You are the Question

"Rhode Island may be one of my favorite states to visit in the Union, but I don't see much point for us all to have assembled here." I stated to Batman as we arrived at the outskirts of the city, Happy Harbor.

"Superman, Green Lantern, and I have chosen this location as the headquarters for the Justice League." Batman replied and with the press of a button akin to a garage door opener, the base of the mountain we met at depressed and formed a ramp revealing the entrance of the Secret Sanctuary.

"Oh sweet. I've always wanted to be a cave person, but my habit of living in temples and palaces always made that seem more like a child's fantasy. I am glad I know you, Batman. You are helping make more of my little boy dreams come true." I laughed as the recently formed Justice League followed the man down into the mountain.

The hollowed out mountain had yet to be furnished with more than strands of construction lights, giving the place a rough Moria feel. I ran my hand down the hall as we descended into the first open chamber hollowed out by Superman and Green Lantern.

"I can have a couple of KD units get this place finished by tomorrow. What level of technology do you all want?" I asked them.

"That won't be necessary." Batman flatly denied my offer.

"Hmmmm… there is no keeping me out." I told the caped crusader who stiffened under his armored suit, "Only my own integrity serves as a barrier. So consider my offer more deeply than your gut reaction to seek control."

"Hmmmm…" Batman responded while Superman put a hand over his shoulder.

"Thank you for your offer, Markus." he grinned and we continued our path to a furnished conference room, with manilla envelopes placed before each chair at the table.

"The files contain information I have been able to gather on other operators that successfully fought against the Apokoliptian invasion." Batman explained as we reviewed the dossiers of substantiated and unsubstantiated reports of superhuman beings battling the forces of Darkseid.

It contained everything from rumors of a green ghost destroying Parademons to first hand accounts of a drunken lighthouse keeper defending his favorite watering hole, along with a detailed breakdown of the man, Arthur Curry.

"All of these are leads that are being pursued for possible recruitment." Batman explained, "While cases like that of Captain Marvel might seem the most promising, I believe that Green Arrow and Black Canary are both better options to approach first."

"Now wait a minute, Bruce." Superman interjected, "Captain Marvel is possibly Kryptonian, I think we should find him first."

"I don't remember him from my universe." Power Girl added.

"Kara?" Superman sounded.

"I can't confirm or deny his status as a Kryptonian, Kal." she responded, "I've never seen him before."

"We can't rely on knowledge of your home universe for decision making and judgements. Only framework." Batman explained the official stance on inter-universe meta knowledge.

"Even if you had an intimate knowledge of this specific universe, using it beyond gaining advantages is folly." I added, "You'll be caught flat footed, or worse, when the situation stops behaving as a narrative and unfolds like an emergent universe does, and then all you will have been is a slave to a fate that neither cared for you nor exists any longer."

"You've seen people like this?" Batman inquired.

"Too many times. Frightened dogs, all of them. Not worth the neuron sequencing required to remember them as anything more than a cautionary tale summed up succinctly as 'Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.'" I told them, "This is a long list of candidates, Bats. That's good. That invasion yesterday would have been disastrous if not for the random chance timing of our arrival. This world needs to get its act together if it is to survive the greater cruelties of the universe."

"Speaking of random chance timing…" Flash spoke up, "I noticed some of the KD units moving at near impossible speeds. What's going on with that?"

"The Speedforce is infinite." I stated.

"Ehh… neat." Flash deadpanned.

"Any other questions?" I chuckled.

"Many." Batman answered then said no more.

"I have one." Green Lantern announced, "How are we going to secure the Earth against further invasions? Just recruiting all the people who fought last time sounds like a good start, but it would be silly to think they are going to come back at us with the same level of force that failed the first time."

"You are correct about that." Cassiopeia nodded in agreement, "We are no doubt in both an arms race and a shadow war with Apokolips from here on out. Even with the gains we have made, " she clasped her hand feeling the glorious might of the changes swapping her human baseline with Czarnian achieved, "if we allow ourselves to be outmaneuvered by Apokolips then our strength will not come to bear."

"I've been able to begin research into the Fatherbox I shut down in Metropolis. Boom Tube travel moves through an imaginary dimension, meaning that my go to strategy of catching WormHole travel doesn't apply." I told them, "As of yet we have no way to prevent the enemy from coming and going as they please. Nothing stopping them from just dropping WMDs on our heads at any time."

"That's bleak." Superman sighed.

"That's the reality of facing a foe who completely controls the pace of engagement." Batman stated with his arms crossed under his chest.

"Have we considered that Darkseid is a dumbfuck?" Calliope added to the conversation.

"What?" Flash shouted.

"The idea has merit." I grinned.

"Three minutes and eleven seconds." Cassiopeia reminded me.

"Is that some kind of inside joke?" Green Lantern questioned.

"Then it's agreed, Darkseid is a tactical moron." I nodded to her.

"Doesn't stop him from learning." Power Girl said her peace on the topic.

"No it doesn't." I agreed, "I believe his next play will involve subverting factors on world to soften us up." I told them, "Which means it is important that we decide here and now why we exist. Do we defend lives, or do we defend ideas?"

"What kind of question is that?" Flash barked, "Of course we defend lives."

"It's not as simple as you think." Batman spoke.

"How is it not that simple?" Flash demanded.

"I could have this entire world secured and post scarcity by the end of the month." I informed him, "But to do so I would need to trample over the population's freedom and dignity. Would the lives saved by my actions be worth the destruction of humanity's current ideals and identity?"

"That's a really weird example?" Flash drawled.

"Three minutes and eleven seconds." Batman growled, "That's how long it took you to take over your own version of Earth."

A wave of unease washed over the Justice League and they prepared for combat.

"And my Earth had an effective government response and a far deeper superhero tradition." I smirked, "Enough hero teams to defend every major city on the planet in times of crisis. None as powerful as Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Lantern, but they made up for that in sheer numbers and grit."

"You aren't going to do that here." Batman shouted and stood up aggressively.

"Of course not." I chuckled, "Taking over alternate Earths would be a complete waste of my time. I've already won. Cured cancer, ended hunger, housed the homeless, established world peace and security. Traveling the omni-verse establishing the same solutions over and over again on alternate Earths would be a complete waste of time."

"Then why are the three of you here?" Superman demanded.

"Perspective." I answered.

"Family vacation." Cassiopeia responded.

"Rebound sex." Calliope grinned and Flash, Lantern, and Batman each gripped their left butt cheek as if stung.

"What exactly do you mean by perspective?" Wonder Woman questioned with a hand on her sword.

"Hmmmm… I want to see what it takes for people to choose what is best for them. Not via coercion, but because they understand. I want to find a way to make humanity and all others understand." I answered.

"I understand." Dianna nodded and took her hand off her sword.

"What? You understand?" Green Lantern snapped, "What the hell is there to understand? We have a credentialed world conqueror sitting on this planet with his army!"

"Markus wishes for understanding." Wonder Woman answered him, "That is a noble goal for a god."

"You are a remarkable woman, Dianna." Cassiopeia complimented her, "So few have placed their faith in my father. It is only after he delivers his promises that they come to him."

"Dianna?" Superman nearly whispered.

"I believe that this has perfectly demonstrated what I have said. Does the Justice League defend lives or ideas?" I announced to the team, "I'm not threatening any lives on this planet, but the idea of me has half the people in this room ready to go to war. I dearly hope to see if that love of ideas will hold. Will the purity of the cause remain more important than its efficacy? What happens when you all have that one bad day? When the villains adapt and overcome? When the light of hope is flickering in the darkness? Do you all… understand?"

"We're nothing more than an experiment for you." Batman declared.

"No. You are the question." I replied.

"And what question are we?" Green lantern demanded.

I smiled and answered, "When?"