DC Universe, Earth-12, Justice League Watchtower.
On the huge round conference table, seven ancient artifacts were quietly displayed.
The Flash Wally, the Flash, was idly tossing a small ball, which twirled and flew between his fingers, leaving afterimages.
"... These are the activation conditions for these 'gifts'."
The silence in the conference room was broken by the voice of Batman, Bruce Wayne.
[ Mjolnir: The wielder must possess Mjolnir 'heart of justice' to gain the power of thunder.]
[ Crown of the Goddess of Death ( Hela's Crown ): The wielder must 'face death without fear,' be able to sense the Soul Stone of the dead, briefly converse with the deceased, and control undead creatures.]
[ The Staff of Lies ( Loki's Scepter ): The wielder must have been betrayed and betrayed in return, possessing the ability to see through lies and create illusions.]
[ Sword of the Valkyrie 'Valkyrie's Sword: The wielder must have 'saved another's life', and can sense those about to die on the battlefield; nothing is immune to its power.]
[ The Gungnir ( Odin's Gungnir ): The wielder must have 'sacrificed everything for a certain belief,' and it is guaranteed to hit the target 100% of the time.]
[ Mead of Poetry ( Bragi's Mead ): The holder must have 'touched others with their work,' be able to speak words that strike the Soul Stone, and gain corresponding power through poetry.]
[ Book of Fate ( Fragment of the Three Fates' Loom ): The holder must have 'defied predetermined fate' and can briefly see the future for 3 seconds, once per day.]
"Most members of the League have already tried it."
Batman turned off the projector, and the room returned to its original light, with only the deep universe and distant Earth outside the window emitting a faint blue glow. "But to this day, no one has been able to gain the approval of all seven artifacts."
He glanced around at the core members at the table, finally fixing his gaze on Superman.
" Clark, you go first."
Superman Clark Kent nodded and stood up from his seat.
He walked to the table and reached out to grasp the leather handle of Mjolnir.
With almost no effort, he easily lifted the heavy Uru metal warhammer, its Hammerhead crackling with electricity.
He then picked up the Goddess of Death's Crown, the menacing metal branches of which did not radiate malice in his hands.
Then came the Valkyrie's longsword and the Gungnir, both of which showed him affinity.
But when he tried to pick up the Scepter of Lies, the scepter inlaid with blue gemstones did not budge.
He tried to apply more force, but the scepter seemed to be welded to the table.
He could feel that he could pull it up by brute force, but the power of recognition originating from within the artifact had completely subsided.
The same thing happened with Poetry Mead and the Book of Fate.
"I... cannot activate them." Superman put down Mjolnir and admitted frankly.
Next, Wonder Woman Diana stepped forward.
She easily resonated with the Sword of the Valkyrie, and the longsword emitted a clear, melodious hum in her hand.
But she was equally unable to wield the Scepter of Lies and the Poetry Mead.
As a champion of truth and a fighter for purity, she is at odds with lies and art.
The Flash Wally ran forward, touching almost all the artifacts, but ended up only picking up the Sword of the Valkyrie.
"Hey, I've saved quite a few people!" He proudly brandished his sword, then curled his lip.
"But betrayal and such... are too heavy, not for me. As for poetry? The last time I wrote poetry was in elementary school, and it was about a dog that ran too fast and its shoe flew off."
Green Lantern John's test results were similar to Diana's; he could wield the artifacts representing justice, protection, and sacrifice, but he was defeated by the Scepter of Lies, the Poetry Mead, and the Book of Fate.
He was a warrior, a guardian, but not a scheming manipulator, nor a bard.
Finally, it was Batman's turn.
He walked silently to the table without making a single unnecessary movement.
He first reached for Mjolnir.
Under the complex gazes of the crowd, he slowly picked up the warhammer that symbolized supreme justice.
Next is the Crown of the Goddess of Death.
As his fingers touched the cold metal, countless phantom images of dead souls seemed to flash across the crown—pearls scattered in the alleys of Gotham, parents lying in pools of blood.
Batman only paused for a second before returning to normal, as if nothing had happened.
Next came the Scepter of Lies. He had been betrayed by his closest "family" and had also deceived the entire world for the sake of a greater "justice." The scepter shone faintly in his hand.
The Sword of the Valkyrie, the Gungnir, the Book of Fate... one after another, he successfully activated them all.
Finally, he reached for the bottle of Mead of Poetry.
This time, no matter how he tried, the antique wine bottle remained unresponsive.
"It seems the Dark Knight of Gotham isn't good at moving people with his work," The Flash muttered to himself, but was immediately frozen in place by Batman's icy gaze.
Batman put all the artifacts back in their places, took a step back, and made no comment on his outcome.
But everyone understood that what this mortal carried in his heart was far heavier than they imagined.
" J'onn." Batman looked at the last person, Martian Manhunter.
J'onn Jungs emerged slowly from the shadows, a hint of hesitation on his gentle face.
He was the most low-key member of the League, and also the loneliest watchman.
He walked to the table and, imitating Superman, first grasped Mjolnir.
The hammer was easily lifted.
No one was too surprised, after all, J'onn's sense of justice was beyond doubt.
Then, he picked up the Goddess of Death's Crown.
As the sole survivor on Mars, he witnessed the annihilation of his entire race, and death was something all too familiar to him.
Next, the Staff of Lies.
He was betrayed by humans and his own kind, and he also betrayed the League.
The scepter emitted a faint blue light in his hand.
The Sword of the Valkyrie... it has saved countless lives.
The Gungnir... He sacrificed his past and future to protect Earth, his "second home."
Mead of Poetry... He used his Telepathy to soothe countless Soul Stone on the verge of collapse; that resonance that struck the Soul Stone surpassed all the most beautiful poems in the world.
Finally, there is that Book of Fate.
He defied his fate as the last man on Mars, destined to perish in solitude, and instead found a new home on Earth.
When J'onn held the last book in his palm, the pages moved without wind, emitting a soft golden light, and the entire conference room fell into a deathly silence.
All seven divine artifacts are approved.
"Wow!" The Flash Wally, nearly dropped his jaw. " J'onn... buddy, how many things are you still hiding from us?"
Superman's face was filled with pure shock and joy. " J'onn, this is... this is unbelievable."
Diana, in turn, looked at her usually taciturn companion with a new and respectful gaze.
Only Batman stood there motionless, his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits beneath his mask.
His brain is working at a speed that surpasses that of a supercomputer.
Why him? An alien survivor who perfectly fits all the moral and experiential standards of another alien pantheon? Coincidence? Or... a disguise?
The Mars's shapeshifting abilities... Telepathy... can he simulate any 'quality' he wants to exhibit?
J'onn was also stunned. He looked down at the seven divine artifacts floating around him. They seemed to have found their true master and were affectionately surrounding him.
"I... I don't know what's going on either." He looked at his comrade, his voice filled with confusion.
"But there's no use picking it up now." The Flash scratched his head, breaking the awkward atmosphere.
"That guy named Thor is probably no longer on Earth. By the way, how long has it been since we last saw him? Two months? Or three months?"
However, before he could finish speaking...
Buzz--
Dodge vibration appeared out of nowhere in the center of the conference room.
As if torn apart by an invisible hand, a circular opening made of pure energy, shimmering with a pale blue light, slowly unfolded before the seven heroes' eyes.
A blinding light burst forth, and a tall figure strode in from the other side of the door.