MTLNOVEL Chapter 49: Chapter 49
{A/N: Yes, the MC has cosmic awareness, but it doesn't mean he would know of every small thing like what a person is feeling, or what is on the internet. Think of Cosmic awareness as the Google of the gods. Jus that some gods can search for anything and get the answer to anything they want, while others can only search for stuff and get the answer to huge things that can't be hidden.}
"What's with the sudden, out-of-the-blue call?" Flash asked as he arrived at the Hall of Justice, the last to show up.
For the fastest man alive, it was almost embarrassing that even Batman had beaten him there.
"The world's presidents have come together to push someone as the leader of the Justice League," Hal explained, his frown deepening. "We can't fight it—if we do, they'll threaten to strip us of our right to be heroes."
They had been busy searching for Ashborn, but now they had to deal with this nonsense.
"What?" Flash's eyes widened in shock. The news was way too sudden and out of nowhere.
His gaze immediately shifted to Martian Manhunter, suspecting mind control. But J'onn shook his head. He had already checked—and found nothing.
"We're not seriously going to accept this, right?" Flash asked, looking around at the others.
The Justice League currently operated under a council of seven leaders—Batman, Flash, Superman, Wonder Woman, Hal, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter. Each of them held equal standing in decisions regarding the League.
And now, someone was trying to change that.
Wonder Woman was a leader because she served as the bridge between Themyscira and the rest of the world.
Aquaman, as the King of Atlantis, was the connection between the surface and the ocean's vast civilizations.
Batman, Flash, Superman, and Martian Manhunter were keystones of the Justice League—their presence and leadership formed the foundation of everything the League stood for.
Hal, as a Green Lantern, was their link to the greater universe, balancing duties far beyond Earth's borders.
And now, someone wanted to walk in, push them all aside, and take control. Just who had the world's leaders deemed worthy of wielding that much power?
The seven leaders of the Justice League stepped into the Hall of Justice, making their way to a secure meeting room. Inside, a wall of screens lit up, displaying the faces of world leaders from across the globe, all waiting for them.
To their shock, even figures who had once rejected the League's involvement—like Queen Bee, who had outright banned them from her territory—were present. And she wasn't alone.
African corrupt leaders, as well as some of the most powerful figures from the world's corrupt leaders, were also tuned in.
This wasn't just a political meeting. This was something far bigger.
To say everyone was shocked would be an understatement. Even Batman—the master of control—let his surprise slip for a brief moment before his expression hardened once more.
"Since everyone is here, I believe we should get to business." And just like that, the meeting began.
The seven leaders quickly found themselves completely suppressed, unable to push back with any countermeasures.
Sure, they could refuse. But the choice was clear—either accept the decision, or the Justice League would be taken by force.
They could walk away. They could leave the Justice League. But if they did… all superhero activity would come to an end. That included them using their powers as well.
"Who do you want to be the new leader?" Batman, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"His name is Ashborn," Queen Bee said, her tone light as if the decision had already been set in stone. "He spent the entire night traveling the world, speaking to all of us—and he convinced every one of us. I'm sure he'll show you exactly why we accepted, so we won't waste time explaining it."
Her mind, however, seemed elsewhere, drifting toward thoughts of someone.
"…" The Justice League stood frozen. Too shocked for words. They exchanged glances, each searching for some kind of explanation, but none of them had one.
And just like that, the meeting ended. They left the room, their faces marked with something they hadn't felt in a long time. A deep, unsettling uncertainty.
"Someone's in the Watchtower… it's Ashborn," Cyborg's voice came through their earpieces.
Without hesitation, they moved. In seconds, they reached the teleporter in the Hall of Justice, and in a flash of light, they appeared in the Watchtower.
There, they found Ashborn casually walking around, scanning the place as if it already belonged to him.
"What are you planning?" Batman, without a hint of hesitation, strode straight toward Ashborn. Ashborn stopped, meeting his gaze—but said nothing.
Instead, he raised a hand. And in an instant, they were thrown into the vision of a possible future. When it ended, and reality settled back around them, Ashborn finally spoke.
"My arrival in this omniverse disrupted the balance between Darkness and Light," Ashborn said.
He let the words sink in before continuing. "The best way to explain it… think of it like this—imagine the author of a story suddenly got distracted while writing. The story kept going, alive, but without the main characters having their usual plot armor."
Batman's eyes narrowed.
"I accept that this is my fault," Ashborn admitted. "So, I intend to fix it. I'll lend a hand—to help you all grow stronger, so that one day, you can face the Darkness."
He glanced around at them. "And to do that, I figured becoming the leader of the Justice League would be the best approach."
He paused, then tilted his head slightly. "Any questions?"
"How do you plan to lead the Justice League?" Superman asked, his frown deepening.
"You seven can continue running things as you have been," Ashborn said casually. "I'll step in when I see fit."
He folded his arms. "But you need to understand something—there's no plot armor anymore. That means, sooner or later, you're going to have to make the hard call—taking a life."
His gaze swept over them.
"The Darkness is already moving to swallow the Light. And what better way to do that than by pushing you cowards into it?" He raised an eyebrow.
They fell silent. They hadn't considered that.
"You're all weaker than the average soldier down on Earth," Ashborn said, his tone almost bored. "I wonder how many lives will be lost because you refuse to take one…"
He let the words hang in the air before shrugging. "But we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Just expect things to get worse—villains will be sharper, and stronger. Expect your loved ones to be killed. Expect your so-called heroic ideals to be tested."
His gaze swept over them. "The rest of the multiverse is going through the same thing—but worse. Because I'm not there." He tapped his temple. "But I am here, and I'm sure they can hold out until we get to them."
He clasped his hands together. "Any more questions?"
Batman's eyes narrowed. "If this is a plan to push us into killing—"
Ashborn sighed hearing his words, he couldn't help it and rolled his eyes.
"Do I look that bored?" Ashborn scoffed. "Secondly, I've been given full authority by the world leaders to kill whenever I see fit. And I could extend that authority to all of you…But only when I see that you can handle the weight of taking a life."
He suddenly snapped his fingers. "Wait—never mind. I'll just give it to Wonder Woman."
His smirk widened. "She's got the balls to kill and still stay true to her beliefs. Unlike the rest of you." His faint, mocking laugh made their irritation spike. "It's funny, really. The only woman here, and she's got more balls than any of you."
Their expressions darkened, how couldn't they when Ashborn was mocking them with something so serious as taking a life? Those who never took a life didn't understand just how easy it was to take a life. The first time it would weigh heavily on you… but the second time, it would lighten, the more one killed the lighter that weight would become until one finds that killing was the answer to everything. People look down upon them for not killing, but have those who look down upon them ever taken a life?