Chương 213: Chapter 213: The Cosmic Treadmill and the Speed Force Cannon
"From my previous discussions and research with Barry, we know that beyond our universe, there are countless relatively independent multiverses."
In a watchtower of another universe, Cyborg slowly explained the concept of the multiverse theory to everyone.
"Between our various multiverses, there generally is no mutual influence, and it's even quite rare for them to intersect."
"However, under certain specific circumstances, multiverses can produce pathways for mutual connection and traversal."
"For instance, the Speed Force that Barry possesses is itself a major key for opening connections between multiverses."
With the formation of the Justice League and Batman's financial backing, various research facilities have become quite advanced.
Cyborg had also researched the multiverse, and with the Speed Force allowing the Flash to travel through time and space, they were not unfamiliar with the existence of the multiverse.
"Damn it, Barry has been kidnapped to another universe?"
The news that the Flash had been abducted to another multiverse was hard for everyone to believe.
"I think we first need to understand why they invaded our universe and specifically kidnapped the Flash."
Wonder Woman raised an important question. Most criminals have some form of motive, and for those from another universe, the reason for kidnapping the Flash was unclear.
"This is exactly what I've been wondering—why specifically Barry?"
"And I've noticed that their visit seems to have been meticulously planned, clearly aimed at Barry, creating a bank robbery just to lure him out."
Batman agreed with Wonder Woman's concerns. He pondered the question carefully, as their motive might be key to understanding the situation.
"In fact, Barry once told me that in most universes, there are speedsters like the Flash, who wield the Speed Force and protect their respective universes."
"Because in the face of a crisis that could destroy an entire universe, only the Flash has the power to reverse time and save it."
Cyborg revealed what he knew.
"Could it be that their universe is facing a special crisis and needs the Flash to reverse time and save their universe?"
At that moment, everyone recalled the recent event where their own Flash traveled from the future to assemble them all and defeat the Anti-Monitor in advance.
It was thanks to the Flash that their universe was not doomed to a hellish apocalypse.
"But if that's the case, where is the Flash who protects their universe?"
Aquaman spoke slowly, voicing his inner question.
"Perhaps their universe's Flash has disappeared due to some special reason…"
"And in a desperate situation, they had no choice but to kidnap our Flash to save their own universe."
Cyborg speculated, not realizing that his guess was quite close to the truth.
...
"Unfortunately, all of this is just speculation on our part."
"And the most pressing issue we face right now is that Barry has been kidnapped to their universe, and we don't know what terrifying experiences he's enduring alone."
"And we're wasting time on these trivial matters instead of going to help Barry!"
For the first time, Superman felt such helplessness. He clenched his fists and slammed them onto the conference table, instantly stopping the rest from discussing the issue further.
"Exactly. No matter the reason, we must do everything in our power to rescue Barry!"
Batman also spoke with a serious expression. Even without considering that the Flash had previously saved them all, they could not ignore Barry's kidnapping simply because he was their comrade in arms.
"So, what should we do now to rescue Barry from their clutches?"
Aquaman slowly stood up and asked the group. He, too, was eager to save Barry as soon as possible.
"Perhaps we're not entirely out of options!"
"Although my research on the multiverse is still shallow, and I can't use technology to create a space conduit between multiverses,"
Cyborg also stood up, revealing a hint of a mysterious expression.
"However, when I was recently analyzing the device they left behind, the one that can open the portal, I found that it was not damaged and could still be used. It just lacks a special type of energy to activate the portal."
Cyborg's gaze fell upon the device capable of opening the portal.
As he studied the device more closely, he felt a very familiar sensation, as if this special device had been created by him.
Only, it was created by his future self.
"Victor, do you think you can restore it and successfully open the space-time portal?"
Clark's gaze was immediately drawn to Cyborg, with a hint of expectation in his question.
"Unfortunately, I am currently unable to locate the specific type of energy needed to activate this device. If Barry were here, his Speed Force would be the best energy source to activate it…"
However, Victor's face showed a trace of regret. The creator of this device clearly had superior technology compared to him and possessed a special energy source to replace the Speed Force to operate it.
"Damn, are we back to a deadlock again?"
Aquaman, with a face full of anger and frustration, slammed his fist on the table.
Fortunately, the conference table was made from a special metal Batman had created, or it would have been shattered by the tremendous strength of Superman and Aquaman.
"Do we need Speed Force energy?"
However, unlike the disappointed expressions of the others, Batman seemed to be deep in thought.
"In fact, there is still someone in our universe who controls the Speed Force!"
Batman suddenly spoke, causing the previously disappointed group to look up with renewed hope.
...
Meanwhile, in another universe.
The Flash and the Superman who had kidnapped him stared at the enormous black eye floating above Earth from outside the space station, silent for a long time.
"What exactly is that thing?"
After a while, the Flash finally spoke, voicing the question that had been troubling him the most.
"In fact, we don't fully understand what it is either!"
"It's visible to the naked eye but isn't any material we can touch. Humans once tried to attack it with nuclear bombs, but it had no effect whatsoever."
"The nuclear bombs passed through its surface and exploded inside it, but the enormous shockwaves didn't affect it at all, as if the two were on entirely different dimensions."
At this moment, Superman, standing next to Barry, slowly answered the Flash's question.
"Only humans have tried to resist. Haven't you…"
"Of course, we've taken action. I even flew into that darkness myself!"
Superman seemed to understand what the Flash was implying. As guardians of Earth, they couldn't just stand by while the enormous black eye disrupted the planet's harmony.
However, Superman appeared to recall a deeply troubling memory. His determined gaze involuntarily showed a hint of fear.
"But the result was that I nearly lost myself completely, being bewitched by that eerie eye, which completely unleashed the darkness within me, turning me into a puppet controlled by that darkness!"
The terrifying experience almost caused Superman to lose himself and become a puppet of the dark force.
"How could this be? You're Superman. How could you…"
The Flash was incredulous. In his impression, Superman was the most sacred of beings and shouldn't have such a frightening dark side.
But then he seemed to remember something and suddenly stopped. He had personally witnessed the terrifying transformation of Superman in their universe.
"Indeed, I am just Superman, not a god. My heart is as filled with complex emotions as any human's!"
Clark shook his head. He never thought of himself as superior to humans; he had various emotions and desires just like everyone else.
However, he was able to suppress his inner desires and anger, presenting only kindness and protection towards humanity.
Over time, humanity had even revered him as a god-like figure.
"Barry, we've studied this special dark aura. It doesn't seem to be any substance or energy we know."
"But it can trigger the deepest hidden darkness within humans. Anyone who comes into contact with this dark aura finds it impossible to escape its control, becoming a frenzied puppet controlled by the awakened darkness within them."
Cyborg began to explain.
"Some people call it the source of all evil in the world, others call it the antithesis of light, an ultimate darkness."
"Some scientists believe it's just a special energy that humanity hasn't yet explored, like dark matter and dark energy…"
"And there are even some religious followers who revere it as a god, guiding all humanity towards evolution and eternal life."
"Followers celebrate its arrival, eagerly offering themselves to their god, welcoming the arrival of the great darkness!"
Cyborg spoke slowly about the extreme chaos caused by the appearance of the black eye, his face showing signs of numbness.
"And this black eye has grown stronger with countless sacrifices. In less than a month, it has expanded from a diameter of only a few kilometers to nearly ten thousand kilometers, covering almost one-fifth of Earth's diameter."
"Earth has even gradually stopped rotating under its shadow. The side covered by it remains in complete darkness forever!"
At that moment, just listening to their account, the Flash could feel their despair.
Such a terrifying existence could not be defeated or driven away by one person alone.
"So, what exactly do you need me to do by bringing me here?"
At this moment, the Flash seemed to understand why they had come to his universe and kidnapped him.
In the face of a cosmic-level crisis, making any decision with a chance to save the world was not surprising.
Just as he had previously forcibly reversed the cosmic timeline to save Earth from Darkseid's rule.
"We have a plan, a gamble with everything, but we don't know if it will succeed!"
Superman's gaze shifted from the eerie dark eye to the Flash, staring intently. He then spoke in a serious tone.
"And this plan requires your help!"
...
Soon after, they brought the Flash into a special laboratory within the space station.
In the center of the laboratory stood a peculiar device.
Overall, it resembled a massive treadmill enlarged several times.
"What is this…?"
The Flash circled the enormous "treadmill," eventually realizing that it indeed seemed to be just a giant treadmill.
Of course, given the Flash's limited knowledge of technology, it was Cyborg who was the expert on all technological matters within the Justice League.
"As you can see, it's a treadmill!"
Cyborg began to explain, confirming that the device was indeed a treadmill.
"However, it is not a simple treadmill. It is a—Cosmic Treadmill—designed specifically for speedsters!"
Cyborg added.
"A Cosmic Treadmill? Designed specifically for speedsters?"
At this moment, the Flash seemed to understand why they needed his help.
"Exactly. The Cosmic Treadmill helps speedsters establish a connection with the Speed Force, concentrating the vast energy of the Speed Force within them, allowing it to unleash unparalleled power. In certain situations, this power can even destroy an entire universe!"
Cyborg explained the purpose of the Cosmic Treadmill to the Flash.
The Speed Force itself is one of the fundamental forces that make up the existence of the universe.
When harnessed properly, it can not only reverse the flow of time and reality but also generate enough power to destroy the entire universe.
"Our plan is for the speedster to run rapidly on the Cosmic Treadmill, accumulating a massive amount of Speed Force. Then, using the amplification of this watchtower, it will be concentrated into a Speed Force Cannon, which will then attack that strange dark eye!"
"The Speed Force Cannon has the ability to ignore time and space, obliterating everything at its core!"
"Perhaps only the Speed Force Cannon can reach that dark energy which exists in a different dimension and completely destroy it."
This was their special plan to eliminate the strange dark energy.
They intended to use the treadmill to gather Speed Force energy to charge the Speed Force Cannon.
Then, the Cannon would be used to destroy the dark energy, restoring Earth to its normal state.
Of course, this was just a general outline of the plan, with many more detailed aspects to be addressed.
For example, after successfully eliminating the dark energy threat, how to restore Earth's rotation, address potentially polluted continents and oceans, and deal with those humans who had voluntarily or involuntarily dedicated themselves to the dark energy.
If they could not recover alongside the disappearance of the dark source, they might have to resort to harsh measures to eliminate the threat completely.
And that would be a painful and difficult decision for them.
As for restoring Earth's rotation, that would naturally be Superman's task.
He would risk entering the core of the sun to absorb sufficient energy.
Then he would unleash his greatest power to slowly get the halted Earth rotating again.
"You are truly insane!"
At this moment, even the Flash, after hearing their entire plan, couldn't help but be strongly shocked by their audacious scheme.
"We're sorry, but we have no other options!"
It wasn't that Superman and the others wanted to devise such a crazy plan.
The dark energy was just too bizarre.
It was so bizarre that, despite trying countless methods and plans, they couldn't dispel it or even affect it in any way, unable to induce even a slight bit of chaos.
After exhausting all possible methods without making any progress, Superman, disregarding the advice of others, insisted on entering the dark energy directly.
Ultimately, under the influence of the dark aura, the darkness within him erupted.
The Flash's sacrifice, due to which Superman felt immense regret and nightmares, became an unshakeable burden in his heart.
He blamed Batman for everything, believing that Batman's actions led to the Flash's sacrifice.
He nearly became a puppet of the strange energy himself. It was only after Batman's sacrifice that Superman was finally awakened from the dark influence.
At that moment, despite Superman's deep regret, it was too late to change anything.
...
"No wonder I haven't seen Batman from your universe!"
At this moment, the Flash finally understood why there was no Flash or Batman in this universe's Justice League.
It turned out they had sacrificed themselves for this universe.
The Flash realized that when they formed the Justice League and committed to protecting the universe, it was already destined that they would spare no effort to safeguard the universe's safety.
Even if this meant facing unfortunate sacrifices, they had no regrets.
But he was equally saddened and pained by their sacrifice.
He also understood the plight of those remaining.
Apart from watching Earth being swallowed by the bizarre dark energy, they had only one option: to take a final gamble and devise a plan to save their world at any cost.
"Alright, I now understand your situation and the entire plan."
The Flash's gaze remained fixed on the massive Cosmic Treadmill, as if deep in thought.
"Barry, to execute our plan, we had no choice but to bring you from another universe!"
"But this does not mean we will force you to help us with this uncertain plan."
"We just want a chance."
"A chance to complete the plan and save this place!"
"In fact, we cannot deny that this approach might seem somewhat selfish, and there is an element of moral coercion!"
"And you need not worry about this; just follow your own heart and decide whether or not to help us with the plan!"
"If you refuse, you can return to your own universe and forget everything that happened. We will not stop you from leaving."
Superman, looking at the pensive Flash, spoke with resolute sincerity.
He then directly instructed Cyborg to open a portal to the Flash's original universe.
The others did not stop this, as it was a decision they had made before entering the other universe.
They could abandon their moral principles and be selfish for the sake of their own universe.
But they could not force anyone to make a choice they did not want to make.
Moreover, the success of the plan was uncertain.
If it failed, the situation could become even worse, and they all might sacrifice themselves because of the failed plan.
So they decided to leave the choice entirely to the Flash.
If their universe was fortunate enough, the Flash would stay and help them complete the plan.
And if they were unfortunate, there would be no need to continue any further.
...
Without a doubt, this was the crucial moment deciding the fate of everyone present.
All eyes were on the Flash, waiting for his final decision.
Although their faces were expressionless, not wanting to add pressure to the Flash, their inner emotions were in stark contrast, filled with tension.
After all, the Flash's decision would determine their fate and the fate of the entire Earth.
Seconds ticked by.
The Flash remained deep in thought, not making a quick decision.
For everyone else, each passing second felt like an eternity.
The scene was silent, with a pin-drop quietness.
No one spoke to interrupt the Flash's contemplation and decision.
Only the portal, glowing with blue light, emitted a faint "buzz," as if reminding the Flash that he could return to his universe at any time.
"I'm sorry, but I refuse your plan!"
Suddenly, the silence was broken by a voice. As the Flash spoke, despite their efforts to hide it, the others could not conceal their disappointment.
"I'm sorry, Barry. We've caused you unnecessary trouble. You can return to your universe now…"
Superman, with a calm demeanor, seemed unfazed by the Flash's refusal. He pointed to the portal and apologized.
"You might have misunderstood. I am only rejecting the plan you devised!"
However, the Flash did not immediately step into the portal. Instead, he turned to face the others and spoke slowly.
"In fact, I think I have a better plan than yours!"
...
(End of Chapter)
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