There were quite a few reviews I got that honed in on Eris' use of guinea pig in the previous chapter. I must admit, I didn't have that Justice League episode in mind when I wrote that. I am glad a lot of y'all got some enjoyment for it though.
Maxie Zeus came in low. He lunged at the Dark Knight, ramming his shoulder into his abdomen as he wrapped his arms around his waist, attempting to tackle him to the floor. Batman leaned into the tackle, taking the full brunt of the hit, but more importantly he stayed on his feet.
Raising an arm up and bending it, Batman then slammed his elbow down on the man's shoulder once, twice. Zeus grimaced from the blows, but held firm as he kept trying to push the dark-clad man back.
That's when the Dark Knight felt a hand snake its way around his thigh and suddenly his leg was jerked up off the floor. His balance was thrown immediately as he was pitched backwards. Knowing this was coming, Batman allowed himself to tumble to the floor, landing on his back while bringing up his other leg. He shoved his knee right into Zeus' gut and kept pushing, forcing the man to flip right off of him and land on his own back.
Hastily, both men rolled over and scrambled onto their feet. Zeus was keeping himself low, hunched over as his hands waved back and forth in front of him. "Did I ever mention that I was rather competent in Greco-Roman wrestling?" he said casually.
Yeah, as if the tackle and grappling hadn't revealed that. Zeus feinted, jabbing a hand at the vigilante, to which he slapped away, the two men beginning to circle each other. "I wrestled at the collegial level," he continued, right before he lunged again.
Batman backed up a few paces, keeping his distance. However, Zeus decided to change tactics. He pressed his lunge, but instead of going low, he shot a hand up, his palm coming into contact with the vigilante's chin and pushed against it. This forced the vigilante's head back, causing him to crane his neck uncomfortably. Instinctively, Batman reached up with a hand and grabbed his opponent by the wrist, attempting to remove the hand.
That's when Zeus rammed a fist into his stomach, causing him to wince even as he gasped from the air being forced out of his lungs. Zeus used that same hand to grab onto his belt and then he lifted the dark-clad man up into the air. Twisting his body around, he let out a roar as he swung Batman up and then down to the floor, aiming to ram him face first into the stone flooring.
Immediately, he began to angle his body, allowing him to go into yet another defensive fall, luckily taking the brunt of the landing on his shoulders, which he rolled off of and onto his back. Zeus had released his hold moments before pile-driving the Dark Knight into the old floor, which allowed him to spring back onto his feet.
Unfortunately, this left his back to his foe and Zeus took full advantage of this. Two burly arms wrapped around the vigilante's torso, pinning his arms to his sides as he was hauled up into the air. "I was rather gifted," Zeus continued to brag. "I won the national title three years running." He squeezed his arms as tight as he could, which put more pressure on Batman. "I could have followed the international circuit had I chosen to."
Then Zeus leaned towards one side and toppled over, taking Batman down with him. There was no way to adjust his body as the two men landed on the floor, the brunt of the landing hitting them on their shoulders. Batman grunted, but otherwise did not stop struggling. Forcing one of his arms forward as much as he could, he bent it at the elbow and then jerked it back, jabbing it over and over into Zeus' side.
He perhaps got two, maybe three side-glancing hits before Zeus responded. Suddenly the bearded man wasn't holding Batman. Instead he was kneeling next to him and had the dark-clad man's striking arm restrained. Extending it upward, Zeus then put it into a lock, hyperextending it and sending a searing pain through the Dark Knight's appendage.
Alright, that was enough. Braggarts he could handle, but a man boasting about past accomplishments that he hadn't performed in over a decade? It would be a sad day in hell when a man like that beat him.
Ignoring the pain in his strained arm, Batman slipped his free one out from underneath his body, turning his torso as much as he could so that he could better strike his foe.
Unfortunately, Zeus applied more pressure, using his own weight to keep the vigilante down on the floor. He clearly had the advantage here. His face and upper body were too far away to hit; Batman's current position wouldn't allow him to maneuver himself into a better position, so he was pretty much stuck.
That didn't mean he was out of options though. There was still one place he could hit. It wouldn't be a solid hit, but it would be enough to give him some room to work with.
Drawing his fist back as much as he could on his side, Batman then lashed out with it, his flailing hit nailing Zeus in the groin.
Instantly, Zeus' eyes bulged, his hands slipping on his hold. Immediately, Batman yanked his arm away from his opponent and rolled away, even as Zeus shot both hands to his crotch. "Low blow," he complained, glaring at the vigilante. "I was led to believe you were a gentleman in combat."
Batman got onto his feet. He didn't respond, not verbally right away. Taking one step forward, he swung a fist low, arching it up so that he landed an uppercut to Zeus' chin, snapping his head back as spit flew from his mouth. Drawing back his other fist, he came in front high, slamming it against the side of the bearded man's face. He then grabbed the man by his tunic with both hands and hauled him up off the floor.
"You're forgetting one thing," he growled. "This isn't a regulation match." Twisting to one side, Batman grunted even as he swung Zeus through the air and threw him. The man sailed towards one of the pews, crashing into it and knocking it over, a loud crash echoing through the cathedral.
"It's a street fight," he finished.
"Batsy! Batsy! He's our man! If he can't do it, no one can!" the Joker cheered.
There was a groan, but then Maxie Zeus stood back up. He stumbled a step, but then righted himself. "I promise you this, I will crack your skull against my knee and snap your spine in two."
"You're a little late for that!" the Joker shouted back.
Ignoring the clown, Zeus began charging again, practically telegraphing his tackle as he held both hands out in front of him. Batman watched for a moment before he took a step forward, planting his foot on the floor so that he could turn and snap his other leg out.
His timing was impeccable. His foot slammed right into Zeus' face, stopping his head in place while his lower body continued to move. This caused the man to go into a wild flip, landing hard on his stomach on the floor. Batman lowered his leg down and pivoted, keeping his eye on the man.
It took a second, but Zeus then shook off his daze and scrambled back onto his feet. Again he lunged at the Dark Knight, but this time he leaped off the ground, going into a spin, and lashing out with a spinning side kick. Again, Zeus was sent sprawling to the floor, Batman landing on his feet a moment later.
And again, Zeus pushed himself up and tried for another tackle. This time, Batman moved towards his foe, turning his body to one side as he grabbed the man by the wrist of his extended hand. Going in low, he rammed his shoulder into Zeus' gut while grabbing onto the sash of his toga with his other hand. Leveraging him up from the ground, Batman flung the man through the air, sending him crashing to the floor soon after.
"We can keep this up all night if we have to," Batman spoke then. "But you won't win. How much abuse you take is all up to you."
"You tell 'em, Batsy!"
For once, Batman shot a glare at the pale maniac. The Joker merely smiled widely at him, even going as far as to bat his eyelashes at him.
Zeus began to get up again, but he stopped as he merely held his upper body up. "I'll have to disagree with you on that one, Batman," he replied.
That's when he whipped out his thunderbolt, pointing its tip right towards the vigilante. Immediately, Batman realized he must have thrown the man in its general direction and he naturally landed within grabbing distance of it. That had been a careless mistake on his part.
A mistake that suddenly fired a bolt of searing lightning.
Fatigue was slowly vanishing. It was not often J'onn J'onzz unleashed the full might of his telepathic powers, but that usually left him drained.
Dr. Destiny—or rather, John Doe—had yet to move from being overpowered. A small puddle of drool was forming by his chin, his eyes still rolled into the back of his head. There was an occasional twitch, but that was more involuntary than voluntary.
Black Canary and Batgirl had gone about restraining him and getting him ready for transport. It was something for them to do while he rested. For that he was grateful.
"So what is the plan?" Black Canary suddenly asked. "I'm assuming we're taking this guy some place secured first."
"That would be the logical course of action," J'onn replied.
"I think Batman has a bunker, or a base somewhere close by—he usually does. He might have a holding cell, or something we can place this guy in."
"Then that is where we will take him." It was a good option. They couldn't leave Dee here nor could they allow him to be placed into custody when there was no telling how long the telepathy-induced coma would last. It could be days, it could be minutes. Wherever he was placed, it had to be somewhere he wouldn't be able to escape from. Batman's compulsion to be ready for any situation imaginable would help them.
"And then we go back to the church," Batgirl announced firmly. J'onn did not need to be a telepath to know how anxious the girl was; her body language was drenched with anxiety.
J'onn thought about that for a moment. Following his first meeting with the girl that granted her use of her language facilities, he noticed that whenever her guardian was in some sort of danger, she worried. It did not matter he had been performing his sworn duties since long before her arrival, she was constantly concerned with his well being. For a wistful moment, J'onn wondered if he had a daughter, would she be the same? If his sons were alive, would they fret about the perils he faced?
He wouldn't ever know, but he liked to think so.
With a sigh, J'onn pushed himself onto his feet. He had enough rest for now and further reflection would be counterproductive to their objectives tonight. Though a part of him wanted to tell Batgirl to go ahead, he knew it was better if they all ensured John Doe's captivity. Their arrival as one unit at the Gotham Cathedral would better bolster their ranks than each of them arriving one at a time.
Also, Batman would give him an expression that bordered on rude if he allowed his child out of his sight.
Moving towards John Dee, the Martian picked him up, placing him over his shoulder. "If you would be so kind as to lead me to this bunker, the sooner we dispose of Dee, the sooner we can get to Batman's side."
"Why rush?" Black Canary replied. "If there's anyone that can handle himself, it's him. I'll bet he'll have this entire thing wrapped up neatly by the time we get back to the church."
J'onn hoped that would be the case. Unfortunately, nothing was ever as tidy as that, not when it came to defending the world.
Where the hell did he go?
Shayera searched with her sharp eyes, hunting down Dr. Alchemy. She had sent the man hurling out of that church and quickly given chase. However, it seemed that had been too much time as the guy had vanished the moment he was out of sight.
She stayed close to the streets, perhaps a story or two above them. She had gone maybe a block or two away from the church, but it was still within sight. Damn it, there were just too many hiding places around here! No wonder Batman hung around this place.
Suddenly, a chunk of the road shot upwards, a column of stone and rock rising right up towards her. Immediately, she darted to one side, avoiding the column, only for a second one to shoot up towards her. She shot back the other way, coming close to one of the buildings.
That's when a piece of the wall jutted out right in front of her. There was no time to react as she slammed right into it, her upper body stopping in place as her lower body swung underneath it. She went flipping as she fell towards the ground.
However, the pavement she was falling to suddenly opened up, a gaping hole forming. Shayera caught sight of it the moment it opened and all she could see was pitch blackness within it. Fear ran up her spin as images of her falling into it and the hole closing up filled her mind.
Her wings opened widely and flapped rapidly. Her fall came to an abrupt halt as she flew over the hole, skimming over the ground before launching herself high into the air.
Naturally she couldn't get away. Another column shot up towards her, giving chase. Having quite enough of that, Shayera angled herself towards the rising chunk of asphalt. Holding her mace high above her head, electricity dancing over its head, she let out a war cry and swung it down. Her mace connected with the street and shattered it, stopping the rising column in its tracks.
"Is this all you've got?!" she roared, looking around for Dr. Alchemy. No doubt he was the one behind the attacks. "Huh?! Show yourself!"
"Very well."
The voice had come from behind her. Whipping around, Shayera didn't even have time for her eyes to widen as a torrent of water slammed into her. Crying out, she was sent crashing down to the ground, water washing over her and damn near drowning her before it let up. Gasping the moment she could take a breath, she panted heavily, eyeing the flooded road around her, randomly sized puddles scattered everywhere.
Suddenly, a puddle began to grow bigger, then formed ice, which began to tower over here. It stop after a few moments and then shattered out of nowhere, sending chunks of ice everywhere. The Thanagarian didn't even bother to shield herself as the ice landed all around her, but didn't even come close to touching her. Standing on top of the ice was Dr. Alchemy, his arms behind his back as he looked down on her, the smug bastard.
Immediately, Shayera was back on her feet, mace in hand. She marched up to the ice stand the guy was standing on, drawing her weapon back.
"I wouldn't activate the electrical properties of that mace," Dr. Alchemy suddenly warned. "There is a reason I attacked you with water after all."
Shayera paused at that. Of course water had conductive properties, that she understood. However, the electricity produced by her Nth metal mace was slightly different. She wasn't going to tell him that though.
Still, that didn't stop her from attacking. With a swing, she pulverized the base of the ice, causing the rest of it to topple over. Yeah, she didn't need to use the electricity; she was strong enough on her own. Naturally, Dr. Alchemy teleported the moment his elevated base was knocked out from underneath him, sending him to places unknown.
But not for long. This guy had some control over elements; it was obvious. No doubt he'd do something with the water around her.
She smelled it before anything else. It was a faint odor, one she might not have given a second thought to. However, she couldn't help but notice some nearby puddles beginning to shrink. This guy was changing the water into some sort of gas, no doubt one that wouldn't be good to her constitution.
As she took to flight, Shayera suddenly jerked to a stop. Her wings flapping to keep her in midair, she jerked her head down and found a chain had somehow grown out of the pavement and formed a shackle around her ankle. The odor around her was becoming stronger, so no doubt it was concentrating around her.
Again, that wasn't good.
The urge to cough assaulted her and she gave in, coughing roughly. She even covered her mouth with her hand, her other gripping tightly to her mace.
Something hit her from behind, something large and hard. Shayera couldn't help but cry out as she was smashed down onto the wet ground. More shackles emerged from the ground, wrapping around her wrists and ankles. She was effectively pinned to the ground.
"I must say, that was easier than I thought," Dr. Alchemy remarked. Jerking her head to one side, she looked over her shoulder and saw the guy looming over her. "I suppose now would be a good time to remove you from the board."
"Do you bad guys ever shut up?" Shayera grunted. "Why is it you always have this habit of gloating before you kill someone? I really don't get it."
"Do you wish to die so much?"
"If it gets me away from whatever inane drivel you're spouting, then yeah."
"Very well." Dr. Alchemy held a hand out. The ground reached up towards his hand, at first large and thick, then thinning down until it was very much like a staff. Grabbing it, Dr. Alchemy pulled it free from the ground, revealing a long spear. "I shall impale you here and now. Worry not, your pain shall come to an—"
Suddenly, a powerful wind rushed in. Shayera instinctively wanted to push her face into the ground to shield herself, but she held her head where it was. This allowed her to watch as Dr. Alchemy stumbled back a step, trying to fight against the wind. The faint odor the winged woman smelled was dissipating too, the wind no doubt pushing it away.
Then a red blur raced by, Dr. Alchemy crying out as he jerked to one side, spit flying out of his mouth. The blur came back over and over, passing by the green-cloaked man and causing him to snap from side to side. Swiping with the spear, he tried to ward it off, but it was of no use. One pass later and the spear vanished from his hands, leaving him staring dumbly at his empty palms.
"Yoohoo! Over here!"
Flash! Shayera jerked her head up to see the speedster standing a short distance away, spear in hand. "Is this yours? I kinda had to borrow it."
"Give that back!" Dr. Alchemy demanded.
"You asked for it."
Flash then tossed the spear towards the guy. As Dr. Alchemy reached out for the weapon, but before it even reached his hands, Flash was right next to him, ramming his elbow into the side of his face. He then darted off as Dr. Alchemy stumbled to a side, only to be greeted with Flash slamming a fist into the other side of his face.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Shayera had to force herself to turn her attention elsewhere, namely the shackles on her arms and legs. With a look, she saw they were metal, completely unlike the asphalt of the road. Pulling her arm, the shackle didn't so much as budge.
Pulling harder, there were some cracks that appeared in the asphalt. Pouring on more strength, the asphalt couldn't hold on any more and her arm yanked right off the ground, the shackle becoming a large, metal bracelet.
She did the same with her other arm, followed shortly by her legs, though one now had a chain attached to it. Standing on her feet, she turned to face Dr. Alchemy, who was hunched over from the beating Flash was giving him. He would race by and the green-cloak would jerk to a side. Grasping her mace, Shayera marched over to the guy, coming to a stop behind him. Flash's attack had spun him around, leaving his back wide open.
Reaching Dr. Alchemy, she placed a hand right on his shoulder and spun him around. He was so dazed that he didn't even react, not even when she smashed her mace right into his face. He dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes, lying in an unmoving heap.
Flash appeared right next to her. "I think that takes care of him."
"It better," Shayera replied. "Or I'll hit him even harder."
Right light flashed, bathing the entire area in its glow. Diana gritted her teeth as she was shoved backwards by an intense blast, crying out when it finally overwhelmed her. Thrown backwards through the air, she crashed into the face of a building, cracks forming all around her as she made a sizable imprint.
Shrill laughter rang out as Diana placed her hands on the cement next to her. Eris stood street level, holding that blood red stone out in front of her, the source of that incredible blast. "I like this! I really like this!" she proclaimed giddily.
Pushing down hard, Diana removed herself from the building, hovering for a moment. As powerful as that was, she was not going to be tossed around like a child's doll. She would show this goddess shortly.
She then took to flight, rocketing towards Eris like a missile. The red-haired goddess saw her and merely held her stance. The stone then fired that same large blast, which burned its way towards the charging Amazon. In response, the dark-haired woman crossed her arms in front of her, leading her charge with her bracers.
A moment later and the blast engulfed her. A powerful force rammed right into her, but Diana did not give up as she pressed forward. Her progress slowed, but she had anticipated that. She would not give up, she would not retreat.
She could not budge. She was stopped, hanging in midair. And then she was thrown backwards once again.
Letting out another cry, though this time there were hints of frustration as well as pain, Diana was thrown higher into the air, crashing again into the same building. Key word being into. The beam had torn a hole right into it, searing its way from its face and out the roof. Diana ended up tossed through the hole and landed within the building.
That was not how this was supposed to end. Letting out a groan, she got back onto her feet, ignoring the pieces of sheetrock that fell off of her. She wasn't sure how they ended up on her considering she hadn't burst through a wall, Eris' attack most likely being the reason.
"Hey, Princess," a voice whispered.
Jerking her head around, she saw Eris standing a short distance away, her arms crossed beneath her bosom. "Long time no see," she taunted. "But then, I'm about to never see you again."
Suddenly, the floor beneath her opened up. Her head snapped downwards as she saw a gaping mouth beneath her feet, which she was falling into. As sudden as it appeared, the mouth closed just as quickly, Diana within the mouth. Calling upon her flight, she stopped her fall, though there was a burning sensation on her skin and the smell of decay in her nostrils.
Fluid spat up on her, the burning feeling increasing exponentially. She was being coated within saliva in here, the beginning stages of digestion starting. It was dark in here too, so she couldn't see where she was, where up or down was, or even what was around her.
She needed to find a side of this acidic cavern. She had no doubt she could punch her way through, though Eris may have thought of that. She was getting faster with the use of her power, performing stunts she never had the ability to. Part was definitely her host, but she had a feeling that stone she held was part of it too.
Time was of the essence now and she wasn't going to wait much longer. Instead of reaching out to search for a side of the mouth, Diana held both of her arms apart, one higher than the other. Without hesitating, she then swung them together, the bracers of her arms colliding with each other.
A shockwave erupted from the collision of the magic-imbued gauntlets. There was a rush of air in all directions and a deafening roar not unlike a beast. Suddenly there was an explosion of green goo, the sight of a room appearing. Briefly closing her eyes as the goop splattered all over her, Diana reopened them to find what looked like the remains of a stalk below her and the room cover in the same slime as she was. Eris must have created a man-eating plant, which had swallowed her whole. The clash of her bracers together had created enough force to tear it apart from the inside, thus the mess.
"Now that isn't fair!"
Floating in midair, Diana looked up to find Eris standing on the edge of a hole, one that had been made by the man-eating plant. She was glaring down at her with malice.
Diana didn't wait. She immediately took off towards Eris, who's eyes widened before she jerked back. The Amazon shot up through the hole, coming to an instant stop as she glared right back at the goddess. She let out a war cry as she charged again.
Eris waved a hand and Diana suddenly was thrown off course, slamming into a wall. Before she could even drop, she was thrown across the room, colliding into another wall. This time she was allowed to hit the floor, but then was immediately thrown upwards the ceiling, hitting that before being sent crashing back to the floor.
"Well, that was close," Eris commented. "Good thing the Philosopher's Stone gives me all sorts of powers."
Diana tilted her head up from where she laid. "Philosopher's Stone?"
"The Mortal God—Dr. Alchemy, I believe—made it. It truly is miraculous that a former mortal could create such a thing. Everything I've done so far has been because of this—things I hadn't been able to do on my own. Couple that with my host's command of Demeter's children and this has been a profitable possession."
Eris suddenly cackled. "If only that fool could see what I'm doing with his creation. He did not have the imagination for it. I knew it magnified the user's power the moment I saw it, but he only wanted to use it as a replacement for the Desmeftikós Theós ritual. And now I'm using it in ways he couldn't have imagined!"
More like the stone was responding to its wielder, the difference between a mortal and a god being staggering. There was no telling what Eris could do with her increased power—power that needed to be stopped immediately.
But how? She couldn't get anywhere near Eris. She would simply use the stone. She couldn't out-wait her either as her command over plants would eventually get her. She needed something that not even the Gods could ignore, something that would prevent her from using the stone.
There was a warmth at her hip, which caught her attention. Glancing down, she saw the coils of the Lasso of Truth glowing.
Suddenly, she knew what she needed to do.
Pushing herself up onto her feet, Diana kept her eyes on her foe, who was returning from her bout of self-appreciation. "You cannot defeat me, Amazon. I am too powerful for you," she gloated.
"No, you're not," Diana retorted. "You are using borrowed powers, ones that do and will not belong to you further."
"Is that so?" Eris raised an eyebrow. "I'd like to see you try—"
Diana held up her arms, flashing her bracers to the goddess. Just like within the plant, she smashed them together, a shockwave racing out in all directions. The damaged walls around them were blown apart, the force of the wave ripping that section of the building apart. Eris was blown backwards as the shockwave hit her, causing her to cry out as she was flung out into the city.
Diana was on the move, taking off to her left and out of the collapsing room. She angled herself higher into the air, always keeping her eye towards Eris, who was in the process of stopping her sudden flight out of the building. No doubt the Philosopher's Stone was helping in that regard. Flying until she was over her foe, she pulled out her lasso.
"Bitch!" she heard Eris scream. "I'll flay the skin off of your bones for that!"
Dropping through the air, Diana was rotating her arm over and over, spinning the loop of the Lasso above her head. Once she felt she was close enough, she threw it down towards Eris, where its coil fell over her, then immediately tightened, pinning her arms to her sides.
It was instantaneous. Never has Diana seen the Lasso of Truth glow as brilliantly as it did. Eris screamed as if it were burning her very soul. It was ear shatteringly high-pitched.
The dark-haired woman ignored it. "The Lasso of Truth compels you!" she bellowed, her tone echoing for what felt like miles. "Within its coils, you must do as it demands. Relinquish your host! Forsake the bonds that you cling to in the Mortal World!"
If Eris' screaming wasn't enough, it grew louder, more shrill. Windows from nearby windows shattered simultaneously, causing the shards of glass to fall to the streets below. Steam began to pour off of Eris, rising higher and higher. It surrounded Diana until she was in the middle of a cloud. A face filled with agony appeared before her, one that she recognized as belonging to the true Eris. For a moment she stopped her screaming, glaring hatred at the Amazon before her mouth widened and she unleashed another cry.
Then the steam rushed past her and Diana was floating in the Gotham night, Eris' host hanging limply in the coils of the Lasso. It was clear she was unconscious, so much so that her grip on the Philosopher's Stone slackened and it fell from her grip. Diana watched it tumble to the ground, losing sight of it as it drew further and further away. There was a brief flash of red light and that was the last she saw of the stone.
Well, that had been overly dramatic. At least she found a way to remove the Desmeftikós Theós, though. Now the hosts didn't have to die when they removed the godly deities residing in them. Now she needed to dispose of...whoever this was and get back to the cathedral. That's where things would end this night.
The grapple fired in an instant. Batman flew up into the air just as the lightning bolt struck the very ground he stood on. There was crackling as the floor was singed black.
Reaching the roof, having to place one hand against the wall to prevent himself from running into it, Batman looked back at Maxie Zeus. The man had a look of fury on his face as he stared right back at him. Then he pointed his thunderbolt at him.
"Shit," Batman cursed as he pulled out his backup grapple, firing it at another anchor point across the room. Zeus let out a roar as he fired another blast of electricity, the voltage racing right for him.
Letting go of the first grapple, the vigilante went into a swing, avoiding the electrical attack as it struck the wall he had been bracing against. However, Zeus didn't let up as he continued the flow of electricity, forcing it to follow after the dark-clad man. Because he only had to turn his body, the distance between Batman and the electricity shrank rapidly. Along the far wall, the electricity left a scorch mark where it touched.
This was going to be close.
Gritting his teeth, he knew what he had to do. Didn't mean he had to like it. Unfortunately, it would leave him grappleless, but there wasn't much of a choice at the moment.
Batman then let go of the grapple and allowed gravity to take ahold of him, dropping him to the floor below. Zeus continued to chase him with his attack until the vigilante landed on the floor, taking cover behind a pew. The electricity hit the top of the pew shortly after, causing it to explode into splinters. Keeping low, Batman glanced up to the wooden bench, finding a large chunk missing, small flames burning along singed edges.
"Get up, Fiend!" Zeus bellowed. "Get up so I can smite you!"
"Ha! Fat chance!" the Joker shouted back. "That never works, believe me, I know."
"What will it take for you to keep your vile tongue still?!"
"Death, I'd imagine, but not even that is guaranteed."
Getting onto his hands and feet while remaining crouched, Batman pulled out a few bat-shaped shuriken. He needed to get that thunderbolt out of Zeus' hands as long distance put him at a distinct disadvantage. Swinging his arm out, he sent the projectiles up into the air, arching into a turn as they whirled their ways towards their target.
As they flew, Batman darted towards the end of the pew he was behind, then rounded the corner so that he could move along the side of the bench rows. However, this gave him a view that was most displeasing. Seeing the shuriken flying at him, Maxie Zeus pointed his thunderbolt and unleashed another lightning strike. The electricity widened as it fired from the tip of the thunderbolt, striking the shuriken in midair and stopping them. Once Zeus let up, the shuriken fell to the floor, electricity dancing over their metal bodies.
Damn.
"Care to try again?" Zeus taunted. "Or will you surrender yourself?"
Batman reached into his belt again and pulled out a couple smoke pellets and a small marble. A distraction was needed so that he could get closer.
Unfortunately, it seemed Zeus did not have much patience. Out of nowhere he fired a lightning bolt, one that hit a random pew and caused it to blow apart, sending wooden pieces everywhere. Again and again, he unleashed his lightning, destroying bench after bench.
Great, he was just going to remove all the cover he could. It was time to act. With the marble in hand, Batman tossed it far in front of him, the marble hitting the floor, then skipping across it, causing sharp sounds to ring out.
Immediately, Zeus stopped his destruction and jerked around to find the source of the sound, electricity tingling over his thunderbolt. That's when Batman tossed his smoke pellet, sending it flying to his left and into the middle of a row of pews. The moment it hit the floor, it detonated into a thick cloud of smoke.
This too got Zeus' attention as he spun back to look at the cloud. "You cannot hide!" he screamed as he fired his electric blast. As luck would have it, the electricity went right into the cloud, but did not cause it to disperse, leaving it as thick as ever.
That was a small mercy. With his last pellet, Batman then threw it high into the air, aiming to cause it to detonate on the other side of the room. The moment the smoke cloud erupted, the bearded man jerked towards it, though he resisted the impulse to fire his thunderbolt again.
Immediately, Batman crept down the side of the pews, coming to a stop when he reached the second row. The first row had been upended onto its back, so that didn't provide nearly enough cover. Peeking around the bench, he saw Zeus' back to him, the man clearly trying to figure out what was going on.
However, something caught the Dark Knight's eyes—specifically something missing. Maxie Zeus was standing in the middle of an elaborate ritual circle and the Joker had been restrained at its center. Yet, the madman wasn't there, the vines that restrained him the only sign he had been there. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.
Damn it, just what he needed. Not only did he have a fanatic trying to electrocute him, he had the Joker of all people on the loose. There was no telling what the clown would do. Unfortunately, the main threat was Zeus, so he needed to go down first.
Quietly emerging from his cover, Batman moved until he was standing out in the open, facing Zeus' back. All he had to do was get up close and personal and he could take the shipping magnate out.
He took a step, then another.
And then Zeus spun around, pointing his thunderbolt right at him. "Did you honestly think I didn't figure out your ploy?" the man demanded. "Prepare to fry!"
The thunderbolt fired. Batman's stomach dropped at the sight of the charging electricity. Yes, he could dive back behind the pew, but that would only offer a temporary refuge. Zeus would know exactly where he was and would just destroy each and every pew until there wasn't any cover left. He couldn't afford to wait any longer.
So he stuck out his left hand and braced himself. The lightning strike collided with his palm an instant later, a grunt escaping the vigilante's mouth. The insulation in his gauntlet absorbed the electricity, cancelling it out. It was how it kept the electrical system for his cape glider insulated. It was also how he stopped Bluebird's Taser Rifle at the end of the U.S. Government's quarantine of the city during Bane's rampage.
Thankfully, it was working on magic lightning too.
Steeling his resolve, Batman took a step towards Zeus, and then another. All the while he kept his hand out, catching the lightning, even as a stunned look appeared on the bearded man's face.
"How is this possible?!" he cried out. "How can a mortal stop the very power of a god?!"
The Batman didn't reply, only closing the distance between them. He stepped into the ritual circle, passing over some of the symbols.
All the while, Maxie Zeus willed this thunderbolt to blast the man apart. How? How could he be fighting off his godly lightning? How?!
It did not make sense! This lightning staff was created from the Philosopher's Stone, which had been sired by Desmond, a mortal god. No way could it be rendered impotent!
He had heard stories of Gotham's Dark Knight. He had heard how imposing and terrifying he was, but he had always brushed them off as exaggerations. He was confident that if he ever met the man, he could stand before him unafraid.
He found that to be so very wrong. Even with the light the electricity was making against his extended hand, creating shadows behind the man to seem to blend in with him, Maxie could see the hardened features of the hero. There was no fear, no anger, no fury. Just a cool, stoic calm that spoke volumes. It said that the moment he reached Maxie, he would make him pay retribution equal in blood.
This terrified Maxie more than he cared to admit.
"Submit!" he shrieked. "You must submit!"
"Not going to happen," Batman retorted. He took another step, one that brought him no more than a few feet, maybe three or four. It was an easy distance for the man to leap over should he wish it.
Maxie instinctively took a step back, even as the Batman took another towards him. "You...you can't be human! A human cannot resist the power of a god like this!"
Suddenly a hand laid on his shoulder, the cool edge of a knife pressing up against his throat. "Then perhaps you're not a god," the cool voice of the Joker spoke into his ear.
Abruptly, the thunderbolt ceased its attack as Maxie lost his focus. "Don't!" he heard Batman shout.
And then the knife bit into his flesh and ripped it opened as the Joker sliced opened his throat. Blood erupted from the wound, launching through the air until it fell to the floor, some of which spattering onto Batman and the horrified look that was on his face.
Maxie gagged. He couldn't think of anything as he let go of his thunderbolt, which clattered loudly on the floor. Both of his hands grabbed at his throat, trying to stop the bleeding, and failing to do so. He dropped to his knees as he continued to take struggled gasps, a need for air that was being stopped by the thick fluid running into his lungs.
Looking to Batman, he begged for help, for forgiveness. He...he didn't want to die. Not like this. Not to a miscreant like the Joker. He...needed...needed…
There was movement. Maxie went still. Behind Batman, in the darkness that had formed behind him, a figure emerged. It seemed to be a man in a blood red tunic, metal gauntlets covering his forearms and calves.
It took him a moment, but Maxie realized that was the same outfit Phobos wore, right before the Joker had blown his head off. What was he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be dead? Had he been hiding this entire time and not offered assistance?
And then Maxie fell to the floor. He landed with a splat as the blood he landed on cushioned his landing. His vision began to darken, but not before he saw the lines of the ritual circle begin to glow.