Adrian's look of open contempt was something Talia could never tolerate.
She had always viewed herself as superior to others, the kind of woman who judged and dismissed people long before they could do the same to her. Being looked down upon by Adrian left a wound on her pride that never truly faded.
And Talia was a woman who remembered every slight.
Petty revenge, calculated retaliation, lingering resentment, none of it burdened her conscience.
If Adrian's influence had not expanded so rapidly, if he had not risen all the way to the presidency, she would have stormed into his territory long ago to settle the score personally.
"He's an alien, and Superman is too," Talia said while irritably ruffling Damian's hair. "Do you really think worshipping aliens is normal?"
She looked directly into her son's eyes.
"Remember who you are. You belong to the League of Assassins. Homelander is our enemy, and one day your goal should be surpassing him."
Damian shifted uncomfortably.
Clearly, he disliked the expectation being forced onto him.
"But he is cool," Damian muttered.
"Cool?"
Talia nearly scoffed.
In her eyes, Adrian was nothing more than a tyrannical despot wrapped in charisma and power. The word cool had never once crossed her mind when thinking about him.
If she had to choose, she would sooner call Batman cool, a man who stalked criminals through the night and terrorized Gotham's underworld.
"Listen carefully," Talia continued. "He's dangerous. Anyone who gets close to him eventually gets hurt. Your grandfather suffered greatly because of that bastard."
Damian's attention sharpened immediately.
"Grandfather?"
Curiosity flashed across his face.
"What happened between Grandfather and Homelander?"
"That's why we came to Star City," Talia replied, her tone growing heavier. "Many of your grandfather's plans were destroyed by Adrian. His agents were eliminated, his influence weakened, and even Malcolm Merlyn betrayed him and joined Adrian's side."
Damian slowly nodded.
A thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.
He knew how dangerous Ra's al Ghul was. The idea that even his grandfather could suffer setbacks against Adrian only made Damian more fascinated.
After speaking with him a little longer, Talia ordered him to get some sleep before returning to her own room.
The moment she stepped inside, exhaustion washed over her.
The air felt stifling.
She headed straight for the bathroom.
After removing her clothes, Talia stepped into the spotless white shower room and pulled the curtain closed behind her.
Her high heels rested neatly beside the bath mat as warm water poured down from the showerhead.
The apartment itself was unimpressive, but the bathroom was surprisingly luxurious.
Talia leaned against the wall and exhaled softly.
She had not felt this mentally drained in years.
Too many things had changed in too little time.
Oliver Queen's disappearance.
Malcolm Merlyn's rise.
Palm Lake's transformation.
The terrifying war between the Green Lantern Corps and Adrian's forces in Coast City.
World-ending power had become commonplace, and people like Adrian made even someone like Talia feel insignificant.
The realization unsettled her deeply.
If Damian had not been beside her during these past few days, she suspected the pressure might have finally broken her composure.
Water streamed across her pale skin, sliding down the curves of her body.
Despite becoming a mother years ago, Talia still retained the elegance and beauty of a young woman. Her figure remained graceful and dangerously alluring.
She closed her eyes, allowing the water to soak through her dark hair.
"Eric Kent… Green Lantern Corps…"
She quietly repeated the words to herself.
---
Half an hour later, night had grown even darker.
Wrapped in a towel after her shower, Talia stepped back into the room while drying her hair.
Then she heard something crash outside.
A sharp sound echoed through the hallway.
Talia frowned slightly.
She moved toward the door and glanced outside.
Only darkness greeted her.
Opening the door, she immediately spotted the shattered remains of a vase scattered across the floor.
At the end of the corridor, Damian's bedroom door hung partially open.
A faint light spilled from inside.
Talia's expression changed instantly.
Her footsteps echoed against the old floorboards as she hurried toward the room.
The door creaked open.
Empty.
A bad feeling rose in her chest.
Her eyes slowly shifted toward another room farther down the hall.
The equipment storage room.
Without hesitation, Talia strode toward it and shoved the door open.
The interior was a mess.
Kevlar combat suits had clearly been rummaged through. Several weapons were missing.
Most importantly, one of the League's portable gliders was gone.
The compact glider, equipped with a turbine-assisted propulsion system, allowed silent travel across vast distances and could operate even without wind support. It was one of the League's most valuable infiltration tools.
Talia stared at the empty rack.
There was only one possible culprit.
"Damian!"
Her voice exploded with fury.
She stormed back into the corridor and noticed an open window swaying violently in the wind.
Rain had already begun pouring outside.
Talia rushed toward the opening and looked into the darkness below.
Nothing.
Only endless rain and the occasional cry of distant birds.
Then realization struck her.
Damian had gone to Coast City.
He had stolen the glider to see Adrian.
The conclusion left Talia horrified.
No matter how strict she acted toward Damian, her love for him was genuine. The thought of him entering a battlefield filled with monsters like Adrian and the Green Lantern Corps immediately filled her with panic.
She returned to her room without delay.
Her towel dropped to the floor as she rapidly changed into her League of Assassins combat gear.
The red-and-black armor resembled reinforced samurai attire, fitted with arm guards and lightweight protection plates. A katana rested across her back beside a quiver of arrows. Throwing blades and short daggers lined her waist.
Once fully armed, Talia immediately departed for Coast City.
---
Rain engulfed the night sky.
Thunder rumbled through heavy clouds while flashes of lightning split the heavens like silver serpents.
Outside Star City, a lone figure moved through the storm.
Black boots splashed through puddles as Talia advanced through the rain.
Water dripped from her hood while the cold wind whipped against her armor.
She looked toward the distant horizon where Coast City lay buried beneath the storm.
For Damian's sake, she would walk directly into hell if necessary.
---
Coast City.
"Bang!"
Hal Jordan's fist slammed into Sinestro's face, sending the exhausted Lantern crashing into the mud.
Lightning illuminated the battlefield, briefly exposing Hal's twisted expression.
"I'm fixing everything!" Hal shouted through the rain. "I finally have enough power to undo all of it. I can put the world back the way it's supposed to be!"
His sanity had nearly vanished.
Mud splashed beneath his boots as he staggered toward Sinestro.
"You'll understand eventually," Hal growled. "What I'm doing is necessary!"
Sinestro could barely breathe after the brutal beating. Blood mixed with rainwater across his battered face.
Yet despite his condition, he still stared at Hal with mocking contempt.
Hal slowly raised his hand.
The Green Lantern ring radiated intense emerald light.
A lethal blast began forming.
Then lightning flashed again.
Hal froze.
A figure hovered silently in the sky ahead of him, arms crossed as rain poured around him.
Adrian.
Hal's eyes widened.
"You're alive?"
The next instant, Adrian vanished from the air and appeared directly in front of him.
His fist tore through the rain.
Hal reacted instantly, summoning an energy barrier.
The shield shattered immediately.
Adrian's punch ripped through it effortlessly.
Hal barely managed to evade by throwing himself backward.
The two separated beneath the torrential rain.
"You seem disappointed," Adrian said casually. "If you want to hurt me, try harder. That little sneak attack barely warmed me up."
Hal stared at him in disbelief.
Adrian continued coldly, "It's unfortunate. I actually considered keeping you around. Competent assistants are hard to find. But I hate people who stab me in the back."
"You don't understand," Hal replied seriously. "I can fix things for you too."
The ring on his finger pulsed brightly.
"I can erase your regrets."
A strange sensation spread through the battlefield.
Green energy surged outward before forming a human silhouette.
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
The figure slowly stepped forward.
Jonathan Kent.
Hal watched Adrian carefully.
"Bringing him back is simple," Hal said confidently. "Everything can return to the way it was."
He knew Jonathan's death was Adrian's deepest wound.
"Adrian," the projection said warmly. "Aren't you happy to see your old man?"
Despite knowing it was fake, Adrian's expression shifted slightly.
"Jonathan."
His voice lowered.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't stop what happened to you."
The projection smiled gently and placed a hand on Adrian's shoulder.
"There's nothing to forgive, son."
Adrian's eyes softened faintly.
"I love you, Dad," he admitted quietly. "Maybe I never said it enough."
Hal watched silently, convinced Adrian had fallen into the illusion.
Then Adrian spoke again.
"I'd give anything to bring you back," he said. "But not like this."
His eyes turned crimson.
Heat Vision erupted instantly.
The fake Jonathan was vaporized before Hal could react.
Hal stood frozen in shock.
He never expected Adrian to destroy the projection without hesitation.
"I offered you happiness," Hal said bitterly. "Do you know how many people would kill for another chance?"
Adrian slowly lifted his head.
"We can't have everything," he replied. "Fools are the ones who try replacing reality with lies."
The crimson glow in his eyes intensified.
"You made a mistake, Hal Jordan."
The Doomsday gene inside Adrian activated fully.
Heat radiated from his body with terrifying intensity, distorting the rain and air around him. An overwhelming magnetic field erupted outward like a violent storm.
"I'm going to make you experience something worse than death," Adrian said coldly. "Maybe I'll let you feel what it's like to fall helplessly from a bridge. But first, I'll break every limb in your body."
Hal transformed completely into Parallax.
With nowhere left to retreat, he charged forward.
Their magnetic fields collided like colliding tidal waves.
The entire battlefield shook violently.
Rain evaporated around them.
The ground cracked apart beneath Adrian's feet as he stepped forward.
Thousands of meters of earth collapsed inward instantly.
Adrian surged through the storm like a living catastrophe, crimson eyes burning with fury and murderous intent.
At first, he had considered sparing Hal.
Now he no longer cared.
If Hal died, then he died.
Hal's face twisted into a manic grin as he extended his arm.
Countless glowing chains burst from the Green Lantern ring and shot toward Adrian.
Adrian's forearms bulged violently as bone spikes erupted through his skin.
In an instant, he transformed from a restrained predator into something monstrous.
Something inhuman.
His savage grin widened.
Adrian seized the chains with overwhelming force, grabbed Hal by both arms, and violently slammed him into the ground.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Each impact thundered across Coast City like an earthquake.