From the second day to the third, the only major thing Axel Voss had accomplished was ejecting Falcone from Gotham.
At this thought, Axel took a deep breath and looked up at the sky.
Although he was far from completing the final step of his internal process, his instincts already guessed what ability he was on the verge of gaining.
Aside from a broad enhancement of his physical and mental systems, the final stage of his self‑imposed framework promised exactly what he wanted most.
What was that?
Axel suddenly burst out laughing, then flipped the middle finger at the clouds.
"Hey, old Buddy, you know who I'm talking to, right? I'm not calling that artisan god who gets wrecked by Ares, nor that primordial god who got toyed with by Darkseid and the Batman Who Laughs. They might be you in parts, but I only talk to you, the big boss, the Supreme God.
"I think I finally understand why you haven't struck me down yet. I've seen the real path to other worlds."
He leaned back in the boss chair with his hands clasped behind his head and chuckled.
"If I'm right, once I finish this damn thing, I'll be able to travel between infinite worlds. That sounds perfect for me. And you, old Buddy, only when I truly leave this world will you get a shot at shutting me out.
"Even if you fail, you won't mind seeing others like you get thrown into this mess, right? And if I'm wrong, you'll make sure someone helps me out anyway. Am I right?"
He raised his middle finger again, grinning defiantly.
Soon after, Gotham, which had been clear for barely a day, began to rain again.
To the rhythmic tapping of rain against the window, Selina Kyle entered with a serious expression.
She approached Axel with a solemn look, and spoke carefully, "I saw everything. That woman, Wonder Woman, is far fiercer than I imagined. I don't dare get close to her. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can seduce her."
"Huh?"
Axel chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Look, Selina… if your first question had been why I grabbed Diana's arm earlier, you'd be banned from touching me again. But you're a cat, right? A cat always finds a way to get close to who she wants, and always finds a way to push her luck."
He scooped Selina up and, without hesitation, kissed the side of her neck deeply.
Then, holding her close, he added, "Trust me, you'll have your chance with Diana. I'll have her in our bed eventually, and then I'll make her worship your toes, little cat."
"You do know I'm ticklish," Selina retorted unhappily as she bopped Axel on the chest, "By the way, aren't you supposed to return to Wayne Manor tonight? Your routine is usually healthy, you know. You always sleep before ten."
"Wow~"
Axel smacked the desk playfully.
"If it wasn't for games, I would've forgotten. Sure enough, games wreck my routine, even more than women do. Let's go, let's go to sleep together. Who cares if the sky falls? Tomorrow's Diana is tomorrow's problem. Today's me is dealing with you."
With that, Axel took Selina back to Wayne Manor, shamelessly rolling around on Bruce Wayne's enormous bed.
While they indulged themselves, Diana Prince, having changed back into her own clothes, had once again infiltrated her hotel.
She didn't forget her access card — she sensed someone inside.
She trusted her instincts, so she reached out and pressed her palm to her door.
Thump.
Click.
The door opened from the inside.
Diana's eyes widened when she saw the white‑haired old man standing there.
"Doctor Fate?"
"You should still call me Kent," the old man replied with a wry smile, "You're older than I am. Uh, wait… is that rude? Anyway, don't stand outside like a sentry. This is your room. Before we talk, I should apologize for coming in uninvited."
Doctor Fate bowed to Diana with elegant courtesy.
Diana returned the gesture with an ancient Amazons' greeting.
Once formalities were done, Diana sat on the sofa and asked Kent curiously, "I didn't expect you to be here. It's been decades. After we… parted ways back then, I was stuck guarding my homeland's mother box while you and the others fought Hitler. I felt guilty about it for a long time, but thankfully you all succeeded without major losses."
Kent shook his head gently.
"Diana, compared to the crisis involving the mother box, what we faced was minor trouble. Don't blame yourself. We each did what we had to do."
After speaking, Kent moved to the window and gazed out at the steady rain.
Diana offered a small, helpless smile and said, "I just realized this hotel has a nice view. So you saw… that earlier?"
"That wasn't embarrassing," Kent replied calmly, "And Fate does not reveal failure. What I saw was only Axel, which alarmed me."
Doctor Fate turned slightly and asked, "Diana, I saw you once use the Lasso of Truth on him. Did you discover who he really is?"
"No," Diana answered firmly. "Even against the Lasso, he insisted he's just human. I'm not sure if he overcame the enchantment Zeus placed on the lasso, or if he was telling the truth."
"I find it hard to believe he's truly human," Kent replied thoughtfully. "If he didn't know your identity, then maybe I'd believe him. But a true miracle shouldn't easily miss that. I suspect if I appeared before him, he'd know who I am."
Diana nodded. "I agree. And I also know he's not one of the Greek gods. No Greek deity could resist Zeus's influence, so his origins must lie elsewhere."
"Exactly," Kent said.
"Besides Greek mythology, he's not from the remnants of Mesopotamian lore either. Nabu didn't recognize him, which means even the Lords of Order aren't familiar with him."
Kent and Diana exchanged glances, then spoke together with light curiosity.
"Loki!"
"Sun Wukong!"
They looked at each other in surprise, then questioned the choice.
"Why do you think he's Sun Wukong? That monkey god isn't that much of a wild card!" Diana said.
"Why would you think he's Loki? His presence clearly feels… Eastern," Kent countered. "From what I understand, his style doesn't match Norse tricksters. It feels more like something out of Asian lore."
Both hesitated, silence filling the room.
After a moment, they shook their heads in unison.
"Alright, I admit his style isn't like the Monkey King."
"And I also admit his image doesn't perfectly match Norse myth."
With that, Kent and Diana were completely uncertain.
Could Axel truly be just an ordinary human, a supervillain fueled by self‑interest?
That question lingered unanswered.