"So, Julius, I'm assuming it didn't go too well," I said teasingly after finishing his report on the Gotham operation.
Julius sighed.
"Not only did we lose Able for the time being—which means waiting for his resurrection—but we've also antagonized Batman. Out of everyone on the planet, we picked one of the most paranoid, suspicious, and intelligent people imaginable. He's going to investigate us. I'm confident we can stay hidden from governments and ordinary intelligence agencies, but someone like Bruce Wayne... he may eventually uncover fragments of the truth."
I couldn't help but smile.
"Yes, yes, I was wrong," Julius admitted. "The plan was perfect... at least I thought it was. I genuinely believed Able could kill Bruce."
Darius folded his arms.
"I'll admit the plan wasn't bad. It simply had a few flaws. Bruce Wayne is a difficult variable to account for. Personally, I think we should temporarily reduce our activities in Gotham."
"We can't abandon Gotham," Julius replied immediately. "There are too many valuable anomalies in that city."
"I agree," I said. "We're simply going to buy ourselves some time. More importantly, we've confirmed that this world isn't purely Marvel. It contains at least part of the DC universe as well. That changes everything. We need to determine exactly how much of DC exists here. Heroes, villains, artifacts... any of them could qualify as anomalies requiring containment."
Julius nodded.
"Especially Superman. When we read comics back in our previous lives, he was usually a hero. But there were countless timelines where he became a tyrant after being manipulated or pushed too far. If someone with that level of power exists in this world, he immediately becomes one of the highest-priority threats we've ever faced. Whether we prepare countermeasures or attempt containment, we need plans before he reaches his full potential."
Darius gave a reluctant nod.
"I should really be focusing on SHIELD. They're already beginning to suspect someone is operating behind the scenes. But... you're right. If the DC universe truly exists here, that's a much larger concern than SHIELD's current suspicions. Right now they don't know who we are. They only know something is happening."
"Then it's settled," I said. "Darius, begin investigating the extent of the DC presence in this world. Julius, continue overseeing Gotham operations, but proceed cautiously. No unnecessary risks."
The meeting concluded, but I immediately opened another holographic communication.
"Louis."
The image of the smiling man appeared almost instantly.
"I need a smokescreen. Batman can never be connected to Able. Eliminate any footage of the fight, suppress eyewitness reports, distribute convincing cover stories, and use memetic agents wherever necessary. SHIELD is already investigating unusual activity. The last thing we need is for them to discover Able or connect him to the Foundation. Darius has enough on his plate already."
Louis smiled faintly.
"The father of lies is always happy to create another illusion."
The hologram vanished.
I leaned back in my chair, already considering the next dozen problems demanding attention. Gotham had become far more complicated than expected, but if Batman intended to investigate us, then we would simply ensure he spent most of his time chasing carefully constructed shadows instead of the Foundation itself.