Bruce glanced down at the two figures lying nearby: Solomon Grundy and the Swamp Thing.
One was an immortal juggernaut, and the other was a living embodiment of nature's flora.
Even with Bruce's current abilities, there was no way to permanently eliminate them.
Which meant another approach was necessary.
Bruce's solution was to bring them out of the DCEU universe and into Earth -11.
"For you two, this world might just be paradise," Bruce remarked.
The Gray, representing decay and fungi, and the Green, symbolizing plants, would find new purpose in this desolate world.
Here, where nothing lived, they could start anew.
Both Grundy and the Swamp Thing were unkillable. Over time, perhaps a century, Earth -11 might begin to flourish again.
In a few millennia, it might even give rise to new animal life.
Destruction could pave the way for rebirth.
To Bruce, this was the best outcome he could imagine for them.
"Mother Box, come to me."
With a flick of his wrist, Bruce cast the summoning spell.
This time, it worked. The Mother Box flew from the Swamp Thing's grasp into Bruce's hand.
Even the Merciless's formidable mind-control couldn't traverse between worlds.
When the two beings awoke, a new life would await them.
Clutching the Mother Box, Bruce departed the ruined world.
The red lightning of the Speed Force streaked across Earth -11's barren wasteland.
Before long, Bruce reached this world's version of Themyscira.
The Amazonian homeland—where Diana's soul rested.
At the edge of a cliff stood a solitary tower, a memorial built by the Merciless to house Diana's remains.
Bruce hadn't known about this place before.
But by putting himself in the Merciless's shoes, he realized there was only one place Diana's body could be.
She would be laid to rest in her homeland, where she could always see the stars she once cherished.
That's how Batman thought: empathetically, even toward his enemies.
With the Mother Box in hand, Bruce easily pushed open the tower's barrier and entered.
A dark corridor stretched before him, leading to a central stone chamber.
At the heart of the chamber was a large sarcophagus, engraved with the familiar WW insignia of Wonder Woman.
"Pardon the intrusion," Bruce muttered, maintaining his respect for the dead.
He pushed the lid open.
There lay Diana, her face serene.
The Merciless had left this world long ago, but Diana's body showed no signs of decay.
Perhaps it was her divine heritage—or maybe, her unresolved regrets.
In keeping with Amazonian tradition, two coins were placed over her closed eyes, a payment for the ferryman to carry her soul across the river to the afterlife.
Clearly, this was the Merciless's doing.
Bruce wasn't sure if Diana's soul had crossed over, but now was not the time for rest.
"So, even in death, the Merciless is a walking contradiction," Bruce mused.
The sarcophagus was filled with mementos.
Some items were surprisingly personal—including a small, arrow-shaped stone.
Bruce recognized it immediately. It was something he had picked up as a child, a symbol of his courage that he once considered his most precious possession.
For the Merciless to bury this alongside Diana's body meant that in laying her to rest, he had also buried a part of himself.
Bruce left the other items untouched, but he pocketed the arrowhead.
It was time to get to work.
Holding the Mother Box in both hands, Bruce recalled Kathoom's instructions.
This device operated on brute force: channel immense energy into it, and miracles would follow.
For Bruce, this was a simple task.
He extended his hand, and moments later, Mjolnir flew from Grundy's chest and landed firmly in his grip.
Bruce set the Mother Box beside the sarcophagus and raised the hammer high.
Even in a ruined world, lightning would always exist.
A crackling bolt struck the hammer, and Bruce redirected the surge into the Mother Box.
"Revive her! My..."
Bruce caught himself mid-sentence and corrected quickly.
"...the Merciless's beloved!"
Boom!
The hammer slammed into the Mother Box, sending a resonating hum through the chamber.
The surface of the box twisted violently, glowing with an otherworldly light.
A beam of energy shot forth, striking the nearest form of life.
Not Bruce.
Diana.
The light faded, leaving the chamber in silence.
Bruce swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on the sarcophagus.
What could the Mother Box achieve? The answer would come soon enough.
Clink.
A faint sound broke the silence, like an object shifting within the sarcophagus.
Then came a soft groan.
"Hmm..."
It was Diana's voice.
Bruce watched as her once-still form sat bolt upright.
"Ugh..."
She rubbed her temple, the coins on her eyes tumbling off and clinking against the other grave goods.
Still groggy, Diana seemed disoriented. Bruce decided to help her come to her senses.
"Dian—"
Before he could finish, Diana shuddered violently.
Her eyes snapped to Bruce, filled with confusion and hostility.
Bruce forced a warm smile, trying to appear non-threatening.
But before he could speak again, Diana's body flickered—and in an instant, she was standing before him.
Even in death, she had been dressed in Amazonian armor, a warrior to the end.
Boom!
Diana's fist rocketed toward Bruce's abdomen.
But he was prepared. A swarm of bats materialized behind him, intercepting the blow and merging to form the Hellbat Armor around his body.
"Wait—" Bruce began.
But Diana wasn't listening. Her combat instincts were on high alert, her movements aggressive.
It seemed this was a self-defense mechanism triggered upon resurrection—hyper-reactive to any perceived threat.
Bruce needed to calm her down.
He deployed his secret weapon: a lasso designed to emulate Diana's own.
"Diana of Themyscira! The last Amazon of this world!"
He shouted, aiming to jolt her memory.
But Diana wasn't having it. With a sharp twist of her wrists, she tore free from the lasso, nearly sending Bruce sprawling.
The Hellbat Armor granted Bruce superhuman strength, but it was nothing compared to Diana's might.
Even bound by the lasso, she had shaken him off as though it were nothing.
"Has this never worked?" Bruce thought grimly.
"Was she just humoring me all those times I tied her up?"
Now wasn't the time for introspection.
Diana flung the lasso aside and lunged at Bruce, seizing him by the throat and lifting him off the ground.
"You won't let me live," she snarled through gritted teeth, "and you won't let me die!"
Though suspended in the air, Bruce didn't panic. The Hellbat Armor allowed him to breathe underwater—this was nothing compared to that.
"Wasn't me who killed you," he said calmly.
The mask of the Hellbat Armor retracted, revealing Bruce's youthful face.
"Look at me. Your Bruce—he's aged by now. Does he still look this good?"
Diana narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing him closely.
It was true. The man before her resembled Bruce Wayne, but his features were younger, more vibrant.
The difference was undeniable.
"You—"
Diana tilted her head, her expression strained as she tried to piece together her situation.
Her tightly clenched hand relaxed, releasing Bruce from her grip.
He fell to the ground but landed gracefully, his feet steady.
Diana remained lost in thought, fragments of her memories gradually resurfacing.
Who am I? Where did I come from? How did I die?
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, her heavy breathing slowed, and the haze in her eyes cleared.
"I am Diana Prince... Wonder Woman," she declared. "I remember now—I'm dead."
"Yes," Bruce confirmed with a nod. "But I brought you back to life."
"Wait, what?"
Diana's brow furrowed at the strange phrasing. Bruce's casual tone felt oddly jarring.
She thought for a moment before realizing what he meant. "You... resurrected me?"
"Exactly," Bruce said, holding up the Mother Box. "With this."
"The Mother Box?"
Diana immediately recognized the object in Bruce's hands—it was one of Darkseid's infamous tools.
There had once been a Mother Box on Themyscira, though it had been lost to history after a series of cataclysmic events.
The sight of the artifact in Bruce's possession raised a flood of questions in Diana's mind.
But there was something more urgent to address.
"Who are you?" Diana asked, her expression sharp with suspicion. "Why... do you look so much like him?"
She couldn't help but wonder if this young man was some illegitimate child of the Merciless, born after her death.
"I'm Bruce Wayne," he said simply.
Having seen how far Diana's imagination could run, Bruce cut off any potential misunderstandings by explaining the situation in detail.
He told her of the Merciless invading his world, abducting his Diana, and how he had been forced to take desperate measures.
"So, you plan to use the Mother Box to defeat the Merciless?" Diana shook her head. "I suggest you abandon that idea. The Mother Box's power is far beyond what you can control."
"It's too late for that," Bruce replied. "I've already used it—to bring you back."
"That's different," Diana said with a dismissive wave. "I can handle the power."
She glanced at her palm, clenching and unclenching her fist as she assessed the changes within her body.
"It seems the Mother Box has altered me," she admitted. "But I don't yet know the full extent of its effects."
"Good," Bruce said with a nod. "Hopefully, it's a power strong enough to defeat the Merciless."
"With or without this new power," Diana said softly, "I will defeat him. Saving him from his own mistakes is my responsibility."
Diana's gaze drifted to Bruce's hand, specifically the ring on his finger—a clear engagement ring.
Throughout his explanation, Bruce had mentioned spending time with another Diana in his world.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Are you engaged?" she asked, her tone uncertain. "To whom?"
"To Diana," Bruce answered without hesitation.
Diana nodded, though her expression grew pensive. Bruce's reply stirred a thought.
"So, it seems that in every universe, Diana and Bruce are destined to be together," she mused. "I hope the others don't meet the same tragic end I did."
"They won't," Bruce said firmly. "I'll never become the Merciless."
"Let's hope that's true," Diana replied.
Having learned all she needed, Diana wasted no time. She returned to the sarcophagus, rummaging through its contents to retrieve her old equipment.
The Lasso of Truth, the Sword of Hephaestus, the Amazonian Shield...
The Merciless had buried all these alongside her as grave goods.
Diana sighed. "How considerate of him. Everything is here—except the one thing that mattered most."
"What's that?"
"Himself," she said grimly.
"Let's go!" Diana said, fully equipped and ready. "Take me to your world. This time, we'll stop the Merciless for good!"
"So soon?" Bruce hesitated, glancing at the Mother Box. He still wanted to study it further, to see if it could grant him any new powers.
But Diana wouldn't hear of it.
"Forget that box," she said, her tone firm with experience. "It's not a toy for kids to play with."
Her words carried the weight of someone who had seen enough Batmen meddle in forces they didn't fully understand.
Bruce felt slightly annoyed by her confidence. "You make it sound like I'm nothing but trouble."
"Trust me, Bruce," Diana said, her gaze unwavering. "If you wanted a miracle from the Mother Box, I am that miracle."
Bruce mulled it over and ultimately agreed. She was right—the risk of further experimentation wasn't worth it. His primary objective had already been achieved.
---
Together, Bruce and Diana entered the Speed Force.
They became a streak of red lightning, tearing through the fabric of reality and opening a new portal.
Leaping through, they emerged back into the DCEU universe.
Bruce had left Solomon Grundy and the Swamp Thing behind on Earth -11, tasked with bringing life back to that desolate world.
As Bruce looked around, he realized time had passed differently here.
Though it felt like only moments to him, several days had gone by in this universe.
The world had changed drastically.
Bruce glanced upward and spotted a small black dot on the horizon.
With his enhanced vision, he saw it for what it was—a floating island.
"That's the Merciless's work," Diana said, her voice calm but resolute. "He loves using displays like that to instill fear and demonstrate his power.
"If I had to guess, your fiancée is being held there.
"And the Merciless is waiting for you."
Bruce nodded, determination burning in his eyes.
"Then there's nothing left to say," he declared. "This time, I won't run. I'll face him head-on!"
His resolve was unshakable.
Bruce, now clad in the Hellbat Armor, soared to the floating island.
---
Two massive crosses loomed at its center, though he couldn't make out who was bound to them.
"Bruce," came the voice of the Merciless, smooth and taunting.
The armored figure sat upon his throne between the crosses, his posture casual, his expression imperious.
"I knew you'd come.
"If you'd ignored a provocation like this, you'd have no right to call yourself Batman. But you're here—just as I expected."
The Merciless smiled coldly. "Let this sky fortress be a memory you'll never forget."
With a wave of his hand, the covers draped over the crosses fell away.
Bruce's eyes betrayed no surprise.
Diana and Kathoom.
Both were unconscious, bound to the crosses.
"I'll give you a choice—just one," the Merciless said. "You may take one of them with you. The other stays here."
"I choose neither," Bruce replied without hesitation.
"I'll save them both."
The Merciless chuckled darkly. "We'll see about that."
He snapped his fingers, and a red-caped figure descended from the sky, hovering ominously between the crosses.
Cold eyes, devoid of emotion, stared at Bruce.
Bruce's lips tightened into a grim line.
"I figured you'd show up," he muttered. "But I had hoped you'd at least put up a fight."
He sighed, addressing the mind-controlled Superman directly.
"So, it's just like always. You're the first to fall to mind control, aren't you?"
Though he despised fighting Superman, Bruce was ready.
This time, he had come prepared.