In the end, the Flash couldn't resist his curiosity and ate an artificial Devil Fruit.
Of course, this was also because the Flash didn't take the Speed Force too seriously—he hadn't yet encountered those who would steal his Speed Force.
But even with his speed, Shin had no intention of becoming a speedster himself. Many abilities in American comics come with a price. The most famous example? Magic.
Whether in DC or Marvel, magic is essentially a loan with high interest. It's one of the most deceptive power systems.
Take Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One. She looked powerful, but in reality, she never paid back her debts—instead, she beat up her creditors.
How? Because she had a strong backer—Eternity, Marvel's personification of time. That was why she ignored the dimensional lords. If one of them demanded her soul after death, Eternity could wipe them out.
The Speed Force sounded just as grand, but in reality, it had way too many side effects. Every speedster's soul belonged to the Speed Force after death. And if they tried to escape their fate, the Speed Force would send time remnants to drag them back.
For Shin, borrowing the Speed Force was fine. Studying it with technology? Sure. But becoming a speedster himself? No thanks.
"Ugh, this tastes horrible!" The Flash made a disgusted face, then flexed his arms.
"But I do feel a lot stronger now."
He turned to Shin.
"So, do you still want to collect some of my Speed Force? 'Cause I have no idea how to do that. Are you gonna build a treadmill or something?"
Shin smirked.
"With your speed? What kind of treadmill could even handle that? Wait… could it be… a Cosmic Treadmill?"
Flash perked up.
In the comics, the Cosmic Treadmill was a time-traveling device. But Shin still couldn't understand why the Flash even needed it.
The Speed Force already protected his body at light speed. How did the treadmill survive?
"We'll figure that out later." Shin waved a hand. "For now, let's focus on the Mother Boxes."
Batman, who had been deep in thought, snapped to attention.
"The situation isn't too dangerous yet. It looks like we have all three Mother Boxes under control."
Shin shook his head.
"Apokolips won't give up that easily."
"Remember—Earth repelled them before."
More importantly, Apokolips treats Earth differently than other planets. There's a connection between the New Gods and the Old Gods here.
Even if Shin wasn't sure whether this backstory carried over into the movie world, the fact remained: Apokolips wants Earth more than other planets.
"The Parademons that have been chasing us are proof."
"You really think they got here without paying a price?"
Without a Boom Tube, the demons had to force their way through space-time—a process that wasn't safe.
When Shin first encountered them at Gotham University, they had scars all over their bodies. That was likely the cost of traveling through dimensions.
For every demon that arrived, who knew how many more had died trying?
Even if Parademons were expendable, Apokolips was constantly at war. They fought hundreds of planets at any given time.
If they were willing to pay this kind of price just to invade Earth, it meant—Apokolips saw Earth as a priority.
Batman was silent for a moment, then nodded grimly.
"You're right. We need to make further preparations."
"So," Shin asked, "what's the plan?"
Batman crossed his arms, deep in thought.
"Two things," he finally said.
"First, we need to call Superman back."
"The problem is, we can't contact him directly. But I know someone who can."
Shin thought for a moment.
Lois Lane? Superman's girlfriend? That made sense.
But Batman shook his head.
"No. His mother."
Shin blinked.
"Oh… right."
Batman and Superman became friends because both of their mothers were named Martha.
Of course, he'd remember Superman's mother.
Batman continued.
"The second thing is informing the government."
"As far as I know, the third Mother Box is in the hands of the authorities—specifically, Project Cadmus."
"They manage superpowered individuals. And the Cyborg connected to the Mother Box is one of their operatives."
[T/N: Not sure if this is canonically correct. Just assume that in this world, Cyborg is under Cadmus. Just as Lex Luthor is not bald, expect some difference in this version of DC world.]
Batman paused, then added, "I'll personally handle this one."
Shin raised an eyebrow.
Batman wasn't exactly on good terms with the government.
Technically, Cadmus should already know his real identity.
Before the Justice League, Batman was just a Gotham legend.
But Bruce Wayne? One of the richest men in America. That made Batman the perfect negotiator.
Because in America? A billionaire like Bruce Wayne had more power than a superhero. Even if the U.S. government could ignore Superman, they would never ignore Bruce Wayne.
After discussing the plan, they decided to split into two groups. Batman would personally handle Cadmus.
The Flash would take Batman to the government facility.
Meanwhile, Shin and Wonder Woman would find Superman's mother.
With the Flying Thunder God, Shin could teleport instantly, and the Flash's speed was unmatched, making them the best choices for splitting up.
As for Aquaman and Mera, they stayed behind on Paradise Island.
Why? Because out of all three Mother Boxes, the one on Paradise Island was the biggest risk.
If Diana left, the island still needed strong defenders.
While Aquaman wasn't as strong as Wonder Woman, he was far superior to the average Amazon warrior.
And Mera's water manipulation made her just as dangerous.
So, while the others handled their missions, Aquaman and Mera would stand guard.
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