Chapter 13: Justice League

Chapter 13: Justice League

Bruce turned towards Alfred.

“Show me the files.”

“Very well.”

Alfred nodded and typed on the keyboard.

On the screen, a number of icons popped up along with codenames beneath them.

[Superman] [Wonder Woman] [Aquaman] [Green Lantern] [Flash] [Cyborg] [Green Arrow] [Martian Manhunter]

Bruce clicked on [Superman] first.

[Superman

A Kryptonian. After his entire planet was destroyed, he is known to be the last survivor of his kind. Due to being raised in a different planet and with his Kryptonian physique, he displays various superhuman powers.

Abilities include: Super strength, Super speed Invulnerability, Heat vision, X-ray vision, Flight, Freeze breath, Enhanced senses.

He also gains his powers from the yellow sun we have in our solar system.]

Looking at this data, Bruce and Barbara were shocked!

This...an alien!? Lucas...wants to trust this alien!?

Suddenly, he noticed a note at the end.

[PS: Brother, I hope that despite his race, you can find it in your heart to trust him. He is powerful, yes. But he was raised by good parents. When I met him, he saved my life...I hope you two will be friends.]

“...”

Bruce sighed and turned to the next person.

[Wonder Woman

Amazon. Lives in a hidden island called Themyscira. The Amazons are a civilization of only women warriors. Wonder Woman did not tell me how she was born but I suspect her father is a God while her mother is an Amazon, which makes her what you call a Demigod. Still, this remains to be proven.

Abilities include: Super strength, Flight(probably), Enhanced senses, ???(suspected to have more hidden powers if proved to have the blood of a God.)

PS: She can be very stubborn at times so please have some patience with her.]

Now, Bruce and Barbara were even more shocked!

A God! Lucas actually wrote that this person’s father...is a God!? And that she may be a demigod!?

Barbara was even more surprised that Bruce. She knows who this Amazon is!

Bruce sighed and clicked on [Aquaman]

[Aquaman

Half Human, Half Atlantean. Born from a human father, and the Queen of Atlantis. He now rules Atlantis as its King and holds the Trident of Neptune which allows him to control the ocean and command an army of the sea. When I found him, he was a drunkard who can talk to fish.

Abilities include: Super strength, Super speed(underwater), Able to breathe underwater, Water manipulation, Fish Talk(I don’t know how else to call it…)

PS: He seems to have a mother complex but don’t mention it to him…]

“...”

They were truly speechless. Just how did Lucas found these people!?

Bruce continued.

[Green Lantern

Green Lantern is the name of a special Corps in the universe. They each bear the Green Lantern’s ring to defend the universe. Basically think of Space Cops. But Green.

They themselves don’t have any power. Their power comes from the rings.

The rings are able to bring out the host’s imagination to reality and would act the same as what the imagined object is supposed to do. Extremely useful universal swiss army knife basically.

PS: Green Lanterns seem to be weak to fear. Make sure he doesn’t need to feel afraid…]

Bruce sighed. He feels like he can’t get surprised anymore…

[Flash

PS: When I met him, he is still a normal human...but he has the potential to be something more. And if I’m right, his powers would make him super fast.]

Bruce frowned.

This one is a bit...unclear.

It’s not as detailed as the others before.

He continued…

[Cyborg

PS: He is still human when I saw him...hopefully there is no accident that would turn him into half machine…]

This one...is also unclear…

[Green Arrow

Human. After spending 5 years in purgatory, his body was reforged from a waste to a deadly assassin. Yet his moral compass allowed him to slightly diverge from the path of killing and slowly turned to the path of justice.

Abilities include: Super precision, Tactics, Fighting skills

He’s a normal human without superpowers...but he can still go toe to toe with them with his arrows.

PS: He...is kinda like you, brother. I hope you two get along…]

“...”

[Martian Manhunter

Martian. As the name says, he is an alien from Mars. I never did find him, but I suspect he is out there somewhere…

Abilities include: Shapeshifting, Density shifting, Invisibility, Telepathy.

PS: He is also an alien. But from what I could gather, he does not like to fight, but if he is forced to do so...you cannot beat him simply. Theoretically, he is weak to fire.]

“...A martian?”

Bruce and Barbara looked at each other, then to Alfred who just shrugged.

“Don’t look at me, I also asked young master Lucas about that.”

“What did he say?”

“He said that everything written there is true.”

“...How did he know all these?”

Bruce asked.

“Except for the Martian Manhunter, young master chanced upon the others. The young master also said that there could be more out there.”

“...”

“There is...one more thing.”

Alfred walked towards a pod-like object at the side of the cave and pressed his hand on the panel.

When the pod opened, a black suit was revealed and another icon appeared on the batcomputer’s screen.

[Batman

Brother...this is for you. Don’t complain about the name, I already made the suit and the logo so don’t waste it!

You will find everything you need in the utility belt to fight crime and defend yourself.

The cape is a type of fabric that hardens when you charge it with a certain voltage and it would be enough for you to glide or defend against other attacks.

The body of the suit has been coated with kevlar and extremely tough. Normal bullets won’t be able to hurt you.

The cowl has also been designed specifically for you and is connected to the batcomputer. With it, you can easily perform identification or analysis on the scene immediately.

Anyway, I know you won’t listen if I tell you not to go into danger so I might as well help you protect yourself.

...I wish you the best of luck.]

“...”

Bruce fell silent once again and sighed.

He smiled wryly and looked at the suit in front of him.

“So this is what you have in mind? To put together a team...a team of heroes...huh?”

“What about me?”

Barbara asked.

Alfred smiled and walked towards another pod.

Seeing this, Barbara’s eyes lit up expectantly.

Sure enough, when the pod opened, it revealed another suit with the bat logo.

[Batgirl

Barbara...I knew you wouldn't stay quiet...but I can’t really stop you so...this is for you. But you may only have these under two conditions. One, you must train well under my brother. Do not go on missions on your own. Only when Bruce gives you his approval can you go solo. Maybe even change Batgirl to Batwoman by then.

The second condition...stay alive. I’ll haunt you if you die!

...Take care.]

“...Stupid Lucas…”

Reading the lines of text on the screen, Barbara blushed and stuck her tongue out with a pout.

Bruce smiled wryly and promised himself to keep Barbara safe at all costs.

He took a look around the cave once and said.

“It seems we have a lot of work to do.”

“Yeah...once everything is ready...Darkseid will pay.”

“Agreed.”

Bruce did not know who killed their parents and because of this, he did not know where to direct his anger.

But this time...he knows who killed his little brother...and he will make him bleed!

Months flew by. The reconstruction of the buildings and rebuilding of the world just finished.

During this process, the Wayne Enterprises, Lex Corp (previously known as Luthor Corp), and Queen Consolidations were the ones who donated the most in rebuilding the cities.

The final project was a joint collaboration between the three. A statue, built at the center of the fight from 2 months ago...where the world’s Hero had fallen…

With the reveal of the statue of Lucas standing tall and proud with his unwavering conviction, the three leaders of the mentioned companies gave their speech.

The first to come up was Oliver Queen.

Oliver looked at the cameras flashing in front of him and was silent for a moment.

Finally, he spoke.

“5 years ago, a boat that I and my father rode in had...collapsed. To the world, I was dead. And I keep telling everyone, that for the past 5 years, I’ve been stuck on an island, desperate to survive...but the truth is, I wasn’t always on that island. There was a time...that I was taken and brought to another place...forced to do things that I am not proud of...then I met him. Lucas Wayne.”

He looked up to the statue and continued.

“Without him, I would not have been able to return home alive...yet now...he is gone...I hope that one day, I will live up to his expectations and prove to him that my life was worth saving...And I also hope for everyone to feel the same way. Thank you.”

Oliver bowed and stepped away from the podium as he sat next to Bruce and Lex.

Oliver patted Bruce on the shoulder with a sigh.

“My condolences, Bruce...I wish I could’ve known him better. If ever you need a friend, you can call me.”

“...I know, thank you.”

Lex didn’t mind them and stood up next.

He looked around once before he spoke.

“All of you may know that me and Lucas have been competing in terms of business. But do not get me wrong, I consider him as a friend as well as a rival. I respect the work he did in his family’s company despite his age.”

Lex continued.

“When I first met Lucas, he was just a kid on a field trip. At first, we were...at odds against one another. It can’t be helped. I’m a Luthor, he’s a Wayne...we just can’t get along. So we argued and fought.”

Thinking back on it, Lex chuckled at how carefree they were at that time.

“I used to tell him. The Waynes are nothing without his parents...You know what he told me? He said, It doesn’t have to mean anything. What matters most is that people know which name to trust.”

Lex looked back to the statue behind him.

“And Lucas did just that. The name Lucas Wayne has already been synonymous to...goodness...and heroism. I’m sure I speak for everyone here...that the name Lucas Wayne...is a name we can trust.”

With that, Lex could’ve stopped and ended. It was a good speech and lots of materials that the media could use.

But Lex didn’t leave just yet.

“The name Bruce Wayne however...I don’t know if I can trust.”

Lex squinted his eyes at Bruce who was sitting at the side.

“I don’t know which hole you disappeared to...and why you appeared now of all times...but I hope you do not destroy the foundation that your little brother had made. Know that I will be the first to come for you if you tarnish his name.”

“...”

With a snort, Lex left the podium and sat back down.

The media was in an uproar! They didn’t think that Lex Luthor would openly criticize Bruce in front of his little brother’s statue of honor!

Still, Bruce was calm.

He stood up and walked towards the podium.

The crowd fell silent as they waited for him to speak.

“My name is Bruce Wayne. I am Lucas’ older brother. Though I may not have powers like he does...I will still do my best to uphold what he believed in.”

Bruce faced the camera with determination.

“In the past few years, Lucas had met people who...as he says, had the potential to be Heroes. He did not tell me your names as he wished to respect your own decisions...but I am here to tell you that my little brother...Lucas, had a plan.”

Bruce looked at the camera with determination.

“The Justice League Initiative. The idea is to put together a team that would fight against extraordinary threats like Darkseidz should the need arise. Lucas had already made a satellite station that would orbit around Earth to serve as the base of the League. The Watchtower. As CEO of Wayne Enterprises, I will financially provide for the League so that they could focus on doing what’s needed to be done.”

The audience clamored again.

“The only missing piece...are the Heroes. If any of you are watching this...come find me.”

With that, Bruce ended his speech and left.

He didn’t return to his seat but went directly back home. Bruce was no longer in the mood to stay there.

The next day, it was Lucas’ birthday.

When Bruce woke up, Alfred came to him.

“Master Bruce. Your guests are here.”

“Guests?”

Bruce was confused but still got dressed and walked to the backyard where Alfred had led the guests.

The moment Bruce saw them, he understood.

Superman...Wonder Woman...Aquaman...Green Lantern...Flash...Cyborg...Green Arrow...Martian Manhunter...and the others…

The others looked over to him as well.

Wonder Woman was the first to speak.

“You must be Bruce Wayne, correct? Here.”

“Yes?”

Bruce was confused as she suddenly handed him a small box.

When he opened it, he found a beautiful silver ring.

“...Umm…”

“This is for Lucas. My gift to him. It is his birthday correct?”

“Ah? Yes, but…”

Bruce didn’t know how this woman knew it was Lucas’ birthday. Moreover, to even gift a ring like this…

Before he can react, another woman approached him.

She also handed a box to Bruce.

“This is also my gift to Lucas. Please keep it well.”

When Bruce looked...it was another ring!

What’s going on? What’s with the rings?

Seeing him dumbfounded as well as the others’ confused gazes, Wonder Woman smiled.

“Did he not tell you? We were supposed to be together as soon as he turned 18.”

“He also promised me as well.”

“...Hah?”

As the two of them say that, Bruce and the rest had their jaws drop.

What is this!? How can that kid land two of such beauties!?

“Do not fight with me on this Mera, our union was already approved by my mother. It is the will of the Gods.”

“Hmph, I am not so childish as to fight with you, Diana. Besides, you cannot possibly satisfy him by yourself.”

“...Fair enough.”

The two of them began to whisper to each other as they smiled and laughed.

Others could only hear bits of it.

Something about ‘it’s big isn’t it’ or ‘such endless stamina’ or ‘so manly’ or ‘it tasted weird…’ or...well, you get the point!

At the side, Barbara, who was wearing the Batgirl suit, snapped at them.

“Hey! I met him first! You old hags can’t have him!”

Diana and Mera looked at each other and smiled.

“Have you slept with him?”

“Uhh, I...wait! That’s not the point here!”

Barbara blushed and quickly said.

Mera laughed and pulled her along, whispering some things to her along with Diana.

After a while, Barbara’s face was dyed red and she could only meekly nodded.

“...”

Bruce and the others didn’t know what to say in this situation...they could only be amazed by Lucas’ skill!

At the side, Green Arrow muttered.

“Sigh...it looks like my little sister has a lot of rivals…”

In an attempt to clear the weird atmosphere, Superman cleared his throat twice.

“Ahem. Uhh, Bruce? Can you tell us more about the Justice League you mentioned?”

Hearing him say that, everyone quickly became serious.

“Before that...shall I show you to the Watchtower?”

Bruce looked at Alfred who nodded and walked towards the well.

He tapped on the side and it revealed a panel. Once he finished entering a few numbers in the panel, the hole in the well suddenly glowed and a portal appeared.

“Lucas called this the ZETA Gate. Basically, it is a teleportation technology that allows one to travel to places with a ZETA Gate instantly. He had been researching this but never perfected it. Only when Darkseid came and we acquired some samples that we were able to complete it.”

Everyone’s eyes widened!

“With this technology, and enough funding to build ZETA Gates around the world...you can get to anywhere that is in need.”

Bruce touched the well and spoke solemnly.

“Lucas did not want to just save Gotham or just our country...he wanted to be able to save the whole world…”

He looked back towards everyone and smiled.

“Well then. I welcome you to the Justice League.”