At first, the others did not understand Batman's strange behavior. But when they followed his gaze and took a closer look at Homelander, they saw the state he was in.
These battle-hardened heroes began to understand.
Homelander might not live to see tomorrow...
Endless grief gripped their hearts, but not one of them said it aloud.
Barry forced an awkward smile. "Right! Right! Now's the perfect time! The atmosphere here is incredible! A wedding after the battle! That's got to be the most romantic thing this century!"
Mera quietly turned away and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Then she turned back with a smile. "It's an Atlantis tradition, too. A union after victory receives the sea god's blessing."
Harley Quinn looked around at everyone's reactions. The barrier that had protected her from the truth finally shattered.
She wasn't stupid. She was one of Gotham's finest psychologists.
She just hadn't wanted to believe it.
Tears welled in her eyes again.
She wanted to scream, to deny all of it.
But when she saw the hope in Homelander's eyes, she swallowed it all back.
"Okay..."
Harley Quinn's voice was so choked it was barely audible.
She sniffed hard and roughly wiped the tears and blood from her face with the back of her hand.
When she looked up again, her face shone with a bright, happy smile.
"Okay! Let's get married. Right now!"
Harley Quinn spoke with a touch of cheer, as though nothing had happened.
"But you'll have to wait a moment, darling. My makeup's a mess. A bride can't get married with her face looking like this, can she?"
She turned her back. Tears blurred her vision at once, but she kept her voice light.
"Hey, fish girl! Lend me some water to wash my face!"