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Chapter 139: Too Calm For Too Long III
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Batman remained silent, his mouth trembling, seemingly finding it hard to speak even a single word. He glanced at Ian just to make sure he was not imagining things.
And only then did he mutter, "Dad?"
The only response he got was a bullet to the head, or at least that was what would've happened if Ian didn't react fast enough.
Batman seemed to have hit a nerve because the red-eyed Batman didn't seem happy. In fact, he seemed to be barely holding back his anger.
"I-it's me..." Batman was unfazed as he took off his mask, seeming nervous.
The red-eyed Batman watched with bated breath, and trembling lips as Batman's face came to view, "No... no, that's not possible." He couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief.
He couldn't recognize Batman's voice to know who he was, mainly because the latter changes his voice, but even without it, he still wouldn't be able to recognize it.
What he remembers last of his son was a childish voice, but now that he was grown up, there is just too much difference to be recognizable.
Batman however recognized the man's voice instantly, and he identified it to be his father's despite how inconceivable that is.
But he put things together as Iam's appearance made him sure something supernatural has happened, even if it's this ridiculous to the point the red-eyed Batman shook his head again in denial.
"No, yeah, someone is messing with my head. None of this is true." The subject was understandably a touchy one for him, as it was for Batman.
He was in disbelief even as he looked at Bruce's face. It wasn't too clear, but he was definitely similar to him, and he just felt it... This man was his son.
"Bruce, if the Flash comes here, let him know I will be where the speed resides. Perhaps there can be a solution there... He will explain things for you better than I can."
Then he vanished, leaving the father and son to their reunion. He did Batman a favor by the end, spelling his name for the first time in ever, Bruce.
"Bruce??" The red-eyed Batman took off his mask, giving a view of his face. There was a long silence because despite Bruce expecting to see that face, expecting something and seeing it for yourself are two different things entirely... Thomas Wayne.
Whereas some saw a disaster, Ian saw opportunities, so many chances spurting everywhere. His plans weren't so thorough that they can survive through change, no, they change with the circumstances.
His plans were in constant change, adapting to the circumstances, just like now. Ian clearly sensed the speed force to be weak, extremely weak.
Most importantly, he sensed something he couldn't before, something he was vying for a long time, a surge in a force taking advantage of the weak speed force.
The force was the opposite of motion, something Ian couldn't not desire, but its conduit was a bit too cautious for reasons unknown.
However, the weakening of the speed force got him out of whatever hole he was hiding in.
Finding him wasn't hard for Ian, not when he has plenty of forces and energies in his staff, working together perfectly to allow feats impossible otherwise.
The staff of all things was shaping up very well, but it was still not enough for Ian. He feels like the universe wasn't charitable enough, quite unfair.
And he has a point, his staff only has the following forces and energies.
[First Vessel: Kryptonian energies (Red and Green)]
[Second Vessel: Orange speed force]
[Third Vessel: Light and darkness]
[Fourth Vessel: Magic and Mystic energies]
[Fifth Vessel: Divinity]
[Sixth Vessel: Force Of Evolution]
Yup, the universe definitely wasn't charitable enough to him, so he now has to take things into his own hands.
"Hahahahahahahaahah! Finally! Finallly! I thought I'd fail, but the opportunity was handed to me on a silver platter!" Laughing like a maniac was a very old man, whatever was left of his hair was completely grey. He had wrinkles all over and seemed to be on his deathbed.
His actions however say otherwise. He was standing before a strange machine with his hands in direct contact with it.
And it could clearly be seen that he was releasing bursts of green energy from his palm at a constant rate, unending just like his maniacal laughter.
'The Turtle, quite the fitting name.' Ian who was standing right behind noted, eyeing the short hunched old man.
He was like a Turtle. Even his power has a certain symbolism to Turtles because Ian could see a few things floating around the machine.
It wasn't due to magic, it was because of motion. Motion was denied around him as even Ian who appeared close to him felt the restriction.
The entirety of the place had faint clusters of green energy, denying motion any freedom.
Reality has ways to balance itself out. There was the Speed force, so a counter force needed to exist.
The Speed Force is a cosmic force based around velocity and movement. It is the representation of reality in motion, being the very cosmic force that pushes space and time forward.
Then there was The Still Force, a cosmic force based around entropy and inertia. It's the negation of motion, the opposite of speed, and its conduit is right before him.
"Hehehehahahahah, it told me but... Hahahahahah, so easy!" Turtle laughed even more manically as he turned around, seeming like a madman.
He eyed Ian as if he expected him to arrive, as if he sensed him the moment he arrived.
"Quite stupid huh? I really don't see why it was afraid of you. Escape escape! it said like a fucking bitch coward! Bawk bawk! Fucking chicken, screaming in my head none fucking stop."
Yeah, he was definitely crazy as he scratched his head and yelled, even mimicking the clucking of chickens.
He then eyed Ian more closely as the latter seemed defenseless, remaining frozen before him, "Hamm, I feel it kind... It feels different. What a wonderful Genuina Pig you are. Quite the specimen, ain't that right?"
And Ian was truly frozen in his place, unable to move at all. The moment he teleported inside, he was already under the man's spell, fallen into the trap.
"Ah, right, you can't speak? Let me help you with that." And all it took was a snap of a finger for Ian to regain a bit of freedom, only able to move his mouth and what's necessary for speech.
"It told you? What do you mean by it?" He seemed quite calm much to Turtle's surprise.
"It? Yeah, it. The opposite of what you have. Hehehehe, it's laughable, isn't it? I want what you have, but it doesn't want me to have it, so why should I listen to it? HUh?"
He was certainly mad, but his words at least told Ian one thing. The Still Force warned Turtle of Ian's intent as the speed force is likely doing though on a much more hidden scale.
'The speed Force is definitely resisting my speed force, limiting my progress. I mean, whereas the Flash can travel through time, I can only travel at about a thousand Mach per hour, so unfair.'
Once he complained enough in his mind, he asked the most important question, "Oh, and what's that machine? Did you make it to stop me?"
"Huh? You? Don't kid around!" Turtle eyed Ian with disdain before crouching near the machine, caressing it with fascination, "This is for something bigger. This is to stop all motion in existence and break it out of its egg."
He spoke with hate and venom in his mouth, causing a sparkle of brilliant light to pass through Ian's eyes as he chuckled aloud, "I see... You want to destroy the Speed force. Coincidentally, I want to do something similar."
"Huh?" Turtle turned around, his eyes going wide at what he saw... Nothing, and that's the problem. Ian was nowhere to be seen, but his voice could still be heard.
"You see, there are a lot of problems with your powers. Just like there are in almost every power. Reality has a way to balance itself out, so we need to compensate for that unless, of course, reality is our bitch."
"Show yourself!!" Turtle was understandably panicking, but he still released the still force with all he can, seeking to protect himself.
"Unfortunately, reality isn't my bitch just yet, so I have to compensate with other things. You didn't. Your powers have too many weaknesses, so here we are..."