The Justice League Watchtower hung in silent orbit above the Earth, a silver sentinel against the black void of space. Inside, however, the atmosphere was anything but quiet. The air in the Strategy Room was thick with tension.
Seven founding members sat or stood around the central holographic table. The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by the glowing blue projection hovering in the center.
It was a map of North America. A jagged, erratic red line was traced across it.
"Four minutes and twelve seconds," Batman said, his voice low and gravelly. He stood at the head of the table, his cowl shadowing his eyes. "That is the total elapsed time for the subject's transit from Gotham, to the West Coast, to Mexico, and back."
"He stopped for tacos," Cyborg interjected. His mechanical eye whirred as he processed the data stream. "I have credit card records—well, cash transaction footage—from a street vendor in Mexico City at 4:09 AM. He ate three Al Pastor tacos in 1.2 seconds."
"He also broke into a sovereign nation," Wonder Woman said, her arms crossed. Her expression was one of stony displeasure. "Themyscira is shielded by Zeus himself. No man can set foot on the island. Yet, this… creature… bypassed the magical barriers as if they were smoke."
She tapped a console, bringing up a grainy image of the balcony of the Royal Palace. It showed a blue blur snatching a golden goblet.
"He treated the Amazonian guard like statues," Diana continued. "He stole a ceremonial chalice. It was... insulting."
"It was a souvenir run," The Flash said. Barry Allen was leaning against the wall, looking uncharacteristically serious. "He wasn't invading, Diana. He was sightseeing."
Batman turned to the speedster. "Report, Flash. You made contact."
Barry sighed, stepping forward. "Contact is a strong word. I saw him near Central City. I clocked him doing Mach 10 at a jog. A jog, Bruce. When I tried to intercept, he didn't just accelerate. He shifted gears into something I've never seen."
Barry gestured with his hands, trying to visualize the physics. "The Speed Force is a river. We flow with it. This guy? He's like a skip-stone bouncing over the water. He generates his own propulsion. When he hit that boost, he broke the sound barrier so hard he shattered a billboard three miles away. If I hadn't shielded my eyes, the wake would have blinded me."
"Is he faster than you?" Superman asked, his tone calm but concerned.
Barry hesitated. It was a blow to the ego, but he was a scientist first. "In a straight line? Maybe. In terms of acceleration? Definitely. He goes from zero to Max Velocity instantly. No ramp-up."
"And the energy signature?" Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, floated slightly above his chair. His ring was glowing, analyzing the data Batman had uploaded. "My ring can't identify it. It's not part of the Emotional Spectrum. It's not Will, it's not Fear, it's not Rage. The ring just calls it... 'Chaos'."
"Chaos," Batman repeated. "Appropriate."
"He took down the Penguin, Two-Face, and the Joker in under fifteen minutes before he went on his run," Superman pointed out. "He left the money. He didn't kill anyone. He dropped them at Arkham. That sounds like a hero to me."
"Or a vigilante with a god complex who hasn't snapped yet," Batman countered. "He holds enough kinetic energy in his body to level a city block if he trips. And based on the footage from Gotham, he can project this energy. Teleportation. Energy blades. Antigravity fields."
Batman brought up the footage of the Gotham quarry—satellite imagery showing the decimated crane and the pulverized boulders.
"He's learning," Batman said darkly. "He's testing his move set. This wasn't just a run; it was a calibration."
"So what do we do?" Aquaman asked, drumming his fingers on the table. "He crossed the Atlantic in seconds. He's a global threat, but he hasn't attacked civilians."
"We monitor him," Batman stated. "Cyborg, I want satellite tracking on his unique radiation signature 24/7. If he uses that 'Chaos Control' teleportation, I want to know where he lands before he does."
"And if we find him?" Hal asked.
"We talk," Superman said firmly. "He's new. He's scared, or he's arrogant. Either way, we don't start a fight with someone who can outrun the Flash unless we absolutely have to."
"I agree," Wonder Woman nodded slowly. "But if he returns to Themyscira... diplomacy will not be my first option."
"Flash," Batman said. "You're the only one who can keep him in sight. If he moves again, you shadow him. Do not engage. Just observe."
"You got it," Barry said. But he looked at the red line on the map again, the jagged path of a man who treated continents like stepping stones. "But guys... I'm telling you. That blue lightning? It felt wild. If he decides to stop playing tourist and starts fighting for real... I don't know if we can catch him."
Batman narrowed his eyes at the hologram.
"We're the Justice League," he said, though his voice held a trace of grim calculation. "We catch everyone."
The meeting adjourned, but the hologram remained spinning in the dark—a red line circling the globe, a noose tightening around the world's sense of security.