What had once been a manicured lawn, green and trimmed, was broken and split. The level ground had sunk in on itself, crumbling into a crater. Bushes and flowers from nearby gardens had been pulled in, the broken remains of a gazebo sticking out in various places. A few trees had been consumed as well, torn and ripped apart, sticking out like tombstones.
A tremor shook this destroyed land every so often, its underground foundation destroyed and still crumbling. It would be some time before it settled.
Suddenly, the ruined ground erupted into a cloud of dirt, dust, and chunks of rock, sending the natural debris in all directions. Exploding out of the cloud was a red-and-blue blur, one that rose high into the air until coming to a stop.
Superman's eyes glowed an angry red, his face matching his rage. He stared down at what had once been the back lawn of Wayne Manor, seeing it imploding as it filled what had once been a large cave below it. The radius of it was wider than he had originally thought, spreading out below him much like a meteor impact site. Wayne Manor had suffered damage as well, a large section of the back wall having been ripped off and collapsing into the crater, revealing a honeycomb of rooms within the large house. Whatever was left standing of the back wall, it didn't look as if it would stay in place for very long as its foundation was pulled past the outer rim of the crater, removing more support from the house and leaving it another victim in this display of madness.
Bruce...that infuriating man. Superman hadn't thought he would blow up his own base, with all of the resources it contained, just to kill him, but he had. No matter how Bruce tried to spin this, he had tried to kill three members of the Justice League.
As the dirt cloud settled below him, revealing a hole that went deep into the earth, a green light glowed out of it. Soon, John was rising into the air as well, a round shield surrounding the man to protect him from falling debris. In his arms was Hawkgirl, who was still unconscious, her hair pointing in every which direction from the tasing she had received.
"Jesus," John swore as he came to float next to the Kryptonian. "I didn't think Bruce had it in him to do this. Look at all of this."
"Clearly we were both mistaken," Superman agreed. When Bruce had told them about that heart monitor attached to his suit, claiming it was broadcasting to a bomb, he had figured the man was bluffing. That was further proved by his not activating it when that ward of his showed up in that mech suit.
"It's safe to say he won't be coming back here," John added. "There's nothing left for him to use. That's at least one positive."
Indeed it was, but the two of them knew that Bruce kept safehouses throughout Gotham, ones that were supplied with equipment and the toys he was known for using. However…
"We've got a problem," the dark-haired man said as his eyes returned to their normal blue. "Batman has access to the 5-U-93-R."
John's head snapped towards him. "You can't be serious."
Superman gestured to his face, the dried blood surrounding his mouth and covering his chin. "While you and Hawkgirl were busy, Batman sucker punched me with strength he shouldn't have. The last time I felt anything like it was when we were experimenting with the 5-U-93-R pills. It's the only explanation for why he was able to break my nose."
"That son of a bitch," the Green Lantern swore. "So he brought some of those back with him. I should have expected as much."
Yes, they should have. The man was pragmatic and with his documented countermeasures, he would surely have taken them into consideration for his mechanizations. Even when the Kryptonian was taking him seriously, viewing him as a serious threat, Bruce could still surprise him.
It was infuriating.
"We're going to have to operate on the assumption that Bruce has more of those pills and is giving it to all of his allies," Superman then said. "Any further confrontations, we cannot hold back."
"Agreed." John then looked down at the remains of Bruce's property. "Do you think he was able to survive that?"
"Until I see a body, I'm assuming he did." Superman used his X-ray Vision, staring into the ground before grimacing. Bruce hadn't been kidding about all of the lead deposits in the ground. He couldn't even see into the cave from where he was, or at least what remained of it. It was natural too; he could tell because the lead was scattered throughout the dirt and rock, so the further he looked, the more black he saw until black was all that he saw. Had there been a lead-lined wall for instance, he would have stopped the moment his eyes encountered it.
Faintly, he recalled such a phenomenon back when the League had first formed.
"We need to get Shayera back to the Watchtower," John then brought up. "I don't know how powerful the taser was that got her, but we can trust Bruce programmed it to hurt a meta-human. She needs medical attention."
Superman understood his comrade's concern. It was just the three of them with the new members of the League, who still were on the fence with the direction of their leadership. They couldn't afford to have Hawkgirl out of commission for long, not against someone like Bruce.
Hmmm...the League. Now there was a thought. With how splintered the League had become, they needed something to unite it. A common cause, a common enemy, something for them all to focus on. A smirk began to grow on Superman's face. With tonight's incident, he now had that enemy.
Bruce may be against them once again, but he was also unwittingly helping them. He would be a fool to ignore such a gift.
"We'll head back for now," Superman said. "And then we bring the full force of the Justice League to bear. I want Bruce found; I want that girl of his found. We aren't going to let him have his way again. For our world order to return, he must be eliminated."
The air was cooling, not that Diana really noticed. Her emotions were a mess, jumbled and chaotic.
That's what happened when you were betrayed.
The video of that young woman had come out of nowhere, then just as quickly vanished. The damage had been done though, as she had recognized some of the backgrounds, the Bat Symbol on the woman's chest, the familiar features of Bruce's ward…
Her snapping the girl's neck with a twist of her hand.
He had known; he had kept this from her; and he had pulled away without so much of an explanation. To find that this was the reason galled her to no end. How could Bruce have kept something like this from her? Treated her as some disaster waiting to happen? He should have told her about this. They could have done something about this together.
It wasn't right, it wasn't fair! The future, that was his excuse. He had witnessed something as traumatizing as seeing that girl's death, blaming her for it when she had never laid a hand on her.
Diana had flown into the city after their encounter in the Batcave. She had found a building and touched down, sitting herself at a corner as one leg dangled over the edge, the other propped up so that she wrapped her arms around her bent leg. She stared out into the gloomy city, one awakening from the spell of daylight and unveiling its darkness.
"No one was supposed to know of this."
She could still hear Bruce's voice in an endless loop. If he had it his way, he would have taken this to his grave, no one the wiser. Keeping secrets for the sake of keeping them. It was a trait of Man's World the Amazon found tiresome.
And none of this would have happened if he had told them, told her. The Justice League had no intention of becoming rulers, only protectors. None had designs beyond guardianship, herself included.
"You wouldn't be saying that after everything I saw."
Now what was left of the League? With the Legion of Doom pushing them and straining them in ways they hadn't expected, the Justice League was breaking down, torn apart by his deceit and paranoia. Flash had yet to return after the alleged incident at Gotham State University. Bruce was distancing himself yet again. J'onn...she had no idea where the Martian was, but she was beginning to suspect his absence had something to do with Bruce.
No, in fact, she was certain of it.
Bruce hadn't hidden the fact he had told J'onn, the one person he had. How much had he told their friend? What did he tell him? If it was upon his return from the future, Diana suspected it was a version that was fresh with trauma.
Trauma she could have helped him through.
Perhaps that was what was angering her. She could have helped him and he had chosen isolation. He had retreated from the very people that could have helped him cope and for what? To prevent that dystopian future?
"One that has come in spite of your intent."
Diana's eyes fell to the street below. This internal turmoil she felt wasn't going away. She hated it. She hated that she was seen as some impending danger. She was a trained warrior, honed in her craft, a diplomat well-versed in diplomacy. She was more than just a pretty face with super strength.
Down on a sidewalk, she saw a small family walking, one with a mother, a father, and a little girl. It was rather late for them to be out in a city like Gotham. They didn't seem too concerned, though Diana could see the man was glancing around him from time to time.
"I made a choice."
Inevitably, her thoughts returned to the last words they had spoken. Yes, he had made a choice, but it wasn't one she hadn't expected to hear. She had been expecting to justify his withdrawal as self-preservation, as the prevention of the dystopian future, which he had.
"The future—one I've done everything to prevent."
Two figures appeared in her sight, two men if Diana wasn't mistaken. They were walking towards the family, one man in a hoodie with the hood up, hands jammed into the pocket on its front. The other had on a coat, his hands in the pockets. Immediately, the dark-haired woman noticed the father figure maneuvering himself in front of his family, placing himself between the approaching men and his wife and child.
Diana found herself drawn out of her thoughts as she watched this. She found herself leaning forward, hands dropping to her sides as she readied herself to intervene.
But the two men walked passed the family, not even sparing them a glance.
Diana sighed. A false alarm. The father had made an assumption about those men, wrongly it seemed. That was just another example of a man's paranoia getting the better of him.
"Then you're a fool."
Except...this was Gotham. It had a reputation for violence. Could she have acted any differently if she had been in the father's place? What if she had grown up here with her Amazon sisters? Would they have done the same thing and protect her? Would her mother? She'd like to think so—no, she knew they would.
"It was you, or her. I chose her."
Bruce had chosen her. Was her his ward? He had chosen his ward over her? What did that even mean?
It was like he claimed that girl, Batgirl, was more to him than just someone he took care of. Was that what he was hinting at? What was their relationship then? What was more than a guardianship? Parentage?
Diana frowned. Was that it? Did Bruce view that girl as his own?
They had been living together for quite some time. It was entirely possible their relationship could have gone that way. Diana was quite aware of foster families that were much the same way. In fact, she had been to many fundraisers and orphanages, encouraging the adoption of many at-risk children, placing them in homes where they could grow and be nurtured.
Her mind returned to the incident below her, but now she saw it differently. She could see the father figure as Bruce, the wife and child as Batgirl. And those two men as the Justice League.
Bruce had returned from a future where he had seen versions of the League torment and harmed his ward. Was it all that surprising he would have become protective? Was his withdrawal less about leaving the League, but protecting his ward?
It crossed the line it never should have crossed and each and every one of you went along willingly. You led the charge, Diana, right up to the moment you killed her."
The way he had said those words, there was genuine anger, righteous fury. It was a wound still fresh in Bruce's mind, one that had been thrust out into the world by the mysterious broadcast.
She had briefly wondered if her Amazon sisters would have protected her in Gotham; would they have done the same thing Bruce had done?
The longer she stayed her, the more confused she became. The longer the crisis with the Legion of Doom went on, the more danger there was. The League was fracturing, its members pulling it apart with every passing day.
All because one father was trying to protect his daughter.
Diana needed to leave this city. She needed to get her head cleared and focused.
"We're at a crucial moment, Diana."
If there had been one correct thing said this night, that was it. They were all at a crucial moment and any misstep could cause irreparable damage. That needed to be avoided at all cost.
The trip to the lowest of the sub-basements was deliberate. If you wanted to keep something secret and off the grid, then you wanted to go deep into the earth. Embed the walls with lead as an added precaution, of course, but make sure the upper levels were too so as to reduce suspicion.
Then there were the security protocols. Everyone was granted a code that was only good for twelve hours and would change after being used twice. It had to be used for both going in and out. After that was the cliche retina scan and voice password. With the voice, everything from pronunciation, volume, word speed, and cadence had to be identical before it would be approved. Finally, there was a DNA authorization for good measure, and only specific DNA sequences were coding into the system. Any violation of any of these protocols would result in a lockdown and lethal neutralizers.
Naturally, he was able to meet all the criteria needed to pass through. Yes, he did not give himself a backdoor for the sole reason that he did not want to compromise anything, meaning he couldn't make himself into a potential weakness. Once he had put in everything and was given clearance, he stepped into the elevator that opened up, waiting only for Mercy to put in her credentials and pass, before riding down to the sub-basement.
This here was the only entrance. Much had been done to make it so, especially after an intruder managed to steal an advance piece of technology, one that he had retrieved through considerable amounts of spending and resources. It was still under investigation, and until an answer could be found, singular entrances to each sub-basement would be the primary method used.
The sensation of controlled falling was only slightly disorienting, no different from gravity pulled down on you when ascending. Luthor kept both of his arms behind his back while keeping his eyes on the elevator doors, waiting until the descent stopped and the doors opened.
What greeted the business mogul was not some dimly lit basement, but a well-lit laboratory. Rows of tables and counters possessed all sorts of circuitry and technological marvels on their surfaces, computer stations always active with all sorts of data on their monitors, and in the middle of all was a large table in which a thin, reedy man stood in front of, back facing the new arrivals. The closer Luthor moved to the man, the more the contents of the rows of counters changed from circuitry to tools and blueprints.
If there was ever a sign of a man hard at work, this was it.
"Professor Ivo," Luthor called out, his voice booming throughout the lab.
"Mr. Luthor," Ivo greeted in return; however, the man did not even turn away from what he was working on to face him. "I am in the middle of one last adjustment. If you will give me one minute."
Some people would have been reprimanded for such audacity, but everything that came out of this sub-basement had the billionaire stilling his tongue. Nothing dull had been reported to him, every report was new and exciting, and Ivo had proven himself perhaps one of the greatest geniuses of this age, a man worth every penny he had been paid already. If Ivo needed a minute, then it was a minute that had already been earned and paid for.
Luthor took this time to look around, eyeing everything. Perhaps there was a clue to what Ivo had been up to, and while Luthor credited himself with being on the cutting, if not bleeding, edge of technological development, he found he understood maybe half of everything in here. It was a different experience being the one that needed to be taught, something that he had not felt in years, decades even.
For some, they would be bored, others frustrated from their lack of understanding, but he was not such a man. No, he was patient, already understanding that to grasp a fraction of what Ivo was working on was an enormous undertaking, and why waste that time when Ivo himself would be more than willing to teach?
"My apologies," the professor said as he finally turned around from the large table he had been working at. He really was a thin man, long in face with prominent cheekbones and eyes that seemed so small. Faded wrinkles gave away his age, along with the graying streaks in his red hair. "Last minute adjustments that were absolutely crucial. I am, as of this moment, finished."
Luthor allowed a smile to split his face. "Very good news, Professor. So tell me, what have you come up with? I have been very eager to learn what you have created."
Ivo gave a nod. "Allow me to say first that nanotechnology you came upon is incredible. I have learned so much from it and naturally used it to further my own understanding. Now, I know what kind of man you are, Mr. Luthor, and I know that keeping such technology as is in its current state is not what you are paying for. You want a weapon, plain and simple.
"But what can you do with such advanced nanotech?" the professor continued, turning back to the table slightly. "Create a machine that replicates it? How could you if you don't know what it is made of? Obviously reverse engineer so that materials you can use to recreate it that are already available is basic. So what does that leave? I knew immediately that something in the form of a gun, or rifle was not going to cut it. So I got creative."
Luthor's green eyes found themselves on the table and more specifically what looked like a man. In shape yes, but the skin, if you could call it that, was gunmetal gray. It seemed to absorb the lighting of the lab than reflect it. There were five extremities, two legs, two arms, and a head. There was mass to the body, bulky musculature in all appearance, and gave the impression it was more than capable of taking a hit. Two black triangles were situated where the eyes were, blank and lifeless.
Ivo adjusted the small bowtie he wore before finishing his summary. "The basis of the nanotechnology was learning, so I took inspiration from one of the greatest learning machines around: humanity. I present to you the finished product. I call it the Anti-Metahuman Adaptive Zootomic Organism." Pausing, Ivo blushed slightly and cleared his throat. "I've taken to calling it Amazo for short."
"Amazo," Luthor repeated, his eyes not leaving this marvel. He found he liked the part about anti-metahuman. "How does it work?"
"Once activated, it should begin active scans of its environment. I put in specifications that it will obtain the data of living creatures, though I warn you that even I do not know all of its capabilities. However, based on earlier prototypes, it should be able to not just mimic, but recreate metahuman abilities to the point of being identical."
The business mogul's breathing was picking up and his heart rate was speeding. "Very fascinating, Professor. Hypothetically, let's say we were to use it on an individual, say, the Flash. Based on your models, this Amazo should be able to create an identical copy of Flash's superspeed, is this correct?"
"Indeed," Ivo confirmed. "Of course, final confirmation can only come from a field test. The best I was able to do for testing, without giving away the nature of this project, as per your instructions, was use the programming on what few metahumans entered the building and that I had prior notice of. They never even knew anything had happened because the changes happened in the programming without interfering with any biological functions. I'm very proud of that."
Luthor found himself sharing a look with Mercy. This was news to both of them, but it seemed there was a net positive, so for the time being it would be overlooked. There were more important matters that needed to be discussed right now. Something of what Ivo said was drawing his attention.
"You've already made copies of other metahumans," he said, stated more than asked. "Have you uploaded them into this…"
"Android, and no." Ivo shook his head. "I felt it would be best to activate it virginally. Who knows what might happen if it already had metahuman abilities programmed from the start? That's testing for another android. First, I need to know if it can obtain the abilities itself, in the field, under all sorts of circumstances."
A well-placed argument. This spoke that Ivo was fully confident in his work, or he was overestimating it and allowing ideals to cloud his judgment.
"You can store these copied abilities elsewhere, correct? On a server?"
"Yes. I have it set up and ready to download. I have already anticipated that one Amazo will not be enough and certainly not if I want to understand this nanotechnology to its fullest extent. The plan was always to build more."
And there were so many possibilities from that, and that alone. He and Ivo were on the same wavelength and answers were answering questions that had yet to be asked. Truly, the man was a genius. However, Luthor had been burned too many times in the past by other geniuses. As Ivo insisted, there needed to be a field test, one that could allow it to shine and reveal all of its capabilities.
Then the label of genius could be granted.
"You never fail to exceed my expectations," Luthor praised. "I will find for you the perfect scenario for this Amazo to show its full capabilities. Keep up the great work and do inform me of any issues as soon as you can."
The professor nodded, placing a hand on the android's thick arm and stroking it. "One word of warning, Luthor. We are entering uncharted waters. I have my theories, my hypotheses, but reality has a way of tearing apart theory. Application may not live up to either of our expectations."
"Your warning has been noted," Luthor said as he turned, his back facing the reedy man. "However, I have full confidence in your work. Let me worry about the details. Continue as you have and there is no doubt in my mind we are on the verge of creating something great."
The clacking of his dress shoes against the linoleum floor were the only sounds he heard as he walked away. Mercy followed after him until the both reboarded the elevator. All the while, the business mogul was riding high. It was a struggle to temper his excitement, but temper he must. A cool head was infinitely more preferable than going in blind.
"What do you think about this? Is Ivo onto something?" Mercy asked, staring straight ahead and speaking only when the elevator doors had shut.
"It is reverse-engineered alien technology, so there is always a risk." Yes, a cooler head was definitely preferable. "That is why we have testing. We'll need to see about creating a situation for Amazo to begin the next phase."
Several seconds passed before Mercy broke the silence. "Do you think it will be able to take on the Justice League?"
"And this is why the Legion of Doom exists. Based on all the current intel, the Justice League is fragmenting, and you know what that means? It's an old expression, but one I have taken to heart and used in my business practices.
"United we stand, divided we fall. I have worked long and hard to divide the League for this moment. With the League focused on its internal affairs, it will never see Amazo coming. It also creates the perfect scenario of not having too many of those metas in the same place while the android does it work. If it is a failure, it can all be blamed on the Legion."
"If it works, then it's all yours," Mercy finished.
The smile he had given Ivo earlier had been controlled and meant to be encouraging. The smile on his lips now was more reminiscent of a shark.
"Precisely."
Returning to the Watchtower was simple with the use of the teleporter, finally fixed after having been down for so long. As the Watchtower appeared before Superman's eyes, he saw the startled look of Steel at the computer console.
"What happened to you?" he exclaimed as he stood up from his seat.
Superman was very well aware of the dried blood on his face, its source his nose. His chin and mouth were coated with it. It was not a feeling he was familiar with, nor was it a sight anyone was used to seeing on him.
It made for a striking sight he could use.
It also helped that Shayera was still unconscious, being carried by John Stewart as he held her with one arm on her back and the other beneath her knees. They looked beaten up, worse for wear. "I want everyone here," the Kryptonian ordered, his voice low and drawn out. Steel didn't question him as he immediately put out an alert for the Justice League to gather.
They filed in shortly after, surprised looks on most of their faces. Flash still wasn't here, though that wasn't a surprise at the moment. Diana was also absent, which was more shocking. She would have to be brought up to speed when she finally showed up. J'onn at least was here, standing towards the back as he stared on impassively. The dark-haired man wasn't certain when the Martian had returned, but he was glad to see him.
"Everyone, I have an announcement," Superman said, the low chattering from the other members dying out. "As you've noticed, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and I were in an altercation recently."
"The Legion of Doom, I presume," Captain Atom suggested.
"What did they do this time?" Vixen demanded, clearly ticked off.
"It wasn't the Legion," Superman assured them. There were some confused looks shared between the League members. "This was done by one of our own."
Hushed whispers rang out, Superman hearing them as clear as a bell. He almost smiled as they asked themselves who among them was a traitor. Was it Flash? Was it a missing League member like Green Arrow? They were listing off anyone and everyone that was missing, save for the true culprit.
The Man of Steel raised his hands to silence their speculation. "Earlier tonight, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and I went to speak with Batman concerning his investigation into the Legion. Upon arrival, he attacked us. He...he tried to kill us."
There were stunned looks; even J'onn looked taken back by what he had heard. However, there were also skeptical looks as well. That wasn't what Superman expected. "Batman?" Black Lightning repeated questioningly. "But...how? I don't mean to discount what happened, but how does a man without powers hurt three of our strongest members? How does he even hurt you, Superman?"
The Kryptonian's face hardened. The objection to his claim made sense, he had to admit. How does a regular man hurt a veritable god? "I know it's hard to believe, but Batman is far from an ordinary man, I assure you. In his base, he keeps many weapons, including kryptonite."
"He used kryptonite on you?" Fire asked bewildered.
"He did, along with an assortment of other weapons as well." Superman gestured to the redhead in John's arms. "Hawkgirl was taken down with an electrical discharge, one even I felt. Batman then used kryptonite to weaken me enough that he broke my nose. He was trying to drive it up into my skull, but John was able to stop him. Then in a last, desperate attempt, he used a bomb that nearly killed us."
He could feel the wandering eyes on him, the new members searching his body for the signs of what he claimed happened. There was dirt and blood and even singe marks, everything that proved his story to be true.
"Did...did he say why?" Firestorm spoke up, softly at first, but then with more confidence. "Did Batman say why he turned against us?"
"He didn't," John answered him, shifting Shayera in his arms as he adjusted his hold on her. "But it doesn't take much to figure out that the Legion got to Batman and made him one of them."
There were more murmurings, wondering how such a thing had happened to Batman. Superman didn't care to listen to them, but he did pay attention long enough to ensure that everyone was accepting what they heard. He wasn't hearing any descent, so that was a good indication that everything was going the way he wanted them to.
But now came the most pivotal part. If he wasn't careful, he could risk splintering the League further and that was the last thing he needed. The Justice League's greatest strength was its unity and if he played this right, Batman could unite the League, making it whole once more.
"Until proven otherwise," he announced, once again quieting the room with his steady voice, "Batman is an enemy of the Justice League; he is highly dangerous and must be approached with extreme caution. Do not try to reason with him because he will not listen—just one look at myself should be evidence of that. We need to bring him in, but I understand if that isn't possible. No matter what, Batman needs to be stopped, no matter the cost."
