Return of a Speedster

A Belated Meeting

Watchtower
July 5, 2019
1900 ZULU

As two vessels approach the Watchtower, members of the Justice League gather in the main conference room. They are unaware of who has called this meeting. Batman has a few guesses. But, that is all they are. Guesses.

As if to add to the confusion, several villains and questionable characters are escorted in by a large number of Marines. Global Privatized Marines, to be exact. There's the Clock King; The Rogues; the Red Hood; and a few others. The Marines stand guard at all entrances to the room. The squad leader informs the gathered crowd that they are not allowed to exit the room.

But that does not stop the Batman. He exits the room to investigate a disturbance in the main hanger. What he sees is something miraculous. Two GH-44 Starleapers land in the main hanger. Out from the two helicopters--whose appearances are that of a pair of enhanced Black Hawks--steps a small group of men. A couple of them are in suits. The rest are in battle fatigues and surround a man wearing a hockey mask. Standing next to that group of men, being the last person to exit the second Starleaper, is a man that carries himself with a strong sense of authority. Batman instantly recognizes him as Joseph Graves.

Batman re-enters the conference room and takes a seat at the table. His entrance is immediately followed by Mr. Graves entering the room and storms his way to the head of the table.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Graves begins. "Take your seats please, so that we may get started."

"What is the purpose of this gathering," Superman asks.

"Yeah, and why are they here," Green Arrow states, referring to the large group of criminals in the far criminal. But, mostly the guy in the hockey mask surrounded by Marines.

"Let us start with why I called you all here.

"Today, at approximately oh eight hundred hours eastern standard time, I received confirmation of the greatest threat this planet and solar system will ever face. For the Enemy of all Life has set his sights on our small water-logged planet. And He and His Armies will arrive within the course of the next few days. His name is Darksied. He is the God of Anti-Life, reigning from the planet Apokolips.

"When He arrives, it will be a Category Eight Extinction Level Event. There will be nothing left if He succeeds.

"What is even worse is if this planet is the last link in the chain for his ultimate goal."

"And what would that be," Wonder Woman asks.

"The answer to the Anti-Life Equation. A psuedo-mathematical and pseudo-scientific proof that proves that all life is pointless. It gives the beholder complete physical and mental dominion of every living being in the universe, as well as complete dominion over the very fabric of all realities.

"To put it simply, whoever controls the Anti-Life Equation, controls the multiverse."

There is a short pause, so that the information can sink in.

"But," the military industrialist continues, "as long as there is air in my lungs and steel in my guns, I will not allow him to conquer an Earth. Not again."

"Again?" Batman questions. "What do you mean again?"

Mr. Graves sighs. "Nearly six years ago, a similar event occurred on a distant world called Earth-2. It was a planet exactly like ours. It had great heroes that inspired hope. It had great villains that dwelled in evil. There was even a version of me and my company and associates. That Earth fell to Darkseid. The costs of the battle were great, and left the planet in ruin. The world was so damaged that it no longer had the will to keep spinning, and destroyed itself to end its suffering.