Chapter 147: Chapter 145
Dr. Manhattan's sudden arrival surprised Kara.
The reason for her astonishment was simple: Dr. Manhattan didn't belong to this universe. He hailed from an entirely different one.
There was a vast distance separating the universe where Dr. Manhattan resided from the main DC Multiverse, which Kara inhabited.
Many might not realize that the Watchmen universe, where Dr. Manhattan originated, wasn't originally part of the DC Multiverse. It was an independent creation. However, due to real-world circumstances—such as disputes involving the original creator—the two universes began to merge. Still, the Watchmen universe was never formally a part of the established DC Multiverse.
To put it simply, the Watchmen universe exists independently. It may have its own multiverse, but it does not belong to the main DC Multiverse framework.
Nevertheless, the boundaries between the two universes had started to blur.
But for now, that explanation could wait.
Kara stared at Dr. Manhattan in disbelief.
She didn't doubt his immense power. In fact, she was on high alert. This was a form of respect; after all, Dr. Manhattan likely possessed the ability to obliterate her instantly.
Yet Kara also knew she could destroy Dr. Manhattan just as swiftly—at least the version of him standing here.
This realization made him one of the most terrifying opponents Kara had ever faced. A battle between the two could potentially annihilate the Earth, if not the entire solar system.
Compared to Dr. Manhattan, the threat posed by Parallax seemed almost trivial.
So, when Dr. Manhattan questioned whether he was a god or a human, Kara didn't find it humorous. His power indeed bordered on divine.
Still, his question intrigued her. "Are you asking me that on purpose? How would I know?"
Kara wasn't a philosopher. She'd studied psychology extensively—enough to earn a degree if she'd cared to—but philosophy was an entirely different field. Religion and theology, too, were beyond her expertise.
"It's too complicated," Kara said, waving dismissively. "I'm not answering that. And this is my bedroom, by the way. What does it look like, having a blue, glowing man standing here? Honestly, just go."
Despite her blunt dismissal, Dr. Manhattan remained unfazed. He wasn't offended—perhaps because he was far removed from human emotions, or perhaps because he simply didn't care.
His diminishing humanity was, in fact, the root of his doubt. As his connection to human experiences faded, his immense power made him increasingly detached.
He cared less and less about humanity. Even his memories of his former life felt distant, insignificant.
This detachment led him to question his identity. Others called him a god. Some nations in his world revered him as a deity, though they feared his power.
Recent events had only deepened his self-doubt.
Instead of leaving, Dr. Manhattan said, "In my world, history unfolded differently than in this one.
"Because of my intervention, the United States won the Vietnam War.
"This victory shaped an alternate future. A nuclear conflict that should have been averted instead became an ever-present threat. The Earth itself teeters on the brink of destruction."
Kara frowned, her annoyance evident. Even in the Watchmen universe, it seemed, history had been rewritten to glorify certain powers.
But she couldn't ignore what Dr. Manhattan was saying—or pretend it didn't matter.
"I see," Kara muttered, scratching her head. She understood why he had come to her. "You're hesitating, aren't you? Deciding whether to save the Earth or abandon humanity entirely. Are you considering using your power to create a new world from scratch?"
Dr. Manhattan's question boiled down to a choice. If he still considered himself human, he might intervene to save Earth. But if he embraced his identity as a god, he could abandon this world altogether and create a new one—perhaps on Mars.
Gods and humans see the world differently. Gods don't meddle in human affairs; they create and destroy without attachment. Humans, on the other hand, cannot so easily ignore life.
"So, what do you want me to do?" Kara asked. "Tell you whether you're still human? Fine. You're human. There. Happy?"
Her tone was dismissive. The Watchmen universe was far removed from her own, and she wanted no part in its complications.
Dr. Manhattan, however, wasn't satisfied with her flippant response.
"I overheard your conversation with your brother," he said. "You told him the most important thing isn't reaching the destination, but what you experience along the way."
Kara's eyes narrowed. So the quantum energy she'd sensed earlier was him. He'd been observing her all along.
"Although I'm now called Dr. Manhattan, I was once a man named Jon Osterman. But that name feels like a distant memory."
Kara raised an eyebrow. 'Distant'? You seem to remember it just fine.
Dr. Manhattan continued. "I had no hobbies, only my work as a physicist. I had a wife but no friends. Then, during a quantum experiment, my body was annihilated.
"My mind, however, endured. It entered a non-physical realm, where my understanding of existence was fundamentally altered.
"I wandered there for what felt like an eternity before returning to this world.
"But I came back... changed. I became this—a glowing, blue-skinned man with godlike powers. Every particle in the universe feels within my grasp."
Kara couldn't help but interject. "So, just by wandering there, you gained all this power? Meanwhile, someone like Doctor Fate has spent centuries training and still has to deal with magical negotiations. Talk about unfair."
Dr. Manhattan, unfamiliar with Doctor Fate, ignored her remark and continued. "At first, I thought I wouldn't care about humanity anymore. I believed I had transcended it.
"But perhaps I was wrong. That's why I'm here—to find an answer."
His voice carried a faint hint of something Kara couldn't quite place—hope, perhaps?
Kara sighed. She didn't want to be dragged into his existential crisis, but she couldn't ignore it either.
"Fine," she said at last. "But don't expect me to give you all the answers. If you want to know whether you're human or a god, you'll have to figure that out yourself."
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