"Jack, I'll be back!"
The Internet's voice echoed through the dark laboratory just before the final blast of heat vision tore through Cyborg's body. Under the intense beam, the mechanical frame and everything connected to it burned rapidly until nothing remained except charred fragments and drifting ash.
Unfortunately, Lee gained nothing from the destruction.
It wasn't that Cyborg's body had been completely erased from existence. The real problem was that the Internet itself had escaped.
The entity calling itself the Internet was essentially the awakened mechanical half of Cyborg. All of Cyborg's extraordinary abilities were based on network systems, including his quantum computer brain. As long as that digital consciousness managed to slip into the network and hide within the virtual world, destroying the physical body meant very little.
Because the Internet had fled, Lee naturally couldn't acquire any of Cyborg's abilities.
It was disappointing, though not devastating. At the very least, the mission had still produced valuable results.
They now had the Mother Box.
They also had access to the Kryptonian spaceship.
"Wayne, stop playing dead."
Lee walked over and casually kicked Bruce Wayne in the backside.
Bruce immediately sprang up as if he had never been injured.
"Lee, hurry! The portal! We need to get back!"
Even though the Internet had escaped into the digital world, Wayne Manor was still under its control and therefore still in danger.
Lee didn't waste time arguing. With a quick gesture, he opened a glowing portal and the two of them stepped through it, returning directly to the Batcave.
The situation there turned out better than expected.
The moment the Internet's physical host had been destroyed, its control over the Batcomputer weakened. The Batcomputer seized that opportunity to regain control of the system, temporarily neutralizing the threat at Wayne Manor.
"Wayne, I told you a long time ago that your bat mechs aren't reliable."
Selina crossed her arms angrily as she glared at Bruce.
"First that thing tried to shoot me, then it kidnapped me and Alfred. I'm giving you a choice."
Her voice grew colder.
"Either you dismantle that thing right now… or you sleep with it tonight."
"Selina, you're absolutely right," Bruce said quickly, nodding in agreement without hesitation. "That machine is clearly dangerous. Don't worry, I'll deal with it properly."
Bruce Wayne was a very intelligent man, and he knew exactly when it was wiser not to argue.
Was it really worth trying to convince Selina that the bat mech wasn't the real problem?
Absolutely not.
Women didn't debate logic when they were angry.
More importantly, if Selina realized that the real crisis at Wayne Manor had been caused by a digital entity called the Internet, she might demand that Bruce smash the Batcomputer itself.
And that would be catastrophic.
Modern society simply could not function without computers and the internet. These days people might be able to give up relationships, but almost no one could survive without their phones.
"Lee," Bruce said as he carefully inspected the Batcomputer again. "I need to upgrade this system's security."
"Wayne, that's not a small project," Lee replied calmly. "Even if you upgrade the Batcomputer's defenses, the Internet will eventually find another way in. It's basically a living virus."
Bruce's expression sank slightly.
"So what should I do?" he asked. "I can't just sit here and do nothing."
Lee thought for a moment before answering.
"Actually, I have a suggestion. We build a joint defense."
"Joint defense?" Bruce frowned.
"Explain."
"You know I have my own AI system too," Lee said.
Bruce nodded.
"Yes. After you captured Umbrella's base, you took their artificial intelligence system. You named it the White Queen."
"That's right," Lee confirmed. "The White Queen's intelligence level is roughly comparable to the Batcomputer. After a few upgrades, its security capabilities are excellent."
Bruce folded his arms.
"And?"
Lee continued.
"Do you remember when I mentioned finding Superman's Fortress of Solitude?"
Bruce froze.
"You found it?" he asked in shock. "When did that happen? Why didn't you tell me?"
"About half a month ago," Lee said. "But that's not the important part."
"The key point is that the Fortress contains a Kryptonian supercomputer."
Bruce's eyes sharpened.
"If we connect the Batcomputer, the White Queen, and Superman's Kryptonian system into a single defensive network," Lee explained, "then the Internet won't be able to infiltrate our systems easily."
"Even if it manages to break into one system, the other two will immediately detect and counterattack."
Bruce's eyes lit up.
"Lee… that's brilliant."
A three-system alliance wouldn't simply triple the security level. The interaction between the systems would multiply their defensive capabilities far beyond that.
However, Bruce soon narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"But if we connect our systems like that," he said slowly, "doesn't that mean I won't have any secrets left from you?"
Lee coughed lightly.
"Wayne, think about it from a broader perspective," he said.
"If we create this three-system alliance, you'll also gain access to my systems and Superman's Kryptonian technology."
He paused briefly.
"Especially the Kryptonian tech. Do you really think you'll be the one at a disadvantage?"
Bruce hesitated.
The benefits were simply too tempting.
The joint system would strengthen Batcomputer security and help protect against future attacks from the Internet. At the same time, gaining access to Kryptonian technology alone was an opportunity Bruce could hardly ignore.
After a short moment of silence, he finally nodded.
"Alright. We'll do it your way. A three-system joint defense."
Of course, the alliance wasn't as simple as plugging three computers together. The systems needed to be integrated on a deeper level.
In a sense, the process would gradually create a new intelligence formed from the combined capabilities of all three systems.
But such an intelligence wouldn't appear overnight.
It would take time.
Once they finished dealing with matters at Wayne Manor, Lee and Bruce returned to the underground laboratory where they had confronted the Internet.
The Mother Box was already stored safely by Lee.
The Kryptonian spaceship, however, still remained in the facility.
After the massive battle months earlier, the ship had been severely damaged. The most critical damage was in the energy system.
Bruce and Lee carefully inspected the ship while the newly connected three-system intelligence analyzed the data simultaneously.
The conclusion came quickly.
Moving the spaceship would be extremely dangerous.
Any attempt to relocate it might cause further damage.
Considering how difficult it must have been to hide the ship here in the first place, leaving it where it was seemed like the safest option.
A few minutes later, Bruce climbed out of the engine compartment looking tired and covered in dust. He threw a wrench onto the floor with a loud clank.
"The energy system is completely destroyed," he said with frustration.
"If we want this ship to restart and resurrect Superman, we'll need an entirely new power source. A very powerful one."
"Wayne," Lee said calmly, "did you forget we have the Mother Box?"
Bruce's eyes lit up for a moment.
"The Mother Box…"
But his excitement quickly faded.
"Lee, I admit the Mother Box contains enormous energy," Bruce said. "It's definitely enough to activate the ship's regeneration fluid and revive Superman."
He sighed.
"But we still need a massive electrical current to trigger that energy release."
Bruce paused thoughtfully.
"There's only one person I know who could generate that kind of power."
"You mean the Flash?" Lee asked.
"Yes," Bruce replied. "That kid is the fastest person I've ever seen. The electrical energy he produces should be enough to activate the Mother Box."
"Wayne," Lee said, "there's just one problem."
"The Flash might already be a zombie."
He spread his hands.
"How do we catch the fastest man alive if he's infected? And even if we somehow capture him, how are we supposed to make a zombie cooperate with us?"
Bruce fell silent.
He knew Lee was right.
Catching the fastest man alive was nearly impossible.
Even if they somehow managed it…
"We could capture him first," Bruce said slowly. "Then use antitoxin to cure the zombie virus. After that we revive him."
He looked confident.
"I guarantee if we bring the Flash back to life, he'll help us."
Lee nearly laughed out loud.
Ever since Bruce had been resurrected himself, he seemed to have become oddly optimistic.
"Wayne," Lee said with a grin, "let's say everything goes exactly the way you described."
"We capture the Flash and cure the zombie virus."
He tilted his head.
"Then how exactly do we revive him?"
"Do you still have any Dionysium?"
Bruce shook his head immediately. If he still possessed the rare substance, he wouldn't be planning to resurrect Superman using the Mother Box and the Kryptonian ship.
"Wayne," Lee said, "I think we should focus on finding Superman first."
Once Superman was located and defeated, Lee would gain Superman's abilities.
With both Superman's power and General Zod's abilities combined, Lee's speed would be no less than the Flash.
At that point, he could personally generate enough power to activate the Mother Box.
Bruce hesitated briefly before nodding.
"You're right. Let's find Superman first."
Then he added with a hopeful expression.
"Still… I want to check Midtown. Maybe the Flash isn't infected."
Lee sighed internally. The system had already confirmed that every superhero in this world had become a zombie.
That obviously included the Flash.
Still, seeing Bruce's hopeful expression, Lee didn't have the heart to shut him down completely.
"Alright," Lee said. "Let's split up."
"You go to Midtown and see if you can find the Flash. I'll head to Metropolis and look for Superman."
"Deal," Bruce agreed.
He paused before adding seriously, "Lee, if you find Superman, don't fight him immediately. Wait for me."
"If I manage to find the Flash, we'll have another ally. That'll make fighting Superman much easier."
"Understood," Lee said.
With that, the two parted ways.
Bruce boarded the Batplane and headed toward Midtown, picking up the Batsuit along the way to test its capabilities in combat.
Lee, on the other hand, opened a portal and stepped directly into Metropolis.
Ever since acquiring magical abilities, teleportation had become his most convenient method of travel.
It saved enormous amounts of time.
The last time Lee visited Metropolis, he had encountered Lex Luthor. Unfortunately, Luthor had died during the battle with General Zod.
Otherwise Lee might have recruited him as a useful assistant.
No one knew where Superman was now.
Lee had come here simply to try his luck.
"Da-da-da-da!"
Just as Lee stepped out of the portal, gunfire erupted somewhere nearby.
He turned and saw a car swerving wildly through an intersection before crashing into a pile of rubble.
Two SUVs immediately raced toward the wreckage and stopped beside it. Armed men stepped out, clearly planning to finish off whoever had been inside the crashed car.
Scenes like this happened constantly in every city now.
Normally Lee wouldn't bother getting involved.
But then he noticed something interesting.
The men climbing out of the SUVs were wearing powered exoskeletons.
Lex Luthor's equipment.
"Looks like a delivery boy came to my door," Lee murmured with a smile.
He walked toward them.
The men spotted him quickly. Instead of opening fire, they panicked and immediately tried to escape.
Lee blinked in confusion.
"Bang!"
He dropped directly onto the hood of the nearest SUV.
The heavy impact forced the front of the vehicle downward, scraping the pavement and throwing sparks across the road.
"Hi," Lee said cheerfully.
He smashed the windshield with one punch and pulled the driver straight out of the seat.
The vehicle immediately lost control and crashed into a nearby store.
Lee jumped into the air while holding the driver, then slammed him against the windshield of the second SUV.
"Bang!"
The second vehicle spun sideways and crashed into a wall.
A moment later, eight armed men wearing powered exoskeletons stood lined up in the corner like students caught misbehaving in school.
Lee folded his arms.
"So," he said calmly, "why did you run away the moment you saw me?"
One of the men, who had a large bump on his head, nervously raised his hand.
"I was there the last time you stole Boss Luthor's kryptonite-powered exoskeleton," he said.
"We know how strong you are. We ran because we didn't want trouble."
"So you really were Luthor's men," Lee said with satisfaction.
The man hesitated before correcting him.
"We used to be."
"Our boss now is Atomic Skull."
Atomic Skull's real name was Joseph Martin. He had originally been nothing more than one of Lex Luthor's minor subordinates.
During a battle between Superman and alien invaders, however, Martin had accidentally gained incredible powers. The transformation came with a horrible side effect that left him looking like a living skeleton.
After Luthor's death, Atomic Skull seized control of Luthor's empire and became one of Metropolis's most dangerous villains.
"Perfect," Lee said with a smile.
"Take me to him."
Before the man could even ask what Lee meant, Lee grabbed him and launched into the sky.
Minutes later they arrived at the Luthor Group building.
Inside the luxurious office, Atomic Skull sat comfortably on a soft sofa wearing an expensive fur coat while drinking wine. Two frightened women sat beside him, trembling nervously.
"Crash!"
The large French window exploded inward.
Lee stepped through the broken glass and tossed the armored henchman onto the floor in front of Atomic Skull.
"You're Atomic Skull?" Lee asked casually.
"Useless trash," Atomic Skull said coldly as he kicked the man aside.
Then he stood up and stared at Lee with a strange smile.
"I recognize you," he said.
"Your name is Lee, right?"
"Good," Lee replied calmly. "Then we can skip introductions."
"I need you to help me find someone."
Atomic Skull began laughing, the sound echoing through the room like a metallic rattle.
"Lee," he said mockingly, "do you think I'm as scared of you as Luthor was?"
....
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