267. Batwoman Under Siege.
Gotham's Eastern Port.
After the demon-like creatures' massive invasion, this place had long been abandoned. The Gotham Port, once considered a cash cow by numerous gangs, now lay in ruins. Countless cargo ships and cruise liners sat rusted at the dock, emanating a foul stench of decay.
Since Black Mask and his gang members' last stand at the port ended in failure, the last human stronghold in East Gotham had fallen to the demonic assault. Half the city was awash in blood, flowing into the ocean, while the whole of Gotham was shrouded in fear.
Up to now, this place remained a no-man's land, a human exclusion zone with no signs of life whatsoever. However, the dead silence was suddenly broken by the sound of footsteps.
Amid the broken docks and shipping containers, a swift, dark figure darted through, lightly stepping on a sunken spot, causing a spray of water to scatter in all directions.
The still water on the road reflected the moonlight, and under the pale glow, numerous winged, demon-like creatures flew across the sky, their passage accompanied by a faint buzzing sound.
"Barbara, are you still with me?"
Supporting herself with one hand on a high platform, the agile figure flipped over a pile of steel bars and vanished into the shadows of a dark alley.
(I've pinpointed your location, but Kate, where are you leading them?)
A concerned female voice came through the earpiece. Batwoman Kate's eyes flickered as she leapt again, using the wall to propel herself up to the second floor.
(There are too many of them. You're cornering yourself.)
"It's just a few ordinary parademons. This isn't a dead end." Batwoman smiled slightly and casually tossed a bat-shaped explosive near a window on the second floor.
In the next moment, a grotesque creature appeared at the window. It had a humanoid body but a face resembling a beast, like something straight out of a nightmare brought to life. The creature roared as it spotted Batwoman's fleeting figure, then tore apart the window ledge, preparing to chase after her.
But the moment it leaned halfway in, the infrared sensor on the bat-shaped bomb detected it, and a deafening explosion erupted. Fiery flames burst forth, engulfing the demon in an instant.
Not expecting the parademons to pursue so closely, Batwoman, who hadn't yet cleared the blast radius, felt a massive force slam into her from behind, throwing her off balance as she was hurled forward by the explosion's shockwave.
Hearing the blast, Barbara's voice came through the earpiece again, filled with worry.
(Kate! Are you okay? Kate!)
Batwoman, who had landed among shattered glass, shook her head and quickly got back on her feet. "I'm not dead yet. Stop yelling."
(I'm almost there. Just hang on a little longer.)
"Then you'd better hurry, because I'm about to kill them all." Kate forced a smile, listening to the growing hum of wings. She knew the parademons were closing in.
The parademons were mindless biological weapons, obeying only their creator, Darkseid. They devoured civilizations across the universe like locusts. Though individually not particularly strong, they were beyond what ordinary humans could handle.
The most terrifying thing about them was their numbers. These creatures, capable of flight and ground combat, swarmed in overwhelming numbers, and most civilizations couldn't withstand their onslaught.
As Batwoman sprinted towards the bedroom, preparing to break through from the balcony, she suddenly noticed a grotesque face appear outside the window.
Roaaaarrrr!
The parademon opened its mouth, revealing jagged teeth dripping with saliva. Its blood-red eyes locked onto Batwoman, filled with murderous intent, as though it had found a rare delicacy.
"Well then…"
Batwoman gripped her batarang tightly, bracing for battle.
"It's time to get serious."
With a furious roar, the demon could no longer contain its bloodlust. It extended its claws and ripped apart the window railing, ready to leap inside and tear Batwoman to pieces. But it only managed to take one step before it was halted completely.
It was as if some force was pulling it back. The parademon thrashed wildly, trying to reach the Batwoman just out of its grasp. Yet no matter how furiously it struggled, it couldn't move beyond the window frame.
"What the…?"
Batwoman tilted her head, not understanding what was happening.
The next second, the parademon was yanked back with terrifying speed, flying out of the window and vanishing in an instant, leaving behind only a gaping hole and a mess of debris. Hearing the parademon's distant wails, Batwoman frowned and quickly approached the window, peering out at the street below bathed in moonlight.
She saw a strange black figure moving with agility unimaginable for an ordinary person between the crumbling buildings of the residential area. The figure shot out web-like threads from their hands, binding the parademons to the ground.
"What… is that?"
Batwoman's lips parted slightly as she stared at the mysterious black figure.
She realized this was no ordinary person. The raw strength alone made her feel uneasy, and the regular parademons couldn't withstand even a single blow from this figure.
At that moment, the sound of debris shifting behind her alerted Batwoman to danger. Turning around, she saw that the parademon from earlier, the one she thought had been obliterated by the explosion, was still alive. It had barely survived and had dragged itself to where she stood.
Gazing at the creature, its body covered in charred scars, Batwoman didn't hesitate. She readied herself for another fight, but before she could act, someone else beat her to it.
A gust of wind surged through the room. Batwoman only caught a glimpse of a silver flash, and in the blink of an eye, the roaring parademon was sent flying, smashing through the wall into the living room, lifeless among the rubble.
"Did you not notice?"
A playful voice came from behind. Batwoman turned to see a silver-haired man wearing goggles wink at her, then speed off, disappearing over the balcony.
Batwoman stood there, stunned. She was certain this speedster didn't belong to the Flash family, because Batman's files had recorded almost every speedster in existence—none matched this one.
Besides, this guy wasn't nearly as fast as the Flash. At least her dynamic vision could vaguely make out that he punched the parademon.
(Kate, are you okay? I thought I heard a man's voice?)
Barbara's voice brought Batwoman back to reality. She let out a breath, watching the parademon squad outside being slaughtered, and slowly said,
"You heard right. Looks like Gotham has a new friend."
.....
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268. The Bat Family's Ordeal.
269. The People of Gotham Amidst Disaster!
270. Gotham Falls.
271. A Dance of Madness!
272. Part of Gotham.