Not long after bringing down the Gotham Sky Rail, Doctor Fate left the ruined scene and flew in the direction Diana had gone.
Moments later, inside Diana's hotel room, he entered through the open window and was met with an unflattering sight. Diana stood with a pained expression, cleaning up Zatanna's vomit from the floor and bed. Doctor Fate glanced at the mess, sighed softly, and lifted his hand. In an instant, the room was restored, the bed spotless as if nothing had happened.
Diana exhaled in relief. She carefully helped the half-conscious Zatanna onto the bed and turned toward Doctor Fate, disappointment clear in her eyes.
"We really are a joke," Diana said quietly. "After everything we tried, we still couldn't stop him from doing whatever he wanted."
"Indeed," Doctor Fate replied, nodding heavily. "I even helped him destroy the Sky Rail. It's absurd. In front of him, both magic and divine power feel completely useless."
He fell silent for a moment, then raised his hands. Fragments of shimmering fate spread through the room, drifting like broken glass frozen in the air.
"However, Diana," he continued, "watching Wraith today gave me a clue. I could be wrong, but I think it's worth sharing."
He removed his helmet with visible fatigue and sat down on the sofa. With a flick of his fingers, a glass of sweet wine appeared in his hand. He took a slow sip before continuing.
"We've always tried to understand him as a god, or something close to one, yet we found nothing. That made me question our starting point. Today, when I watched Axel on television, constantly insisting on his humanity and drawing a clear line between himself and gods, it felt familiar. At the time, I dismissed it as bias. But after that ridiculous battle ended, I heard the Gotham police talking about Wraith, and everything clicked."
Diana's eyes widened. She turned fully toward him.
"Kent, who do you think he really is?"
"I believe he is Nimrod," Doctor Fate said gravely. "A human from the Golden Age. The master of the Tower of Babel. An absolute human supremacist. The King of Kings, the so-called Hero King, the first hero spoken of in ancient legend."
He let out a heavy breath.
Diana sat upright in disbelief. "That's impossible. I know the legends. He was only human. He couldn't resurrect himself."
"But God could grant him the talents he possesses now," Doctor Fate replied sharply. "Don't forget, Nimrod was said to have spoken directly with God. Besides figures like Adam or Noah, who else would even qualify for such a conversation?"
Diana hesitated. "But…"
"There are no 'buts' in academic reasoning," Doctor Fate interrupted. "Listen to what the police said today. Since Wraith began his rampage, Gotham's crime rate has dropped drastically, as if Axel were the only criminal left in the city. That may differ from the legend, but consider this. Nimrod once tried to unite all humanity by building the Tower of Babel, forcing the gods to witness human greatness. God destroyed the tower, scattered humanity, and shattered their unity."
He gestured toward the city beyond the window.
"Now, Axel no longer builds towers. Instead, he concentrates all of Gotham's evil onto himself. Gangs and civilians cooperate. Villains and heroes sit at the same table, eating pizza and drinking beer. Under his overwhelming presence, the line between good and evil blurs. What remains is human identity and a growing cohesion. The disaster and fear he brings have become a new Tower of Babel."
Doctor Fate's voice grew firmer.
"Gotham is uniting, however twisted that unity may be. That is exactly what the Hero King wanted. So even if the Nimrod of legend never wielded Axel's power, his actions align perfectly with that ancient ambition."
Diana frowned. "Then why destroy the city? The Hero King was a builder."
"And after God destroyed his greatest work, do you really believe he would never change?" Doctor Fate replied. "If I were punished, defeated, and erased, I might announce my return by doing the opposite. Instead of building a tower, I would tear one down."
Diana fell silent.
After a long pause, she spoke softly. "So what we're doing is stopping a Hero King from uniting humanity in his own way?"
"No," Doctor Fate said firmly. "We are stopping a madman from ancient times from reshaping a world that is already beautiful enough."
He clapped his hands together.
"Never doubt your purpose, Diana. If you waver, remember the children screaming on the Sky Rail. No matter what Axel believes, his actions have already disrupted Gotham and half of America. He will hurt countless innocents if this continues. We cannot retreat."
Diana shook her head slowly. "Even if you're right, this doesn't give us a weakness. Are we supposed to pray to God and ask for another divine punishment?"
Doctor Fate glanced toward the sleeping Zatanna.
"We can't stop Axel directly," he said. "But we might disrupt his fate. Zatanna inspired this. Remember what she said? If the Sky Rail didn't exist, Axel couldn't destroy it."
Diana listened intently.
"What if destroying the Sky Rail mattered more to Axel than we realized? What if we act first? We carry out the destruction ourselves, in the smallest and safest way possible, before he ever touches it. Even if it doesn't harm him, it changes the path fate expects him to walk."
Doctor Fate slammed his palm lightly against his knee.
"It's like building our own Tower of Babel before the Hero King ever considers it. We take the punishment first. By intervening early, we alter Nimrod's destiny. Even if it benefits Axel, at least we are no longer being dragged along by his plans."
He looked at Diana, waiting.
She inhaled deeply. "I still don't believe Axel is Nimrod. Power defines identity more than intention, and Nimrod never had abilities like his. But Axel is destroying something every day, and I can't stop him. If you have a plan, no matter how insane it sounds, I'll try it with you."
Doctor Fate nodded in approval.
"Good. I've seen a future where Axel brings down Wayne Tower, a moment Nabu considers significant. So instead of waiting, we act first. Tonight, after midnight, we dismantle Wayne Tower ourselves."
Diana stiffened.
"I can evacuate everyone," Doctor Fate continued calmly. "No casualties. Zatanna can handle the aftermath. We minimize loss while testing Axel's reaction. Whether he is who I suspect or not, a broken fate will force him to reveal more of himself."
Diana considered it, then nodded firmly. "You've convinced me. As long as no one is hurt, Wayne Tower is just a building. The Wayne Group can afford it. Honestly, if this truly disrupts Axel, they'd probably demolish it themselves."
===
If you want to read more, there are up to 100 chapters available on patreon.
Patreon.com/ _Zeph