Laughing, Selina stood and walked over to Bruce and Clark.
She grabbed their wrists and forced them into a handshake.
"Bruce is joking. We are flying straight into Washington, which is already a dead zone.
Even the U.S. military has stopped sending people there. Alfred checked Washington's status before we left.
If we cannot resolve the situation before midnight, a nuclear strike will wipe out the city along with everyone in it.
So yes, we are basically heading toward death.
Even if Clark turns out to be more dangerous than the rest of us, it changes nothing. We would all die anyway.
Besides, if things go wrong, my husband will get us out. He has connections with both Heaven and Hell."
Selina spoke with a grin, her excitement showing clearly.
Beside her, Lex lightly tapped Bruce's arm.
"She is right. Your caution is admirable, and it is one of the reasons I trust you."
Lex then turned to Clark.
"As for you, Clark, your strength speaks louder than your background. That is enough for now."
He stood and placed a hand on both Bruce and Clark.
"At this moment, we are all on the same side. Whatever our differences, Washington comes first.
Everyone, take a seat. Pierce, switch to autopilot and bring snacks and drinks.
I may not need them, but Victor and Floyd definitely do."
"That is obvious," Victor replied.
With that, Pierce moved to carry out the order, and the arrival of food eased the tension between Bruce and Clark.
As they ate, the group began discussing their plan.
Even so, Clark occasionally glanced at Bruce.
Bruce did the same, their eyes meeting again and again, tension lingering beneath the surface.
While they flew toward Washington, events were unfolding ahead of them.
The Enchantress and her brother, after two hours of absorbing power, had recovered nearly eighty percent of their strength.
The brother stretched, clearly satisfied.
"We are almost back to full power. This era is fascinating. There are far more intelligent beings than in our time, yet their understanding of the world is shallow.
Their defenses are worse than ancient tribes without magic."
"They learn, but they trust that knowledge too much," the Enchantress replied. "Anything outside their understanding is ignored, and that ignorance costs them."
She looked up at the Spire, now stabilized under her control.
With a small motion of her hand, the lightning surrounding it softened.
"Our strength is restored, so we can seal the tower for now.
Next, we meet the current ruler of humanity.
During our recovery, I gathered three hundred thousand souls and refined them into pure divine essence. It will serve as an offering to compensate for the damage we caused.
A single city may not matter to him, but our attitude does.
Three hundred thousand souls will demonstrate sincerity."
She opened her hand.
A pale blue lightning sphere floated above her palm, no larger than an olive.
Countless wraith-like forms twisted within it, their silent screams radiating resentment.
The brother stared at it, unable to hide his desire, but he eventually looked away.
"If this were our era, even Zeus would covet it.
Even now, any ruler in Hell would fight for such a treasure.
With this, the human ruler will grant us an audience.
If we are fortunate, we may gain a territory within his domain, enough for our survival and growth."
He nodded.
The Enchantress took his hand.
In the next instant, both vanished in a flash of silver-blue mist.
Washington was left behind with only the Spire and countless wandering corpses, their souls stripped and replaced with lingering wraith energy.
Meanwhile, outside Wayne Manor, the crowd remained, still energized by what they had witnessed earlier.
Among them, an old man near the river shouted loudly, a bottle of whiskey in hand.
"Believe it or not, the first place Axel hit in Gotham was my gun store.
I saw him that day, wearing torn clothes, but his eyes were different. Like a predator watching everything.
One look at him and I knew he was not ordinary.
I handed over my best weapon without hesitation, even loaded it for him.
Back then, I thought dying at the hands of someone like that would mean something.
Now look at him. The gun I gave him is displayed inside Wayne Manor, right above the main fireplace.
You want proof? I sold him more than that.
And Washington knows who I am, but they do nothing. They are afraid of him.
Axel is Gotham's pride. He is its king."
The man raised both arms, shouting loudly as others joined in.
At that same moment, inside Axel's room.
A faint sound broke the silence.
The Enchantress and her brother appeared beside the bed.
The brother immediately adjusted his posture, sitting carefully to avoid damaging anything with his horns.
Axel lay asleep, breathing steadily.
The Enchantress looked at him with admiration.
"This is the strongest human alive, the one who surpasses gods while still in human form.
He allows us to stand here without resistance. That level of confidence is beyond anything we have seen.
Even now, he must be traversing dimensions while his body rests."
The brother hesitated, listening to Axel's quiet snoring.
"Are you sure? He looks like he is just sleeping."
"Do not be ridiculous. We no longer need sleep, so why would someone like him waste time on it?"
She gave him a firm look, then stepped forward.
Holding the lightning sphere with both hands, she lowered her head slightly.
"The forgotten one seeks an audience with the king who shines like the sun.
As an offering, I present this—"
The door burst open.
Alfred stepped in, holding a shotgun, his expression cold and focused.
He aimed directly at the two figures.
The brother instinctively moved, but the Enchantress stopped him.
She studied Alfred carefully.
"Who are you?"
Alfred swallowed but kept the weapon steady.
"I am the butler of this house. And you?"
The Enchantress and her brother exchanged a glance, then smiled.
"I see. A trusted servant of the king."