Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Earth – 1; Waverider
On one of the Waverider's screens, Kara observed the planets of the Multiverse. She first saw Argo disappear, leaving no trace, and then Earth – 38 being destroyed by the wave of anti-matter.
Sighing sadly and helplessly, Kara took off her glasses and looked at where her Earth was.
She felt hopeless and helpless. Her dismay reminded her of the heroes' horrific defeat when they failed to stop Thanos. Despite their best efforts, they couldn't stop the Mad Titan from using the Infinity Stones, and half the worlds were gone. Five years later, they had been able to reverse what had happened. Kara wanted to believe that this might still be possible for the Multiverse.
While she was lost in thought, Thor came to see her. He seemed to hesitate to come join her. Then with determination, he decided to come and see her. He put his hammer down, right next to the screen.
"Kara, I wanted to see how you were doing, but… that would be a stupid question!"
The Girl of Steel did not move her eyes from the screen which showed an empty space.
Thor came over to her, with a compassionate look.
"I'm so sorry!" he told her softly. "For Argo, for your Earth, for Oliver… I wanted to prevent that from happening! But apparently this Crisis was inevitable! From what Novu says, but I have no trust in him! (Seeing that Kara still wasn't reacting, he sighed in despair.) I'm sorry. I'm not good at pep talk. I'm used to using a weapon and fighting like a warrior. Encouragement isn't my thing. I'm supposed to be the Keeper of the Paragons. I'm trying to figure out what my exact role is… but what I want to tell you, Kara, is that I believe in you! And right now, I know exactly how you feel. You were there for me when I lost Asgard! And after Thanos, you taught me to believe in myself again. You gave me hope! And I would do as much for you. I'm not Oliver, or Cap, Stark, or even Nat, but I want to be there for you, like you have for me. If you need me to leave you alone, I will respect your choice."
Finally, Kara looked up at him. She was touched by the kindness of her friend.
"Stay, Thor. Thank you. Right now, I don't feel very hopeful."
The Asgardian put his hand on his friend's shoulder.
"You will! And I want to believe that we can still do something to save the Multiverse! And we will do it together! Like I did with the Avengers in the old days."
Kara smiled, then heard a male voice that was very familiar to her and that she thought she would never hear again:
"An entire universe wiped from existence distilled down to a computer graphic."
Kara turned… to see the Monitor with Lex Luthor, with his smirk on his face, alive, in the flesh. He continued sneering:
"Got to say… missing that wow factor."
Watching in horror and hatred, Kara whispered to her former enemy:
"Lena killed you!"
Lex just chuckled.
"Yeah. Only for a little while!"
And he winked at her.
Thor frowned at the bald man in front of him. He had never seen him, but judging by Kara's horrified face, he realized he wasn't an ally.
"Kara, who is this?" he asked, looking at the new man.
"Lex Luthor," the Girl of Steel whispered to her friend, in a low voice, not looking away from her enemy. "A snake who tried to kill me. My cousin and I! Last time I checked, he was supposed to be dead, killed by his sister Lena."
"Surprise!" Lex said, curtsying.
Completely angry, Kara made her eyes light up with her heat vision with the firm intention of cremating her former dead foe, but before she could act, the Monitor came to stand right in front of her, preventing her from attacking bald man.
"Everyone has a part to play, even Lex Luthor."
Kara looked at Mar Novu, completely incredulous of Lex's presence and then understood:
"You did this? You brought that poisonous snake back?"
Lex smirked at the sentence, while Novu replied:
"His destiny was unfulfilled. Lex Luthor still has an important role to play."
"So you can revive him, but you can't bring back Oliver?" Kara said angrily.
"I restored Luthor long before the Crisis caused my power to wane." the Monitor replied in a neutral voice.
Learning that Novu had revived a dangerous enemy of the Kryptonians, Thor eyed the two men with rage and contempt. He was furious with the cosmic being for Oliver's death, but also for the return of that Lex Luthor was the final straw.
"Are there any more surprises that you're holding up your sleeve? Like one of us who dies and a bastard who comes back to life?" roared the God of Thunder at the Monitor.
But he ignored Thor, completely unmoved.
Kara growled in rage and hatred as she eyed the two men.
"And what about those innocent lives on Earth – 38? Did they not have destinies to fulfill? I'm sorry, but I can't trust a man who thinks Lex Luthor is an ally." she declared angrily.
Then she left the room, leaving Thor to stare at Lex with a look of fury. Kate arrived at this time.
The bald man noticed Thor and eyed him, observing his armor and Asgardian cloak.
"And who are you?" he asked him. "Are you a Superman from another Earth? A new Kryptonian?"
Despite himself, Thor smirked and came to stand right in front of Lex as if he wanted to be ruthless.
"I'm not from Krypton," he replied. "I come from a universe you can't even imagine! I am Thor, Son of Odin, once Prince of Asgard, and also God of Thunder."
Lex raised his eyebrows, not surprised.
"So… Thor, as in the God of Thunder from Norse mythology?" he exclaimed.
"Exactly like that!" Thor replied with a smirk. "I am a God so your kryptonite doesn't affect me!"
Not at all scared, Lex turned away from Thor and saw Mjolnir posed near the screens of the Waverider.
"And I guess this is yours?" he asked, pointing to the magic hammer.
"My hammer Mjolnir," Thor replied jubilantly. "A dangerous weapon that could kill you!"
Lex watched the contours of the hammer, frowning.
"A very interesting weapon," he whispered.
He put his hand on the handle of the hammer and began to pull to lift it. But no matter how much Lex pulled Mjolnir, the hammer didn't budge from its position. After some effort, he gave up to Thor's great pleasure.
The Thunder God raised his hand, and Mjolnir leapt into the air and found himself in Thor's hand, as Lex watched in surprise.
"You have to be worthy to be able to lift it," he explained. "And you are not!"
But Lex wasn't impressed, just shrugging his shoulders.
"I don't need a hammer to be stronger than Kryptonians! I am!'
Amused, Thor whirled Mjolnir in the air. He threw it straight at Lex, who had to turn his head not to be hit. Then the hammer came back to Thor's hand like a magnet.
"Be careful, Lex Luthor," Thor said threateningly. "If you go near Kara or her cousin, no matter what Novu says, that happens to them, happens to you! Try something against my friends, I promise I'll finish the job your sister started! And I'll make sure you can't bring back to life!"
And he left the room, twirling his hammer in the air.
Kate took the opportunity to join Lex.
"All I got from that is that if you die again the Monitor can't bring you back." she said smirk. "And that Thor will swing his hammer in your face!"
"And you are?" Lex asked the Gotham woman.
"New, and unfriendly," Kate replied, touching the bald man's chin lightly with her finger.
And she walked away. Lex then turned to see Groot sitting there watching him curiously.
"I am Groot!" he said in a small voice.
"I am Lex Luthor," said the bald man. "This is amazing, I'm talking to a tree that can speak!"
"I am Groot," Groot muttered.
"I think I understood your name!" he growled.
"I am Groot!"
"Um, would you be a talking tree with very little brain?"
Then came Quill who planted himself in front of the bald man.
"In fact, he can only say that, "I am Groot,"" he explained. "Once we get to know him, we come to understand what he is saying. And I think Groot just said that he finds you very ugly without your hair!"
"And you are?" Lex asked dubiously.
"Peter Quill, also Star-Lord!"
Lex smirked, as if he found the name stupid.
"Star-Lord? Are you a Flash Gordon reboot? That feels kind of derivative!" he sneered.
Vexed, Quill walked away.
"I get it why the Supers don't like you!" he mumbled under his breath. "You really are a dick! And without hair!"
Kate Kane and Thor joined Kara who had stepped aside from the others in the galley of the ship, which was filled with junk food and beers lying around.
"Lex Luthor kind of a dick, huh?" said the Gotham woman.
Kara looked at them before sighing.
"When I think of all those people on my Earth that we wanted to save but couldn't," she stammered in disappointment. "It just feels unfair!"
"I'm so sorry, Kara," Thor said. "I swear I wish I had done more for your Earth. I have suffered a lot of losses in last years. You don't deserve that!"
"Look. A day ago, I didn't think my life could get any worse," Kate explained, sharing the Girl of Steel's disappointment. "My sister murdered my stepmom and framed my dad for it."
"That's dark, even for Gotham," Kara exclaimed.
Compassionately, Thor looked at Kate.
"I'm very sorry for you, Kate," the Asgardian said gently. "Family is very complicated. I know that. I had a brother. A foster brother whom I have always considered my family, but he was complicated. He could be good and bad too. Manipulator, mischievous… but whatever man he was, he was my brother, and I loved him, despite his faults. When my father died, I found out that I had a sister, who turned out to be the Goddess of Death. She came to my kingdom, stabbed me in the eye and I was forced to kill her, because she threatened to kill my people. So I know exactly what it's like to have a complicated family."
Kate looked at Thor sympathetically.
"I'm sorry to hear that," she said. "You said you had a brother. What has happened to him?"
"He's passed away," Thor said sadly. "Thanos killed him. I was helpless. I couldn't help him. He strangled him in front of me."
"My condolences then," Kate said. "You fought for your people. Like me, I'm fighting for a chance to make it right, and this fourth Paragon… my cousin Bruce on another Earth… (Kate raised her eyebrows, having difficulty accepting the parallel Earths doppelgangers.) …Finding him might help me get that chance."
"Only if you believe the Monitor." Kara pointed out.
"Honestly, I don't trust him," Thor said sharply. "Nevertheless, the Paragons seem to be the way to save the Multiverse. What other choice do we have?"
"What kind of talk is that from the Paragon of Hope and the Keeper?" Kate exclaimed.
Kate pulled out an interdimensional extrapolator.
"Let's go save the universe." She declared.
Thor stood up and looked at the two women.
"Actually, both go!" he told them. "You don't need me to go with you. I'm going to stay and watch on Luthor and Novu. I want to make sure they don't give us any problems."
"Here we go," said Kara, joining Kate.
Lyla stumbled through the halls of the Waverider as she experienced strange migraines. The voices had resumed in her head. For the woman, it was as if millions of lives were screaming in her head.
Thor, passing by, saw her and joined her.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked her.
"I hear voices in my head!" Lyla moaned. "It is as if I am feeling the destruction of all the Earths. And I hear voices coming from the Book of Destiny… it's…"
Suddenly she stopped abruptly, as if the voices had ceased.
"Thor, we need to head to the library. Right now!"
Together, the two ran over to the ship's library, and saw Lex Luthor holding the Book of Destiny in his hand. Immediately Thor brandished his right hammer in front of the bald man, while Harbinger looked threatening.
"You're not supposed to have that!" she retorted vehemently.
"And man was never meant to fly, but here we are…" Lex replied with a smirk, not letting go of the Book.
Thor whirled his hammer, preparing it to shoot it like an arrow and growled in a threatening voice:
"Luthor, put this Book down now! I'm not asking again!"
Lex ignored the asgardian and opened the Book, activating his power. At the same time, he opened an interdimensional breach with an extrapolator.
"Good-bye, Superman, all of you…" he whispered with a nasty smile.
"NO!" Thor yelled, throwing his hammer straight in front of him.
But Lex disappeared into the breach before Mjolnir could reach him.
The portal closed, leaving Thor and Lyla alone in the library.
Horrified, Thor looked at the young woman.
'We have to find him, right now!" he declared.
"Lex Luthor has the Book of Destiny." said Mar Novu, who had just appeared in the room.
And much to Thor's anger, the cosmic being didn't seem worried about the turn of events.
"He's going to use it to kill Supermen." Lyla added.
"He's going to kill every Superman in the Multiverse, including the Paragon of Truth," Thor replied. "If he kills them all, we will be doomed, and nothing more can be done for the Multiverse! (Before the Monitor's neutral gaze, Thor seemed to understand.) That's what you wanted! You wanted Luthor to use this book to kill Superman! What'd you do? I was right not to trust you!"
"As I said, everyone has a part to play." the Monitor said.
"I'm off to find Luthor and pray Allfathers that he hasn't already killed all the Supermen in the Multiverse," Thor replied with a growl of rage.
Barry hugged Iris in his arms. He was overwhelmed by the loss of Oliver. The presence of his wife comforted him.
"I'm glad you're here." he said to Iris.
"Me too."
Then the couple looked at each other.
"From what you told me, the Monitor was wrong about Oliver, so I don't know, Barry." Iris remarked to her husband. "Maybe he's wrong about you, too. Maybe you're not supposed to die."
"Listen," said Barry. "Oliver told me about how he brought Sara and his sister back to life using something called a Lazarus Pit."
Barry was convinced he could bring Oliver back, but Iris seemed skeptical.
"That sounds too good to be true."
"Well, it I mean, it is." Barry replied. "It turns out Thea destroyed all the Pits on this Earth, but there are more Earths to choose from."
"I know that you want Oliver back more than anything, but this is…"
"He can't be dead, not him," retorted the agitated speedster. "We are a lot. A lot of l heroes, including a God and the Guardians of the Galaxy. We must be able to do something!"
"Okay," replied Iris. "Funny enough, the Monitor gave me a mission of my own. To find our hopeless Kryptonian Paragon."
Barry looked surprised, then looked amused.
"Did you ever think this would be our life?" he said smiling.
"I will take whatever life with you I can get." said Iris, putting her hand on his shoulder.
And they shared a kiss.
Mia was standing in front of the Waverider's computer. She touched the touchscreen scrolling through the Earths of the Multiverse. She was joined there by Clint Barton.
"Mia?"
The young archer looked up to see the old Avenger.
"Clint, weren't you supposed to be on your Earth?"
After Oliver's death, Clint had returned to Avengers Earth and hadn't given any news since.
"Yeah, I came back for you," said the archer. "I left to get my wife and my kids to safety. They are on this Earth. In this city… Star City in a house protected by… an agency called… Argus… yup, a funny name… Multiverse, Parallel Earths… I didn't think it would be so weird…"
"Shouldn't you be with your family?" Mia pointed out to him.
"My family's safe, I don't have to worry," Clint replied. "I wanted to be there for you. Your dad saved my life the first time I met him. I was going through a dark way, and it was your dad who helped me find my way back. He was my friend, although I didn't know him much. He'll always be a friend to me. And so, to return the favor, I want to be there for you!"
Mia was touched by the man's gesture.
"Thank you."
Then she resumed her research on the Earths, which aroused the archer's curiosity.
"What are you doing?"
"I intend to bring my dad back from the dead," explained the young girl. "There is what is called the Lazarus Pits. Water that is able of prolonging life, regenerating it, and even raising people from the dead."
Clint looked stunned.
"Seriously? Can a thing really do that?"
"I'll bring my dad back, Clint! Barry's with me!"
Before the archer could add a word, Sara came over to them.
"So I miss one group chat," she said. "And now there's Paragons, and I'm supposed to be one of them."
"Yep," Mia answered without looking up from her screen. "And Barry and I are gonna use a Lazarus Pit to bring my dad back."
Clint turned to the young woman.
"Is there really such a thing?" he exclaimed, dumbfounded that the resurrection is possible.
Sara looked shocked.
"That really exists, yep," she replied. "And I am living proof of that. I was killed. And then my sister brought me back to life by putting me in the water of the Lazarus Pit. But… (She turned to Green Arrow's daughter.) Mia, it's not that simple. The Lazarus Pit isn't some magical mud bath where you get your soul and a cup of cucumber water at the end. You lose your humanity. This is what happened to me when I was resurrected."
Clint turned pale in fear, but Mia remained determined.
"Nyssa told me everything I need to know about Lazarus Pits," she said.
The Avengers archer turned to her.
"Are you sure you want to do that? I want to see your dad again too. But… the real Green Arrow, and not some soulless zombie…"
"That's not gonna happen!" Mia said abruptly.
"Can you get Oliver Queen back?" said a voice behind them.
Clint, Sara and Mia turned to see Peter Parker at the entrance to the Waverider's hall. The young man was in civilian clothes. He had gone after Oliver died. He seemed to have lived through a year of misery. His features were drawn, as if he hadn't slept.
"Can you get him back?" he asked in a determined voice.
"Yeah, I will," Mia said.
"Good, so I'm coming with you," Peter replied, joining Green Arrow's daughter. "We need Green Arrow."
Sara and Clint looked at each other facing the determination of the two youngsters, wanting to bring a dead man back to life. Then they decided to follow them.
Earth – 99; Gotham City
Kara and Kate had just arrived on Earth – 99, right in front of what appeared to be Wayne Manor. Lots of vegetation invaded the place.
"So the Paragon of Courage is apparently afraid of yardwork." Kara commented.
"Better let me do the talking." Kate said.
The two women made their way to the front door. Kate knocked on the door. Then it was a man who opened the door for them. Kate recognized him as Luke Fox. But he was a very different Luke than the one she knew. He wasn't wearing glasses, and was wearing an unbuttoned shirt where the young woman could see large abdominal muscles.
"Wow. That's a really impressive six-pack." Kate exclaimed, looking at the large torso of the one who looked like her friend.
Completely indifferent, Luke asked:
"Do I know you?"
Kara and Kate shared a look, before the young woman from Gotham replied:
"No, but I know you. Well, a different like, a less this version of you. I… I'm Kate Kane. I'm Bruce's cousin."
"Yeah, no," Luke muttered, shutting the door sharply.
"Earth – 1 villain?"Kara asked.
"Only friend actually." Kate corrected, disappointed to meet an unfriendly version of the one she knew.
She knocked on the door again, but received no answer. A moment passed, but Luke didn't reappear.
Kara volunteered to smash the door, which she did immediately with her super strength with a kick. They came across a long hallway and could see Luke threatening them with a gun.
"You need to leave. Now." he roared through his teeth.
Kara planted herself in front of Kate, wanting to protect her, when a big, husky male voice was heard:
"Don't be so rude, Luke."
Then footsteps echoed, followed by metallic clicks.
"You'll have to forgive him." resumed the voice. "We're not used to having guests."
Kara and Kate saw to their amazement an old man in an exoskeleton walking down the stairs. When he saw the two women, he was disturbed by their appearances.
"Kate?" exclaimed the stunned old man.
"Bruce?" Kate exclaimed, stunned and shocked.