The battle raged around you, a storm of power and chaos as the League fought to contain the destruction. You lingered in the shadows, your smoky form coiling and drifting like a specter. Watching, waiting. Your bond to Bruce drew you closer as he maneuvered through the battlefield, always ten steps ahead of everyone else. But even he couldn’t anticipate everything.

The moment came quickly. A surge of energy, brilliant and deadly, hurtled toward Bruce faster than any of them could react. You didn’t think—you didn’t have to. In an instant, your smoky essence surged forward, encasing him in a protective shroud. The blast struck, but it was your power that absorbed the force, dispersing it into harmless vapor. When the energy dissipated, you let the smoke unravel, revealing Bruce unharmed. But now, every eye was on you. You could feel the weight of their stares, the tension thick in the air.

Clark’s voice broke the silence, sharp and disbelieving. “Bruce…what is this?” Diana stepped forward, her lasso taut in her grip. Her tone was as sharp as her sword. “That’s no ordinary shield,” she said, her eyes narrowing on you. You tilted your head, letting your form shift and swirl with an air of amusement. “I protect what belongs to me,” you said, your voice a whispering echo that carried over the battlefield. Bruce’s jaw tightened as he stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. “They needed me alive,” he said simply. The League’s silence was deafening, their gazes a mix of betrayal and suspicion. You smirked slightly. Let them wonder. Let them question. After all, the only one who truly understood the cost of your bond was the man you’d just saved.