The rain over Central City had turned to a fine, cold mist, but the real storm was happening on the streets below.
A three-story tall meta made of shifting concrete and rebar was stomping down Main Street, swatting aside cars like toys. Superman hovered in front of it, his red cape a stark banner against the grey sky. He took the blows without flinching, the impacts sounding like distant gongs.
"The core is in its chest!" Batman's voice was a low growl in Clark's earpiece. He was a phantom in the shadows of a nearby office building, coordinating the defense. "I'm reading a power signature similar to the breach energy. Contain and disrupt."
"Trying," Clark said, strain in his voice as he grabbed the creature's massive arm. He wasn't trying to punch it; he was trying to hold it still.
High above, a bolt of lightning split the sky, followed by a thunderous crack. Shazam slammed into the meta's shoulder, shattering a chunk of concrete.
"Hey, big guy! Miss me?" Billy yelled, his youthful voice echoing with power.
The creature roared, swiping at him. Shazam zipped away, laughing. "Whoa, slow down! You're gonna give yourself a heart attack!"
Elsewhere, chaos reigned. A meta who could project sharpened sound waves was shredding the facade of the city bank. Joe and the CCPD had set up a perimeter, their bullets doing nothing but pinging off the sonic shield.
"Fall back! Fall back!" Joe yelled into his radio. "We need to draw him into the open!"
Eddie, from a rooftop across the street, lined up a shot. "I can't get a clear angle, Joe. He's too well covered."
Suddenly, a blur of red and gold light streaked down the street. Dr. Light landed in a crouch, throwing up a brilliant shield of hard light that absorbed the sound blasts.
"I've got this!" she called out, pushing forward step by step. "Just keep him focused on me!"
The meta screamed, intensifying his attack. The shield began to flicker.
Then, from a side alley, there was a soft thwip.
A high-tensile cable shot out, wrapping around the sound meta's wrists. Before he could react, the cable went taut, yanking his arms apart and breaking his concentration. The sonic shield vanished.
A green-hooded figure dropped from a fire escape, landing squarely on the meta's back. He delivered two precise, brutal strikes to the back of the neck. The meta grunted and crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Oliver Queen stood up, pulling an arrow from his quiver and scanning the area. His eyes, sharp and weary, met Joe's across the street. He gave a short, curt nod.
Joe just stared for a second, then nodded back. "Thanks."
On the main drag, the fight with the concrete giant was reaching its climax. Superman had managed to get a full nelson hold on it from behind, his boots digging trenches in the asphalt as he held it fast.
"Shazam! Now!" Clark grunted.
"On it!" Shazam flew straight at the creature's chest, his fist pulled back, crackling with divine lightning. "Hey, Superman! Bet you can't do this!"
He punched. A spectacular explosion of light and sound erupted from the creature's torso. The concrete shell shattered outward, revealing a pulsing, violet core within. The giant froze, then began to crumble into an inert pile of rubble.
Silence fell, broken only by the crackle of small fires and the distant sirens.
Superman landed gently, brushing dust from his shoulders. Shazam touched down beside him, a wide grin on his face. "See? Easy."
Batman emerged from the shadows, his cape blending into the gloom. "There are two more breach points active. We're not done."
It was then that they all noticed the new arrival.
Oliver walked toward them, his bow still in hand. He stopped a dozen feet away, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. It lingered on the S-shield, then the bat-symbol, then the lightning bolt. A faint, almost imperceptible smirk touched his lips.
"So," he said, his voice gravelly and direct. "You're the ones causing all the noise."
Superman took a small step forward, his posture open but cautious. "We've heard about you. The vigilante in Star City."
"Arrow," Batman stated, his tone implying he had a file an inch thick already.
"I've heard the stories too," Oliver replied, his eyes locking with Batman's. "The Bat. The Man of Steel." He glanced at Shazam. "And the guy with the magic word."
"Hey!" Shazam protested. "I'm a crucial part of this team!"
Oliver ignored him, looking back at Superman and Batman. "I was in the neighborhood. Looks like you had a situation."
"We have a situation," Batman corrected. "It's multiversal."
"A friend of ours is handling the source," Clark added, his voice calm and reassuring. "We're just containing the fallout here."
Oliver gave another slow nod, taking in the destruction around them. He'd seen a lot, but talking about other universes was new. "Fallout looks messy. What do you need?"
Before anyone could answer, a new breach, smaller and unstable, ripped open at the end of the street. A hulking figure with four arms and skin like granite charged out, roaring.
Batman was already moving. "Shazam, left flank. Superman, high altitude distraction. Arrow…"
He glanced at Oliver, who already had an arrow nocked.
"I'll find the high ground," Oliver said, and melted back into the alleyways.
The battle started again, but it felt different now. Coordinated. An arrow whistled from a rooftop, exploding into a thick foam that ensnared the meta's legs. Superman swooped down, drawing its attention upward. Shazam came in from the side with a lightning-charged haymaker.
Watching from the CCPD barricade, Joe let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Eddie came up beside him.
"Who's the guy in green?" Eddie asked.
"I have no idea," Joe said, shaking his head in disbelief. "But for the first time tonight, I think we might actually get through this."
As the four-armed meta finally fell, the last active breach sputtered and died. The immediate threat was over.
Oliver dropped down from his perch, landing silently beside the others. The rain began to pick up again, washing the dust and grime from the streets.
"Is that it?" Oliver asked.
"For now," Batman said, his gaze fixed on the spot where the breach had been. "But the war isn't over."
Superman looked at Oliver, a genuine look of gratitude on his face. "Thank you for your help."
Oliver just shrugged, a solitary figure in the downpour. "We protect people. That's the job."
High above, the clouds began to part, a single beam of moonlight breaking through to illuminate the battered, but still standing, city. They were a strange team, thrown together by chaos. But for tonight, it was enough.