Of course Bruce hadn't thought of it—the idea hadn't even crossed his mind yet. But honestly, the battle with Doomsday just now had quietly planted a seed in him: the faint desire to put together a team. If things unfolded like they did in the movies, it wouldn't be until after Superman died, when Bruce learned from Lex that a new enemy was coming, that he'd officially set the Justice League plan in motion.
So this Bruce, who'd never even spoken to Lex, was surprised—but he didn't think Heisenberg had read his mind.
He simply frowned, studied Heisenberg thoughtfully, and asked in a low voice, "You're saying you want to form a team made up of superheroes?"
"Exactly. A team of justice. Even if it's just the members keeping an eye on each other, that alone can stop a group like this from going down the wrong path. And with a team in place, when we run into trouble we can't solve on our own, we can at least get a sliver of hope from our teammates. And most importantly..."
Heisenberg paused, glancing around the empty expanse of the Batcave, then at Clark's pensive face. "Most importantly, we can have more friends."
"Oh?"
Diana, just on her way out, overheard Heisenberg's last words. Smiling, she walked back to the group and seated herself to Heisenberg's right. "What were you talking about? I thought I heard something about making more friends. Has our dear Mr. Wayne decided to throw a party for our victory?" She idly smoothed a few damp strands of hair from her temple as she spoke.
Bruce shook his head. "That's what Wayne would do. But right now I'm Batman. Don't interrupt our meeting. Mr. Heisenberg just proposed forming a team of superheroes like us to counter certain powerful enemies from space. I'm weighing the feasibility of the idea."
He turned to Heisenberg, his gaze serious. "Frankly, as long as I'm included, I wouldn't oppose such a team. Human strength has its limits—that's an absolute truth—and with me present on the team, I can witness firsthand whether its direction and actions are truly just. But before I make my decision, I need intelligence on this enemy. At the very least, a name—not just a vague possibility you've spoken of with no evidence."
Beside him, Clark remained silent. He hadn't objected. But he was deeply curious about this enemy his great-grandfather mentioned. After all, in Clark's entire life, Doomsday was the only truly troublesome foe he'd ever faced. And his great-grandfather's power far surpassed that version of Doomsday. So what kind of enemy could make his great-grandfather wary?
He was more than curious.
Across from them, Diana leaned forward slightly toward Heisenberg. Her hair fell naturally, and her voice carried a note of concern. "Sun God, have you discovered a new enemy? One so dangerous that it would take all of us working together to have a chance?"
Heisenberg nodded. "Bruce and Clark may not know him, but you might have heard his name. Darkseid."
"Darkseid!!!"
Diana's fine brows furrowed deeply. Before Bruce could even ask, she pressed on in shock. "Are you certain it's the same Darkseid who invaded Earth in the ancient era?!"
"Wait, Diana—you're saying this enemy, Darkseid, has been to Earth before?" Clark asked, surprised.
Diana nodded firmly. "If the Sun God means that Darkseid, then yes. In ancient times, he did invade Earth."
As she spoke, her gaze drifted into the distance with worry. When the stories her mother had told her suddenly appeared in reality, they were stories no longer. The bloodshed and hardship woven into those tales now became something she was beginning to truly grasp.
"In the ancient era, an enemy called Darkseid came to our Earth. He brought with him three weapons known as Mother Boxes, wielding a power tantamount to a trinity, intent on turning Earth into scorched wasteland under his rule. To drive Darkseid from Earth, my people—the Olympian gods—united with the Atlanteans beneath the ocean and the humans led by King Arthur in the West. Not only that, even Lanterns from the cosmos joined that war. The fighting was brutal beyond measure. Countless heroes of the Golden Age fell. But through the sacrifices of our ancestors, Darkseid was ultimately defeated and fled Earth."
Diana fixed her worried eyes on Heisenberg. "Sir, did you take part in that war as well? And how do you know Darkseid is returning?"
"No, no, I wasn't involved. When that war started, I was still in hibernation aboard a Kryptonian ship."
"Then the news of his return...?"
"I saw it with my own eyes, Diana," Heisenberg said gravely. He then recounted the scene to everyone.
...
...
...
"In short, Darkseid used Luthor's body to have that conversation with me."
After he finished, Diana nodded decisively. "Much as I hate hearing this news, I have to admit—learning that Darkseid is about to return made me feel a single moment of fear. He is an opponent that once required the ancient gods, the sea people, the Lanterns, and humanity to fight together. But on today's Earth, there's no way we could unite those three peoples again, and the heroes of the past are long gone. So I will join this Justice League. If even we won't stand together, what hope does Earth have?"
She looked intently at Heisenberg. "I need to return to Themyscira as soon as possible. I'll secure our Mother Box under heavy guard, or perhaps move it entirely. If they're coming, the Mother Box is clearly their first target."
"Well said, Diana. Thank you for your trust." Heisenberg smiled and nodded, then turned to Clark.
Noticing his great-grandfather's gaze, Clark gave an almost bashful smile and nodded. "I see no reason to refuse this invitation. We worked exceptionally well together today, and beyond that, I will never permit the planet I love to be invaded by anyone. Zod or Darkseid, I'll fight them to the end."
As he spoke, Clark took a long look around him. In his eyes, the human world was so beautiful it took his breath away.
And with Diana and Clark both in, Bruce had no grounds to refuse.
"I'm in. No more idle words. Diana, I'll need detailed information on Darkseid. If possible, I'll likely require firsthand data from your gods' records so I can formulate a counter-plan. Mr. Heisenberg, I hope you haven't killed Luthor yet. If he's still alive, I must speak with him. There is no one more suited than a man who was possessed to help us deduce Darkseid's personality traits. Also, I have files on some other special individuals like us. I believe we can invite them to join; that would improve our odds considerably. And Mr. Heisenberg, can you estimate how much time we have left? When is Darkseid likely to move, and by what method will he arrive on Earth? If I can, I'll extrapolate his landing zone from his arrival method and arrange sufficient strike packages at and around that point. Finally, I have to say—being able to form a team alongside gods, demigods, and a Kryptonian Superman, I am honored."
Bruce extended his right hand abruptly. Clark promptly placed his own right hand over Bruce's. Diana smiled, glancing at Heisenberg, and laid her hand atop Clark's. Looking at the three of them with a shared goal before him, the sense of accomplishment swelling in Heisenberg's chest was beyond words.
This time, I am the founder of the Justice League.
Solemnly, he reached out his right hand—the hand brimming with divine power—and placed it over Diana's.
"We may have only just met, but we are all of the same kind. We are strong, independent, self-willed. But we need our kind. We need each other. We are the Justice League."
Heisenberg grinned and pressed his hand down firmly. The four made the gesture as one, then drew their hands back.
"I'll take some time to build a communications device from my memory, to reach out to the scattered Kryptonian wanderers in the cosmos. Krypton was a theocracy; they are innately obedient to me, so you needn't worry about them causing trouble. But don't expect too much. No one knows my people better than I do. They're the sort who would rather die with their homeworld. I'm afraid the number I can summon back will be very small."
The moment Heisenberg finished, Clark looked helplessly at the others. "Compared to Great-Grandfather, I... I'm afraid all I have to offer is myself."
"You're enough, kid." Heisenberg laughed and clapped Clark on the shoulder. The mood among the nascent League suddenly brightened.
Right at that moment, the Batcave's distant entrance roared open. A Batmobile screamed into its parking spot and slammed to a halt. A beat later, the door swung wide, revealing the woman strapped inside—tied up in a tangle of safety belts, her face a mask of utter bewilderment.
She stared blankly at the surroundings, then at the four people in the distance staring right back at her.
"Clark?!?"
"Lois?!"
Clark gaped at Lois, then immediately spun toward Bruce. Even without words, Bruce could guess exactly what Clark wanted to say. He swallowed and hurried to explain.
"Miss Lane was near the site of our battle with Doomsday earlier. When I retrieved the Kryptonite spear, I had her get into the Batmobile and sent her toward a safe location. Given that Miss Lane had just been kidnapped, and that Luthor in Metropolis had abducted your mother not long before, I felt there was no place safer than my Batcave. However, my Batmobile is obviously far slower than your aircraft, so we returned first. That's all!"
Watching Bruce's flustered rush and the rare hint of panic on his face, Heisenberg burst out laughing. This was classic, an instant new entry for Batman's greatest hits!
Diana was laughing just as hard—Bruce's face so rarely showed any expression beyond calm. The contrast between his usual composure and his current desperate need to explain was simply too much.
And Clark? He looked at Bruce, and a touched smile spread across his face. "Thank you, Bruce. I never knew before. You're really a good guy to have as a friend."
He leaned in and gave Bruce a brief, gentle hug.
In the distance, Lois was even more lost. How had her man suddenly ended up hugging that giant bat?
Just as she'd known from the very first day she laid eyes on that big bat—she'd felt it was absolutely nothing good. A woman's sixth sense never lies!
/-\
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