Things couldn't have gotten more crazy if it tried. Shade had seen enough double-crosses in his life to know one when he saw one. Thing was, it was usually between criminals—no honor between thieves and all. It was never with the heroes.

And yet, he found himself staring right at Green Lantern holding an unconscious Hawkgirl and he had been the one to knock her out.

What the hell was going on?"

"Hold your damn horses," Volcana grumbled as she got onto her feet. "You do realize I just got bitchslapped into a wall, right? I'm gonna need—"

"You have five seconds," the Lantern growled lowly. "Now get your ass up and do what you promised."

Seriously, what the hell was going on? What did Volcana promise this guy? Just a minute ago she was trying to incinerate him and now they were on the same side? What was happening here?

In fact, why was Green Lantern even here? Hadn't they captured him not too long ago? What was he doing out? There were a startling number of questions and no answers to go with them. The Shade didn't like that one bit.

So of course he heard a voice of the communication device he had been given by these Legion guys. "Shade, if you would do the honor of withdrawing our forces. We have what we want."

"Now isn't a good time," he replied immediately, which earned him a glare from Volcana.

"Do what the albino ape wants and get us out of here," she demanded heatedly. She spared a glance at the Lantern and bird girl. "And take her with us."

Shade didn't like this at all, not one bit. So he scowled at the fiery redhead before he held up his cane, allowing his shadows to pour out. The whole room was filled with darkness, the startled cries of friend and foe alike filling the air.

And then the Legion was no longer in the museum.

"God, I'm getting so tired of that trick," Flash grumbled, standing still for once.

There they were, in the middle of a fight, and suddenly that former god guy decides he's had enough and swallows up the entire room in his shadows. It was an old trick of his to escape and he had pulled out this Legion of Doom, or whatever they called themselves away. One of these days, he was going to need to figure out some trick to counter that all-encompassing darkness.

"Is everyone alright?" Green Lantern demanded as he walked up to the speedster and the lovely Fire. The lady with the green flames had changed back to her normal features and was standing nearby. Other heroes were starting to draw near, looking for better or worse. There were confirmations from them.

So of course one of the new guys noticed something was off. "Has anyone seen Superman?" Captain Atom asked.

Heads began turning this way and that. Flash frowned when he couldn't see the big boy scout anywhere. In fact, he didn't see Hawkgirl either. "One second," he said before he took off running.

Room after room, he raced through them all in a matter of seconds. He was back with the others, specifically next to John when he came to a stop. "I'm not finding them anywhere," he reported.

The former marine scowled. "You sure you searched everywhere?"

"Everywhere, GL. I even checked the employee bathroom. No dice."

"Do you think those Legion guys took them?" Vixen asked as she shifted her weight onto one leg, bending the other at the knee, arms crossing over her chest. "I don't know what that darkness was, but for a moment there it was like I was numb to everything. I didn't even feel my connection to the Tantu Totem and that's not supposed to happen."

"We can't speculate on that," John replied. "We don't have any evidence other than both Superman and Hawkgirl aren't here, the same as the Legion. They both could be off fighting somewhere else."

"I kinda doubt that," Flash replied. "When I was looking around, I didn't see any exit holes other than the ones we made when we came in."

"Doesn't mean those holes couldn't be used," the Lantern pointed out.

Okay that was a good point, he had to admit. "Regardless," John continued, "we shouldn't split up and go search for them, otherwise we'll just be setting ourselves up for an ambush that might be around. We all need to return to the Watchtower and figure our way out of this."

"Why there?"

"Because it's the one place I know the Legion can't reach us."

"How do we know that?" Fire brought up. "If that shadow man was able to transport him and his friends away, what's to stop him from using those same shadows to enter the Watchtower?"

Flash and John shared a look. That was actually a good question. Shade basically used the powers of one of Diana's gods. He might not have complete control like he used to, using his cane for everything he did now, but why couldn't those shadows find their way there? When Bats had the place built, the speedster doubted he planned for a bunch of guys to gain godlike powers. Then again, the guy was known for preparing for any possible situation.

It was definitely something to bring up to him.

"We don't have a lot of good options at the moment and that's the only one I can think of that won't put us in a worse bind," John finally answered Fire. "I don't know if Shade can actually reach the Watchtower since he's never tried."

"Never trying doesn't mean he can't," Captain Atom pointed out.

"This isn't a discussion." Whatever civility John had was going down the crapper now. "This is an order. We're returning to the Watchtower and informing the rest of the team what went down. We'll come up with our next move then."

A bit blunt, if not rude perhaps, but Flash couldn't find it in himself to argue. They were down two of their own with no way to know if there were other traps around. It was better to regroup in a safe place and the Watchtower—until proven otherwise—was the safest place they knew. Plus, if Bats was up there, he might have some ways to take down intruders.

"GL's right," he chimed in then, trying to soften the ultimatum somewhat. "For now, we go back to the Watchtower."

John gave him an appreciative look and nod of approval. A show of unity was needed and it was clear the new members were looking to the older ones for leadership. This was confirmed as Vixen, Fire, and Captain Atom nodded their acceptance. Flash could do some damage control later if there were any hurt feelings, but for now, they needed to get out of here.

The transporter was a highly sophisticated piece of technology. The earliest version had required a nuclear reactor to power—which turned out to be its greatest weakness. The one on the Watchtower had the benefit of having not only recent advancements, but alien technology incorporated into it.

All of this made it very complex and difficult to repair when damaged, however.

With a plate removed from its side, its innards revealed to be an organized series of circuit boards and wires, Batman went through each and every one of them, testing each for damage or inefficient production. It was a long, tedious process, but it was somewhere to start. If he was able to remove hardware as a reason for the teleporter being inoperable, then that left software.

He really...really...hoped it was hardware.

The coding process and the sheer number of them was staggering. Having to comb through it would be a nightmare that could take days if the problem was buried in there. He almost preferred it being hardware cause once he found the problem, he just needed to trade out the parts.

As he worked, the room itself was empty aside from him. This task wasn't one to draw in a crowd and he wasn't the most conversational person around. On top of that, there were only so many people that were familiar with this tech and none of the newer members were familiar with it. That left the original League members and of them there was only one person other than himself that could confidently navigate the teleporter. It went without saying it was J'onn and he was in the process of his own task.

The door opened then, though Batman didn't bother looking to see who it was. He was placing a probe on the next circuit, waiting for the reader to tell him if it was operating properly. There was a set of footsteps, heavy with a distinctive click. The person was wearing heels if he wasn't mistaken.

"I hope you are making progress," he heard Diana greet him as she came to a stop somewhere behind him.

The vigilante grunted. The reader reported then that the circuit was performing within its expected range, eliminating it as a problem. Onto the next one. "It's been slow," he replied as he checked the next circuit.

There was silence as he continued with his work, the Amazon seemingly content to watch him. Once upon a time, that wouldn't have bothered him. Now though, he could feel her gaze on him and it unnerved him. There wasn't one real reason for this, but a hundred smaller ones. Their history, the dreaded future, the battles amongst gods in Gotham, it all had changed the dynamic between them to where nothing was simple anymore.

Normally, Diana would have been the instigator of any conversation between them. Her patience had limits, but now she seemed to have exceeded those limits. When that had happened, he didn't know.

He wasn't sure if he liked it either.

"Is there something I can do for you?" he relented after awhile, still checking the circuitry.

"I was wondering," she began almost immediately. Apparently he had jumped the gun in his query if her tone was any indication. She was coming off as nonchalant, but there was almost an eagerness hidden within it, as if she had been waiting for him to take the initiative. He couldn't help but notice it. "You took me off the latest mission."

Automatically, Batman could see where this was going. "You have a problem with my judgment call?"

"Perhaps in the heat of the moment, but if I am honest with myself, it was the right call." Diana was maturing it seemed. When they first worked together, such an action would have called down her wrath. "You haven't changed one bit, have you?"

He pressed the probe on another circuit. "Meaning?"

"You're still as blunt and honest as ever, even to the point of almost being insulting."

That was a new one. "You were expecting anything different?"

"Perhaps. It seems I was mistaken."

There was a pause. As the circuit passed its test, Batman then moved the probe to where wires were attached to the circuit board, checking the wattage as it flowed through. "At one time, I don't believe I would have been," she continued.

Batman paused in his work. He turned his head to look over his shoulder, finding Diana standing by the computer terminal, leaning against it as her bottom pressed into it. Her arms were crossed over her chest, relaxed, though he could still see the fatigue that seemed to pour out of every movement she made.

He wasn't familiar with whomever this Silver Banshee was, but it was clear her hypersonic scream was not like Black Canary's Canary Cry. He had experienced the latter on more than one occasion and it hadn't debilitated him like Diana seemed to be. There was something else at play, something within Silver Banshee's scream that weakened the Amazon.

"You should be resting," he told her.

A small smile appeared on her lips. "Still caring about my welfare?"

"You don't think I would?"

"After your departure from the League and the radio silence thereafter, it was a question I asked myself on more than one question."

Alright, he could admit that his behavior towards the League following the attack on the White House was abrupt and cold—even for him—but he hadn't expected it to become a sticking point as it had become.

Then Diana asked, "What happened during your undercover mission?"

That froze him in place—but only for a second. "I sent you a report on that. It was all there."

Diana shook her head, her long, dark hair brushing over her shoulders. "I've read the report, but I want to hear it from you."

"Because you want to know what caused me to resign," he added.

"Because I want to know what led you to distance yourself from me."

Apparently his self-imposed exile had lost him his ability to read the Amazon as he once had. So far she had only stayed on safe topics like the League. For her to ask about the distance between them was different. However, it probably shouldn't have been surprising. Diana was a direct sort of person, so her patience on the issue should have been the surprising part.

There had been a time during Brainiac's invasion that they had a talk and he had given her a reason for his resignation. "I believe we've talked about this," he responded after a moment.

"I don't believe we have," she countered archly.

"I did tell you about needing to attend to Batgirl," he pointed out.

"And what does she have to do with us? I can understand needing to help her as you have, but surely she can't need that level of help after all of this time."

Batman narrowed his eyes. "She never developed the ability to speak and could only read a person's body language. That doesn't just go away overnight."

That gave Diana pause. Clearly she had either forgotten or simply didn't know about the extent of the abuse done to Cassandra. "I apologize for my words. They were uncalled for," she apologized.

The dark-clad man grunted before returning to his work. "I...did hear something about Bruce Wayne," she said after awhile.

"And what is that?"

"He has a daughter."

"Is that what you've heard?"

"Would she happen to be your apprentice?"

It took a moment before he responded. "She is."

"I hadn't realized you two had become that close."

"What can I say, she grew on me." Batman stopped what he was doing and stood up, turning to face the dark-haired woman. "It's not a typical relationship, but we're family. I care for her like any parent would their own child."

"I'm glad you care for her that way," Diana responded, raising a hand up to brush some hair behind her ear. Although she had been careful in how she spoke up to this moment, she seemed genuinely glad for him.

"It hasn't been easy," he admitted. "She's been rebellious for awhile now; I can't imagine where she gets it from."

"Clearly not you," she joked.

The corner of his mouth twitched up. "I can't help but be concerned for her, no matter how long she's been operating on her own. I imagine every parent would be that way."

"She seems quite capable. If you trust her to take care of herself on her own, I'm not certain why you would need to worry."

"If you were to ask you own mother, in spite of your exile if she is concerned for your safety, I would be willing to bet she would be."

Diana considered this. "I would certainly hope so, if that is how parents in Man's World are." She sighed. "I didn't mean to bring us to this topic. What I really wanted to speak to you about is the distance that had grown between us. I felt we were building something only for it to vanish in an instant. I have been taught to be independent and strong, to stand on my own two feet, but I find myself missing such closeness with another."

Batman frowned. "You haven't tried with someone else?"

"Every relationship is different with each person I meet. I have one with the others in the League, but each one is special to me in their own way. I have come to learn that one must protect themselves in Man's World as not everyone is altruistic in their motives."

He couldn't fault her conclusion there. He had experienced that same thing a long time ago.

"And quite frankly, I rather enjoyed the time we spent together," Diana continued. "I felt I've waited long enough to bring this up to you, but I was—"

An alert suddenly sounded from the terminal, cutting the Amazon off. Turning her head to regard it, Batman thought he saw a flash of annoyance on her face before she tapped a button. "This is the Watchtower," she spoke.

"Watchtower, this is Green Lantern," came Stewert's voice over the intercom. "Away team is on its way back to base."

"I hope you had success on your missions," she replied.

"Unfortunately, we didn't. There's been a serious development with the Pantheon, and Superman and Hawkgirl are both missing."

This caused Batman and Diana to share a look with each other. "Can you repeat that?" she inquired.

"It'll be easier to explain once we reach the Watchtower. A debriefing is necessary and I think the entire League needs to hear it."

Batman didn't like the sound of that. Something had happened in Midway and if Lantern was making serious suggestions like this, then that something was bad.

Ultra Humanite could not hide how impressed he was with these little gadgets. The name of Omnicron 2.0 needed a lot of work, but one could not argue with its power.

He had faced off with Superman before and had become knowledgeable about the alien's abilities. So much power in one person, and what feats that were accomplished with such power, and to think this piece of headgear was stronger than all of it.

Yes, Superman was weakened with kryptonite exposure, but after witnessing how only debilitation from a concussion was enough to keep such powerful individuals subdued enough to be placed into the simulation these gadgets possessed, it was perhaps a moot point. That the body of one so powerful could be placed in catatonia so easily…

This had prompted him to investigate the origins of this device further. How had Luthor managed to get his hands on it? How had it managed to slip under his notice?

He had chosen the moniker Ultra Humanite for a reason. To one who exceeded the limitations of humanity, and to become something greater, yet still consider himself part of the species, that was why he chose it. Yet, one who should be considered inferior was accomplishing so much more. Worse, a development team of even more inferior specimens of human had been able to devise this marvelous piece of technology before he had…

It made him ponder what the next logical step of this technology would be. From a gaming console, to...well, Luthor had not ever expunged all the details about what the Omnicron 2.0 was capable of. The effects were his only clue and that included a personality change of sorts. The scripts he had shared with Killer Frost and Volcana had not been typed up, or written by his hand.

He glanced at the red rings on the ear rests of the device. It was still operational, completing its task. What results would it accomplish this time? It had already made someone as rigid as the Green Lantern amenable to self-styled villainesses. Granted, he did not know as much as he could have about the Lantern, but his preliminary research indicated much of his power was based on will.

The Omnicron 2.0 could subvert that kind of will; what would it do to his adversary right here? What could it possibly do to one like Superman? The scientific rigor alone was giving him a heady feeling, something he had not felt in a long, long time.

Let's not forget their other guest. It gave so much credence to the Omnicron that the Lantern voluntarily turned on his own his ally. There was so much more going on here. Feelings, emotion, and desire were all at play, but Humanite was not about to dismiss the results. Hawkgirl was a bonus; there had been no guarantee that she too could be captured. Yet, here she was, as catatonic as Metropolis' blue angel.

Removing her headgear had been an experience, one he kept to himself. It gave so much to the design of that mask that such a beautiful woman could be so fierce. If you subtracted the wings, she would be like any other human appearance-wise. It spoke of so much about extraterrestrial life and how so many species bore such similar traits.

There was no recognition of a possible civilian identity, though. Humanite had no idea who Hawkgirl was, if she even had a civilian identity. Something like this required need-to-know criteria. Who knew how valuable it could prove at a later date?

And what was she seeing? What was the Omnicron 2.0 showing her? Doing to her? His curiosity craved to be satisfied.

But he had been warned not to take these devices apart. Threatened, really. He wasn't stupid, not enough to risk a threat from Lex Luthor of all people Still, he wanted, no, needed, to know what these Omnicrons were doing.

There was a beep. Glancing to Superman, alone in a private room, Humanite noted the time and calculated how much longer the process would take. It would be mere minutes from now, so he would need to act quickly. The Omnicron was capable of putting the user into a state of torpor; it was how the Lantern awoke in a room with "allies" rather than an albino gorilla carrying a VR headset.

That was the more sensitive part of this little operation. These heroes could not be clued in that they were wearing anything, or that something else was afoot. Whatever reeducation program they were subjected to could be compromised otherwise.

Speaking of, his script. He had one developed especially for Superman. Killer Frost and Volcana would reprise their roles for Hawkgirl, despite their objections. The Kryptonian would require the kind of finesse neither possessed, but that he was more than capable of doing.

He always did enjoy the theater…

Naturally, that's when the beep returned. Frowning, he did another calculation...no, still not time enough to remove the Omnicron so...oh. He was being called.

Turning to the nearest monitor he could find, he booted it up and found a...patient Luthor on the other end.

"Status update, Humanite," the business mogul ordered.

Stifling his distaste to be spoken in such a way, Humanite answered, "We were able to abscond with at least two League members this time: Superman and Hawkgirl to be precise. Currently, they are going through their reeducation, but that process should be finishing any time now. It would be best to end this call as soon as possible so as not to tip our hand."

Luthor gave a nod. "You know what your role is next, correct?"

He gave a nod with his ape-ish head and its bulging cranium. "I will be following your script as close as possible, with liberties to be taken only as needed."

"This will be the riskier part. Your presence may raise unnecessary questions that you will need to answer satisfactorily." Humanite was able to keep from narrowing his eyes. It was a peculiar way of wording there. Why would his mere presence raise questions? What kind of questions would they raise? "Once you are finished, I will want another report."

"That may take some time." Large, furry arms crossed over a leathery chest. "To reintegrate our captured League members is going to require a little more than what we did last time. Catch and release might be too suspicious. It may have worked for the Lantern, but to have the same scenario occur for a second time and with two different League members? Coincidence will be hard pressed to explain such a scenario."

While some might have gotten angry or blustered, Luthor appeared thoughtful. "You're right. We'll need a different method of release."

"I have some thoughts, if I may; however, due to current time constraints, I may not be able to give full detail," Humanite volunteered. "You'll need to trust me."

Luthor did not frown, but his face became blank. He was a man who was firmly in control at all times, but being asked to give up even a modicum was asking a lot. Yet, if this was to be pulled off, the type of improvisation it would take would be essential. Unfortunately, to explain it all in the most minute of details would take up too much time. Time they just didn't have.

"Very well," Luthor acquiesced. "I leave it in your capable hands. Do not disappoint me."

Consciousness was slow to return. He released a small groan. Then his hands were on his chest, visions of sick green flashing through his mind and pain in his chest stabbing, stabbing—

Superman gave a gasp as he abruptly sat up, then bobbed and weaved as a spell of dizziness settled over him. He had moved too fast from a reclined state to sitting up, his blood not having enough time to keep up.

Terrified blue eyes snapped up and stared down at a chest where a red S stared right back, unblemished, whole, and lacking a blade of kryptonite piercing right through it.

His skin was cold and clammy, and cooling sweat trailed down his face. Had it been a nightmare, he wondered. Something terrible as being stabbed and dying and…

...and he had a headache. So he was alive. He highly doubted the dead felt something as inconvenient as a headache.

Lethargy made him feel slow. What was this? He hadn't felt this way in a long time...except when recovering from kryptonite exposure… Hands clenched over his chest once more, knuckles turning white. Superman nearly bent himself over as if a phantom echo of pain wracked his body.

The large hand on his shoulder gave a squeeze, attempting to comfort him—wait. A hand on his shoulder? It was much too large to be his and he knew where both of his hands were. He wasn't alone, the Kryptonian realized.

Years of being denied the use of his powers had taught him how to bluff, and when lacking the choice, having enough S-U-P3-R nearby to supplement when force was absolutely necessary. When he was younger, before that spell had robbed him of his powers, he would have already acted. Now, though, now he calmed himself because confidence could allow you to talk your way through a conflict if not completely out of it.

Slowly, Superman turned his head in what he sensed was the right direction. Finding a large gorilla, white in color, was not what he had been expecting, and the way the top of the primate's head bulged was...was...familiar.

"I...I know you…" At least he was able to hide the wince he felt was begging to come out. His voice wasn't strong, more hoarse, like he hadn't used it in a long time. His mind scrambled, trying to recall anything about a white gorilla, because it was familiar, too familiar, to not know and...and…

"Humanite." Now his voice was sounding stronger, certainty going a long way to make it so. It was so long, so very, very long, and somehow that name, a small piece of information that was buried under years and years of...of...well, it was uncovered at last and brought with it many questions.

Humanite gave a lop-sided, crooked smile. "It has been a long time, Superman. Very long. However, if you thought our last encounter was the last time we would meet, I would like to put that assumption to rest. Tell me, how do you feel?"

This...this made no sense. Why was Humanite here? Why did he feel so weak? Was...was this Batman's doing?

Bizarrely, Humanite stretched out his other arm and wrapped it around the Kryptonian's back, as if to hold him up. That wasn't making sense, especially since the last time they had encountered one another, they had been enemies. He...he had dealt with Humanite afterwards, right? He had made sure that the various supervillains of Earth were no longer threats. That meant...yet he was...and his head hurt. What was going on?

"Take your time," Humanite soothed. "There is much to discuss and you require time to recover."

"What...is there...to discuss?" Weakness washed over him, making the effort to try and shrug off the ape's hands a difficult feat. And to think leaping over buildings had been easy…

"For one, to correct any and all assumptions you are making. Right now, you are suffering from some debilitating effects, results from the process that brought you here. Second, I would assume death would hold sway over a being as powerful as you, much as it would any other mortal."

Process? Death? The phantom pain of kryptonite stabbing through his torso echoed throughout his body. Yet, it helped to sharpen his mind.

"What do you mean by death?"

There was a sigh, one he recognized that Pa would give whenever there was a topic that was going to be hard for the Kryptonian to hear. "I'm afraid that...you have died. A feat many of your enemies would cheer for, yet, after you had painstakingly bestowed peace upon a world so desperate for it, this was your reward for all of your sacrifice.

"It was over. Strife. Conflict. Calamity. You and the Justice League, by forming your One World Government, you solve so many problems. Ended so many troubles. Most of all, you protected this world from all threats, foreign and domestic. In spite of it all, there were still those who refused to live in harmony and peace. You know who they are. You remember what they did. What you may not remember is how they struck you down."

The words were ringing true, except for the last few because he knew how he was struck down. Could still feel it. The sensation of kryptonite exposure still weakened his body.

"And where do you come in?" the Man of Steel uttered quietly, steel embedded in his words.

Humanite shifted, adjusting himself. "I may not have played a significant role, but I was part of your government. I understood your desire to save Earth. To protect it. And then, when they came for you, when Batman came for you, I was indisposed and unable to prove myself. I failed you that day. I can never forgive myself for that.

"So I began planning. What could I do to salvage what you left behind? To save what you gave up so much for. The usurpers, they were changing everything, tearing down all you had built. Then, I came upon some intriguing plans. Time travel, in summary. I had to work on it in secret. However, with all the restrictions on the kinds of activities I could engage in, I was unable to replicate the technology to its full potential."

An interesting tale, and preposterous. Yet...he remembered Batman standing before him. The conversation, if you could call it that, they had before the real battle began. Fighting a man who should have been, by all rights, dead was standing before him, challenging him, playing the role of the detective…

Exposing his weakness and lack of powers.

It seemed too simplistic and outrageous, but what if it was because of time travel that Batman survived? Yes, it explained the key points, but it felt like there was still so much missing.

Giving a nod, he waited for Humanite to continue. "I found a different means to engage temporal travel. Everyone focuses on moving themselves, their physical bodies, backward through time; I found it easier to move something less tangible—a mind, you see. With the knowledge of our world, I sent my mind with all its memories and knowhow back to my past self. There was ...a period of adjustment that was required. Once I was able to do so, I set about putting into place the mechanisms that would ensure our world would remain a certainty...except I encountered opposition. The Batman has ever been watchful and I suspect he himself has managed the feat of moving his physical form both forward and backwards. He would see our world end before it even begins.

"That is why I had to do what I did. I rebuilt the most rudimentary form of the machine that sent my consciousness back and used it to move yours back. Unfortunately, I missed the mark, and moved the consciousness you possessed at the very moment of your demise. I can see the aftereffects of your fatal injuries affecting your younger body even now."

It was a fantastic story. It explained some things. Was he really back in the past? If so, what did this mean? Did that mean…?

He could remember it. He could remember the point where he first decided to change the world. It had...it was at the White House. Vandal Savage and his coup d'etat. Flash...wait, was Flash still alive now? A horrible failure that had haunted him and the rest of the League for years? Could it be that it was undone? Could that mean that...that…?

One thing at a time, Superman. If Humanite was telling the truth about time travel, then this could be an opportunity. This was a second chance to save the Earth again and to make sure it would stay safe. It would also mean that...he had his powers. No need for pills because Zatanna had never cast that spell that stole his powers away in the first place. He could finally act as needed and without restraint.

He could truly be the Superman he was always meant to be.

The Superman this planet truly needed.

"For the time being, you need rest," Humanite cautioned. "The state of your body requires that you regain your strength. There is much to be done, first and foremost, to reunite you with the Justice League of this time. You need not worry about the details. If necessary, I will play the role of the 'villain' so that you can save this world once more."

Play? "You will need to explain more." His voice came out far harder than he had intended, but right now, with all of this new information, combined with the state of his body, not to mention the headache that was returning again, Superman was not in the best frame of mind to be polite.

"Certainly," Humanite agreed, giving a nod of his head. "I will tell you everything I know. After that, everything else is up to you."