"I'm not joining some little pretend-play club."
After helping Cyborg return the rescued civilians safely to the ground, Hal Jordan heard Ben's suggestion—and refused instantly.
Ever since joining the Green Lantern Corps, Hal had taken immense pride in being a Green Lantern.
Protecting Earth—protecting Sector 2814—was his responsibility. Cooperating with the others today had simply been him doing his job.
"We should form an official team."
Batman spoke up.
After today's battle, he'd realized something clearly: some crises couldn't be solved by a single hero.
They needed a team that was efficient, coordinated, and tightly connected—so that when the next disaster hit, they could reduce the damage to the absolute minimum.
"Why?" Hal looked surprised. "Aren't you the guy who doesn't want anyone interfering in your city?"
The first time they'd met, Batman hadn't been this cooperative.
Even though Hal respected Batman's capability after fighting together on Apokolips, he still remembered how Batman had told him—flat-out—to leave Gotham.
"This means the GCPD stops bothering me… and the Air Force stops bothering you."
Batman understood Hal's personality. He didn't dress it up in lofty speeches or grand moralism.
He offered something practical: if the team existed, then even when they operated separately, they'd have more freedom—and fewer pointless obstacles.
"Spare me. I've got an entire universe to protect. So this was a one-time thing."
Hal didn't bite.
In Hal's eyes, the only one who needed this kind of "official cover" was Batman—the guy the police treated like a thorn in their side.
"Come on—let's do it together."
The Flash, Hal's friend, tried to help persuade him.
He genuinely wanted more friends to fight alongside.
"Oh yeah? Can you fly through space?"
Hal wasn't responsible only for Earth. As a Green Lantern, he had to keep peace across other worlds in his sector, too.
These Earth friends wouldn't be much help out in the vacuum of space.
"I can."
Superman, standing nearby, answered with sincere seriousness.
"…"
Hal fell silent.
He couldn't deny Superman was the strongest hero he'd ever met.
And Superman wasn't lying—he really could fly freely in space.
Hal, now boxed in by that answer, struggled to find a graceful excuse.
"Join us, Hal Jordan!" Ben added. "For crises at today's level, we need a Green Lantern's power!"
Darkseid was gone—for now—but Earth, the core of the DC universe, was still a magnet for disaster.
Villains could pop up in any city at any time… and every so often someone would pull off a "humanity-ending" stunt.
Green Lantern was an indispensable piece of any real Justice League lineup. Ben wanted Hal in.
"Fine. I'll join. But we're changing the name! 'Dad-Worriers'—are you serious?"
Hal finally relented, but he strongly objected to Ben's proposed team name.
"What's wrong with it?" Ben spread his hands toward the heroes. "Everyone here—whose biological father actually stayed and raised them?"
"I want to fix this kid."
Hal's fist tightened immediately.
Without another word, he grabbed Ben and started grinding his knuckles into the top of Ben's head.
"I agree. That joke was kind of over the line."
Even the Flash didn't stop Hal this time.
"…I mean, my relationship with my dad isn't great, but he did raise me."
After a moment of silence, Cyborg raised his hand quietly—he didn't fit Ben's joke.
Wonder Woman didn't react much, but she still thought Ben's "hell joke" was inappropriate.
Batman frowned too. Clearly offended, he didn't intervene while Hal "disciplined" Ben.
Instead, Batman was thinking about something else.
Who was this boy who could transform into aliens?
Satellite surveillance showed the kid's first appearance was simply stepping off an ordinary bus.
He was like someone who had appeared out of thin air—Batman had used every method he had, and couldn't find any past records.
And the biggest problem:
This kid knew too much.
On Apokolips, Batman and Hal had briefly talked about it.
Ben could immediately name Hal Jordan's secret identity.
After that, even without saying it explicitly, he kept hinting at who Hal really was.
He was also the first to know about the Parademons and that Darkseid was coming.
He even knew Superman's name on Earth—and where he worked.
When Cyborg and Shazam showed up, Ben recognized them instantly and understood their abilities, building the initial plan around that.
Batman stayed suspicious.
"Ahem."
Noticing the discussion drifting, Superman saw civilians gathering nearby.
To make sure the team formation didn't collapse into arguing, he faked a polite cough to quiet everyone down.
"All right. Jokes aside—we really do need a team. So when we face something like this again, we can unite immediately."
He explained the purpose simply, then offered a name he'd already thought through.
"Justice League. How does that sound?"
"Agreed."
Compared to Ben's gag-name, Hal and the Flash immediately approved.
"I think it's good. A very fitting name."
Wonder Woman nodded as well.
"Let's go with that."
Batman didn't care much about the name, but once the majority approved, he agreed too—ready to move on to the practical work of actually building the organization.
"I have a backup facility we can use as a temporary base."
…
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 80)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 80)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 74)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter20)
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