In the blink of an eye, Axel vanished from Wakanda, carrying the massive vibranium block with him.
Moments later he appeared inside the courtyard of Downton Manor in Gotham City.
With a heavy thud, Axel dropped the three ton block of vibranium in the center of the yard.
The moment the metal appeared, Lex, who had been working inside a temporary laboratory in the southeast corner of the estate, rushed outside.
He hurried straight toward the vibranium while shouting at Axel.
"Axel, how is your body? Are you still feeling healthy?"
Axel spread his arms wide and flexed his muscles with an exaggerated grin.
"Heh. Buddy, you must not have a girlfriend. You sound like a professional simp."
He stretched his shoulders proudly.
"Even if a god showed up, the best option it would have is fighting me until the end. Do you really think anyone else has a way to deal with me?"
Axel laughed.
"People always think they've found my weakness, but I make damn sure they learn they are nowhere close."
He pulled Lex into a strong hug and patted his back.
"So relax, Lex."
Then Axel glanced around the yard.
"Where's Bruce? I thought you two were glued together these days."
Lex rolled his eyes and stepped away from the hug before walking toward the giant vibranium block.
He tapped the metal lightly with his fingernail while answering.
"I would feel safer if you did not ask about him right now."
Lex sighed.
"At seven in the evening, the moment it got dark, Bruce put on the Batman suit and went out to patrol Gotham."
He shook his head with clear frustration.
"Alfred is currently in the surveillance room guiding him through the city. Even my assistant, Mercy Graves, went to help."
Lex looked genuinely puzzled.
"I truly do not understand Bruce's thinking. What kind of childish role play is he indulging in?"
He crossed his arms.
"If Bruce actually wanted to change Gotham, all he would have to do is spend money. With Wayne Enterprises behind him, the city council would support any reform he proposed."
Lex scoffed.
"Why choose such an inefficient method?"
Axel nodded thoughtfully.
"You are not wrong."
He leaned against the vibranium block.
"Bruce is basically the largest piece of capital in this capitalist circus called America. If he wanted something done, thousands of scholars would jump up to justify it."
Axel shrugged.
"But he insists on choosing the hardest road."
He smirked.
"Honestly, I think the old guy just enjoys beating the hell out of criminals."
Axel scratched his chin.
"Sure, Batman gives hope to victims. But hope does not fill stomachs or pay rent."
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Whatever. Bruce has always been like this. Let him do his thing."
Axel then knocked on the vibranium block.
"At least you did not abandon my battle suit project to go play Dark Knight."
Lex turned his attention fully to the metal.
Axel continued explaining.
"As expected, this is vibranium from another universe."
He tapped the surface again.
"You already know what this stuff can do in the comics."
Axel grinned.
"So add it to my battle armor."
Lex nodded immediately.
"No problem."
Then he looked at Axel seriously.
"But besides the armor, you also need to cooperate with my research."
His voice softened slightly.
"Compared to any equipment, you are far more valuable to humanity."
Lex reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek wristband before attaching it to Axel's wrist.
"This device tells the time and collects your biological data. The information will be transmitted back to me."
He raised a finger.
"However, I still cannot send signals across universes. So when you travel, try not to break it."
Axel glanced at the wristband.
"I will try."
Then he chuckled.
"But honestly, I might crush this thing by accident."
"That is exactly why I am rushing to finish your battle suit," Lex replied calmly.
He gestured toward the laboratory.
"Come inside."
The temporary laboratory had been built inside a modified airship. As soon as Axel stepped inside, something immediately caught his attention.
A massive holographic projection hung in the center of the room.
It was a completely naked three dimensional model of Axel.
Axel froze.
He slowly raised his hand and pointed at the projection.
"What the hell is this?"
He stared at Lex in disbelief.
"Are you and Bruce running experiments on my damn body during the day?"
Lex calmly clapped his hands.
Instantly the holographic model lost its outer layer of skin, revealing the detailed muscles and veins beneath.
"This is not pornography," Lex said patiently.
"This is scientific modeling."
He crossed his arms.
"Bruce and I are professionals. Valuable experimental data like this is not something we would treat like cheap entertainment."
Lex gestured toward another workstation.
"Besides, I did not bring you here to admire your anatomy."
He opened a small storage container and removed a pair of dark metallic shorts.
"These are nano material shorts I developed today using resources from my company."
Lex handed them to Axel.
"They may not be as durable as you would prefer, but if they are damaged, the nano material will automatically rebuild itself."
He adjusted his glasses.
"Even if the fabric fails, it can reassemble within half a second and maintain a decent appearance."
Axel stared at the shorts.
Lex continued speaking while leading him deeper into the lab.
"This is only a temporary solution. I did not have enough nano material prepared beforehand."
He sighed.
"My real goal is a battle suit that can reshape itself according to your commands and provide multiple functions such as cleaning, protection, and flight."
Lex shook his head.
"But that will take time."
He gestured toward several machines.
"Even with the Iron Man armor you brought back and the Wakandan technology, Bruce and I need time to fully understand everything."
His tone became annoyed again.
"Especially since Bruce refuses to dedicate himself entirely to research. He keeps running into Gotham every night to play hero."
Lex rubbed his forehead.
"That alone slows everything down."
For a rare moment, Lex looked genuinely tired.
"Before meeting Bruce, I believed the world was full of mediocrity and that I was the only truly intelligent man alive."
He smirked slightly.
"Unfortunately, Bruce is almost as intelligent as I am."
Lex sighed.
"I hate admitting it, but he can keep up with my work and occasionally surpass my pace."
Then his expression turned irritated again.
"What I cannot accept is that someone with such intelligence has so many psychological issues."
Lex folded his arms.
"I should probably study psychology as well. Bruce is clearly mentally ill, and even an outsider can see it stems from his childhood trauma."
He looked toward Axel with a faint grin.
"Strangely enough, that makes me grateful for my own parents."
"At least they did not turn me into someone like Bruce."
Lex shook his head.
"Everyone around him knows he is broken. Alfred knows it. I know it. Bruce himself knows it."
"And yet he enjoys it."
Lex sighed again.
"What a waste of a brilliant mind."
Then he pointed at the shorts Axel was still holding.
"Anyway, what do you think of the underwear?"
"Aren't you going to try them on?"
Axel stared at him.
"I do not give a damn about the underwear right now."
He smirked.
"I am more concerned about you."
He patted Lex on the shoulder.
"Of course I can test them, but are you seriously planning to stand here and watch?"
Lex blinked.
Axel chuckled and slung the shorts over his shoulder.
"I will take them and give you feedback later."
He started walking toward the exit.
"You should relax once in a while, Lex. Find a hobby. Maybe something ridiculous like Bruce beating up criminals at night."
He waved casually.
"I will leave the lab to you. I need to check on my little cat and the Dead Souls Gang."
Axel grinned.
"After that, I am going to sleep."
He hugged Lex quickly.
"Good night in advance. Thanks for the help, buddy."
With that, Axel walked out of the laboratory carrying the nano shorts.
Lex watched him leave.
Then he inhaled deeply and returned to his work with renewed excitement.
Unlike Bruce, Lex was a pure believer in human supremacy.
His vision was not creating a few superhumans.
He wanted the entire human race to evolve.
Universal evolution.
A world where everyone could reach their full potential.
Because of that belief, Lex disliked many superheroes.
Every unique superpower complicated his search for the perfect human genetic structure.
Heroes like Superman irritated him the most.
The stronger an alien became, the more it challenged Lex's belief in human superiority.
In Lex's mind, humanity had to defeat both gods and aliens to prove its true perfection.
That belief made him extremely hostile toward beings like Superman.
Fortunately for him, he had recently met someone like Axel.
After leaving the laboratory, Axel returned to the main castle.
Workers were repairing parts of the damaged structure.
Alfred stood nearby directing the work.
"Alfred," Axel called out. "Where is Selina?"
Alfred wiped sweat from his forehead before answering.
"Madam… went to steal a Wayne Enterprises aircraft."
Axel's eyes widened.
"Wait, she actually stole it?"
He stared at Alfred in disbelief.
"Did you even try to stop her?"
Alfred took a deep breath and spoke with absolute seriousness.
"I cannot imagine a happier life than the one I have now."
He straightened his posture.
"So even if Madam wished to steal the Crown of the Queen of England, I would support her."