Gotham, beneath Wayne Manor, the Batcave.
The place currently looked less like a base and more like a junkyard.
High-tech components, twisted metal plates, and charred circuit diagrams were strewn everywhere.
Bruce Wayne, shirtless, covered in sweat and oil, was loudly modifying a brand new Batsuit using a mechanical arm.
The sheer bulk of the armor made it look unfit for a human, resembling something designed to arm-wrestle a Gundam.
"Sir, even if you intend to wear all the steel in Gotham City, perhaps you should take a tea break."
Alfred, holding a silver tray with a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea, walked over to Bruce.
His tone was as steady as ever, but his words carried a sting.
Bruce did not look up, tightening a screw with a wrench.
"I'm upgrading the armor, Alfred. A certain Kryptonian is getting too arrogant."
Anyone could hear the lingering anger in his voice.
Just then, a faint rush of wind came from above the cave.
A figure landed lightly, without making a sound.
The newcomer wore red and blue armor in the style of ancient Greece, her long black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her tall, athletic physique radiated power.
The tight armor perfectly outlined her sculptural physique, especially her long legs; with every step, her skirt swayed slightly.
It was Wonder Woman, Diana.
"Bruce, locking yourself away like this won't solve anything."
Diana walked up to him, looking at the new armor, worry visible in her blue eyes.
Bruce finally stopped working. He grabbed a nearby towel to wipe the sweat from his face, revealing an expression that screamed, "I am displeased."
"I'm not locking myself away, I'm doing necessary work."
He pointed to the armor.
"Someone has to prepare for uncontrollable risks."
Diana sighed.
Of course, she knew who Bruce was referring to.
The man who casually killed Joker with a single finger and ground Batman's principles into the dirt.
"Clark needs time. The situation with Lois and the child has been hard on him..."
"Don't mention him to me!"
Bruce cut her off instantly, his temper flaring again.
"He was there! He watched as his lawless cousin destroyed everything! And what happened? He took his world and went home to live happily ever after!"
"He left behind a total mess and the message, 'You deal with it!'"
The angrier Bruce got, the harder he kicked a nearby toolbox, creating a loud bang.
Diana was about to speak when suddenly a half-man, half-machine figure descended from above.
Cyborg, Victor Stone.
He glanced at the tense atmosphere and then at Bruce's face, which was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and discreetly raised a mechanical hand.
"Sorry to interrupt you both. But your security system is a bit outdated, so I helped update the firewall protocols when I came in."
Victor said this with a straight face.
Bruce's face grew even darker.
Great. A physical virus just left, and now a hacker virus shows up?
Do people think my Batcave is a public restroom? Just come and go as they please?
"What do you want?"
Bruce squeezed the words out through clenched teeth.
Victor did not waste words; he raised his arm.
Resting there was a strange cube covered in complex patterns.
"My father left this for me before he died. Lately... it's become restless."
Victor's expression was serious.
"It's emitting trace signals. It's actively calling out."
Diana's expression instantly changed.
She stared intently at the cube, her body unconsciously tensing up.
"Based on my tracking, there are two other signal sources in the universe corresponding with it."
"One set of coordinates is... deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean. The other is... within an island in the cosmos..."
Diana took over, her voice carrying unprecedented solemnity.
"Atlantis... and Themyscira."
She looked at Bruce and Victor.
"My people sent me word. Engraved on an ancient altar is a legend: these three boxes are called the 'Trinity.' They are the coordinates of disaster."
"Once they are all awakened, it means... he is coming."
"He?" Bruce asked.
Meanwhile.
In the deep, dark seabed.
A magnificent city built of gold and coral lay quietly in the trench.
Atlantis.
On the throne, Aquaman Arthur Curry tapped his fingers against the armrest.
The bottle of liquor that was usually inseparable from him was tossed aside today.
A woman with hair like fire, wearing tight green scale armor, and possessing a graceful figure, floated over.
It was Mera.
Worry was etched on Mera's face.
"Will that thing... really bring trouble?"
Arthur gripped his trident, his voice terrifyingly low.
"Let him come."
"I'll twist his head off and use it as a chamber pot."
The Batcave.
The atmosphere was extremely oppressive.
Diana recounted the ancient legend.
It told of a "New Deleted" from Apokolips, a conqueror named Steppenwolf, who led a massive army to invade Earth thousands of years ago, attempting to use the power of the three mother boxes to transform Earth into a copy of his terrifying homeworld.
Ultimately, he was barely repelled by the combined ancient forces of Earth—the Amazons, the Atlanteans, human tribes, and even several Old Gods.
And the three mother boxes were the spoils of war, kept separate after the battle.
After listening, Bruce was silent for a long time.
He rubbed his throbbing temples, feeling overwhelmed.
"So, let me summarize."
He spoke weakly.
"An alien lunatic is on his way to our neighborhood, aiming to collect three Dragon Balls... wait, three boxes. Then he'll absorb Earth's Life Equation and turn it into the next Apokolips?"
"That's one way to understand it," Victor nodded. "And judging by the warp speed of the energy signal, he's already in the Solar System."
"Holy hell!"
Bruce rarely swore so openly.
"Where is Clark?" Diana asked urgently. "We need him."
The mention of Clark reignited Bruce's barely suppressed anger, and he let out a cold laugh.
"Superman is busy. He's focused on his wife and child, with no time for trivial matters like the end of the world."
The bitterness was palpable ten meters away.
Diana shook her head helplessly and asked, "What about Barry?"
Victor pulled up the internal communication logs.
"Central City has a minor situation. A guy calling himself Captain Boomerang is robbing a bank. Barry said he'd be back in five minutes, handled."
Bruce clenched his fists.
Fine. One is a devoted family man, the other is chasing petty thieves.
Just then!
"Vwoom—!"
The mother box on the table suddenly became violently active!
Bruce and Diana immediately assumed fighting stances.
Red light flashed rapidly from Victor's mechanical eye as he frantically analyzed the data.
"A spatial warp tunnel is being forcibly opened! Coordinates... right above us!"
"This is bad!"
"He's here!"