บท 230: Chapter 230: Successful Recruitment, Working Together
"What? You actually know me?"
The calm expression of this universe's Superman instantly shifted to surprise upon hearing his identity being called out by the stranger.
After all, in this universe, almost no one knew his true identity.
"Don't be shocked, Clark. I'm actually just like you—Clark Kent."
Among the three strangers, the figure dressed similarly to him slowly stepped forward, addressing him in a serious tone.
"This... how is that possible? Where exactly are you from?"
Upon hearing that the stranger was also named Clark Kent, and more importantly, seeing his appearance, Superman knew it wasn't just a coincidence.
He could feel a strong and familiar energy emanating from the man in front of him.
"That's right. You can feel it too. Like you, I am also from the destroyed planet Krypton. My real name is Kal-El."
Clark didn't hide his origin from the Superman of this universe, knowing that honesty was the best way to build trust between them.
"What? That's impossible! How could you also be from Krypton… wait, are you from another universe?"
As soon as Kal-El revealed his name, the expression of this universe's Superman changed drastically, and an unbelievable thought instantly flashed through his mind.
"Yes, we do come from another universe."
Clark nodded, confirming the guess.
"This... I'm sorry, it's just a little too hard to believe!"
It would be difficult for anyone to remain calm after encountering another version of themselves from a different universe. Even for Superman, it was a shocking revelation to process in such a short time.
However, as Superman, he remained far more composed than an ordinary person when faced with such an astonishing situation.
"Alright, assuming everything you've said is true, why have you suddenly come to my universe? What do you want?"
The Superman of this universe quickly regained his composure after the initial shock and looked at the group before him with curiosity.
"I apologize. We didn't mean to disturb the reality of this universe, but the multiverse needs your help…"
At that moment, Clark's expression grew serious as he explained the true purpose of their arrival without hesitation.
"The multiverse... needs my help?"
Once again, the Superman of this universe was visibly stunned.
Woo woo woo…
Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by the sound of piercing alarms from nearby. It was evident that rescue workers and firefighters had arrived to aid in the aftermath of the airplane's crash.
"This isn't the place to talk. Follow me."
The Superman of this universe snapped back to reality, glancing at the surrounding crowd of onlookers, who were staring at them in shock, as well as the approaching rescue teams.
Without hesitation, he shot into the sky and disappeared from the scene.
While ordinary people couldn't detect anything unusual, Clark, being Superman himself, understood that the other version of him wasn't flying at full speed—he was waiting for them to follow.
"Everyone, let's catch up with him!"
Clark called out to the others before launching himself into the air to follow.
Kara glanced at Peter, then flew up into the sky as well, following them.
Peter, however, didn't rush to join them. He looked at Barry, who was still standing on the ground, gazing upwards.
"Need a hand?"
Seeing a hint of embarrassment on Barry's half-exposed face under the mask, Peter couldn't help but offer his assistance. After all, there were five of them here, and four could fly. Barry was the only one stuck on the ground.
"Ahem, no need. I can keep up with you all just fine on the ground!"
Barry, trying to hide his awkwardness, turned into a streak of lightning and vanished.
"Haha, that guy…"
Peter chuckled lightly before leaping into the air and chasing after the others.
"Wow! Who are those guys?"
"Could they be as powerful as Superman?"
The crowd, which had already been in awe of the plane crash, was now even more amazed by what followed. Most people will never witness a plane crash in their lifetime, but this crowd of thousands had not only witnessed it, they had also seen Superman save the day.
Even more incredible, they had just seen several others with abilities seemingly identical to Superman.
This surreal experience left everyone feeling both stunned and exhilarated.
Some in the crowd couldn't help but feel lucky that they had bought tickets to this game today. Not only had they witnessed the match, but everything that happened afterward far exceeded the price of their tickets.
At the very least, they now had bragging rights to share with their friends.
Before long, rescue workers arrived at the scene to restore order and begin the process of rescuing the passengers from the downed aircraft.
...
Meanwhile, the group followed the Superman of this universe, speeding away from the bustling city. They soared over endless mountains, rivers, and even oceans. After crossing more than ten thousand kilometers, they finally arrived at Earth's pole—the cold, desolate Arctic.
Stopping before a glacier-covered ice cave, Superman, who was leading the way, gradually slowed down and descended directly into the cave.
Shortly after, several more figures descended from the sky and landed inside the ice cave.
"This is your Fortress of Solitude?"
Clark asked as he gazed around the ice cave.
"How did you know…"
"That's right, I also have a Fortress of Solitude, quite similar to this one."
The two exchanged a glance, seemingly recognizing something familiar in each other's eyes. Despite coming from different universes, their life paths hadn't diverged much.
Both had arrived on Earth as children, been adopted by the Kent family, and eventually grew up to become the superhero Superman, savior of those in need.
Their fathers had also left them a Fortress of Solitude here, meant for them.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a red and yellow flash of lightning zipped through the air and stopped in front of the group.
"Phew…"
Even for Barry, crossing nearly half the planet was quite the journey. Running on the ground, especially at such a distance, was much more exhausting than flying through the sky.
In the air, you just follow a straight path, but on the ground, Barry had to constantly change direction, navigate towering mountains, and avoid rivers in his way.
At times, when no shortcut presented itself, Barry had no choice but to run across the surface of the water at high speed. This took even more energy than running on land.
Luckily, the Speed Force allowed him to bypass many of the physical limitations that would have made such a feat impossible. Without it, reaching the destination quickly and safely would have been out of the question.
Even so, he felt drained and tired from the exertion.
"You didn't need to push yourself so hard—I could've helped," Peter remarked, seeing Barry catching his breath.
"Alright, now that we're all here, we should talk about the real reason you came to find me."
Superman's face grew serious as he addressed them.
"And what exactly do you mean when you say the universe needs me?"
...
Afterward, the group didn't hide anything. They explained the massive crisis threatening to destroy the entire multiverse and their need to recruit more heroes to combat this looming catastrophe in detail.
Hearing their explanation, the Superman of this universe couldn't help but grow more serious.
In fact, he had arrived on Earth a few years earlier than Clark had in their universe. Not only had he absorbed more sunlight, making him stronger than Clark, but he had also faced more crises on Earth, which had matured him. Yet, even with all his experiences, this was the first time he had encountered a threat of this magnitude—a crisis that could potentially destroy not just one universe but all of the multiverse.
"Can we really stop a threat this massive?"
His doubt wasn't born from fear or self-doubt, but the sheer scale of the crisis made it seem almost impossible to resist. Even if they were powerful, they were still limited to Earth—a mere speck in the vast universe. How could they hope to stand against a force capable of consuming every reality in the multiverse?
"Can we truly stop something like this?"
The others had also considered this, but up until now, they had been avoiding that thought. They all knew it in their hearts: their power might not be enough to stop this dire crisis.
But if they let fear paralyze them—if they chose to stand aside because they believed the threat was too great—no one would stand against the crisis. Then, every universe, including their own, would face annihilation.
"Yes, this crisis is enormous, but that's no excuse for us to retreat in fear," Barry, the Flash, said, his tone grave as he addressed the group, who seemed shaken by the enormity of the situation.
He had felt the despair of the crisis firsthand. Endless darkness had swallowed the entire multiverse, and an overwhelming tide of anti-matter energy was slowly devouring all of reality. The entire multiverse was reduced to nothingness, with every sound silenced, leaving only terrifying stillness.
"If we shrink back, all of it will happen anyway. Since that's the case, why not fight together?"
Clark spoke, now emboldened by Barry's courageous spirit. As heroes, they had greater power than ordinary people, and with that power came even greater responsibility. Protecting the reality of all universes was a responsibility they had to bear.
Now, they had no other choice but to become the light that stood against the encroaching darkness. Even if they died in the end, they would do so without regret. The eternal light of the universe would be their legacy.
"You…"
The Superman of this universe was surprised by their unwavering resolve to fight the crisis and darkness. After a deep sigh, his expression became serious too.
"Alright then, I'll join you in this fight. Let's go all out!"
At that moment, this universe's Superman made his decision without hesitation, joining them in their battle against the crisis and darkness.
"Welcome, Superman. Together, we'll fight to defend our universe and loved ones!"
Barry, as the recruiter of their team, extended his hand, welcoming Superman to their cause.
Superman didn't hesitate and grasped Barry's hand firmly. The moment they shook hands, it felt as though the fate of the universe had just shifted.
"Alright, everyone, we've found another powerful ally, but now is not the time to rest. We still have more work to do, finding as many heroes as possible to help us fight this crisis!"
They exchanged determined looks, knowing that their most important task lay ahead.
Soon, the group set off again, led by Barry, as they entered the Speed Force, ready to recruit more heroes to join their cause.
As time passed, their team continued to grow. Every hero they sought out chose to join them in their battle against the crisis. Each one understood that if this threat was real, none of them would be spared, so why not fight together?
In truth, they weren't the only ones searching for allies to combat this universe-ending crisis.
In another universe, a version of Barry who had received the memories of his future self was working hard to unlock the knowledge of how to fully control the Speed Force.
During one of his intense runs, something changed. Suddenly, he found himself in a strange and fantastical realm, and in front of him stood a figure clad in a red suit.
...
(End of Chapter)
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