The screen flickered dimly in Cadmus secret headquarters. Amanda Waller sat stiffly before it, her face bathed in blue light as she delivered her report to her superiors.
"He wants to adopt her," Amanda said flatly, folding her hands.
A chorus of disapproving voices erupted almost immediately.
"This is unacceptable."
"She's a government asset, not a stray to be picked up."
"He has no right to demand that, prepare a tactical team to retrieve the girl."
Amanda nodded once. "Understood." She ended the call, face unreadable.
She immediately dialed Ashborn's private line. It rang once.
"You are calling late, some resistance?" his voice came through smooth, casual.
"Yes, the adoption was refused," Amanda said without hesitation. "They have decided to retrieve her. It's out of my hands."
There was a pause. "Names," Ashborn said.
Amanda hesitated only a moment, then listed them off. A dozen high-ranking officials. In her mind, she thought, [This is it. Once he realizes the scale of who he's messing with, he'll drop this ridiculous game.]
But she underestimated him.
Less than an hour later, Amanda's phone buzzed with an encrypted, top-priority message—an urgent meeting request.
She joined the secure video call expecting confidence and resolve. Instead, she was met with trembling, pale-faced men and women who couldn't look her in the eye. People who, mere hours ago, barked orders with superiority, now looked as if they'd seen death itself.
"We… reconsidered," one stammered.
"Effective immediately, you are to comply with Mr. Black's request," another added.
"Full approval," a third whispered.
Amanda ended the call in silence. She stared at the blank screen for a long moment, trying to understand.
[What could he have done in less than an hour?] she wondered.
Whatever it was, it terrified people who didn't even flinch at alien invasions. Ashborn might be more dangerous than Lex Luthor, she finally admitted to herself.
___________
That same night in Gotham, atop the roof of an old clock tower, Supergirl found her way to someone who would listen.
"Girl problems?" Barbara asked as she sipped her hot cocoa, watching Kara land beside her.
Kara nodded and dropped beside her with a sigh. "Yeah… big ones."
Barbara gave her a half-smile. "Spill it."
Kara hugged her knees. "I heard Ashborn and his assistant talking the other day, Ashborn refused the idea of dating because he viewed it as a responsibility that takes time and effort. He told Rex, he will take it seriously and do it to the best he can and he doesn't want to do that now. I can respect that. But he went out of his way to adopt that strange and crazy girl, Ace."
"The girl that was with the Joker and nearly made millions become insane?" Batgirl asked surprised, she still has not received the news.
"Yes, that Ace" Supergirl answered "I saw her, she is a few years younger and seemed more alien than me, she is definitely not right in the mind. He made her his daughter, can you believe that? Won't taking care of her take effort? Isn't it a greater responsibility? So why would he do that? I asked him again… you know… dating. He shot me down, instantly"
Barbara blinked. "Wait, again? Kara… why do you like that guy? He's an arrogant jerk."
Kara smiled faintly. "I thought so too. At first. But he's not, not really. He's kind. Genuinely kind. He takes care of people in his own strange way. He's funny. Handsome. Filthy rich and scary smart."
Barbara raised a brow.
"And he's the only person who ever treated me like a normal girl, it felt like he could understand me, that he didn't see me as alien" Kara continued softly. "He seemed to understand what I was going through, what I was thinking. He just… looked me in the eye and talked. And smiled when I badmouthed him. It just feels different"
Barbara was quiet for a moment, then nudged her lightly. "You really like that guy."
Kara nodded. "Yeah… I really do."
Barbara said "I can't imagine him as a decent person. All I can see is an arrogant rich guy with a complete disregard for rules, a jerk even. He caused me a lot of trouble with my dad. When he realized I am Batgirl, he told my dad that he saw me with an older man and I was pretty close to him, that he should give me more time and talk with me. That caused me a lot of trouble and dad took a while before he stopped suspecting me"
Kara laughed hearing that and asked "Is any of it true?"
Barbra rolled her eyes and said "He was talking about Bruce and the relation was me being Batgirl, but he put it in a way that kept the truth hidden while ensuring it will cause me trouble with my dad."
"Yeah, I can totally see him doing something like that" Kara replied.
___________
In the Watchtower, Earth's mightiest protectors gathered within the circular chamber overlooking the stars. Batman stood alone near the central console, arms folded, face unreadable beneath the cowl. T\he members of the Justice League arrived one after another—Wonder Woman, Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, and others—curiosity and concern written across their faces.
No one knew why they'd been summoned. That in itself was cause for alarm.
Batman waited until every chair was occupied, the last echoes of boots on steel fading.
Only then did he speak.
"Igris," he began, projecting his voice so all could hear, "the black knight who took down Doomsday and led an assault against the Thanagarians and Hawkgirl, serves a figure known only as the Shadow Monarch."
The atmosphere changed instantly. What had begun as curiosity turned into focused, tense attention.
"This Shadow Monarch commands not just Igris, but other knights, deadly, skilled, and loyal," Batman continued. "And until now, we've had no information about this force. They operate in secret. They strike without warning. And they show no hesitation to kill."
Every member knew of them. A hidden force on Earth, powerful enough to defeat Doomsday and decimate alien forces was no small matter. And worse, they were invisible, leaving no trace beyond the battlefield.
Batman pressed a button, dimming the lights. "I believe we have a lead on the Shadow Monarch."
Everyone sat straighter.
"I believe they are connected to Ashborn Black."
Gasps and raised brows met that declaration. Wonder Woman frowned. Flash blinked and leaned forward, confused. Superman's face grew still.
Batman didn't let the pause stretch too long.
"Ashborn has displayed access to powerful magical items, items no one else could even trace. And every time we questioned him, he deflected or refused to reveal their origin. That alone is suspicious. But more concerning…"
Batman gestured again, and an image of park during Ace's episode, completely and recognized and more of a fantasy show than a real park.
"Yesterday, Ace's powers began warping reality. Ashborn managed to bring those powers under control. With something else. Something even we couldn't explain. And Ashborn has shown awareness of the true identities of some of our members. I suspect he knows all of them. That is not a coincidence."
He let the weight of his words sink in.
"I don't believe it's a stretch to say the name 'Shadow Corp' and 'Shadow Monarch' are connected."
The League members looked to one another, processing the implications. The pattern was beginning to take shape. Odd behavior, strange connections, unexplained power—and the audacity to oppose them without fear.
Still, not everyone was convinced.
Flash raised his hand and leaned back in his chair. "Look, I'm not saying this isn't strange, but come on. That's a leap. You yourself confirmed Ashborn has no magical talent. He's not a meta. No tech enhancements. He's just… a regular guy with physical training at most. How could he be involved in something like this?"
Batman's gaze turned cold.
"This isn't about him. It's about who he's working for. I believe Shadow Corp is the surface, and the Shadow Monarch is what lies beneath. Ashborn is working for him, willingly or not, that is yet to be determined."
The Dark Knight clicked a final button, and a new hologram appeared, an old newspaper.
"Years ago," Batman narrated, "Black Corp became Shadow Corp. The reason? The successive deaths of multiple Black family members, including Ashborn's parents. Arthur Black gave a flimsy explanation for the name change, the wish of a grieving child he said"
He turned back to the table, voice sharp.
"I believe the Shadow Monarch orchestrated those murders to take control. And once Ashborn came of age, Arthur Black was removed, disappeared without a trace. Ashborn took the reins overnight."
Superman's expression turned more serious as Batman pressed forward.
"Ashborn's attitude, his fearlessness, his absolute confidence, is not natural. I believed it was the cause of trauma but in the light of recents events, I don't think so anymore. He either fears a threat lurking in the shadows far greater than us… or he's protected by it."
The screen faded to black.
"And then, there's Ace." Batman leaned in. "That girl has great power and could grow even more in the future. Suddenly Ashborn decides to adopt her without explanation. This isn't just a kind gesture. She might be a weapon… or a key to something larger."
A heavy silence gripped the room again.
No one moved. The possibilities swirled like a storm, every connection more unsettling than the last.
Finally, Superman spoke. "What are you suggesting?"
Batman stood tall. "We keep constant surveillance on Ashborn. Track his every move. Uncover the truth. Identify the Shadow Monarch and what he's planning."
The room shifted. Some heroes looked uneasy. Wonder Woman leaned forward, arms crossed. Green Lantern rubbed his temple.
"No," Superman said at last, his voice calm but absolute.
Batman narrowed his eyes. "You'd let a possible threat move freely among us?"
"We don't know that it's a threat," Superman replied. "So far, the Shadow Knights have only helped us. They stepped in to expose and stop the Thanagarian plot. They stopped Doomsday."
He looked around the room.
"If you're wrong, Bruce and you provoke them, we might start a war with an unknown enemy. One powerful enough to fight back and even win. You already pushed Ashborn once. And that got you nowhere."
Batman said nothing. But the tension in his jaw said everything.
"If he really knows our identities, then we're exposing our families and friends to danger," Superman continued. "You think that's worth it on a hunch?"
The League members glanced around. Nods followed. Quiet ones. Unwilling to speak out, but in agreement.
"The risk is too great," Wonder Woman said softly. "Igris words made it clear. They protect the earth from threats. If we move too aggressively, that might change."
"If they turn against us," Hal added, "it won't just be us who suffers. Our homes, our people, our families…"
"They left an impression," Flash muttered. "A big one. I don't want those knights spawn in Iris's house."
Batman stood motionless, surrounded by faces once ready to follow his every lead.
But now, now they were doubtful and afraid of what lurked behind the shadows.
Superman concluded, "It's not worth the risk, Bruce. We wait. We watch. But we do not pick the fight."
And the decision was made.
For now, the League would remain still. The shadows would be left untouched.