Chapter 37: Chapter 37 I Have Something That Will Change Your Min
"So you firmly pursued the matter of our identities to the point of making a deal with the devil".
Bruce looked at Alice indifferently. His vision switched to General Lane, who was watching all this like a bystander.
"Quite right, that is if you consider Amari a devil. To be honest, I was quite surprised when I learned the truth myself. Who would have thought that the legendary Batman was actually the equally legendary Bruce Wane. The irony is astounding, if I do say so myself".
Sam waved his hand with a flat face.
"Why?" Bruce asked.
"The League has done nothing that requires you to treat us with such prejudice. Does the government fear us so much that they are more willing to stand with an outsider to guard against us?"
"Precautionary measures, Mr. Wayne". Alice replied in Sam's place.
"The Justice League is a fronted organization made up of the most powerful individuals there are on the planet. With their strength and abilities, conventional human weapons are unable to pose a threat to them. Even the weakest members of your League are capable of soloing an elite group of highly trained special forces agents by virtue of their unique abilities or honed combat effectiveness".
"Your Martial arts prowess coupled with the highly advanced tech at your disposal is enough to make you a formidable opponent to any tactical team. From the little information my limited access could gather..."
Holographic videos appeared again...
The dark and gloomy atmosphere of the city could almost be felt through the hologram itself.
How that was possible......
The videos showed Gotham city, home to the highest crime rates in the world.
"...... Dammit, it's him...."
"Open fire...."
"Fuck! Batman's here..."
"Da da da da da!"
In the holographic screens were playing, and the dark lighting showed that it was nighttime.
Several monsters opened fire with their guns in hand at an erratic figure, constantly disappearing into the shadows and striking back at high pace.
Many attacks were dodged, and many more bounced off his bulletproof combat suit. The agile and flexible movements combined with the lightning fast reflex strikes, time coordination of attacks and ingenious combat awareness made Batman in the video look like a shark among fishes.
Even after turning on full bombardment, the gangsters suffered a one-sided massacre, unilaterally beaten by the caped crusader.
Batman watched the video without a change in expression. Martian Manhunter was in a similar state.
Another video appeared alongside it. Nighttime...... Joker and his goons led an attack on a charity event high up in the large hall on the 22nd floor of a Gotham skyscraper.
Batman crashes in through the glass window and begins to attack, subduing goon after goon.
The same thing appeared in many videos that displayed one after another.
The fighting scenes of The Dark Knight were put on full display by the Artificial Intelligence for the three viewers to behold.
"...... Your fighting styles are diverse and include many Martial arts combined. From my calculations through your combat videos, you are proficient in more than fifty different Martial arts styles. And this alone is a conservative estimate on my part. Something that is considered extremely difficult if not outright impossible for even the best Secret Service agents the government has to offer to accomplish. Nevertheless, your individual strength and combat effectiveness within the league can only rank among the lower levels of individual power".
Alice's long speech came to a temporary halt. Here expressionless face looked at Martian Manhunter and Batman with a hint of sarcasm within. Something that both of that caught immediately.
It was fleeting, but it was there.
Lane, who had turned on the spectator mode, was already on the verge of chuckling.
"And while the Justice league do advocate Justice and constantly perform acts of heroism, it hasn't changed a crucial fact. You have protected the world from ambitious Super villains and alien invasions, but the strength you possess which enables you to achieve such makes it unforgettable that you are and always will be a possible threat to mankind".
The calm words sounded a bit cold. At least it did to Batman and Martian Manhunter.
"So even with all we have done to prove our stance, we can't be trusted. The league isn't meant to be looked at as a possible threat". Batman said disapprovingly.
"Ever since its inception, we have guarded and defended the earth against countless threats. With all we have done, I believe it is enough to show that we mean no harm". J'onn added on the side.
"Yes.... All you've done. Does that also include how many times your power has been used against you by the threats you guard against?" The Red Loli questioned.
Martian Manhunter was momentarily taken aback.
"The power your League wields is too much to be left unchecked. There are several cases where Justice League members have been mind controlled, brainwashed, deceived and their powers have caused disasters done against their own will".
"You are the strongest existences on this planet, but also the most dangerous. What would happen if the League one day decided to stop being saviors? To stop protecting the innocent or to take Justice into their hands?"
"It is estimated that by that time, the freedom era would come to an end and in the face of someone like Superman, there is nothing mankind can do to stop it. Taking steps to limit you and your operations follows logical reasoning".
The AI said tacitly.
"Superman and the Justice league would never do such a thing". Batman quickly replied.
"Your word and the word of the league carries no value. Without an actual form of guarantee, it is useless".
Bruce didn't retort. As the master of Wayne industries and the skillful bat of Gotham, he had already mastered the art of politics to the highest level.
For those government officials and the World Council, he knew what was going on within their minds.
In a way, the AI was right. The power of the league was too great to ignore and would give those people in power sleepless nights.
Although the Justice League acted as benevolent savior's now, who could predict the future? That "If" would always exist within their minds.
Knowing that there was someone who could literally break into their homes and snap their necks without anyone knowing was worrying.
Only when there was equal strength between two parties could cooperation exist. When the power of one side vastly overpowered the other, the weaker side would have countless insecurities.
It was only normal to seek some sort of countermeasure against them. The same way, Batman kept precautionary measures against all Justice League members.
In case any one of them went rogue, there would immediately be a response plan to contain them as soon as possible.
So his earlier retorts were just for the sake of it. Batman knew that as long as the League existed, those people in power never be able to trust them. Whether it be out of fear of their abilities or fear that the league would infringe on their interests, they would constantly look for ways to restrain them.
The same way, he as Batman could never trust Amari.
"And how does discovering our secret identities fit into your precautionary measures" Batman asked.
The cold, indifferent voice had an edge to it that could bring a chill to the spine of an ordinary person.
Lane, however, didn't seem to notice and played dumb. The Red Queen, however, had no inhibitions on what she could say and answered bluntly.
"Of course, as a form of guarantee. The true identity of Batman would certainly cause your alter ego a lot of trouble if the word were to spread. Dangerous trouble....."
"Is that a threat?" Bruce's tone grew colder, with his eyes narrowing to form the classic piercing glare. Even Martian Manhunter who was standing at the sides indifferently, turned visibly gloomy.
Unlike the neighbouring Marvel Universe, the Superheroes of the DC world kept their secret identities secret through any means necessary.
If the identity of Batman got out, then Bruce Wayne and everyone he ever cared about would face endless retaliation from the villains of Gotham.
Not just Gotham. Numerous DC villains would immediately swarm to attack The Dark Knight like moths to a lamp light.
Joker, Penguin, Killer Kroc, Mr. Freeze, Riddler...... the list was so long it was almost endless.
If it were only him, then things wouldn't be so bad. But it wasn't just him. There was Alfred, and Dick, Barbara and Jason...
Thinking of this, Bruce's face was grim ad countless thoughts raved through his mind. Martian Manhunter frowned as he could feel Batman's chaotic emotions.
"No threat, Mr. Wayne. Just a small display of my current capabilities. Nothing more, nothing less". Alice replied in a bland tone.
"From what you performed, I wouldn't say those were just small displays". Bruce said aggressively.
The whole object of their coming here had been temporarily forgotten at the moment. Although important, their original agenda could wait.
This small incident, on the other hand, had the possibility of exposing the entire Justice league. Something that Batman didn't want to see happen.
As for the AI...... "This AI was obtained from Amari. Sure enough, anything that relates to him is nothing but trouble. This Red Queen is extremely dangerous". Bruce thought to himself inwardly.
As a master detective, Batman smelt some sort of conspiracy in the air. He didn't know what it was, and he couldn't put his finger on it. But by the Greek Gods, Bruce was sure that something wasn't right.
This AI was anything but normal, and Batman was determined to get to the bottom of it.
"Is that your opinion? Well then I'm sorry to inform you that this truly was a small display of my currently limited capabilities. If you think that my previous operation was anything noteworthy, then you are truly mistaken".
Alice said to Bruce indifferently.
"What do you mean?" His senses tingled a bit. Batman, whose curiosity was stoked inquired from the AI.
"Fist of all, please do not limit me to your specie's primitive understanding of Artificial Intelligence. I am not just artificial life but fully self-aware and capable of understanding. My processing and deduction ability is several thousand times more powerful than the best thing your race can currently acquire. I am an Artificial neural network-based conscious group mind. However, I am currently not connected to the global network, thereby placing heavy restraints on my abilities. If that were to change, I would be more than capable of controlling all electrical based hardware on the planet connected to the network. Traffic lights, electric cars, international stations, power plants, military hardware, airplanes, ship's, submarines, the internet. I would be able to perfectly monitor all forms of communication that takes place, no matter how secure the line it is on. With Satellite surveillance, no intelligence on the face of the planet would be able to escape my perception. Everything could be controlled, everything could be monitored, crime rates would drop to an all-time low, advancements in science and technological fields, global conflicts resolved in the fairest and simplest ways... In a few words, "Hooked into everything, destined to run it all". Compared to all this, Mr. Bruce, discovering the identities of your friends is a little triviality. Do you agree?" The childish voice that sounded adorable spoke deafening words.
J'onn and Bruce but stood still, the words still ringing in their heads, placing them in severe shock.
Bruce, on the other hand, felt the essence within that long delivery. As the paranoid man that he was, his mind effectively filtered the majority of what was said within that small lecture.
"Crime rates would drop to an all-time low, advancements in science and technological fields, global conflicts resolved in the fairest and simplest ways...." All that part was directly thrown to the back of his mind, locked somewhere he would never remember it again.
After removing all that, what was left was the part that caused the Bat of Gotham to experience the greatest worry he had ever felt since he learned of Amari's existence.
"No intelligence on the face of the planet would be able to escape my perception. Everything could be controlled, everything could be monitored...... Hooked into everything, destined to run it all".
At that moment, it was as if Bruce had a vision. One where the entire world was overthrown by machines and artificial intelligence caused the extinction of mankind...
After a long time of silence, Batman finally came back to his senses. His eyes gave off a piercing glare at the little Red hologram, and his tone had dropped from heavily cold to downright frosty.
"So basically, you're the real life presentation of the Skynet?"
Sam Lane: "..."
Martian Manhunter: ".."
"I am not the Skynet from the Terminator movie, Mr. Wayne". The red Queen replied while giving Bruce a subtle look.
"That's not the point. All you've said has led me to conclude that compared to Amari, you are an even bigger threat. One that earth can't tolerate". Bruce said with extreme aggression as he took two steps forward...
Currently, Bruce had forgotten everything else. His only thought right then was to destroy the AI, one way or another.
The uneasiness deep within his gut had never been so strong in his life. Compared to when he was unfamiliar with Superman or his hostility to Amari, it was several times stronger.
Numerous thoughts flashed through Batman's head, and all of them were the worst possibly conclusions he could come with.
The Red Queen was right, she wasn't an AI, she was practically a weapon. One that could cause great chaos and destruction.
Even if something like a robot rebellion didn't happen, based on her listed capabilities, the Red Queen would become a dangerous entity if she fell into the wrong hands.
The league and all their secrets, their movements. All of it would be exposed. This was something Batman couldn't tolerate in the slightest, so his mind and body were in complete tactic understanding.
Destroy the AI first, consider the consequences later.
"That will be enough of that". At that moment, Sam, who had been sitting on the sidelines said in an incomparably cold voice. His eyes had narrowed into slits as he stared at Batman and Martian Manhunter with a hostile expression.
"The Red Queen is a government investment, a trade deal negotiated with Amari under the supervision of the world council, directly under our care and control. The accords clearly state that both sides will not get involved in the matters of the other. So concerning the AI, the league has no right to interfere in her handling".
"I suggest you think carefully and weigh the consequences before you take your next decision, Batman". Sam said, his grim expression and hostile tone were brewing with an icy coldness and his sitting posture involuntarily exuded a sense of oppression.
For people like Batman, this sense of oppression wasn't worth mentioning.
"Batman, calm yourself. Please remember why we are here". A hand was placed on Bruce's shoulder, effectively bringing him back to his senses.
Bruce turned to look at J'onn who gave a faint nod and then towards the cold looking general and finally rested on the AI.
His aggressive momentum receded back to his originally indifferent nature. Now wasn't the time for this.
Currently, they had other things to worry about.
"This matter isn't over". Bruce stated.
"Humph!" Sam answered with a cold snort.
Seeing this, Martian Manhunter immediately stepped up.
"This isn't why we are here. Our purpose lies not with the AI, but Amari".
Hearing his name again, Sam frowned and asked impatiently.
"What do you want?"
"We need you to help us contact him. Set up an immediate meeting". Bruce answered his question.
"Then why don't you just go to his base and have your meeting there?"
"We don't want to meet him in his territory. We need him temporarily out of it".
Sam heard the words and several thoughts appeared in his mind.
In a matter of seconds, he could analyze a portion of their intentions. But it was precisely because of this that he denied without hesitation.
"I refuse". General Lane didn't like Amari. But he would rather not mess with him either. This was simply looking for trouble.
Bruce stated after seeing the quick denial.
"I have something that will make you change your mind".
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