RedX43
patreon
[Superman] Chapter 242: The Collapse of Multiple Universes
🕑 Added 2024-10-05 05:10:33 +0000 UTCEndless anti-matter energy was spreading across the fabric of the multiverse, threatening to engulf all of reality. Countless universes faced the imminent threat of total annihilation.
Yet, hidden beneath this destruction was a deeper, lurking darkness. However, most beings across the universes remained unaware of the looming catastrophe about to end their existence. And as for the secrets buried within this mass of destruction, they were even harder to detect.
In the universe where the Justice League resided, they had managed to retrieve vital information about anti-matter energy from another universe. But despite this success, there was no sense of joy.
The moment Barry had sealed the temporal passageway, they had effectively abandoned the reality of that universe—along with the countless innocent lives within it.
No one could feel any sense of triumph in such a situation. After all, the price of their success had been the lives of an entire universe.
Though they had gained valuable knowledge about anti-matter energy, they were painfully aware that the information might not be as useful as they had hoped, especially given the tremendous cost at which it was acquired.
"Victor, I need you to analyze all the critical data we’ve gathered as quickly as possible," Batman said, his voice tinged with sorrow.
Even as the Dark Knight, who was no stranger to the harsh realities of Gotham’s nights, he found it hard to stomach the destruction of an entire universe that had unfolded before him. Yet, he knew they had no choice but to accept it.
If they could pinpoint the weakness of anti-matter energy, they might still save countless other universes.
"Don't worry, I'll give it everything I’ve got!" Cyborg responded.
The fall of a universe had made the team fully grasp the harshness of the crisis they were facing. The destruction of a universe could happen in the blink of an eye, and even Cyborg was struggling to process everything that had happened.
It was only now that he fully understood the weight of the responsibility he carried on his shoulders.
...
Cyborg immediately dove into the analysis, working at his highest speed to process all the data they had acquired. The sheer volume of information flooded his mind, flashing past in an overwhelming stream.
A normal human brain would have been incapable of processing such immense data. But Cyborg, as a fusion of human and Mother Box energy, possessed an extraordinary physique and a brain more powerful than any computer, allowing him to sift through the massive influx of information.
As Cyborg fell into silence, fully immersed in his task, the rest of the team watched him anxiously. Their faces were a mix of tension and hope, waiting for the results.
After some time, Cyborg slowly opened his eyes.
"While the information we gathered is important, it's proving difficult to extract the crucial details we need. Finding a way to counteract anti-matter energy seems to be an almost impossible task..." he said, his face darkening as he revealed his findings.
His conclusion left the team deeply disappointed. The data they had risked so much to obtain was incomplete, and without the missing pieces, they couldn’t figure out how to stop the anti-matter energy.
"Does this mean we have no way to prevent the anti-matter energy from consuming all the universes?" someone asked, their previously hopeful expression now replaced with concern.
It seemed their plan had failed. They had made no real progress, and the situation looked bleak.
"No, it's not entirely without progress," Cyborg said, his expression becoming serious as if he were holding something back.
"Victor, if there’s something you know, don’t hesitate. We can’t afford to overlook any possible chance to save the universe!" Batman urged. He could sense Cyborg’s hesitation and knew they had to seize any opportunity they could to prevent the crisis.
"I did find a possible solution while analyzing the data. But it’s complicated… and would likely mean enduring more cataclysmic scenarios, like the one we just experienced," Cyborg admitted reluctantly. He understood that even the faintest glimmer of hope must be pursued, no matter the cost.
"More destruction like what we just witnessed?" The others looked troubled at the thought. What they had just experienced—a universe-ending event—had been apocalyptic.
None of them wanted to go through something like that again. But it seemed they might not have a choice.
"Although none of us want to face another universe-wide catastrophe, if things continue as they are, countless universes—including our own—will be destroyed. So, we can't afford to give up any chance to save them," Batman said firmly, trying to motivate the group as they struggled to shake off the horror of witnessing a universe's end.
"You're right. No matter how difficult the path ahead, we have to save every universe we can!" Slowly, the others regained their resolve, preparing to do whatever it took to stop the impending multiversal collapse.
"Alright, if everyone’s ready, I'll explain the plan I came up with," Cyborg said, seeing that the team had steeled themselves for what lay ahead. He began to lay out the details of the potential solution.
"Barry has a unique ability—he can vibrate his body at incredibly high speeds and frequencies until it matches the vibration frequency of an object, allowing him to pass through it," Cyborg said, turning toward The Flash.
"Are you suggesting..." Barry began, sensing where Cyborg’s explanation might be heading.
"Exactly. If we can alter the vibration frequency of a universe and synchronize it with the frequency of the anti-matter energy wall, then we could potentially allow that universe to bypass the threat of the anti-matter wall entirely," Cyborg explained, laying out his bold plan to save the universe.
But even he could feel the near impossibility of the plan.
After all, altering the vibration frequency of an entire universe was almost unthinkable. Even with the Speed Force at his disposal, Barry would struggle to accomplish such an impossible feat—and that wasn't even the hardest part.
“Make an entire universe vibrate at a specific frequency? How is that even possible?” one of the team asked, voicing the doubt shared by many.
“You’re right, it’s almost impossible,” Cyborg admitted. “Even if Barry pushes the Speed Force to its absolute limit, he wouldn’t be able to envelop the entire universe and alter its frequency to avoid the antimatter energy.”
Even Barry couldn’t believe this plan could work. While he had once phased an entire airplane through a building, an airplane was minuscule compared to an entire planet—let alone a universe. His current power level simply couldn’t achieve such an incredible feat.
“I’m not suggesting Barry use the Speed Force alone to achieve this,” Cyborg clarified. He understood the concerns his teammates had, but he knew they needed additional help.
“We could build a special device to link the energy of every universe, using Barry’s Speed Force as the conduit to alter the vibration frequencies of all universes.”
As Cyborg explained his plan, the others fell into deep thought, contemplating its feasibility. Soon after, Batman broke the silence with a question.
“Even if your plan works and we manage to synchronize the universes’ vibration frequencies, how do we figure out the exact frequency of the antimatter energy…? Wait, do you mean…?” Batman’s eyes widened as he began to piece together Cyborg’s true plan.
“Yes,” Cyborg confirmed. “The real challenge isn’t changing the universes’ frequencies—it’s determining the exact vibration frequency of the antimatter energy. And that’s why we must witness more doomsday scenarios in other universes.”
A heavy silence fell over the group.
“Only by watching more universes fall to destruction can we hope to save the others and ourselves,” Cyborg said gravely.
No one spoke. The memory of the previous universe’s destruction was still fresh in their minds, and the thought of watching more universes meet the same fate was unbearable.
“This is truly an impossible choice,” Batman muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief and sorrow. Even he, who had seen countless tragedies, found it difficult to accept.
“But we have no choice,” someone else responded, recognizing that this was their only hope of saving the multiverse.
“No matter how difficult or impossible it seems, we have to try,” they resolved, their determination growing stronger. “We must save our universe and all others from being consumed by the antimatter energy.”
From that moment, their goal became clear: they would prepare for the colossal task ahead, gathering the vast materials needed to build antimatter energy detectors across the multiverse. Only through relentless effort would they uncover the precise vibration frequency of the antimatter energy.
Batman offered his help, leveraging his resources through Wayne Enterprises to acquire the necessary materials and facilities on a global scale.
“Bruce will handle this. Everyone should be reassured by that,” Cyborg said, though he remained concerned about the enormous amount of resources required to build the devices and tackle both stages of the plan simultaneously.
Despite Bruce’s efforts, Cyborg knew they would need more than just conventional means. In a matter of moments, Cyborg’s advanced technology infiltrated Earth’s financial networks, funneling vast amounts of wealth into Wayne Enterprises' accounts to support their efforts.
At first, Superman hesitated, adhering to Earth’s rules. But he soon realized the severity of the situation. Rules could be bent for the greater good.
With that, the team split into two groups, each tasked with different aspects of the plan, as they began the final preparations to save the universe.
Meanwhile, the immense antimatter energy continued its relentless advance toward the center of the universe.
...
(End of Chapter)
