"Master, Gotham has always been lively, both in the past and now.
"But even by Gotham's standards, today's guests are unusually troublesome.
"Since you're back, I'll leave this matter to you. I still need to return home and prepare dinner.
"Oh, Master, did Bruce come back with everyone else?"
Alfred said this while making a deliberate show of preparing to leave.
Axel caught him before he could go, then nodded.
"Don't worry. They're all home. We've already been back for two minutes.
"But Bruce and Lex are still concerned about everything that happened today. They're probably trying to figure out how we can prevent our home from being robbed every time we leave.
"As for Clark, he went to see his mother. He'll probably spend some time talking with Martha before rushing over to meet his people.
"You go home. Stew some beef tonight. I'm tired of steak, so let's have something braised instead. Make sure it's tender."
"No problem, Master."
As soon as Axel finished speaking, Alfred turned elegantly, bowed to him, and then changed direction before soaring into the sky.
Mera watched the flying butler disappear overhead, her eyes narrowing with unconcealed longing.
Atlantis possessed extremely advanced technology, but aerial flight remained one of their weaker areas.
Mera couldn't help wondering what it would feel like to fly.
While she was distracted by Alfred's armor, Vico walked toward Axel and Diana.
As he approached, his eyes lingered on the Mother Box secured against Diana's back. He then stopped in front of Axel and spoke respectfully.
"Respected Axel, are you the king of the surface world?
"I am Vico, Grand Vizier of Atlantis. It is an honor to set foot in your kingdom and have the privilege of meeting you. I..."
"Wait. You damn well wait."
Axel raised a hand, stopping him.
Vico immediately fell silent.
Axel glanced toward the Mother Box on Diana's back.
"How did you bring that thing here? Did Darkseid send someone after the Amazons?
"How is Hippolyta? Is she alright?
"If something unfortunate happened to her, then I'll offer my condolences in advance, big girl."
"Axel!"
Diana clenched her teeth.
As time passed, she had found herself growing less and less capable of dealing with Axel. Whatever affection she might once have considered possible had long since been replaced by sheer helplessness.
And the worst part was that there was very little she could actually do about him.
Seeing Diana grit her teeth, Axel chuckled and extended his hand.
"Alright, stop grinding your teeth. If your mouth is really bothering you, come to my room tonight and I'll find you something to chew on.
"As for the Mother Box, give it to me. Isn't that why you came here?"
Diana hesitated slightly.
Axel simply reached out, took hold of the Lasso of Truth, and pulled the Mother Box into his possession as well.
He weighed the Mother Box in one hand before laughing.
"You really are thoughtful. You knew I was getting bored and brought me something interesting.
"The Mother Box is quite a surprise. Darkseid and the forces of Apokolips should at least keep me entertained for three or five days.
"Before this, my impression of you was basically that you'd yell at me like a lunatic, come over to offer yourself, and then end up so overwhelmed that you'd have to retreat to your family for refuge.
"Congratulations. You've upgraded your status in my mind.
"Tsk, tsk. You know what? I'm actually starting to like you, damn it."
Axel casually reached out and rubbed Diana's head.
Diana froze for a moment before quickly stepping backward.
Unfortunately, she immediately felt something behind her.
"Oh no."
She barely had time to react before Axel gave her a playful slap on the backside.
Axel withdrew his hand with a satisfied grin.
Soldier Boy certainly hadn't been lying. Women really did seem to become more impressive with age.
At that moment, Axel's smile was brilliant, while Mera stared at him in disbelief.
"How... did he get there?"
Mera leaned closer to Vico and whispered.
Vico was staring intently at Axel's feet.
Even with his experience as a former champion warrior of Xebel, he hadn't detected Axel's movement.
Yet Axel had clearly moved.
A faint sense of danger spread through Vico's body, and the hairs on his arms began to rise.
He finally understood that the man standing before him was far more dangerous than he had initially assumed.
Vico cautiously lowered his voice.
"Your Highness, I also..."
"I just went ding from over there to here, little girl."
Axel suddenly appeared directly in front of Mera.
This time, Vico caught the slightest trace of movement.
A flicker of flame.
Before Vico could react, Axel casually placed an arm around Mera's shoulder.
Mera instinctively tried to step away, but Axel caught her wrist and handed her the Lasso of Truth.
"Come on, little sea girl. Isn't this rope pretty?"
"What?"
Mera stared at him in bewilderment.
She couldn't understand how Axel had managed to change the subject to a rope.
Then she looked down.
The golden Lasso of Truth shimmered softly in her hands, covered in intricate markings.
Mera had to admit that it was beautiful.
She grasped one end and looked at Axel.
"What exactly are you trying to say, Your Majesty, King of the Surface?
"Before meeting you, I wondered what kind of monarch you would be.
"But apart from your appearance, you have absolutely no bearing of a king. You swear constantly and have no manners or elegance.
"Wait. Why am I saying all of this?
"I should be pretending to be polite with you. Damn it, you're definitely going to get angry unless you actually possess some magnanimity.
"I..."
"Hahahahahaha!"
Axel's laughter rang across the street.
Even the Kryptonians in the distance turned toward him.
Zod watched Axel's carefree behavior, swallowed, and quietly spoke to Fiona.
"Do you feel it? He's dangerous. My instincts are warning me."
"I feel it too, General."
Fiona's expression had become tense.
"Everything in my mind is telling me to stay away from him. As far away as possible."
Axel eventually stopped laughing and looked at Mera, who was still holding the Lasso.
"Damn it, you've actually backed me into a corner, little girl.
"But you're right. I do have some magnanimity. Haha.
"However, there's something I need to ask you."
Axel tilted his head.
"Little sea girl, if you dropped a two-pound mess in your bed, would you blame it on a three-pound teacup dog?"
"Huh?"
Mera stared blankly at him.
Vico was equally speechless.
Even Diana looked at Axel as though she couldn't determine whether he was serious.
In the distance, Zod and the other Kryptonians simultaneously raised their hands and slapped their foreheads.
The synchronized sound echoed through the area.
Mera finally found her voice.
"What's a teacup dog? And why would I blame it on a three-pound... Wait, that's not what I wanted to say!
"Why would you even think I would... Damn it!
"Your Majesty, can you please be serious?"
Mera's expression completely collapsed.
Axel laughed heartily, pulled the Lasso back, and then gave it a firm shake.
The Mother Box slipped from his grasp and struck the ground.
Thud.
Axel casually kicked it, sending it rolling twice.
"Hey, Mother Box. Yeah, I'm talking to you."
Under the increasingly convinced stares of everyone nearby, Axel approached the device and slowly crouched down.
He gently patted its surface.
"I know you have a mind of your own, buddy. You're one of Apokolips' most important tools, after all.
"And if the people of Apokolips want to teleport through you, you need to send out a Boom Tube signal before they can establish the connection.
"So what happened?
"Did you decide my Earth was a nice, safe place and call your old friends?
"Are you looking down on me?"
Axel's expression suddenly changed.
He drove his fist into the Mother Box.
Boom!
The entire ground of Gotham shook violently.
The tremor traveled far beyond the immediate area, reaching the countryside hundreds of kilometers away.
Even the Kryptonians were visibly shaken.
Zod and the others exchanged looks.
After a moment, Zod swallowed.
"No wonder the butler was so confident.
"This warrior may have already reached a level that places him among the universe's most dangerous beings.
"He looks like the sort of opponent the Green Lantern Corps would need to face with considerable force to suppress."
Meanwhile, the people standing closest to Axel staggered from the impact.
Mera barely managed to regain her balance.
She then watched Axel gently pat the Mother Box again.
"Not bad, little brother.
"I only used one percent of my strength, yet you endured it without suffering any damage.
"Alright. You're mine now.
"As long as I keep you here, Darkseid and his people will eventually come looking for you, right?
"Honestly, Darkseid is pretty disappointing. Compared to that little kid, I'd actually rather meet Yuga Khan."
With a flick of his wrist, Axel made the Mother Box disappear.
He lazily stood up and stretched his back.
"Excuse me, big sister. Squatting isn't ideal for throwing punches. That nearly dislocated my waist.
"Sigh. The universe is getting more boring by the day. How long has it been since I had a proper fight?
"When is Darkseid coming?
"If he doesn't show up soon, I'm going to start getting out of shape."
"Stop fooling around, Axel. You don't even ride horses, so why are you worried about your thighs?"
Diana retorted impatiently.
She then walked toward Mera.
Seeing the slightly dazed Atlantean princess, Diana rolled her eyes and extended her right hand.
"Hello, Princess of Atlantis. I'm Diana, a warrior of the Amazons.
"If you came to the surface because of the Mother Box, you don't need to worry. It's completely safe in that bastard Axel's hands."
"Is that so?"
Mera narrowed her eyes uncertainly.
She then looked at Diana's outstretched hand.
Confusion crossed her face.
Was this some kind of surface custom?
Perhaps Amazon tradition?
Mera swallowed nervously before turning around and presenting her backside toward Diana.
She even gave a slightly awkward pout.
Could this be some kind of traditional greeting?
If so, she should respect the local customs.
Diana stared blankly for a moment.
Then she rolled her eyes and turned toward Axel with a murderous glare.
Axel stepped forward with exaggerated confidence and gave Mera a playful smack on the backside.
"Ah!"
Mera jumped and immediately turned around.
"Oh no!"
Her expression changed when she realized who had done it.
Axel.
Nearby, even Vico, despite knowing very little about surface customs, understood that this was absolutely inappropriate.
He stepped forward.
"King of the Surface, please..."
"Shh."
Before Vico could finish, Axel reached out.
Vico's vision blurred.
In the next instant, he found himself in Axel's hand.
Axel casually held him by the neck, patted his shoulder, and laughed.
"Alright, buddy. This is me being gentle.
"You haven't even seen what happens when I really get carried away with Diana."
Axel released Vico.
He then reached over and patted Mera on the head.
"Little sister, you've got a good figure. We should compare notes sometime.
"But for now, I have some refugees over there waiting for a proper conversation.
"Kryptonian refugees really have it rough. They've been branded criminals, yet they're still completely devoted to restoring their civilization.
"Tsk, tsk. Admirable. Truly admirable."
Axel turned around.
In the distance, Zod and Fiona froze.
Axel was suddenly standing less than a meter in front of them.
Fiona instinctively took half a step backward.
Axel ignored her reaction.
Instead, he raised his head and looked toward the sky.
Once.
Twice.
His eyes settled on a particular direction.
He adjusted his stance and looked at Zod.
"General Zod, right?"
"Indeed. I am, revered Lord of Earth. I..."
"Heh. No need to explain."
Axel interrupted him.
"I understand you people. We're all unfortunate souls who lost our homes.
"However..."
Axel shifted slightly, forcing Fiona farther aside.
He flexed his right hand and laughed.
"Can you understand me for a moment?
"Being the boss is exhausting.
"You people came to Gotham without warning and started causing trouble. What are my subordinates supposed to think? What are my people supposed to think?
"They're all waiting to see how I respond."
Slap!
Axel's right hand moved.
The air around them erupted.
A devastating shockwave tore through the street, destroying several nearby buildings. The expanding pressure shattered windows that had survived the initial destruction.
Mera and the Atlanteans, who had barely recovered from what they had witnessed, stared toward the center of the devastation with even greater terror.
Dust spread across the ground.
Fiona and the other Kryptonians stood frozen.
Axel slowly withdrew his hand and placed it against his forehead.
Then he chuckled while staring toward the section of sky he had been watching.
Within his eyes, the scene was already clear.
Zod was being hurled uncontrollably out of Earth's atmosphere and into space.
His Kryptonian warship was torn apart in the process.
And then Zod continued hurtling through the void, heading toward the distant red planet, Mars.