My eyes flared a sudden white-hot rage boiled inside my chest, vibrating under my skin like a war drum finally given its signal. In a blink—I was gone. The entire room blurred. Only four people saw it.
Wally.
Barry.
Clark.
Diana.
They moved too—but I stopped just short. One inch from Batman's face. Hovering. The energy rippling off my body made nearby monitors flicker and tremble. My breath was sharp, teeth clenched.
"No more lies," I growled. "No more half-truths. No more cryptic silence. It's been five years. You put them in the Phantom Zone. Why? And why haven't you brought them back?" Batman didn't blink. His voice was cold. Rational.
"When Hal Jordan returned from a long mission to Sector 1433, When he heard that there were Viltrumites on the planet he explained what the Guardians told him." He looked around the room, speaking not just to me, but to everyone. "Truth about the Viltrumite Empire—not the version Nolan gave us. Not the history Johnathan passed on when he vouched for them. The actual history."
The room listened. "According to the Guardians," Batman continued, "Viltrumites don't conquer through war alone. They infiltrate. Manipulate. Breed."
He turned toward Clark and J'onn. "They promised cooperation. Peace. And the Martians and Tamaraneans vouched for them. Said there were peaceful co-existences on a few fringe planets. But Hal... he new something different. He said the Guardians had forbidden Viltrumites from settling on any advanced world in the core sectors. Too dangerous. Too adaptable. Too uncontrollable."
My hands curled into fists. "Then why didn't you tell anyone?" Only a few select League members new. They were monitored and for a decade and a half they seemed okay. But to them a decade or two is probably the equivalent to about two months. Then things changed they both had children which made them seem more docile but that changed again.
"Because You. Mark. You both awakened at the same time." He faced the rest of the League and Titans now.
"And according to Hal's file... once a Type-Two Hybrid awakens—one who carries both Viltrumite DNA and enhanced species DNA—they release pheromones. Biological imperatives. They attract powerful mates. Breed stronger hybrids or stronger pureblooded Viltrumites. It's not random it's biologically programmed."
He looked straight at me. "You are one of the most dangerous beings on this planet, Cain. You don't even know it. And when you awakened your metagene—when Mark awakened his Viltrumite powers Nolan changed."
He pulled up a holographic schematic, showing planet-wide data lines.
"He was going to planta data worm into the League's satellite network. Into the planet's comm systems. Designed to weaken our power grid. Turn this world into a beacon." Then when they were ready invade in mass whether it be through diplomacy or conquest. The convert the planet to the next phase. Showing a DNA sequence of Viltrumites and Earth Humans.
Saying the two DNA are so similar there is only maybe 1 percent difference. Then saying Archieves from Superman home planet show that if the Viltumites get their hands on our planet especially the meta gene. Their species within 1000 years maybe less they will have a even stronger species that will make beings like Superman and Darkside look weak compared to them. A species built for combat and ravage the Universe in conflict.
Over Millenniums without rest and grow stronger as they age and it only makes it worse if they have powers on top of that. Showing potential future of a ravage Earth. "A breeding ground," Diana whispered. "For hybrids." Gasps echoed. Whispers. Fear.
Eyes turned to me. Some with pity. Others with suspicion. "Then what about my parents?" I said, voice tight. "Did you know what side they were on? Or did you just throw them in with the rest?"
Batman didn't respond right away. "I examined everything I had," he said finally. "All signs suggested Jonathan was leaning toward our side. Because of your mother. Because of you. But I had no hard proof. No guarantee."" And you still did it?" I snapped. "Even with doubt?"
He didn't flinch. Yes I had to make a split decision. The plan was to contain then gain answers. I turned to the rest. "And why haven't they been brought back?"
Silence.
Then Superman stepped forward. His face was heavy. His eyes dimmed. "Because we can't."
I slowly descended back to the ground, the hum of my energy settling beneath the soles of my boots. But the fury didn't fade from my eyes. My voice came out sharp and cold. "You mean to tell me… Omni-Man destroyed the Phantom Zone projector?"
Superman gave a slow, solemn nod. "Yes. Right after your parents vanished. He shattered the core matrix." I stared at him, trying to process the depth of what that meant.
Clark continued, his voice heavy. "I've spent years trying to rebuild it. I've used every part I could salvage. Consulted the Fortress AI of my father's archives and Krypton's . But even that couldn't help. The Phantom Zone projector was a joint invention… created by several Kryptonian scientists, all with different specialties. That knowledge was lost when Krypton died."
I clenched my fists. "So they're still alive… in there… and there's no way to get them out?" "For now," Superman said. "But I haven't given up." I turned sharply to Batman. The fire in my chest reignited.
"Then why the surveillance?" I demanded. "Why send League members to my house every week? To keep tabs on me? To spy?"
Batman's voice was steady, unflinching. "To check on you. Evaluate your stability. Your progression." He hesitated. "Occasionally," he added, "I sent those strong enough to contain you, should it be necessary."
A pause. Then something colder: "One of them—a woman—was equipped with a nerve agent. Coded to react to Viltrumite pheromonal activation."
The room fell deathly still. All eyes turned to him—some in disbelief, others in quiet horror.
"You mean," Zatanna said slowly, "some of us were carrying nerve agents and didn't even know why?" "What would it have done?" Donna asked. Batman's face didn't change. "It wasn't lethal. It would've made Cain and those in a 10 foot radius tired. Slowed him down. Temporarily suppressed hormonal responses that could trigger mating behavior or violence."
My jaw tightened. "You drugged me in case I got too powerful?" "It was a precaution." I stared at him. "Well… good news, Bats." I stepped forward. "I don't think my powers will awaken. Dad said the latest bloo,ers awaken by 18. Im 19 and still nothing."
Batman blinked. Then tapped his gauntlet. "The Hall's telemetry says otherwise. Based on the bioscans I'm getting right now… your powers awakened exactly one hour ago." I froze. One hour ago? I didn't feel different. My muscles didn't burn. My bones didn't hum with power.
But then I remembered the nosebleeds, Kara's and mine. The way we stared at each other—how everything around us disappeared. Miss Martian—how her hand trembled after she touched my blood.
Oh…
"Oh shit," I muttered.