Homelander: New Legacy

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Superman's death left the Justice League members in heavy silence.

Throughout their journey, apart from the Joker's occasional bursts of laughter, no one else spoke much. However, Superman's demise did relieve them of one major concern.

Previously, they had to avoid both the Parademons and Superman's attention. Now, they only needed to evade the Parademons without worrying about Superman.

As for Darkseid, he had never actively sought out the Justice League. Perhaps, in his eyes, Superman alone was enough to eliminate them all, rendering his intervention unnecessary.

Thus, their path to Gotham City was relatively unencumbered.

Roger walked alongside Oliver, knowing full well that he could easily carry Oliver and the others to their destination faster. However, Batman clearly had his own plans.

Roger didn't want to disrupt those plans, especially since he wasn't prepared to face Darkseid head-on.

Darkseid was said to be immensely powerful. Roger referred to him as "said to be" because he had never witnessed Darkseid in action. However, based on descriptions from friends, Roger knew that Darkseid was one of the most formidable villains across the multiverse—a singular existence among countless universes.

Darkseid's most infamous weapon was his Omega Beams, which he could shoot from his eyes.

While these beams might seem similar to Superman's and Roger's heat vision, they were far more than mere high-temperature destructive rays. The Omega Beams were said to contain a unique Omega Effect.

Darkseid could use these beams to erase someone's existence entirely, resurrect individuals, or even banish opponents to increasingly dire parallel universes, effectively "sealing" them.

If he had a choice, Roger would rather not confront Darkseid.

Unlike Superman or Batman, Roger wasn't a native of the DC Universe. He wasn't protected by their "plot armor." If he were struck by the Omega Beams, his fate might not be as fortunate.

However, Roger wouldn't back down either. No matter how powerful Darkseid was, he was still a villain.

Following the usual pattern in cinematic storylines, the heroes typically emerged victorious. Perhaps joining Batman and the Justice League in their battle against Darkseid would lead to his defeat and restore the world to normalcy.

"Assuming things actually unfold that way…"

Roger sighed.

While the story typically followed this trajectory, he couldn't forget that this was the future—a bleak reality where hope had all but vanished, compelling Flash to reset the timeline.

In this future, there was a chance that Darkseid might indeed emerge victorious.

"…What?"

Walking beside him, Oliver caught Roger muttering and asked curiously.

Roger shook his head and quickened his pace to ask Batman, "Does your plan include me?"

"It does now. Any issues with that?"

Batman countered without looking at him.

Roger pressed, "And in your plan, what exactly do you want me to do? Take on Darkseid or maybe a resurrected Doomsday?"

"Neither," Batman replied casually, nodding toward Cyborg, who handed Roger a kryptonite ring.

Cyborg explained, "You, Barry, and I will head to the Batcave to prepare for the timeline reset."

"I thought you'd send me to fight Darkseid directly."

Roger half-joked.

Batman responded, "That would be wasteful. Our priority is to ensure Barry successfully travels back to warn my past self, not to fight Darkseid head-on. Besides… we can't win right now."

Fighting wasn't their primary goal. It never had been for Batman's plan. Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought the Joker along.

Their mission was to return to the past, even if it meant sacrificing everyone. As long as Flash succeeded in delivering the message, their mission would be considered a success.

Batman turned to Roger and added, "That said, if we encounter Darkseid or Doomsday along the way, be ready to handle them."

"I will," Roger replied, slipping on the ring and nodding.

The Space Stone was still recharging, and Roger wasn't sure how long it would take. Based on his upgraded dimensional travel capabilities, the stone would require at least ten more days to fully recharge.

During those ten days, Roger couldn't guarantee he'd evade Darkseid's search, making it necessary to stand with Batman and confront him if needed.

As for the idea of siding with Darkseid to invade other worlds, Roger dismissed it outright.

Even if opposing Darkseid meant death, Roger would never ally himself with a villain to wreak havoc on other worlds.

As he fiddled with the kryptonite ring, Roger suddenly frowned and asked, "Wait a second, Cyborg. Did you just say 'we'? As in just the three of us?"

He gestured between himself, Cyborg, and Flash.

Cyborg nodded. "Yes, just us. Bruce will be searching for the Anti-Life Equation."

"What's going on with the Anti-Life Equation?" Roger asked, his confusion growing.

Before Cyborg could answer, Batman raised a hand to silence everyone and spoke in a low voice, "We're here. From now on, no unnecessary noise. Cyborg, Roger, Barry—you head to the Batcave. The rest, come with me."

Roger lifted his gaze, taking in the sight of Gotham City, now buried under sand and dust.

Amid their conversation, they had reached Gotham, now overrun by Parademons. With his super vision, Roger could spot Darkseid's fortress at the city's center, along with the Apokolips fleet hovering in the sky.

"…Should I be thankful that your Batcave isn't located in downtown Gotham?"

Roger quipped, attempting to lighten the mood as he glanced at Batman.

"It's not downtown, but close enough. Be careful," Batman replied flatly before leading the others away.

Oliver, the Green Arrow, followed Batman's group but stopped briefly beside Roger.

"I get the feeling we won't see each other again after this. So, I just wanted to say…"

"That it's been nice knowing me?" Roger teased.

"…No. Hand over the arrows you've been keeping for me."

Oliver pointed at Roger's wristband.

Roger chuckled, shaking his head as he retrieved two small leather pouches from his dimensional bracelet, handing them to Oliver and Mera.

"What's this?" Oliver asked, puzzled.

"Just basic spatial storage. Not very large—about the size of two big suitcases. They're packed with arrows. To retrieve them, just open the pouch and reach in. Don't worry, they won't fall out on their own."

"You've been holding out on us?"

"I never said I only had one. These are just prototypes with limited durability, so use them sparingly. But they should be sufficient for this mission."

The pouches were among the experimental spatial equipment Andrea had developed, and Roger had kept them in reserve for emergencies like this.

Mera's pouch was slightly larger and filled with seawater, enough for her to use in attacks or defense.

"Thanks, man. See you around," Oliver said, patting Roger on the shoulder. He added, "And just so you know, I wasn't joking earlier. Meeting you has been a stroke of luck."

"I know."

With that, Roger and his group parted ways with Batman's.

Watching their retreating figures, Roger couldn't shake the ominous feeling that this might be their final goodbye.

And he wasn't wrong.

Facing Darkseid, Superman, and possibly Doomsday, the odds of Batman's group surviving their mission in Gotham were slim.

Their objectives were twofold: to locate the Anti-Life Equation—whose purpose Roger still didn't fully understand—and to ensure Flash traveled back to warn Bruce Wayne.

If achieving these goals required total sacrifice, it would still be a price the Justice League was willing to pay.

But Roger couldn't fully grasp Batman's true intentions.

Not because he considered himself unintelligent, but because… well, this was Batman. If Roger could understand him, his pre-heroic self might not have been such a failure.

"Let's move. There's a shortcut to the Batcave nearby," Cyborg said, leading Roger and Flash down into a sewer system.

Gotham had become a hive for Parademons. These creatures, like oversized insects, had turned the city's buildings into nests, constantly buzzing around and occasionally flying off in swarms.

"Have Gotham's citizens also been turned into Parademons?" Roger asked as they entered the sewer.

Cyborg, lifting a manhole cover, replied grimly, "You should ask how many humans are left in the world who haven't been turned."

"…Right."

"Stop standing there. We need to pick up the pace. Can you keep up with Barry?" Cyborg asked.

Clearly, they planned to have Flash use his speed to quickly get them to the Batcave and prepare for the timeline reset.

Roger turned to Cyborg and Flash, assuring them, "Don't worry. I may not be as fast as Barry, but I won't slow you down."

"Good. Let's go."

As Cyborg finished speaking, Flash turned into a streak of red lightning, disappearing down the sewer tunnel.

Roger vanished as well, closely trailing Flash through the winding passages.

The Batcave wasn't located within the sewer itself, but taking this route brought them closer. After a few seconds, they emerged from another exit, only to find the sky swarming with Parademons.

Though the shortcut saved them time, the final stretch would have to be covered above ground. Now, the question remained—how to deal with the Parademons?

Fly past them under their noses?

Before Roger could ask Cyborg about the next step, the Parademons in the sky suddenly let out a sharp cry.

Then, as if receiving a command, the swarm darkened the horizon as they flew away en masse, leaving their nests behind.

Seeing this, Roger didn't need to think hard to figure out what had happened. He turned to Cyborg and asked, "Was that… Batman?"

"Yes. It's part of his plan. Let's keep moving," Cyborg replied in a somber tone.

Thanks to Batman's diversion, the rest of their journey was unimpeded, and they soon reached the long-abandoned Batcave.

Though neglected for years, the Batcave's backup power systems were still operational. With a bit of tinkering from Cyborg, the necessary equipment was ready for use.

While Cyborg and Flash began preparing for the timeline reset, Roger wandered the Batcave, marveling at the hidden lair.

It was, after all, Batman's secret base. Even among the Justice League, few had been here. For Roger, stepping into the Batcave for the first time felt like a child entering a treasure trove.

Meanwhile, Cyborg and Flash were hard at work. Flash warmed up while Cyborg connected to the cave's systems, typing in equations—or rather, a specialized formula.

"What's that?" Roger asked.

"Essential prep work for Barry's journey back in time."

"Got it. What do you need me to do?"

"Your job is both simple and hard," Cyborg replied without looking up.

The sudden roar of explosions reverberated through the Batcave, shaking the ground.

Amid the chaos, Cyborg finally turned to Roger and said, "Buy us time!"

Roger didn't need further explanation. Activating his super vision, he had already spotted the Apokolips fleet homing in on their location.

They had found Cyborg.

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