Shadow Monarch in DC-Chapter 63: The Shadow & The Red Hood

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High above Gotham City, Arthur soared through the night on Kaisel's back, the Shadow Wyvern cutting through the storm-choked sky like a phantom. Lightning flashed behind them, illuminating the creature's massive, jagged wings as they unfurled with a thunderous clap. Every wingbeat sent ripples of shadow across the skyline, a haunting silhouette that swept over the city below.

On the streets, chaos paused.

A pair of thugs huddled in an alley, exchanging stolen cash. One of them froze mid-laugh, his cigarette slipping from his lips as he caught the giant shadow sweeping across the cracked pavement.

"What the hell was that?" he hissed, craning his neck toward the sky.

His partner squinted upward, confusion twisting his face. "Is... is that the Batwing?"

The first thug shook his head, wide-eyed. "No way. The Batwing doesn't have wings that..." His breath hitched as he watched the massive shadowy wings flap, sending a gust of wind through the alley. "WHAT IS THAT!?"

a group of street racers revved their engines at a red light. One driver leaned out his window, chatting up a girl until the streetlights flickered, and a dark silhouette slid across the neon-lit buildings.

His jaw dropped. "Yo! what is that?! A dragon?!"

The girl leaned forward, squinting as the shape banked against the clouds, white lightning flickering over its form. "No way," she breathed. "Gotham doesn't have dragons... right?"

The racer swallowed hard, suddenly less concerned about showing off. "Well... it might be time to leave this city for good now.."

a trio of lowlifes was halfway through breaking into a jewelry store when the shadow passed overhead. One of them, nervous and twitchy glanced up, his blood running cold as the massive figure blotted out the moon.

"D-Did you see that?" he stammered, voice cracking.

"Relax," his buddy scoffed, shoving diamonds into a bag. "No one is watching us."

The third thug, though, kept staring his face pale. "You sure? 'Cause whatever that is... it's comin' this way.."

A low, distant roar echoed through the night, vibrating through the ground beneath their feet.

"Screw this, I'm out!" the twitchy one yelped, dropping his crowbar as he bolted.

Even on the GCPD rooftop, where hardened officers gathered under the red glare of the Bat-Signal, heads turned skyward. Detective Bullock, mid-coffee sip spat out his drink in disbelief.

"Tell me I'm drunk, Montoya," he grumbled, eyes glued to the massive creature sweeping past the skyscrapers.

Montoya shook her head slowly, mouth dry. "Nope. You're sober. And that's not Batman."

Bullock muttered a curse under his breath. "Great. Just what this city needs, another flying nightmare."

Arthur, high above them all, watched the city with a cold, detached calm. The winds howled against his face as Kaisel glided with eerie grace. He could feel their fear below a ripple in the air, the panicked heartbeats of Gotham's criminals who thought the dark belonged to them.

Arthur signaled to Kaisel with a slight tilt of his fingers. The massive Shadow Wyvern responded instantly, wings folding inward as they dove through the night sky like a black lightning bolt. The air trembled around them, the wind howling as they cut through the city's skyline.

His eyes locked on a burning warehouse in the Narrows the heart of Gotham's underbelly. Smoke curled into the sky, and flashes of gunfire crackled from inside. Arthur's mana was being depleted slowly, his shadow was getting destroyed constantly.

"There." His voice was cold.

At the last second, Arthur released his grip. Kaisel flared his wings, pulling up while Arthur plummeted toward the earth below. The city blurred around him, the roar of the wind like a distant scream until he crashed through the warehouse's shattered skylight.

BOOM.

The floor buckled beneath the impact, spiderweb cracks spreading outward. Shards of glass rained down, gleaming like falling stars. Arthur straightened from his crouch, his Promethium sword humming with power in his grip.

His gaze snapped forward and there, in the middle of the chaos, was his Shadow Joker.

The shadow was on one knee, His face, usually still in a twisted manic grin.

And standing over him... was Red Hood.

Jason Todd.

His iconic crimson helmet gleamed under the flickering warehouse lights, smoke curling from the barrel of his pistol as he tilted his head toward Arthur. The air between them was heavy and electric, a collision waiting to happen.

Arthur's eyes blazed blue cold, merciless.

Jason shifted, casually holstering one gun while twirling the other. "I was wondering when you'd show up," he said, voice muffled but edged with sharp confidence. "Your... 'pet' put up a decent fight. Not what i expected, but hey...better than the usual trash."

Arthur didn't respond. His focus sharpened, every muscle coiled with lethal intent. Red Hood, the man who didn't play by Batman's rules. A dangerous smile tugged at Arthur's lips.

"Tch." He took a slow step forward, his boots echoing through the ruined warehouse. "Of course, it had to be someone like you, Jason Todd."

smoke curled around Jason's crimson helmet as he raised both pistols in a smooth, practiced motion, aiming them squarely at Arthur's chest.

"I guess masks don't mean a thing to you, huh?" Jason's voice was too calm. That signature mix of sarcasm and lethal intent dripped from every word. His trigger fingers hovered, just a twitch away from sending lead flying.

Arthur didn't flinch. Instead, his grip on the Promethium sword loosened, he was calculating. but there was a predator's edge to the way he held himself. One wrong move and he'd strike him down.

"You could say that." His voice was smooth.

For a moment, the only sound was the distant crackle of flames and the low hum of Arthur's shadows seething beneath the surface. Jason tilted his head slightly, like he was sizing him up measuring whether the stories matched the reality.

And then he lowered his guns.

Arthur's brow twitched in surprise. For all his arrogance, he hadn't expected that.

Jason chuckled under his breath. "Relax, tough guy. I don't seek your death, I wouldn't be wasting time talking if i wanted to." His voice softened still sharp, but... curious. "I wanted to meet you. Ever since you took out the Joker."

Arthur's smile faded. A flicker of something darker flashed in his eyes.

Jason took a step closer, boots crunching over broken glass. His tone turned dry, almost playful. "Let's just say, Arthur Blackwynd... I'm one of your biggest fans."

Arthur blinked. Of all the things he expected to hear from Red Hood, that wasn't on the list. His lips curled again not quite a smile. "Didn't think you were the fanboy type."

Jason gave a mock shrug, his guns now casually holstered. "When someone finally does what everyone else is too soft to do? Yeah. I pay attention." His helmet glinted under the dim light. "And you? You don't play by their rules. I respect that."

Jason exhaled a slow breath, his gloved hands curling into fists at his sides. For a moment, he just stood there silent like he was holding something back. But when he spoke again, his voice was raw, edged with a bitterness that no amount of time could dull.

"You have no idea..." His tone dipped low, rough like gravel. "...how much I wanted to kill him with my own hands."

His helmet hid his face, but the weight behind those words the pain was impossible to miss. Arthur didn't interrupt. He just stood there, silent and still, watching as years of anger bled into every syllable.

Jason shook his head slowly. "I thought about it every day. What I'd do if I ever got the chance. The things I wanted him to feel." His voice cracked slightly barely but it was there. "And then one day... just like that, I hear he's gone. Dead. Not by my hands..." His fingers twitched, as if remembering the feel of a trigger. "...but by yours."

He took a step closer, and when he spoke again, the words were quieter...like they came from somewhere deeper. "for a couple of days...I hated you for it. At first." Jason let out a humorless chuckle, the kind that didn't reach his eyes. "Thought it wasn't fair. After everything he did to me, to others...I deserved to end him. Not you."

Arthur tilted his head slightly, taking in every word. He didn't offer pity, Jason didn't want that. What he gave instead was silence, room for the truth to come out.

"But then..." Jason's voice softened, a bitter smile behind the mask. "...I heard how he died." He let the words hang there, heavy between them. "And I realized you did something better than I ever could. You didn't just kill him. You made him afraid. You made him feel helpless."

He laughed softly dark, twisted satisfaction curling around the sound. "And for that... I owe you."

Jason turned his gaze toward the figure of Shadow Joker, the flickering red glow in its eyes dimmer now. "So... I guess that's what's left of him, huh?"

Arthur followed his line of sight, eyes glowing faintly in the dark. He gave a slow nod, his face unreadable.

"It's impressive..." Arthur said, his tone calm but edged with genuine curiosity. "...that you actually managed to find him and defeat him.."

Jason let out a dry chuckle, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah, well... I'm not exactly a tourist." He turned back to Arthur, his voice cooler now, more like himself. "Rumors started spreading some kind of 'Dark Ghostlike Joker' hitting the streets. And when it comes to anything with that freak's name attached, I don't play games."

Arthur's eyes narrowed, the eerie blue glow dimming slightly as he took a slow step closer. His voice was low, calm, but edged with cold amusement.

"You baited me here." It wasn't a question. "So, what do you want? I can already tell this isn't just a friendly meet-and-greet."

Jason tilted his head slightly, folding his arms across his chest. "Sharp. No wonder Bats doesn't like you." He let out a short, humorless chuckle. "Yeah...I want something."

Arthur didn't respond immediately. His gaze lingered on Jason cold, calculating waiting.

Jason took a step forward, his tone shifting still casual, but there was weight behind his words. "You're a smart guy, Arthur. You probably already figured it out, I wouldn't waste my time on some ghost hunt if I didn't have a bigger problem." He paused, letting that sink in before adding, "And trust me... it's a big one."

Arthur raised a brow. "I'm listening."

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