The Gotham PD were totally confused, unsure of what was really going on in the city. They somehow got their hands on their only lead at uncovering the objectives of the terrorist group, only to lose that shred of hope.
They were to protect the citizens but had no lead on the terrorist group causing harm, neither have they made any sort of demands.
This had Batman working over time to track down Scarecrow, while also investigating the terrorist attacks.
“Hey, Tom. You’re missing the late night news.” Jason called out to Tom who was over at the dining, handling a couple of work on his laptop. “Anything new? If not, then I have no desire to watch another repeated news.” Tom replied.
“Yes, Lex has been arrested.” Jason replied.
Tom immediately paused upon hearing about Luthor’s arrest. “How were they finally able to catch him?”
“Apparently he turned himself in, saying he was manipulated into experimenting with the mother box which led to the invasion.” Jason answered, his eyes still glued to the TV screen.
“As expected.” Tom remarked as he closed his laptop, then proceeded toward the living room.
“What do you mean?” Jason asked, wanting to get Tom’s insight on the case. “Basically he's probably done a couple of background work, bribing everyone who could be an influence in his case.”
“I get it, then the story of him being manipulated to experiment with the mother box would be considered valid.” Jason seemed to get the gist.
“Exactly, he would probably get three to six months of jail time. They might try protecting him in jail but there are many who probably holds some kind grudge against him and could try something against him in jail.” As Tom continued to explain possible scenarios concerning Luthor’s case, the ground suddenly began to tremble.
“Grab onto something.” Tom yelled at Jason who stumbled his way towards him as he grabbed onto Tom’s arm. “Good call.” If anything was to happen, it was best to stay near Tom for he served as a danger repellent.
“We are under attack.” Gwen announced. “By who?” Jason asked, only for the front wall to burst open and standing there was a bulky middle aged man. Arthur, the second in command of the Sparrows.
“And who might you be, trashing my crib like that?” Tom calmly spoke as the house slowly began to fall apart, cracks spreading along the walls and across the ceiling.
“Take a guess.” He stumped his foot on the ground and a trail of craters made their way along the ground to sink their feet, blocks erupted and seized their legs.
“He must be one of the Sparrows, of all times for Leo to be out of town.” Jason did not appreciate the timing but it was still 2V1, and Arthur was clearly at a disadvantage since Tom was his target.
Arthur hit his fist on the ground and the blocks suddenly contracted, attempting to crush their feet. But they crumbled into bits before they got the chance to.
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“Huh!” Arthur was surprised by both their composure and how his trap was easily nullified without either of them having to move a single muscle.
“Are you Jamie?” Tom’s expression was totally unreadable and Arthur could only wonder if he was that confident, or lacked a sense of danger.
“You aren’t worth the bosses time.” Arthur replied with a grunt, instantaneously erupting earth walls surrounding Tom and Jason as he sealed them within it.
He wanted to get physical with Tom but had to keep his distance in avoidance of getting caught up by Tom’s telekinesis, at least this way he could either choose to take Tom in for questioning or just end him right there.
As he contemplated on the thought, a small block erupted surrounding his leg and immediately contracted within itself, crushing his foot in the process.
“Arghh!”
Arthur grunted in pain as he leaped upon one foot, but was more surprised by having his technique used against him. “How ironic.” He muttered to himself, finally given the answer to a question he once asked Jamie, which was how Charlotte got burnt by her own flames.
The earth walls entrapping Tom crumbled, revealing a fully geared up Red Hood by his side. Arthur was already at a disadvantage with a broken leg and upon seeing the vigilante by Tom’s side, the earth beneath him opened up and he dropped in like he was swallowed, seeming like he was making a run for it.
Red Hood hurled two cans of tear gas towards the opening in the ground before it closed up but couldn’t make it on time and fume from the tear gas enveloped the air.
“Shit, he got away!” He exclaimed.
“No, he is still here and encircling us, he’s just moving through the ground like a mole.” Tom assimilated as he took a look around, surrounded by rubbles of his partly collapsed building.
“What?” The ground beneath them opened up into a wide hole to conceive them both. While rubbles fell into it, Tom and Red Hood remained afloat.
Although they remained afloat mid-air, the earth rose up surrounding them and tried enclosing both with impaling spikes all around them, of which they fell apart the moment they got into Tom and Jason’s personal space.
“Hasn’t he gotten the memo that it is impossible for him to win this?” Jason was finally getting a taste of what it was like to be in Tom’s shoes, being attacked without flinching or bothered by the incoming danger.
He was starting to grow bored of those lame attacks because he could easily transmute the earth and there was absolutely no way an attack was going to get to him or Jase.
The inner walls of Tom’s building surrounding them lanced at the boys from all direction, attacking to bore holes through their bodies if they somehow got Tom’s blind spot by chance.
Each of them retrograded half way back to their roots as the rocks fell to ground, while Tom took Jason with him as he flew out to the spacious yard.
The odds was clearly against Arthur as it was impossible for an earth-type meta like himself to fight an aerial battle and hope to win, and with his broken leg he was in no condition for a direct confrontation.
He assessed his situation and concluded on a temporary retreat as Arthur began to make way outside the premises. “Leaving just like that? I think not.” Tom muttered.
“I think it’s time we hand him the memo.” Tom referenced to Jason’s earlier statement, then descended to the ground like a human missile.
Shockwaves was sent across the yard the moment Tom’s feet made contact with the ground. “There you are.” Tom muttered with a mischievous smirk as he saw Arthur was airborne, spat out from the ground.
Tom launched himself into the air, right at Arthur as he landed a solid blow on him, burying his fist deep in Arthur’s gut.
Fluid gushed out of his mouth and his eyes went totally white as the force from the blow sent him flying higher into the air but not too far as Tom pulled him back towards himself with his telekinesis.
He grabbed him by the neck and flew to the ground at top speed, pushing against air resistance until he smashed Arthur into the ground.
Blood slowly creeped along the ground as it spilled from the back of Arthur’s head. “Are you just going to keep watching from the side lines, or are you going to hop in on the action?”
Tom said out loud, and to no one in particular as he got on he’s feet, then slowly made an half turn to his side.
“I have to say, it was quite a surprise to watch him get beaten up like that.” A male voice replied from the corner of the yard. “When did he...?” Jason only just took note of the stranger who leaned against he wall fence.
“He was just too weak, that’s all.” Tom casually replied with both hands in his pockets, he already had an idea of the young man’s identity.
“Now that’s quite disappointing, my team members were quite strong and seemed to be indomitable. But you’ve succeeded in killing everyone of them, now I’m here to collect what is owed.” He didn’t seem to mourn the dying man he just confirmed was his comrade, but just had on a neutral expression while taking a couple steps forward.
“And what might that be?” Tom asked while he glanced over at Arthur who’s heart had given it’s last and final beat before exhaling his last breath.
“Your life.” He replied with a wide grin across his lips. With superhuman speed, he then launched himself at Tom with a clenched fist.
Tom remained still and with both hands motionlessly in his pockets as he watched the pointless attack headed at him.
BAM!!!
The blow landed against his jaw and sent him off his feet as Tom, somersaulted upon impact along the ground. With his concentration broken, Red Hood began to fall from the air.
Although he was still in shock to see someone landed a well felt hit on Tom, he shot his grapple gun at the remnant of the damaged building just in time as it killed off the momentum from his fall.
“You must be Jamie.” Tom slowly rose to his feet with his head slightly croaked to the side, his messy white hair obscuring part of his face, only revealing a hunting smile. “I’ve been expecting you.”