"This is our new base." Bruce stood in front of a building and introduced to everyone, "It used to be a private hospital, but due to some contractual disputes between the hospital management and the subsequent land purchasers, the hospital was shut down and the land became idle. After I purchased it, I transformed it into my safehouse. But due to the development of Metropolis, it has become central to the city, with too much foot traffic and insufficient concealment, so it was temporarily abandoned."
"After I decided to form a superhero organization, I had this place renovated and renamed it 'Justice Hall'. All legal procedures for the organization have been completed, so entering and exiting here will not cause any problems in the future. Follow me, your rooms are upstairs."
Everyone walked into the hall and found that this base was not as high-tech as they imagined. They thought they would walk into an alien base like the Batcave.
In actuality, the first-floor hall was industrial styled, with walls and floors made of gray cement, furniture crafted from black metal and brown wood panels; the ceiling adorned with decorative brass pipes. The bar had a row of tungsten filament light bulbs hanging above, behind it was a solid wood liquor cabinet, and a massive green wall of plants. Green potted plants were placed all around, along with a set of understated yet luxurious Italian sofas and well-lit floor-to-ceiling windows.
Going up the stairs with metal supports, the upstairs style was somewhat warmer, with wooden floors and a small reception area, followed by bedrooms. The bedroom furnishings were quite similar — a double bed, wardrobe, and desk, meeting the basic living needs, each equipped with a private bathroom.
From the bedroom, the backyard could be seen. Behind the yard were two buildings, one a gym and the other a medical room. To the side, there was a small garden filled with plants, appearing quite homely.
Everyone knew this was not the main focus. Batman was a guy who habitually dug tunnels. Bruce led them to a hidden elevator, a device requiring special energy activation, usable only by certified superpower users. The basement was far below, essentially impossible to breach by force.
Below lay a replica of the Batcave, complete with various kinds of electronic devices and research equipment, and some superpower training areas that garnered frequent nods from everyone. Having money indeed makes a difference.
Finally, Bruce clapped his hands, calling everyone to the conference room. He projected onto a screen, displaying a city that was very familiar to everyone — it was Metropolis.
Then some pictures were shown, most being homeless people, including many tent areas in various places. With his hand propped on the table, Bruce said, "The Justice League is a superhero organization, whose ultimate goal is to help ordinary people. But since the organization is newly founded, I am unfamiliar with your abilities and styles, hence for the first mission, I am placing no restrictions on you. You can use your own methods to help others, with the aim being the homeless in Metropolis."
"You can utilize your strengths, work individually or collaborate as a team. In the time before Christmas, save as many homeless as possible, allowing me to understand you better for future coordination and collaboration."
At this moment, Hal raised his hand and asked, "Will you participate?"
"This time I am not in charge of command, but logistics. I can provide any materials, funds, or network assistance you might need. Even if you encounter some trouble, I can help resolve it."
"No need to worry about funds," Victor folded his arms and said, "Barry and I researched a bit, taking a cut from the money laundering processes of rich people. It's much faster than robbing a bank and without the risk of being hunted down."
"That's what I wanted to ask," Ron said, "Some actions might violate New Jersey State's laws..."
"You need to gauge the extent yourselves," Bruce said, "Whether violating the law or morality, or even causing accidents and killing, do as you wish. However, this may impact my assessment and subsequent planning regarding you."
"I won't kill anyone," Diana said, "I mean, I won't intentionally murder anyone. In self-defense, I will also try my best to restrain, not harming anyone's life."
"I'm with you," Ron said, "I believe I have the ability to restrain anger and killing intent, not resorting to murder."
"I won't kill anyone either." Hal suddenly spoke. Everyone looked towards him, seemingly surprised. Hal said, "Murder is an extreme violent crime, hard to clear oneself from. Once you're embroiled in a homicide case, it becomes a convoluted mess. You might spend years dealing with residual issues, so if you can avoid killing, it's better not to."
Barry thought for a moment and then said, "I won't kill either, but I think if you imprison him, in case of wrongful conviction, it can be overturned. But if you kill him and it's a mistake, there's no way to rectify it. I can't guarantee I'm always right, so it's better not to kill."
"I don't care about that much," Victor said, "If he uses lethal force against me, I might use lethal force against him. It's only fair, isn't it?"
Arthur pondered for a while and then said, "I find it hard to guarantee I won't kill. I might not intend to kill him, but humans are too vulnerable in water, needing only a few minutes to be lifeless. I can only say I will try."
Everyone glanced at each other; now the issue arose. The factions split into two camps: one firmly opposed to killing, even in self-defense; the other was ambiguous, not actively seeking murder, but if threatened, a retaliative strike might entail loss of life.
Diana wanted to say something, but Ron gave her a look, cleared his throat, and said, "We all agree that we should try not to murder others, right?"
Victor and Arthur nodded as well. They're not killers, so of course they'd prefer not to kill unless necessary, though they are more inclined to a defensive counterattack without restrictions.
"Compared to combat abilities, Victor's hacker skills are much more useful," Ron said, "so he really doesn't need to be present at the battlefield, he can just assist with his hacking skills."
"That also counts as being present," Victor said, "since all electronic devices' signals are me. They simply can't destroy me by destroying the end devices. My physical body remains safe at the base."
"So that's settled," Ron said, "And Arthur should also try not to act alone. If attacked, let others handle it so as not to cause too much commotion. What do you think?"
Arthur nodded. He has the ability to control water, but when it comes to serious action, he can't just control a bottle of mineral water; it would have to be seawater, river water, or water from a tank, which would be in large volumes, and the commotion would be significant, possibly flooding an entire street. Humans have no survival ability in water, and those who can't swim could choke and die within seconds. So unless absolutely necessary, he can't make a move on land.
"Now let's discuss what we should do," Diana said, "The winters in Metropolis are very cold; people are freezing to death on the streets every minute. Our priority should be how to keep them warm.
Although I think us working together could change the temperature of an area, it's hard to ensure we stay here every winter, so we need to find a more sustainable solution.
There are many sources of heat. Besides raising temperatures, we can provide high-calorie food, wind-and-rain shelters, and medicine to treat frostbite. Who will handle these procurements?"
"I'll do it," Hal raised his hand and said, "Carol's family runs two shipping companies locally, and they can complete procurement and distribution within three days, at least saving some people before tomorrow's temperature drop."
"But this isn't a long-term solution," Barry frowned and said, "Keeping them on the streets, they'll eventually freeze to death. We need to find them a place to stay."
"What about the shelters in Metropolis?" Arthur asked, "Port of Mercy is also very cold; some people who can't afford heating fees go to shelters in the winter to avoid freezing to death."
Victor shook his head and said, "According to the data I can investigate, all 68 shelters in Metropolis are already full. The homeless aren't foolish; those not on drugs, or not heavily on drugs, rushed to grab spots early when it started getting cold."
"The ones left outside are the most vulnerable among the vulnerable," Diana sighed and rubbed her forehead, "First, let's get a headcount and see what size place we need. If nothing works, we'll gather them in a square or park and raise the temperature there."
"The municipal management won't agree," Hal said, "Especially before Christmas, squares and parks need decorating. If you bring the homeless there, they'll go crazy."
"Then find a more remote and impoverished place. Metropolis should have some abandoned or vacant industrial areas; that might work."
"The homeless won't follow us," Victor said, "They'll just think we're trying to sell them. Of course, a bit of forceful approach isn't out of the question, but it could impact our group's reputation."
"Can't you find a way to eliminate that?" Barry asked him.
"I can. I can clear all the information on the internet, but some secret communications from the military and government I may not be able to fully intercept, they will surely find out."
"Who cares about them," Barry said impatiently, "They don't care, but when we do, will they dare stop us?"
"Let's do it this way then," Ron said, "First distribute a batch of supplies, and after counting the homeless and their locations, gather and settle them together. Of course, let's keep the commotion as low as possible; ordinary people want to enjoy the festival too."
Everyone nodded, then dispersed. Bruce seemed to be fiddling with the computer, but he was actually listening to their conversation. It turns out almost every configured Justice League in the cosmos makes sense. They're quite comprehensive, with members covering various social strata and abilities, and remarkably, their worldviews are almost aligned.
Bruce looked out the window; they were already taking action, mostly flying to count the number and location of the homeless. But he only glanced before returning his focus to the computer. On screen was an exceedingly complex blueprint with some details still to be perfected. Bruce returned to his work.