BXBX NOVEL Chapter 315: Ch.314 Meeting
Chapter 315: Ch.314 Meeting
He had wanted to retire, to stay home, look after his children, and enjoy some chocolate chip cookies. Yet he found himself drawn back into Earth\'s affairs.
Now, he served as the chairman of the Justice League.
J\'onn understood well that the true brain of the League was always Batman. He was merely a figurehead, a convenient liaison for government interaction.
He had worked with the government before; his telepathic abilities made him adept at communication, and since his identity was public, he gave the politicians a greater sense of security than Batman did.
Yet he did not mind being used by Batman. He had witnessed his own planet\'s destruction, and now, he would not let Earth face the same fate.
Simultaneously, he guided Batman through the underground, helped Diana track down the enemy\'s grimoire, and directed Aquaman to block the enemy\'s escape routes in the dark depths of the ocean.
He was fulfilling his responsibilities, helping the Justice League achieve victory.
The enemy forces were in disarray, retreating, and the heroes had already—
"No."
J\'onn noticed something unusual.
"Uh, J\'onn, there\'s something wrong here," Cyborg reported. They had driven back the ape army but now saw Challenger Mountain shaking violently. Cracks spread across the city\'s roads and buildings.
"The ground is splitting open," Batman observed from the tunnels as sunlight poured in from above.
"Yes, parts of the surface are breaking away from Earth. Large structures and rocks are rising into the air," Hawkgirl reported from the sky, watching entire buildings ascend to her altitude—the stratosphere.
"I scanned the Earth\'s core, but I can\'t find a cause," Superman quickly relayed.
"Magic isn\'t the cause either, J\'onn. We need—" Diana watched a nearby chunk of land, still covered with island vegetation, rise into the sky.
"The whole world! It\'s..." Barry struggled to believe what he was seeing.
J\'onn stood up in the void, his blue cloak billowing without wind. "Calm down, Barry. Focus and recall the situations you\'ve encountered. I\'ll compile and analyze the data."
"..."
"I understand now."
J\'onn\'s eyes flashed as his superbrain analyzed all the possibilities. He turned to face the Moon, which hovered not far away.
"The apes\' goal wasn\'t to magnetize Earth\'s poles but rather to target the Moon. They manipulated Earth\'s magnetic field to pull the metals within the Moon into rotation, creating a sort of mass accelerator, using its reactive force to pull Earth\'s fragments away."
"That\'s insane. They\'re trying to destroy the Earth," Barry immediately grasped the concept and reacted with disbelief.
J\'onn had no time to explain further to Barry and began using his shapeshifting abilities. "We need to destroy the Moon. I\'ll transform into a cosmic dragon, using my massive form to ram into the Moon. Simultaneously, I need you all to detonate the bombs buried inside the Moon."
"What? There are bombs inside the Moon? Why wasn\'t I—" Bruce\'s voice broke in, sounding surprised.
"Bruce," J\'onn said calmly, repeating Batman\'s name, indicating that he saw through everything.
"...All right," Bruce\'s tone returned to its usual low pitch. Indeed, storing a significant amount of explosives inside the Moon had been part of his contingency plan.
As Earth\'s satellite, if the Moon were ever taken over by alien invaders, it could easily become a staging ground for attacks. Burying enough nuclear weapons to destroy the Moon was Batman\'s fail-safe for such scenarios.
Moreover, the Moon housed the Watchtower. If there ever came a day when the Justice League itself became a threat, these bombs would also be part of Batman\'s plan.
Batman was always prepared, and now it seemed the time had come to use those preparations.
"Thank you," J\'onn sent his gratitude through the psychic link to Bruce. He knew he had disrupted one of Batman\'s plans, but Bruce still prioritized the greater good.
J\'onn took on the form of a giant dragon, spreading his wings and flying toward the Moon. His size was so immense that the Moon seemed as small as a bathroom in comparison.
He crashed into the Moon, knocking it off its orbit, and as he did, Batman emerged from the tunnels. With a stoic expression, he pulled a Bat-shaped remote from his belt and pressed the button.
A brilliant light burst forth. Nations experiencing night saw the Moon transform into a fiery red sun for an instant. In a soundless explosion, the Moon shattered into countless pieces of varying sizes, completely disintegrating.
J\'onn intercepted the falling debris in the air, while the fragments of Earth\'s surface that had been pulled skyward began to return to their original places.
Earth was safe, but the Moon was gone.
Emerging onto the surface, Batman began removing his armor. It was heavy and cumbersome, making it hard to breathe underground.
"They\'re retreating. Clark, Arthur, what\'s your status?"
Arthur faced a more complex challenge. He needed to redirect all ocean currents and neutralize the leaked toxic water. "It\'ll take me a bit longer here. I\'m summoning larger marine creatures to help with the effort."
"No, everyone, the crisis isn\'t over. We need to convene in the psychic conference room," J\'onn returned to his human form from the dragon\'s shape, his expression still grave. "Now."
Every member of the Justice League suddenly felt their surroundings shift. No matter where they had been a moment ago, now they found themselves seated in a void of cosmic space, gathered around a large round table.
The table\'s surface displayed the cross-section emblem of the Hall of Justice, glowing a faint blue. On J\'onn\'s homeworld, this symbol represented the closest approximation to the concept of "justice."
Indeed, the Martians had never possessed a word for "justice." With their telepathic links, they had only a minimal written language.
And that telepathic connection had been the root of the Martian race\'s downfall.
"Wow, this place feels so real," Hawkgirl looked around, marveling at the setting.
"Thank you, Kendra. This is actually our first time using this space. The more we use it, the more realistic it will become," J\'onn said calmly.
He knew that during the Metal event, Kendra had not yet regained her memories of past lives, so at that time, she had worked for Vandal Savage and the Immortal Council.
But now she had recalled everything, including the tragic memories of being killed countless times by Savage. She had since defected, bringing part of the Blackhawk Squadron with her. Out of respect for Hawkman, the team had accepted her.
Batman remained wary of her, but her recent actions in battle had demonstrated her reliability and combat prowess.
Barry, unconcerned with the deeper issues, happily draped an arm around J\'onn\'s shoulders. "Hey, buddy, even though I know this is just my consciousness hugging you, I still had to do it. Well done, pal."
"It\'s not time to celebrate yet, Barry." J\'onn\'s gaunt, green skull-like face showed signs of worry. He clasped his hands under his chin, resting his elbows on the table.
Even though this was a space of pure thought, his powerful mind ensured that everything felt as real as possible.
"When I struck the Moon, I sensed... a much greater darkness, hidden within Savage\'s plan." J\'onn spoke quickly, addressing the others. Everyone but Batman looked at him with puzzled expressions.
"Yes, this operation, despite its grand scale, lacked the precision and detail of a well-thought-out plan. It felt rushed," Batman responded, leaning back in his chair to let the shadows obscure his face.