Let me show you a new way Chapter 092

Chapter 6: Red Lantern Demon

“How do I stop this thing?” Batman yelled into his comms to Oracle.

“I’m not sure, the modification program can’t be stopped,” Oracle’s cold voice replied.

Batman clenched his fists. In front of him, a row of objects resembling cryogenic pods stood. Through the transparent covers, he could clearly see the changes happening inside.

In one of them, a man resembling him, dressed in a suit, was confined. Many tubes were inserted into his body, and he was slowly undergoing an alienating transformation.

“I have to find a way to disable it, the program has already started,” Batman tried to find a switch or something similar.

“Batman, I can temporarily cut off the machine’s energy supply, but I’m not sure if it will cause him irreparable damage,” Oracle’s voice came through.

“Can a parademon be cured after modification?” Batman asked.

“Impossible. This modification is irreversible. The subject’s brain and body will be forcibly reshaped,” Oracle said, reading the data.

Batman swayed slightly, leaning weakly against the wall. “Then… let him out. At least he can die as a human.”

Instantly, the massive modification chamber lost its power supply. Amidst a cacophony of alarms, the modification pod opened.

With a hiss, the pod sprayed out a cloud of white mist. Batman seemed to see the past in that mist.

***

“We can’t always view killing as the only solution. Maybe we should try some new methods,” Thomas said.

“New methods?” Bruce crawled out from under the car. His hands were covered in grease, but he didn’t care, tossing the wrench into the toolbox and wiping sweat from his brow with his elbow.

“Yeah, maybe, I mean maybe, some people don’t necessarily need to be killed. They’re just following orders,” Thomas ran to the car window and yelled inside.

“Following orders?” Bruce adjusted the car’s operation from inside, not even looking up as he replied, “Is that what you think? Those thugs?”

“I mean, they were ordinary people originally. They weren’t born evil; they just wanted to survive,” Thomas didn’t give up, trying to convince Bruce of his reasoning.

“They wanted to survive, so they deprived more people of their right to live,” Bruce opened the car door and simply wiped his hands. “Such people deserve to die.”

“But… I mean… they didn’t want to be like that either. It was the environment that forced them,” Thomas followed Bruce, arguing vehemently.

“So what? We can’t change the environment, we can’t change the system, we can’t save those people. So we can only kill those who destroy the lives of more people,” Bruce said. He opened the large computer in front of him and retrieved some data.

A familiar man appeared on the screen.

“You know him, right? Floyd Lawton. ( 1)” Bruce typed on the keyboard.

“He’s a minor leader in the Court of Owls ( 2), mainly responsible for providing fire support. He has a daughter and is divorced from his ex-wife. He sends his daughter gifts every Christmas.”

Bruce continued typing on the computer, pulling up several other images.

“Doesn’t that seem heartwarming? But half a year ago, because of a lawsuit filed against him, Floyd Lawton poured chemicals on lawyer Harvey Dent ( 3) and his fiancée before the trial. That poor girl died from the infection, and the chemicals entered Harvey’s eyes, causing permanent blindness.”

The image showed a man in a white suit, impeccably dressed and confident, speaking eloquently to the judge, bringing hope to the poor.

Another image showed him wearing sunglasses, struggling to walk with a white cane. ( 4)

“At that time, Harvey was about to marry his fiancée. After this accident, a potentially happy family simply vanished.”

Bruce continued typing on the computer, pulling up more images.

“Two months ago, Floyd secretly transported multiple laughing gas bombs, attempting to detonate them in Gotham City,” Bruce sat in his chair and took a sip from the water glass beside him.

“We stopped him. We killed him.”

“Yes, I never deny that some criminals also have families, people they love, and soft spots in their hearts.”

“But that’s never an excuse, Thomas…”

“If you want to be merciful, bestow it upon those who need it more.”

***

“Calm down, calm down, I’m here, I’m here.” Batman gently stroked his brother’s hair. The man screamed in pain, the alienating tissue on his body causing him immense suffering.

“Did you see Father?” the man suddenly asked.

“What?” Batman looked at his brother, whose eyes were vacant, clearly unable to see anything.

“He said, remember? He was going to take us to see Zorro ( 5).” His memory was already confused, his mind somewhat unclear.

“Yes, yes, I remember. Don’t worry, it’s still night,” Batman’s voice held a slight choke. This was when they were eight years old. Father decided to let them relax and watch a movie.

“Are you crying?” the man asked.

“No, I won’t cry. Waynes don’t cry,” Batman replied.

“Don’t be afraid. If you’re scared, I’ll protect you,” he said. “I’m your brother!”

The man mumbled, his breathing becoming erratic, and the alienating body tissue began to show rejection, his body convulsing.

“Please, please, you’re my only family…”

“Please…” Batman tried to save him in vain, but he couldn’t stop his brother’s death.

Finally, he held his brother’s corpse, kneeling on the ground, weeping bitterly to the sky.

Sadness, anger, hatred, regret, fear, cowardice—countless negative emotions surged forth. This man, who had always suppressed his emotions, wept uncontrollably at his brother’s death.

Outside Earth, a massive red figure released its hand. ( 6)

A blood-red shadow flew out from his hand impatiently, transforming into a red meteor that plunged towards Earth, eventually entering the spaceship and landing on Batman’s finger.

***

Diana suddenly looked up, gazing at a certain spaceship within the fleet. She sensed a massive wave of anger and sorrow emanating from it. She seemed to hear someone who had lost everything, weeping bitterly.

He wanted revenge, he wanted…

Vengeance…

“Everyone, get out of that spaceship!” Diana warned everyone with her telepathic magic, then forcefully struck her staff on the ground. Spatial fluctuations enveloped the Green Lanterns who were about to investigate the fleet’s information, teleporting them to her side.

The next second…

A giant blood-red bat instantly exploded…

The fleet was destroyed in an instant. The bat’s wings cut through the surrounding spaceships like blades, and countless Parademons were scorched by the flames on the bat’s body.

The next second, all the fiery red bats retracted…

In their place, a man in a red bat suit floated in the air, his cape billowing behind him like flames. On the middle finger of his right hand, a blood-red ring glowed exceptionally brightly.

“Little Thomas Wayne from Earth…”

“Your heart surges with raging fury…”

“You belong to…”

“The Red Lantern Corps…”

( 1) Floyd Lawton, in the original timeline, is Deadshot, who also has a good side.

( 2) The Court of Owls, I’m not very familiar with them either, so I won’t explain. But in my setting, the Court of Owls is a very powerful organization that the Wayne family has been fighting against.

( 3) Two-Face. In the comics, he developed dissociative identity disorder after having acid thrown on his face, transforming from an excellent and righteous lawyer into a villain.

( 4) Hmm… Daredevil…

( 5) Zorro. After Bruce watched the movie, his parents were shot and killed.

( 6) Atrocitus: The leader of the Red Lanterns.