The tallic door of the Batcave still held the residual heat, and the cold light from the console reflected off Batman’s profile.
The data on the screen was quickly scrolling.
"Compared to the last results recorded by Bruce Wayne, his overall qualities have improved by approximately 3.7 tis."
Green Lantern leaned against the stone wall, turning his head to look at the computer screen in front of Batman, his expression filled with a hint of shock.
"To think such a race actually exists. I need to report this data comparison to Oa, otherwise, they might not prioritize Viltrum as they should."
Batman nodded, moving aside slightly to make room. Green Lantern imdiately raised his ring and briefly scanned the information on the Batcomputer.
The green lantern ring began transmitting a signal with a faint green light.
After he finished transmitting the ssage, Green Lantern seed to rember sothing more serious, and a look of worry appeared on his face.
"Moreover, that kid’s energy signal has probably been recorded by the yellow lantern ring. Sinestro definitely won’t pass up such a promising recruit. The Yellow Lantern Corps is currently all hiding in the antimatter universe. We can hardly even take preventive asures."
Green Lantern sounded much more serious than usual, very different from his usual carefree style. Looking down at the green lantern ring that had quickened its flashing frequency, Green Lantern ’s expression relaxed slightly.
"Oa will send a few more Green Lanterns. They should reach the edge of the galaxy by tomorrow morning at the latest. They’ll lurk near the solar system, and can provide support imdiately once they detect Yellow Lantern Corps signals again."
Batman didn’t look up, his fingers lightly tapping on the control panel’s touchpad. He brought up a map of the solar system’s outskirts, with red warning lines forming a web across the stars.
"The Justice League will handle the defense for Earth."
Batman’s voice was still calm, without any extra emotion.
"Viktor’s threat level has currently decreased. I just gave him a communicator. As long as there’s any sign of a Yellow Lantern Corps attack on his end, we’ll be alerted imdiately."
"Don’t worry, if they dare open a gap in the antimatter universe, I’ll be the first one to stop them."
Hal raised his hand, and the green light of the ring flared up, enveloping his form in a brilliant green glow. He shot through the hidden exit at the top of the Batcave, disappearing into the night sky in an instant.
The cave fell into silence again.
Batman still stared at the control panel until he heard Nightwing’s voice in his ear.
Nightwing, holding an empty plate, looked around, raised his hand to sweep aside the clutter on the table, then placed the plate down.
He glanced toward the empty hall with his tone carrying so helplessness.
"I tried to talk to that girl, but she’s way more cautious than I thought."
Nightwing rubbed his brow and added, "She just ate steak and stayed quiet the whole ti. I asked her where she’s from and what her intentions are, but she didn’t responded at all."
Batman listened quietly. He understood Nightwing’s personality. If Nightwing really hadn’t gotten anything out of her, he usually wouldn’t waste ti talking about it.
He’d just sneak away quietly and maybe report it later through the encrypted channel afterward.
After watching the man who had raised him behave as stubborn and silent as a rock, Nightwing made a few silly faces behind Batman’s back.
Then, Nightwing spoke in a more relaxed tone.
"The only ti she actually said anything was when I ntioned Viktor. She told she helped him accept and make peace with everything he did back on Viltrum.
Nightwing shrugged and casually pulled up a chair to sit down.
"That’s it. Nothing else."
Batman finally looked up and switched the screen to the surveillance footage, zooming in on the faint, lingering trace of pale purple magical energy in the corner.
"Activate 24-hour global surveillance. Keep an eye on her every move. No mistakes."
He raised his hand to close the surveillance and map projections, then opened an anomalous energy warning program, his tone becoming grim.
"Before leaving, Viktor subtly indicated to that the girl’s situation is similar to his, with an even more troubleso threat hiding behind her than Viltrum."
Nightwing’s expression instantly beca serious. He jumped to his feet and leaned over the control panel, his gaze fixed on the blurry energy signature Batman had brought up.
"It’s more troubleso than Viltrum? Who exactly is she?"
"Viktor said she ca to Earth seeking help but refuses to disclose the secrets to us."
Batman’s eyes remained sharp... but this ti finally opened the encrypted channel and reached out to another person.
"Oracle, closely track the interactions between those two, record any abnormal actions, and report imdiately."
...
anwhile, in a dark alley in Gotham City, Viktor and Rachel were walking side by side.
The streetlamp at the alley’s entrance was old and broken, flickering on and off, casting their shadows in strange shapes on the ground.
"Did you eat enough?"
Viktor turned his head to ask, rembering the plate Nightwing had carried back and forth, and couldn’t help but smile.
In the few days he had been in Gotham, Viktor relied on his stamina to get by, hadn’t been eating on ti, and he was starting to feel a bit off ntally.
Rachel rolled her eyes dramatically.
"It’s frozen steak, and it wasn’t even heated properly. It’s still not as soft as the bread I stole."
She paused, her tone with a bit of sarcasm.
"This is what you call ’mooching off the wealthy’?"
He was taken aback for a few seconds, then laughed twice after figuring it out, sowhat embarrassed.
"You can’t really bla him."
He gestured behind them where the hideout was likely located.
"Think about it, a hidden base in a sewer under a cliff. The food storage would obviously prioritize things like canned goods and frozen items that are easy to preserve and eat. You don’t have to be picky."
The two of them reached the end of the alley, and he stopped walking. The casual look on his face faded, and he beca more serious.
"Rachel, if you don’t want to keep wandering around, why not team up with ?"
Viktor’s tone was sincere, without any hint of doubt.
"At least you won’t have to steal food to survive, and you won’t have to sleep in abandoned corners."
Rachel’s eyes instantly grew cold, and she instinctively took a half-step back, and a faint purple magical aura began to surround her as she warily fixed her gaze on him.
"You’ve also seen my mories. You should know just how terrifying ’He’ is. That demon could break through the dinsional barrier at any ti to co after , and anyone close to will be dragged into endless darkness. Why would you choose to walk into death?"
Viktor paused for a mont, then raised a finger and shook his head.
"You speak of the one who wants to devour Earth, but the Viltrumites could also arrive one day. For this planet, both threats are disasters that could destroy everything."
Rachel was stunned and rembered the planets she had seen in his mories with whole planets and civilizations that got destroyed, wiped out completely for "conquest" and "glory."
Honestly, the individual strength of the Viltrumites might not be as strong as Superman’s, but those warriors could easily send several to hold down Superman and tie up the Justice League.
The remaining Viltrumites would be more than enough to wipe out all the people on Earth in a very short ti. Their overwhelming, destructive power was more direct and faster than the dark corruption of Trigon.
Rachel couldn’t determine which of these two disasters would arrive first. In other words, her and Viktor’s current situations could also be said to be the sa.
They both carried deadly secrets, and if the public found out, they would be feared and rejected. The kind of loneliness, with no one to rely on and nowhere to go, was sothing she understood better than anyone.
Rachel’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and her gaze grew more complex, no longer resisting Viktor’s presence.
"So, what’s your plan next?"
She spoke, already accepting the idea of teaming up with him.
Viktor looked up at the night sky.
"Before I received your help, I just wanted to flee to Earth and barely survive, because I’d always been suffocated by Viltrum’s nightmares for so long."
He wasn’t the kind of person who was always full of big, fiery dreams or goals. The achievents he once had on Viltrum couldn’t shake the fact that he had bowed to life countless tis and accepted it.
It wasn’t until Rachel recovered the other half of his soul into his brain that he recovered a mindset he had once subconsciously dismissed.
"...I want to beco stronger than Superman."
He turned to look at Rachel, and for the first ti, his expression no longer carried any trace of the fatigue from the past.
"I need to be ready for the day Viltrum might co."
Rachel’s blank stare didn’t change, but she instinctively asked a question.
"What if they never co?"
"Then I’ll travel across the universe to find them. If they’re not in this universe, I’ll go to other universes to find them. I’m going to beat anyone who stands in my way until Viltrum exists in a different way."
After saying that, Viktor quickly added one more thing.
"Of course, I’ll only do that after I’m strong enough or fully prepared."
Just as Viktor was about to ask her for her thoughts, he saw her staring at him with an expression as if she thought he was an idiot, her mouth curled in mild disdain.
He was excited to ask Rachel’s thoughts when he saw her staring at him with a look almost as if an idiot, the corner of her mouth showing so speechless disdain.
"Who asked you about all that useless stuff?"
Rachel rolled her eyes and spoke bluntly without holding back.
"I’m asking where you’re going to stay. I’m fine staying in a warehouse or hiding in the sewers, but you said you couldn’t live like that anymore..."
She paused for a mont before throwing out a more practical question.
"And what about food? We can’t keep relying on to steal, or keep going to mooch off Batman’s frozen steak, right?"
Viktor’s determined expression imdiately froze, and he awkwardly cleared his throat twice.
"Well... I have an escape pod. It’s not very big, but if we tidy it up, it should be enough for the two of us. As for food, don’t worry, I can catch so fish. I won’t let you starve."
Rachel sighed and didn’t say anything more, as if she had accepted this plan, which sounded pretty unappealing and lacking any future.
The two walked so more distance when Rachel suddenly added a comnt:
"I really regret helping you. Your soul doesn’t even worth learning anymore, and it’s so young... it almost makes want to throw up."
...
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