The Justice League strongly discouraged individual heroism. Yet Billy Batson was just a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy—some principles were simply beyond his understanding, no matter how one tried to explain them.
And right now, he was far too excited to listen to reason.
Clark Kent tried several times to intervene, but Billy either snapped at him or physically shoved him aside. The whole scene was absurd enough to leave him speechless.
Clark pressed a hand to his forehead. "What can you even say in a situation like this? Just let it be."
"Lorien, it seems you really know him well."
Gwen blinked and said with a soft laugh.
"Kids are always easily swayed by certain people's words."
As long as you grasp what they care about most—amplify it, twist it—they'll follow your lead without hesitation.
That massive robot was no match for Billy Batson.
"This should be the end of it."
Lorien genuinely wanted to take the girls and leave, but Clark's gaze stayed locked on them, as if he'd make a move the moment they did. If that really happened, it would be unnecessary trouble.
So Lorien and the others could only stand with their arms crossed, quietly observing everything. Maybe once things played out, there'd be no further problems.
The colossal robot lay defeated on the ground, crackling faintly, showing no sign of movement.
Billy was thrilled. He rushed over to Lorien and his group, his face full of excitement.
"Did you see that? Did you see my agile moves and lightning speed? I bet I'm a hit with the girls!"
Lorien looked at Billy, silent for a moment before a faint smile curved his lips.
"Indeed. With what you just showed, you'll definitely be popular with the girls. Even I can't help but be impressed."
Even his boss, Lorien, was impressed? That meant he'd done really well! The thought made Billy beam with pride.
"I suppose there's nothing left for us to do here. Can we leave now?"
Lorien turned to Clark Kent as he spoke.
Clark had been eager to see Lorien in action, but now that the fight was over and there was no opportunity for him to intervene, there was no point in staying. After a moment's hesitation, Clark stepped aside.
With the way clear, Lorien, Gwen, and Wanda left at once.
Because of Clark and Billy, their outing ended much earlier than planned. With no chance to enjoy the day further, they returned to Gotham City.
By the time they arrived, the sky was already dark. But before they could even reach their doorstep, Bruce Wayne's people intercepted them.
"Today is a day off."
That was the first thing Lorien said when he saw Bruce Wayne.
Bruce looked apologetic. "I'm truly sorry. We wouldn't have disturbed you if it weren't absolutely necessary."
Aside from Bruce, several others were present. Lorien's gaze swept over him, briefly pausing on the others before he looked back.
"So," he said evenly, "what exactly is this about?"
"We heard you drew a portrait while you were at the museum."
Bruce spoke as he watched Lorien carefully.
"That's correct. So what's the problem?"
Lorien clasped his hands on his knees, thinking back over what he'd done earlier. He didn't see anything wrong with it.
"How could there not be a problem? This is a big one." Bruce rubbed his temples, clearly frustrated.
Logically, once they had the portrait, finding the subject should have been easy. But not only had they failed, the person's trail had vanished completely.
Gotham City was within Bruce Wayne's sphere of influence. Taken together, nothing about this seemed simple.
"You think something's off about this museum theft?"
After someone handed him a glass of water, Lorien took a slow sip and asked calmly, "You think it's suspicious?"
"Of course it is. It's been suspicious from the very start."
Bruce's tone grew more agitated. "What about this seems normal to you? No one just disappears without a trace. If even I can't find them, it means there's a powerful organization behind this—one that might even rival the Justice League."
"Even if that's true, it has nothing to do with me. So why drag me into it?"
Lorien raised an eyebrow, looking genuinely puzzled.
...
"You met those two thieves face-to-face."
"If that's all it takes for you to call me in, then Billy should be your focus. He not only met them—he fought them. Shouldn't that make him more important to you?"
"It would seem that way," Bruce admitted, "but they won't acknowledge it."
They couldn't deny that they had already questioned Billy Batson. But no matter how grown-up he looked, he was still a twelve-year-old boy. And trying to question Billy was futile—he always managed to derail important discussions with irrelevant tangents, wasting everyone's time.
At this point, even if Lorien didn't want to help, there was no escaping it. He sighed.
"Alright then. What exactly do you want me to do? I can help a little after work, but it absolutely can't interfere with my office hours."
Tomorrow was a workday, and he intended to rest properly tonight.
Lorien's bluntness made Bruce Wayne and the other Justice League members' mouths twitch involuntarily.
It really did feel like a waste, someone like him working as a psychologist or a regular nine-to-five employee.
"Those thieves seem to be able to use magic—to summon monsters and attack people!"