Chapter 51 - The Talk - Part 7

Wayne Manor - Bat cave

When Bruce returned from the meeting, he was met by Alfred and his adopted son, Robin. Robin asked why Bruce hadn't contacted him or Barb aka Batgirl after the war and expressed concern about Bruce's wellbeing. Bruce reassured him and then gave him a mission to scout some secret government locations.

Robin asked about the powerful newcomer staying at their mansion, who was rumored to have overpowered Superman, injured Green Lantern, and humiliated Wonder Woman. Bruce confirmed the newcomer's strength but clarified that he healed Green Lantern and was in a relationship with Wonder Woman. He advised Robin to avoid arrogance when meeting this Orach.

After the discussion, Robin left to brief Batgirl about the mission. Bruce spent some time working on his computer before going to bed.

Wayne Manor - The next day

About a minute before the meeting, Bruce joined and waited for the others. Starting with Cyborg, everyone joined within a few minutes.

"Good morning all. Thank you for joining," Bruce began the meeting.

"Good morning" echoed eight times.

"Today, I want to discuss three topics: the charter draft, Lois Lane's article, and the discovery of a secret group called CADMUS. The latter is a recent addition that we need to address."

When Bruce finished listing the agenda, he observed everyone's reactions, particularly Clark's twitchy reaction to Lois's article being part of the agenda.

"Let's begin…" Just as Bruce started, Arthur and Victor both asked about Orach's absence.

Bruce replied, "Orach is currently off-world, running some tests. He should return in a few days." He noticed most nodding but also caught a hint of delight on Hawkman's face.

"So, let's begin. What are your thoughts on the charter draft I shared?"

"I find no issues with the draft," Clark replied.

"Same here," four others echoed.

"I have some reservations, but I mostly agree," said Diana.

Arthur and Hal concurred with Diana.

Bruce noted their agreements on the draft and then brought up Orach's suggestion for dealing with criminals who repeatedly cause loss of life and show no signs of change, seeking everyone's opinions.

"Absolutely not! We must respect the system. Our job as heroes is to capture criminals and hand them over to the authorities. Otherwise, what's the difference between us and the criminals?" Clark responded, clearly agitated by Orach's idea.

Barry and Victor also disagreed, believing in the potential for change. Clark, satisfied with their support, was taken aback by the next comments.

"I support Orach's idea. My previous reservations were regarding such individuals," Diana stated, making her stance clear.

Arthur, Hal, Hawkgirl and Hawkman echoed the same sentiment, sharing their experiences with individuals beyond reason. "We support Orach's suggestion. It would be better if people like that were executed since they won't change."

"I see. So, three against five in favor," Bruce noted.

"Bruce, what about you?" Diana asked, narrowing her gaze.

When Diana raised the question, it caught everyone's attention. They all knew about Batman's principle of never killing, so they were intrigued by how he would answer. Some, like Superman, believed he wouldn't support this, while Hal and Victor, who had interacted with Bruce and Orach, had some doubts.

Bruce stopped taking notes, faced the camera, and said, "Since Orach and I disagreed on this topic, I've been giving it serious thought. I can't deny Orach's point, but I also don't think we should resort to killing. Therefore, I propose a compromise. We create a separate, isolated facility for such individuals and imprison them permanently. I'm considering approaching the UN Security Council to review those who, after going through the system three times, show no change and whose actions have caused loss of life. We can start by reclassifying them from criminals to terrorists, given the death toll they cause. Once their status changes, the UN, specifically the Security Council president, can pass judgement. We, as the Justice League, can act as contractors to facilitate these terrorists' confinement in specialized prisons with no chance of parole, regardless of their backgrounds or wealth. Providing their basic needs will require work, but isolating them will prevent them from harming innocents."

Once Bruce finished, everyone took a minute to digest his suggestion.

"That I can get behind," said Clark.

"I still feel Orach's suggestion makes more sense, but this is an agreeable compromise," Diana said after some contemplation.

"I have the same opinion as Diana," said Arthur.

"Same here," replied Hal.

"Yeah. This is something I can support as well. For metahumans, we are already doing something similar in Central City since the jails can't handle them yet," Barry agreed.

"I support this as well," Victor replied.

"Fine. We both can get behind this as well," Hawkgirl answered for herself and Hawkman.

Bruce nodded and said, "Now, we need to discuss where to build this prison and what technology to use, since metahumans need to be addressed as well."

"Actually, I may have an idea, Bruce. From the Krypton archive, I found out that criminals used to be sent to a different dimension called the Phantom Zone. It's a timeless dimension where only consciousness is free and the physical body is almost frozen. I have the schematics to make a Phantom Zone projector in the archives. I could have it made in the fortress and we can send such individuals to the Phantom Zone instead of worrying about a prison," Clark suggested.

Bruce and the others found the idea appealing and acknowledged its value. After some discussion, the league members agreed to use the Phantom Zone. Bruce was tasked with amending the charter and setting up a meeting with the UN representative and the Security Council President to present their proposal. He recommended that Superman, Hal Jordan, and Flash be the ones to propose the idea. He would accompany them as Bruce Wayne to publicly endorse their plan. Later, after their discussions finish, they can announce the existence of the Justice League.

All nodded in agreement, so Bruce shifted to the next topic, about CADMUS. Bruce informed them of his findings about CADMUS and their purpose, the experiments being carried out, and his conversation with Amanda Waller.

"No way…They…This is crazy," Clark said through his shock when he heard the report. All understood that CADMUS was created solely out of fear of Superman. While they could understand his shock, the majority were angry and disgusted by CADMUS's current practices. They agreed with Bruce that experimenting with lives or cloning lives was unacceptable.

"Bruce, I think we need to destroy their facility and make it clear that we won't stand for this," Hawkman suggested.

"I agree. They may be scared of us, but that doesn't give them the right to mess with the sacred gift of life," Diana voiced in a serious tone.

"I share Diana's sentiment," said Arthur.

"Same here," voiced Barry.

"I…kind of understand them," said Victor reluctantly.

"I do as well. Think about it. Waller and her bosses do have reasons to be anxious. We each can cause large-scale damage and most of us don't answer to any human authority. Superman, you are vulnerable to magic, aren't you? I've heard there are mind control spells out there. What if you or one of us get controlled? We would become nightmares for the very people we swore to protect," Hal said seriously.

Hearing this, all except Bruce began contemplating and realized Hal had a point.

Clark couldn't say a word in response since he knew Hal was right.

"Either way, I agree with Hal as well. That's why I only demanded they stop their current act of performing experiments on lives and cloning trials. But the main concern here is that I don't trust Waller or the ones she answers to. As such, I've tasked Robin and Batgirl to scout the facilities and report back. Victor, If you you are available, kindly assist Robin and Batgirl. If they report back that these facilities are still functioning despite my little chat with Waller, then we all have to move out and deal with them. Also, Clark, I will forward the information I have collected. Could you write up an exposé? Try to dig into their financials as well. I've been trying to trace their funding but have had no luck so far. I have my suspicions on the source but no proof," Bruce said.

Clark nodded in agreement, ready to lend a hand. Bruce quickly sent him the necessary details.

Suddenly, Clark asked, with a touch of incredulity in his voice, "Hey, why isn't there anything on Orach? If I'm seen as a potential nightmare, what about him? He's clearly a far greater threat."

Silence fell over the room, as Victor, Hal, Diana, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and Barry all shared a look of disbelief.

Arthur, looking at Clark as though he was looking at an idiot, finally broke the silence. "Brother, are you seriously asking that? If you're akin to a nightmare, then Orach...well, he's the Apocalypse, mate. Nothing's stopping that." Although the comparison was rough, it seemed to convey the shared sentiment in the room, as everyone else nodded in agreement.

Bruce, showing his usual stoicism, added, "Clark...there were reports on Orach in the data I gathered, but...based on the accounts from the surviving soldiers and a few of the generals, they all had the same conclusion...Leave him alone!" This left Clark speechless.

Bruce, always practical, swiftly changed the topic, avoiding staying on it for too long. The room filled with a mix of strain and relief, and maybe a bit of laughter at Clark's innocence.

"Next topic…" Bruce paused as he felt a headache coming on. He really did not want to deal with this. "...Lois Lane's article," he said, bringing up the next topic with a serious tone.

"Sorry Bruce, but I'm not aware of this article. What is it about?" Diana asked, intrigued by this article that became a topic of discussion for a League meeting.

"…" Clark fell silent.

"…" Hal Jordan similarly had no words.

"…" Victor was equally speechless.

"…" Barry was uncharacteristically quiet too.

But then, "Oh man… HAHAHA!" Arthur fell out of his chair, rolling on the floor with laughter.

"She's kidding, right? Oof!" Hawkman was cut off mid-sentence by a sharp elbow from his wife, Hawkgirl.

"I'll send you the link. Please read it, and then we can discuss further," Bruce suggested, already forwarding the link to the infamous article.

Somewhat baffled by everyone's reactions, Diana nodded and opened the link as soon as she received it.

5 minutes later (Insert SpongeBob time card tone here)

"CLARK KENT! WHAT ON EARTH IS THIS?" Diana's voice boomed, her usually serene face now a mask of anger. On the call, everyone's eyes widened in shock. Diana's roaring didn't scare them, but her levitating hair, which momentarily turned blackberry in color, and the sparks of pink-tinted electricity certainly did. It was a sight that reminded them of one term, "Super Saiyan".

Bruce, recovering from the initial shock, managed to ask, "Diana… your hair… it's… Are you becoming a Super Saiyan?"

Realizing she'd almost lost control, Diana closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. When she reopened them, the sparks of electricity had disappeared, and her hair had settled. But her icy gaze remained. "Something happened when I first came in contact with Orach. We formed a bond that caused my divinity to evolve, becoming similar to his. With the help of Hera, queen of the Greek gods, I was able to tap into this new power. It seems I can now transform into something akin to a Super Saiyan. I'm still learning, but I am getting stronger. Bruce, don't tell Orach. I want to show him myself."

Bruce listened to every word and nodded this confirmed his earlier theory. Diana then turned her icy gaze back to Clark. "Clark," she began, "What is this nonsense written in this article?"

Clark sighed, "While some points may be off, if you consider the soldiers' accounts from the battlefield, it's mostly accurate, Diana."

Diana could hardly believe the audacity of this man she once considered a friend. But as Orach's wife, she couldn't stand for this, especially the part of the article questioning Orach's race's integrity. She wondered if Clark had a death wish since no one here would be able to stop an enraged Orach.

At this point Bruce, interjected,"Diana, even though I think Orach hasn't read the full article yet but, he gave me his word that he wouldn't hurt Lois this time out of respect for us when I told him Lois was Clark's girlfriend. However…he wants a press conference."

Diana's tension eased a bit upon hearing this, though a touch of displeasure remained.

Arthur, having regained his composure from his laughter fit, quipped with a smirk, "Yeah. Like that's going to go well!"

Hal chimed in, his voice filled with concern, "I'm with Arthur on this one. That press conference might just turn into a slaughterhouse."

Barry added, "It could be like watching a live horror movie!"

Diana, interjected, "Orach is not a monster. We must remember what he is. If he has chosen to address the people of Earth, then I believe he has a message or a statement which he wishes to be understood."

Bruce agreed, "In our breakfast conversation, he said he'll make it clear in the press conference that he doesn't mind being called a monster, but won't accept any disrespect towards his race." Hal and Victor remembered the discussion they had at Wayne Manor and nodded in agreement.

Diana nodded, already expecting as much. Clark, however, remained quiet during their discussion on the topic.

Bruce turned to Clark and said, "Clark, he wants Lois to be present and to be the one who interviews him."

Clark, who had been silent until now, shuddered a bit before finally speaking up, "I understand. I'll inform Lois."

With that, Bruce concluded the meeting. Victor reached out to the Bat family, offering his support after reviewing that data, Bruce sent him on CADMUS.