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[Superman] Chapter 210: Batman, Your Bank Got Robbed Again
🕑 Added 2024-08-22 16:46:30 +0000 UTCPeter sensed the strange aura and immediately recalled the dark energy that had once invaded the Marvel Universe from the DC Universe not too long ago.
The similarities between the two were almost identical in nature and characteristics.
However, the initial dark energy was more overt and didn’t attempt to hide its presence during the invasion.
It even went so far as to expose itself, forming a special chain in an effort to fuse the two universes as quickly as possible. It wasn’t until Peter tore it apart that the dark link was finally severed.
Now, the dark energy currently infesting the entire DC Universe was much more covert, so much so that ordinary people couldn’t perceive it at all.
Even those with significant power would find it difficult to detect that the DC Universe was being infiltrated by this strange dark energy.
Even Peter, who had grown powerful enough to rival the gods of eternity, might not have easily noticed the DC Universe was being invaded by this peculiar energy if he hadn’t previously encountered it firsthand.
"What kind of sinister plot is behind this dark energy, silently corrupting the entire DC Universe?"
At that moment, Peter couldn’t help but feel a sense of gravity. The vast dark energy was nearly engulfing and invading the entire DC Universe.
Even those special dimensional regions beyond the barriers of the multiverse, which Peter hadn’t yet visited, were also being subjected to the same dark energy invasion.
If this continues unchecked, it’s likely that in due time, the entire DC Universe would be shrouded in a veil of darkness, leading to a massive crisis that would sweep across the entire universe.
"Who could possess such terrifying power?"
As Peter traveled through the Speed Force channel, he could sense the dark energy seeping into nearly every single universe within the DC multiverse.
It was as if the dark energy was slowly merging with each individual universe, casting a gloomy shadow over them, creating a feeling of obscurity and unease.
However, this sense of foreboding could only be detected by those with powerful perception, as it was entirely invisible to the naked eye.
"I wonder what kind of impact this dark energy's invasion will have on the life forms within the universe?"
Although Peter was aware of the dark aura's terrifying potential, which could eventually consume the entire DC Universe and plunge it into complete darkness, he chose not to rashly investigate the dark energy at that moment.
Instead, he sped through the Speed Force channel, rapidly making his way back to the DC Universe he had last left.
…
"The original future of this universe seems to have indeed been completely rewritten!"
At this moment, Peter gazed at the universe before him, noticing that it had significantly changed since the first time he visited.
The apocalyptic scene that once dominated this universe had vanished, replaced by something entirely different.
The entire universe had shifted toward a new path of development. With the Flash forcibly reversing time and Darkseid being erased by Peter in the past, Earth, the center of this universe, would no longer be under the control of Darkseid's army.
The hellfire that once engulfed the universe had completely disappeared, and the cosmos now radiated a warm glow, like a newborn universe full of life.
However, this apparent prosperity was only what a normal person would see. In Peter's perception, this seemingly vibrant universe, which appeared to have a bright future, was, like many other DC universes, shrouded in a dark shadow.
Though the darkness was still limited in scope, it was spreading rapidly across the entire universe.
Perhaps within a year, this dark aura would completely envelop the universe, plunging it into a dark apocalypse.
"As I suspected, even a universe where the timeline has been altered and the apocalyptic future reversed cannot escape the grip of this dark energy!"
Peter had now fully confirmed that this dark energy was an invasive force sweeping through the entire DC Universe.
Whether it was an individual universe or the endless multiverse formed by countless universes, even the special dimensions beyond the multiverse and the omniverse encompassing everything would be affected by this dark energy.
"It seems that the mastermind behind this dark energy is not to be underestimated!"
At this moment, even Peter felt a sense of unease as he realized the magnitude of this sinister plot. Even someone as powerful as he found it challenging to comprehend such a terrifying scheme.
Given the lack of information, Peter decided not to take any hasty action against the dark energy's invasion of the universe. Instead, he proceeded through the Speed Force channel and entered this universe directly.
Now, he needed to delve into the universe itself to personally experience how this dark energy was affecting its reality.
...
Buzz!
As the Speed Force channel materialized on the Earth of this universe, Peter's figure suddenly appeared on the planet.
The next moment, without hesitation, he unleashed his powerful senses, scanning for any changes in Earth's reality.
"It seems... everything appears to be normal?"
The cacophony of sounds and chaotic images flooded Peter's mind in an instant—information so vast that even the most advanced computers on Earth would struggle to process it quickly.
Fortunately, Peter possessed a super brain, allowing him to process all the information on this planet almost instantly.
In the end, Peter discovered that the reality of this Earth's universe did not seem to be influenced by the dark energy. Everything appeared relatively normal.
At least, because Darkseid and Apokolips had not invaded, this Earth remained in a state of peace on the surface.
Although there were various tensions between nations, they had not escalated into a world-consuming war, nor had there been any excessive chaos.
Superman, Batman, and others, after the events of the last crisis, had successfully established the Justice League to maintain global peace.
Moreover, with Batman's funding and the efforts of the others, they had built a massive space station in Earth's orbit, named the Watchtower, designed to monitor unlawful activities on Earth and provide the fastest response.
The Justice League, with the addition of many superheroes, had made the world even more harmonious than before.
"Could it be that the dark energy hasn't fully spread yet, so it hasn't had a noticeable impact on the universe's reality?"
After sensing for a while, Peter could only reach this conclusion. Perhaps the dark energy had only recently invaded the universe and hadn't yet spread enough to affect reality.
"Forget it. I should head back to Apokolips and see how far Desaad has gotten with the Doomsday technology."
In the next moment, Peter vanished from Earth, crossing unimaginable distances in an instant to reach the distant planet Apokolips.
Not long after Peter left Earth, a peculiar spatial portal appeared once again on the planet. From this portal, several figures slowly emerged.
If anyone else had seen their attire, they would have involuntarily gasped in surprise.
"Is this the place?"
One of the figures at the front scanned the scenery of Earth, a hint of nostalgia and memory in his eyes as he asked the others behind him in a deep voice.
"Yes, this is the universe. Not only is it the closest to our universe, but it also has two hosts of the Speed Force."
Hearing his question, another figure, fully covered in clothing and even wearing a mask, slowly replied.
"Good. Let's proceed according to our plan!"
The figure at the front seemed pleased, speaking slowly as if their target had been confirmed.
"Are we really going to do this?"
But the faces of the others behind him didn't seem as resolute.
"Our universe is about to fall into darkness, and now, we have no other choice!"
The leading figure's expression was incredibly determined. Having made this choice, there was no turning back.
...
At the same time, Peter's figure had already appeared on Apokolips, inside the former palace of Darkseid.
"Who dares to intrude upon the King's palace...?"
Two guards within the palace, sensing the sudden presence, almost immediately launched an attack at the intruder.
Two blasts of energy roared toward Peter.
"Hmph! It’s me!"
However, just as the two energy blasts were about to strike Peter, a cold snort echoed through the air, seemingly infused with a powerful magic that instantly froze the energy in mid-air.
"We're sorry, great King! We didn’t realize it was you..."
Finally recognizing the figure who had suddenly appeared as the new King of Apokolips who had been away for months, the two guards were instantly terrified, trembling as they practically prostrated themselves on the ground.
"Forget it. Go inform Desaad to come and see me."
Peter paid no attention to the guards' offense and calmly seated himself on the supreme golden throne, giving his command.
"Yes, great King!"
Knowing they had narrowly escaped death, the two guards didn't dare hesitate and practically sprinted out of the hall to summon Desaad.
Not long after.
"Great King, you have finally returned!"
As soon as Desaad entered the palace, he hurriedly knelt on one knee, expressing his submission to Peter.
"How is the task I assigned you coming along?"
Peter looked down at Desaad, who was kneeling respectfully below him, and asked in a deep voice.
"Reporting to the great King, your loyal servant has not failed your trust and expectations. There has been tremendous progress in the technology to combine Doomsday with Parademons."
"Just recently, we successfully created a prototype of a new biological weapon."
Desaad, seemingly well-prepared, responded with excitement on his face.
"Oh? So quickly?"
Peter was somewhat surprised at the speed of progress. After all, he had given the same research to Dr. Connors in the Marvel Universe, but there hadn't been much progress yet.
However, on Apokolips, not only had they found the right direction, but they had also begun developing new prototypes. It was a testament to the unimaginably advanced level of Apokolips' technological civilization.
"How did the prototype perform?"
Peter still had some concerns. Even though the progress had been fast, he wondered if it truly met his expectations.
"Reporting to the great King, the prototype's power is beyond imagination!"
Recalling the terrifying strength of the prototype, Desaad's face showed a mix of disbelief and intense excitement.
"Great King, I dare to request that you personally witness the strength of the prototype..."
In order to directly demonstrate the prototype’s power and to earn the trust of their new King, Desaad's expression shifted before he finally made his bold request.
"Oh? You seem quite confident."
"Very well, I'll personally inspect it and see just how powerful it is to make you so confident."
Sensing Desaad's confidence in his technological research, Peter did not refuse his request. He slowly rose from the throne and began walking toward the exit of the hall.
...
On Earth, after Peter had left for a while, an alarm suddenly sounded in a special space station in distant space.
“Victor, what’s going on?”
Soon, the team gathered in the Watchtower's conference hall upon hearing the alarm.
In front of a large conference table, which had seven special seats and figures, Batman spoke first, addressing Cyborg, who was operating the control system.
“It’s nothing serious, just a Level 3 security incident.”
Cyborg, having learned the reason for the alarm from the global monitoring system, gradually relaxed from his initial tension.
The system categorizes security threats into ten levels.
Level 1 is the lowest, involving street brawls, muggings, and other easily manageable incidents.
Level 10 represents the highest level of crisis, such as invasions by extraterrestrial beings or unknown entities, indicating world-threatening scenarios.
The current alarm signaled only a Level 3 incident, which is relatively easy to handle.
It might not even require the senior members to get involved; the outer members stationed on Earth could handle it.
“I see. Victor, remember to notify the nearest ground-based members and have them deal with it as soon as possible…”
“As for the rest, if there’s nothing urgent, you can all disperse for now.”
At this moment, Batman was not overly concerned with such a low-level security incident. After giving his instructions, he was about to return to his own tasks.
“Wait, Victor, don’t notify the others. Just tell me the location of the incident…”
Suddenly, a voice interrupted, surprising those who were preparing to leave.
“Clark, you?”
The voice belonged to Superman, Clark Kent, which took everyone by surprise.
“Alright, the location is Gotham City. There’s been a bank robbery, and the criminals have taken dozens of hostages, so we need to provide support…”
Cyborg, surprised by Superman’s firm decision, didn’t ask further questions and slowly provided the details of the crime.
“Oh? Gotham City again?”
Clark, hearing it was Gotham City, glanced curiously at Batman, who was turning to leave, and then smiled at him.
“Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to act, so I’m itching to get involved. I’ll handle this.”
With that, Clark quickly vanished from sight, a strong gust of wind whipping up their clothes and hair.
“Looks like Gotham’s security still needs improvement.”
Aquaman, with his characteristic straightforwardness, made this comment, causing Batman, who was about to leave, to stop suddenly.
He then turned to Cyborg and asked in a deep voice, “Which bank?”
“Uh… it seems to be… your bank!”
Cyborg, puzzled by Batman’s sudden change of interest, nonetheless revealed the location with surprise.
...
(End of chapter)
