Previously, Thea had been dressed casually like a fashionable young woman. Now, to command the army, she'd naturally changed into New Genesis attire—a shimmering robe and a hood that obscured her features. Her entire appearance radiated an air of mystery.
The two old men exchanged glances. This person standing with hands clasped, murmuring to herself, exuding the aura of a mystical sage—was this really the same Thea from before? The difference was just too stark!
Thea was racing against time to build the magical network. Right now, the Mage Legion was at its most vulnerable. New Gods didn't typically resort to sneak attacks, but there was no guarantee Steppenwolf and DeSaad wouldn't go off-script and attempt a blitzkrieg.
The Mage Legion's work couldn't slacken. Coordination with Earth-2 also needed to happen. Removing her hood and revealing her familiar face, both old men let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"How many combat-capable forces does Earth have left? My Legion can only handle Steppenwolf. You'll need to deal with the human armies he controls." Thea asked matter-of-factly.
"Approximately two hundred thousand troops will be mobilized. That's the maximum capacity of the World Military Council. The few metahumans under direct military command will also participate." Surrounded by the Mage Legion, Old Batman felt uncomfortable all over—he didn't realize it was the powerful magical energy that was affecting his senses.
Honestly, Thea had no confidence in the metahumans controlled by Earth's military. This world's Atom couldn't shrink—instead, he grew into a lumbering giant. Impressive-looking, but basically just a target. The remaining Sand Squad? Just a group of well-trained special operatives.
"What about Superman? Have you figured out how to deal with him?" Thea dropped a bombshell question.
Old Robert looked somewhat surprised. Old Batman maintained his deadpan expression, though clearly this was something he'd considered before.
"Even with your methods, you can't save Superman? He was humanity's hero. He shouldn't have fallen into darkness."
Thea glanced at him and slowly shook her head. "I wish things were different too. But based on my observations, the Superman you knew is already dead. His soul has dissipated. What occupies that body now is something evil."
"You know that your world also has a Superman, so you should be aware he's an alien, right?"
"A Kryptonian. I know."
"We have another Kryptonian here." Old Batman's words made Thea freeze for a second, nearly destabilizing the magical network. She hastily steadied herself before asking skeptically:
"Who?"
"He calls himself Val-Zod."
Their exchange was brief, but Thea was still shocked. She really didn't know much about Earth-2's affairs. She'd assumed the Kryptonian Old Batman mentioned would be Kara, but she never expected it to be a Kryptonian she didn't recognize.
Listen to that surname. Zod! Suppressing her urge to make a sarcastic comment, she said, "...You and your son really are alike. Always keeping something in reserve, right? Heh. Can this Val-Zod handle Superman?"
Old Batman was silent for a moment. "I'm working hard to train him. He's our only hope."
Thea glanced at Old Robert. Old Green Arrow looked completely clueless—obviously he hadn't known about this either.
She couldn't resist commenting. "You and your son really do share this problem. Always suspicious of everyone, always cautious. Never revealing anything until absolutely necessary. What a wonderful family tradition."
Faced with her sarcasm, Old Batman acted like he hadn't heard a word. There was even a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, as if proud of the Wayne family's fine tradition.
Confronting an Old Batman who took her criticism as praise, she really couldn't say anything harsher. "Fine. Wait a moment. Let me finish what I'm doing, then take me to see this Val-Zod. Also..."
Thea thought of something else and addressed Old Batman. "Your body is burning through its life force. Follow my adjutant for treatment. Full recovery probably isn't possible, but we can restore some of what you've lost."
An hour later, the treated Old Batman led Thea to Arkham Asylum. This timeline's Arkham was equally notorious.
Following Old Batman through tunnels and hidden passages, weaving back and forth seven or eight times, Thea finally met Val-Zod in a deep underground chamber.
Wait—he's Black. She'd assumed this timeline's Zod had hooked up with Faora. Looking at his complexion now, she knew Faora definitely wasn't involved.
Val-Zod had met Batman before, but Thea was a complete stranger. He seemed somewhat shy, timidly stepping backward.
So weak! He was basically just an ordinary person. Thea looked at Old Batman. "Why don't you let him get some sunlight?"
Old Batman's face remained expressionless. "He doesn't like conflict. He has absolutely no will to fight. That's why I've kept him here."
A Kryptonian who doesn't like conflict? And Zod's son at that? Thea could only respond with "heh" to the world's cruel sense of humor.
"Why are you so timid? Kryptonian, what was your genetic designation at birth? Teacher? Artist? Scholar?" Time was precious. Seeing such valuable combat potential being wasted due to personal issues pained her.
Not caring what Old Batman might think, she asked directly in standard Kryptonian.
Old Batman watched calmly, saying nothing. The completely guileless young Kryptonian just stood there dumbfounded.
Looking at his meek demeanor, Thea felt annoyed. She thought she understood Old Batman's intent now. This wasn't a secret weapon—it was a last-ditch option born of desperation.
She held no real hope for this Kryptonian. The Mage Legion couldn't engage Superman directly, so she'd have to fall back on traditional methods. "Does this universe have Kryptonite?"
Both Old Batman and the timid young man asked simultaneously: "What's Kryptonite?"
Ah, so that's how it is. General Zod had never arrived here, so Earth had never encountered Kryptonite.
Thea produced a piece of Kryptonite. Before she could do anything with it, the young man collapsed to the ground with a thud, his face contorted in agony.
She handed the palm-sized piece of Kryptonite to Old Batman. "You saw how it's used. It degrades Kryptonian cells. This one's yours. Also, this guy needs sunlight. We'll begin the general offensive in three days."
Thea teleported away, leaving Old Batman holding the Kryptonite, staring at the young man on the floor.
Perhaps Steppenwolf had no intention of launching a surprise attack, or perhaps the two bosses above preferred straightforward battles. The enemy had set up in Metropolis; Thea had made camp in Gotham. Both sides maintained a tacit understanding, making their final preparations without interfering with each other.
This wasn't a game. The Mage Legion didn't only know magic—they could handle close combat too.
High-ranking mages had robes sturdier than armor, but ordinary mages couldn't afford that. They had to sacrifice some magical conductivity, donning armor and taking up weapons.
Each battalion was assigned tasks according to their specialties, drilling repeatedly in spells designed specifically to counter Parademon armies.
Thea was also making final preparations. To prevent Darkseid from interfering with the magical network, she added several more safeguards. Even if the Dark Lord himself entered the battlefield, she could resist for at least a few minutes.
She didn't know what Old Batman said to Val-Zod, but this Kryptonian—apparently raised as a scholar—finally left his underground room and began absorbing this world's yellow solar energy.
Meanwhile, Earth's resistance forces were also converging on Gotham. The armies under Steppenwolf's control were rapidly assembling as well. The great battle seemed imminent.
Leaving a clone outside to handle miscellaneous affairs, Thea's true body had already entered the Tower of Fate to study that wisp of pure Shadow.
Unlike Granny Goodness, who had risen from an ordinary citizen of Apokolips, climbing through her own efforts from commoner to New God...