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[Superman] Chapter 157: Lightning Sacrifice!
🕑 Added 2024-06-22 16:07:13 +0000 UTC"What's happening? Barry's speed..."
It was difficult for anyone else to detect the abnormality in the Flash's speed with the naked eye.
Only Superman, possessing speed second only to the Flash, noticed something amiss with Barry, his face changing in response.
"What's wrong, Clark?"
Batman noticed the unusual look on Clark's face and asked quietly.
"Barry's speed seems to be rapidly draining. I'm afraid he won't be able to..."
Clark's eyes were serious, and he hesitated to finish his sentence.
"Speed is draining? Could it be that the Speed Force within him is malfunctioning?"
Batman, known for his caution and thorough understanding of each comrade's weaknesses, including plans to counteract his potential dark turn, also knew that the Flash's speed came from the mysterious energy known as the Speed Force.
At this moment, it only took a second for him to understand the true cause of Barry's speed loss.
"Bruce, what exactly is happening to Barry right now?"
Seeing Batman's serious expression, Clark couldn't help but ask gravely.
"Barry's speed is draining rapidly because, in this unfamiliar universe, he cannot quickly replenish the Speed Force that's being constantly consumed..."
Batman looked troubled. Even though he understood the cause, there was no way to fix it.
The Speed Force is a mysterious power that exists only in the DC universe.
It allows individuals to defy physical laws, enabling them to run at lightning speeds.
It can bestow many powerful abilities, including traveling through time and space, and even traversing infinite universes.
However, in the Marvel universe, this special Speed Force doesn't exist.
This means that in this unfamiliar Marvel universe, the Speed Force that sustains the Flash's super-speed is rapidly depleting and can't be replenished as it can in the DC universe.
Of course, if it were just normal levels of consumption, it might not have a significant impact on him, who has fully mastered the Speed Force.
But now, he needed to expend a tremendous amount of Speed Force to construct a portal linking to the DC universe.
The immense consumption of Speed Force quickly brought him to the brink of exhaustion.
The figure that had been a rapidly spinning blur of lightning now gradually slowed down.
Even the others could now see the Flash's unusual condition.
"What's going on? I feel like Barry's speed is slowing down! And the time-space portal he's constructing seems to be making no progress; in fact, it's even..."
Wonder Woman approached Clark and Batman, asking seriously.
"It looks like we're in trouble!"
Batman said in a deep, slow voice.
...
“Damn it, go faster!”
Meanwhile, the Flash was running with all his might, trying to increase his speed.
However, the rapid depletion of the Speed Force made it inevitable for his speed to slow down a bit.
"No, I can't let this continue. If I do, I won't be able to gather enough energy at the exact moment the two universes are about to completely separate and open the portal to our universe."
At this moment, the Flash realized that if he kept going like this, he wouldn't be able to open the portal to their universe at the critical moment as planned.
If that happened, they would be stuck in this universe forever.
"No, I can't let that happen!"
In his Speed Force state, the Flash's mind was racing, trying to think of a solution.
"Faster, I need to go faster!"
"Speed, I need more speed!"
But no matter how hard the Flash tried, even as his body began to tremble under the strain, his speed was still constrained by the rapidly depleting Speed Force and couldn't increase significantly.
At the same time, not only was the Flash feeling extremely anxious, but those waiting for the portal to be constructed were also becoming increasingly desperate.
As time passed, the separation of the two universes seemed to be accelerating.
In the sky, the massive crack that spanned the boundary of the universes was being slowly smoothed over by a giant hand.
This meant that the time left for them was running out.
"Can Barry break through this predicament?"
Clark watched the rapidly moving figure with a serious expression, a hint of worry in his eyes.
"Time is running out!"
"It seems this is fate..."
Compared to Clark, others were already feeling a sense of helplessness.
"Our last hope is about to be extinguished!"
As the final crack at the boundary of the universe was gradually smoothed over by the giant hand, no one paid any attention to it. The Speed Force energy gathered before them had failed to open the portal to their original universe at this critical moment.
"It looks like they have failed."
Meanwhile, not far away, Captain America and the others noticed the look of lost hope and regret on their faces.
"Now, it's time to fulfill the agreement we made."
Although they felt deep sympathy for them, knowing that they would never see their loved ones or return to their beloved home, Captain America and the others couldn't afford to hesitate for the safety of their universe.
They prepared to step forward and ensure the agreement was honored.
...
"No!"
Accompanied by a cry of defiance, the entire world suddenly and completely came to a standstill.
Time seemed to stop flowing at that moment.
Almost everyone lost the ability to move or even think.
Because at that moment, time, space, the universe, and its laws had lost all meaning.
Across the entire Earth, and even the whole universe, there was only one figure who could still move and think normally.
That figure was the Flash, still running.
"Perhaps, this is the only way!"
The Flash stopped his rapid running and looked at the faces of those around him, filled with disappointment, regret, and pain.
He knew that as their last hope was shattered, these people were enduring an unimaginable pain, just like he was.
"No, I can't stop!"
"Because hope hasn't been completely extinguished yet!"
"Time has lost its meaning at this moment!"
"This world, filled with disappointment and pain, is destined to be remade from this moment on."
"Even if it means I will have to pay an unbearable price!"
Taking his gaze off the others, the Flash looked one last time at the gathered Speed Force energy, his eyes filled with determination.
The Speed Force is known as the most unique and overpowered force in the DC universe.
Because when the Speed Force is pushed to its limit, surpassing the speed of light, it can break through the barriers of time and the universe, reshaping the world and altering the past and future.
"Run, Barry, run!"
At this moment, Barry recalled the joy he felt the first time he gained the Speed Force and ran at incredible speeds.
He remembered the unique feeling of the wind roaring past his ears and the world coming to a standstill before his eyes.
At this moment, he seemed to sense the Speed Force within him, sending out signals of joy and excitement.
"It seems it's been a long time since I truly experienced the joy of running!"
Barry's expression gradually calmed and then became resolute.
"Ah!"
With a roar, a brilliant flash of lightning erupted from the lightning symbol on his chest, representing the Flash.
Lightning was born from him, gradually enveloping his entire body.
He was completely shrouded in lightning.
Electricity crackled over his red and yellow Flash suit.
In the next moment, Barry's expression became resolute, and he unhesitatingly took the first step forward!
As Barry took that step, it seemed the entire universe was covered in lightning.
In the sky, lightning raged, as if the whole universe was experiencing an apocalyptic scene.
Bolts of lightning struck down, landing in front of and around Barry, as if trying to stop him from running forward.
However, faced with the obstruction of the lightning, Barry suddenly closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, his determined eyes flashed with a burst of electricity, making his eyes shine as brightly as lightning.
In the next moment, it seemed as though the lightning raging across the universe was under his complete control.
The endless electric light no longer hindered him but struck down in front of him, shattering and completely breaking the reality of the world.
At the same time, as the Flash's steps fell, more lightning followed behind him, using his steps as a focal point to reshape the entire world!
Crack!
With Barry running as if he were an ordinary person, the entire world was proudly remade!
...
"Time, we might not have enough... Wait, how is Barry suddenly running so fast! What's going on?"
Back to a few seconds earlier, when everyone looked grim, knowing that their last sliver of hope was about to vanish.
The Flash, who was already running at high speed, suddenly accelerated several times over.
He seemed to merge completely with the lightning in which he was rapidly traversing.
Sizzle!
The extreme speed caused the gathering of the Speed Force to increase several times as well.
The Speed Force, seemingly capable of breaking through space, continued to converge in front of everyone.
"Great, the time-space portal is about to open!"
The disappointment in everyone's eyes transformed into surprise and anticipation at that moment.
Watching the rapidly gathering Speed Force light ball shine brightly in space, they saw their real hope of returning home.
"It seems, in the end, he chose to do this..."
Batman looked serious, with a hint of sorrow in his eyes, watching the figure that had merged with the lightning.
Crack!
Suddenly, as the last crack on the boundary of the universe was slowly smoothed out.
A bolt of lightning pierced through the void, striking the Speed Force light ball.
Boom!
A loud noise echoed in everyone's ears, and simultaneously, the Speed Force light ball exploded, forming a time-space portal flickering with electric light.
"Hurry, now!"
Batman shouted to everyone around him, with no time to think about anything else.
Time was tight; the two universes were about to completely separate, and this constructed portal might only last for less than ten seconds.
If they didn't leave while it existed, they would be completely left in this universe.
Whoosh!
With Batman's urgent voice, Clark grabbed two people beside him without hesitation and flew rapidly into the time-space portal.
In an instant, he came back empty-handed, grabbed two more people, and rushed through the time-space portal again.
Thus, besides those who were fast enough to cross the time-space portal themselves, the slower ones were taken through by Clark.
On the other side of the time-space portal.
"Great, we finally made it!"
"The air at home feels so much more familiar!"
Countless people felt an indescribable familiar atmosphere, their eyes full of nostalgia and relief.
However, many members of the Justice League were not yet rejoicing in the joy of returning home.
Instead, they were anxiously looking at the still-open time-space portal, as if waiting for something.
But as the seconds passed, they still hadn't seen anyone come out of the time-space portal.
"Hurry up, Clark, Barry!"
Aquaman and Wonder Woman, among others, were anxious.
If time allowed, they might have re-entered the time-space portal to find Clark and the Flash.
"Damn it!"
As time passed, the time-space portal seemed unable to maintain stability and began to flicker and shake.
Whoosh!
Just as everyone was extremely worried, a figure dashed through the portal just as it was disappearing.
"Great, Clark, you..."
"Wait, are you alone? Where's Barry?"
Before they could smile, they noticed that only Clark had come through the time-space portal.
The Flash was nowhere to be seen.
"Barry... is gone!"
Clark looked pained. On the other side of the portal, he had used all his abilities to sense Barry.
In just a few seconds, he had sensed almost every person in the city, but he couldn't find the Flash.
It was as if he had completely vanished from that universe.
"Damn it! This can't be!"
Hearing Clark's words, everyone understood that he had done his best to find Barry until the portal was about to disappear and then returned.
But this didn't mean they could accept the Flash's disappearance, or even his death.
"No, Barry must have returned to our universe without us noticing. He must have! Let's find him!"
Aquaman, full of unwillingness, tried to hold onto the last, almost impossible possibility.
"Sorry, I just used my abilities to search everything within hundreds of kilometers in this universe..."
"Unfortunately, I didn't find Barry."
"Barry used his life to protect our last hope!"
Clark spoke slowly, his resolute face finally showing a hint of sorrow for the loss of his comrade.
"This... Barry, why was he so foolish..."
Just as everyone was feeling sad about the Flash's disappearance,
"Hahaha..."
Suddenly, a chilling and creepy laugh echoed among the crowd.
"Joker, what are you laughing at? Don't forget, the Flash saved you too!"
Many people glared at the Joker, who was laughing.
This damned guy should have been locked up in Arkham Asylum, enduring inhuman torment.
"Hahaha, I'm laughing at that fool, not knowing he was being manipulated until his death."
"You agree with me, don't you, revered Batman?"
The Joker grinned, looking at Batman with mocking eyes.
"Manipulated? What's going on?"
Everyone looked at Batman with suspicion, waiting for his explanation.
"He's right. You knew the Flash would lose his life, didn't you, Bruce?"
Unlike the others' suspicious looks, Clark seemed to have suspected something as he looked at Batman.
"Yes..."
"But this was Barry's own choice!"
...
(End of Chapter)
