DC HERO AT MARVEL

When Anton returned home, he found Jameson sitting beside a man with graying hair, advanced in years yet exuding a commanding presence. His air of authority and quiet dignity was unmistakable.

The man was none other than John Keller.

Keller was a familiar face on television news. As someone involved in the media, Anton was no stranger to him.

It seemed Keller was equally familiar with Anton.

After all, Keller wouldn't have gone through the trouble of reaching out via Jameson if he didn't know of him.

This suggested that Keller likely bore no ill will.

"Mr. Keller, it a pleasure to meet you. You're even more impressive in person than on the news," Anton greeted him, shaking his hand.

"Anton, you're more spirited than the profiles I've read," Keller replied with a smile.

Profiles?

Anton eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Relax," Keller said, noticing the subtle shift in Anton demeanor. He chuckled. "I'm not here with ill intentions. If I were, I wouldn't have approached you through Jameson. After all, I am the Secretary of Defense."

"John and I go way back," Jameson interjected, his tone carrying a hint of something unspoken. "Anton, Keller is here about the Justice League."

"The Justice League?" Anton quickly masked his curiosity and responded earnestly, "Mr. Keller, since you're the Secretary of Defense, I'll be direct. While I have some connections to the Justice League, I'm just a small player in the grand scheme of things. I'd need to understand your intentions before proceeding."

"It about the aliens," Keller said bluntly, seeing no need for pretense given Anton cooperative stance. "The recent alien invasion, combined with the Daily Bugle reporting, has shown the world that extraterrestrial life is real. But there something you may not know—something that only a handful of people on this planet are aware of."

"What that?" Anton and Jameson both leaned forward, their interest piqued.

"The recent invasion wasn't Earth first encounter with aliens," Keller revealed, his voice low but steady.

"You mean to say you've known about aliens for a long time?" Jameson exclaimed, visibly startled.

As a titan in the media industry, it was rare for a story to slip past him—even those confined to political circles. Yet this revelation was of a magnitude he'd never encountered.

"Exactly," Keller affirmed, his eyes fixed on the two men. "We discovered traces of alien activity as far back as the early 20th century. Our investigations revealed that extraterrestrials have been visiting Earth for thousands of years, long before humanity had even developed agriculture or civilization."

"The early 20th century?"

Anton was taken aback.

Wait a second!

He had expected Keller to bring up the Kree invasion from the 1990s, but instead, the man referred to something from the early 20th century.

What kind of storyline is this?

"Aliens—we call them NBE: Non-Biological Extraterrestrials," Keller began. "On the surface, it appears to be an advanced robot, but in reality, it a mechanical lifeform."

Here, Keller looked directly at Anton, his gaze meaningful.

"Think of Cyborg from the Justice League, except that Cyborg is part human, part machine. What we discovered, NBE-ONE, is a purely mechanical lifeform."

"Purely mechanical lifeform…" Anton murmured, a thought flickering through his mind that seemed almost too outlandish to be true.

Keller opened his laptop and turned the screen toward Anton and Jameson.

"This is NBE-ONE."

On the screen, a video played, showing a massive robot, covered in frost, towering like a small mountain. It was surrounded by cables, and sparks occasionally flew as technicians dismantled parts of its body.

"In the early 20th century, a sea captain named Witwicky stumbled upon this figure. It took a monumental effort to extract it from the ice and keep it frozen using our technology. After years of study, we concluded it was either dormant or completely lifeless," Keller explained.

"But we learned a great deal from it. Nearly all modern technology—integrated circuits, lasers, spacecraft, and even automobiles—originates from studying this being."

"You suspect that the recent alien invasion was connected to this… NBE-ONE?" Jameson asked, unable to hide his shock.

"Exactly," Keller confirmed, pulling up another video.

"In fact, even before the alien from New York showed up, we detected traces of living mechanical extraterrestrials on Mars. We've been bracing for their arrival ever since, but it seems they found their opportunity anyway."

"teleportation beacon …" Keller glanced at Anton, his tone grave.

"We can't deny that the technology these aliens possess is far beyond anything humanity can defend against."

"So, you're seeking the Justice League assistance," Anton replied calmly, now suspecting Keller intentions.

"Not assistance—collaboration," Keller clarified.

"Since you have information and we have resources, there a natural basis for cooperation between the Justice League and the military."

He continued, "After all, the Justice League also seeks legitimacy. It far better to operate openly than to continue as an illegal vigilante group, wouldn't you agree?"

At that moment, Anton understood Keller game.

Through Nick Fury reports to the World Security Council, the military had learned of the Justice League aspirations for legitimacy. Coupled with the recent alien invasion, the military recognized the League potential.

Faced with an extraterrestrial threat, the military saw the Justice League, which had successfully repelled the New York invasion, as a valuable asset.

The military, naturally, wanted to control this extraordinary force operating on their turf.

Hence, after discussions within the Military Committee—comprising the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the heads of the Army, Navy, and Air Force—they decided to leverage Keller relationship with Jameson to reach out to Anton and attempt to recruit the Justice League into the fold.

To the military, the Justice League combined strength was equivalent to—or perhaps greater than—a fully equipped division.

If they succeeded in enlisting the League, it would be a formidable asset: a force they could deploy at will.

"Mr. Keller, this is not something I can decide right now," Anton replied after a moment thought.

"I know Batman is the leader of your group," Keller said with a nod. His tone remained polite but carried an unmistakable firmness.

"My time is limited. I hope you can contact Batman. I would like to meet him as soon as possible."

Jameson, who knew Anton true identity, tensed up instinctively.

He understood that Anton had worked tirelessly to conceal his role as Batman. But from Keller tone, it was clear the man would not relent without a meeting.

Could this mean Anton would have to reveal himself?