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Doomsday.
The very name was carved into the world's memory. The day Superman died—truly died—was the day humanity understood what terror meant. The Justice League hadn't been able to stop the monster. Not Batman. Not Wonder Woman. Not the entire might of Earth's heroes combined. Only the Man of Steel, bleeding and broken, had managed to bring the creature down, giving his life in the process.
In the aftermath, pretenders rose to claim his mantle. A new "Superman" made of steel. A young clone blessed with potential but burdened by inexperience. An Eradicator with none of Clark's humanity. A Cyborg whose intentions curdled into horror. One by one they failed, because none of them carried the true symbol behind the S: Hope. Honor. Mercy.
People waited. People doubted. People grieved.
And then, one day, he returned. Clark Kent—alive, breathing, smiling—saving Metropolis from his own twisted Bizarro counterpart as if reclaiming his place was as natural as blinking. The people rejoiced. They believed again. Superman had beaten death. Doomsday had fallen. And the world acknowledged a truth:
Superman was undefeated.
Which is why, today, the question echoing through the terrified streets of Metropolis was one no one wanted to ask:
Why is Superman being beaten to a pulp… by the Joker?
...
An Hours Earlier
...
"Look, man… what you do doesn't sit right with me." Barry crossed his arms, jaw tight. "It's horrible. I consider your actions criminal. I don't care if the government allows it, or if half the League nods along. Killing is killing. So no—I'm not helping you."
Jason exhaled sharply through his nose. "Barry, you're being childish right now. This is the Joker we're talking about. Joker." He slammed his palm against the metal table, frustration leaking into every word. "A month ago, I was stuck on another Earth where he nuked Metropolis. Nuked it. He killed Superman's wife. His unborn child. And he sparked a civil war in the League that ended with Billy bleeding out on the ground. I get that you like to play hero with your villains, and fine—yours aren't deranged murder-machines."
His eyes narrowed. "But this one is."
Barry stared back, unflinching. "Jason… I get that you're going to do your thing. And I'm not stopping you. But don't drag me into your crusade, and don't expect me to help with Bruce. I won't be complacent in your murders."
He stood. His form blurred. "Goodbye, Jason Anderson."
In a flash of lightning, he vanished.
Jason clicked his tongue. "Tsk… these superheroes and their bullshit." He scrubbed a hand through his hair in irritation—
—and then his phone vibrated. Not a normal call. Not even League priority.
Pantheon Emergency Code.
Jason's spine straightened instantly.
He grabbed his coat, sprinted out of the building, and slammed a fist onto the nearest authorized teleport pad.
A pillar of white light swallowed him whole as he teleported straight to Pantheon Headquarters.
...
Jason stormed into the Pantheon conference room, boots echoing sharply against the marble floor. "What's going on?"
Diana rose immediately, posture tense, expression carved from worry. "Something is happening in Gotham. Batman hasn't responded to any calls. There were multiple explosions across the city. We deployed an initial team—Kara, Raven, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Harley—but we've received no updates. Someone is interfering with the comm systems across all of Gotham. What we do know is that the explosions were significant… and casualties are already in the dozens."
Jason didn't waste a heartbeat. "I'm going." He stepped toward Diana, voice low but urgent. "I want you with me—but don't. Not yet. Find out who's blocking comms. Eliminate them. Then join us."
Before Diana could object, he slammed his fist onto the teleport console. Light swallowed him, and he vanished.
...
Gotham City. Chaos. Blood. Screams.
The situation was nothing short of catastrophic.
Because the Joker was back.
Only this time, he wasn't that Joker. Not the cackling, frail human nightmare Batman had spent decades outsmarting. This Joker… had power. Power that burned. Power that destroyed.
His return began with a massacre. He tore through an office building like paper, smashing heads against desks, ripping concrete pillars out with his bare hands. By the time Batman arrived, the floors were dripping with blood.
But what greeted him wasn't a clown.
It was a monster.
Batman's gadgets, his explosives, his shock rounds—nothing worked. The creature laughed through it all, shrugging off every attempt to slow him down. Backup arrived in minutes—Supergirl, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Raven, and Harley Quinn.
And Harley's arrival… was a catastrophic mistake.
Joker punched Batman across the debris-strewn street, sending him crashing into a wrecked car. Then he turned—and froze. His eyes widened. His mouth stretched wider than a human mouth should.
"Aaahh… Jason Anderson's new friends!" he sang, voice bubbling with malice. "HELLO THERE! And a very special hello to my beloved Harley… my former darling… my dear little toy."
Harley gripped her bat, steady despite the tremor crawling up her spine.
Joker's smile quivered at its ends. "I heard you've been playing hero, Harley… wearing spandex and pretending someone else can keep you warm." His head tilted. "Come here. Come back to your real Puddin'."
Harley rolled her eyes. "Sorry, Mr. J… but you're too ugly now. And I found a sexier, cooler man. Way better in every category." She tapped her bat against her shoulder. "Time for you to finally get over me."
Joker went still.
Then he giggled.
Then he roared.
"Oh? Is that so?" His voice scraped like metal. "Well… no hard feelings." His grin sharpened into something predatory. "I'll just kill your boyfriend… and wear his head as a necklace. Maybe then you'll remember who owns you, you fucking bitch!"
He lunged a blur of white skin and twisted muscle straight at the entire team.
The ground shook as the Joker lunged forward, a blur of pale muscle and wrongness. Supergirl met him head-on, fist cocked back, heat vision burning behind her irises. Her punch connected squarely with his jaw — the kind of blow that should have shattered mountains.
It only made his head tilt.
Joker grinned.
Then his hand snapped up and clamped onto her throat like a steel vise. "Awwww, cupcake, that tickled." Before she could react he swung her like a sledgehammer, smashing her through a bus, a streetlight, and the brick façade of a corner store. She crashed through the far wall and skidded another thirty meters before stopping, dazed and bleeding through her lip.
Green Arrow loosed three explosive arrows in rapid succession, each one slamming into Joker's ribs. They detonated in a blinding burst — but Joker walked through the smoke unfazed, brushing ash off his shoulder as though it were lint.
Black Canary stepped forward, inhaling sharply. She unleashed a full-power Canary Cry, a sonic lance that split asphalt and sent cars tumbling. Joker staggered — for a heartbeat. Then he laughed through the scream, pushing against the wave with a manic bounce in his step. His skin rippled, his muscles bulged, and he advanced, each step cracking the concrete under him. "That your singing voice, Blondie? Little flat on the high notes!"
Raven descended next, her cloak trailing shadows as she chanted, her soul-self rising like a monstrous raven behind her. Dark tendrils lashed forward, wrapping around Joker's arms and torso, dragging at the very essence of him. The ground warped from the raw demonic pressure.
For a moment he slowed.
Then the tendrils snapped like dry twigs. Joker tore through the magic, his laughter echoing with a distorted, otherworldly undertone. "Oh come on, bird-girl, I've had nightmares scarier than that!"
Raven's eyes widened an instant before he backhanded her. The hit wasn't a strike — it was a cannon blast. She was sent flying into a police cruiser so hard the roof folded in like paper.
Harley stepped in, knuckles cracking. "Alright, Mr J… I think you need a timeout." She vanished in a ripple of cursed energy.
Black Flash! boom.
The strike hit Joker's spine, making the world itself distort for a split second.
But Joker only rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. "Oh Harley… Harley, Harley, Harley… That tickles too! But it just ain't enough."
She blinked behind him and struck again another Black Flash but Joker caught her by the wrist mid-swing. His grip tightened, bones creaking.
"I really did miss your touch," he whispered, lifting her effortlessly off the ground with one arm. Harley kicked and fought, but his other hand wrapped around her waist as if she weighed nothing. "Don't squirm, sweetheart. You used to love it when I held you up like this…"
He raised her higher, fingers tightening, smile widening to an unnatural, grotesque slit. as his long tongue rolled out to lick her face
"Ughh Disgusting!"
Supergirl blasted in again with a roar, driving her shoulder into Joker's ribs. The impact sent all three sliding across the pavement, but Joker didn't release her — he just dug his heels into the ground and stopped dead.
Then he slammed his forehead into Supergirl's face. She reeled back, stumbling, blood spraying.
Harley choked, kicking desperately, black energy flickering around her fingers but she couldn't land a strike like this.
Behind them, Green Arrow fired another explosive arrow — it bounced off Joker's back like a thrown pebble.
Joker snorted. "Annoying."
He started to squeeze.
And that's when a series of small, sharp bangs erupted around his head and chest — little explosions, not meant to kill, just to interrupt.
Smoke pellets. Flash pellets. Concussive pellets.
Joker's head snapped to the side as the cloud of burning white vapor swallowed the street.
Harley fell.
Batman landed between them, cape sweeping out, stance low. His breathing was heavy, but his eyes were locked on the Joker with a cold familiarity. "Let her go."
The smoke cleared.
Joker was standing exactly where he had been, utterly unharmed, chuckling as he dusted soot off his shoulders. "Batsy… Batsy, Batsy, Batsy… I missed you." His grin broadened into something feral. "You showed up just in time! I was starting to think these new kids didn't know how to play."
He cracked his knuckles.
"Let's pick up where we left off."
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If you Like this story! Check out my other story ! Shadow Monarch in Danmachi!
AND
If you wish to read more or simply support me just because ? than check out my patreon at
"https://www.patreon.com/Riadooo"
You can Get Access to 3 More Chapters OR 7 More Chapters if you want !