Multiverse: Deathstroke-Chapter 471: Legion of Doom’s Ambush

Shame they didn't have a "Hail Hydra" catchphrase to mimic. A while back, he'd slapped and shouted his way from Paris to Marseille smooth as silk.

"Check me out—do I pass for that alien now?"

He spread his arms, showing off. Stranglehold nailed the limb muscle movements; only the face was a tad stiff.

But what god's grinning all day? Stone-cold fit the bill.

Wonder Girl stepped up, wide-eyed. She'd seen Deathstroke morph into Batman against Raven's Death God before—meant to ask, but got sidetracked.

Now, watching that black goo work, she was hooked.

She circled him, poked at it, even sniffed it.

Dead ringer—save for the vibe. Like Aquaman 2.0 had respawned.

Seeing her sniff like a curious critter, Su Ming rubbed his face.

Pro killer here—scent was a giveaway he'd covered.

Sure, the sea god reeked of briny ocean, but Stranglehold aced fishy stinks.

It chowed brains and guts raw daily—plenty pungent.

Mix blood with seawater stench, and it'd fool low-tier alien guards to find Aquaman.

"Quit sniffing. Human noses can't top animals—you won't catch anything off." Su Ming pressed her head, nudging her to chill.

What was with her? Back with the Titans and her brain's on the fritz?

Garth nodded, turned into a dog to sniff too—only to get swatted back by Su Ming.

Girls sniffing? Fine. A dude joining in? Gross.

Garth pouted. Wasn't this for the plan? Turning into a top-sniffer was for the team, right?

Why the smack?

"No point. You think aliens would dare sniff a god up close? Close enough works," Su Ming said.

Beast Boy, the animal expert, didn't bother checking. He trusted Deathstroke—guy had it locked down.

Spotting Garth's sulky look, Beast Boy helped the pup up, patted his green fur, and explained.

After Aquaman 2.0's epic faceplant, he'd be too ashamed to show up soon. Posing as him now? Perfect timing.

Wonder Woman, still clutching her big shell, tilted her head at the scene. Deathstroke going solo was a warrior's call.

Gutsy—diving into the enemy's den alone. She could only wish him luck.

But him risking it all for Aquaman just because she'd said so? That gnawed at her a bit.

Still, she flipped the page on past gripes. Now she was worried for him.

They didn't know Su Ming had an ace up his sleeve.

Caught or outmatched? Who could stop him from bailing? A quick hop to Marvel—safety guaranteed.

No need to spill that. Instead, he struck a "winds howl, waters chill" pose, gazing 45 degrees at the ceiling.

"I'm off. If I don't make it, follow Wonder Woman's lead." He tucked his owl dagger under Stranglehold's fake armor. "If Aquaman and I bite it, bury our gear under Justice Hall. Don't hunt for our bones."

Point was: this might be a one-way trip. Get teary already!

Saving a League bigwig—boost that favor!

The Titans and Shadowpact ate it up. Young eyes brimmed with worry and gratitude. Risking it all for Earth—what a spirit!

This alt-world Deathstroke wasn't that old geezer from the original. A hero's role model—worth emulating!

Only Beast Boy, seeing through it, fiddled with his fingers, bored. Deathstroke milking the farewell? Had an angle. Fooled the kids, but this chimp wasn't buying.

Wait—Wonder Woman's eyes? Oh no, was that a crush vibe?

Beast Boy clocked her getting misty too. Life lost meaning—too gullible!

Dark Justice League might as well disband—such a sucker for a leader was a liability!

The unmoved? Poison Ivy, Harley, and Banshee.

Banshee was zoned out—low on reaction, total airhead vibe.

Poison Ivy didn't buy Deathstroke dying, especially not for a Leaguer.

Harley? Death was whatever. Edible?

She and Ivy were playing tic-tac-toe with leaves and petals. Hearing Deathstroke, Harley waved lazily.

"Oh, bye-bye."

Then back to her game, unbothered.

Su Ming shot her a look. Way to kill the mood—lame send-off much?

"Hall collapse detected. Shield energy depleted."

Down in Justice Hall's depths, a flat, emotionless AI voice echoed through dim corridors. If you strained, you'd hear water trickling somewhere.

Purple seawater had breached the castle. The underwater hall's shield finally buckled under pressure.

Command center screens were long dark. The heroes Batman once tracked? Fish folk now.

Cut off from Superman and Flash, he sat clutching Kanjar Ro, guarding the Aggregate's chamber.

"Kanjar, something's breaching our shield. Sense anything?"

The starfish answered.

"Nope, nothing. We'll be okay, right?"

Batman assured it they'd win.

His style, his way—since his parents died in Crime Alley, he'd seen it all, vowing change.

Now, a chasm yawned between ideal and reality—a deadly sea.

Loneliness wasn't his foe. Cut off underwater, isolated—it wasn't new.

He still had his plan.

"Justice League, I'm relocating—taking Aggregate and—"

Mid-sentence, a "bang bang bang" rattled the alloy door behind him. A warped, exaggerated voice cackled outside.

So familiar, haunting his dreams countless times.

"Batman, can I come in? Hee-hee-hee!"

Before he could react, the door exploded under raw power, crumbling like clay.

Nth Metal and Promethium alloy—toughest stuff Batman knew. Like Deathstroke's armor, it shrugged off tech and magic. But this door? Fifty centimeters thick, built for nukes or worse.

Now, it was less than a cardboard box, ash in an orange-red glow.

Batman saw the grinning figure beyond—head tilted, yanking hair, bloodshot eyes bulging as they clawed their face.

"Or are we interrupting?"

Lex Luthor strode into the defense hall, stepping past the Joker, leading his Legion of Doom toward Aggregate.

The blast flung Batman down, Kanjar Ro still in his arms, a mess.

Bones—already cracked—snapped again. His wheelchair rig flew aside, but he wore his power armor.

Bat-model, no less.

He'd told Superman it looked basic, but packed half a Batcave's worth of tricks.

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Half a cave wouldn't cut it against this crowd, though.

He tapped wrist buttons. Flashbangs popped, then smoke bombs.

He knew Lex would come. He'd prepped.

Timing sucked, though. Justice Hall was crumbling, the Legion arrived later than expected, and no Black Manta in sight.

Those thoughts flickered and faded. Under flash and smoke cover, his armor whisked him past Lex's crew, vanishing down the entry path.