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Roger slowly released Superman's hand.
The other members of the Justice League, who had been holding Superman down, also let go. Only Diana's lasso and Jean's hands still remained on Superman, guiding him.
Jean used her psychic powers to help Superman recall his identity, while Diana's Lasso of Truth forced him to confront his memories.
So far, everything was proceeding smoothly.
"Black Superman," a voice greeted.
Batman, who had run over from another area, finally joined the group. He looked at Roger standing among the others and nodded in greeting.
Roger glanced at him and remarked, "Looks like you've had an easy time."
Roger knew exactly why Batman had shown up at this moment, but that didn't stop him from throwing some sarcasm his way. Roger still bore some lingering grudges from past experiences, and in simple terms, he was still sulking.
Batman picked up on the subtle jab in Roger's tone but chose not to respond. Compared to Roger's sarcasm, he was more pleased that Roger and Jean had shown up.
It meant his plans to assemble a team were progressing well.
Of course, just as Roger suspected, Batman had dossiers on everyone, including Roger and Jean. But as long as he didn't disclose this, no one would ever know.
"How's it going?" Batman asked, looking at Superman who was in the process of regaining his memory.
Roger replied, "Shouldn't be an issue now, though over there…"
Roger glanced in the direction of the lab. Moments ago, he had seen Steppenwolf teleport there using Apokoliptian technology. However, since Roger had been focused on restraining Superman, he hadn't been able to respond in time.
Now, heading over might be too late, as Roger noticed a portal had already opened.
"Roger, that guy took one of the boxes and ran," Thor said as he appeared, dragging an African-American scientist wearing glasses behind him.
"Dad!" Cyborg rushed forward to meet the scientist, clearly concerned.
Roger observed the scene and commented, "Well, if he's escaped, he's escaped. This... Mr. Stone, should be able to help us track Steppenwolf."
Though Steppenwolf had managed to flee, the involvement of Thor and Clarice had changed the situation significantly. At least Silas Stone, who should have died in the original timeline, was still alive.
That was already a positive outcome.
Hearing Roger's words, Silas Stone quickly caught on to the situation. He turned to Clarice and asked, "Miss, can you reopen the portal to the lab?"
"Of course."
Although she wasn't entirely sure what Silas intended, Clarice obligingly reopened a portal leading to the spaceship lab.
"Did you leave something behind?" she asked curiously.
"No, but this gentleman reminded me—I do have a way to track the Mother Box. But I need to return to the lab," Silas explained as he rushed into the portal.
Cyborg followed closely behind, clearly concerned for his father despite being unaware of how close he had come to losing him.
Roger, of course, knew where the Mother Box was—inside Chernobyl, or its equivalent in this world. The location was steeped in radiation, which made it an ideal hideout for Steppenwolf.
But since Silas had a way to track the box, Roger refrained from revealing the information prematurely.
Between Steppenwolf acquiring the Mother Box and initiating its unification, there was still plenty of time. In fact, in the original timeline, Batman and the others had even managed to make preparations before confronting him.
Now, with everyone relatively unscathed, there was even more time to plan. Roger felt no urgency.
While Cyborg and Silas investigated the Mother Box's location, Clarice glanced around at the group. Sensing that the atmosphere was no longer welcoming, she pointed toward the lab and said, "Maybe I should go too... someone should be there to open the door for them."
Without waiting for a response, she shrugged and disappeared through the portal, closing it behind her.
Thor, who had been observing, turned to Roger and asked, "So, we're done here?"
"For now, yes," Roger replied.
The scene grew momentarily quiet after Roger's response. After a while, Batman broke the silence.
"Aren't you going to introduce them?"
Batman's gaze hadn't strayed from the hammer in Thor's hand. He was clearly curious about both Thor and Clarice, who had appeared alongside him earlier.
Roger immediately understood Batman's intentions: to evaluate the two newcomers for potential threats and vulnerabilities.
Having grown accustomed to Batman's paranoia, Roger didn't bother with his usual sarcasm and instead provided a straightforward explanation.
"He's Thor, the God of Thunder from our world. Of course, your world doesn't have him."
"God of Thunder?" Diana arched an eyebrow, her expression unreadable.
Thor noticed the skepticism in her tone and asked, "I am the God of Thunder. Actually... I might even be the King of the Gods now. Do you have a problem with that?"
"No problem," Diana replied. "I'm just curious about how you compare to the gods in our world."
"Your world has gods?" Thor perked up. "Greek gods, right? I've heard of them!"
"Of course," Diana confirmed.
"Ever heard of Kratos?"
"Who?"
"Kratos! The God of War!"
"...Our God of War is Ares," Diana replied, confused.
Thor's excitement left her puzzled, and she began to wonder if there were subtle differences between their world's mythologies.
Roger, overhearing the conversation, rolled his eyes and interjected, "Don't listen to him. He's talking about a video game character. Thor, for the love of everything, do some research! Kratos isn't real!"
While the group discussed mythology, Batman's expression, hidden behind his mask, grew increasingly complex.
Forget mythology—Batman was more concerned with the fact that Roger had brought a god from another world into theirs.
"You brought one of your gods here?" Batman asked, incredulous.
"Why is that surprising? If you wanted, I could bring gods from other mythologies too. But the focus right now isn't that—it's—"
"It's done."
Roger's words were cut off by Jean, who had been working to restore Superman's memories.
Everyone's attention immediately shifted back to Superman.
"Is he... alright now?" Batman asked.
"More or less," Jean replied. "Thanks to Diana's lasso, my job was much easier. Otherwise, I don't think I could have held him—his mental strength is off the charts."
"Is it over now?" Aquaman asked, looking at the dazed, kneeling Superman.
Roger exhaled deeply. "Seems like it. For now... let's leave Superman to her."
Roger gestured behind him, where Superman's girlfriend, Lois Lane, had appeared unnoticed. Her eyes scanned the group before locking onto Superman, and she ran toward him without hesitation.
...
...
Leaving Superman in Lois Lane's care, the group reconvened in Batman's Batcave, including those who had gone to the lab earlier.
Though the lab's equipment had sustained damage, Silas had been unable to locate the Mother Box as planned. Fortunately, Cyborg had accompanied him, and with his ability to connect to networks, they quickly pinpointed its location—in a remote area of Russia.
The plan was simple: find Steppenwolf, defeat him, and separate the Mother Boxes to end the crisis.
Before that, however, they needed rest and preparation.
"Why do you look so unconcerned?" Diana asked Roger, who was lounging in a chair with a cup of iced cola.
Roger glanced at her and replied, "Because I'm not concerned. Steppenwolf is manageable. The real threat is the guy behind him—Darkseid."
This prompted a more serious tone from Diana. "Do you think Darkseid will come?"
"He will," Roger answered. "But not now. For now, we only need to deal with Steppenwolf. Darkseid… he won't arrive for a while."
Roger wasn't sure when exactly Darkseid would appear, but he was confident it wouldn't be anytime soon.
"Is this related to your knowledge of the future?" Batman asked, joining the conversation.
Diana tilted her head in confusion. "The future?"
"He saw a future—a version of our world where Darkseid brings about the apocalypse," Batman explained.
"Is that true?" Diana turned to Roger.
"Yes, but ever since I arrived, this world has deviated from that future. You don't have to worry... probably."
Roger had been certain that with his presence, the apocalyptic future wouldn't come to pass. But on second thought, he decided not to be too absolute. Complacency could be dangerous.
"And besides, I've brought backup," Roger said, gesturing toward his team.
Thor, engrossed in a video game. Jean, scrolling through her phone. Clarice, curiously observing her surroundings.
Roger coughed awkwardly. "Well, at least they're strong."
Despite the lighthearted tone, Roger knew the team was capable. But for now, Steppenwolf was their priority. Darkseid could wait.
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