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Thunder and lightning crackled above the roof of the GCPD, the team all briefly parted to suit up accordingly. Y/N excused himself down an alleyway, and ripped open the shirt he was wearing revealing the crest of House El. Barry was more simple with his suit up, as Bruce had packed up it aboard the jet, Barry used his speed to assemble and put the suit on himself in less than thirty seconds.He claimed he could do it in less time but the problem was that the suit was multiple different panels of armour as opposed to just one. Bruce, well Bruce always liked to keep his secrets. And Diana was suited up in her bright Amazonian armour. Together, the four met on the roof of the GCDP.

There was a man waiting for them, Y/N had heard Bruce speak of him before. Commissioner James Gordon. First to arrive was Bruce, always the mysterious one. Hung above the Commissioner on a nearby gargoyle, the Commissioner looked up, to see Batman there. Leering down as the Gotham sky illuminated and cracked behind him;

(Don't care what anyone thinks of Snyder's movies story wise, they always look amazing) 

Batman leapt downwards, the moment he touched the ground. Barry suited up sped over and joined his side, followed by Diana who stepped out, and finally. Superman floated downwards, joining the group as Gordon looked at them all. 

"How many of you are there?" he asked, having never seen so many heroes together in one place before. 

"Not enough" Batman responded, knowing it would take every hero they had to combat this threat. 

Gordon pulled out some report cases that have been ongoing, to which Bruce grabbed and looked over, while Y/N and Diana each looked over one of his shoulders to see what they were dealing with. 

"Dozens of witnesses, all over Gotham" Gordon informed. "Description matches the suspect in the Metropolis abductions" on one of the papers was a sketch, that Diana instantly recognised. 

"Parademons" she muttered. 

"Okay" Barry said, sounding awfully confused to what he was looking at. 

"The demons must have caught the scent of a Mother Box" Diana summarised, although everyone else understood. Gordon clearly perplexed to what exactly they were all talking about. 

"They're looking for anyone who has any connection to the Boxes" Superman said, crossing his arms and looking over the list of names, seeing their credentials and noticing a majority of them worked at the downed Scout Ship in Metropolis. But as Y/N spoke he swore he heard something in the sky. "They must have a camp set up some place where they can interrogate them" he added. 

"So the eight of them could still be alive" Batman said looking at Superman. 

"Nine" the voice of Victor Stone cut across as he had just landed silently, his voice scarring Barry causing him to jump and hold his chest while the other heroes did not react at all. "The head of S.T.A.R Labs was taken tonight" he informed walking up to the group, Y/N and Diana both smiled at Victor, seeing that he had chosen the right path. 

"Wow okay" Gordon said shocked at the sight of a human cyborg. "So, another scientist".

"So, how do we find him?" Victor asked Gordon. 

"As Y/N said, there must be a nest nearby" Diana explained. 

"I plotted all the sights, in Metropolis, Gotham. No discernible pattern I can see" Gordon went on, showing a new piece of paper that was a map of the two cities, with Xs marking all of the kidnapping locations. "The lines on the map don't converge-"

"-On land" Victor cut across, scanning the map with his red eye and instantly getting results through his connection to the web. "These lead back to Stryker's Island, between the two cities". 

"These are sewer tunnels" Batman explained as he caught onto what Victor was saying. "They are lead down to the old tunnels, to a Metropolis project that was abandoned in '29" he finished. 

"The nest could be there" Y/N said, nodding along with the plan. 

Gordon turned around, looking over at the island as he was thinking over what he could do from his end. 

"Uh" Barry spoke up. "Is he coming with us now, because we're not all gonna fit in your car" he embarrassingly said. 

"I have something bigger" Batman responded. 

But as Y/N and Barry waited for Gordon to turn around and give them more information, Bruce, Diana and Victor all vanished with their technique. 

"Do you really think that-"so as Gordon turned around, he was only met with Superman, and the meta human in red armour. Y/N looked to his sides, seeing that the rest of the team just took off. 

"Oh ummm, okay" Y/N said awkwardly as he wasn't sure what to do. 

Barry did the same, noticing everyone else pulled a Houdini. "Oh wow, they just, they really just vanished huh?" he asked, looking at Superman and then back to Gordon. "That's rude" he added, as Barry himself then sped outta there leaving only Superman and Gordon. 

"Oh, okay" Superman said awkwardly as he began to hover off the ground slightly. "Commissioner" he finished, giving a two fingered salute before taking off to catch up with the rest of the team. 

The team were loaded up on a walking machine that Bruce had named the Knightcrawler, a walking engine that was closer to a crab like Batomobile. But soon the machine came across some ruble that it couldn't get to, so the team departed it. Alfred would pilot the crawler into another tunnel to find a way around while the team ventured further.  

Barry, his dark red suit a slight contrast to the gloom, cringed as he squashed a particularly large bug under his boot. "Ugh, these tunnels are like a bug graveyard. Who you ever deal with any of this?" he asked the rest of the team. 

Batman and Victor decided not to answer. Diana simply shook her head while Y/N decided to actually voice his response. "Once or twice, but I tend to use my vision to help me navigate tunnels such as these". 

Barry wrinkled his nose. "Yeah about that" Barry drew out. "Why don't you use that X-ray vision of yours to find these aliens faster? We've been down here forever."

"Barry, it's been a minute" the Kryptonian replied. Superman glanced at Batman, who responded, 

"These tunnels are old, lined with lead. Y/N can't see through it."

Barry nodded, realization dawning. "Lead, huh? Guess they are old"

As they continued their trek, Barry sped up to walk alongside Superman. "Hey, Y/N, got any tips for me on traveling at super speed without swallowing every bug in my path?"

Superman chuckled, a warmth in his voice. "It takes practice. Try to focus on the path ahead, and maybe like a mouth protector if you can't seem to manage. But I got the hang of it eventually; it gets better."

Barry smirked. "Mouth piece, huh? Might give that a shot."

Meanwhile, Wonder Woman walked beside Victor Stone, who had joined their mission despite initial reluctance. Diana turned to him, her lasso glinting in the dim light. "Victor, you said you wouldn't join us. What changed your mind?"

Victor's gaze hardened, and he clenched his fists. "I don't know, Diana. They took my dad. That's all I'm here for – to make them pay."

Diana nodded, her expression solemn. "We'll find them, Victor. And when we do, justice will be served."

Soon enough they came across some discarded items along the floor and they all stopped to inspect them. Diana crouched down, looking at an ID card. "We're close, the scent of the enemy" she began. "Of absence, of darkness, death" she finished looking at Y/N. 

"Where are we Alfred?" Bruce asked his butler over coms. 

"Striker's Island" the Brit responded as he navigated the Knightcrawler and looked at maps of the tunnel network. "You should be, directly under. The main control room from where they coordinated the construction, now look to your left. You'll see a staircase to the machine room, thermal scans show a cluster of people there". 

"That's it, let's go" Batman commanded, nodding at the staircase causing the others to follow him upwards.

The team traversed up the long staircase, Y/N could've flown up but decided to walk alongside his fellow heroes to show camaraderie. Bruce could've grappled up, Diana could've leapt, Barry sped or even Victor fly. But along of them decided to walk, with one another. With every step the metal steps creaked and more and more rust were visible. It was as if at any moment they could get give out from beneath them, mould grew in some corners of the staircase while cobwebs littered the ceiling. But soon enough the five reached the top of the staircase, where they were met with a bridge that looked like it could give way at any moment. 

"Right" Barry spoke, still quite nervous about this whole thing. "Is there, is there a plan?" he stuttered. "Any of you?" he asked the trio of more experienced heroes. 

"Don't engage alone" Diana spoke looking at the young speedster. 

"We do this together" Y/N finished. 

After Bruce and Victor had a quick chat, about Batman being real they are crossed the bridge. Barry was first, using his speed to zip across in a manner of seconds. Diana leapt across, barley any effort involved. Y/N decided to simply fly over, not wanting to collapse the bridge, while Batman used his grapple across and Victor just hopped from one end, to the centre and then to the other side. On the other side was a small room, and Diana told the team to remain quiet as she crouched down. 

"I grow tired of your silence, now tell me where is the Mother Box?" a raspy, growl like voice demanded as the owner lifted a terrified man in the air. Steppenwold, a hulking beast with massive bull like horns on either side of his head, he was about the same height was Doomsday, only less bulky and more slim. He was adorned in silver plated alien spiked armour, which morphed and moved along with his voice almost symbiotic like. He was surrounded by his personal troops, the Parademons. Humanoid shaped, but that's where the comparisons ended. As their mouths were black with razor sharp teeth with grey skin, dressed in platted armour with orange lights littered across their bodies. Many of them carried alien blasters. 

"Please, we have families" the man who Steppenwolf was holding up begged. 

"Then you have weakness" Steppenwolf barked back. 

"Okay I'm guessing that's the bad guy" Barry asked the rest of the group. 

"Good guess" Bruce replied.

"Awww I'm really missing the other Superman right now" Barry moaned, causing Y/N to give him look of confusion with a raised eyebrow. "Sorry, two Kryptonians are better than one" he clarified. 

"Batman you circle to the otherside" Diana said to Bruce who nodded along with the plan. "Y/N you make your way to the ceiling, and prepare to blast the Parademons and thin their numbers" she added starting to formulate a plan of action. But as the plan was coming together, Victor noticed the one face he was hoping to see, the face of his father. 

"You have been near a Mother Box" Steppenwolf spoke once again to the frightened man he was holding. "The scent is on you". 

"Leave him alone" the voice of Silas Stone called out to Steppenwolf, hoping to save the mans life before the worst befell him. "He, he doesn't know" he added with strength in his voice, but if the cold sweat on his forehead was anything to go by he was scared much like the others. 

Steppenwolf threw the man he was holding aside, he slammed into the wall next to the other hostages with great force as the alien invader picked up Silas with one hand easily. "You carry the scent too, but stronger".

"I'll die before I tell you" Silas spat at the alien causing him to grunt. 

"You'll die if you don't" he barked back. 

But it seems this is when it grew too much for Victor, who let out a mighty "NO!" ripping apart a piece of the nearby railing, and immediately commanded his left arm to form into a blue canon. Firing it into Steppenwolf who didn't even flinch, but Victor flew downwards, blasting the alien again as he grabbed his father free of the clutches of the invader. 

"Kill them both" Steppenwolf ordered his troops. But before a nearby Parademon could carry out this act, Diana leapt downwards, using his sword to impale the Demon into a nearby wall and faced down Steppenwolf with a glare. 

"Ah Amazon" Steppenwolf welcomed as he scanned the armour of his new opponent and recognised the markings. Diana nodded up to Y/N, who looked prepared himself. "But not like your sisters, stronger" he smiled, almost welcoming the challenge. A small standoff began, as Steppenwolf eyes up his axe, while Diana starred him down he didn't even know Y/N was there. Just as Steppenwolf reached his axe, Diana charged forward and Y/N dropped down. The Kryptonian delivered punch into the Apokoliptians head as all three of them crashed through a wall. 

Just as they were mid air, Diana used his lasso to swing herself free as Y/N pushed Steppenwolf into a nearby wall causing him to get briefly stuck there as Diana landed on the bridge as Y/N flew close by to her. Parademons followed closely behind, many dove for Diana who cut them easily as she put away her lasso and unsheathed her sword. A few Parademons flew around Y/N, using their alien tech to shoot energy blasts at him which didn't even dent him.

Superman grabbed hold of one of the Demons, and with force threw him towards a wall, the force was so great the Demon went splat all across the wall. Causing it to be stained with its green entrails and blood. 

"Ah, Defenders" Steppwenwolf sneered, as he freed himself from the wall and leapt towards them. He swiped at Superman with his axe, which lit up with a powerful orange glow with orange energy crackling around it, a bursts of the energy manage to hit Superman and he could feel it sting slightly. As Steppenwolf landed, his Parademons raised their weapons and prepared to fire on the duo. "HOLD!" their general gave the command causing them to lower their weapons. "These ones will be mine" he sneered causing them to fly

"You over estimate yourself" Diana said, glaring at the invader. 

"And that will be your downfall" Y/N added, as the two prepared for battle. 

The bridge trembled as Steppenwolf lunged forward, swinging his massive weapon at Wonder Woman. She deftly parried the blows with her bracelets, the clash of metal on metal reverberating through the cavern. 

Superman, with a blur of speed, soared into the fray, landing a powerful punch on Steppenwolf's side. The impact sent shockwaves through the tunnel, but the merciless alien warrior remained unfazed. "Y/N," Wonder Woman called out, "we must work together to bring him down!"

Nodding in agreement, Superman and Wonder Woman coordinated their attacks. Superman unleashed a flurry of rapid punches, each one guided by his superhuman strength. Wonder Woman gracefully danced around Steppenwolf, delivering precise strikes with her sword. The combined assault seemed to overwhelm Steppenwolf momentarily, but his millennia of combat experience allowed him to counter with surprising agility.

Y/N knew he couldnt use his full strength, images of Metropolis Doomsday and Metallo flashed before his eyes. If he were to use all of his strength here, it could collapse the entire tunnel on everyone. 

Superman and Wonder Woman coordinated their attacks. Superman unleashed a flurry of rapid punches, each one guided by his superhuman strength. Wonder Woman gracefully danced around Steppenwolf, delivering precise strikes with her sword. The combined assault seemed to overwhelm Steppenwolf momentarily, but his millennia of combat experience allowed him to counter with surprising agility.

Steppenwolf retaliated with a sweeping kick, sending Superman sprawling. Wonder Woman leaped to his defense, blocking Steppenwolf's axe with her shield, but the invader pressed down, forcing the Amazon to her knees as she tries desperately to push upwards. "Y/N, we can't let him divide us!" she shouted.

Superman rose, determination burning in his eyes. "Right, Together" he repeated her words from before. 

The duo closed in, a synchronized force of power and skill. Wonder Woman's lasso ensnared Steppenwolf, momentarily restricting his movements. Taking advantage of the opening, Superman delivered a series of precision blows, his fists a blur of motion. Steppenwolf grunted under the assault, his defences weakening.

As the two did battle with the invader, Batman joined them on the walkway. Barry and Victor handled the hostages while he handled the Parademons. He saw the two super beings do battle with Steppenwolf and was briefly awestruck, but quickly his mind rejoined the fight as Parademons bore down on him. As they shot their energy based weapons, Bruce raised his gauntlets.

The energy from the blasts was absorbed into the gauntlets, dissipating and not even damaging the armour at all. 

"The energy is dissipating" Alfred said over coms laughing. "My gauntlet worked" he said with glee. 

Batman then flipped behind cover as more and more Parademons joined the fray. "Celebrate later Alfred, I need the Knightcrawler" he said with hurry. 

"Thought you'd never ask" Alfred said as he re-established his controls. "Crawler's on the way, initiating remote mode" he said, as at the bottom of the tunnel, the behemoth sprung to life and began to crawl its way up the tunnel towards the battle. 

As Steppenwolf kicked Wonder Woman away, sending her sprawling across the cavern floor, he bellowed, "Finish her!" His command echoed through the tunnels as Parademons descended upon the fallen Amazonian.

Meanwhile, Superman, fueled by a mixture of rage and concern for Diana, unleashed a furious torrent of heat vision. His eyes glowed an intense red as he screamed, "Stay away from her!" The searing beams surged toward Steppenwolf, but the alien warrior, drawing upon the dark technology embedded in his armor, absorbed the heat vision with an eerie, otherworldly glow.

(Picture something like this, know it's Supergirl but closest thing I could find) 

His heart raced not only with the adrenaline of battle but also with the unspoken emotions he harbored for Diana.

Steppenwolf, realizing the distraction caused by Superman's concern for Wonder Woman, seized the opportunity. With a swift and calculated motion, he swung his axe with blinding speed. Drawing back, and it pushes back it out channeling the energy it had absorbed from the heat vision. Y/N, momentarily fixated on Diana's well-being, failed to perceive the impending danger. The alien weapon pierced through the air and sank into Y/N's shoulder, eliciting a sharp cry of pain.

The blow wasn't fatal, but it was enough to stagger Superman. The pain shot through him, intensifying his anger. Diana, rallying from the attack, swiftly rejoined the fray, her sword gleaming with determination. As she sliced at Steppenwolf's armoured shoulder causing his attention to switch to her. 

As the Knightcrawler neared the bridge, Batman dove out from cover and glided down into his vehicle. Bruce pressed down on the buttons so that he may control the crab walker. "Thank you Alfred" he said. 

"Don't mention it" was all he replied. 

As Y/N and Diana are now barley holding their own against Steppenwolf, who's axe glazed with power from the absorbed heat vision. Barry was running back down but he wouldn't reach there in time. As Diana flew to the floor of the bridge, and a Parademon pointed its gun directly at her. A leg of the Knightcrawler arose and crushed it with ease. It's weapons opening up and unloading rounds into the aliens who were helpless against the high caliber shells. "My turn" Bruce sneered, as he aimed the weapons across the air and cut down even more Parademons. Just as Steppenwolf raised his axe once again to swipe at Superman, he came under fire from the Knightcrawler. While the bullets didn't harm the alien due to his armour, it was still an annoyance. And so, he leapt downwards raising his axe and swinging it into a part of the crawler. Steppenwolf then tried to punch his way into the vehicle to get at the Dark Knight. 

As Diana looked on, she saw part of the bridge was collapsing and her sword was sliding down and so she dove after it with a Parademon in hot pursuit. Seeing his friend in peril, Superman flew downwards with a raised fist ready to strike Steppenwolf. As all of this was reaching its climax, Barry rejoined the fight. 

As the world fell into slow motion for the speedster, he looked around and visualised his goals. First he sped towards Superman, and gave the Kryptonian a little push so that he would reach Steppenwolf quicker, although actually pushing a Man of Tomorrow was a lot of work. Next he ran along the walls of the tunnel, blue lightning and energy cracking off of him. Y/N could barley see Barry as he did this, he only saw him for a brief few seconds as his own speed was nowhere near the level of the metahuman. Barry looped down, just at the right area he calculated Diana's sword would be, with a small poke, he managed to send the weapon up to the wondrous woman who grabbed it with her extended hand. 

As Barry ran down the tunnel walls however, with a smile on his open mouth. He failed to notice a small, fly, that briefly entered his mouth breaking all of his contortion as he swallowed it. Barry tripped over a part of the wall, and lost all of his balance and broke his speed as he fell to the bottom. 

But his plan paid off, as Diana was able to bring her sword back, and slice the Parademon in half midair before she landed on her feet close to the speedster. Y/N, was able to reach Steppenwolf, and deliver a power punch to him that created a miniature shockwave and sent Steppenwolf to the ground close to Diana. The Knightcrawler however, was still heavily damaged and landed on its back with no response from within from Bruce. 

"Poor Kryptonian, so far from your dead home world" Steppenwolf taunted as he scrapped his axe along the floor, the energy from the heat vision had mostly vanished now. "And poor Amazon, having the blood of the Old Gods in your but still too weak to save your sisters" he taunted, which was enough for Diana. Who crunched her face, and raised both her bracelets. Clanging them together and creating a mighty shockwave that sent Steppenwolf flying backwards deeper into the tunnel. 

As Steppenwolf composed himself, he gave a snarl like command to two Parademons who swooped down and fired a blast of energy towards Barry, which instantly melted through his armour and burnt his skin. The Parademons tried to swoop down and pick up the injured meta human, but Y/N fired off a quick burst of heat vision, instantly melting the two and saving Barry. 

Through the smoke however, a third Demon jumped out at Superman, but Batman, who emerged through the smoke of the damaged Knightcrawler fired out his grapple gun. Which stabbed through the Demon's chest killing it, and Bruce dragged it towards him. An almost jet noise boomed through the air, as Victor rejoined the fight. Flying downwards and bursting through the Knightcrawler, using his advanced tech, Victor's fingers became wires, and he integrated with the tank instantly and walked along the wall to flip it right side up but still aimed towards Steppenwolf. 

"Relax Alfred, I'll take it from here" 

"Uhh, do I know you?"

First, a mini gun emerged from the machine, unloading hundreds of rounds in mere seconds into the alien invader. But this did little but irritate him as he stood his ground. 

Victor commanded the crawler to pop out two missiles launchers, one was launched first. Which Steppenwolf swiped away with his axe creating a launch explosion behind him, Steppenwolf grabbed with what seemed like ease. He looked at the missile, with either disappointment or impressed, and let it go aiming directly at one of the walls of the tunnels. 

Steppenwolf looked at the heroes, and didn't say a word. Although he sensed something, like an echo had finally reached his ears. As he was then engulfed in a bright blue, tube shaped energy. And was teleported away, but the explosion created by the second missile created a rumbling within the tunnel. 

"What are we under right now?" the wounded Barry asked Bruce who was next to him. 

"Gotham Harbour" he answered, and water began to instantly flood through the damaged hole. Bruce slung Barry's arm over his shoulder, and hurried him towards the crawler fir safety while Diana hurried behind them. The water levels rose, and soon crept towards them. Even though his injury hadn't recovered yet, Y/N inhaled a mighty breath and with great force blew out. The force of the super powered breath was inedible, holding back the water slightly but weakened and breath knocked out of him by the axe Y/N couldn't hold it for long. But help was at hand, as through the water a figure emerged. 

A bearded figure wearing ancient Atlantean armour swam through the water, and joined Supermans side shock the Kryptonians side. 

"Sup?" Arthur Curry asked, slamming his quindent into the ground, the water bending to his will as Arthur managed to hold off the tide of liquid. 

"Superman come on" Victor urged, as the rest of the team boarded the crawler. Y/N looked back, seeing Arthur was slowly engulfed by the water, but Y/N knowing his Atlanteans knew he would be fine. Y/N flew upwards, just as the Crawler was hit by the wave of water, Victor managed to command the crawler to climb up the walls of the tunnel to safety, everyone breathing a sigh of relief. Although, as the idea of safety flooded Victor's mind, something came to him. One thing in particular, wasn't safe. And so, he kicked open the glass to the crawler, and flew off from the tunnels. 

Later 

The GCPD had been called in to help with the rescue effort, lights of helicopters shined brightly as the team regrouped. Minus one Victor Stone, but plus Arthur Curry. 

"It called to him, the Mother Box" Diana, explained. "The one he already has"/ 

"He has two" Arthur cut in. "He took the Mother Box from Atlantis" he explained, causing Y/N to look down in thought, hoping that Mera was okay. 

"All he needs now is the last box of man" Diana said with shock and horror in her voice. 

"If he doesn't already have it" the Bat of Gotham butted in, all doom and gloom. 

Suddenly however, the teams query was answered, as Victor landed in front of them, holding what could only be the Mother Box in a protective case. "He doesn't have it, I do" he said, instilling hope in all of the heroes, there was still a chance, and a chance is all they needed. 

Author's Note 

Finally managed to squeeze out this chapter, took a while since Wattpad didn't seem to save the first draft and I had to rewrite the whole second half, that's why it gets slightly lazy at the end. But I did it, got the tunnel scene done. Hope it was worth it. Next chapter could be a bit, not sure how to tackle the next few scenes but I'll think of something. I tend to think of A, C and then use what's there to fill in B. 

What do you think of the added bits between Y/N and Barry and Victor and Diana? Thought I'd try and flesh stuff out a bit, let me know if you think they worked or not. 

I recently posted an Arkhamverse story, and if you're reading this, that means you like DC so go check it out. 

Anyway,

How is the story so far?

Hope You Enjoyed

Happy Holidays

See You Next Time