Gotham City, one month later.
The streets lay empty, swallowed by an unnatural silence. Gotham had not known quiet like this in decades, and yet this calm felt deeply wrong.
Perched on the edge of a towering building, Batman overlooked the city. It felt unfamiliar to him now, as though it no longer belonged to the people who once struggled within it.
Gone were the distant echoes of crime breaking the night. No sudden gunshots disturbed sleeping children. No desperate cries carried through dark alleys. Police sirens no longer howled through narrow streets, chasing men and women clinging to survival.
From a distance, this resembled the Gotham he had always wanted.
But he understood the truth. This was not peace. It was suppression, a suffocating silence born from fear.
Below, soldiers clad in black uniforms patrolled in rigid formation. Their tactical helmets concealed their identities, and their weapons remained ever ready. They were the Black Gendarmerie, loyal only to Adrian, the man who had reshaped the nation in just a month.
Batman observed them for a moment, then exhaled slowly. He fired his grappling gun and disappeared into the shadows before their patrol could detect him.
Moving carefully, he avoided their line of sight and made his way to a secluded location. An iron gate stood hidden between crumbling walls. He keyed in a sequence of numbers.
A sharp clang echoed as the mechanism unlocked. The gate creaked open, and Batman slipped inside without hesitation.
"You should not be here, Batman. The entire city is hunting you. If they find you, you will not escape."
Lucius Fox stepped forward, his face drawn and weary. The strain of the past month was evident in his eyes.
"I know," Batman replied calmly. "But I found something. It might help us turn this around."
From his utility belt, he retrieved a small vial and handed it over.
Fox examined the container, his brow furrowing. "What exactly is this?"
"A serum," Batman said, his voice low. "Something like a Superman serum. I believe it is what gives those soldiers their strength."
Fox studied the faint green liquid inside, his expression shifting as memories resurfaced.
A month ago, everything had changed.
Adrian had stood before the United Nations and declared that the United States government was now under his control. The announcement had thrown the nation into chaos almost instantly.
And yet, Metropolis had remained calm.
Its citizens had not resisted. In fact, many appeared to accept Adrian without hesitation. Even in Kansas, people seemed to welcome him. That quiet acceptance unsettled the rest of the country.
Adrian moved quickly. With ruthless efficiency, he seized control of military leadership, elevating those who obeyed him and removing anyone who resisted. Within days, the military was his.
Superman had tried to intervene.
For a brief moment, hope returned.
But it did not last.
The confrontation ended swiftly, with Superman defeated.
After that, Adrian began building his own force. The Black Gendarmerie spread across the nation, crushing resistance wherever it appeared.
The remnants of the government were forced to retreat, eventually regrouping in Alaska, far from Adrian's reach, though even that safety seemed temporary.
Gotham suffered the harshest control. Criminals were locked away in Blackgate Penitentiary or Arkham Asylum, with severe punishments for any attempt to escape. The streets were constantly monitored, every shadow watched.
Batman himself had become a target.
Fox tightened his grip on the vial. "Where did you get this?"
"An informant," Batman replied quietly. "There are still people resisting him. If we can understand this, we might find a way to break the stalemate."
"I will analyze it immediately."
Fox placed the vial into a secured cryogenic safe designed for sensitive materials.
"You need to be careful, Bruce."
"I always am."
Fox sighed, exhaustion slipping into his voice. "I never thought it would come to this. Adrian started as a protector. He even fought General Zod for humanity."
Batman remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"It began with a loss," he said. "Something broke inside him. Like opening a sealed bottle and releasing something that cannot be contained."
He flexed his wrist and turned toward the exit.
"We need allies. I heard about an incident at Red Star Labs. A man named Victor Stone was transformed into something else, part human, part machine. He might be someone we can reach."
Fox watched him leave, concern etched across his face.
"I hope you are right, Bruce," he murmured.
Metropolis, laboratory.
Dr. Hamilton carefully secured the last of the materials inside a reinforced safe. Once finished, he removed his lab coat and exited the room, locking the door behind him.
Moments later, a shadow moved through the corridor.
The figure unlocked the door with practiced precision and slipped inside. Moving quickly but methodically, he searched the laboratory until his attention settled on a safe tucked into the corner.
With expert hands, he picked the lock and retrieved a vial filled with green liquid.
Deadshot had what he came for.
Without hesitation, he turned and headed toward the exit, blending into the darkness of the corridor.
Then everything changed.
A loud click echoed.
The lights snapped on, flooding the hallway with harsh brightness.
Deadshot narrowed his eyes as a woman approached, her steps measured and heavy. Behind her, two armed Gendarmerie soldiers followed.
Rika.
Her expression remained cold, her presence suffocating. Each step of her boots echoed like a countdown.
Deadshot felt the tension tighten in his chest.
Since Amanda Waller aligned herself with Adrian, Task Force X had been absorbed into his regime. Deadshot had no choice but to follow.
But loyalty was another matter.
He had made his own decision.
Using his position, he had contacted Batman and begun passing information, hoping to undermine Adrian's control.
Now, standing before Rika, he knew the cost.
"You were the one who stole the previous serum," she said flatly.
Deadshot did not hesitate. "Yes."
His hand moved toward his weapon.
Gunshots rang out.
One soldier dropped instantly. The other reacted quickly, dodging and raising his rifle, but Rika stopped him with a single command.
"Do not shoot."
The soldier obeyed and advanced.
Deadshot tried to fire again, but his weapon suddenly failed. A precise burst of heat vision had destroyed it.
Before he could react, the soldier closed the distance and struck him with the butt of his rifle. The blow sent Deadshot crashing to the ground.
Pain surged through him, but he forced himself to move.
Rolling forward, he avoided the next strike and lunged at his opponent. The soldier caught him by the throat and slammed him into the wall.
The impact rattled his spine.
Gritting his teeth, Deadshot drove his knee into the soldier, breaking his balance. He seized the opportunity, dragging the man down and pinning him.
In one swift motion, he drew a backup pistol and fired.
The second soldier fell.
Breathing heavily, Deadshot staggered to his feet. Just defeating two of them had nearly drained him.
And Rika had not even moved.
Before he could escape, she appeared in front of him.
Her hand closed around his throat, lifting him effortlessly before slamming him into the ground.
The impact shattered his remaining strength.
Blood filled his mouth as footsteps echoed around him. More Gendarmerie flooded the corridor, surrounding him completely.
A final blow struck his head, and darkness took him.
Rika looked down at his unconscious form.
"Take him," she ordered. "Extract everything he knows."
The soldiers obeyed, dragging him away.
With the situation under control, Rika left the laboratory and made her way to Adrian.
"So, Deadshot was a traitor," Adrian said with a faint, amused smile. "Batman truly has influence everywhere."
Rika hesitated before speaking. "Should I go to Gotham and capture him?"
"No," Adrian replied immediately.
He looked out into the night, his expression calm but calculating.
"He will exploit any weakness you show. Unless you can kill him instantly, he will turn the situation against you. And I do not believe you will take that approach."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Batman never fights on anyone else's terms. He makes sure of that."