The Flash's Hesitation
Barry Allen, the Flash, leaned back against the console, arms crossed, his usual easygoing smile replaced by a look of cautious curiosity. He had just been handed the most bizarre pitch of his life—a dimension-hopping merchant and his android wife, offering alien tech in exchange for… well, Ishmaart hadn't specified yet.
"Okay, okay," Barry said, rubbing his chin. "This is wild. Like, 'I-just-ran-through-a-time-vortex' wild. But before I even think about showing you around, I gotta run this by the League. You know, protocol and all."
Ishmaart's face fell. "Arre, bhai! Kya protocol? Hum toh business karne aaye hain!" What protocol? We came to do business!
Barry held up a hand. "No, no, I get it! But you did just pop into the middle of my city. If I don't clear this with Batman, he'll have my head on a spike. And trust me, you do not want to deal with Batman when he's in 'unauthorized dimensional breach' mode."
Rubina, ever the silent observer, tilted her head. "Query: Is 'Batman' a threat?"
Barry chuckled. "Oh, he's a threat to everyone's peace of mind."
Batman's Interrogation (and the Hindi Dilemma)
Twenty minutes later, Ishmaart and Rubina found themselves in the Batcave, standing before the Dark Knight himself. Batman loomed over them, his cape draped like a shadow, his cowl making his expression unreadable. Alfred stood nearby, sipping tea, looking thoroughly amused.
"Explain," Batman said, his voice a low growl.
Ishmaart, never one to back down, launched into his story—in Hinglish. "Arre, Batman-sahab, aise hi nahi aaye hain hum. Ek system hai, ek dukaan hai—"
Batman's eyes narrowed. "Speak in Hindi. Proper Hindi."
Ishmaart blinked. "Aap Hindi jaante ho?" You know Hindi?
"Fluent," Batman replied, switching seamlessly to crisp, textbook Hindi. "But your 'Hindi' is an insult to the language."
Ishmaart grinned. "Toh aap samajh gaye na, main kya keh raha hoon!" So you understood what I was saying!
Batman ignored the jab. "You claim to be a merchant from another universe. You have no records, no identification, and your 'wife' is clearly not human."
Rubina stepped forward. "Affirmative. I am a YoRHa combat android, Unit 2B, designated 'Rubina' in this reality. My primary function is the protection of Ishmaart Shankar."
Batman's gaze sharpened. "A combat android."
"Haan, lekin ab gharwali bhi," Ishmaart added with a smirk. Yes, but now she's also my wife.
Alfred nearly choked on his tea.
Batman, however, was not amused. "This is not a joke."
"Nahi, nahi, main samajhta hoon," Ishmaart said, sobering up. "Par hum dushman nahi hain. Hum toh business karne aaye hain. Dekhiye—" He pulled out the glowing gear fragment. "Yeh cheez aapke scientists ko dekhni chahiye. Alien tech. Koi threat nahi, bas… inventory."
Batman took the fragment, examining it silently. After a long pause, he turned to Alfred. "Run a full scan. Cross-reference with Apokolips, New Genesis, and Kryptonian databases."
Alfred nodded. "At once, sir."
As Alfred bustled off, Batman fixed Ishmaart with a piercing stare. "If this is a trick, you will regret it."
Ishmaart swallowed. "Batman-sahab, main toh bas ek dukaan-wala hoon."
The Justice League's Grand Introduction
An hour later, after Alfred confirmed the gear was indeed "not of this Earth" (or any Earth the League knew of), Batman reluctantly agreed to let Ishmaart and Rubina meet the rest of the League—under supervision.
The Watchtower's main hall was bustling with activity. Superman floated near the ceiling, discussing something with Wonder Woman. Cyborg was tinkering with a holographic interface, while Green Lantern lounged on a couch, spinning a construct ring around his finger. Supergirl was mid-conversation with Aquaman, who looked thoroughly confused by her enthusiasm.
The moment Ishmaart and Rubina stepped in, the room fell silent.
Supergirl's eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh, you brought guests!"
Barry grinned. "Yeah, kinda? This is Ishmaart and Rubina. They're… uh… multiversal traders?"
Superman raised an eyebrow. "Multiversal?"
"Haan, ji," Ishmaart said, bowing slightly. "Main Ishmaart Shankar. Yeh meri patni, Rubina."
Rubina gave a small, precise nod. "Greetings."
Wonder Woman stepped forward, her presence commanding yet warm. "Welcome to the Watchtower," she said, her voice rich with authority. "You are the first non-League guests we've had in some time."
Ishmaart, ever the opportunist, saw his chance. He turned to Rubina. "Rubina, inko salaam karo. Yeh Wonder Woman hain—"
Before he could finish, Rubina dropped into a perfect namaste, hands folded, head bowed. "Pranam. Aapka ashirwad chahiye." Greetings. I seek your blessing.
The room blinked.
Wonder Woman, taken aback by the sudden display of respect, placed a hand on Rubina's shoulder. "You have it," she said, smiling. "May the gods watch over you."
Rubina straightened, looking oddly flustered. "Dhanyavaad." Thank you.
Supergirl, meanwhile, had zeroed in on Ishmaart. "So, you're from another universe?"
"Bilkul!" Ishmaart said, puffing his chest. "Ek alag hi duniya. Wahan pe Marvel hai, DC nahi. Par maine socha, why not expand?"
Green Lantern, who had been silently observing, suddenly perked up. "Wait, Marvel? Like, Marvel Marvel?"
"Haan, haan!" Ishmaart said, grinning. "Wahan pe Iron Man hai, Hulk hai, Captain America bhi—"
Cyborg, who had been quietly scanning Rubina with his tech, suddenly cut in. "Whoa. Your systems are insane. YoRHa model? That's some next-level tech."
Rubina turned to him, her blindfolded gaze unreadable. "Your cybernetics are also impressive. Nth Metal integration?"
Cyborg's eyes widened. "You can see that?"
"Sensors," Rubina replied. "Your left arm's power core is running at 87% efficiency. Minor flux in the—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Green Lantern interrupted, holding up a hand. "We are so geeking out right now."
Superman, watching the exchange with a mix of amusement and concern, turned to Batman. "Where did this kid come from?"
Batman, arms crossed, muttered, "I have no idea. But I don't like it."
The Father Modes Activate
Superman floated down to Ishmaart's level, his blue eyes studying him with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. "You say you're a merchant?"
"Ji, Superman-sahab!" Ishmaart said, beaming. "Multiversal Dukaan! Alien tech, rare artifacts, maybe even a few things from your universe if you're interested!"
Superman's expression didn't change, but there was a flicker of something—concern—in his eyes. "And what do you want in return?"
Ishmaart hesitated. "Well… I was thinking maybe some Kryptonian tech? Or a Green Lantern ring? Just… samples, you know? For my inventory."
The room went dead silent.
Green Lantern slowly put his hand over his ring. "Uh. No."
Superman's voice was firm. "Absolutely not."
Ishmaart's face fell. "Arre, bas ek chhoti si cheez—"
"No," Batman cut in, his voice leaving no room for argument. "You are not getting a Lantern ring."
Supergirl, however, looked intrigued. "But what do you have?"
Ishmaart perked up. "Oh, I can show you!" He reached into his pouch and pulled out a small, glowing crystal. "Yeh dekho—"
Before he could finish, the crystal pulsed, and a holographic projection of a futuristic cityscape—Nier: Automata's ruins—floated in the air.
The League gasped.
Cyborg's eyes widened. "That's not from any Earth!"
Green Lantern leaned in. "Dude. That's alien alien."
Superman and Batman exchanged a glance. This was getting complicated.
To Be Continued…
Ishmaart had just opened the door to the Justice League's curiosity—and their suspicions. Rubina, meanwhile, was quietly processing the fact that she was now the center of attention for some of the most powerful beings in the universe.
As the League debated what to do with their unexpected guests, one thing was clear:
Ustaad Ishmaart Shankar's Multiversal Dukaan was officially open for business.