Achieving great power only to discover the enemy had already died—like training for a war that ended before you arrived. The only difference was that Superman would live much longer. Though he hadn't fought Doomsday, he still recognized what it was.
Now, facing the U.S. government's request for Doomsday's corpse, he refused without hesitation. "This creature is from my homeworld. It shouldn't exist on Earth."
Batman, having delivered the finishing blow, also opposed the government taking Doomsday's body. Something this dangerous should be thrown into deep space.
Four people—or rather, mainly Amanda—stubbornly argued with Batman.
When they'd built up enough antagonism, Thea settled matters. "Mr. Vice President, this creature is too dangerous. It should be placed in deep space, never to appear on Earth again."
Honestly, as a politician, the Vice President disliked these unknown, uncontrollable things. After making a show of arguing for everyone's sake, he ultimately approved.
The three women were thoroughly exhausted. The arduous task of throwing Doomsday's corpse into deep space fell to Superman.
Watching Superman package and remove Doomsday's body, the others dispersed. A battle with potentially far-reaching consequences had finally concluded.
Following Superman, several superheroes led by Thea finally stepped into the spotlight. A new era was slowly and powerfully approaching everyone.
---
In a hidden underground facility, Amanda—deemed loyal to the country—was blindfolded and secretly brought to this location.
"Commander Waller, we appreciate you taking time from your busy schedule to accept this inquiry."
Several people in the chamber were unknown even to Amanda. They were power brokers secretly controlling the nation and world. The U.S. President was a joke here. They only retreated behind the scenes to maintain the facade of democracy.
The severe situation forced them to make new assessments to ensure their families' survival and wealth.
"We don't trust the D.E.O. The organization has existed too long with too much infiltration from various parties. But we trust you, Commander Waller. First, we want to know—who is this woman?" The lead elder looked about eighty but had good energy and considerable authority. Impeccably dressed, he gestured. The screen displayed Diana wreathed in golden energy.
Amanda scoffed at their so-called "trust." No one here was naive. This talk was pure nonsense. Whoever believed it was a fool.
Unknown agents investigating her, being blindfolded in a secret chamber—this was trust? However, Amanda had high integrity and wouldn't childishly spit in the old man's face.
"Diana Prince. We know very little about this woman. Her public identity is head of the Hepburn Foundation. Based on her armor and shield design, the D.E.O. believes she has deep connections to ancient Greece."
"Does she have any weaknesses?" the elder asked.
Amanda smiled. "She's Dr. Thea Queen's lover. If there's a weakness, that would be it."
The screen switched to show Thea's image in her silver-white dress armor, holding a sword. The elder looked. "Does this billionaire have weaknesses?"
Amanda suppressed a laugh. "Her weakness is naturally Diana Prince."
The old man nearly had a fit. What kind of answer was this? You said nothing while saying something. Amanda, you're definitely angry about me investigating you!
Another old woman in the room looked at him contemptuously. Clearly, they weren't united—their conflicts probably stretched back a century.
The old woman thought briefly. "We want to know their position. Does Commander Waller have any latest information?"
"Diana has dedicated herself to eliminating discrimination and achieving gender equality. I presume you have no objection to this principle."
Everyone nodded. This wasn't significant. Countless politicians used this as a slogan, and countless dedicated people devoted themselves to it. These few saw almost no conflict with their interests.
Amanda paused. "As for Dr. Queen, D.E.O. analysts believe she possesses considerable alien technology. She's consciously guiding all humanity toward the space age."
She didn't mention internal D.E.O. debates on this issue. Thea's actions were barely concealed; anyone with basic intelligence could analyze this. Supporters existed, as did opponents.
Relatively speaking, younger agents mostly supported it, while older ones largely held conservative attitudes.
Amanda didn't reveal her position, instead presenting the matter from an impartial angle.
Actually, these old codgers least wanted to see the world change. But circumstances forced them to choose. Controlling the nation's lifelines, they weren't alone but had vast family and network connections. Thea's actions had already shattered their established world.
Even within the same family, opinions differed. The elders needed to maintain order while not ignoring young heirs' views. They'd been quite exhausted lately.
The lead elder saw the topic drifting and tried regaining control. "Commander Waller, what's your personal view on entering the space age?"
Amanda didn't bother humoring them. Her position didn't require deference to these old folks. Since you're sincerely asking, I'll mercifully tell you.
"I personally support it. Earth's dangers are gradually deepening. I don't know what's causing it, but the growth trend of superpowered criminals everywhere is obvious. If we don't respond promptly, the next stage's outcome is hard to predict."
The old folks fell silent. Besides manipulating schemes, they were ordinary people, powerless against superpowered criminals.
Amanda's subtext was clear after slight consideration: maintaining current order while entering the space age, absorbing alien advances—perhaps with various high-tech weapons, they'd remain on top.
But if they stayed stagnant, without massive human and financial support, they weren't much better than ordinary people. Their choices were few, time short.
"Could we truly not eliminate the monster destroyed in Metropolis with our current methods?"
"Oh, I specifically asked Dr. Queen about this." Amanda paused slightly.
"Dr. Queen told me many things. This monster wasn't from Earth but from Superman's homeworld. They call it Doomsday—a top-tier bio-weapon that destroyed many planets."