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[Superman] Chapter 226: Recruiting a New Ally—Supergirl
🕑 Added 2024-09-06 03:57:43 +0000 UTCIn Peter's memory, this situation seems to be the prelude to the impending Crisis on Infinite Earths.
The Crisis on Infinite Earths is a massive catastrophe that affects the entire multiverse in the DC Universe comics. All the superheroes across various universes must unite to face a powerful, unprecedented enemy—the Anti-Monitor.
The Anti-Monitor possesses the formidable ability to manipulate antimatter energy, and he plans to use this vast power to consume all infinite universes, reducing the entire multiverse to nothingness.
At this moment, the appearance of both the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor signifies that this immense catastrophe is about to sweep across the universe.
This aligns with what Peter previously witnessed—countless dark energies enveloping the endless universe.
However, Peter senses that things might not be as straightforward as they seem.
He knows that although the Crisis on Infinite Earths is vast and even engulfs the entire DC multiverse, it shouldn't be powerful enough to break through the barriers of the omniverse and affect another universe.
This differs from the case Peter knows of, where a universe invaded by darkness once crossed over into the Marvel Universe.
"Could it be that the real Crisis on Infinite Earths is even more terrifying and grand than depicted in the comics? Is the Anti-Monitor's plan not only to devour the entire DC Universe but also to consume the neighboring Marvel Universe?"
However, this doubt alone isn't enough for Peter to dismiss everything.
Nor is it sufficient for him to uncover the truth of the situation.
"In any case, the Crisis on Infinite Earths seems imminent. If I want to figure out the truth behind this, I might need to investigate beyond this crisis!"
Peter's gaze focused on Barry's expression. His strong perception and observational skills didn't detect any unnatural changes in Barry's expression.
Barry's gaze was sincere; everything he had said seemed to be true, at least based on what he knew.
"Mr. Peter… Parker, now that I've told you everything, can you let me go?"
Seeing Peter fall into deep thought after hearing his explanation, Barry, after waiting a bit, couldn't help but speak up, cautiously and expectantly interrupting Peter's contemplation.
Barry couldn't afford to waste time. He knew that a crisis engulfing the entire universe could strike at any moment, and he couldn't linger here for long.
"Of course… But in your current condition, I'm afraid you won't be able to leave the Speed Force anytime soon!"
Peter had obtained the clues he needed and saw no reason to continue restraining Barry.
However, Barry had just collided with Peter, sustaining severe injuries.
Several of his bones were fractured, and if it weren't for his strong physique and quick healing abilities, he might have found it difficult to even stand up at this moment.
Even so, it was nearly impossible for him to run at super speed as he had before, at least not within a few hours.
"Damn it, I don't have much time to waste!"
With Peter's reminder, Barry realized his current physical condition could no longer support him in running through the Speed Force at high speeds.
"What should I do now…"
At this moment, Barry's expression was filled with anxiety.
"Perhaps I can help you!"
Just as Barry was feeling extremely anxious and unsure of what to do, Peter suddenly spoke up, offering his assistance in a friendly manner.
"You… There's no need for you to get involved in this crisis!"
As soon as Peter spoke, Barry's eyes lit up, sensing a glimmer of hope.
However, his expression quickly changed, and he looked seriously at Peter, advising him not to involve himself in this enormous crisis.
"Actually, there's no need to say that. After all, if what you've said is true, the entire multiverse is in danger and on the brink of collapse. Whether I get involved or not, what difference does it make?"
"When this crisis begins, whether we are prepared or not, we will be swept into it. This is an unavoidable fact."
Peter's expression was solemn as he explained that whether or not he got involved in this crisis wasn't something he could control.
And indeed, the Crisis on Infinite Earths in his memory wouldn't affect the Marvel Universe.
In a sense, even if he allowed the entire DC Universe to fall, he wouldn't be impacted since he could simply return to his own Marvel Universe.
However, Peter had a special feeling that this crisis wasn't that simple.
If he didn't participate and uncover the truth behind this Crisis on Infinite Earths, his own Marvel Universe might not escape unscathed.
"Yes… You're right. We really can't avoid this now…"
At this moment, Barry looked at Peter with serious eyes, finally nodding slightly.
"In that case, we should properly introduce ourselves. I'm Barry Allen, and people call me The Flash!"
Clearly, Barry had accepted Peter's offer to join and help. For the first time, he solemnly revealed his secret identity by slowly removing his mask and extending his hand to Peter in a friendly manner.
"Alright, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Barry Allen!"
"In fact, you can also call me… Homelander!"
Peter slowly shook Barry's outstretched hand and then smiled slightly as he introduced himself.
However, he didn't reveal his Superman identity but instead presented himself as his second persona.
"Homelander? Strange name… but that's okay. Now, let's discuss how we should deal with this crisis!"
Barry looked at Peter with a somewhat puzzled expression but didn't ask further. Instead, he prepared to discuss their next plan.
"I think relying on just the two of us won't be enough to handle this crisis. We should follow the Monitor's prophecy and recruit more powerful allies to fight this crisis together…"
Barry thought for a moment and realized that their strength alone wouldn't be enough to deal with this enormous crisis. He decided to continue with his original plan to search for help in other universes.
"I have no objections. So, who will be our first ally?"
Although Peter was confident he could defeat the Anti-Monitor alone, he didn't dismiss Barry's plan at this moment.
After all, in this crisis, it was clear that Barry was the one destined to save the universe.
Peter himself couldn't locate the Anti-Monitor hidden in the darkness. Only by following Barry and participating in his plan could he have a chance to uncover the mastermind behind all of this.
"Actually, I already have someone in mind!"
"Let's wait and see—I believe you'll like her…"
…
In a desolate area of a distant universe, far from any city, a space portal suddenly appeared in the sky.
The next moment, two figures emerged from the portal and stepped into this universe.
"This is it. The first ally we're going to recruit is in this universe..." Barry said, looking quite excited after entering this universe.
This universe was the one Barry had accidentally entered when he first used the Speed Force to travel through time and space. It was here that he first learned about the existence of the multiverse, and discovered that different parallel universes had their own realities and superheroes.
The hero they were about to recruit was one of these superheroes.
"Heh, I'm looking forward to it..." Peter responded with a hint of anticipation, although he already knew what Barry was planning as soon as they entered this universe. Still, he kept his thoughts to himself and didn't reveal Barry's intentions.
"Uh... I'm still not fully recovered, so I might need your help again," Barry said somewhat sheepishly, glancing at Peter. Just as Peter had carried Barry through the Speed Force corridor to this universe, he would need Peter's help again to find the ally they were about to recruit.
"No problem. So, what's our next destination?" Peter asked, feigning ignorance.
"Our target is the nearest city—Star City," Barry replied, gazing into the distance where the outline of a city could be faintly seen. "There's a hero who protects that city. They are the first ally we need to recruit."
"Star City, huh?" Peter looked toward the distant city, then turned to Barry. "So, are you ready for an exhilarating journey?"
"Exhilarating? What do you mean by... HOLY SH—!" Before Barry could finish his question, Peter grabbed him by the back of his shirt and shot into the sky.
Peter's speed was unimaginable—so fast that even he couldn't accurately measure it. If he really wanted to, he could likely reach the edge of the universe in an instant. Of course, he wasn't about to display such terrifying speed on Earth, so he settled for a mere few dozen times the speed of sound. But even this was enough to leave a strong impression on Barry.
Barry had often run at such incredible speeds on the ground, but flying at this speed, without the protection of the Speed Force, was a first for him. In the blink of an eye, the two of them were soaring above the city.
…
In Star City, inside a large office building, a blonde girl wearing black-rimmed glasses was busy at work. This was the largest news division in Star City, and every day was filled with an overwhelming amount of work.
No one here knew that this seemingly ordinary girl had a secret identity.
Suddenly, the girl's expression changed drastically.
"Who is that?"
The reason for her alarm was that she had just sensed the presence of a stranger with superpowers in the city she protected, and this individual was approaching her at an incredible speed.
"Boss, sorry, I just remembered something urgent I need to take care of..." The blonde girl hurriedly asked her boss for leave, and before her boss could respond, she bolted for the door. However...
Boom!
With a loud crash, the sound of shattering glass echoed through the building as two figures burst through a high window, appearing in front of the blonde girl.
"Ah! What's happening?"
"Damn it, what's going on? Is this a terrorist attack?" The commotion brought back memories of a famous event from years ago, and everyone was understandably panicked.
The most flustered of all was the blonde girl who had been about to leave.
"Barry? It's him..." Kara Zor-El stared in shock at the two figures who had burst through the window. One of them was Barry, the Flash from another universe, whom she had met before.
"She's the one we're looking for, right?" Peter asked as he set down the still-stunned Barry in front of the astonished Kara.
"Y-Yes, it's her—Supergirl, Kara Zor-El!" Barry finally snapped out of his daze, excitedly introducing the blonde girl.
"What? Kara is Supergirl?" Meanwhile, Barry seemed oblivious to the "surprise" they had caused among the office employees by bursting into Kara's workplace—especially to her boss, who had come out to see what was happening and was now staring in shock at the scene.
"Oh my god..." Kara covered her face in exasperation, realizing that her secret identity had been completely exposed.
"Uh, Kara, sorry about that..." Barry, who also had the burden of a secret identity, finally realized the impact of their sudden entrance and looked apologetically at Supergirl.
"Look, the universe is on the brink of destruction. You really don't need to worry about keeping your identity hidden anymore," Peter interjected, cutting through their conversation.
"What did you say? The universe... is going to be destroyed?" Kara, who had been preoccupied with the consequences of her exposed identity, finally turned her shocked gaze to Peter.
"Kara, I'm sorry that my actions exposed your identity," Barry said, stepping toward Supergirl with a serious expression. "But as Peter said, we don't have much time to worry about that anymore. Our universe is about to face total annihilation. And not just our universe—every universe..."
At that moment, Barry stopped worrying about the impact they had caused and focused on the grave threat looming over them all.
...
(End of CHapter)
