Broken(DC)

If he thinks I'm one of the arsonists, I can't fathom where he gets such unwavering faith in defeating me. Last time, he gave it his all, but the chasm between us was insurmountable. While there were a few dangerous moments, they were never a threat to me. Perhaps his faith in his allies is that strong.

"You can't defeat me. You'd be better off letting me go. This fight will only bring you pain," I said, not expecting them to agree.

"We'll take the risk. Surrender—it'll be easier for everyone," Green Arrow replied, drawing his bowstring. Heroes—a grandiose title for saviors of the weak and judges of villains. But who am I among them? Once mired in darkness, now striving toward the light? Gazing upon the souls of the bandits I'd slain, I saw the immense pain they'd inflicted on the world with their deeds. Their very existence repulsed it. I had cleansed the world of them. But am I any better? Certainly not. I saw the sins of the hero standing before me. His hands were stained with blood. To his left stood a soldier who had taken many lives. Only the woman was pure of soul.

"How many have you killed?" I asked Green Arrow, staring straight into his eyes.

"Not a single one. Among us, you're the villain, and we'll send you where you belong," he replied, though I noticed his eyelid twitch.

"What about Jackson? He begged you for mercy, yet your hand didn't waver," I said, seeing the sin and guilt weighing on his heart. He recoiled, his mouth opened, stunned by my words. "Your words are hypocritical. For justice's sake, why don't you admit to your own crimes?" I pressed him further.

"I... I didn't want to," Green Arrow muttered, stepping back. His hand could no longer keep the bowstring taut, and the bow lowered. Seeing their leader falter, his companions grew uneasy.

"Camel, Sam... they wanted to live, too," I added.

"I had no choice," he said, clenching his fists, his voice trembling.

"Arrow, are you okay?" the woman standing beside him asked.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," he quickly regained his composure, restoring his confidence. "This is your last chance to surrender."

"No," I replied. Surrendering wasn't an option. All this time, I'd been devising a way to escape with minimal harm to them. The police would be here any moment—I'd made too much noise. My speed far exceeded theirs, but I had to avoid revealing anything beyond human capabilities. I couldn't give them more evidence or leave clues that might lead them to me.

"Black Canary!" Green Arrow shouted, releasing his arrows.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I barely had time to sense the threat before a powerful cry erupted. A wave of sound struck me, and I immediately felt blood trickling from my ears. My clothing was torn to shreds, but my armor held firm. Only the outer fabric was damaged. Disoriented, I caught an arrow shot directly at me. Gunfire erupted, but I paid no attention. Grabbing my last grenade, I pulled the pin and saw the shock on their faces.

"Run," Green Arrow said. I threw the grenade, giving them a chance to escape. But Black Canary struck again—her cry sent the grenade flying back toward me. That's when a plan formed in my mind. As soon as the grenade exploded and flames engulfed me, I began controlling the fire, making it burn more fiercely, while I quietly slipped away. They would think they'd reduced me to ashes, giving me time to vanish, but they'd soon realize I was gone.

Picking up speed, I got as far away as possible, checking multiple times to ensure I wasn't being followed. Once I was certain, I started heading back to my base. But first, I decided to make sure no one from the cartel remained.

POV Green Arrow's

Black Canary used her cry, and it seemed to affect him. He froze, struggling with the pain it caused. I seized the moment and fired arrows, but he caught them—just like that arsonist. My suspicions were confirmed.

The Warden's bullets were completely ignored, as though they were mosquito bites to him. And then I saw the grenade. If he didn't have a flamethrower, that meant all the fires and explosions came from those.

"Run!" I shouted, covering the team and firing several arrows to distract him. But he dodged skillfully and threw the grenade at us.

Black Canary unleashed her cry again, sending the grenade back toward him. The explosion was deafening, and the wave of flames reached us. We had to take cover behind nearby objects. When the fire died down, we emerged, but he was nowhere to be seen—only charred remains and ash.

"Is he dead?" Black Canary asked.

Approaching the epicenter, I saw that everything had turned to ash, but I couldn't say for certain that he was gone. He had heat-resistant armor, and fire barely affected him. Examining the scene, I realized he wasn't there.

"He's gone," I said bitterly. I had let him slip away again. Is this my limit—fighting gangsters but unable to stop someone like him?

"The police are almost here. We need to leave," Warden said.

"Yes. Next time, he won't get away," I replied, though I barely believed it myself. On top of that, an old acquaintance had appeared in the city. It's a good thing he escaped. If we had to face them both, we wouldn't even stand a chance. I know his abilities all too well.

POV Brian Forman

Several hours had passed. I meticulously checked every address to ensure the mafia was no more. Only after confirming that everything was clean could I finally relax. That part of my life was now truly over.

Opening the internet, I scrolled through the news feeds and saw headlines like: "The FBI Against Medicine for Citizens," "The Government Neglects the Nation's Health," and "Honest Businesses on the Brink in America?"

Various channels were covering this story, and all the news centered on the same subject—the FBI. Interviews were being conducted with people who said my campaign had saved their lives. Judging by the public reaction, the people were on our side.

Goodman, as always, was doing an excellent job. He had bailed me out many times, and I couldn't leave him without support. During a conversation with him, I could hear the exhaustion in his voice. It seemed things weren't going smoothly in his life. We'd need to talk later.

After changing into clean clothes, I headed to my parked car and drove back to the skyscraper. The federal authorities were now preoccupied with justifying themselves. Public opinion matters greatly, and how people perceive you can influence everything—for better or worse.

Deciding to wrap up my work for the day, I wanted to talk to Lex Luthor. He'd been insistent about something he wanted from me, and we still hadn't discussed certain events, though he hadn't mentioned seeing or knowing anything about me.

Reaching the lab on the fifth floor, I found him carefully observing some experiments in a special room. He heard me enter and turned around.

"Brian, watching our work here, my heart is filled with hope for humanity's future," Luthor said, turning his full attention to me. "And only you and I can make that future even brighter. I trust you've handled the morning's unpleasant situation, judging by the news headlines."

"It won't happen again," I replied.

"That's excellent. Still, I took the liberty of warning a few people not to interfere with our cooperation. I have faith in your abilities, but I can't leave you to face everything alone," Lex said.

"So, what did you want to discuss?" I asked, sitting across from him. It felt more like I'd stepped into his office than the other way around.

"The future, my boy, the future. I saw what you're capable of in Metropolis. While everyone else watched in horror as the events unfolded and the aliens took whatever they wanted, you stood up. Alone. You weren't afraid to fight, even after being wounded. You kept battling for Earth. Events like that don't go unnoticed. The world saw the invaders and trembled before them, myself included. Beings like Superman could destroy Earth at any moment, and we would have no way to stop them. But," he said, fixing a piercing gaze on me.

"But you want more people like me," I interrupted, guessing his intent.

"Not just more. An army capable of defending Earth. There were fewer than a hundred of them, and our planet was nearly destroyed. What happens when there are thousands? Or millions? Then what? Earth will fall, along with all of humanity. The war has begun, and we are losing. Yet there is hope, and that hope is you," Lex said passionately, rising slightly and leaning on his hands.

"What do you want?" I asked, already sensing the nearly manic undertones in his eyes.

"Your secret—how you became like this, and how feasible it is to create an army of metahumans," Lex said.

"Meta?" I asked.

"Yes, humans with special abilities. So, what do you say?" Lex continued.

"I can't reveal it," I replied.

"You're still young, Brian, and perhaps you don't fully realize this yet, but let me tell you something. You are the only one who can make Earth strong, resilient, and safe right now. Don't dismiss this. Think it through carefully," Lex said. While I felt that he genuinely believed his words and his desire seemed sincere, there was something off about him.

"An army like that would need a particular structure, just like any organized force. How could you control superhumans who have their own desires and goals?" I asked.

"That's manageable. It won't be an issue if they have no desires or goals of their own—only one purpose: to serve their country," he said casually. So, he wanted to create an army of mindless soldiers, controlled solely by him, Lex Luthor. I saw the logic in his words, but I held a different perspective.

"I'll have to decline," I said.

"I understand; it's a hard decision to make. Well, I hope this doesn't affect our partnership. Your secret will stay with me. Still, think carefully—next time, we might not be so lucky. I must leave now. See you in Central City at the event," Lex said.

"See you," I replied, and Lex left the room. I now felt that this partnership wasn't as promising as I initially thought. I didn't trust Luthor's ambitions.

I needed to warn Elizabeth to be cautious with him. I still believe that Earth needs protection, and that's what I'll continue to work on. Kryptonians like Superman could easily destroy any army. Although it seems he's the last of his kind, who knows what else might be out there in the vastness of space.

POV Lex Luthor

Sitting in the plane and watching the city fade into the distance, anger burned within me. The boy doesn't think ahead. He sees himself as special, important—as if he's capable of anything. His refusal was disappointing; I thought we shared certain views, but I was wrong. It will be more difficult this way, but I'll get what I want.

"Sara, we're activating the alternative plan," I said to my secretary. If he doesn't want to cooperate, I'll make him come to me and ask for it himself. And there's no better motivator than the desire for revenge.

"Our people have managed to establish some contacts with extraterrestrials living on Earth, and there are mercenaries in space who, for the right resources, are ready to take on a mission," Sara informed me.

"Excellent. Get in touch with them and start searching for the right aliens. The key is to get this done before the expo," I instructed.

"Understood," Sara replied.

I'll have to take this route. I didn't want to, but you left me no choice, Brian. If nothing else works, there are plenty of alternative projects—one of them involves Kryptonian technology. So many secrets lie within their ships. I managed to convince the government to grant me access to them. And as soon as I get my hands on them, everything will change.

If it's not the secret of the gene-human's power, then technology will change the world.

POV Brian Forman

Two weeks had passed since my conversation with Luthor, and I couldn't stop thinking about his words. I can't ignore them. Like anyone, I worry not just for myself but for my family. I can't allow them to be harmed—without them, life has no meaning. Alone, I can't protect the entire planet in time. A team of extraordinary individuals is needed to create a shield capable of halting any threat—not only from aliens but also from beings from other dimensions, like demons.

I'm ready to admit to myself that I can't lead such a team forward. I'm not a leader. That means I must find someone who can be and assemble the right people for the team.

Though Green Arrow is just a human, I see that, despite his past sins, he's changed and is now a true hero. His lack of superhuman abilities isn't an issue—it's simply a matter of enhancing his genome to a superhuman level. I've uncovered a secret: based on my own blood, I've created a formula that can turn an ordinary person into a superhuman. True, they won't be able to destroy cities like Superman, but they'll become significantly stronger. It's too early to say more, but it seems Green Arrow has already used something similar—his strength and speed are already beyond human limits.

The next target is Superman. Finding him isn't a problem. Judging by news reports and circulating information, he has super-hearing, which means he can hear my voice from Metropolis. I hope he contacts me; otherwise, I'll have to look for him at disaster sites or during emergencies.

Two people won't be enough, so my path leads back to Gotham. I've heard of a man in the shadows who's taking on crime there. Like other cities, individuals have started to rise and fight lawlessness. It seems the world changed drastically after Superman fought in Metropolis. Otherwise, it's hard to understand where all these changes came from.

It's as if that event was a trigger for the emergence of these people. But that doesn't matter—the important thing is to start assembling the team. And I'll begin with Gotham. Star City no longer has organized crime, and the main threat now lies in my hometown. I can no longer stand by when I have the power and resources to address this problem.

Today, I'm flying to Central City. Although the expo is still far off, I need to prepare everything for our presentation, including getting acquainted with the local staff. They're about to launch a particle accelerator that will produce clean energy and power the entire city. It's a grand project and a bold endeavor. I believe they have every chance of succeeding.

Already seated on the plane, I casually scrolled through an article by Harrison Wells about his particle accelerator. A man who lost the ability to walk devoted himself entirely to science and is now ready to unveil his greatest creation. Many people are following his project—it signifies a new era in energy and particle research.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A sharp pain pressed against my head. Opening my eyes, I saw a space filled with cascading lightning, chaos, and destruction everywhere. Amidst it all flickered the silhouette of a man in a yellow suit surrounded by red lightning.

The vision disappeared as quickly as it appeared, but an uneasy feeling gripped my heart. Something wasn't right. I felt a powerful change, much greater than the battle in Metropolis. No, it wasn't a life-threatening danger—it was as if the world itself was at a crossroads. I stood at the threshold, unable to walk one path, as if I were simultaneously going everywhere and nowhere. A strange feeling, elusive, like the vision itself.

It seems Elizabeth would be safer staying at home after all. I must see everything for myself and figure out what's really happening there.