Shadow Monarch in DC-Chapter 41: Confrontation

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Arthur moved through the abandoned floor level halls of the Jump City Broadcasting Tower, his eyes sharp, scanning every detail, every shadow. The place was eerily silent, the only sound being the faint hum of electricity running through the building's neglected systems. His grip on his Promethium sword never wavered as he stepped carefully, each movement deliberate.

"Empty. That's expected, considering the circumstances."

Arthur closed his eyes, expanding his awareness. His senses stretched outward, searching... feeling... listening. Then, amidst the quiet, something stood out.

A faint, unnatural breeze.

It wasn't coming from any window, nor from any broken wall. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but he could feel it...like a gentle exhale through a hidden passage.

His eyes snapped open, glowing brilliantly.

"Underground."

Arthur clenched his fist, feeling raw power surge through his body. He pulled his arm back, muscles coiling like a loaded spring, and then

BOOM!

His punch obliterated the floor beneath him. Concrete and steel exploded outward, sending debris flying in all directions. The force sent a shockwave through the building, and before the dust could settle, Arthur dropped down into the depths below.

Arthur landed in a crouch, boots crunching against damp soil. He straightened, scanning the area, his glowing gaze cutting through the dimly lit underground chamber.

Massive, twisting vines curled along the walls and ceiling, their surfaces pulsing faintly as if alive. The air was thick with a damp, earthy scent, mixed with something more artificial, chemicals, metal, machinery.

Arthur's expression darkened.

"These are... rather familiar."

Thorned vines, unnatural growth, an overbearing floral scent.

"Could be the work of that woman..."

Poison Ivy.

It wouldn't be surprising if she was working with Joker on this. If this whole thing managed to cover multiple cities, then he was about to see exactly what they were planning.

Arthur walked forward, weaving through the tangled underground jungle until he emerged into a massive, open space.

For a brief second, even he was caught off guard.

Towering glass cylinders lined the walls, filled with bubbling green liquid. Inside them, human figures floated, unmoving, unconscious. Some had restraints, others had wires drilled into their bodies, feeding something into them. Machines hissed and whirred, their mechanical limbs tending to the overgrowth of vines that slithered across metal surfaces like they belonged.

In the center of it all, a colossal bio-mechanical structure pulsed like a beating heart a fusion of twisted nature and advanced technology. Tubes of unknown fluid ran from the ceiling down into its roots, feeding whatever sick project was being cultivated here.

"sick bastards" Arthur muttered to himself.

And beneath it all, scattered on the ground, were dozens of unconscious bodies, each wearing a clown mask.

Arthur knelt beside one, flipping them over. Their face was bruised and battered, nose broken, lips split. It wasn't the toxin that had put them down it was a pair of human fists.

Arthur smirked.

"Batman."

Arthur narrowed his glowing eyes, scanning the massive contraption before him. The machine whirred and pulsed, tubes filled with some sickly green liquid running along its surface like veins. A faint hum of power vibrated through the underground chamber, it was still operational.

He crossed his arms, tilting his head slightly. 'If Batman's already been here, then why the hell is this thing still running?'

Scratching the back of his head, he exhaled sharply, debating his next move. He wasn't exactly the "think-before-you-break" type, but something about this situation made him hesitate. Destroying it felt like the right call... but was it?"

It didn't take long for Arthur to notice the Strange, pulsing veins of green wove through the metal, organic yet mechanical, feeding the toxin through unseen hidden tunnels around him in this place. He ran a hand over one of the vines, feeling its unnatural warmth.

"So that's why the Bat didn't destroy it... This isn't the only one, so he clearly went ahead and checked the other places here" he muttered, rubbing his chin. His fingers itched to just tear the thing apart, but if this was part of a bigger system, blindly wrecking it could make things worse.

Then, footsteps.

Arthur didn't turn immediately. He sensed them first. The measured, near-silent stride of the world's greatest detective. The lighter, confident steps of his protégé. The hovering presence just behind them, a faint hum of energy.

His lip curled as he finally glanced over his shoulder. There they were.

Batman. Robin. Green Lantern, just like Raven said.

Batman stood at the entrance, his cape draped like a shadow, Robin, a smirk tugging at his lips, casually flipped a batarang in his hand, watching Arthur like a cat watches a cornered mouse. Green Lantern Hal Jordan, floated just behind them, his emerald aura casting an eerie glow against the metallic walls.

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Batman's voice was calm, cold. "I was hoping you wouldn't get involved here, Blackwynd."

Robin took a cautious step forward. "Arthur."

Arthur's glowing eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at them, then smirked.

"Robin. We meet again."

Green Lantern, arms still crossed, glanced down at the motionless clown-masked thugs sprawled across the ground. He nudged one with his boot, confirming they were still out cold. He gave an approving nod.

"Good. They're still down. We got everything under control now."

Arthur's smirk faded. His jaw tensed as his gaze swept over the toxin-filled tubes still pulsing, the faint mechanical hum still present. Slowly, he turned back to Hal, his expression unreadable.

"Under control?"

He let out a humorless chuckle, stepping past them and motioning toward the chaos above.

"Look around you. Look at the city."

His voice grew sharper, frustration lacing every word.

"You guys are terrible at your jobs."

Hal frowned, clearly not appreciating the jab.

"Listen, shadow-boy, we—"

Arthur ignored him and locked eyes with Batman. His glowing gaze burned with intensity.

"And you." Arthur took a step closer, his voice lowering but filled with challenge, "'Get involved?' The hell are you talking about? This is my damn city too."

Batman's voice came low, calm, but edged with authority. "This is a dangerous place. The person behind it is unpredictable, unstable. This isn't something you should interfere with, leave it to the Justice League."

Arthur scoffed, shaking his head. "Right. Because you guys are doing such a great job handling it." He gestured around the underground lab filled with unconscious clown-masked thugs and writhing vines. "I already know it's the Joker. I also know this" he motioned toward the plants entangled with machinery "is Poison Ivy's handiwork."

Batman's eyes didn't waver.

Arthur took a step forward, voice cool but laced with accusation. "But this? This technology? Joker's not the mastermind behind this kind of setup. He's theatrical, unpredictable, but he doesn't have the mind for this." He tapped his temple. "No, this is someone else's work. Someone who actually knows how to weaponize fear on a mass scale."

Arthur's gaze darkened as the realization clicked.

"Scarecrow."

Silence stretched between them for a moment.

Batman's expression remained unreadable beneath the cowl, but the slightest shift in his stance betrayed something, perhaps approval.

"Impressive." His voice was quiet but firm. "Not only did you find this place, but you put that much together."

He turned away, striding toward the massive toxin-infused machine, gloved fingers already moving to deactivate it. "Step back. I'll turn this thing off."

Arthur didn't move. Instead, his voice came out sharp, demanding.

"While it is their work i don't think all of Gotham's maniacs are here, Where is the Joker?"

Batman stopped.

He said nothing.

Arthur's eyes narrowed, glowing faintly in the dim underground light. Batman's silence told him everything he needed to know.

Something wasn't right.

And Arthur was done being kept in the dark.

Arthur's glowing eyes stayed locked on Batman, his voice slow and deliberate.

"He's still here, isn't he?...Somewhere in this building.."

Batman didn't answer. He didn't even acknowledge the question. Instead, he turned slightly, speaking over his shoulder.

"Lantern, scan the area. Make sure we didn't miss anything before we shut this down. This is the source, if we take it out, the city starts to recover."

Hal Jordan, who had been watching the exchange with his arms crossed, exhaled and lifted his ring. A wave of emerald light pulsed outward, sweeping across the room like an X-ray. The ring hummed as it processed the data, and then Hal frowned slightly before nodding.

"Yeah... this is the mother machine. We already deactivated the others, No other active nodes. Shut it down, and this operation is toast."

The machine hummed loudly, the final bits of circuitry sparking as Batman worked with precision, his fingers moving over the control panel, overriding systems with expert efficiency. With a low click, the machine powered down, its violent hum fading into nothingness. Batman stepped back, taking a breath, his gaze sweeping the room.

"It's done," he said, his voice as steady as always. "The machine's shut down."

Arthur's eyes, glowing faintly, sharpened as he turned toward the Dark Knight. His mouth curled into a smirk, though it was more a mixture of annoyance and amusement.

But then, his eyes flickered. Something caught his attention one of his demons had found something. 'Good Work!' he muttered under his breath, his voice colder than usual.

The shadows began to coil around his feet, swirling like a black mist, He was about to use Shadow Exchange and vanish, but Batman interfered.

In the blink of an eye, Batman whipped a batarang from his belt, his eyes narrowing at the dark tendrils surrounding Arthur.

Arthur's hand shot out, catching it mid-flight. With a swift squeeze, he crushed it effortlessly, the metal bending and breaking in his grip. He let the pieces fall to the ground with a faint clink, his glowing eyes locked on Batman.

He glanced up at Batman, his eyes glowing brighter now, his patience wearing thin. He straightened, irritation clearly marking his features.

"Seriously?" Arthur's voice was sharp, annoyed.

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