Chapter 31
"Only the dead have seen the end of war."
George Santayana
The wind stirred.
Matthew Vale stood on the roof of Harley's house, his white hair fluttering in the soft night breeze. His coat hung loose on his shoulders, and his glasses were in his hand, catching the silver glow of the moonlight. His eyes were locked on the stars—sharp, still, unblinking.
He could feel it.
Not see it.
Not hear it.
But feel it.
Something was coming.
The wind shifted.
The sky cracked open like paper being torn. A pillar of soft crimson light descended, slow and deliberate, touching the rooftop around him with a quiet hum.
Matthew didn't flinch.
He didn't even blink.
He simply smiled, soft and slow.
"I'm going for a walk, Crazy Pants," he said aloud, not turning his head.
Inside, Harley was humming a tune, unaware.
Before she could respond, before her voice could echo back—he was gone.
The light vanished.
The roof stood empty.
---
Watchtower
High above the Earth, the Justice League's command center pulsed with quiet urgency. Hal Jordan had just left to rally the Lantern Corps. Martian Manhunter focused his mind, scanning for traces of Apokoliptian presence. Zatanna stood in deep concentration, whispering protective incantations. Diana and Arthur coordinated with Themyscira and Atlantis, sending word to both realms that something ancient was stirring.
Cyborg typed rapidly at the central terminal, reactivating old defense systems from the Brainiac invasion.
The core team stood near the table:
Superman.
Batman.
Waiting.
Then… the light returned.
A red glow, soft and smooth, poured through the Watchtower's center chamber. Not an attack. Not destructive.
Just… a presence.
Everyone turned at once, instinctively moving into battle stances.
The light pulsed, then vanished as quickly as it came.
And in its place stood a man.
White hair tied neatly back.
Glasses on his face.
Black coat draped over his form.
Calm. Still. Not afraid.
Matthew Vale.
Silence fell.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
He looked around casually, eyes scanning the immense size of the chamber.
"Okay," he said, voice dry and smooth, "so who the hell pulled me here?"
The League stared.
Superman blinked.
Flash looked like he forgot how to breathe.
Martian Manhunter narrowed his red eyes.
Wonder Woman's hand rested on the hilt of her sword, but she didn't draw it. Not yet.
They remembered.
They remembered Gotham.
When Superman tried to reason with him.
When Diana warned him.
When Flash made jokes to hide the fear.
And when all of them… felt it.
That killing instinct.
That weight.
The cold certainty of someone who had crossed a line and never looked back.
And now… he was standing in their home.
Matthew chuckled and adjusted his glasses. "You all look like I just walked in on a funeral. Don't worry. I left my knives at home."
Batman stepped forward, eyes locked on him. "You've changed."
Matthew turned to him. " eating a heart can do that to you "
Matthew gave a small nod, no pride, no shame. Just a fact.
Then he looked around. "This place is big. I mean, really big. Who the hell built it?"
He spun slowly, admiring the structure.
Then his eyes landed on Bruce again.
"Oh. You did. Makes sense. Super rich guy building a space castle. Classic."
He pointed around the room. "You guys? Not so rich. Definitely not Watchtower-building rich."
A beat.
"But seriously—why am I here? I mean, yeah, I can fight. That's obvious. But ancient gods?" He laughed quietly. "Not my usual Thursday and it's always ancient gods with you guys"
Zatanna studied him with curiosity. He met her gaze and smiled.
"You use magic," he noted. "Nice. I met a guy once who did magic too. Smoked like a chimney. Drank like a sailor. And man, his demons had demons. Not even I could fight all of them." He paused. "Well… maybe."
He kept walking, slowly, deliberately.
"Cyborg," he said, nodding at Victor. "Man, you're living every teenager's dream. Lasers, tech, power armor. Big fan."
Then to Superman. "Good to see you again, by the way. Hope you don't call me son this time."
To J'onn. "Always a pleasure. You're quiet. I like that."
To Flash. "No hard feelings about the whole frozen-gun comment, right? You do fight a lot of guys with ice guns."
He stopped again.
"Oh, and speaking of cold…" He grinned faintly. "Mr. Freeze says hi. Well, he would… if he still had a tongue. Or a head."
Everyone stiffened.
Batman's eyes narrowed.
"You saw that, didn't you?" Matthew asked. "Of course you did."
A pause.
Then his tone shifted. The humor faded.
"So again," he said quietly, "why am I here?"
Superman stepped forward, his voice measured but strong. "Because war is coming."
Matthew raised an eyebrow.
"Darkseid," Diana added, stepping beside Clark. "The god of Apokolips. The destroyer of worlds. He's coming for Earth."
Matthew's smile faded.
"You sure?"
"We've seen his signature. He's searching for the Anti-Life Equation," Superman said. "We believe he thinks it's here."
Matthew took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling, as if staring beyond the stars.
"And you want me to help?"
"You've proven you're capable," Bruce said. "You've also proven you're not afraid to do what others won't."
"I'm not a team player," Matthew muttered.
"You don't have to be," Diana replied. "But you can fight. And right now… we need everyone."
Matthew looked at her. He saw no fear. Only truth. And resolve.
He turned away, hands in his coat pockets.
"This Darkseid guy… he strong?"
"Beyond strong," Superman said.
Matthew smirked. "Good. I was getting bored."
Then he turned back, expression softening.
"But I don't fight for the world," he said. "I fight for my world. Harley. That weird broken house. My music. My kitchen."
"And if that's threatened," he added, his voice cold now, "then I don't care if it's a god or a demon or the devil himself—I'll rip him to pieces."
He walked to the window and looked out at Earth.
"So where do we start?"
Superman exchanged a glance with Bruce.
Then Clark said, "We start by going home."
The war was coming.
But they weren't afraid anymore.
They had monsters on their side too.
---
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