"Borrowing a bit of your antimatter energy... you don't mind, do you?" Zombie Superman asked with a smile as the eerie chair materialized before them, turning his gaze toward the Anti-Monitor.
Hmph!
The Anti-Monitor felt a surge of anger but responded with nothing more than a cold grunt. He focused on absorbing more universes into his antimatter energy, steadily increasing his power.
Meanwhile, Zombie Superman's actions didn't end with the creation of the chair. He raised his hand again, releasing another stream of dark energy. This energy slowly gathered in front of him, forming into a humanoid shape.
In the next moment, a figure clad in black armor, resembling a hellish version of Batman, stood before them.
"Him?" the Anti-Monitor muttered. Even as he reveled in his growing power, he couldn't help but be momentarily stunned by the figure Zombie Superman had conjured.
Among the realities being consumed by the antimatter energy, there were few who posed any threat to his plans. However, this armored figure, though perhaps only able to delay the antimatter for a split second, represented the closest thing to a genuine threat—albeit a minuscule one.
Though it was only for a fleeting, almost imperceptible moment, this was enough to indicate the strength of this figure.
And yet, he was just an ordinary man, without any special powers. A mortal who stood on equal footing with gods—though largely due to his unique armor.
"It seems you've taken an interest in him?" Zombie Superman smirked, noticing the slight change in the Anti-Monitor's expression.
Hmph! "I am the great Anti-Monitor, future ruler of infinite universes! Why would I care about such a weak being?" the Anti-Monitor scoffed, disdain evident on his face. "To me, he's nothing more than a pitiful creature who couldn't even withstand my antimatter energy for an instant before being annihilated!"
The Anti-Monitor showed nothing but contempt. Though the sight of Batman in this special armor had caught his attention, he wasn't significant enough to warrant true concern. What truly intrigued him was Zombie Superman's ability to use his dark powers to replicate both the specialized armor and Batman.
"Heh, I thought you'd try to stop me," Zombie Superman sneered, but said no more. With a flash of black light, he sent a beam of dark energy into the figure's forehead.
In the next moment, the lifeless eyes of the armored Batman flickered to life, showing a glint of awareness. He turned to Zombie Superman with a look of reverence. At a nod from Zombie Superman, the figure walked forward and sat in the black chair that had just been created.
Buzz!
Instantly, the chair seemed to be lifted by some strange power. It floated behind Zombie Superman, joining the other dark creation, standing silently like obedient puppets awaiting orders.
...
Meanwhile, in the lab.
With each massive wave of antimatter energy that passed through a universe's reality, the team could only close the space-time portals connecting those worlds in their immense sorrow. The complete destruction of those universes left a sliver of hope for the others.
Yet, even after multiple universes had been consumed, the data they collected wasn't enough to calculate the precise vibration frequency of the antimatter energy. This meant they would need to keep watching, helpless, as more universes were devoured by the antimatter.
"Damn it! Is there no other way to speed this up?" Clark, filled with sadness and rage, was overwhelmed. The destruction of countless universes left him with a deep sense of helplessness. It was hard to fathom how many more universes would need to be destroyed before they could finally decipher the exact vibration frequency of the antimatter energy to complete their plan.
"Unfortunately, there's no way to speed up this process," someone replied. "We can only study the exact vibration frequency of the antimatter energy in the brief moments when a universe is completely destroyed."
If there was another way to stop this, none of them would want to witness more universes being consumed by antimatter. But there was no alternative, no way to prevent or repair the devastation.
As more and more universes disappeared before their eyes, their understanding of antimatter energy grew. They were getting closer and closer to finding its exact vibration frequency.
At the same time, the second part of their plan was also moving forward. Across distant universes, far from the antimatter's reach, they were constructing special devices to create resonance across the cosmos. Although conflicts with the inhabitants of those universes occasionally arose, most were led by heroes who defended their worlds. When told about the impending multiversal crisis, most chose to believe them. Many heroes even helped them construct the resonance devices.
If not for the fear of causing mass panic, many heroes would have joined them to fight against the looming disaster.
As a result, the construction of resonance devices in unaffected universes was progressing several times faster than the antimatter detection devices in those on the verge of destruction. This increased the chances of saving countless universes.
...
The two plans were being carried out simultaneously. Meanwhile, the antimatter energy, sweeping through countless universes, continued its relentless march, never slowing.
As time passed, universe after universe was annihilated by the antimatter energy. There were attempts at resistance, but Earth-level powers were powerless against the cosmos-devouring antimatter.
One after another, universes were obliterated right before their eyes. At this point, they had grown almost numb to the sight. The number of lives destroyed was beyond their ability to count.
Just as they were despairing over how much longer these horrors would continue, Cyborg's excited voice broke the silence.
"Finally! After all our efforts, we've identified the exact vibration frequency of the antimatter energy!"
The moment Cyborg made the announcement, he was filled with overwhelming excitement.
"Really, Victor?"
Everyone else, drawn by his excitement, looked toward him with skeptical eyes. They were terrified that this newfound hope would be shattered once again. But when Cyborg solemnly nodded, their doubt turned into pure exhilaration.
"Finally, we won't have to watch universe after universe meet its end right in front of us!"
The endless apocalyptic scenes had left them numb, their spirits tortured beyond measure. But now, they were finally freed. The infinite universes wouldn't be completely consumed by antimatter, and there was new hope.
"What? Cyborg's team has discovered the precise vibration frequency of the antimatter energy?"
"That's incredible! We haven't lost all hope—this is a miracle!"
The thrilling news spread quickly, reaching those who were building resonance devices in other universes. They too were overjoyed, knowing that this discovery meant they finally had a chance to end the multiverse crisis.
It also meant that all the efforts they'd made and all the universes and lives lost to the antimatter had not been in vain. They had found real hope and witnessed the arrival of a miracle.
"Everyone, we must spread this news to all remaining universes and gather every bit of strength. We need to build resonance devices in every universe as fast as possible to match the antimatter's frequency."
Now that the first step had succeeded, they could see a new hope to save the universe. Countless people poured all their efforts into constructing the resonance devices across the remaining universes.
Even with the help of many heroes, building these devices across infinite universes with their current resources seemed impossible. They realized they needed to communicate their plan and the imminent threat to everyone in every universe without holding back.
"But can we really spread this message to every universe that still exists?"
This was their last and most crucial step. They had to unite every reality in the multiverse to combat the crisis. Yet, they lacked the power and ability to broadcast this message to all the universes.
"Maybe I can try using the Speed Force to do it," Barry said after some thought, though his expression remained serious. Even he wasn't sure if he could deliver the message to every universe using the Speed Force.
"It seems that's our only option..."
The others fell silent, knowing they had no better ideas, preparing to let Barry make the attempt.
"Perhaps I can help you with this plan!"
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the quiet laboratory, drawing everyone's attention.
"Who are you?" they asked, warily staring at the strange figure that had suddenly appeared among them.
"You... the Monitor?"
Amidst the cautious stares, only Barry looked at the figure with astonishment.
"What? This guy is the Monitor who warned you about the crisis?" The others stared at the Monitor in disbelief. Although they had never seen him before, the Monitor was not unfamiliar to them. He had warned them about the coming of the antimatter crisis, giving them time to prepare. Without his warning, the multiverse might have been completely annihilated without any resistance.
And now, he had finally appeared before them.
...
"So, you're the Monitor?" Batman stepped forward, eyes stern as he faced the Monitor.
"Bruce Wayne, it's a pleasure to meet you," the Monitor said, as if he had known Batman for a long time, offering him a polite greeting.
"Before this crisis began, I had many unanswered questions. Now that you're here in person, can you answer them?"
Batman's expression remained unchanged, his voice calm yet firm as he addressed the Monitor, immediately asking what had been on his mind. He gave the Monitor no chance to refuse.
"If you knew about the crisis long before it happened, and you possess powers greater than all of us, why didn't you intervene to stop it? How did you know this disaster was coming? Was it a prophecy, or is there some deeper connection between you and the birth of this crisis?"
"And most importantly, what is your relationship with the mastermind behind this catastrophe?"
Without holding back, Batman bluntly voiced his suspicions, shocking those around him. The intensity of his questions could easily provoke the Monitor's wrath.
…
(End of Chapter)
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