A King's Reflections, a Blueprint for the Stars

Metropolis. The top floor of Chaos Guidance Company headquarters. Link's private office.

Beyond the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, the afternoon city bustled in orderly fashion. Even Gotham, once a city of crime, had become more "peaceful" than ever under this new order. The global crime rate had fallen to nearly zero. Natural disasters were eliminated before they struck. Everyone lived in an arranged, perfectly safe "happiness."

Link sat in his throne-like office chair, his fingers tapping absently on the armrest. He wasn't looking at the view. He stared at the empty air before him.

In his perception, that terrifying gaze from the darkest corner of the universe had yet to fade.

Darkseid.

The name alone carried enough weight to crush dimensions. That cold Omega Gaze, filled with absolute will, had pierced space and time to lock onto him. It held no anger, no warning. It was something more detached—like a biologist watching with interest as a curious amoeba suddenly leaped out of its petri dish.

Interesting... am I?

Link's lips curved slightly. A cold smile flashed through his eyes.

"Looks like he's underestimating me."

He spoke softly to himself.

Earth had grown too small for him.

Its power struggles, its economic games, even the Justice League that had once given him trouble—all seemed as dull as children playing make-believe now that he had glimpsed the scale of the universe.

When your opponent had set up the board across the Milky Way Galaxy, how could you still care about a chess match outside the village outhouse?

"Harley, send all the company's aerospace project files from the past three years, along with every technical document copied from the Watchtower, to my terminal."

He spoke into the air.

"Got it, puddin'! Want some dessert? I just baked a batch of explosive little cookies!" Harley's