4. Preparations for the Future

Again, I don't own any DC characters or the Ben 10 Characters. Both belong to their respective owners.

So, don't sue me (～￣▽￣)～

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~ I am just a human after all ~

~ I am just a human after all ~

~ Don't put your blame on me ~

~ Don't put your blame on me ~

Zion hummed as he opened the door to his new house. He had found a place to rent within the neighborhood known as Central Haven. The streets were a maze of brownstone houses, each with a story to tell. Ivy-clad facades and wrought-iron fences gave the area a timeless, almost magical ambiance.

As he pushed open the creaky wooden door, the scent of fresh paint and the warmth of a cozy interior enveloped him. The small room, illuminated by the soft glow of the single window, was just enough to meet Zion's needs. A modest bed sat against one wall, covered in simple linens. A desk occupied another corner, the perfect spot for his laptop and a stack of books.

He moved closer to the window, gazing out at the cityscape beyond. Keystone City was known for its towering skyscrapers and modern infrastructure, but also retained pockets of historical significance. The distant hum of traffic and the occasional flash of red and yellow lightning in the sky reminded him that Keystone was no ordinary place. It was the city of speedsters, where time itself seemed to race, in contrast to Central Haven, which offered a serene retreat.

Zion unpacked his belongings, arranging them thoughtfully within the compact space. A bulky laptop that looked patched up, probably due to the multiple times it was repaired, a fountain pen, and a diary were placed on the desk, with his clothes kept in a suitcase pushed under the bed. Zion didn't even bother cleaning, as the room looked well-kept. He was just lazy.

***

Zion looked at his room one more time to check if everything was in place before he sat at his desk, opening his laptop. The screen lit up for a moment, and many lines of code ran through before the computer revealed its desktop. The screen didn't have anything except for a solitary icon of the command prompt.

Zion clicked it to open and began typing code. The screen froze for a minute before it displayed numerous news articles from various newspapers and reports.

"The red streak strikes again. Rescuing people from a burning building, stopping robbers and criminals before they know it. All people saw was a red streak and defeated criminals."

"It seems the metropolis' man in blue has another joining him. A woman with a similar costume to Superman, flying around Metropolis and stopping crimes."

"The Wayne Industries stock prices have increased yet again. After the return of billionaire Bruce Wayne, Wayne Industries has made more profits than ever, and it continues to grow to this day."

"A bat symbol lit up the skies of Gotham yesterday. The police seem to have asked for help from Gotham's vigilante."

"A masked vigilante terrorizes Star City. Many criminals have been left with broken bones and, in some cases, dead."

"The number of these masked vigilantes and vigilantism has increased across the country. Police haven't found anything about these masked individuals. The government has announced plans to intensify their investigations."

"Seems like they are still scattered. They are not together, not strong enough to face the dangers of the galaxies," Zion rubbed his chin in contemplation. "How should I accelerate their growth? I don't really want to be a goody-two-shoes and defeat all their villains, as it would just hinder their development. But that doesn't mean I can't deal with characters that are just bothersome, like The Joker. I could eliminate him as he is just a waste of space and not really helpful in developing Batman's character."

While lost in thought, Zion looked out the window. Dusk had arrived, and the red sky loomed over the neon-lit city. His eyes lost focus for a moment. His right hand moved to the diary next to the laptop. The silver tip of the fountain pen touched the white paper, staining it with its ink. Zion's hand moved in a smooth motion, drafting plans for the future and the things that would help him strengthen the Justice League so they wouldn't be vulnerable to threats.

[ The paper read:

- Oan Guardians, ancient beings who oversee the Green Lantern Corp. Possessors of immense knowledge. Creators of the Lantern Rings. Abilities include rewriting reality and manipulating time.

"Hmm, I wonder if I will be able to create the Lantern Rings if I transform into one of them," Zion mused. "If I could, I could create an army of Lanterns to fight for my cause. But for now, it is just a thought to ponder about."

- The Reach, one of the oldest races in the universe. An advanced civilization that surpasses Earth's by many millennia. A race of world conquerors. Creators of the Scarabs, a world-ending machine. In a peace treaty with Green Lanterns.

Zion looked at his left hand, where the Omnitrix resided. Omnitrix was a level 20 tech. But The Reach was only on Level 14, where their armor can integrate into their host on a cellular level. They are still far from even creating something like a broken version of Nemetrix.

"But they could produce a perfect clone. If they learn about the Omnitrix," Zion shivered slightly, "I don't want to deal with all the invasion from all the greedy races of the universe. That would be a pain. It would be simple to just erase them from existence with Alien X than fight them all the time. But a Celestialsapien would attract far more trouble than all the races hunting me down."

Zion shook his head to rid himself of bad thoughts; he didn't want Murphy to act.

"Now that I think about cloning... Superboy has not been born yet. I should not let Luther learn about the Omnitrix. If he learns, he will try to get it at all costs, which might cause some adverse effects than intended. And he is a bit of a brainiac for me to deal with. Superman can have his dance with his bald friend."

- The New Gods, Cosmic entities with immense strength, longevity, cosmic awareness, and advanced technology. They possess the Mother Boxes and Father Box, supercomputers storing immeasurable data that can use boom tubes. ]

These three races of the universe were well-versed in highly advanced tech and possessors of potent DNA. The New Gods' and Oan Guardians' DNA would make a fine addition to the Omnitrix, while the research data from The Reach would help me create more powerful tech, especially the Scarab armor. I don't want to go through the hassle of finding the Scarab, especially since Blue Beetle hasn't even been born yet.

Zion spun the pen in his hands as he wrestled with the idea of leaving the planet to find these three races to obtain their tech. However, the problem was, he didn't have a spaceship. It would take an astronomical amount of time and resources to build one from scratch. A ship with a strong enough frame to withstand constant changes in gravitational pull, a functional navigation system to cross galaxies, supplies to last until I reach another suitable planet, and the materials needed to build one. And don't even start with a warp engine!

"I can't do this alone; I should introduce myself to the Heroes before I leave. I need to at least stay until the formation of the League. I can get help from Batman and Cyborg to build the spaceship and acquire the warp-drive from Superman's ship," Zion confirmed his plan, at least for the time being.

"A plan is never complete. A solid plan is a flexible one. A man should always adapt to the situations."

***

"Now, what should I do in the meantime?" Zion pondered. He had only $2000 left after covering all his expenses and rent for the room, which was cheap. So, now that he was in the city, he needed to find a stable job to keep himself fed.

"Should I steal from or ask Batman for some money? I am pretty sure I could convince him with an advanced armor that will increase the efficiency of his vigilantism. But I don't want to deal with his paranoia. He would create contingency upon contingency to take me down, and I don't want him on my back, watching my every move.

No Bats, then.

Maybe I should just get some money by hacking into Luther's bank account. That would be effective. But I don't like dealing with him, even though he would never find out who stole it. With Brainstorm's skills, it would be as easy as breathing air.

How about Arrow? I could become his guy in the chair and earn money. But he is going through his growth phase. I don't want to disturb him by revealing I know his identity.

Should I become a reporter? I mean, I could do it, but writing articles will be a hassle, and it is already being used by many to hide their identity.

Ahh, maybe I should become a crazy driver like in the movies. The fastest taxi to take you to heaven and back. I kinda like the sound of that. Like Jackie Chan from 'The Tuxedo'! It might actually work, with my car already having a 1000 horsepower engine.

OK! Job decided. Now, on to the second objective. What DNA could I collect from Earth before leaving? Diana's demigod DNA might be difficult to obtain, and I don't like the fake gods. Martian Manhunter is not on Earth yet, and Thanagarians are not that powerful.

So, my first choice is the strongest hero on Earth. The Last Son of Krypton."

Zion finally decided what to do after meticulous calculations. {The conversation above only containe the important part of Zion's inner monologue as 75% was removed due to his ramblings}

"Then let's get to Metropolis and collect some juicy Kryptonian DNA. With it, I could gain some serious firepower without exposing myself by transforming into something that doesn't exist in this universe."

Zion closed the laptop and the diary. Carrying both in his hand, he quickly left the room. His car was waiting for him under the glowing moonlight in the parking lot. Zion placed both objects on the passenger seat and started the car.

"To Metropolis!"

***

- In the depths of the Batcave -

Batman sat before an array of screens, his gloved fingers swiftly navigating through databases and surveillance feeds. He had just stumbled upon something intriguing yet dangerous - a sighting of another flying superhuman in Metropolis. However, he didn't have enough information to confirm her identity or intentions. All he knew was that she was with Metropolis' Superman.

Alfred's voice crackled through the intercom. "Sir, it seems you've come across something unusual."

Batman's eyes remained fixed on the screen as he responded. "Yes, Alfred. There is a report that another flying superhuman was with Superman. The sighting was just yesterday when they both stopped crimes. I am using facial recognition, tracing for any extraterrestrial impact in the past few days or a mass destruction of any Metahuman experiment facility, but I don't have a possible ID or connections yet."

Alfred, being the best butler he was, replied, "Shall I initiate a more thorough investigation, Master Wayne?"

"Yes, Alfred. I want to know who she is, what her capabilities are, and if she will be a threat that needs to be put down," Batman's cold voice echoed through the comms.

"Very well, sir. I'll begin digging deeper into the Metropolis sightings and try to ascertain her identity discreetly."

Batman knew that with Alfred's expertise and resources, he could count on a comprehensive investigation. He returned his focus to the screen, where there was a poor image of Superman and Kara interacting with a kid. His eyes narrowed, a slight conflict in his mind.

He knew his limits as a human, and with the rise of many superpowered villains, he would eventually face his defeat. But the Dark Knight was not one to back down from challenges. With his meticulous preparations and high intellect, he could even take down the strongest of foes.

Batman got up from his contemplation and walked to the Batmobile. It was time for his patrol. He needed to keep the streets of Gotham safe.

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Notice: The chapters for injustice academy will update on Mondays and Fridays. I will probably increase the rate in the future.

Thank you for reading! ( ﾟдﾟ)つ Bye