65 Time skip
New Arc has started. At the end of each arc, I will post another chapter of the 'Omake/Batman in the future'.
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(3rd Person POV)
A few years have passed. The Justice League, as they were now called, came together every once in a while, whenever there was something that warranted their cooperation. They became good friends ... well most of them did.
More and more heroes and villains alike popped up from seemingly nowhere and made the world more complicated and dangerous. More groups were formed and more factions were created. It was a typical DC comics world now. A world where superheroes and supervillains with extraordinary abilities exist, often engaging in epic battles to protect or conquer their respective domains.
From the fantastical and otherworldly adventures of characters like Superman and the Green Lantern Corps, which are more lighthearted to the dark and gritty streets of Gotham City where the people whisper the name of one man, one creature, one being ... the Batman.
.
Over the course of the years that he has been active, the Batman has done more for the world and the people of Gotham than anyone ever will. Apart from Bruce Wayne and Wayne Enterprises, Batman is what keeps the city from falling into anarchy. No matter the villain or how heinous the crime, he will be there to avenge it or to stop it. His methods are necessary but not liked by everyone. In fact, it isn't liked by most.
But the darkness that permeates Gotham is not only being pushed back but actually being used by the most wanted vigilante in the world. The Government of the US, have deemed him too dangerous to be left alone, after some of the stunts he pulled.
They deem him a threat because he hacked into the American military's systems and took control of their helicopters, back when Darkseid invaded Earth for the first time. They found out about it a few months ago ... even though Batman never hid that from them, they are simply too incompetent.
To fight darkness, the Government decided that someone should be tasked with doing something about that. So many different organisations were formed to find ways to ensure Earth would have a backup plan, for when the 'heroes' went rogue. One important figure in this area, is Amanda Waller, former Amanda Belle Blake. She has a particular plan in mind on how to deal with villains and crime.
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In space, a new structure has appeared. The Justice League came to Batman and asked him ... begged him to create something for them. He of course ...
(Flashback)
"No."
"No?"
"Yes."
"What do you mean no?", Green Lantern asks, "You have all those fun toys, don't you? Can't you create something for us to plan?"
"Like a headquarters.", the Flash says.
"Yes, that would be most optimal for the group's cooperation and deployment on different missions.", Martian Manhunter says.
"No.", Batman repeats.
"And why not? You're like swimming in money are you not?", Green Lantern says.
"We might not know who you are in real life, but we can find out.", they tell him. Batman has not yet told them who he is under the mask. He didn't care about their feelings or camaraderie. He would work together with them, but it was not necessary. He brought the Earth from the Dark Multiverse to this one, there was nothing he couldn't do.
"You aren't really helping the team dynamics here, Batman. Why do you refuse to tell us who you are?", Superman asks. After working together, everyone in the team has revealed their secret identity. Superman and Wonder Woman almost started a romantic relationship at one point, but it wasn't meant to be. She ... well, it was complicated.
.
"No one is required to reveal their secrets. Not even Batman. If he doesn't want to help us, then we shall find someone else who would fund our project.", Wonder Woman tells the others.
Ironically, Wonder Woman didn't care about seeing the face under the mask. In her opinion, she already knew who he was. She was the only one who understood that it wasn't a mask to hide who he was, but he was the mask. He was the Batman. She confirmed that when she asked him who he was when holding the Lasso of Truth.
Little did she know that something like that could and would never work on Batman. But she wasn't that far off. Batman was just that, Batman. And he would only tell those who he truly is, who deserve to know in his opinion. And there weren't many.
"I'm sure he would agree if you ask. Our brooding friend has a thing for you, WW.", Green Lantern tried to tease Batman. Unsuccessfully.
"I agree. If you ask him, he would most likely agree. Right Batman?", Flash asked with a bright smile. Everyone liked the Flash, he was a bright character and was nice to everyone. He was one of the few that Batman respected. Not because he was scared of his power, he had a few contingencies for that, but because the Flash was the only one, other than him, who could make a villain rethink their choices and maybe even give up or repent. That's what Batman could respect.
.
"Oh? Well then is there anything you would like in return, Batman? I am willing to work for you to help us with our headquarters. If it's money you need, I am sure that there are some artefacts that-"
"No need.", Batman says and clicks a button on his Utility belt. In the same second, all of the current members of the Justice League are suddenly teleported to a different location.
"Welcome to the Batstation. I built this a few years ago for ... well stuff.", Batman tells them.
"You built a space station? Just BECAUSE YOU COULD?!!! Are you for REAL?!", Green Lantern was losing his sh*t. Everyone went ahead and explored a bit. The space station was huge and offered almost all that the original did and then more. But Batman would never show them the 'more' part. They would be given the basics and that was it.
(Flashback end)
The Justice League got a lot more effective in its fight against crime. But there were those who did not appreciate them having a perfect position to look down on Earth.
.
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- Belle Reve Prison -
"I have tickets for a show if you're up for it.", Superman tells Wonder Woman. He used to be in a dilemma because there were two women in his life and he couldn't decide. But one of them made the decision for him. Wonder Woman wasn't interested in a relationship with Superman, so that died very fast.
"Not thank you. I don't have faith Despero is going to stay here for long, let alone the night.", Wonder Woman says.
"When Hal shows up on Earth again, we'll ask him to transfer Despero to Oa.", Superman replies.
"But he'll eventually escape. There's a reason I don't have a list of villains as long as Barry's, yours or even Batman's. Although, Batman is a special case, when I deal with them, I deal with them."
"I trust you're not talking about killing them, Diana. Batman is already in the grey area and I believe he is killing some of the villains. The only reason I am not doing anything about it is because I lack evidence."
"I do kill them, but only if it comes to that."
"There's no doubt innocent people have been put on Death Row."
"Not if you have a Lasso of Truth.", Diana says.
"Maybe we should change the subject.", Superman says as they land outside. At that moment, someone speaks to them.
"Superman.", the voice of a woman is heard and they turn around. There they see a woman with grey hair, red markings on her face, holding a golden skull.
"You're the purest of heart. You have to be.", she says.
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Pandora ... One of the scorned Trinity of Sin. Three transgressors who were damned by an ancient council to eternal life, walking among us and witnessing what they had wrought. Most would argue otherwise, but some believe Pandora is the worst of them.
"Pandora?", Wonder Woman says and unsheaths her sword, pointing it at Pandora.
"Pandora? As in the Greek Myth?"
"You're close friends with one of those myths, Superman. We're very real.", Pandora says.
"If the gods sent you-"
"Like you, I never listen to the gods, Diana. I believe one of them got me into this mess in the first place. Someone manipulated me into opening this box, damning myself ... and all of humanity. I freed the seven sins from their prison.", Pandora says.
"Humans aren't evil because someone opened a magic box, Pandora. Whoever told you that-"
"No one told me anything. I was there. I saw the seven sins fly out into the world.", Pandora says.
"I can't have this conversation. Diana?", Superman asks.
"That's what happened, Superman. Someone tricked her into opening hte box."
"But there's someone out there who can undo what I did. Someone who can open this box and imprison sin once again. We can free humanity from evil. And I can be free from my curse.", Pandora says and hands the golden skull, which is in fact the box, to Superman.
"You just need to open the box. And if anyone can survive its touch, it's Superman!", Pandora says.
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Superman grabs the skull/box and tries to open it. But the energy is too much for him and he is overwhelmed by its power.
"AHHHH!", he screams.
[Picture]
"What did you do?"
"The box ..."
"What's it doing to him?"
"He should have been able to overcome the influence. He's Superman. There's no evil in Superman!", Pandora says.
A third eye appears on Superman's forehead and he turns black. Overwhelmed by the power and the corruption, he begins to attack the other two.
*BOOOM*
They dodge his attacks and Pandora shoots Superman, making him drop the box and snap out of his evil state.
"Are you alright?", Diana asks him and he nods his head.
"Pandora?"
{Superman? Wonder Woman? We've got an emergency.}, the voice of Cyborg comes over the coms.
"So do we Cyborg. Superman's-"
"No, I'm okay, Diana ... And Pandora's gone."
"We'll explain later. What's the emergency, Cyborg?"
{I just got a visual of someone in a cape flying into Kahndaq.}
"Who is it?"
{A new Super-human from Philadelphia, Shazam. He's crossed hte border, but he doesn't seem to realise the Kahndaqi army is on his tail.}
"What do we know about Shazam?"
{From the energy signature I detected, we suspect Shazam to be powered by magic. Something we don't have a lot of experience with. Well ...}
"Zatanna said if we ever needed her, she'd be there for us.", Superman says.
"Yes, and Batman ought to know about it as well. Did you call him already?", Wonder Woman asks.
{I tried, but ... well ...}
"What?"
{Listen yourself. ... *Click* ... Trang nang shol asahiah ... soka ika patooba, hahahahahaha *click* ...}
"What was that?"
{Batman once showed me what he called Experiment 626 AKA Stitch. Basically a genetically engineered blue koala, that is smarter than a supercomputer and grossly strong. He talks in a different language and it sounds just like this ...}
"Wait. Batman does experiments on Koalas? Are you serious?", Superman asks getting rather angry.
{No, but it definitely has Koala DNA. Or at least I think it does. It looks that way.}
"So Batman allowed that ... experiment to speak, instead of speaking himself?"
{No I-}
"What does it even mean?"
{Well it means something like: House abandoned. Kiss my butt baldy ...}
"Could we discuss this later? Isn't there an emergency?", Wonder Woman asks with a smile on her face. She has already met Experiment 626 and knows just how chaotic it can be. She unlike all the others actually knows who Batman is and has seen Stitch in action.
{Right, so about Kahndaq. Are you two going?}
"We're on our way."
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Batman doesn't just gift something out of the goodness of his heart. Take that however you want.
