Captain Atom

- filled with the weight of the decision. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Standing in silence for a moment longer, his hands clenched into fists, his body language tense. His gaze shifts from Hal to Diana, the resolve slowly building inside him. Finally, he exhales, his shoulders straightening, his decision made. He stepped forward, his voice calm but-

His gaze distant. There's been a lot already this last year, the idea of jumping back into another war... There’s something in Diana’s voice, a quiet conviction that stirs something in him.

He stands still, absorbing the weight of her words. But his mind is elsewhere, grappling with the weight of the responsibility. “I’ve spent my whole life fighting in wars that seemed endless. I’ve seen the cost, Diana. Bialya saw to that.”

Atom finally turned to face them, his eyes hard, his expression unreadable, but the weight of Hal’s words... “How do you know this?”

He did not turn, but his stance shifted ever so slightly. "Mongul. Never heard of him."

- was for the better. "I’m not trying to be #Superman," Atom said, his voice firm and resolute. "But if you’re asking me to return to your version of loyalty, to a world where I’m just a tool for whatever agenda you have in mind... then no. I’m not your man. Good day, sir."

The words hung in the air between them, suffocating. Atom's mind raced, recalling the years he spent chasing ideals, chasing obedience. Chasing something that, in the end, felt like a lie. The President was right about one thing, he would never be like #Superman. But maybe that-

- Atom’s voice was cold, biting. "You think I’m not loyal enough? You think #Superman was the right answer all these years? All those disasters that happened on his watch because he was waiting for them?"

- been. #Superman had always been the perfect soldier. The perfect image. Never questioning, never asking, waiting for something to happen to leap in. Just saving the day with a smile. Then gone. Waiting, waiting for the next episode, and repeat. "You think I can’t do it?" -

There it was. The sharp edge in his voice. The unspoken truth. The President’s loyalty lay with one thing, and one thing only: the symbol of #Superman. The invulnerable, god-like figure that had, for too long, been America’s golden boy. But that wasn’t who Atom was. Never had -

- bigger. I'm thinking a new Justice League. One that’s proactive. Not reactive. We can stop the threats before they even reach us."

He didn’t need to hear this. Didn’t need to hear the same song and dance. It was always the same. Always the same demands from these people who claimed to know what was best for him. "You’re thinking small," Captain Atom said, stepping forward. "I’m thinking of something -

Atom’s eyes narrowed. "I didn’t come here for flattery, sir."

Captain Atom folded his arms as he approached the center of the room. "I’m not here to talk about respect," Atom said. "I’m done with that. The army. The government. They used me, and I let them. I let myself be used."

- final decision. I’m done, he thought again, resolute. I’ve given them everything. Now it’s my turn to decide what comes next.

- doing over commanding. The League. That was where he belonged. A team. A family of sorts. He needed to be a part of something bigger than just another mission. He turned his head slightly, scanning the horizon. His chest tightened as he realized this was the moment, his -

- problem without considering the bigger picture. It needed heroes, men and women who understood that they didn’t have to choose a side to make a difference. People like Alan Scott, people like Firestorm... even the Metal Men, for all their quirks. They understood the value of -

- His mind was made up. He was done with this life. And as he hovered there, looking down at the burning ruins of Bialya, a sudden realization struck him: the world needed more than just soldiers. It needed more than just men who followed orders, who threw their fists at the -