Chapter 42: Refusal
Superman was the first to step forward, his blue eyes filled with genuine concern as he scanned Luka's still bloodstained battle suit.
"I'll take you to the Fortress of Solitude for treatment in the medical pod. The advanced technology there will help you recover much faster."
"Ah? It's just a minor injury. No need to trouble yourself," Luka said, waving his hand dismissively.
Superman didn't press the matter, but a solemn expectation flickered in his eyes as he abruptly shifted the conversation in an unexpected direction.
"Then would you consider joining the Justice League?"
"Whoa!"
Shazam immediately reacted, throwing an arm around Luka's shoulder as if he had been anticipating this moment all along.
"That's an awesome idea, seriously! And you're definitely brave enough for it, buddy."
Diana also walked over slowly, with her sword and shield already stowed away. Only a hint of remorse and gentleness remained in her expression.
She looked Luka in the eyes and said softly, "I was too harsh on you before. I realize now that given your upbringing and the circumstances you faced, you had no real choice."
Flash's face remained pale. He had initially been the most skeptical of the Justice League's files on Luka.
But when he saw the divine realm in ruins and Luka standing amidst the carnage, drenched in blood with the corpses of two gods at his feet, he couldn't help but believe most of it.
"I, I've gone over it dozens of times in my head."
Barry's words were still rapid but carried a noticeable hesitation. His eyes occasionally flicked to the still-drying bloodstains on Luka's body before quickly looking away.
"Today, whether it was your courage, sense of responsibility, or quick thinking on the spot, it was all very unexpected… But in the future, when dealing with criminals, it's best if we focus on apprehending them… On a personal note, I welcome you."
By the end, his voice grew increasingly faint, and he forced a calm wave of his hand.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not scared. It's just my metabolism is too fast. I need to fidget to feel comfortable."
Green Lantern remained silent, only glancing down at his ring.
"I swear I'll be taking cosmic assignments way more often from now on."
Everyone's eyes fell on Luka, filled with expectation, friendliness, and curiosity. But Luka looked toward the black figure standing at the edge of the cliff.
Batman's black cape billowed in the mountain wind. The tactical display on his left forearm glowed with an eerie blue light, dense data rapidly scrolling across the screen. His right fingertips tapped with precision and speed, as if everything around him was irrelevant.
"Batman, aren't you going to say something?" Shazam called out toward Batman's back.
"This is a major invitation moment! Don't just keep staring at your data!"
Batman paused, then slowly turned around.
From beneath the cowl, his eyes swept past the others and locked directly onto Luka. His voice was low and raspy, and what he said had nothing to do with anyone's expectations.
"That ring should still have about eight seconds left."
Luka stiffened slightly, gently shrugged off Shazam's hand from his shoulder, and took two steps back. His gaze swept over the Justice League members before him, and he shrugged.
"Thank you all for the warm invitation, but I can't join. I told you before, I'm not suited to being a hero."
With those words, he didn't linger any longer. His feet lifted slightly off the ground, and his figure instantly transformed into a black blur, speeding off into the distance and soon disappearing beyond the horizon.
The mountain wind continued to howl, leaving the assembled heroes exchanging bewildered glances. Only Batman slowly withdrew his gaze, refocusing his attention on the tactical display screen. The rhythmic tapping of his fingertips resumed.
...
Back to before they departed.
On the bridge of the Watchtower, Batman quietly observed Luka. His usually taut lips suddenly curled into a cold, distant smile, as if he had finally seen through everything.
"Ever since you came into contact with that magic-using girl, your outward emotional expressions have become noticeably younger."
"And you've finally shown some of the impatience a young person should have. You're somewhat eager to gain further trust."
Luka's gaze turned complicated, confusion written all over his face.
"You..."
"There's no need to keep pretending."
Batman cut him off without hesitation.
"From the moment you set foot on Earth, I've been constantly refining your psychological profile."
"You've always been 'sincere,' meticulously peeling back the layers of your bloody past, categorizing and displaying each piece to different people. You've also honestly declared that you feel no remorse."
"But this has only dispelled the doubts of those who meet you even faster. They're too kind, filling in the gaps with their own assumptions about the severity of your past traumas, and offering you even more sympathy and trust born of their own imagination."
"But you've always overlooked one person. The one who rescued you from space that night."
Luka's expression finally showed a hint of unexpected stiffness.
Batman continued calmly, "His power surpasses the limits of your imagination. From the instant you drifted near the solar system, frozen and unconscious, you were already within his perception."
"That night, he also told me that the first emotion you showed upon awakening and seeing Earth was indeed surprise, but the second was a greedy malice."
Luka's face finally changed visibly, his pupils contracting sharply.
The black-suited Superman's power had indeed far exceeded his expectations.
"Until you discovered him too, realized he was incomparably powerful, and from then on, you completely changed."
"Humble, gentle, polite, you treated everyone with utmost sincerity."
Batman's words began to speed up.
"You may despise Viltrum's culture and spirit, but you've always guided your actions by the survival principles you learned there. The person who saved you has become a new 'standard'."
"You once adapted to Viltrum's rules and excelled. Now, you're flawlessly executing a plan to live within the 'rules' of an absolute powerhouse with a clear stance on justice."
"Your mind has long been fractured. Unfortunately for you, you've stumbled into my area of expertise."
Luka rubbed his temples and sighed deeply, finally dropping all pretense.
"Alright, Mr. Batman, since you've seen through me, I assume you have a contingency plan for my solo mission to the god realm to rescue Ms. Prince? At least something to prevent me from ending up in a hopeless situation."
Batman raised his hand and tossed a black ring box toward Luka.
Luka instinctively caught it, his mind reeling with surprise.
Batman should know that the significance of him obtaining a Lantern Ring was vastly different from an ordinary person acquiring one.
Sensing his confusion, Batman offered a terse explanation.
"This isn't the Yellow Lantern Ring you obtained that night. It's an old one I acquired in the past. Originally, the energy inside could sustain a Yellow Lantern in battle for at least three minutes. But since you already possess a fully charged new ring, I had the leeway to research and dismantle it. Now, the residual energy within will last ten seconds at most."
"This is precisely what I calculated. The maximum emotional energy required for your Viltrumite physiology to recover from near-death to initial healing."
Luka cautiously opened the box and glanced inside. The Yellow Lantern Ring glowed faintly. A sudden realization struck him, and he looked up at Batman.
"Instead of using these ten seconds for healing, why not use the ring to summon the Yellow Lantern Corps to the god realm? We could throw Olympus into chaos, making it easier to rescue Ms. Prince while solving two problems at once. How long have those Green Lantern Corps members been stationed in the solar system anyway?"
A barely noticeable gravity flashed in Batman's eyes before he slowly shook his head.
"Triggering a war between the Yellow Lantern Corps and the Olympian gods would result in countless unnecessary casualties. The Justice League would never approve of such a decision. However, if you find yourself in dire straits in the god realm, you may adapt to the situation as you see fit. That choice would be yours, not the League's."