Chapter 320: Justice League vs. Avengers – Allen Goes Dark
Under the night sky, the stars were scattered across the heavens.
Unlike Gotham's perpetual gloom that pressed down on the heart, New York was buzzing with energy even after dark.
Superheroes zipped through the streets and alleys, while criminal gangs clashed violently over turf—it was as if this world had fully embraced its descent into chaos.
"Sensei."
Barbara had donned her Batgirl suit, leading the Birds of Prey as they arrived at the rendezvous point.
Typically, Batman would never leave Gotham, like a territorial beast unwilling to set foot in someone else's domain, obsessively guarding his own.
"Long time no see."
Bruce intentionally lowered his voice, never letting his guard down when it came to hiding his identity.
Little did he know that his status as the heir to Wayne Enterprises was already an open secret among many factions.
Of course, many of Gotham's supervillains also knew. They just treated it like an unspoken agreement—no one wanted to spoil the game.
"Batsy, this ain't your turf. You're not thinking of expanding your business, are you?" Harley quipped casually.
"No interest."
Bruce replied bluntly, "I'm here because of the Superhero Registration Act…"
"Bats!"
He'd barely gotten halfway through his sentence when a voice interrupted him.
A figure swung in from above, rapidly approaching the rooftop.
"Allen!?"
Bruce immediately grimaced.
Just his luck—he ran into this annoying guy again the moment he stepped out.
Thud—
Thump—
Carrying a metal case and easily several hundred pounds of gear, Allen slammed straight into Bruce. Even with the suit's top-tier defense systems, the impact left Bruce reeling in pain, nearly coughing up blood.
"Batsy, did ya miss me while I was gone?"
Allen clutched Bruce's shoulder eagerly. "Check out my Dark Knight Bateman look—cool, huh?"
"Cool…"
Bruce forced the word out with difficulty, regulating his breathing to ease the pain from the collision.
Cool?
The Birds of Prey couldn't help but collectively pull faces of disgust.
The curtain-like cape was one thing, but the hollowed-out black lace bra he wore as a mask? That was just too much.
"What the hell just poked me?" Bruce instinctively looked down.
Allen casually twisted something off and grinned, "No biggie—just my Kunpeng. It's huge."
"…"
Bruce gave him a once-over and got back on topic: "I came here to warn you. Due to the new act, Tony Stark and his supporters are preparing to enforce the government's mandate by force. Meanwhile, many in the Justice League are firmly against it."
"So the Justice League and Avengers are about to go head-to-head?"
Allen adjusted the bra-mask thoughtfully. "Whose side should I take? I mean, Tony's my nephew, but I've got solid ties with the League too. As a key figure, this puts me in a tough spot."
"We don't need your help."
Bruce's tone made it clear: Who said we were close?
The League hadn't forgotten Allen's past antics. The grudge still lingered.
Barbara's fists clenched slightly, a trace of rage flickering in her eyes—because that bra was hers, and it had been her favorite.
Allen nodded seriously. "Yeah, I get it. Too much power tilts the balance."
"It's unfortunate," Bruce explained patiently, "but the Justice League is at a disadvantage. Both sides have seen defections—Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern, and Aquaman have taken their supporters and joined the Avengers. Meanwhile, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Spider-Man have switched over to the League."
It was clear: those supporting the act had little to hide or were already public figures.
Heroes like Wonder Woman and Aquaman were essentially foreign diplomats with immunity to fall back on if things went south.
But people like Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Spider-Man had civilian identities—and families. If they couldn't protect those families, what right did they have to be heroes?
"What about Old Man Cap? What's his take?"
Allen vividly remembered that in the movies, Cap had led the opposition. Surely he'd have a stance.
"You mean you don't know? He already returned to the WWII timeline," Bruce said with mild surprise.
"…"
Allen had known Cap went back in time—but didn't realize when exactly.
That could only mean one thing: Symbiote Cap was about to appear.
As for the Fantastic Four, who had helped Cap return to the past—they'd made it clear they had no interest in getting involved.
They were a public team, after all, with wealth that could rival Stark Industries.
"So what's Tony planning to do about the League?" Allen asked curiously.
"Arrest the opposition. Force them to hand over their information," Bruce answered directly.
There was no sugar-coating it—it was an open declaration of war with no room for negotiation.
"Okay, but here's the thing," Allen pressed. "With members having switched sides, they should already know each other's info. Why bother with arrests?"
"They're targeting heroes outside both leagues—independents. The League is trying to protect and recruit them to even the playing field."
The world was filled with countless hero groups and solo vigilantes. These wild cards were the most unpredictable of all.
If the League and Avengers clashed head-on, the fallout would be catastrophic.
"No more talk. I'm heading out."
And just like that, Bruce vanished into the night.
As always—silent, swift, and mysterious.
But Allen tilted his head. With his omniscient sense—similar to night vision—he could see Bruce hooking onto a building corner with his grapple gun, sticking to the wall like a gecko and slowly crawling down.
He looked more like a weirdo than a badass.
The Birds of Prey, loyal to the League, had already departed for the gathering point.
This was going to be a large-scale conflict, involving massive numbers. The Watchtower's teleportation tech would be essential for real-time support.
Alone now, Allen stared up at the sky in boredom.
"This world just doesn't know peace…"
He pulled off the bra-mask and sighed. "If not for me, this place would've already fallen apart."
After considering what to do with his new gear—and deciding against stuffing it down his pants due to how the lace rubbed—Allen eventually put it on.
"Unita Sun Sun."
"I'm here."
The AI, Unita, responded through his earpiece.
"Gather all available intel on every hero, including their families. Tell the Comedy Corps to put their campaign on hold and mobilize every available hand—I want the families of all heroes kidnapped."
"Understood, Commander."
Allen's expression darkened. "If none of you will listen… then I'll be the real supervillain. Keh keh keh…"
Of course, neither the Justice League nor the Avengers would take the ravings of a lunatic seriously.
Asking them to shake hands and make peace was a pipe dream.
So there was only one solution: become the villain himself. Force both sides to unite against him, so they could finally understand the dangers of the act.
"Tch tch tch… First time playing the bad guy, and I gotta admit—I'm kinda excited."
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