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Arthur frowned, confusion and frustration briefly crossing his battle-worn face. He took a step closer, blood drying on his temple, gauntlets faintly sparking with residual solar energy.
"What do you mean by 'you can't'?" Arthur asked, voice rising with urgency. "This is your chance to find the answer you've been chasing your entire life. There's a multiverse out there, Alexander.. versions of Earth where things work, where things aren't as bad. Yes, evil still exists but it's not this. It's not hell. So wh.."
"It's not about that!" Alexander snapped, finally turning to face him.
His eyes were alive now burning with conviction, with something that looked like defiance… or maybe acceptance.
"Only I can operate this thing," he said, pointing to the console, the swirling mass of numbers and glyphs behind him. "Your Lex didn't perfect the design. I didn't have time to finish it either not properly. It requires constant recalibration. Someone has to guide the machine manually to get you home."
Arthur blinked.
"Can't one of my shadows do it? You saw them. They're more than soldiers."
Alexander shook his head with that familiar smirk, that arrogant, brilliant smile that now looked… bittersweet.
"Only me," he said, as if that explained everything.
And in a way, it did.
Arthur stared at him, jaw tightening.
"You know this world is doomed…"
Alexander looked past him now, to the concrete ceiling rumbling under the weight of something colossal approaching. He nodded slowly.
"Yes," he murmured. "It was only a matter of time, but yours isn't Arthur. We were just delaying the inevitable."
There was a pause. Arthur looked down. His hand curled into a fist at his side.
Then, quietly
"I... I never thought I'd say this, but… Thank you. For everything, Luthor."
Alexander didn't reply. He just turned his back and walked toward the console. His fingers danced over the final keys.
And then the ground shook. Violently.
A deafening groan of metal from above. The ceiling cracked. Dust rained. The machine sparked wildly.
Still calm, Alexander spoke over the quake, as if it were just background noise.
"Go now."
Arthur looked at him one last time, the storm of emotions in his eyes veiled beneath his usual calm. He nodded to Alexander.
Then stepped into the portal.
The vortex pulsed once, then twice rising in volume and brightness.
From the console, Alexander watched it stabilize. The edges of his mouth lifted, just slightly.
"I really wanted to see your Earth," he said aloud, to no one.
"But even if I didn't have to do this, I do believe I should perish alongside mine."
He pressed the final key.
And then the portal collapsed.
The machine fell silent.
And Alexander Luthor stood alone… as the end finally came.
****
Arthur landed hard on the ground, coughing as the last flickers of the portal behind him vanished into nothing. He stayed down for a moment, letting the quiet hit him. No destruction. No world slowing vanishing. Just the stillness of his own world.
His hands were shaking. Bloodied knuckles, sore muscles, the sting of battle still fresh in his bones.
He clenched his fists.
Then he slammed them into the ground.
The impact cracked the concrete beneath him, sending a small wave of dust around his feet. He stared at the crater his punch left, breathing hard.
"Damn it all…"
His voice was low, frustrated not angry at anyone in particular. Just everything.
He stayed crouched for a few seconds, shoulders heavy, then muttered, "That was one of the few times I thought I could actually do something good. Really good. Maybe for a lot of people by bringing him here.."
He shook his head slowly, still catching his breath.
"I just… didn't have a choice in the end.. I don't know how to fight that kind of foes yet.."
He looked up at the sky. It was early morning. Calm. Peaceful. The kind of day you wouldn't expect anything world-ending to happen.
"That entire world's done for. And he…" Arthur trailed off. He didn't need to say his name.
He stood, quietly. Sore, worn down, still bleeding from his hands. He looked around like he wasn't sure where to go next.
"Thanks, Luthor," he said under his breath. "I hope it was worth it."
Arthur stood still for a moment, his boots scraping lightly against the cracked pavement. The wind carried the distant sound of sirens and the low hum of city life. Neon lights flickered over damp alleyways, the skyline familiar even in the haze of exhaustion.
He turned slowly, scanning the empty street, the towering silhouette of buildings, the familiar gothic spires perched above the skyline like gargoyles watching from above.
"…This is Gotham," he said quietly, almost to himself.
There was no mistaking it. The oppressive air, the way the shadows moved just a little deeper than anywhere else. The city where the night never really ended.
Arthur's eyes began to glow faintly. A soft, deep violet.
He closed them.
In his mind, he reached out.
And felt it.
The threads of his shadow soldiers, alot of them, their presence, cold, loyal, and watchful flooded into him like water through a broken dam.
He opened his eyes slowly, a breath escaping his chest. Relief washed over him.
"My connection to my shadow soldiers that I left here.. is restored," he said, voice steady now. Stronger. "This is indeed my world."
He let out a long sigh, the weight of everything beginning to settle.
Then he straightened up, rolled his shoulders back, and raised his hand slightly.
A grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Exchange."
A sudden gust of wind erupted around him as his shadow rippled unnaturally across the street.
And in an instant he vanished.
****
The rain tapped gently against the grand windows of the Arthur's estate, casting streaks across the dimly lit interior. George stood with perfect posture near the hearth, his gloved hands folded behind his back. Beside him, Kara paced restlessly, arms crossed, her cape occasionally brushing the floor.
"The situation is deteriorating by the hour," Kara said, her voice low and strained. "Batman is out cold, he took himself out for some reason. Some of the others aren't acting like themselves.. none of them are. I don't know if it's magic, mind control, or something else entirely. I thought maybe Arthur's shadows could help, I feel like the nature of this is similar, really anything could help!"
She glanced toward the far corner of the room, where a hulking shadow demon stood motionless like a statue. It hadn't moved in days.
"Even Superman..." she whispered. "And it's getting worse."
George offered a sympathetic glance but maintained his composed tone. "Yes... I've seen what happened. I'm afraid I cannot speak to the precise nature of Master Arthur's abilities… or the full extent of his dominion. The shadows stationed here within the estate have remained curiously inert since his… departure so I don't think they'll help with anything."
Kara's face faltered with sadness. "If only he were here. He'd know what's happening. At least that's what I feel."
And then it happened.
The demon in the corner jerked once. Then again.
A sudden tremor passed through the air as its eyes flared wide. Shadows burst violently from its form, cascading across the floor like black water. The temperature dropped.
George instinctively took a step back, his eyes narrowing.
"What in heaven's name…"
Kara's gaze locked on the expanding mass of shadow, her fists clenched in readiness. "George... Do they usually do this...."
Before either could move, a dense plume of black smoke exploded outward, engulfing the room in darkness for a heartbeat.
And from within the smoke… a figure stepped forward.
A man.
His boots hit the marble with a weight that was unmistakable. His coat hung in tatters, dried blood caked on his knuckles. His armor was scuffed, scorched in places, and his hair was a mess over his tired but sharp eyes.
Arthur.
Kara's breath caught in her throat. Her lips parted but no sound came out.
George's composure faltered for the first time in years. "Is… is it truly you, Master Arthur?"
Arthur looked between the two of them. His shoulders sagged from exhaustion, but a smile tugged at the edge of his lips soft, tired, but genuine.
"Yo," he said, voice hoarse. "Been a while."
Kara didn't wait. She walked forward slowly at first, then faster, and then ran the last few steps, throwing her arms around him. "Arthur...It's really you!"
He caught her with one arm, the other still dangling loosely at his side. Despite the aches and bruises that screamed with every breath, he leaned into the embrace.
"Yeah," he murmured. "Ouch..."
George took a step forward, his voice quieter now, reverent.
"I cannot describe what a relief it is to see you returned, sir. The house has felt… hollow in your absence. And I'm not talking about the shadow demons that you left here."
Arthur chuckled, a low sound from deep in his chest. "Glad someone missed me."
/-\
If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Solo leveling in Westeros.
&
If you wish to read more or simply support me than check out my patreon at
"https://www.patreon.com/FrenzyAren"
You can Get Access to 3 More Chapters OR 7 More Chapters if you want