Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Earth – 1; Star City
After a fierce battle, all the heroes had found themselves, despite themselves, in Star City. Specifically in Arrow's bunker, from what Flash could recognize.
The Monitor had appeared in the same spot, setting Oliver down, dying on a table covered with a sheet. Flash, Mia, Spider-Man and Clint were the first to join him. Then came Supergirl, Thor, Superman, and Black Panther. All could see in horror the bloody face of the archer. He seemed barely conscious and was struggling to stay awake.
"Oliver!" Barry exclaimed, horrified.
Spider-Man removed his mask, revealing the face of Peter Parker, upset.
"Oliver, you okay? How do you feel? he asked, shocked to see the hurt face of the one he considered a hero.
Thor looked at Oliver, horrified, unable to utter a word.
Mar Novu said with a sad look:
"He fought to his last breath. Knowing every moment was another life saved."
"Saved?" Supergirl asked, panting in horror.
"Your universe is no more," the Monitor continued. "Of 7.53 billion, 3 billion souls made it to Earth – 1 on the armada of ships. I calculate 1 billion souls survived due to his noble sacrifice."
With tears in her eyes, Mia looked at Mar Novu, before turning her attention to her dying father.
Clint was as horrified as he was stunned.
"Sacrifice?" he stammered before looking at the dying archer again. "Oliver! Oliver! You have to fight again…"
Shaking his head, he observed the cosmic being again.
"He can't die! He can't! The Crisis isn't over! We need him! Really, you can't save him?
Even Peter looked at the Monitor with a pleading look. Desperate, this moment reminded him of Tony Stark's death. Would he still see a friend die?
Mar Novu looked at the heroes with a sorry look.
"I can't. I'm sorry."
A feeling of hopelessness invades Spider-Man. It was as if he couldn't breathe anymore. Oliver Queen was really going to die?
Thor stared at the Monitor in rage.
"You can't save him? Why did you bring us here? Why did you get us leave Earth – 38? Why did you do it?"
"I had to do," the Monitor replied simply. "The survival of the Multiverse depends on all of you. You had to get out!"
The Asgardian squeezed his hand tightly on his ax as if he wanted to use it to strike Mar Novu.
"This is your fault!" said Thor with fury. "If you hadn't get us go, we could have saved everyone and Oliver wouldn't be here dying! It's your fault!"
"Thor, calm down," Superman told him calmly.
Peter looked at the dying archer with tears in his eyes, unable to accept another loss in his life.
There was a flash of golden light. The heroes of Earth from the Avengers looked at him in confusion, while the others could see the face of Harrison Wells in a dark green outfit. Flash knew it could only be Nash Wells.
"Nash?" he exclaimed, intrigued by the new Harrison Wells lookalike outfit.
But the latter shook his head.
"Once upon a time, not anymore. Now, I'm simply a man serving his penance." he told them simply.
"What are you talking about?" T'Challa asked, confused.
"Penance for what?" Superman added.
"I freed the Anti-Monitor from his confinement only to… become a… Pariah. Sentenced to bear witness to his actions." Nash continued, or rather Pariah, with a calm, guilty and worrying look.
Before either of the heroes could say a word, an interdimensional breach appeared in the bunker. Then Sara, Lois, Shuri and Brainy emerged from it. Relieved, Superman saw his wife holding her sleeping son in her arms. They came to meet, as Shuri joined her brother T'Challa with a look of anguish.
"Brother!" she exclaimed, shocked. "You're safe!"
The Wakandan king took his sister in his arms, speaking to her calmly.
"It's okay, Shuri, I'm fine."
Stunned, the young Wakandan woman showed him her tablet.
"The Earth – 38 is gone," she explained. "The wave of anti-matter completely consumed it. And nothing remains at all. It's as if it never existed! (She noticed Supergirl was watching them. She turned to her.) I'm so sorry!"
Supergirl was devastated by the loss of her Earth, her home. Then returned her attention to Oliver. Sara joined them, saddened by seeing the state of Green Arrow.
"Oliver?"
"It's okay, Sara." Oliver said, moaning weakly. "This is my destiny!"
"No, Oliver," Peter sobbed, his eyes teary. "It's not gonna end this way! I need you! We need you!"
Despite his agony, Oliver struggled to look at the young Avenger.
"You fought well again, Spider-Man… Tony Stark would have been proud of you… You don't need anyone… to be an Avenger or a hero… you are…"
"Oliver," Flash said at his friend's bedside.
"Barry? You, my friend, are the very best of us. I gave it all up for you and Kara. "
Supergirl brought tears to her eyes at the words, as Barry looked confused.
"What-what do you mean?" he exclaimed.
"I need the two of you to be the ones to save us." Oliver replied weakly.
Barry and Kara looked at each other, stunned at the idea that Green Arrow had placed all his hopes in them. Thor observed the two heroes, then returned his gaze to Oliver, shaking his head unwilling to lose another friend.
Oliver tried to stay awake.
"Clint?"
"Oliver," the Avengers archer whispered, putting his hand gently on the dying hero's shoulder.
"Take care of your family," Oliver told him."You're a good man, Clint! Be one Nat saw in you!"
Clint nodded, tears in his eyes.
"Mia?" Oliver said again.
"Dad," his daughter replied, tears in her eyes as she took her hand.
"Don't forget to find your mother..."
"OK," Mia agreed, crying.
"Find William," Oliver continued, struggling to stay awake. "Tell him how much I love him. I love you, Mia. You keep me in your heart, OK?"
"Dad," Mia whispered distraught, tears in her eyes.
And Oliver Queen died under the shocked gaze of our heroes. Sara looked away. Barry, Kara, and Thor seemed motionless in sadness, unable to say a word. Peter collapsed in tears. Shuri held her brother's hand, distraught at the sight of Green Arrow's lifeless body.
"It was not supposed to be like this."continued the Monitor, his gaze lost. "This is not his ending that I foresaw."
Everyone looked at him, dumbfounded. Thor gazed at Mar Novu with a look of rage.
"Things are turning out differently than expected." Pariah added in a deep, worrying voice. "But one thing is certain. Everything we know, everything there is, and everything there ever was… is doomed."
A feeling of stupor mixed with horror and anguish passed through the group of heroes. Shuri hugged T'Challa. Then, without a word, Barry, Mia, and Thor stared at Oliver's lifeless body again.
Mia finally sobbed and Clint hugged her, crying too. Peter joined them, took the shoulder of Green Arrow's daughter and sobbed in turn. They had lost a hero. And all their worlds were doomed…