Arkham City Batman Beyond Novels & Stories

I stood outside the hotel, the chill of the night creeping into my bones as a breeze rustled through the trees lining the street. The sky had turned a deep shade of gray and the air was heavy with the scent of impending rain. It was already 10:30 PM and I anxiously checked my phone for the umpteenth time to see if the cab Maxwell had promised would arrive. Why hadn’t I just driven my own car? I cursed my decision to leave it behind, knowing fully well that the hotel was miles away from the company and now I was at the mercy of a delayed cab.

“Alright. We keep pushing forward. But if another rat shows up, I am breaking some bones.” Enzo chuckled. “Deal.” But even as the conversation ended, they both knew the battle wasn’t over.

Suddenly, they heard a howl in the distance, and Samantha knew that they were being followed. She urged her children to run faster, but it was too late. A group of werewolves emerged from the trees, snarling and snapping. They had found them. Samantha's fur bristled as she shifted into her lycan form, her muscles rippling with strength and power. She let out a fierce growl, warning the approaching wolves to stay back. But they were relentless, charging towards her with bared fangs and glowing eyes. Samantha leaped forward, her sharp claws glinting in the moonlight as she swiped at the nearest werewolf.

"Dang it." I look at Shaylee, and she looks at me, shaking her head. "Alright, 'Her Dark Knight' it is. Now we need to figure out what the play will be about," Shaylee says. And once again, Andrew surprises us. "It should be about a wolf who tries to resist his feelings for a human he's imprinted on, but the more time he spends with her, the stronger the pull becomes."

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. He moved down the line and stopped in front of me. Taller than the others. Broader. He smelt like leather and tobacco. "402," he said. I looked up at those dark, gold eyes behind the mask, and the floor dropped out from under me. Viktor. Relief hit me so fast it made me dizzy. "Viktor?" I whispered. "Please, get me out of here. This place is..." Whack. The baton cracked across my shins. I screamed and went down. The pain was white and blinding.

“That’s how people like them operate, Sophia. They destroy what their enemy values most—sometimes just to make a point.” The air between them thickened. Julian clenched his fists, staring into the ruins. He could feel the guilt simmering beneath his anger—if what Jason said was true, then this was his fault. His rivalry had cost someone’s life. Maybe more. He muttered under his breath, “Rachel didn’t deserve this.” Jason stepped closer. “I warned you, Julian. D Brooks has connections in every dirty corner of this city. If they think you’re expanding into their territory, they’ll burn down more than a club next time.”

"I was unaware that Logan had tagged out of this rotation." "I believe his stamina was somewhat depleted by your demands, sweetheart." Brandon continued to map the strategist’s back with the melting ice, relishing the way every frigid trail caused the man to tremble. "He appeared to be in desperate need of a recovery drink and a very long period of unconsciousness. Besides..." Brandon let out a rare, quiet laugh. "I think he felt a twinge of guilt for me. It isn't always a simple task, participating in this collective claim on you."

Callum tried to be precise and accurate this time. For the fucking 5th time. And he couldn’t catch a hamster. Seriously. With the power he now had being a vampire and a wolf. Jeez. He took his mark. And focused. He blocked everything in his mind. The buzz from the pack. The encouragement from Dad, even when he wasn’t Swift. He could hear them. He blocked all teases from Max and the Betas in the pack. He zoomed out everything except for the little white creature who was grazing and nibbling on the grass.

The heat from his chest grounded me in the present. At last, the shadows of my past were receding into the night. ... I shared our wedding invites online. Shortly after, an unfamiliar number flashed on my screen. Hesitant, I answered the call, only to be met with Brent's thunderous tirade. "I've coddled you too long, and you're running wild. You're getting married, and we found out online?"

I dashed for the pup drawing on my restrained powers to simmer to life. The ground near the pup shimmered, warped, like heat waves. A rift hung in the air impossible and pulsing, leaking tendrils of shadow. Whatever lurked within it was ancient. Hungry. The guards couldn’t get close. Their weapons flickered out of focus, their feet dragged as if wading through molasses. But I wasn’t afraid, I'd seen this darkness more times than I wanted to remember. I ran straight into it. The moment I crossed the line, my magic surged. Not gentle. Not graceful. It roared through me like a tidal wave. My skin lit with golden runes, unfamiliar symbols clawing to the surface of my flesh.