Lantern soared through the smoky night sky, tracking the monster's fiery trail that zigzagged through the clouds. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the horizon for movement.
"Now, where'd my creepy crawly get to—" he muttered, just before the creature slammed into him from behind. The impact sent both of them hurtling toward a towering rooftop billboard that read *FOOD* in massive letters. They crashed through the sign with an ear-splitting crunch, tumbling together in a mess of sparks and broken metal until they hit the roof below.
Dazed, Lantern groaned as he pushed himself up, blinking through a haze of smoke. Flames licked the wreckage around him, shards of neon glass still hissing on the scorched concrete. Through the chaos, the creature emerged—its form wreathed in fire, its eyes burning with primal fury. It let out a guttural, ear-splitting roar that made the whole rooftop quake.
"High-tech armor, huh?" Lantern spat, bracing himself.
The demon-like creature lunged forward and seized him by the chestplate with terrifying strength, hoisting him off the ground as if he weighed nothing.
"You're gonna have to do better than that!" Lantern shouted defiantly, right before the creature drove a massive fist into his midsection. The blows came one after another—a relentless barrage that drove the air from his lungs and finally sent him flying across the rooftop. He crashed hard into another building, rolling to a stop on the gravel.
"Okay… that was better," he groaned, lying flat on his back.
The demon stalked forward, each step shaking the roof. It planted a heavy foot on Lantern's chest and let out another thunderous roar, ready to deliver the final blow—
*THRAAACCKK!*
Another blur cut through the air on a zipline, colliding with the monster at full force. Both figures slammed into opposite walls before the newcomer landed squarely atop the beast.
Standing proudly in the dim light, cape billowing in the embers, was Batman. His gaze pierced through the smoke as he growled at the monster, "What are you doing in the docks? I want answers."
Before Lantern could even respond, the demon opened its maw and unleashed a blazing torrent of fire. Batman dove out of the way just in time, his silhouette disappearing into the shadows. The creature advanced, hurling another fiery blast. Batman ducked behind a large vent for cover but caught a vicious backhand that sent him crashing across the rooftop.
As he struggled to his feet, the demon advanced again, ready to finish the job. But a sharp train whistle echoed across the night. A split-second later, a massive **green train**—conjured by Lantern's power ring—materialized out of emerald light and thundered across the rooftop, slamming the demon into a wall and pinning it there, unconscious.
Batman, who had narrowly avoided the glowing locomotive, was now hanging off the edge of the roof. With a quick, acrobatic motion, he swung himself back up. Lantern, shining his ring to illuminate the scene, turned toward him.
"Batman… You're real??" he said, wide-eyed as he stepped closer.
"Turn it off!" barked Batman, his voice low and commanding.
"I had it!" Lantern defended.
Batman's eyes narrowed. "Clearly…" he replied dryly. "Now turn that damn light off before they see us."
"Who—" Lantern began, but before he could finish, a bright searchlight swept across them. A helicopter hovered above, the roar of its blades deafening. The loudspeaker blared: *"GCPD! Stand down!"*
Lantern raised his hands in mock surrender. "They don't like us much," he muttered.
"They're afraid of us," Batman replied, eyes fixed on the chopper.
Lantern looked sideways at him. "You say that like it's a good thing."
Before Batman could respond, a smooth, teasing voice interrupted. "I don't mean to intrude on your lovers' spat, but your monster is slipping away."
Both heroes turned sharply. Floating behind them was a teenage boy in a black trench coat and a white T-shirt. His black hair was a mess, but somehow perfectly so—his sharp features cut by the glow of the fires below. One hand was tucked in his coat pocket while the other pointed at the horizon, where the demon could be seen flying away.
With a look that could only be described as exasperated royalty, he sighed. "Less talking next time. Do the job first," he said coolly, before shooting into the night sky in pursuit of the creature.
Batman and Lantern exchanged a long, silent look.
"Was… was that a kid ordering us around?" Lantern asked.
Batman didn't answer. He simply narrowed his eyes beneath the cowl and leapt off the building, fading into the shadows as he followed the chase below.
***