Hourman's tone was sincere, and his attitude was very serious.
From his words, everyone present could tell that the situation had reached its most critical point.
Perhaps Pietro, Kara, and the others didn't fully understand Hourman, but the heroes of the Justice Society knew very well that Hourman was a very proud person. If it weren't for truly being at a dead end, he would never have said something like this.
In fact, many of those present wanted to refute. Among them, there were many who, for various reasons, didn't want to place the world's hope in the hands of such strangers.
Billy silently looked at Black Adam, hoping he would say something, but Black Adam kept his head lowered, showing no intention of joining the conversation.
Although Black Adam was considered the most powerful member of the Justice Society, he was very aware of the seriousness of the situation. Upon reflection, Black Adam knew he didn't have a 100% guarantee of protecting Kahndaq. Though he didn't want to admit it, he also hoped these strangers could help Earth.
Black Adam wasn't the only one with this thought. After facing off with Apokolips, everyone was well aware of the vast gap in their fighting power.
Leaving aside other factors, just Steppenwolf alone had caused them a great deal of trouble.
Before anyone had reacted, Steppenwolf not only ambushed Themyscira, but he also destroyed the royal palace of Atlantis, even killing the Ocean Master. This alone was enough to prove his immense power.
If not for Batman sacrificing himself to take out the genetically modified monster, the outcome of the war could have been uncertain.
And that was just Steppenwolf—there were still many more powerful beings from Apokolips yet to make their move. When they mobilize and attack Earth, with the heroes of the Justice Society alone, there wouldn't even be a chance for victory.
Listening quietly to Hourman's words, Ashley licked her dry lips and looked towards Pietro. Kara and Tony Stark also didn't respond. This time, Pietro was the leader, and all decisions rested with him.
Pietro remained silent.
Seeing everyone's attention on him, even Pietro felt a subtle pressure he hadn't experienced before.
He had never been in this position, and in the past, he had always acted on orders without much thought. But this time, he knew he had to change that.
This wasn't something that could be decided on a whim.
War was never a game—once it started, people would die.
So even though Pietro really wanted to help the Justice Society, he wasn't ready to agree right away. Everything still required more careful planning.
After some thought, Pietro finally spoke up.
"Mr. Tyler, I understand your thoughts, but this is a major matter. I still need to think it over carefully."
Upon hearing this, Tony Stark, who had been holding a glass of wine in the corner, smiled faintly.
He then shifted his gaze back to the wine in front of him.
Pietro continued, "To be honest, we came here to fulfill a deal with Bruce. Please allow us to finish that first.
As for Apokolips, we need to discuss it internally before we can give you an answer."
After Pietro's words, everyone in the room nodded slightly. Although they were curious about what kind of deal Bruce had with these people, they also knew this wasn't the time to discuss it.
Hourman nodded heavily.
"Alright, I'll await your response. During this time, the League has a lot to take care of. Although we had the press conference earlier, there are still many troubles. I'm afraid I can't stay much longer."
"I'm the same. Kahndaq still needs me," Black Adam spoke up. "If anything comes up, contact me later."
Hourman stood up and addressed the Justice Society members.
"From now on, everyone should look out for each other. Doctor Mid-Nite, stay in the Batcave and watch over Bruce. Also, help with Gotham's issues. Gotham can't function without Batman."
"Okay, I'll do my best," Doctor Mid-Nite nodded, feeling the pressure.
The heroes knew the situation in Gotham somewhat. The criminals there weren't ordinary—while most didn't have superpowers, the crazies always came up with new tricks that could easily cause a disaster.
Wildcat and Green Lantern had both fought in Gotham before, but things didn't go well. Green Lantern accidentally caused the death of a couple on the other side of the city while trying to save a bus full of people, and Wildcat had been knocked out by a blow to the head, almost suffering a serious accident.
After the discussion, the heroes left the Wayne Manor in small groups.
"Pietro, Kara, I'll catch up with you after work," Barry Allen said, giving Pietro a wave. They were old acquaintances, and after such a long time, Barry wanted to find a chance to catch up.
Unfortunately, Barry couldn't stay in Gotham City much longer. He still had an internship as a police officer in Central City, and he had already been late three times this month. If anyone noticed, he'd probably lose his job.
With a gust of wind, Barry Allen disappeared from everyone's sight. Now, only Pietro, the Batfamily, and the Teen Titans members remained in the hall.
"Two years ago, when I saw Alex, I was really curious about his background."
Red Robin Tim looked at Pietro and Kara and broke the silence.
"When I first became Robin, I was really curious about the Kryptonian invasion war, but Bruce always kept quiet about it and wouldn't tell me anything. That was until a person named Alex came to Gotham City."
Listening quietly, Pietro and the others understood that this must be something that happened when Alex was at the Wasteland Mutant Academy.
"I had speculated about Alex's origins, but it was just a guess. In fact, I never understood who Alex really was, and I didn't know the relationship between him and Bruce.
Later, Alex left, just like he suddenly appeared in Gotham. I secretly searched for Alex's identity, but no matter how much I dug through all the networks and records, I couldn't find any trace of him.
At that time, I speculated that Alex probably wasn't from this planet. He might have been an alien, just like those Kryptonians, someone who looked similar to humans but had come to Earth through an accident and met Bruce.
But I never imagined that Alex's true identity—or, I should say, the true identity of all of you—was that you came from another universe."
Cough, "This is hard to explain. I know you might not be able to accept it right away," Pietro scratched his head.
"No, I can accept it. To be honest, after you introduced your origins, I actually feel quite happy."
Tim smiled and continued.
"I've always believed in the existence of parallel universes, and now it's finally been confirmed. This also means that in one of those universes, Bruce's parents didn't die, and he must have been living a very happy life."
Listening to Tim's words, Pietro and the others couldn't help but feel respect.
They didn't expect that after learning about the existence of parallel universes, the first thought that came to Tim's mind was this. It seemed that old Bruce Wayne had indeed found a worthy successor this time.
"You and Bruce really are alike..." Kara said, somewhat comforted.
After talking with Alex about things back there, Kara found that meeting Tim in person proved what Alex had said—Tim was truly a talented Robin.
"I would love to talk more with you about parallel universes, but I know you probably have a lot to discuss yourselves, so I won't disturb you," Tim said with a weak smile, standing up with the help of Stephanie.
"Gotham can't be without Batman. With Bruce still unconscious, the Teen Titans and I will have to keep an eye on the city. You should stay here for now."
The group walked toward the Batcave passage. After a few steps, it seemed that Tim suddenly remembered something and stopped, turning to say: "As for what Hourman said earlier... I just want to say, whatever decision you make, we'll accept it. But when the time comes, I hope you can take Bruce with you. He's very tired, and he deserves some rest."
After speaking, without waiting for a response from Pietro and the others, Tim simply smiled faintly and turned to leave.
Watching Tim and the Teen Titans walk away until they disappeared around the corner, Pietro finally withdrew his gaze and sighed deeply.
"Dammit, this is making me feel so bad."
Once the hall was finally empty, Ashley immediately collapsed onto the couch without any care, placing her feet on the table.
"Tell me about it."
Kara massaged her temples and shook her head slowly.
"I thought this was just a transaction, but I didn't expect to run into so many problems. Darkseid is no joke, and you guys know the situation with the war universe of Apokolips. This is really a mess."
"I wish Alex were here," Pietro muttered, grabbing his head in frustration, messing up his hair.
"Now you see how hard Alex had it, huh? Being a hero isn't as easy as it looks."
At this moment, Tony Stark spoke up, looking at the red wine in his glass with a smirk.
"Look at Alex—when did he ever call himself a hero?"
.....
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