Solomon used his X‑ray vision to look directly at Batman. All he could see was Batman's mouth—everything else was hidden behind the mask that, for some reason, his vision couldn't penetrate.
"Lead, huh?"
"It seems he came prepared."
But Solomon wasn't just watching Batman; he was also focused on the mysterious box concealed within the trunk of his car. He didn't know what it was, only that it was something meant to confront him. Solomon felt a twinge of unease. One of his greatest fears was Batman's arsenal of suits. He wasn't sure if the Hellbat or any of the other advanced armors existed in this universe, but after glimpsing the box, he was certain it wasn't any of them.
As Solomon observed, Batman began scaling the side of the building, moving with a stealth that made it nearly impossible to track. If Solomon hadn't been paying close attention, he would have easily lost sight of him. Batman possessed an uncanny ability to vanish into the shadows—an ability that even made Superman, the Man of Steel, struggle to keep up with him.
Solomon's own abilities paled in comparison; he couldn't match even one percent of Superman's power, let alone any of his abilities His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed Batman had disappeared. He had only been distracted for a second, and now he could only here a faint heart beat.
Solomon did not care as he noticed something in the sky, only to see Red Tornado and his recently revealed partners arriving. Not far behind them floated Superboy, a sight that sent a ripple of confusion through Solomon's mind.
Superboy was flying next to Megan, as she lifted robin and Aqualad. They were tailing red tornado, but Solomon did not care about why they were doing that.
"How is he doing that?" Solomon wondered, his eyes narrowing. Superboy was never supposed to have awakened his powers. The implications were staggering.
Had Superboy sought help from Lex? Solomon's thoughts raced, considering every possibility until a single, chilling conclusion emerged.
"It seems my existence in this universe is more significant than I ever imagined," he murmured, a mix of resignation and determination in his voice.
With a heavy sigh, Solomon glanced down at Scarecrow, whose defeated form lay crumpled below—a broken mind rendered useless except as a tool that can be used to create shock value. If he killed Scarecrow infront of the world, then he would be known for being more than just a vigilante. The scene was set, and Solomon knew his moment had come.
"Well, I guess it's time then. It's time to create the stage for my entrance."
Meanwhile, Batman's car was parked in front of the building—a silent signal of his arrival. Wally, having been scouting the perimeter as taught by barry, he sped back. Barry always said, as a speedster, Wally always had time, so there was no reason for he or his team to be caught by hidden traps.
"Robin, have you figured out why Batman called for Red Tornado?" Aqualad asked, his tone both curious and concerned as they followed just behind tornados jet.
"Give me a minute," Robin replied, his fingers dancing over a portable device. "Batman added extra protection on this file, though it won't make much difference for long." In a matter of moments, the normally arduous process of dismantling the digital defenses—usually taking 10 to 15 minutes—could be completed in only 5.
"Guys, I don't think we should do this," someone warned from the shadows.
"Maybe it's too dangerous," Megann added, her voice betraying her worry.
"Megann, you don't have to worry," Wally reassured her, his tone gentle but firm.
"We've gotten a lot stronger," he continued, trying to instill a sense of confidence in the team.
"Batman has kept us cooped up in that mountain for far too long. He had this coming."
Robin interjected, his tone laced with a mix of defiance and lingering resentment. "No matter what we do, we're always treated like children around him."
"That might never have happened if someone hadn't thrown a security guard more than two stories into the air," Artemis remarked dryly, glancing at Superboy.
"Whatever," Superboy muttered, his voice tinged with indifference. After all, the guard was alive—thanks to Megan's intervention, her actions had saved him.
Robin glanced at Superboy before returning to his work. Suddenly, the typing on his wrist device came to an abrupt halt. He had succeeded on finally breaking through Batmans defense.
His face turned pale as he absorbed the details of the mission. His breath hitched and his heart began to thump violently. In that instant, his thoughts drifted back to the island and the horrors that had unfolded there—the thick stench of blood permeating the air, bodies scattered everywhere, the overwhelming odor of urine mingling with the chaos. Amid the flames and turmoil, a lone figure had floated above the devastation, his visage amplified by the moon. The image of the bloodied, Solomon, with scarlet energy uncontrollably wafting off his body was smeared into robins mind.
"Robin, what's wrong?" Aqualad asked, noticing the drastic change in Robin's expression.
Before Robin could muster an explanation, a thunderous BOOM shattered the silence. A brilliant scarlet force erupted nearby, sending a powerful gust of wind toward the group. Dust filling the area, as the group was unprepared for what had just happened.
They instinctively took cover as Superboy, relying on sheer brute strength, swept away the dust with a single, mighty swing of his arm. While the rest of the team tried to discern the source of the explosion.
Superboy on the other hand did not have a hard time doing so, Superboy sensed something extraordinary—a distinct energy signature that resonated in every cell of his body. Only one person could wield such power.
In an open clearing, Solomon stood imposingly with Scarecrow's crumpled form lying at his feet. A shimmering protective barrier encased him. With his mask removed, Solomon's face revealed an emotionless expression as he surveyed the assembled group.
"Aah, the Young Justice," Solomon intoned in a dull, detached tone, as if their presence barely registered. "Did you miss me?"
Superboy's eyes widened in shock; he had never expected to see his own brother—no, Solomon—in person. The rest of the Young Justice team exchanged wary glances, a mix of fear and readiness etched on their faces. Meanwhile, Superboy's shock quickly transformed into seething anger as he clenched his fist.
"SOLOMOON!" he roared.
In a flash, Superboy accelerated beyond his previous limits, hurtling toward Solomon with the singular aim of delivering a crushing blow. Solomon, fully aware that this confrontation was inevitable, steeled himself. He now faced not only an enraged adversary but also his own brother—a reunion forged in conflict and burdened by dark secrets.
Solomon hadn't expected Superboy to move so fast. Unprepared for the barrage, Superboy's punch struck Solomon's face, sending him hurtling hundreds of feet through the air. Yet the attack left no mark—Solomon simply halted mid-flight with a casual ease that belied his true power.
Drifting slowly to the ground as if nothing had occurred, Solomon neither retaliated nor showed any sign of alarm. Instead, he regarded his brother with mild surprise.
"What a surprise," he remarked coolly. "You've grown far more than I expected."
Superboy, still catching his breath, managed a strained smile. "I guess that's the minimum expected of my little brother," Solomon continued, his tone dripping with condescension. "But that will be far from enough to defeat me."
Superboy exhaled deeply, trying to steady himself with the calming exercises Megan had taught him. He realized with dawning regret that he had instinctively held back in that first punch—and now, seeing Solomon unharmed, he knew that restraint might have been a mistake.
Before Superboy could decide his next move, a flash of lightning passed by him scorching the earth, as Wally streaked past him. "Superboy isn't the only one who's gotten stronger," Wally declared, processing information at a speed few could match. He had processed everything that was happening. In the blink of an eye, he had bolstered his own kinetic energy, his momentum reaching a near-impossible velocity. Solomon barely registered Wally's approach before another fist connected with his face. This time, the blow merely tilted his head—hardly causing any damage.
And then, as if the force of ten thousand punches were raining down upon him, Solomon felt an endless barrage of attacks. The strikes did nothing more than create a sensation of relentless pressure—enough, perhaps, to leave bruising after a day's assault, but utterly ineffective in the moment. With a sudden burst of omni-directional force, Wally was sent flying, his momentum dispersing into the chaos of the fight.
The explosive display jolted the rest of the team back to reality. Their comrades were locked in combat with what appeared to be an invincible foe while they had remained frozen in hesitation. In response, Megan reached out mentally to unite their focus, and Aqualad began issuing urgent commands.
"Robin, Artemis, find Batman and Red Tornado. We can't take Solomon on alone," Aqualad ordered.
Both Robin and Artemis nodded quickly before sprinting off in search of Batman. The urgency of the moment was palpable.
Solomon's eyes narrowed as he called out in a chilling tone, "You think you can run away from me?"
In response, scarlet-red lasers burst from his eyes, targeting Robin and Artemis with lethal precision. But Aqualad was ready. With a swift motion, he pulled moisture from the air, forming a thick wall of compressed water. The brilliant beam slammed into the shield, causing it to evaporate in a flash. However, before the shield could vanish entirely, Aqualad gathered the water vapor once more, reinforcing it. The cycle continued—Solomon's relentless laser assault clashing against a barrier that evaporated and recondensed with every strike.
A wry smile slowly crept across Solomon's face. "So, Superboy wasn't the only one who's grown," he mused, his tone casual despite the deadly nature of the confrontation.
Of course, Solomon wasn't truly interested in killing the Young Justice—or any hero, for that matter. He had the power to easily shatter that watery shield, but he deliberately held back. For him, this was more than a simple fight; it was a carefully measured test, a prelude to the grander stage he intended to set for his ultimate entrance.
"We may not be able to beat you, but we can sure hold you off," Aqualad declared, his tattoos glowing with a fierce light. At his command, blades of highly compressed water shot toward Solomon.
Solomon barely regarded the attack. With a casual gesture, he raised a shimmering barrier that effortlessly shattered the water blades on contact, leaving him unscathed. As the group maintained their telepathic link, Aqualad barked out further orders.
"Megan, block his vision! Flash, help Megan distract Solomon. Make sure to use long-range attacks."
"Solomon seems to underestimate us—and that will be his downfall," Aqualad added, his voice resolute.
"Superboy, you are our greatest striker. We'll give you an opening—make sure you take it!"
"YES!" the group chorused, unified by their plan. Their strategy was simple: distract Solomon long enough for Batman and Red Tornado to arrive.
In that moment, Solomon felt the ground tremble beneath him as it split apart. Without losing his balance, he stood firm floating in the air, as the ground below him gave way. Two massive chunks of earth were violently torn from the surface and slammed into him from either side. Unperturbed, Solomon nonchalantly sliced each chunk into four pieces with red crimson blades. His hand tucked behind his back—a signature stance of Dc's biggest bad, Darksied.
"Mmm!" Solomon grunted in pain, because the surge of energy that coursed through his body. The thunderbolt thrown by Kidflash had impacted him more than he let on. It seemed speedforce energy, was more effective than he thought it would be. Glancing at Wally with mild annoyance, Solomon raised his hand.
"You think you're the only ones who have changed? You're dead wrong," he declared, his hand now glowing with a chilling blue light as he prepared to counterattack Wally.
Meanwhile, Artemis and Robin had successfully located Batman along with the rest of the heroes. Solomon's earlier blast had thrown Red Tornado, Black Canary, and the Arrow careening through the air.
Batman after a brief recovery decided that he would reconvene with the rest of the heroes, instead of going alone. He had alread found the heroes and was going to the Batmobile, to get the last thing he would need to face Solomon.
But to his surprise—and irritation—Batman found that Robin and Artemis were here, and if they were here, then the Young Justice was not far behind.
Thank you for reading this chapter, I hoped you enjoyed it. Also I know some might be mad Solomon had not ended the fight instantly, but this was for a reason. Comment your thoughts, thank you.