The examination table hissed open. Marcus sat up, feeling the weight of Batman's gaze more than he had the scanners. He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. He needed to find the right words.
"I understand your distrust," Marcus began, his voice surprisingly calm in the vast silence of the cave. He looked Batman directly in the white lenses of his cowl, then turned to Superman. "If our positions were reversed, I would be wary too. This power... it's like holding the launch codes for a nuclear warhead. All the time. I feel the temptation to use it without restraint, the ease with which I could impose my will. It's a poison that whispers in your ear."
He stood, his movements fluid despite his imposing frame.
"But a knife can be used to slit a man's throat or to save someone by cutting a rope. The tool is nothing without the hand that guides it, and the intention behind that hand. I don't remember who I was. But I choose who I want to be. Today, I wake up with this strength, and the first thing I felt, after the fear, was responsibility. The need to use it to protect. I am asking you to give me a chance to prove that this intention is real. To help me forge the hand that will wield the tool."
The silence that followed was different. Less charged with suspicion, more imbued with consideration.
Superman nodded slowly, a faint smile on his lips. He had heard the sincerity in Marcus's voice.
Batman, however, did not move. For a long moment, he studied Marcus, weighing every word, every micro-expression.
"Wisdom is rare in those who possess strength," Batman finally said, his voice still gravelly but having lost a fraction of its edge. "You are right. Intention is everything."
He turned to a terminal and pulled up a file.
"'Marcus Rogers' exists nowhere. It's an empty shell. If you want to build a new life, you need a new identity. One that can withstand scrutiny."
His fingers flew across the keyboard. Documents appeared on the screen: a birth certificate, a social security number, diplomas.
"Welcome, Marcus Kane," Batman announced. "Born in Star City. Orphaned, raised in foster homes. A past mundane enough to avoid questions, documented enough to withstand a casual check. It's a fresh start. A blank page."
He turned back to Marcus, his gaze piercing.
"But remember, Kane. This identity is a tool, just like your powers. What you do with it will define the man you are. The choice, as you said, is yours."
Marcus looked at the screen, then at the two heroes. An immense weight seemed to lift from his shoulders. The path ahead was long and fraught with challenges, but for the first time, he had a compass and a chance to chart his own course.
"Thank you," he said simply. The choice was made. He would be a hero.