Reading settings
Chapter 408: Mutation
"She's been like this for days."
Superman looked at Diana through the surveillance with a worried expression. She was curled up on the largest bed in the RV/Motorhome, her face buried in her knees, making it impossible to see her expression.
"I really understand how Diana feels. Fighting your own family must be incredibly difficult."
Superman still felt lingering unease about it. He remembered his first encounter with Zod and the hardship he endured due to their shared heritage. How much more painful must it be for Diana, battling her own blood relatives?
Batman remained cold and impassive, offering no comment. Parents were his weakness. Scarecrow, his nemesis, frequently used Fear Toxin to force him back to that unbearable alley. Joker often joked about his parents, and even after countless beatings, the guy never changed.
Speaking of which, Joker had sent him an expired Parents Redemption Coupon just days ago. It seemed it had been too long since he'd taught him a lesson; his skin was itching for it again.
"Don't worry about Diana," Batman said, pulling himself back to the present. "She'll recover. She just needs a catalyst. Instead of focusing on her, we should be thinking about the Amazonians controlled by Circe."
"You're right," Superman nodded in agreement. "Liberating Themyscira is the key. That will bring Diana back."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Superman," Yang Le said, shaking his head. "Themyscira, though small, is a nation. The Justice League can't easily interfere in what is essentially a coup d'état. Diana, as Princess of Themyscira, might disregard that, but our intervention changes the nature of things."
"Yang Le is correct," Batman agreed. "The Justice League, ultimately, lacks law enforcement function. Public acceptance hinges on our handling of super villains that ordinary people can't manage. What's happening on Themyscira is outside the scope of superhero intervention."
"Foreign invasion, terrorist attack, monster crisis – these are all within our purview. But Circe used an Amazonian with 'legitimate' authority, achieving her purpose through methods that align with Amazonian rules. We can't interfere."
"So, what should we do?" Superman completely abandoned his super-brain, resorting to his external brain for solutions.
"Wait," Batman stated after a moment's thought, surprising Superman.
"What?"
"Wait," Batman repeated. "I don't believe Circe is content with just Themyscira. Having control over the race with the most formidable individual combat ability in the world, her next move is practically screaming at us. Not to mention Yang Le mentioned Klarion the Witch Boy is involved. Chaos is his favorite pastime."
"You mean war?" Superman immediately grasped Batman's meaning. "But if that's the case, shouldn't we be doing something preemptively?"
"Batman is saying we need to wait for a legitimate reason to act," Yang Le explained with a smile. "Circe may control Themyscira, but she despises it. We all know she loathes everything about Themyscira. She'd rather see it destroyed than rule it."
Batman glanced at Yang Le before continuing, "Exactly. If I'm right, Circe will soon find a pretext to declare war somewhere. It could be against humans, or the sea race, though targeting humans seems most likely."
"Because humans possess nuclear bombs. If Themyscira becomes a threat to human society, I doubt humans would hesitate to drop a few nuclear bombs on that small island far from human civilization. And I'm sure Circe would gladly provide Themyscira's coordinates."
"Humans with such power are also incredibly ignorant. They won't bother to understand what's happening on Themyscira. And if we're wrong, humans destroying Themyscira will incur the wrath of the Olympus Gods. Who knows what might follow."
Superman felt a chill crawl up his spine. If Batman was right, the world would descend into utter chaos. Even he wasn't certain of victory against the well-known Old Gods.
"As for Diana," Batman looked at the surveillance again, a hint of melancholy in his voice as he saw his comrade's despair.
"Let her listen to the news. This world is in turmoil. Maybe hearing something will reignite her desire to fight for justice."
And so, Yang Le's conversation with the world's finest duo concluded. Yang Le's initial goal was simply to see if they could offer a solution for Diana's distress. He hadn't anticipated such a lengthy and far-reaching discussion.
Yang Le heeded Batman's opinion. After all, Batman wasn't just a psychology expert; he had worked alongside Diana for years. His understanding of her was undoubtedly deeper than Yang Le's, who had only known her for a few days and otherwise only through comics.
Just as Batman predicted, Diana's emotion noticeably improved after Yang Le turned on the television in the RV/Motorhome to news. Yang Le could even see her leaning in, listening intently.
This recovery would be a long process, but it afforded Yang Le some personal time. He could finally delve into the Ultimate Evolution Device sent by his other self, along with the N Metal and Chains Forged by Vulcan he had acquired.
Yang Le found himself engrossed. Grey Matter's wisdom allowed him to constantly uncover new facets, bringing him a profound sense of achievement and fueling his continued research. Within days, he was even able to begin modifying the metal.
Just as Yang Le anticipated a prolonged period of research, a news bulletin shattered the status quo.
"Breaking News, Breaking News," a formally dressed announcer abruptly appeared on the TV screen, interrupting a peanut butter ad that was only halfway through.
"We have just received news that an Amazonian from the mysterious Themyscira has been discovered at a Gene Research Institute."
Hearing news about Amazon, Diana immediately perked up her ear, her gaze fixed on the television as she absorbed the unfolding events.
"Tragically, this Amazonian endured inhumane torture. By the time the Justice League rescued her, she was already on the brink of death. She is currently undergoing rescue…"
At this point, the television displayed several photos. Most of the images were obscured by mosaic, concealing a mutilated figure, but a smaller portion showed the super heroes involved in the rescue, all familiar faces to Diana.
"What?" The announcer covered his left ear with his earphone, listening intently before continuing with a grave expression.
"We have just received another breaking news update. The leader of the Amazon race has contacted Mr. President. She is reportedly furious about her tribesmen's ordeal. She has threatened Mr. President, demanding that we hand over the murderer, or face military force, even war!"
"She's been like this for days."
Superman looked at Diana through the surveillance with a worried expression. She was curled up on the largest bed in the RV/Motorhome, her face buried in her knees, making it impossible to see her expression.
"I really understand how Diana feels. Fighting your own family must be incredibly difficult."
Superman still felt lingering unease about it. He remembered his first encounter with Zod and the hardship he endured due to their shared heritage. How much more painful must it be for Diana, battling her own blood relatives?
Batman remained cold and impassive, offering no comment. Parents were his weakness. Scarecrow, his nemesis, frequently used Fear Toxin to force him back to that unbearable alley. Joker often joked about his parents, and even after countless beatings, the guy never changed.
Speaking of which, Joker had sent him an expired Parents Redemption Coupon just days ago. It seemed it had been too long since he'd taught him a lesson; his skin was itching for it again.
"Don't worry about Diana," Batman said, pulling himself back to the present. "She'll recover. She just needs a catalyst. Instead of focusing on her, we should be thinking about the Amazonians controlled by Circe."
"You're right," Superman nodded in agreement. "Liberating Themyscira is the key. That will bring Diana back."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Superman," Yang Le said, shaking his head. "Themyscira, though small, is a nation. The Justice League can't easily interfere in what is essentially a coup d'état. Diana, as Princess of Themyscira, might disregard that, but our intervention changes the nature of things."
"Yang Le is correct," Batman agreed. "The Justice League, ultimately, lacks law enforcement function. Public acceptance hinges on our handling of super villains that ordinary people can't manage. What's happening on Themyscira is outside the scope of superhero intervention."
"Foreign invasion, terrorist attack, monster crisis – these are all within our purview. But Circe used an Amazonian with 'legitimate' authority, achieving her purpose through methods that align with Amazonian rules. We can't interfere."
"So, what should we do?" Superman completely abandoned his super-brain, resorting to his external brain for solutions.
"Wait," Batman stated after a moment's thought, surprising Superman.
"What?"
"Wait," Batman repeated. "I don't believe Circe is content with just Themyscira. Having control over the race with the most formidable individual combat ability in the world, her next move is practically screaming at us. Not to mention Yang Le mentioned Klarion the Witch Boy is involved. Chaos is his favorite pastime."
"You mean war?" Superman immediately grasped Batman's meaning. "But if that's the case, shouldn't we be doing something preemptively?"
"Batman is saying we need to wait for a legitimate reason to act," Yang Le explained with a smile. "Circe may control Themyscira, but she despises it. We all know she loathes everything about Themyscira. She'd rather see it destroyed than rule it."
Batman glanced at Yang Le before continuing, "Exactly. If I'm right, Circe will soon find a pretext to declare war somewhere. It could be against humans, or the sea race, though targeting humans seems most likely."
"Because humans possess nuclear bombs. If Themyscira becomes a threat to human society, I doubt humans would hesitate to drop a few nuclear bombs on that small island far from human civilization. And I'm sure Circe would gladly provide Themyscira's coordinates."
"Humans with such power are also incredibly ignorant. They won't bother to understand what's happening on Themyscira. And if we're wrong, humans destroying Themyscira will incur the wrath of the Olympus Gods. Who knows what might follow."
Superman felt a chill crawl up his spine. If Batman was right, the world would descend into utter chaos. Even he wasn't certain of victory against the well-known Old Gods.
"As for Diana," Batman looked at the surveillance again, a hint of melancholy in his voice as he saw his comrade's despair.
"Let her listen to the news. This world is in turmoil. Maybe hearing something will reignite her desire to fight for justice."
And so, Yang Le's conversation with the world's finest duo concluded. Yang Le's initial goal was simply to see if they could offer a solution for Diana's distress. He hadn't anticipated such a lengthy and far-reaching discussion.
Yang Le heeded Batman's opinion. After all, Batman wasn't just a psychology expert; he had worked alongside Diana for years. His understanding of her was undoubtedly deeper than Yang Le's, who had only known her for a few days and otherwise only through comics.
Just as Batman predicted, Diana's emotion noticeably improved after Yang Le turned on the television in the RV/Motorhome to news. Yang Le could even see her leaning in, listening intently.
This recovery would be a long process, but it afforded Yang Le some personal time. He could finally delve into the Ultimate Evolution Device sent by his other self, along with the N Metal and Chains Forged by Vulcan he had acquired.
Yang Le found himself engrossed. Grey Matter's wisdom allowed him to constantly uncover new facets, bringing him a profound sense of achievement and fueling his continued research. Within days, he was even able to begin modifying the metal.
Just as Yang Le anticipated a prolonged period of research, a news bulletin shattered the status quo.
"Breaking News, Breaking News," a formally dressed announcer abruptly appeared on the TV screen, interrupting a peanut butter ad that was only halfway through.
"We have just received news that an Amazonian from the mysterious Themyscira has been discovered at a Gene Research Institute."
Hearing news about Amazon, Diana immediately perked up her ear, her gaze fixed on the television as she absorbed the unfolding events.
"Tragically, this Amazonian endured inhumane torture. By the time the Justice League rescued her, she was already on the brink of death. She is currently undergoing rescue…"
At this point, the television displayed several photos. Most of the images were obscured by mosaic, concealing a mutilated figure, but a smaller portion showed the super heroes involved in the rescue, all familiar faces to Diana.
"What?" The announcer covered his left ear with his earphone, listening intently before continuing with a grave expression.
"We have just received another breaking news update. The leader of the Amazon race has contacted Mr. President. She is reportedly furious about her tribesmen's ordeal. She has threatened Mr. President, demanding that we hand over the murderer, or face military force, even war!"
