"Hey, Shin, isn't that a bit too much?" Diana asked, her mouth slightly open in shock.
Shin simply smiled, waved a dismissive hand, and picked up his teacup. With a flick of his wrist, his fire-based chakra instantly heated the water inside.
He then poured the hot water onto the squeaking bat. With a loud 'bang', Batman immediately transformed back into his original form.
"See? Now you have a superpower too. Pour hot water, and you turn back into Batman. Pour cold water, and you turn into a bat. Pretty cool, right?"
Batman wiped the hot water from his face, his expression dark and unreadable. Diana and Superman, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief at seeing him return to normal—before breaking into amused grins.
It was undeniable that, to some extent, this ''was'' technically a superpower.
Batman could now ''literally'' turn into a bat.
From this moment on, if someone asked Bruce Wayne what his ability was, he wouldn't have to say '"I'm rich."'
Of course, Shin didn't care whether Bruce wanted this ability or not.
Under normal circumstances, Superman and Diana wouldn't have let Shin mess with Bruce like this.
Before they had truly known him, they had seen Batman as just an ordinary human. Out of their innate sense of justice, they wouldn't have allowed Shin to play tricks on him.
And if they had already built a strong friendship with Batman, they also wouldn't have let Shin bully him.
But right now? Their opinion of Bruce was at an all-time low.
Even among superheroes, there was an unspoken hierarchy. Ordinary people were the ones who needed protection, and it was natural for heroes to step in to defend them.
But when it came to other superheroes? If they weren't in immediate danger, most heroes just let things play out.
After all, if you decided to be a superhero, you had to be prepared for everything that came with it, right?
'I should never have sat with you people.' Batman thought.
With a scowl, Bruce fully retreated from the conversation. As for the Jusenkyō curse? There was no way he was going to ask Shin to remove it.
After all, he was still Batman. He still has a sense of pride.
Whether or not he would research his new condition or find a cure in the future was a problem for another day.
The group chatted for a while longer, exchanging contact information through the phone bugs Shin had given them. He also handed Superman and Diana a special kunai for the Flying Thunder God technique, telling them to use it if they ever needed him.
As for Batman?
Shin definitely wasn't giving him one.
No matter what version of Batman he was dealing with, giving Bruce a teleportation marker sounded like a terrible idea. Who knew what kind of trap that could turn into?
Superman left the restaurant in a somber mood.
Diana, however, didn't seem particularly affected. Unlike Superman, who lived by a strict 'no-kill' rule, she had taken lives before—many, in fact. She had even fought in World War II.
The destruction of Metropolis was tragic, but this wasn't her city. And compared to the horrors she had seen on the battlefield, this wasn't even the worst disaster she had witnessed.
To her, this was just another battle.
As for Shin?
He didn't linger either and left shortly after.
---
More Than Half a Month Late
"Mr. Luthor, you have a visitor," a prison guard announced with a smile.
Lex Luthor, sitting in his private cell with his legs crossed, barely glanced up from his newspaper.
Even behind bars, he still wore an immaculate suit.
Of course, someone of his status wouldn't be thrown into a standard prison cell. Instead, he was placed in a comfortable private room, complete with a phone, computer, bathroom, and even a personal shower.
It wasn't quite a five-star hotel, but it was at least three-star accommodation.
In fact, if his case hadn't caused such a public outcry, he might not have been imprisoned at all. His corporate lawyers were more than capable of making the entire situation disappear.
"Oh?" Luthor finally responded, raising a brow. "I don't recall scheduling a meeting today."
Even in prison, seeing him required an appointment.
The guard hesitated for a moment before answering, "Uh… this request came from above."
Luthor frowned slightly. "Ah. More greedy politicians, I assume."
Though he was incarcerated, he wasn't worried about his actual safety. Not only was he a high-profile billionaire, but he was also the 'man who created Doomsday'—a legitimate threat to Superman.
And to certain politicians, that made him valuable.
Even if they never used him, they wanted the option to.
Because of that, government officials have been constantly trying to extract information from him ever since his imprisonment.
Luthor, of course, had refused to give them anything.
But today…
"Fine," he said, sighing. "Let them in."
The door opened—
And a young Asian man stepped inside.
Luthor's entire expression shifted.
"You're not with the government," he said sharply.
Despite America's constant claims of equality and diversity, Luthor knew how things really worked. Especially in politics.
While Black politicians had gained some presence due to sheer demographics, Asian representation in high-level government agencies was practically nonexistent. Especially for something this classified.
And even if an Asian man was involved in a top-secret government operation, he definitely wouldn't be this young. Not to mention, there was something… 'off' about him.
Luthor's sharp mind immediately assessed the situation. His instincts screamed that this man wasn't just some politician.
Shin smiled. His eyes shifted—turning into the unmistakable pattern of the Rinnegan.
For the first time in a long time, Luthor's heart skipped a beat. In the comic world, Luthor would have dozens of anti-mind control devices ready to counter something like this.
But in the movie world? There weren't many people with psychic abilities. Which meant…
Luthor had zero defenses against what was about to happen.
*******************************
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