The tedious and monotonous routine lasted for four straight days before Bruce finally broke free from the cycle of eating, researching, and eating again.
Inside the library, he looked over the documents he had organized and nodded in satisfaction.
"This is pretty much all the data we can get from the Amazons. I've scanned the area with the Bat-drone, and there really are no other hidden files left in Themyscira."
With that, he sighed, casually picking up a slab of meat from the plate beside him and chewing a couple of mouthfuls.
Pulling all-nighters was second nature to him by now.
However, carrying the weight of Darkseid's threat left him feeling significantly more exhausted than usual.
He immediately decided to head back to Gotham for a day of rest before continuing his work on the Atlantean archives.
With that in mind, he contacted his trusty butler, Alfred.
A moment later, the call connected, and Alfred's warm, refined voice filled Bruce's ears.
"You've been gone for four days straight. It took quite some effort on my part to fabricate a report claiming Wayne had gone to China for a market survey."
"I knew you'd have it covered. Also, the Amazon records lean heavily toward mythology. I had to run multiple analyses to extrapolate the relatively accurate personnel data and roster for Apokolips we have now."
Pausing for a moment, Bruce asked softly, "Has anything changed in Gotham while I've been gone?"
"Gotham has been quiet. It might have something to do with the light of the Sun God from a week ago; Arkham has been incredibly peaceful lately. However, I must inform you that Metropolis seems to have run into a spot of trouble."
"Hmm?!"
Alfred's words made Bruce's heart jolt.
"What happened in Metropolis? Damn it, this better not have anything to do with Clark's mother, Martha!"
"No need to worry on that front. I've had ample security personnel staked out in Martha's town for a while now. She's perfectly fine."
"Good. Then tell me what happened, Alfred!"
Bruce let out a breath of relief and fell silent to listen.
On the other end of the line, Alfred shook his head and spoke softly.
"While the issue doesn't involve Clark's mother, it is intimately tied to Superman himself. He has been sued in court again!"
"What?!"
The moment Alfred finished, Bruce asked in disbelief.
"He's been sued again? Wasn't he just sued recently? What is it for this time?"
"Because..."
At this point, Alfred fell into a rare silence.
After a long pause, Alfred let out a long sigh and spoke with a hint of disdain.
"At 2:40 PM the day before yesterday, a fire broke out at Metropolis Grace Kindergarten. Over two hundred children were trapped in the blaze. Although the firefighters did everything they could, two children still didn't make it out alive. The ones suing Clark now are the parents of those two children. They..."
"They're suing him in court because Clark didn't show up to save them?!"
Bruce understood completely, but the more he understood, the more unsettled he felt.
This was an incredibly messy situation! Especially since the victims were two children!
Children naturally evoke deep public empathy. Even if anyone with half a brain could see the lawsuit was unreasonable, sheer sympathy for the children would sway public opinion to side with their parents.
Bruce knew, of course, that this wasn't Clark's fault. No one has the right to sue someone just because a person capable of saving them didn't do so.
But the terrifying part was that the defendant was Clark.
It was Superman!
A Superman who was genuinely seen as a beacon of hope by countless people, and a Superman whose hope was constantly weaponized against him by countless individuals with ulterior motives!
This...
Bruce's expression grew increasingly grim. After a moment of thought, he said softly to Alfred, "You've already started handling this matter, haven't you, Alfred?"
"Of course, Master Bruce. The moment I learned of this, I threw a substantial amount of money at it, enlisting countless public figures to voice their support for Superman. Naturally, before that, I reached out to the parents immediately, attempting to offer an exorbitant compensation package in exchange for them dropping the lawsuit and refusing to speak to the media. But as you can probably guess, I was unsuccessful. Even knowing there are hidden hands orchestrating this behind the scenes, there is nothing I can do to parents who have truly lost their children. No matter how unhinged they act right now, the citizens will understand and forgive them."
"Yes, they have every right to grieve. But if their grief continues to ferment, it might prompt Clark and his great-great-grandfather to bring even more pain to Earth!"
After saying this, Bruce shook his head and asked softly, "Have you investigated who has been in contact with the parents recently?"
"I have. The only people who have interacted with the parents are their respective attorneys, from the Bethlehem firm on Old Brown Street. They haven't been in contact with any suspicious figures lately either. Since the parents all come from the same neighborhood, their children attended the same kindergarten. Add the fact that their children died in the same incident, so..." Alfred coughed lightly, shaking his head. "We can't find any cracks in the legal representation to expose who might be backing them."
"What are the parents' backgrounds? If I remember correctly, the Bethlehem firm's fees are extraordinarily high!" Bruce asked, his question prompting Alfred to think for a moment.
A moment later, Alfred responded, "I looked into it. Not only do the parents have no criminal records, but they are all elite professionals. For instance, a senior Wall Street stockbroker, and the Vice President of St. Surry Children's Hospital."
"Damn it!"
Bruce gritted his teeth at Alfred's words. At least on paper, the plaintiffs were completely flawless. They didn't look like nobodies trying to leech off Superman's fame, nor did they seem like grifters looking for a quick payday.
The more perfect their backgrounds, the easier it would be for the public to believe they were simply seeking justice for their children.
If Superman has saved countless lives in Metropolis, why did he let their children die?!
At that thought, Bruce stood up abruptly, grabbing the files on Darkseid as he walked out.
As he walked, he said to Alfred, "Wait for me. I need to get back to Metropolis as soon as possible. Before I handle this situation, we'd better keep it from them. I'm sure you know who I mean by 'them'!"
"Certainly. If he and his elder were to hear that the people of Earth are attacking him with this kind of reasoning, I could understand his elder doing absolutely anything in retaliation!"
"Exactly!"
As he spoke, Bruce used his own coordinates to directly summon the Batwing, which had been parked on a nearby island the day he arrived.
...
In the arena, Heisenberg snapped Clark's neck once again.
This time, however, he didn't continue the beating. Instead, he dragged the temporarily "dead" Clark up to the spectator stands.
Tossing Clark aside next to Lois, Heisenberg casually plopped down next to Mera, taking the iced water she offered and downing it in one gulp.
Nearby, Lois was no longer crying like she had been three days ago. She let out a helpless sigh, pulling the limp Clark into her arms and gently straightening his neck.
"Why the dry eyes, Lois? A few days ago, you were crying your heart out," Heisenberg set down the empty glass and teased her.
Hearing his words, Lois rolled her eyes and let out a slightly tipsy giggle.
"Hehe, I think the me from a few days ago was pretty funny too. It's not like his great-great-grandpa is going to actually hurt him. A little suffering builds character."
"Tsk tsk, if only Clark's mindset could grow as much as yours has. Compared to you, he hasn't progressed at all!" Heisenberg grumbled in dissatisfaction. He then took the wine jug Diana offered and blew a puff of freezing breath into it.
Taking a couple of gulps of the icy, potent liquor and enjoying a massage from an Amazonian woman, Heisenberg let out a comfortable sigh from his seat in the stands.
Next, he looked around at the eagerly anticipating Amazon warriors and gave a decisive nod.
"That's it for our training today. The training grounds are all yours for now!"
"Oh yeah!!!"
"Thank you!!!"
"We love you, Sun God!!!"
"Let's fight, you son of a bitch! This time, I'm gonna shove your foot so far down your throat!"
"Damn it, watch me strangle you with your own intestines!!!"
The ferocious Amazon warriors instantly erupted into chaos, rushing desperately into the sunlit arena. Some paired off for one-on-one duels, while others just dove straight into a hundred-person free-for-all. In less than three minutes, blood had practically soaked the entire grounds.
This incredibly gruesome scene made The Flash, sitting not far away, frown. Even though it wasn't his first time seeing it, he still couldn't quite stomach the sight.
It was too brutal!
But even as he frowned, he couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration in his heart.
Compared to him, every single female warrior in that arena was a true warrior, a thousand times more qualified than he was!
Barry knew he was probably the most cowardly member of the Justice League. He simply couldn't accept a blood-soaked outcome, no matter what.
After dying countless times, he had long grown accustomed to being hurt. But the moment he thought about his opponents feeling the same excruciating pain and helplessness he felt when he was injured...
The more he thought about it, the less he wanted to participate in any fight.
He was simply too kind-hearted. He didn't want anyone to suffer the same injuries he had endured.
Beside him, Arthur was a completely different story.
At this point, Arthur showed none of the timidity he had a few days prior. Instead, he was practically itching to join the slaughter in the arena.
After holding back for a moment, he finally stood up with a furrowed brow.
"Boss, how about letting me play with them? I won't use my trident!"
That's right—two days ago, after being beaten down time and time again, Arthur had returned to the sea to find the mentor who raised him, retrieving his mother's former trident.
Hearing Arthur's request, Heisenberg smiled in satisfaction.
"Go for it!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Arthur leaped from the stands, soaring over 170 meters in the blink of an eye and crashing right into the thickest of the brawl.
Like a tiger descending a mountain, he launched a ferocious assault on the surrounding warriors.
Seeing Aquaman enter the fray, the female warriors immediately found a common target. Hundreds of them swarmed toward him.
But their attacks were completely unable to suppress the Aquaman.
Arthur moved with crisp, ruthless efficiency. Every strike landed squarely on his opponents' vital points. The sickening crunch of snapping tendons and bones echoed continuously, and a chorus of agonizing wails soon surrounded him.
Yet even seeing such a brutal display, Diana, Mera, and the others in the stands showed not the slightest hint of shock.
All of this made Heisenberg laugh with unbridled delight.
Just look at them!
The ones sitting here were all former members of the Justice League. But now, having grown accustomed to enjoying the thrill of slaughter, how were they any different from the Injustice League?
And this was only after three days. Under Heisenberg's control, battles like this were destined to continue for months, perhaps even years.
Would Heisenberg be caged by so-called justice?
Impossible!
He was merely redefining justice in the DC universe!
And this redefinition would begin by making heroes accustomed to blood!
/-\
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