567. The Threat That’s Closer Than Ever!

"The Mother Box... is it the key to everything?"

Old Bruce Wayne slowly stood up, his hands gripping the armrests. He walked to the window and gazed quietly at the night sky, the reflection of his troubled face visible in the glass.

The sky was pitch dark, with thick clouds blocking the moon and stars, creating a suffocating atmosphere over Gotham City, as though a storm was imminent.

But for some reason, the clouds had been swirling for over an hour without a single drop of rain, only the dim sky and the chilly winds serving as a reminder that a storm was on its way.

Staring intently at the night sky, Bruce's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden flash of lightning. It slashed across the heavens, piercing through the dark clouds, momentarily lighting up half of Gotham City.

The blinding light flooded into Bruce Wayne's eyes, making his thoughts blur.

"Bruce!"

"Am I too late? Have I arrived too late?!"

"Alex, he is the key, he is the key to everything!"

"Find him, Bruce!"

"You must find Alex!"

Bruce Wayne closed his eyes briefly, a feeling of unease swelling inside him.

Barry Allen's words still echoed in his ears. He had long wondered what kind of threat the future held—one so severe that it would require actively searching for Alex.

The problem, however, was that Alex had been gone for two years. Bruce didn't have the ability to traverse parallel universes. Aside from hoping that Alex would come to find him, he had no way of locating Alex.

For two years, Bruce Wayne had waited every day for his phone to ring, but at the same time, he was even more curious about what "the key to everything" Barry Allen had mentioned truly meant.

What was the connection between Alex and the Mother Box, or more specifically, what was the relationship between Alex and the forces behind the Mother Box?

And there was another thing—who exactly was this Barry Allen?

After all, five years ago, Bruce Wayne had personally collaborated with two different Barry Allens during their battles. Bruce wouldn't immediately associate the time-traveling Flash with the younger Barry Allen from the Justice Society.

It was entirely possible that this Barry Allen was not the one from his world. Perhaps he came from a different parallel universe, or he could even be the same Barry Allen who had caused the Flashpoint.

So, was the threat posed by the Mother Box and the forces behind it the same as the one Barry Allen had warned about?

Even more troubling was the question of whether this Flash was an enemy or an ally. Did he genuinely need Alex's help, or was he trying to find Alex through his own means?

In the end, this matter was shrouded in mystery.

For two years, this issue had lingered in Batman's mind, nearly driving him insane. He desperately wished for the phone to ring one day.

It wasn't that he needed Alex's help, but rather, he truly wanted to know what was going on. Even if there was a catastrophic crisis threatening the multiverse and he couldn't stop it, at least he wanted to know how he would die.

"What are you thinking about?" Hippolyta walked up to Bruce Wayne, softly asking.

"I'm thinking about the Mother Box. I've searched for and investigated clues about it before, but I've found nothing. So, I speculate that even if humanity had one of the Mother Boxes, after so many years, it's likely lost by now."

"That's possible. After all, your human lifespans are too short. In a hundred years, entire dynasties can change. If the Mother Box was lost during this time, that would be troublesome," Hippolyta said, shaking her head.

"But there's one thing I'm curious about. Since those people know that the Mother Box is on Earth, why didn't they try to seize it earlier or later? Why wait until now to act?" Bruce Wayne suddenly asked.

At this question, Hippolyta stroked her chin and spoke.

"I have my own theories about that. The Mother Box has been quite stable for thousands of years, showing no signs of abnormality. I believe something happened elsewhere that triggered the Mother Box and activated it."

"You just said that the Mother Box on Themyscira was stable, right?" Bruce Wayne turned to look at Hippolyta.

"Yes," Hippolyta nodded.

"Then it wasn't Themyscira's Mother Box that's problematic. The only ones left are the human and Atlantean Mother Boxes," Bruce Wayne squinted his eyes, as if something had clicked.

"But didn't the human Mother Box go missing? I suspect the problem lies with Atlantis. They've always been unreliable. I heard they've even started a civil war," Hippolyta remarked, curling her lip. She turned sharply. "No, I need to find them. They've caused such a huge mess; they need to explain themselves."

"Wait!"

Noticing Hippolyta's movements, Bruce Wayne quickly raised his hand to stop her.

"To learn about Atlantis, it might not be as complicated as you think."

"What do you mean?" Hippolyta turned her head, looking confused at Bruce Wayne.

Bruce Wayne did not immediately answer. Instead, he took out his tablet, tapped a few times, and sent two messages.

"Follow me. I've made the arrangements, and you'll understand my meaning soon enough."

As he spoke, Bruce Wayne raised his foot and started walking toward the Batcave's tunnel.

At first, Hippolyta hesitated. After a moment's doubt, she decided to follow Bruce Wayne's steps. She was confident that this human could not harm her, and she couldn't think of any reason why he would wish her harm.

They entered the elevator, standing at the edge as it descended vertically.

As they looked out over the pitch-black, cold underground world, with its magnificent waterfall entrance and the skeleton of a T-Rex, Hippolyta cast a surprised glance at Bruce Wayne.

When she had arrived here with Tim earlier, Hippolyta had not directly entered the Batcave. She hadn't expected to find such a hidden marvel inside.

"Wait a moment. The person you're looking for will be here shortly." Bruce Wayne sat at the computer and gestured for Hippolyta to find a seat.

Though she was very curious about whom Bruce had sent the messages to, Hippolyta didn't ask further. She simply found a seat and sat down.

However, from the furrow of her brow, it was clear that her mood was growing increasingly anxious.

She didn't have to wait long. About ten minutes later, a golden light suddenly blazed in the dark and silent Batcave.

Hippolyta instinctively stood up, ready for combat. Fortunately, Bruce Wayne stopped her in time.

"Don't get excited, it's one of us."

The air was torn by an Egyptian symbol of life, resembling a cross, but with a circle at the top instead of a head.

Then, a man wearing a golden helmet walked out from the symbol. He floated in mid-air, scanning the room before flying toward Bruce Wayne.

"Kent," Batman greeted him.

"You called me over in a hurry, did something happen?" Kent removed his Fate helmet and, with a curious gaze, looked at Hippolyta. "An Amazon?"

"I'm Hippolyta. You must be the messenger of the God of Order and Scrolls," Hippolyta replied, quickly recognizing him after a brief moment of confusion.

Having frequently interacted with the Greek gods in the past, she was very familiar with the divine aura and quickly identified Doctor Fate.

"Kent Nelson. You can call me Doctor Fate," Kent nodded slightly. His demeanor wasn't cold, but it lacked warmth.

The god Nabu had always looked down on other gods, feeling they were unworthy of their positions. And Hippolyta, not even a half-god, was even less impressive in his eyes.

As for Kent, he had some understanding of Hippolyta. The Amazonian warriors were naturally combative, impulsive, and quick to anger, which made them difficult to approach.

Kent soon turned his attention to Bruce Wayne, eager to understand why this old bat had summoned him in the dead of night.

"What's going on?"

"Didn't you feel it?" Bruce Wayne glanced at the Fate helmet and asked with an implied question.

Doctor Fate chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "My prophetic powers don't always work. You can't expect me to see all possible futures."

After a pause, he continued, "But you've been active lately. The Justice Society is under a lot of pressure from Congress, and even the public is beginning to protest against us."

Without needing to elaborate, it was clear that Bruce Wayne's forceful actions had caused the Suicide Squad's plan to fail. Now, those in power had to resort to underhanded tactics, such as controlling the media and slinging mud.

"If being scolded can keep the world stable, let them yell. I'm not in the mood to deal with them. A threat from beyond the stars is already close at hand," Bruce Wayne said coldly.

At this, Doctor Fate's expression grew serious.

He knew Batman wouldn't joke about such matters. If Batman spoke about it, it meant the situation was already severe enough to threaten at least one city.

"What happened?" Doctor Fate frowned and asked.

"Let Hippolyta explain the details. I need to go pick someone else up," Bruce Wayne waved his hand and walked toward the elevator.

Outside the Batcave, two slender girls, one in black and the other in blue, were rushing toward Wayne Manor in the heavy rain.

What was strange, however, was that the pouring rain seemed to avoid them, as if it had eyes, falling only on the ground around them.

As they moved, the girls' clothes remained completely dry, not a single trace of wetness to be found.

.....

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