Rushing each other, the six of us swung at one another causing a quake that shook the whole of reality. Breaking off into three groups, I focused on Batman Who Laughs as I wanted to see him burn for all that he had done. Reaching for his throat with my right arm, he phased through my arm with the power of the stones. Punching me in the face, I threw a knee into his gut crushing the armor.
"HAHAHA!!", he laughed like a maniac, "This is what I wanted!! The two of us, fighting it out till one of us remains!!"
"Shut the hell up you murderous bastard!", I growled, "This isn't a fucking game!!"
Blasting him with Eldritch flames, he conjured up a barrier with the Philosopher Stones. Hearing the trapped souls scream as he forcefully burned their lives to spare his, I slammed my fist through his shield and right through his chest. Feeling that something was off, I wasn't surprised when his body faded away as another appeared behind me.
"I hope you didn't think it would be that easy!", he mocked, "I have all this power in my grasp, and so many things I could do with it. If you thought what Joker did was terrible, just wait till I gather more of these magical stones. Don't worry, I will make a nice pendant to put your universe in. They will just love being reunited with you in death!!"
Blasting me with the power of both his gauntlets, I flew backwards and crashed into the World Barrier. Using it as a launching pad I unleashed hell upon him, all while he gave me a broken smile. While I was busy with him Prime One Million had his work cut out for him with Vemonsday. He had an overwhelming array of power to tap into, but Venomsday was adapting almost as fast as he was using the powers he had. As for Cosmic Armor Superman, Mandrakk and him were having a slugfest that vibrated the entire area.
Feeling the overwhelming amount of power my body amassing, it felt like I was going to break apart. I could feel my body breaking down and even see that I was becoming pure energy. The more I absorbed, the easier it became for me to move around and the less pain I felt. After an hour of fighting, something changed about the encounter.
Firing several energy blasts at me, the energy broke down before it touched me. Feeling their power be absorbed by me, I looked at him in shock. Realizing that this wasn't working anymore, he immediately went to his backup plan and went for his bombs.
---MHA Universe (Clark's World)---
Seeing the sudden change of events, my family nervously stared at the screen. Amora and Hela knew that absorbing the power of the stones like that wasn't a feat even a God could do. Having already started to sense a change in me, those with magical senses knew what was happening.
"What's going on?", Toga asked, "Clark doesn't have that power."
"Is it something knew?", Gwen added.
"He's becoming an Energy Being.", Zatana answered with a downcast look.
"Wait...I thought he said he didn't want to do that!", Itsuka and Nejire shouted, "He said that if he became one of those, there was no going-"
"I think he realizes that there isn't an alternative.", Natasha said gripping her cup, "Wanda, what happens from-"
"I don't know...", she stated pulling on her hair, "They didn't tell me what happened. Whenever I asked they wore a sad expression, and said I had to have all you help me."
"Help you with what!?", they shouted.
"Calm down ladies.", a familiar voice chuckled softly.
Turning around, they saw Presence taking a seat at the coffee table with a cup of tea in hand.
"Can't you stop him!?", Ochaco pleaded, "If he changes, he won't be able to have the life he wants."
"I know.", he said calmly.
"Why are you acting so calm!", Harley shouted, "He's going to throw everything he wanted away!! He won't be able to have any more children, and he won't be able to feel anything anymore!!"
"It is his choice to make.", Presence told them, "He is making the best choice he can for everyone, even at his own expense."
"Our children deserve to have a loving father.", Kara stated, "He...he is going to lose all that love he has for them. We hadn't even picked out names yet..."
"I understand your worries.", he replied, "If you want to save him from that fate, you will have to step up when the time comes. It won't be long now."
"What do you mean!?", they shouted.
---Back in Combat---
Feeling the last parts of my body dissipate, I went on an all out offensive against Batman Who Laughs. Punching hard enough to vaporize the area around us, he was starting to falter as I blasted him with Solar Radiation and magical attacks. Splitting myself into several different bodies, I used Ghost Riders chains to wrap each limb independently. Trying to use the stones to fear himself, all their energy was being siphoned off into me.
"No!! This isn't how I die!!", he howled.
"It is!!", I shouted pulling him apart.
"Mandrakk!!", he screamed, "I need your assistance!!"
Batting Cosmic Armor Superman away, Mandrakk turned to him with a cold expression.
"Help me!! I can still win, I just need-", he started to say before the life and energy started to drain away to Mandrakk.
"I have no use for the weak.", Mandrakk stated.
"You bastard!!", he snarled.
"Maybe you shouldn't have trusted me so easily. I am simply taking back the gifts I gave you.", Mandrakk stated.
Stopping him before from siphoning off all the energy he had, Mandrakk turned to Vemonsday and drained all his energy leaving nothing but dust in his place. Draining the bombs of their power while keeping us at bay, Mandrakk laughed as he raised his hand.
"Shit don't let him snap his fingers!!", I shouted shooting forward.
Rushing forward to stop him, he gave us a grin.
"This is the end for you.", he said, "Goodbye."
With a snap of his finger he released all the energy at once. Trying to absorb it all, I found that it was too much for me and before we could contain it all the energy struck the Origin Earth. Before any of us could utter a word the world around us went white.
---???---
Waking up in a familiar place, I shot up from my bed gasping for air like I had awakened from a dream. Looking around in a panic, I turned to see my face in the mirror beside my bed. The reflection looking back at me was the face I had before reincarnating. Right now I looked as I had around the time my parents had died. It was around that time I started growing a decent beard.
"Henry, are you coming down for breakfast?", a heartbreakingly familiar voice said.
"I...", I said as the words got caught in my mouth, "I am coming down mom."
Looking at my phone, I looked for the date on my phone.
"August 25th...four days before they were killed...", I said to myself.
Getting dressed in a hurry I ran downstairs to see my mother making breakfast while my father made our coffee. Laughing and talking about their impending business trip, I could help but to start to tear up. Turning back to look at me they looked at me with concern.
"Is something wrong son? You know your mother isn't that bad of a cook.", my dad laughed.
"He's probably thinking about how awful your coffee is dear.", mom retorted with a smirk, "It's because you won't invest in a decent coffee machine. You are still using the same one your Dad had."
"Hey, if it ain't broke don't replace it.", dad chuckled.
Feeling the tears run down my face, I ran over to hug them tightly. Gripping them with shaking hands I started to cry all the pain I held from their deaths.
"Is something the matter son?", my dad questioned hugging me back.
"I...I want you to know that I love you both.", I choked up, "You mean everything to me."
Stopping what they were doing they held me tightly.
"It's okay Henry.", she told me, "We aren't going anywhere."
Sitting down for breakfast, they went over our plan for the day. Today we would go to the village of Tantuc to help heal the injured people from the local mines. After eating, we got in my dad's Hover Truck and flew out to the village with our supplies.
---Heaven---
"What happened!?", Rumi asked.
"I brought you all here.", Presence said, "Mandrakk redid the timeline so now only Cosmic Armor Superman is fighting him. Now though Mandrakk has powerful allies that are pushing Cosmic Armor Superman back."
"Where's Clark!?", Mina shouted in a panic.
"He is back on his world, his original world.", Presence stated, "Allow me to show you."
With a wave of his hand, he should the women and children where I was on the world. Seeing my world, all of them were in disbelief at how advanced my society was. Not a single piece of trash could be seen and military presence everywhere.
"His world...it's more-", Kara started to say.
"His people were technologically more advanced than any of your races.", Presence told them, "Unfortunately...that knowledge didn't extend to showing their kindness to all."
"What do we need to do to fix things?!", Eri (Little Sister) plead, "Clark has to come back!"
"He still has all his power, but it is sealed.", Presence stated, "It's up to you all and him to remove it."
---Henry's World---
Pulling out of the populated city, the change was a sharp one. Reaching the military check point that separated the 'Lessers' from the rich, these soldier would shoot to kill anyone that forcibly tried to cross the border by force. On average nearly a thousand people were killed a day in just this area. The rich taunted the poor by planting fruit trees near the line to entice the starving people to across only to have their heads blown off.
"Everything is in order.", the commander said, "Mr. and Mrs. Bishop, I don't see why you are wasting your resources on these ungrateful, illiterate monkeys. Your son Henry is of age to get married, you should be looking for a nice woman for him to marry. You won't find anything, but whores out there."
"I thank you for your concern Commander, but we still need to go.", my father replied with his usual smile, "Someone needs to help them, and we made the choice to do it."
"Suit yourself.", he sighed, "Have a safe trip."
Driving through the checkpoint, only a few hundred feet from the checkpoint we were already neck deep in people. Immediately recognizing our truck, the sick and dying ran towards us pleading for help. Stopping to help them, I used my inventions I had on me to help the children and elderly.
---Heaven---
"What...what is that...", Selena gasped.
"That...that is the dark side of a utopia.", Presence said watching the people flock to my family for aid.
"This...this is horrible...", Kitty and Susan said, "How can they call themselves human!?"
"They look at the poor, less fortunate people as unhuman. To them these people are nothing, but rocks on the side of the road.", Presence said with a saddened look, "This is the world he grew up on."
Watching me desperately trying to save a newborns life, they understood where my kindness and care for others came from. They had tough lives, but this was a whole different level of suffering. Seeing the nearly skeletal people asking for even crumbs of food, their hearts broke.
"We...we didn't realize it was this bad.", they stated.
"He never told you because out of everything the death of his parents and his inability to save more people here are his biggest regrets.", Presence told them as a tear came down his cheek, "Place like this really hurt my heart because I can't do anything to help them. I can send natural disasters, plague, or any number of things but the rich will use those poor people to simply repair what breaks...till they break and are replaced."
"How cruel!!", Blackfire and Maxima hissed, "They should be ripped apart, and killed for treating people like this!!"
"It wouldn't change the suffering these people endure.", he said, "I have seen it before."
---Henry's World---
"Please save my little sister!!", a young boy shouted pushing his way through the crowd, "She has been hit!!"
Telling him to bring her over, I took a look and asked what had happened. Saying that a group of kids had been playing soccer, he said that a military convoy came barreling down the road and she had been hit by one of the vehicles. She had several broken ribs, a fractured skull, a concussion, and a punctured lung on top of heavy internal bleeding.
"Please save her!!", he cried, "She is the only family I have left!!"
Getting to work trying to save her, I put my full attention on trying to keep her alive long enough to heal her wounds. Telling her to stay with us as I was repairing her ribs, her brother told her he would get her some sweets if she could stay awake. Holding her little hand tightly as I finished fixing her ribs, I immediately turned to her internal bleeding.
"Brother...everything...is going...dark...", she gasped softly.
"You are going to be okay!", he said trying to hold back his tears.
"Come on kid, you got to stay awake!!", I told her desperately as I went as fast as I safely could.
Stopping the bleeding, I went to look at her lung next her body start spasming. Going into cardiac arrest from her extensive injuries I tried to get it under to control before it was too late. My parents were tied up with other victims so I couldn't ask them for help with this. Doing everything I could to save her...I wasn't able to save her in time. Stopping her spasms she went dead still there on the blanket.
"Sis...", he said weakly, "Lily...you got to wake up..."
Knowing that she had given up the ghost I hung my head in defeat as I clenched my fists on my lap.
"Lily...stop playing with me...", he said to cry, "You...you can't leave me all alone...I buried Mom and Dad...I can't bury you too."
Trembling helplessly I desperately wanted to save her, but I couldn't do anything as I was now. I didn't have the power to save...just like last time. Apologizing to him that I couldn't save her, the young boy held his sister and started to cry.
'Why...why do I have to endure this again...', I thought, 'Again...I can't save the people that need my help...'
Taking his sister away, I got to work helping the next person. Continuing to save those we could, we got back on the road towards the village. Knowing what was coming next...I just wanted to go home and crawl into bed. The village we were going to would be left a smoldering pile of wood, taken out by the same military convoy that hit those people. Framed for trying to kidnap a girl from the wealthy area, the villagers took the blame for something the border guards did.
---Heaven---
Watching from their seats, the women were crying for me. Knowing how much saving lives meant to me, they understood the blow I took when I couldn't save someone. Having seen the pain painted on the face of poor, and my own face they could only cry for me.
"Why do you let this happen!?", Amora shouted, "You could stop this!! You could save all those people and bring down hellfire and brimstone on all of them!! They wouldn't need to suffer this pain!!"
"This is the price that comes with Free Will.", he said, "People have the choice to right or wrong...and the rich here elect to do whatever will entertain them the most."
"How many other worlds are like this?", Harley and Carol asked.
"Too many too count...none of you are perfect people, and many tyrants feed on the suffering of others.", he said, "If people like Henry and his family didn't do this work...there would have already been a bloody civil war. The leaders would be the very people Henry raised as his own children after his parent's death."
"No...", Katherine said looking at him with horror, "You...you aren't saying he is going too-"
"It is up to him...he can either save his parents and change his future...or he can simply enjoy the time he has before they are gone again.", Presence stated.
Standing up she ran over, and grabbed him by the collar.
"Why are you tormenting him?!", she cried, "You could bring him here, and we could break the seal here!!"
"No you couldn't, Mandrakk made the seal so that he has to suffer all this again. He knew that killing Henry wasn't possible, but tormenting him like this was the next best thing.", Presence said.
"If he doesn't tell them, that's basically-", she started to say before being cut off.
"Condemning them to their death...", Wanda whimpered.
Letting him go, Katherine backed away from him. Giving him a cold, stare Katherine hated him from the very bottom of her heart. This punishment was the equivalent of making her choose between saving her parents or letting them die in the alley. It wasn't a choice she ever wanted to make as she knew she'd choose her parents over letting them die. In that case she would have never become Batwoman, and her whole world would change.
---Henry's World---
Arriving at the scorched remains of the villages, we met the troops that had cordoned off the village. Getting out of the truck, my parents ran out to interrogate the guards about why this had happened. Knowing the excuse they were going to give, I just stayed in the truck resigning myself to this.
'What do I do?', I thought, 'Do I tell my parents not to go or maybe even build something to save them? If I do that...I don't think I will reincarnate and get my powers to help people. Not doing anything though...I am basically killing my own parents.'
Wishing I had Spectre or Ghost Rider to talk too, all I had was silence and it was deafening. After interrogating them for a good thirty minutes, my parents got back in the car and went too a different village.
"What were they going on about!?", my dad huffed, "That village was too far away from the city for one of the villagers to have kidnapped someone. Besides, that why punish the whole village!!"
"We will need to have a talk with the Governor about this!!", mom seethed, "All those people died before they could even scream."
'They were a convenient cover so the Governor could open a new mine there...', I thought, 'All he cares about is money, and women...'
"You okay son?", my parents asked, "I know you are still upset you couldn't save that little girl, but you can't save everyone. You aren't God and you aren't a miracle worker."
Finishing our day at the next village, we managed to save many lives with the supplies we brought but it was only a small dent in the overall number of people that needed help. Returning home, we had dinner and I retired to my room where I plopped into bed. Checking my phone, I had several messages from 'friends' who didn't bother showing up to my parents funeral. A few of the girls even tried to drug me into having sex with them so they could force me into a marriage for the money. None of them actually cared about me...it was all about my family's fortune.
---Two Days Later---
The next few days went by almost exactly how I remembered, and I still hadn't decided what to do. I had inventions I could give them to help them survive, but I also had concerns about the bigger picture. If I didn't become Superman, no one was going to stop Nekron and billions of people would die. Not only that, Cosmic Armor Superman needed help as well.
The night before they were scheduled to leave, we sat down to go over a few things they needed me to take care of while they were away. Sensing that I wasn't all there at the moment, they stopped discussing what they needed done and looked at me.
"Henry, you haven't been acting normal these last few days.", Mom said, "Are you sick? Did you maybe meet a young girl, and are giving us a grandbaby?"
"Mom!", I sighed, 'You do have several grandbabies on the way in the future...'
"Come on dear, you know Henry is a responsible man. He would at least introduce before he would do that.", Dad laughed.
"That is true...", Mom giggled, "Seriously though Henry, what is bothering you?"
"If...if you knew something that could save someone, but could endanger the future...what would you do?", I asked.
"Don't tell me you hacked into the military database!", my Dad sighed.
"No Dad, I didn't.", I chuckled.
"Well...how badly would the future change?", Mom inquired.
"Enough that it would endanger more lives than not saving them.", I stated.
"Henry, is there something you want to tell us?", my Dad asked.
"...your plane, the one you will take tomorrow, it's rigged to fail while you are in flight.", I told them, "The government is going to make you an example for everyone that is helping our cause."
Staring at me, they saw the pain painted on my face.
"Tomorrow you die in that plane, and leave me all alone to carry on what we have been working towards!!", I cried, "I have been trying to decide if I should tell you or not because depending on whether you die or not determines if I save this world and many others."
"How do you know this?", Mom inquired.
"I have already lived this before Mom.", I told her, "Everything that happened these past few days is exactly how it happened the first time."
"Is that how you knew to bring those medical supplies and equipment?", Dad asked.
"Yes.", I answered.
"Son...", Dad said, "Like I have always told you, you can't save everyone. You can't put the weight of our deaths and others on your shoulders. All you can do is your best, and if it's not enough you have help those you can help."
"But Dad I-"
"Your father is right.", Mom stated, "If we are going to die, we will die."
"I don't want to be left all alone again!", I cried, "I don't want to lose you again!!"
Hugging me they told me that it would be alright. Saying that they knew I could take care of myself, they said that no matter what I couldn't lose the generous heart they had helped nurture.
"Son, I know it's hard to accept something that you can't change. I can't imagine how much pain you hold over our death, and the guilt you likely felt over our passing.", he told me, "If we are going to die tomorrow son, I want you to know that your mother and I love you more than words can express. Out of everything we have done, you are most important thing we have ever done in our entire lives. We proud of the young man you have become."
"We love you Henry.", Mom said, "Make sure you stay the young man we love, and keep moving forward. You can't drown in the sorrow of our death, you have a life to live son. Live your life the way you want too."
Holding them tightly I didn't want to let them go. I wasn't ready for more pain from losing the people I loved again. Watching a movie together we went to bed shortly afterwards.
The next morning I saw my parents off to the airport where they boarded their plane. Giving me a hug and kiss goodbye they told me to be strong. Waving to them till they were in the air and headed for their meeting. Going home to get ready to go out for the day, I packed up my equipment knowing that in a few hours I would receive the call.
---Heaven---
"He didn't stop them...", Katherine said hanging her head.
"He has more will than most men I have met.", Presence stated, "He may have told them, but they still embraced their fate. That is the type of parents he had, they willingly threw their lives away to maintain the future he knew."
Seeing the pain painted on my face as I looked at my parents picture, all of them clenched their fists in anger. Having seen how terrible my world was, they couldn't believe that someone as caring and kind as me came from such a shitty place.
---Henry's World---
A few hours later while I was teaching a group of student basic math and writing, my phone went off. Slowly raising it to my ear, it was the governor calling to inform me that their had been an accident and that my parents plane had crashed. Telling me that their bodies had been recovered, he needed me to come and identify them. Excusing myself, I went outside and fell to my knees in private.
Dropping my phone I started punching the dirt over and over. It was so frustrating and painful to endure this twice. Even though I could have stopped my parents I chose the innocent faces I saw during the Nekron over my parents. Knowing the pain they felt, I couldn't bring myself to stop my parents for my own happiness. Someone had to help them, and it had to be me.
'Why...', I thought as the tears streamed down, 'I just want to help people, but I have to feel this pain.'
"Teacher, is everything okay?", the kids asked coming out of the classroom.
"I...I was just told that my parents...were in a plane accident.", I told them.
Understanding what that meant the children ran over, and hugged me.
---Heaven---
"I can't sit here and watch this anymore!!", Toga shouted pounding on the screen, "Clark, you have to snap out of it!! We need you to come back to us!! I know you are hurting!! We want to comfort you, but you have to come here so we can hold you!!"
Rushing over to the monitor the others started pounding on it. Shouting out to me, they told me to come back to them and they were here for me.
---Henry's World---
Crying with me the children were terrified about their future now. Saddened by the death of the people that gave them a home, they were petrified that I would quit because of my heartache. Telling them that I wouldn't give up on them I held them, and said that I would still be here for them.
"Clark..!", a voice shouted in my ear.
Recognizing the voice I started looking around.
"He can...Clark!!", several other voices shouted louder.
Glancing to my left I could vaguely make out my family pounding on what looked like at glazed window. Telling the kids to go home for today I waited till they were gone before going to the glass.
"Clark!!", both Eri's and the children cried looking at me.
"So...sorry!!", they women cried looking at me with sad expressions.
'They...they saw my world and how I lost my parents...', I thought.
"Clark!!", Kara shouted, "You still have...your power!! Is...Sealed!!"
"I still have my power!?", I shouted back.
"Yes!!", they replied, "Break...Seal!!"
"How!?", I asked them, "How do I break it!?"
---Heaven---
"How does he break it!?", the women demanded.
"The only way to remove it is for you to help him move past the pain in his heart. Once he can accept there wasn't anything he could do, the seal will break.", Presence told them.
"How the hell do we tell him that?", Ivy spat, "He can barely hear us through this monitor."
"I will do it!", Sonico said.
"Do what?", they asked.
"I will go tell him!", Sonico stated.
"If you go down there, Mandrakk's people will locate you and give chase!", Jean said, "I can try via telepathy, and see if-"
Before she could finish, Sonico and Iris both took off running.
---Henry's World---
A few moments later, the two of them appeared near me and tackled me to the ground. Bawling their eyes out, they told me that they had seen everything I had.
"You can't blame yourself!", Sonico told me, "They loved you with everything they were, and made the choice to give you a bright future. Not only you, they gave their lives to give everyone a brighter future."
"We may not be able to replace your parents, but we love you just as much.", Iris stated, "All of us love you more than anything Clark."
Hugging me tightly they told me, that none of them would ever leave me. This is where their home was, right alongside me.
"Keep moving forward son.", my dad's voice said to me, "Be the man you want to be. Don't worry about failing because by failing you learn and grow. We love you son, and we always will."
Hugging the two of them tightly, I let go of the pain I had been holding in for so long. I will always love my parents, but I had a loving family that loved me as much or more than they did. As soon as the weight was lifted from my shoulders another person appeared in front of us.
"Well well, it looks like two of you managed to escape the reset.", Emperor Joker laughed, "Time to fix that!"
Swinging his mallet down to crush them, I shattered the hammer with my index finger and grabbed him by the throat.
"You bastards made me relive my pain and suffering...", I growled as my eyes glowed bright red, "I will pay you back one million times I felt and then do all over again!!"
Screaming in horror he tried to run, but I stripped him of his power and sent him back into the prison I made for him. Returning to my Energy Being form I looked back at the women with a smile.
"Do you still love us, or are you are robot?", Mina asked breathing heavily on the glass, "If you say a robot Melissa said she can make you a chip so you can love us again. Make sure you give me extra points because...I may have tried baking a celebratory cake."
"You didn't blow our kitchen up again, did you?", I sighed.
"I don't know what you mean by again.", she giggled, "Tehee!"
"Yes, I am still very much in love with all of you. Even if I have to clean up your messes.", I chuckled.
"Clark, use the full power you have at your disposal.", Presence stated, "Put this to bed, and go help Cosmic Armor Superman. I will keep my daughter-in-laws and grandchildren here with me."
"Daughter-in-law!?", the women shrieked.
"Technically he is my son since I made that body for him, and in that form he is even more powerful than my knucklehead children.", he laughed.
"I am?", I gasped.
"You are Living Energy, the Omniverse's energies are at your beck and call. They are an extension of you, and they will follow your will.", he told me, "Now go kick some ass, boy!!"
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Author Note: I am sure some of you will be pissed off about the way this chapter went. In my opinion, Clark needed to reconcile with his past. He came to the MHA world as a broken man from all the horrors that existed in his world. By letting his past go and fully embracing his future, Clark can now focus on helping everyone because now there is nothing he can't do to save someone.
Anyways, I hope your week is going well!! Next chapter will be the final chapter for the novel, I may write a few extra chapters every now and then but over all this is done. Look forward to seeing how the story comes to a close.