"I can't pay you the deposit right now because obviously, the bank isn't open."
Fresh air with a chill flows into the room from outside, the curtains gently sway, and the clutter on the ground appears less conspicuous under the moonlight.
"No problem, considering Diana's favor, you can owe it for now." Deathstroke flicked ash onto the ground and spoke directly: "In light of not having a platform, we're bringing you along for the action this time. Whether or not you take part doesn't matter; it's all for show."
"I ran for mayor once and was elected, but it's clear I didn't do very well."
Oliver understood, but if you're in action, how could you just stand back and watch....
Deathstroke gestured for Bo Bo and Diana to come closer, continuing his questioning: "How much do you know about the clash with the Destruction Legion?"
"Before the satellite was destroyed, I was aware of almost all the intelligence the Justice League knew," Oliver calmly replied, indicating there was no need to waste time.
"That's helpful." Bo Bo clapped his paws: "You just need to know Luthor has released the Laughing Bat, and that scoundrel has done something unknown in the Dark Multiverse and is now back."
"Additionally, I previously caught Black Manta, which I believe might affect the cohesion of the Destruction Legion," Deathstroke added.
Losing a subordinate is nothing to Luthor, yet Joker and Luthor are fundamentally not on the same side; a twist is a good opportunity for Joker.
Right now, there's hope Joker takes a dozen stabs at Luthor or shoots him with a machine gun. But that's merely a thought, as Joker doing that is extremely unlikely since there's no fun in it.
Unfortunately, everyone has lost their intelligence methods, and Deathstroke could not verify the speculation of Joker's potential betrayal.
Oliver stroked his beard, silently contemplating.
"So, you mean Joker might be acting independently now?"
"That's what I think, but currently, it cannot be confirmed." Deathstroke and Gorilla were both smoking, and for a moment, the odor in the room was somewhat masked: "However, Joker would only target Batman and the Mad Laugh; we and Luthor are simply not on his radar."
"But Mad Laugh will target all of us, including Luthor," Green Arrow paused for a moment before voicing his opinion.
Diana stood by with her arms crossed, watching Deathstroke daze off. The team now included Deathstroke, Bo Bo, and Green Arrow, almost all smart individuals.
Though she considers herself smarter than Arthur Eagle Woman, she's of average level in the Justice League, so here she just needs to follow the plan.
Fortunately, Deathstroke explains his plan, at least better than Batman.
Green Arrow seemed to understand something and nodded in acknowledgment: "So our primary adversary is Mad Laugh, followed by Luthor, and to regain importance, we must avoid contact with Batman."
"Exactly," Deathstroke grinned and nodded, pleased that Green Arrow was up to speed: "Now, you can probably guess what we intend as the first step?"
"First, find a secure location, a site not on Earth. Then, restore intelligence and communication methods, followed by planning," Green Arrow said, voicing the exact thoughts Deathstroke wanted to hear.
"The safe house is ready; it's just the restoration of monitoring and communication. If I'm not mistaken, you should have a method," Bo Bo remarked, with the smoke hanging between them like squatting on a field ridge.
Oliver stood up, pressed several buttons in the coatroom, and revealed a pile of equipment as the wall flipped open.
In addition to spare uniforms and bows and arrows, he had grenades, C4, and even various firearms and ammunition.
He gestured for the group to help themselves.
With Lantern Ring and magic assistance, Deathstroke no longer needed equipment much, only picking up a few glow sticks without taking anything else.
Diana could handle firearms very well, gifted at judging trajectories, but she preferred hand-to-hand combat. Thus, she shook her head and declined Green Arrow's offer.
Bo Bo took a revolver; if there's a hot weapon, he preferred not to use a sword, though he had issues with marksmanship—it was just for self-defense.
Oliver busied himself, packing all sorts of gear onto his belt and hanging them on his body, eventually taking four quivers, appearing ready for a world war.
After folding the bow, he took out face paint and created green camo marks.
"Yes, I have a way, follow me."
......................
"Kendra! John! Buy me some time!"
Ron shouted loudly in the Mind Network, unsure of how far his voice could travel in this world full of N Metal, but his teammates indeed held off Xiara's winged pursuers.
Despite the significant difference in numbers and strength, with the proper use of terrain, the two of them could hold out until Ron returned to the battlefield.
They flew into the inverted pyramid structure they had seen from the terrace earlier, where on one end of that peculiar building, there was a hidden round entrance like a skylight.
At night, Ron let John go dance with the long-winged beauties, while he and Kendra stole a piece of critical intelligence.
The Mars Guardian was not dead; she was imprisoned by Xiara in a secret location.
Ron was not good at stealth, and naturally, their thievery was discovered. Xiara tore off her disguise, and her forces chased them in circles.
Fortunately, Ron had the ability to transform, and the Green Lantern Ring provided camouflage to blend into the local society, while Hawk Woman already resembled a native.
Hiding and fleeing in the city was not a sustainable plan, so they boldly assaulted the Royal Palace, seizing intelligence and identifying the Guardian's holding location.
They headed straight there, with Ron entering the prison to communicate with the Guardian, while the other two defended the only entrance.
Ron flew downward, landing on the ground in the darkness, but in the Mind Network, a voice kept urging him to leave. Yet, he didn't want to listen; he was tired of mysteries and was determined to know the truth.
Why did the Giant Statue of the Origin Wall call him an abomination, and why did everything seem connected to various forces in the Cosmos?
Upon landing, he saw a White Martian, locked alone in the hall of the building.
A sturdy chair made of N Metal restrained her, and on her head was a special device with Sena Gang's style. Ron hurried over, trying to break the N Metal, but even his strength couldn't budge the chair.
"Madam, what have they done to you?" he asked somewhat urgently, their mental exchange swift.
"I've been urging you to leave, yet you came. But since it's like this, if I am to die today, I am glad to have a fellow Martian witness it."
The Guardian lay weakly in the chair, her head always hung low, yet her voice clearly transmitted into Ron's mind.
Ron crouched down, red eyes staring at the pale, withered face: "I've seen the Totality, seen the Giant Statue of the Origin Wall, but nothing is right. Our universe hides a dark secret, and I want to know the truth!"
"The truth... there is no truth. Even what you see in Sena Gang is not the truth..." The Guardian's voice spoke again, startling Ron: "Not long ago, Sena Gang belonged to a dictator, Onima Xin, who, with his giant Sea Star ally, controlled the entire planet through telepathy."
Ron remembered Can Luo; during the Omega Four Gods' invasion of the Cosmos, Conqueror Starro faced one of the Giant Gods and was torn to pieces. Batman picked up a piece and kept it in a jar, becoming today's Can Luo.
After Onima lost his ally, the mood of the once mind-controlled inhabitants was understandably not good.
Ron had thought the uprising didn't damage Sena Gang much, but from the Guardian's words, it was clear that wasn't the case.
The Guardian slowly lifted her head with great effort: "Yes, just as you think, the civil war between Xiara and Onima nearly turned Sena Gang into ruins. Everything you see is fake."
"How could it be?" Ron showed an expression of disbelief.
"The device on my head, this golden ring, is called the Absorption Device. It records all of Sena Gang's history, landscapes, architecture, customs, and even every person. It has always been one of Sena Gang's most powerful Divine Artifacts, maintaining its position in the Cosmos today."
The Guardian answered accordingly, while Ron silently awaited the rest, sensing her weakness, possibly these were her last words.
"After the Origin Wall cracked, the power of N Metal significantly grew. Now, the Absorption Device can convert its records into reality through psychic superpower, which is why I was captured and held here."
Ron's expression trembled: "Could it be..."
"Yes, everything outside is fake: the buildings and cities should be ruins and wastelands; the forces chasing you are actually revived undead; everything on this planet is the 'truth' recalled by this instrument." The Guardian quickly responded, confirming Ron's suspicion.
Ron frowned as he stood up and shook his head: "Why would they do such a thing?"
"If Sena Gang appeared weak, many would target this vast treasure, and its secrets would be lost. There is a darkest truth, hidden in unknown history, a truth that must be kept from everyone in the Cosmos."
"What is it?"
"What you see is not the first lie; in some ways, before our Multiverse, another Multiverse existed, now hidden beneath our 'reality', and its creator... is returning."
The Mars Guardian narrated this record with a calm tone, but Ron could sense her emotions were filled with fear. Even knowing she was near death, that creator still brought her fear beyond death.
Taking a deep breath, Ron placed his green hand on the white hand, feeling its tremble.
"Who is it?"