"I know what you want to do, Black Canary, but I must warn you, you only get one chance, and it is a slim one."
Batman sat in a wheelchair inside the Tower of Fate, his tone heavy with exhaustion and restraint.
"You do not have to risk your life."
"My life depends on this last gamble," Black Canary replied.
She set the kryptonite bullet down and checked the sniper rifle laid out in the case in front of her, assembling it with steady, practiced movements.
"I know you are angry. I know what he took from you," Batman said, opening his hand to reveal a shard of kryptonite.
Even without seeing her directly, he could infer her setup from every fragment of information available.
"But please, just take him down. Show mercy."
Regardless of everything, Batman did not want Adrian killed by anyone else.
"Remember that."
Black Canary loaded the kryptonite round into the magazine and spoke with controlled certainty.
"I cannot promise that."
Her eyes sharpened as she continued.
"This was Oliver's job, and now I am finishing it. Batman, you are too lenient with him. I wish you cared as much about Oliver as you do about Adrian."
Before Batman could respond, she cut the communication.
The dial tone echoed in the silence.
Batman lowered his head.
He did not argue. He did not defend himself. Even though her judgment was incorrect, he had no energy left to correct it.
He tightened his grip on the wheelchair armrest and forced himself upright, staring at the kryptonite in his hand with visible strain.
Across the Justice Society headquarters, chaos was already spreading.
"Barry, what is happening?" Wonder Woman demanded.
"I do not know," Barry replied, sweating as he worked the communicator. "Hal, John, Adrian, Sinestro… I cannot reach any of them."
Around them, the Justice Society gathered in full force. Wonder Woman, Mera, Bart Allen, and the Wonder Twins stood near the central hall, all staring at the sky.
It had turned into an endless field of green light.
A voice cut through from behind them.
"There is a massive spatial shockwave. It is blocking all communication signals," Lex Luthor said as he approached in a black trench coat.
Everyone turned toward him.
Lex Luthor had not been seen in a long time.
"Lex Luthor?" Wonder Woman narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"My President gave a very inspiring speech," Lex replied smoothly. "I was moved, so I decided to help defend Earth."
Barry blinked. Even he did not buy it.
Wonder Woman did not hesitate.
"You expect me to believe that? You have been experimenting with forbidden technology and causing instability. If it were not for Adrian, you would not be standing here."
"That is exactly my point," Lex replied without flinching. "If not for Adrian, I would not be here either."
He stepped forward slightly.
"But I am not here to argue. I can provide technology and resources. Together, we can handle this crisis."
Wonder Woman studied him in silence.
Before she could respond, her communicator activated.
"Diana."
Adrian's voice came through.
Her attention shifted immediately.
"I am here, Adrian. Are you alright? We have lost contact with everyone…"
Inside space, Adrian floated amid the battlefield.
His eyes glowed with crimson light as he held Sinestro in one hand and Hal Jordan in the other.
Hal was barely conscious, his Green Lantern ring still active, maintaining a fragile spherical barrier around them.
Outside that barrier, the remains of the Yellow Lantern Corps drifted through shattered space.
Adrian's voice remained steady.
"A quarter of the Yellow Lantern Corps has been eliminated, Diana."
Wonder Woman absorbed the information, then replied carefully.
"I am listening."
"Pull everyone back into the atmosphere. Do not let that planet flank us again," Adrian said. "Ground operations are yours."
"Understood," she replied. "Be careful."
"I will."
The call ended.
In Gotham, Barbara Gordon listened through encrypted channels, tracking everything.
She spoke into her comms.
"Mogo has already wiped out a quarter of the Yellow Lantern Corps. They are weakened, but this confirms it. The war is coming to Earth."
Batman, seated nearby, coughed once before replying.
"Then proceed with the next phase. Contact Gordon."
Barbara nodded.
At that moment, in Metropolis, Commissioner Gordon was already leading a resistance unit toward the Presidential Building, the administrative center tied to Adrian's control.
With most heavy hitters off-world or unreachable, the building was unprotected.
Gordon raised his hand.
"Move. Everyone take your enhancements. This is the core of their system. We take it down now."
He glanced toward Harley Quinn.
"You are on entry duty. Do not deviate."
Harley chewed gum casually.
"Relax, I am just opening the door."
She walked forward toward the guarded entrance.
A soldier blocked her path.
"No entry."
Harley paused, smiled, then slowly unzipped her coat.
Inside were rows of explosives, each marked with a grinning clown face.
The soldier's eyes widened.
Before he could react, Harley triggered them.
The blast ripped through the entrance.
The shockwave shook the entire structure as glass exploded outward and metal twisted under pressure.
Gordon and his forces surged forward immediately, enhanced soldiers pushing through debris with superhuman strength.
Inside the chaos, a red streak flashed through the battlefield.
Barry Allen arrived.
"This is as far as you go," he said, standing between them and the building.
Harley ignored him and triggered another explosion.
Barry moved instantly, catching a falling enhanced soldier midair.
"Are you okay? I got you," he said.
The soldier's voice came through the helmet.
"You really are a hero."
The soldier removed his mask.
Nightwing.
Barry's eyes widened.
A surge of electricity hit him instantly.
His body locked up.
He collapsed.
Nightwing lowered the device.
"Sorry, Barry. This will not last long. Batman does not want you hurt, but you are no longer part of the plan."