Doctor Fate sighed helplessly, reached out, and gave Hawkman a heavy pat on the shoulder:
"Old friend, take my advice. Don't do anything foolish. He'll be gone for good before long. There's absolutely no need for us to oppose him now. Whether it's Vought's Wonder Woman, Superman, or Martian Manhunter, they're all fundamentally kind. They won't run wild."
At those words, Hawkman's gaze sharpened, and he stared fixedly at his old friend's helmet:
"What did you see in the future?"
Doctor Fate shook his head. It could not be told, must not be told.
"Just remember, never make an enemy of him. He won't be staying here long. And..."
Doctor Fate paused, his tone turning deadly serious.
"If I remember correctly, you should still have some spare Nth metal aboard your ship."
Doctor Fate shook his head. He could not say it. He must not say it.
"Anyway, don't make an enemy of him. He won't stay long. Also, I remember you should still have some Nth metal."
Hawkman's eyes instantly went round. Like a lion guarding its food, he bristled and blurted out:
"No! That's all I have left! I was planning to use it to..."
"Carter!"
Doctor Fate abruptly raised his voice, cutting him off sternly.
Hawkman froze, looking at Doctor Fate's grave, warning-filled eyes.
Decades of facing life and death together let him instantly understand his old friend's unspoken message: if he refused, he might lose his life.
After a long, deathly silence, Hawkman closed his eyes in humiliation and nodded with difficulty:
"All right... I understand."
Doctor Fate patted his back and consoled him quietly:
"He's only passing through this world, like a meteor streaking across the sky, gone in an instant. There's no need to worry too much."
Thousands of meters up in the sky,