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Chapter 40 - Fallen Knight
🕑 Added 2025-10-17 21:28:31 +0000 UTCMetropolis
Having nothing to do while waiting for Thomas to deliver the satellite and the supercomputer, Miles was working on expanding his network when a call came, urgently summoning him to the Watchtower.
—
Watchtower
“What happened?” He asked, and Superman pointed to a screen where Batman, covered in bruises with both arms in a cast and a neck brace, was being tended to by the Martian Manhunter.
“Batman is in a coma. He has been severely wounded. The witnesses report a blond woman who overpowered Batman quite easily.” The Kryptonian pressed several buttons, and the pictures of five villains popped up. “Also, Copperhead, Shade, Solomon Grundy, Star Sapphire, and Tsukuri were seen with her.”
Green Lantern looked furious at the state one of his teammates had been reduced to. “Heard anything about this?”
“No, definitely not.” What the hell was Aresia doing? She should have just knocked Batman out, not sent him to the ICU.
“I’ll go and get Yrra Cynril.” Miles made to turn around, but John stopped him, shaking his head.
“I called the Star Sapphire Lanterns several times; they were busy fighting someone and did not answer.”
Miles ran the famous and lesser-known healers in his mind, but the ones easy to locate were not likely to be helpful, while the rest were difficult to locate.
There was Raven, but he would not let the young girl take Batman’s pain to heal him unless no alternative could be devised.
Doctor Fate was his best option.
“Doctor Fate, he should be able to heal Batman.” If not, he would get Raven.
Superman’s eyes widened, remembering the mystical hero. “I know where he is; I’ll go talk to him.” He quickly left the tower to bring the Lord of Order, as every second mattered to Batman.
“In the meantime, I’ll look into who that woman is.” And make sure her plan failed, utterly and completely.
—
Metropolis
“How do we find her?” A blonde woman in a white dress with super strength didn’t exactly narrow it down.
“I just sent out a message for everyone to keep an eye out for the blonde woman and her accomplices. Even if she isn’t well known, the rest of the villains are.” But Miles knew their next target and would be there before them.
“Shouldn’t we go to Gotham?” That was where the woman was located, and chances are, she was still there after Batman was gone.
“No use, she can’t afford to stay in Gotham, and I can coordinate things better from Metropolis.” He was actually going to Metropolis because Aresia’s next target was a gem vault in the city, and he needed to find and secure it quickly.
He made sure to inform Charles of that while checking the locations of the banks to find the location from the show. Finding the branch of the Metropolis Gem Repository, a subsidiary of the Metropolis Gold Exchange, was enough for Charles to find the owner and send his number to Miles.
—
The gem’s owner was an elderly man who was keeping it as a family heirloom and who dragged his feet in selling it, trying to raise the price.
Miles wasn’t in the mood to negotiate and offered a million dollars, far more than what the gem was worth, and even had the man picked up to immediately sign the deal.
Minutes after they left the bank with the gem in tow, Aresia and her gang attacked, unaware they were already beaten to the punch.
The most secure place to hide it was the Watchtower, and he immediately called for a pickup.
—
Watchtower
“How is he?” Miles asked, carrying a briefcase with the gem inside. Doctor Fate was inside the med room, legs crossed and floating as a golden glow covered the Dark Knight.
“Fate says it will be a while before Batman wakes up, even longer to be ready to fight; his wounds were quite severe.” Superman
“The woman, an Amazonian named Aresia, was after this, though I don’t know why. She did not seem to be intent on sharing her plans with her team.” He remembered how the Amazonian crushed and spread the gem into her bioweapon, but its effects were not clear, perhaps to add a magical side to the virus.
“That can’t be.” Diana gasped as she watched the video recording he had Zalika extract while boarding the Javelin.
The Amazonian was raging through the vault, searching for a gem that was already gone.
“More importantly, where is she?” Green Lantern cracked his knuckles, ready to dish out some punishment to the Amazonian, regardless of her connection to Wonder Woman.
“She was seen in the Metropolis industrial district.” Now that Aresia was out in the open, Miles was having Zalika keep an eye on her through the CCTV.
“Someone must go to Themyscira to find any possible leads on what she is after.” Hawkgirl suggested. The Amazonian may have beaten Batman, but neither she nor the villains following her stood a chance against the League.
Even if she was caught, there wasn’t a guarantee her plans would be discovered, and they could afford to spare a member.
“Aresia always had a hatred for men, more so than any other Amazonian. Whatever she is after, it must be related to it.” Diana had hoped her time in isolation would have helped Aresia give up her unnecessary hatred, but it had apparently not worked.
J’onn’s eyes widened slightly, and he used the computer to show the first sight of the break-in. “Her first target was Gotham Biotech. Could she be trying to wage a biological war against the male populace?”
It was a reasonable hypothesis, especially since Wonder Woman could not refute it.
“That’s not good. If she is actually doing it and has the weapon ready, even in a non-complete form, any male could be infected and taken out of the fight.” Green Lantern frowned. That knocked out most of their remaining fighting force.
John wasn’t sure of Superman’s idea to recruit the androids, but it turned out to be a good decision now.
“Wonder Woman or Hawkgirl can’t go to Themyscira; they are our only chance. I suggest Claire. The Amazonians will be less hostile towards a female.” Miles wasn’t really willing to send her to Themyscira, but the sooner they had the notes, the better.
There was a quick, nonverbal agreement among the superheroes before John agreed. “Alright, get her here and up to speed.”
“We know where she is, and it’s time to bring her to justice. Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, and the androids will go. The rest of us will watch from outside.” Superman laid out the plan.
“Green Lantern should be able to quarantine the entire area to prevent the attack from spreading if there is an outbreak.” J’onn suggested, pointing at the location.
“Let’s go, people. Batman will be fine, and it’s up to us to stop Aresia.” John wasn’t happy to be out of the fight, but he would at least get to watch Aresia being demolished.
—
Metropolis
Claire was sent to Themyscira with a javelin to request the Amazons’ assistance in figuring out what exactly their rogue member was after, while the rest of the team went to confront Aresia.
Miles was situated far away from the building covered by a green dome as John kept the place secure while the five-person team was fighting Aresia and the Injustice Gang. Torpedo, Tornado, and Inferno were able to easily subdue the gang except Grundy, who soon began to weaken due to the exposure.
“I think she released the virus.” Green Lantern informed him over the comms, which meant taking the gem must have slowed Aresia down.
“We can’t let the girls and the androids out. Even if they are not affected, they are carriers now.” Unknown to the Kryptonian, that was how the Martian had gotten infected, by touching his cape.
“Everyone inside has to be decontaminated along with the building. I’ll call someone; keep them there.” Good thing they were in Metropolis; otherwise, the matter would have to be left to the authorities. And who knows just what kind of a problem that would lead to?
“Victor, no time for small talk. We need equipment to decontaminate a three-story building and twelve people. Three androids, two Amazonians, and the rest are enhanced individuals. I am texting you the address.” Miles shut the phone, waiting for news from the Green Lantern.
“Ouch!” Green Lantern called out, “That’s going to leave a mark. Aresia is down; they are now subduing them.” Miles sighed in relief. The rogue Amazon made several escapes in the show, but not in this universe.
“I called in medical support for decontamination. Ladies and synthetics, you’ll have to stay inside for some time.”
“This dome does allow oxygen in, right?” Shayera groaned.
“Yeah, don’t worry.”
—
Viktor came in with three trucks, each carrying the latest tech of the Medical Branch, a decontamination ray.
Miles was too busy to keep an eye on the details, but he would take what he could get.
“The dome is secure, and the villains are neutralized. Green Lantern will let you in.” Miles pointed at the dome, and Victor nodded in his hazmat suit. John created an extension to cover the scientist’s team before merging both, allowing the operations to proceed smoothly.
—
After three excruciating hours, when Green Lantern’s power ring charge began to run out, Victor gave the all clear. The city hazmat units, however, weren’t willing to let anyone go unless they ran their tests first, which took another hour.
The dome was finally lifted, and the citizens of Metropolis cheered the heroes while the villains were led away.
Wonder Woman, dragging her sister by the arm as both her arms and legs were cuffed, stopped before the remaining members of the League. “I’ll take Aresia to Themyscira so she can be judged for her crimes against the world of men.”
Miles allowed a small smile as he noticed the bruise on Aresia’s face, courtesy of Shayera’s mace.
Apparently, the rogue Amazon wasn’t happy about it and struggled to escape before Superman stood in front of Aresia, daring her to try anything.
Unable to fight, Aresia resorted to words. “You should have let me finish it. The men are the real enemy; you have spent too much time in their company to see it.”
“It was a man who informed us of Felix Faust’s attack on Themyscira.” Diana spoke to her sister, trying to make the younger, bitter woman see that her path wasn’t right, but it did nothing.
Aresia sneered, the idea that a man had saved them only further infuriating the Amazon. “I know. Which one of you was it that had been watching us, keeping an eye on our paradise?”
Miles blinked, understanding that if the Amazons knew it was a man who helped them, then Aresia must have learned it, and rather than changing her mind, it only fueled her flames of vengeance.
Hence, Batman’s current condition.
Stepping forward with his face carefully masked, Miles revealed the identity of the man she was seeking. “None, I keep tabs on individuals like Felix Faust; I simply caught wind of his actions and informed Diana.”
“Pity, I had thought it was Batman.” Aresia grinned cruelly. “How is he, by the way? Dead yet?”
His hand lashed out, and Miles grabbed the Amazon by the mouth and cheeks, leaning forward to speak.
The suddenness of the movement had caught Aresia off guard, and cuffed as she was, there was nothing for her to do but glare. “Had he died, I would have stuck you in a coffin half your size and kept you locked up in some deep, dark hole no one would ever find. No one to hear your screams as you go insane from the isolation, no one to come to your rescue as you drown in your own filth. Don’t test me, little girl; it won’t end well for you.” He whispered to the woman, shocking his colleagues with enhanced hearing.
That erased Aresia’s smirk, and she was taken away by Diana with a sullen expression.
“What did he say?” Green Lantern whispered to Superman, since it was too loud for him to hear anything.
Superman shook his head, hoping it was just to scare the Amazon, and it told John all he needed to know.
Thankfully, this situation had resolved without half the population of the world dying.
—
Watchtower
Claire had returned to the space station several hours after she had left for Themyscira with Queen Hippolyta in tow and Aresia’s notes on her bioweapon. Now that the threat of a viral outbreak was gone, the notes weren’t useful, but the League had decided to develop a cure anyway to have it in hand.
Queen Hippolyta had gone to see her imprisoned adopted daughter, telling her how it was a man who had saved Aresia from drowning after their ship had been attacked by pirates. She had not mentioned the man, who was the first male to be buried in Themyscira, believing he wasn’t important.
The Queen of the Amazons admitted that it was a mistake, but Aresia was still bitter and angry, unwilling to change her mind.
She was escorted back to the island by Diana, Hawkgirl, and Queen Hippolyta to stand trial and be imprisoned, though not before the ruler of Themyscira apologized for Aresia.
—
After Aresia was gone, Miles did the next thing on his list, calling Alfred back to let him know Bruce was fine.
The loyal butler had called him over a dozen times, a sign of just how worried he was, but calmed down as Miles assured him that their favorite detective would make a full recovery.
“Sheesh, you said they would be welcoming of a female, but I might as well have come there to kidnap them or something.” Claire groaned, remembering how the first reaction of the Amazons was to knock her out.
“Believe me, if there was another choice, I wouldn’t have sent you.” It was his fault that Aresia got this close to her plans without facing intervention, and Batman’s situation.
He needed to be better next time.
She shrugged, evidently not that displeased. “It’s fine; the island was nice. If I ever get rich enough, I’ll definitely buy one for myself.”
Miles chuckled. Perhaps he would gift his bodyguard an island sometime down the line.
“Still, to kill all the males in the world? She must have had some serious trauma.” Hell, even as angry as Claire was at her parents and the government, she didn’t just want to go and kill them all but to live her life.
She wondered what it would be like if she had never met Miles.
“Understanding your enemy is key to ensuring they are not your enemy anymore, one way or another.” Whether dead or friends, Miles preferred his fight against each villain to be unrepeated.
“Another lesson from my wise boss. I’ll take that into consideration.” Claire nudged him with her elbow, and Miles nodded sagely.
“An excellent pupil. For that, dinner is on me.”
