He was certain the Justice League was already on his trail. It was only a matter of time before they came knocking on Nanda Parbat,once Batman pieced everything together. The man wasn't called the World's Greatest Detective for nothing. And Max knew damn well he wouldn't stand a chance against their combined might, even with all Six Paths techniques somehow grafted into one body. Besides, some of his abilities were far too obvious; they'd lead the League straight to him if he wasn't careful.
Sure, he could handle a fight if it came down to it one day… but for now, he'd rather avoid the headache. He needed to play it smart, prepare, and stay ten steps ahead. Knowing their weaknesses was helpful, but nowhere near enough—because the League covered one another frighteningly well. If he wanted any hope of surviving an encounter, he'd need to divide them.
And the first item on his prep list? Synthetic kryptonite—well, the formula for it, at least. And he knew exactly where to get it. Time to check in on Luthor. It had been a while, after all.
Pain snapped out of his musings when Zetsu emerged from the ground.
"Zetsu?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm back," Zetsu said, sounding irritated. "And I think I just found the guy."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm pretty sure. Blonde hair, curses a lot, right?"
"That has to be him," Pain muttered. "Where is he now?"
"I found him in a casino in Las Vegas. He's probably gone by now—it took me hours to get here even at my fastest. But don't worry, I placed a spore on him, so we'll be able to track him again."
Pain gave him a long stare. "And why didn't you just simply tell him I want to meet him?"
"I tried," Zetsu said defensively, "but he told me to 'piss off, he's dealt with enough magical bullshit for the day.' Then I tried to capture him, and that didn't go so well because you didn't tell me he could use magic."
Pain paused. "Oh… right. I forgot about that." Then his voice hardened. "But that was partly because I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to attack him. Now,stand ready for my arrival."
Zetsu huffed. "Fine."
Max appeared outside his house with a soft crackle of displaced air. He didn't go in immediately. Instead, he paused on the walkway, gazing up at the moon hanging bright and full above the quiet street.
It really had been an interesting day.
He suspected Nina had been plotting something between him and Diana, but he hadn't expected her to actually go through with it. That girl had guts. Still, he couldn't understand why she was pushing so hard. Why set him up with her mother? Why not let things unfold naturally?
Maybe Nina feared she had changed too much. That the future she came from wouldn't play out the same way. And honestly… she had a point. Knowing the future had spoiled a lot of things for him. Sometimes he wondered how things had developed between him and Diana originally. Were they close? Friends? Did they have mutual respect that eventually deepened?
Because in this timeline, they definitely weren't there yet… but after tonight, he wasn't sure what they were anymore.
Max shook the thoughts from his head before they got any heavier and walked toward the front door. Just as he reached for the handle, a flicker of information rushed through his senses,the unmistakable signal from Pain.
Max stopped.
A slow smirk spread across his face.
"Zetsu actually managed to find him this quickly?" he muttered. "Good. Time to pay the man a visit."
Max said as he then vanished.
He appeared inside Pain's quarters, materializing beside White Zetsu. Zetsu looked him up and down with an expression somewhere between confusion and delight.
"…Why are you wearing a tux?" Zetsu asked. "Ohhh. Oh, I see. You were on a date. I wonder who the lucky—"
"Mind your business, Zetsu," Max muttered.
Zetsu's grin widened. "Congratulations, by the way. I honestly thought you were going to die a single father."
Max's eye twitched. In one smooth movement he grabbed Zetsu by the throat—firm enough to shut him up and teleported away, leaving a confused Pain blinking at the empty space.
Pain stared for a moment, shrugged, and lay back down on his futon.
Twenty minutes later, Max landed on the rood just outside of Las Vegas, still holding Zetsu firmly by the neck.
He had to admit,the city was impressive. A place he'd only seen in movies. Who would have thought he'd see it in person one day? Not that it compared to some of the things he'd done or seen like facing a real Superman. in his original world, for example. No one could claim that… though, too bad there was no one to brag to. After all, going back wasn't exactly an option.
"Um… can you let me go now? I've been having trouble breathing for the last twenty minutes," Zetsu said, trying to wriggle free.
"I thought you breathe through your skin?" Max asked dryly.
"I do! But can you please let me go now?" Zetsu pleaded, sounding genuinely exasperated.
Max finally released him.
"Where is he?" Max asked immediately.
"Hold on… I think I can sense the spore I placed on him," Zetsu replied, pushing himself to his feet.
"That way," Zetsu said, pointing north.
"Alright. Let's go," Max said, sinking into the ground. Zetsu followed, both of them disappearing beneath the surface like shadows.
---
"Aye, let me go you twat!" Constantine barked as he sailed out the casino doors, landing face-first on the pavement. The bouncers grunted in satisfaction, dusting off their hands before heading back inside.
"Bloody hell… that hurts," John muttered, wincing as he pushed himself upright. He fished around in his trench coat, pulled out a beaten flask, and took a long, burning swig. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and sighed.
"You can show yourself now—haven't got all day," he said to the empty air, voice dripping with annoyance.
Right on cue, the concrete rippled. Max and Zetsu rose from the ground.
"Oh, brilliant," Constantine deadpanned. "It's you again. And you've brought your master this time." He jabbed a finger at Max without even pretending to hide his irritation.
"I apologize on his behalf," Max said, ignoring the petty insult. "But I'd like your assistance with something."
"Sorry, mate. Not interested," Constantine said immediately, turning on his heel and beginning to walk away.
"I'll make it worth your trouble."
Constantine froze mid-step.
Slowly, deliberately, he looked back over his shoulder, raising a brow. The neon lights reflected off his tired blue eyes, giving him that trademark mix of cynicism and curiosity.
"…Go on, then," he said, voice flat, "What kind of trouble are we talking about".
---
Gotham
Damian moved through the night like a shadow, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. He had taken the opportunity to sneak out of the manor while his father was away rescuing the president. He was sick of it—sick of being held back, treated like a child, spoken to like he didn't understand the stakes.
It was obvious he was the only one who cared about saving his mother.
Batman was always busy with the League, always giving him the same excuse: "Insufficient information." Damian was tired of hearing it. He wanted his grandfather's empire reclaimed—but even he knew he couldn't do that alone.Not against the imposter who had taken out his mother, grandfather, and Slade with terrifying ease. Warriors Damian himself would struggle to defeat.
He needed an ally.
Damian landed silently on the next building, then pulled open a rusted latch on the skylight. Without hesitation, he dropped inside.
"You're late, Robin," a voice said from the darkness.
Talon stepped forward, the gold of his mask catching the faint light.
"What is this place?" Damian asked, eyes searching the shadowy interior.
"Home," Talon replied. "And it could be your home too."
"You want me to join you," Damian stated.
"Yes. Together, we can accomplish a great deal." Talon's tone was calm, almost persuasive. "I respect the Batman—but he is flawed. There are lines he refuses to cross, perhaps out of fear, or a misguided code he clings to. And now he tries to force that same weakness onto you. But here…" Talon spread his arms. "Here, there are no limits. Here, we do whatever is necessary to achieve our goals."
"What goal?" Damian asked sharply.
"Any goal," Talon answered simply.
"And if I refuse?"
"Then you pass on the opportunity of a lifetime," Talon said. "But if you ever change your mind… you'll know where to find me."
Damian stood there for a long moment, breathing quietly, thoughts racing.
"I'll join you," he finally said. "On one condition."
"A condition?" Talon tilted his head. "Name it."
End of Chapter.
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