," he said dryly, "and don't touch the candy in the back."
The Batmobile's interior shifted to a sleeker, more aerodynamic mode, built for intense speed. Victor couldn't help but marvel at the technology. "Whoa... talk about tech..." His internal systems hummed with excitement, recognizing the Batmobile's advanced design.
Silas, on the other hand, clutched his seat, trying his best to keep his stomach from revolting.
The Batmobile launched off the side of the building and back onto the road, dodging a powerful swing from Steppenwolf's axe, which exploded on impact with the street, sending a burst of electricity through the area.
"Tch! Cunning humans, always running," Steppenwolf growled, racing after them with terrifying speed. Grayven, floating above, noticed the Daily Planet symbol on the helicopter tailing them.
"That seems promising..." Grayven mused as he flew lower, contemplating his next move.
Bruce's eyes flickered to the sea just ahead of them. He glanced at Silas in the passenger seat. "Tap the right side of your seat and put on the mask. We'll be underwater for a bit."
The Batmobile rocketed toward the shoreline, Steppenwolf still in pursuit, his axe raised to strike again.
Just before hitting the water, Bruce hit the eject button, launching himself, Silas, and Victor from the vehicle. They shot out from under the Batmobile, which continued its dive into the ocean, transforming its wheels to adapt to water
Silas watched in awe as a silver blur—Steppenwolf—continued chasing the Batmobile into the water. The three swam quickly to shore.
On the shoreline, Silas staggered out of the water, gasping for air. His mind was still reeling from the chaos. For a moment, he just stared at the man in front of him—the Batman. The myth was real.
"You... you're Batman?" Silas asked, still incredulous.
"...Yes," Bruce responded curtly, his attention already on their next move.
Victor emerged from the water behind them, draining the excess liquid from his body. He couldn't help but feel hollow—he used to love swimming. Now, it meant nothing.
Bruce glanced at Victor, and then the Bat-Wing decloaked nearby, its camouflage deactivating. The sleek black jet hovered just above the ground, the hatch open.
"Victor," Bruce said, turning to face him fully, "Do you want to come with me?"
Victor hesitated only a moment. His gaze flicked briefly toward his father, but the years of frustration, the neglect, the pain—it all led to this moment. He made his decision.
Victor reached out and took Bruce's hand, stepping into the Bat-Wing without looking back.
As the jet ascended into the sky, leaving behind the wreckage of S.T.A.R. Labs and the ruined shoreline, Silas stood alone, watching his son disappear into the horizon.
For the first time, the weight of what had happened settled in his chest.
"Did I... do something wrong?" Silas whispered to himself, though there was no one left to answer.
...
Grayven, cloaked in the invisibility granted by Apokolips technology, hovered silently above The Daily Planet. He observed the chaos below, his sharp gaze scanning the bustling newsroom. Inside, Perry White, the ever-impatient editor-in-chief, was barking orders in his usual gruff manner.
"LOIS! Where's my coffee?" Perry shouted, his voice booming across the office.
"Coming! Here you go, sir," came the response, but it wasn't from Lois. It was Angela, the new intern, who nervously handed him the coffee.
Perry squinted, realizing it wasn't who he expected. "Wait... you're not Lois. Where is she?"
Angela pointed at the TV screen. "She's following the new villain, or whatever."
On the large screen, the footage from Lois Lane's helicopter chase played live. The Batmobile was engaged in a wild, almost surreal chase with Steppenwolf. Despite Steppenwolf's superior speed, the Batmobile was performing a series of ridiculous stunts—jumping, sliding under bridges, and dodging everything Steppenwolf threw at it.
Perry groaned, exasperated. "SOMEONE GET ME JIMMY OLSEN!" he yelled.
Angela, still trying to be helpful, chimed in, "He's actually the one with the camera at that scene, sir."
Perry let out an annoyed scream as he threw up his hands in frustration.
The Arrival of Grayven
Outside, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen were locked in their high-speed chase, the helicopter following the Batmobile as it dove into the water, with Steppenwolf close behind.
"Well, everyone, as you can see," Lois spoke into the camera, her voice professional despite the tension, "the elusive Batman and some strange monster are engaged in a hot chase. It seems to have started at S.T.A.R. Labs, and we're following the action live!"
Jimmy, piloting the helicopter while also filming, sighed. "You make this sound easy, Lois."
Before Lois could respond, something shimmered in front of the helicopter—a figure materialized from thin air. Grayven, floating effortlessly, smirked as he faced the camera.
"Oh? How astute," Grayven remarked, his voice calm and condescending. "Mind if I have a turn speaking?" He floated closer to the helicopter, his presence looming as Lois and Jimmy stared, wide-eyed.
"Wh-who are you?" Lois stammered, her voice wavering as she fought to stay composed.
Grayven glanced between the two, a dark smile curling on his lips. "I am Grayven, and we have come to take over this planet." He raised his hand, revealing a small metal circle in his palm, which projected a hologram of the Motherboxes. "In three days, if we do not have these..." His voice dropped ominously. "You'll all have to die. Deeply sorry." Grayven gave a mocking bow, as if he were apologizing for something trivial.
Lois, her heart racing, knew she had to stall him. Somehow. She took a deep breath, summoning her courage. "Wait! Before you go... could you do a small interview?"
Grayven's eyebrow arched, intrigued. "You are very foolish," he said, his voice carrying both amusement and menace. "I could kill you both right now, yet you dare ask something of me?"
With a casual flick of his wrist, Grayven's hand crushed the side of the helicopter, the metal crumpling like paper beneath his grip. The helicopter shuddered, and both Lois and Jimmy braced themselves, fear evident in their eyes.
"But," Grayven continued, easing his grip slightly, "I do enjoy bravery. What is it?"
Lois gulped, struggling to keep her voice steady. "Are you... aliens?" she asked.
Grayven frowned, clearly unimpressed by the question. "Aliens?" He repeated, almost offended. "No. From your human perspective, yes, but that's your foolishness. We are New Gods, stepping on you." His eyes gleamed with cruel delight. "As you say, ants meet boot."
He squeezed the helicopter again, the sound of screeching metal filling the air as the vehicle groaned under the pressure.
Jimmy, his voice shaky but determined, asked the next question. "Then... why did you come?"
Grayven's smirk returned. "Ah, much better. A proper question." He leaned in closer. "Because the Kryptonian is dead. You were sheltered by that rather annoying being, but now? Not anymore."
His eyes flickered to the helicopter blades as they spun above him. With a simple gesture, Grayven reached out and stalled the blades, causing them to grind to a halt. The helicopter began to plummet.
"Regardless, may Darkseid have mercy on you," Grayven said with a dark smile as he floated away, the helicopter spiraling downward.
A Sudden Rescue
As the helicopter spiraled toward the ground, the panic inside grew. Lois gripped her seat, fear gripping her as they plummeted.
But suddenly, the descent slowed. A strong breeze surged around them, cushioning the helicopter's fall. Below the helicopter, a boy sat cross-legged, floating in mid-air. It was Jorno Jovanna.
"Bring them out, please," Jorno said, his voice calm and steady.
In an instant, his Stand, King of the Clouds, materialized beside the helicopter. With ease, the ethereal figure ripped the door off and gently pulled both Jimmy and Lois out, lowering them to the ground.
Jimmy, still in shock, stumbled before doubling over and vomiting on the grass. Lois, her face pale, tried to hold it in but, seeing Jimmy, couldn't resist. She, too, lost her lunch.
"Ew..." Jorno winced, his face scrunching up in disgust. "Humans are nasty."
As the two reporters recovered from the ordeal, Jorno floated nearby, his expression one of mild annoyance. He was here to help, but no one had told him it would be so... gross.
Lois wiped her mouth and looked up at Jorno, still shaky but grateful. "Th-thank you," she managed to say, her voice hoarse.
Jorno waved it off. "Yeah, yeah. Just... don't throw up on me next time."
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[Auther: Will Silas and Victor reconcile? Maybe. STANDO POWAH!