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[Superman] Chapter 212: The Earth Under the Gaze of Black Eye
🕑 Added 2024-08-26 08:19:04 +0000 UTC“Damn it, these guys aren't ordinary people at all!”
This was Superman's most genuine thought after being sent flying by a single punch.
He hadn't expected that these individuals, who initially seemed like normal people—so normal that even he found it hard to detect anything unusual—could suddenly display such overwhelming, superhuman strength.
Meanwhile, seeing Superman under attack, the other members of the Justice League didn't hesitate to rush to his aid.
The Flash, having just finished rescuing the hostages, was the quickest. In the blink of an eye, he crossed a great distance and appeared before the robbers.
Without any hesitation, and without exiting his high-speed state, The Flash turned into a streak of lightning, charging at the robbers with his fists, aiming to take them down as quickly as possible.
However, when he rushed toward the leader of the robbers at high speed, he suddenly noticed something strange. Normally, everything around him would appear to be frozen in time when he moved at such speeds, but now, things were different. The robber leader's pupils were slowly moving, directly following The Flash's high-speed movements.
“How is this possible? Even Clark struggles to keep up with my speed!”
The Flash was shocked to see that the robber leader's gaze was tracking him, something only Superman could do at full speed. The idea that a common bank robber could match Superman's abilities was beyond belief.
But there was no time to think. The Flash continued with his attack, aiming to knock the leader out before he could fully react.
“Damn it, this isn’t good!”
As he reached the leader, The Flash noticed a glint of control in the leader’s eyes—a realization that this might be a trap.
“No!”
He tried to escape at high speed, but it was too late.
The once-still robber leader suddenly moved with incredible speed, just like lightning. He reached out with his right hand and grabbed The Flash by the neck, lifting him off the ground and forcing him out of his high-speed state.
“Who… are you people?”
At this moment, The Flash finally realized that these robbers were far from ordinary.
“Sorry, Barry, you'll understand soon enough.”
Though he had captured The Flash, the leader's gaze was not filled with malice but rather with a hint of regret as he spoke in a low voice.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t trust you!”
The Flash noticed the leader seemed to recognize him, which only added to his shock. His mind raced, trying to figure out who these people could be.
Seizing the moment, The Flash vibrated his neck rapidly, using his phasing ability to escape the leader’s iron grip, and landed on the ground.
He was just about to re-enter his high-speed state and make a run for it when suddenly—BAM! His legs gave out, as if bound by an invisible force, and he crashed to the ground.
“What is this? The Lasso of Truth? Impossible!”
The Flash looked down at his legs, where a golden, glowing rope had somehow wrapped around them. It was none other than the Lasso of Truth—Wonder Woman's signature weapon. And now, it was in the hands of one of the robbers.
“Lasso of Truth? Barry, what are you talking about? Hang in there, we’re coming to back you up!”
In the hovering jets outside, Aquaman looked confused at Wonder Woman, the owner of the Lasso, who seemed just as puzzled by The Flash's outburst.
“No, something’s wrong. These guys actually have the Lasso… stop! Zzzzz…”
The Flash’s communication was suddenly cut off by a burst of static.
“What are you planning to do?”
The Flash, filled with disbelief, watched as the robbers skillfully removed his communication device and attached a special apparatus to his ankle. Instantly, his connection to the Speed Force was suppressed, and he couldn’t enter his high-speed state again.
It all happened so fast, as if these robbers had practiced this countless times. They had a well-thought-out plan, including how to deal with him after taking control. The whole bank heist seemed like a trap designed specifically to lure him in.
Then… they planned to abduct him!
“Sorry, Barry, we have our reasons for doing this.”
After securely restraining The Flash, one of the robbers, like the leader before him, looked at him with eyes full of regret, as if they had no choice but to act this way.
“Who are you people?”
The Flash felt an inexplicable familiarity with these individuals but couldn’t bring himself to believe his suspicions.
Buzz!
The others said nothing and continued their task. They quickly retrieved a special device, activated it, and a portal to an unknown location slowly opened in front of them.
“Take him through quickly before anything else goes wrong.”
From the start of the incident, only a few seconds had passed. The Flash had witnessed an entire plan to kidnap him unfold right before his eyes.
These people were well-trained, with a flawless plan and a clear escape route. They intended to transport him through the portal to some unknown place.
In the next moment, one of the more muscular robbers picked up The Flash and prepared to step into the now-stable portal.
...
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the sound of something cutting through the air came from afar, as a shadowy figure descended from the sky, almost as if it had emerged from the darkness.
"Sorry, but you can't take him!"
A distinct voice spoke, full of resolve.
"Thank goodness, Br—Batman, please save me!"
Several bat-shaped shurikens flew in from a distance, landing in front of the robbers and blocking their advance. Simultaneously, the figure landed in front of the portal, single-handedly preventing their escape.
"Barry, don't worry, we're here!"
Outside the bank, a shadow blocked the sunlight streaming through the windows. It was the aircraft piloted by Aquaman and the others, who had arrived just in time.
Whoosh!
At the same time, Superman, who had been sent flying kilometers away, rushed back at high speed, landing beside Batman with a fierce, crimson glare directed at the group.
"You've made me angry!"
It wasn’t surprising that Superman was so furious. These individuals had played their cards well, initially disguising themselves as ordinary robbers. Their full-body suits seemed to have some ability to resist detection, making it difficult for Superman to realize they were anything but normal.
It wasn’t until one of them casually punched him away that he finally recognized they possessed power on par with members of the Justice League.
"Stick to the plan. Leave them to me!"
Facing the Justice League members who had gathered to stop them, the leader of the robbers stepped forward, standing between his group and their opponents. His tone was firm as he addressed his comrades.
"But you—"
Some of them seemed worried, hesitant to speak.
"Even if I don't make it back, you must follow through with the plan!"
Ignoring their concerns, the leader slowly floated into the air.
"Who... are you?"
At that moment, even Superman, staring at the figure before him, felt a shock. The familiar power, the familiar abilities, filled his mind with an unbelievable suspicion.
Buzz!
But the figure didn’t respond. Instead, his eyes suddenly emitted the same crimson heat vision as Superman’s, and he unleashed it upon them!
"Get out of the way!"
Superman could withstand the energy beam, but Batman, standing beside him, might be cut in half by it. Without hesitation, Superman pushed Batman aside and simultaneously fired his own heat vision to counter the incoming beam.
Zzzzzz!
The two beams clashed in mid-air, creating a violent, crackling explosion!
Boom!
In less than a second, a massive explosion erupted, sending a shockwave through the building like a bomb had gone off. The entire structure shook, shattering countless windows, and the explosion created a gaping hole in the floor.
Whoosh!
Before anyone could recover from the blast, the two figures had already charged at each other with terrifying speed and power. They engaged in a brutal hand-to-hand battle, each punch landing with bone-crushing force, echoing with thunderous noise!
Their powers seemed evenly matched as they fought, eventually crashing out of the bank and vanishing from sight. But just before leaving, one of the figures fired a heat beam at the aircraft hovering outside, successfully bringing it down.
Though the attack didn’t cause any real harm to the Justice League members inside, it certainly delayed their ability to provide support.
Meanwhile, inside the bank, the area was still filled with dust and debris. The robbers who had abducted The Flash seemed completely unaffected by the chaos. They nimbly avoided the wreckage left by the earlier battle and quickly made their way toward the portal.
In no time, they reached the portal, and the figure carrying The Flash was the first to step through without hesitation. The others followed, leaving only one behind, who anxiously watched the distance, waiting for the one who had fought Superman to return.
"Hurry up!"
...
Whoosh!
Two entangled figures plummeted from the sky, crashing violently into a park.
"What was that?"
The thunderous impact as they hit the ground terrified the nearby park-goers.
Bang, bang, bang!
One of the figures relentlessly pummeled the other with powerful punches.
"Let me see who you really are!"
After several forceful blows to the face, the specially designed mask finally shattered, revealing a face that was all too familiar—and horrifying—to Superman.
"You... How could this be? No, this is impossible!"
Zzz!
In the next instant, as Superman stood stunned in disbelief, a beam of energy suddenly erupted from the eyes of the figure beneath him, blasting him away. Without hesitation, the figure bent its knees and rocketed skyward like a missile.
"That guy... he looks just like me!"
Superman was still reeling from the shock, but his body instinctively followed in pursuit.
Back at the bank building, the figure waiting by the portal had not seen the person they were expecting. Instead, Batman appeared. The two engaged in a fierce battle almost instantly.
What shocked Batman was the immense power the figure displayed, making it difficult for him to gain the upper hand.
"Who are you people, and why did you kidnap The Flash?"
Batman fought with calm precision, trying to extract information about their motives.
"Sorry, Bruce, but we have our reasons for doing this!"
The figure seemed stronger than Batman, but whether out of guilt or reluctance to harm him, he held back, allowing Batman to hold his own in the fight.
"Hmm? You know who I am?"
Batman was taken aback. While many knew his identity, it wasn't common knowledge.
"....."
Realizing he'd said too much, the figure fell silent, focusing instead on guarding the portal.
"If you've kidnapped Barry, then I'm left with no choice but to do this."
Batman suddenly leaped back, turning to charge at the device creating the portal. It was clear that he had decided rescuing The Flash might not be feasible, but if he could capture these two, they could still uncover the reasons behind Barry's abduction.
"No! You can't do that!"
Seeing Batman change his target and attempt to destroy the portal generator, the figure finally unleashed his true power. His arm, previously concealed beneath a specially made suit, revealed a metallic silver sheen—it was a mechanical arm.
In an instant, the arm transformed into a glowing energy cannon.
"Forgive me, Bruce!"
Though his heart ached with regret, he had no other choice. He hesitated no longer and fired a blast of energy at Batman, who was attempting to destroy the device.
Boom!
The energy blast didn’t hit Batman directly but exploded beside him, the powerful shockwave hurling Batman’s body through the air.
Whoosh!
At that moment, another figure flew in rapidly from a distance, followed closely by yet another fast-moving figure.
"Go!"
The first figure reached the portal, grabbed the one with the mechanical arm, and pulled him through.
The portal began to shrink, as if it were about to close.
"Damn it!"
Superman, who had been right on their tail, was forced to stop in front of the now too-small portal.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the sound of something cutting through the air came from behind Superman. A Batarang flew past him, through the portal, just before it closed.
"Bruce, you..."
Superman turned, confused, to see Bruce lying on the ground, having put all his strength into throwing the Batarang.
"The Batarang has a unique spatial tracking device..."
Batman slowly stood up, explaining as he walked toward the now-damaged portal generator.
"Bruce, Clark, where's Barry?"
The rest of the Justice League finally arrived, albeit a little late.
"Are we really going to let them escape?"
Aquaman slammed his trident into the ground in frustration.
"No, we still have a chance to save Barry!"
While Superman was at a loss for words, Batman, who had been examining the portal generator, looked up with a serious expression and spoke.
...
Shortly afterward, within the Watchtower space station.
The Justice League members were seated around a special conference table, and the atmosphere was heavy with silence.
There was no denying that, while they had successfully rescued dozens of hostages, the mission could hardly be called a success.
Their teammate, The Flash, had been kidnapped by the mysterious group and was now missing.
“Alright, everyone, let’s not blame ourselves too much,” Batman began, breaking the silence.
“While it's true that we were somewhat careless during this mission, we must acknowledge that the enemy was extremely well-prepared, with a meticulously planned operation.”
“They clearly know us very well. They know our true identities and are familiar with each of our abilities.”
“And… I’ve noticed something…”
Batman’s tone was serious, trying to motivate the team, but there was something he seemed hesitant to reveal.
“Bruce, what did you notice?” Aquaman asked, his usual brashness tempered by guilt over The Flash's abduction. If only they had arrived a bit earlier, perhaps things would have turned out differently.
“I noticed something strange about the person who fought me…”
Bruce looked over at Cyborg, who was working on deciphering the device that had created the portal, as if unsure how to continue.
“The one I fought might also be Kryptonian!”
Before Batman could continue explaining, Clark, who had been silently lost in thought, suddenly spoke up, delivering a shocking revelation.
“What? A Kryptonian? How is that possible? Aren’t you the only one left on Earth…?”
The entire team turned to Clark in disbelief, even Cyborg, who was busy with the portal device, couldn’t help but look over.
“Yes, I’m indeed the last Kryptonian, but that person had the same powers as I do… and even the same face!” Clark said, his voice tinged with disbelief.
He had once taken the life of the last other Kryptonian with his own hands, a memory that still haunted him. But today, seeing someone who looked exactly like him and possessed the same Kryptonian powers, had shaken him to the core.
“Clark is right. Their abilities and identities are highly suspicious,” Batman added. “And not just that—there was something familiar about the others too.”
“The one who stopped me at the end had a mechanical arm, just like Cyborg!”
Bruce finally revealed his discovery, further shocking the group.
“This… How could that be? Are you saying those people are us?” Aquaman, who hadn’t fought any of the enemies directly, found the idea too absurd to accept.
“Don’t dismiss it too quickly. Remember what Barry said when this all started? He made a bizarre remark…” Wonder Woman reminded them, placing her Lasso of Truth on the table as a silent indication of her thoughts.
Her lasso had been with her the whole time, so how could Barry have seen it?
“Could it be…” The thought of an impossible scenario left everyone in stunned silence.
“I’ve got it! I’ve deciphered the destination of the portal… but how could this be possible?” Cyborg’s sudden exclamation broke the silence.
“Where did it lead?” Clark asked, rising from his seat, his expression serious as he addressed Cyborg, who seemed utterly shocked by what he had found.
“This can’t be real… The coordinates…”
Cyborg’s face was full of disbelief, clearly unprepared for what he had uncovered.
“The coordinates are almost identical to our current location, but…”
Impatient, Batman stood up and joined Cyborg. Upon seeing the decoded data, his face mirrored Cyborg’s shock.
The coordinates showed that the enemies were in a location very close to them—possibly even within the Watchtower itself.
However, the coordinates also indicated that the enemies weren’t in their universe.
...
Meanwhile, in a nearby universe.
In a similar Watchtower space station, figures gradually emerged as the portal flickered to life. Among them was The Flash, who had been kidnapped and brought to this place.
“This is… the Watchtower? Who are you people?” The Flash asked, disbelief etched across his face as he looked around the all-too-familiar surroundings, a sense of dread rising within him.
“Barry, welcome to another universe!” one of the figures responded. As the others slowly removed their disguises, familiar faces appeared before The Flash’s eyes.
“Diana, Arthur… How can it be you…? No, wait, this isn’t right! Is this really another universe?” The Flash stammered, momentarily lost as he looked at the familiar faces.
“Yes, this is indeed another universe—one on the brink of being consumed by darkness, on the verge of death, and falling into complete despair!”
A few seconds later, two more figures stepped through the portal. One of them, now without a mask, revealed a face that The Flash knew all too well—Superman, Clark Kent.
“No, what’s going on here?” The Flash’s mind was in turmoil, completely unable to comprehend the situation.
“We’re sorry, Barry. We had a reason for doing this. Our universe is facing a grave threat of being consumed by darkness!” Clark explained as the silver wall behind The Flash slowly began to open.
Through the transparent shield, they could clearly see the Earth below. But unlike the vibrant blue planet The Flash had seen countless times before, this Earth's skies were shrouded in a visible, ominous darkness.
A massive black sphere floated above the Earth, with countless black tendrils like the arms of an octopus, reaching down from the sky to the planet below. These tendrils covered nearly a fifth of the Earth's surface.
The black threads, resembling tentacles, seemed to be continuously draining the planet’s life force and energy. At the top of the dark energy concentration, the sphere looked like a giant black eye, emitting an unbearably cold aura, staring down at every person on Earth with an indescribable presence.
“What… has happened here?” The Flash was stunned, his eyes wide as he took in the scene, struggling to believe what he was seeing.
“Our Earth is undergoing an unimaginable catastrophe! And at the same time, it has lost the protection of The Flash,” Superman said, walking over to stand beside Barry. His gaze fixed on the massive black eye, he continued, “Barry, this is the real reason we had to bring you here.”
...
(End of Chapter)
