[Alpha]

*Shing*

*Whoosh*

*Thud*

Batman and Deathstroke went back and forth with their fight to the point that Batman's lower ends of his cape were ripped, slashes were made on the batsuit. Some deep enough to see skin and blood.

Batman breathed hard as he looked at Deathstroke, who didn't seem to have any clear mess on him. His two swords were broken but he now holds the heavy iron staff.

"You're not bad, but you're still a far cry from using the symbol of a bat." Alfie had bruises under his suit but nothing major. 'You're no Dark Knight.'

"Give me a reason…" Deathstroke said as he pointed his heavy staff at the bat. "...on why I shouldn't kill you."

Batman stayed silent, but wiped his mouth with his forearm and stood up.

"I'm not finished." Was all he said.

Batman then moved his hands to his shoulders and seconds later the cape he had on fell on to the ground with a muffled thud.

He put both his hands behind his lower back on his utility belt level before bringing it out and flicking his hands around him.

*Fwoosh*

The whole area around Batman turned up in smoke as handfuls of pellets were dropped around him.

But unlike most smoke gadgets it didn't cover the area with smoke. In fact looking closely, Alfie could see tiny sparks traveling in the smoke which soon dissipated and spread out on the rooftop.

The lights nearby slowly dimmed making the already dark rooftop more pitch black than ever before flickering and turning off. The only thing that was making the most light is the full moon and light from the skyscrapers faraway.

As the area darkened, Batman's figure suddenly turned more darker than ever, and his body turned into wisps of shadow like smoke that perfectly and horrifyingly blended into the engulfing darkness.

As his figure slowly dissolved from bottom to top, Batman spoke in a chilling voice as his mouth still showed.

"With darkness, I rule-"

*Pshew*

"Like hell you are!!" Deathstroke shouted as he sent a flickering kunai to the Batman's head which went through him and completely disappeared into the shadows.

Now Deathstroke was in the middle of shadow waves with nothing to stop it but the so called "Lord-of-Shadows" hiding in the dark.

The man in question did not panic but instead took out something from his arsenal and put his fist forward before letting it open. And as it opens a small pellet dropped before.

*Fwoopfoom*

The pellet activated and a bright light flashed along with a muffled banging. A flashbang, which startled and seem to have physically pushed the shadows back a few meters like a symbiote shrieking from high frequency sounds.

Deathstroke's expression aren't obvious due to the skin tight mask, but the clear snort made out from behind the mask is clear enough to show that Deathstroke was at "least'' smirking behind there.

"And here I thought I was doing a pretty good job in giving you a smack down, but I guess saving your best tricks in your arsenal for last is not really an unheard of tactic." Deathstroke contracted his staff before sheathing it and took out a kunai on his right and rested his left hand on his back.

"I mean I also save up tricks for last, or in cases like these." He wasn't exactly able to forget that this Batman has some kind of capabilities with shadow.

And he also learned a few things the last time they fought, including the weakness.

Deathstroke got low enough to look like he was kneeling, his left still resting behind. And with everything his peak superhuman strength can give along with the overwhelming Chi enhancing him further...Deathstroke jumped.

*Fwoosh*

As he looked down through the heat sensing eye lenses, he wasn't able to find any body heat which is most likely due to the shadows. But Deathstroke already knew of this, that is why he dropped handfuls of flashbang pellets which should now be…

**FWOOPFOOM**

Just like how Batman spread out his electrical smoke disturbance, the flashbangs work to disturb the shadows and hopefully even reveal the location of the "Shadow Lord" hiding about.

And just as they activated, Deathstroke flung his small flying kunais at top speed to the stunned Batman on one of the corners.

Three kunais flrew down straight for Batman who held his hands up to block the surprise flashes. And each one of them either pierced or grazed him.

First one pierced the left shoulder, the second one missed but made a scar on the suit and skin down the left rib while the third one pierced the left thɨġh.

"Urggh!!" Batman gave out deep bellowing grunts as he took a knee on his left holding his left rib with his right hand.

Batman looked up to see Deathstroke standing in front of him with the staff fully extended again, face covered but the mockery sensed.

*Pang*

The staff effortlessly found itself where Batman's head was previously at, Batman on the other hand was lying on the ground unconscious.

"You are definitely not an easy opponent." Alfie said as he crouched down close to the unconscious Bat. "But your styles and abilities have many disadvantages as well as too many ways to counter."

Deathstroke kicked the Bat turning him around to lie on his back. The first curiosity is always the unmasking, but Deathstroke simply looked down unto the utility belt more interested in the gadgets the 21st (hopefully) century came up with.

He tried to unbuckle the belt only to find too many complications, first it locked itself somehow not budging itself, Deathstroke put a little more force on the buckles which seemed to have cracked something and then a beeping alarm went on.

'Well that's annoying' Deathstroke took out a kunai and forced the belt of breaking it but finally took it off the knocked out body.

He only managed to look into one of the pouches when he jerked his head up in frustration. He then tossed the belt onto the unconscious Batman and pointed his left palm at Batman and started making circles on his right hand.

A few seconds later the body dropped down from a portal Deathstroke made and then he looked up.

He turned his head left and right as the eyes of the mask turned red.

Three S.H.I.E.L.D. jets, no, four. Four S.H.I.E.L.D. jets maneuvered around before surrounding him.

'What were they called again? Quinn jets?!' Deathstroke wondered as he liked their designs and capabilities, but it's nothing he would drool over after everything he's seen and been through.

There was suddenly light and the rooftops full of fully geared agents.

Deathstroke stood there waiting with no reactions, he expected a sound of warning for him to stand down or aomething but that wasn't what was initiated.

*Pash*

2 black metal-like nets shot out from two of the quinjets heading straight for Deathstroke. He was in a dilemma now as one was heading straight for him, sure he could dodge that by jumping back which was the easiest maneuver, but the second net would be headed straight for him if he did.

And he is not gonna undermind what those nets are capable of.

He jumped to the right and using his hands to push himself up making another skip away from the coming nets.

*Pash*

*Pash*

Two more nets fired off from the other two quinjets, but as if that wasn't enough two other shots were made by the first two that shot.

But that didn't work as it just electrified him painfully to the point that he was on all fours. This gave the agents on foot to start making their way to him after making it up the building.

Soon enough a handful of agents stood surrounding Deathstroke either full of awe and unease or aiming their weapons at him.

"How is this guy still conscious with all that charge?!" One of the agents asked.

>Status report! Why are you not detaining him?< Was heard on the radio.

"He is not neutralized yet, he is still active and dangerous." The captain of the unit radioed back.

>Then it is in your hands<

The captain confirmed the order before clicking his tongue with unwillingness, the objective was to neutralize Alfred McBride (assuming) and bring him back to hq.

The thing was, he will wake up again, but who the hell wants a dangerous man like this to know he was the one that knocked him out.

The captain walked in closer and slowed as he signalled his team to also move in.as they got closer they took out an electrical stick aiming at Deathstroke.

One man decoded to man up and rushed in trying to stab the stick on Deathstroke, and it did touch which made Deathstroke grunt even more, and seeing how it worked and how he is still conscious, the others also stuck their weapons on him electrifying him even more.

"Hahahaha." Deathstroke laughed out loud scaring the agents. "I guess it was stupid of me to think you would "ask" for my surrender this time."

*Whoom*

*Krash*

The metal net was suddenly thrown by the captive as he screamed knocking back a few men with a swing of his staff while the net went over and captured the other agents on the other side immediately knocking them out.

*Whoosh*

*Pang*

*Ding*

With the few that still stood, they couldn't pull the trigger fast enough before they were struck in the head heavily, while those that did only missed their targets.

"STAND DOWN!! OR WE WILL USE FURTHER FORCE!!" The quinjet sounded out.

Since the close quarter combat unit were taken out, the snipers on the far rooftops were radioed in to take their shots.

*BANG*

A sound of gunfire was heard, as that very bullet made its way to sink in Deathstroke's shoulder and he also moved as fast as he could.

*DING*

A loud ringing of metal was heard from the area.

"D-...did he just…"

A snort and chuckle came from Deathstroke.

"You amateurs should be careful, I might not be so soft next time." He said before putting away the staff and making a peace sign on his left and dropping a smoke pellet that enveloped his whole figure and disappeared.

"Where did he go?!"

"He just disappeared!! The scanners aren't getting anything, how did he do that?!"

********

On a certain rooftop in Hell's Kitchen, Batman's unconscious body laid there for all to see in the night.

A few blocks away on another rooftop, a portal opened up and walked out Alfie with the skin tight mask pulled up only showing his face. He then crouched down and lit up a cigarette watching the unconscious Batman.

"Now, let's see if you have any friends."

***********

Back to the council hosted by Randall.

There was silence, because even after 70 or so years Alfie was still shocking them.

Certain events in history have been prophesied by Alfie which seemed ridiculous. But after wars, events, presidents and a few supernatural events, one could say Alfie saw into the future or more specifically came from there.

But he never explained it to these figures, he's always been saying crazy stuff but they weren't fools to ignore the foolish words now.

"What do you mean he's off on personal business?!" General Powell spoke out impatiently.

"It's definitely a shock he came back after all these years, but there was a tinge of expectations after everything he's predicted." Congresswoman Regina said.

"We still need explanations not only for why we are where we are but what our main goal is. It is plain how much power there is in this room and how much it can affect the world." General Powell said eyeing everyone in the round table. "If the end-goals of this council have even one sign of ill intentions to the public then I am more than willing to relinquish my power and positions."

"Ill intentions to the public? So are you saying that if it's ill intended to the dark you would be alright with it?" Doctor Delgado teased.

"You know what I meant you madman!!" General Powell shot back. "You were doing good work until you decided to dirty your hands with the blood of the innocents."

"I don't expect you to understand General, but in the end you are still using my inventions for your own goals. Don't spout your nonsense when your hypocrisy is just as high."

*Bam*

"You don't know anything!! I should have put you down the moment I caught you red hande-"

"That's enough dear pack members, and you should be aware General that each and everyone in this room is more than willing to do what is necessary for their goals, but we all still have morals more or less. The Alph- Alfie didn't pick us because we would casually shed blood or do immoral things."

"What a load of crap, you consider Delgado to have morals?! He used innocent women and children as test subjects for his little experiments!!" General Powell shouted pointing at Delgado who just laid his head on his fist against the chair handle.

"What you saw General, wasn't innocents but spies and ȧssassins. But you are right about Doctor Delgado using them as subjects, he needs significant progress for his work and if it ends up working he will help these children out more than anything." Randall explained.

"That doesn't make it better, the best we can do for these so-called "assassins" is leave them to the authorities to handle. Leaving it to unsupervised people like him might just be the end of them."

"General you should already know how dependable the authorities are, these hidden powers are too much for them."

"Hahaha, even I know the blues can't handle these shadows, even this council's snakes are deep within the authorities." Don Evalina chimed in.

"Silence you criminal!! Your presence in this council is a shame, why do we even need a low life in the seats?!" General Powell turned to Evalina Costa.

"Careful General." Luis spoke softly with a smirk.

He was one of the dangerous individuals in the council along with the quiet Michael Dushnoll.

"Eve's position in the pack is also needed, just like how we keep order in our communities, she is keeping organized crimes in order as well." Randall explained once more.

But as he says this, Evalina's face twitched. And she wouldn't say it now but there have been a few problems coming up within the criminal worlds and her crime family is hurting. But she is adamant on handling it on her own then asking for help.

"Enough of this nonsense!! We have more important topics to discuss." Congresswoman Regina cut in to the subjects in hand.

"What did McBride say?" Michael spoke.

"He said he was paying back a beating to someone, didn't say much on who but that was all before he left." Randall said.

"When?"

"About six days ago."

"Is it so important that he has to handle it now?" The General asked.

"Not sure, but he has his reasons for doing what he does."

The group went in deep thought.

"But that's not what's important, one of the biggest events will soon happen according to Alfie's predictions again." Randall said, getting everyone's attention. "After 1990 we now know that outerworld beings are not impossible, and so will the coming invasion."

Silence ensued.

"Our main job for the coming chaos is to use our influence to lower the casualties, there is not much we can do directly but if what Alfie is saying is true then a group of superheroes will be able to handle it."

General Powell snorted. "Heroes? This is ridiculous."

"Well Colin, would you rather have no "heroes" to stop this invasion?" Luis spoke against the General.

"Who needs heroes when there is a military to stand and fight for its people."

"Well considering it's gods and monsters against aliens...I think it's a fair match." Randall joked.

"Still, that bastard probably could have prevented this somehow, but why is he just letti-" General Powell paused as his watch started beeping. "Damn it, I have to go, keep me updated!!"

*Ping*

General Powell's digital figure was gone.

*Ping*

Another sound was made as Congresswoman Regina's figure disappeared as well without saying goodbye.

"I have to go as well, I have things to handle." Don Costa said.

"Everything alright darling?" Luis asked.

"Yeah, just some minor idiots breaking the family rules. I'll call you later, bye."

*Ping*

Don Evalina Costa's figure was gone as well.

"Sir I've arrived, I will keep you updated." Rona spoke.

*Ping*

"Sheesh, everyone's so busy nowadays." Randall commented.

"I am busy as well, I have demons I have to rip out of idiots. Buhbye." Luis waved.

*Ping*

"I will say my goodbyes as well, Mikael, I need you to shadow me once more, HYDRA has been pushy lately." Doctor Delgado said to which Michael nodded. "Thanks for informing us Randall, I'll be seeing you cabron."

*Ping*

"Well Mr.Dushnoll, I will see you again soon."

*Ping*

Michael's figure disappeared after nodding to Randall.

"Hupp!!"

Immediately after everyone was disconnected, Randall jumped out of his seat before making his way to his bedroom while dropping clothes on the way before lying on bed with his undėrwėȧr snoring away.

*******************

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