Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Earth – 1; Central City
Team Flash had discovered that Earth – 90's Flash was trapped on this treadmill, being forced to use his super speed. Barry had met him a year earlier, along with Oliver, Kara and Thor. Then the Monitor sent him somewhere. What had happened to him?
"That's Barry Allen from Earth – 90?" Vibe exclaimed, stunned.
"Why is he forced to run on this treadmill?" asked Black Panther.
"How did he get there?" Frost added, stunned.
Pariah then gave the answer:
"The Monitor sent him away. He wound up in the Netherverse where the Anti-Monitor found him, corralled his speed, used it to build his Anti-Matter Cannon and test-fired it destroying Earth – 2."
Team Flash was in shock at this news.
"Harry's gone?" cried Vibe, horrified that his friend Harrison Wells from Earth – 2 could disappear into anti-matter.
"Jesse!" Killer Frost added, distraught at Harry's daughter being a speedster.
"We need to get Flash out of that treadmill," T'Challa suggested. "If we stop this cannon, we stop the anti-matter."
"Pariah, how do we stop this" Barry asked, shocked.
"The force field that contains this is anti-matter based. As such, anything made of positive matter cannot penetrate it." Pariah said, watching the Flash helplessly running at super-speed.
"Black Panther's right, we have to get the Flash off that treadmill." resumed the Flash of Earth – 1.
He turned to his friend Cisco.
"The Monitor said Vibe had to live that he had a purpose. Maybe this is it."
"Do you think Vibe is the solution to stop this cannon?" T'Challa asked curiously.
"Yes," Barry agreed.
Vibe raised his hands and breached the Flash running across the treadmill and, created a second breach beside them, allowing the old Flash to come out of the treadmill.
Barry Allen of Earth – 90 fell back against the wall as his counterpart ran to join him. Immediately the treadmill stopped moving and the cannon deactivated.
The old Flash caught his breath, completely exhausted, as T'Challa and Barry came to stand beside him.
"It's okay, just breathe. It's over, now." said the King of Wakanda softly.
"No, it's not," whispered the old Flash under his breath.
He turned to his counterpart:
"Thank you for the reprieve. But you gotta put me back on it."
"Why?" T'Challa exclaimed in surprise.
Vibe took off his glasses and stared at the tower in dismay.
"Guys!"
The tower thundered lightning in all directions around the anti-matter cannon.
"What's happening?"Black Panther exclaimed stunned.
"The Anti-Monitor designed that treadmill with a failsafe so that if I ever got off of it, it would erupt, destroying all remaining Earths at once." said the old Flash, standing up.
"How much time do we have?"asked the King of Wakanda distraught.
"A few minutes."
Barry then turned to his allies, and noticed the absence of the Wells accompanying them.
"Pariah? Pariah? Where'd he go? Where'd he go?"
Ivy Town
The red sky was on everyone's mind in Ivy Town. But that didn't stop Dr. Ryan Choi from working in his lab. Even though his wife insisted he come home. He tried to reassure her on the phone.
"Amanda, please. I know the red skies are freaky, Honey, but I'm sure it's just atmospheric…"
"Dr. Ryan Choi?"
The doctor turned and saw his biggest idol Ray Palmer, with a man and two women accompanying him. Ralph Dibny, Iris West-Allen and Shuri.
"Disturbance…" said Ryan looking at his visitors with the phone still in his ear. "Babe, I gotta go."
He cut his phone off, looking at his stunned visitors.
"Wow… is that really you?"
Ralph nodded proudly, thinking he was talking about him. Shuri slowly came over to him.
"Dr. Choi, I…"
But before she could say anything, Ryan completely shocked and ecstatic came over to shake Ray's hand.
"Dr. Ray Palmer? Oh… Gosh. I'm Ryan Choi. It's so wonderful to meet you. Your second paper on subatomic density manipulation was the foundation for my work on miniaturization. "
"Wow, thank you," Ray said, stunned and proud.
Shuri and Ralph rolled their eyes, while Ryan continued to stare at Atom as if he had just met the Messiah.
"Dr. Choi," interjected Iris. "We need you to come with us right now."
"Look, you've seen the red skies outside?" Ralph added. "The world is ending."
"And we need you to save it," Shuri said emphatically.
"Dr. Palmer, who are these people?"Ryan asked, looking at his surroundings with apprehension.
"We are superheroes, and Ryan, we need your help." Ray told him.
But Ryan just laughed, like it was just a joke.
"Sure. Good one."
"Dr. Choi, we're serious," Shuri said in alarm. "This is no joke, we really need you. Otherwise, we will all die! Do you know the theory of the Multiverse? Parallel Earths? I come from one of these Earths. And now, my world's gone. And other Earths are dying as we speak. If we are to end this Crisis, we need your help. Please, Dr..."
Ryan stopped laughing and stared at the Wakandan woman in amazement.
"Seeing is believing, right?" Ralph said.
He stretched his arm out, grabbing a box of tissues and passing it right in front of Ryan, who appeared to be struck by lightning.
"You're… Elongated Man?"
Then the long arm put the handkerchiefs back on a table, and Ralph returned his limb to normal.
"Yes, we're superheroes and I really come from another Earth," Shuri said emphatically. "We need your help."
"I know this sounds cuckoo, pal, but you're what's called a Paragon," Ralph said.
"People who can save the universe," Black Panther's sister added, nodding.
Ryan looked upset, then turned away from the heroes.
"If the world's ending, I need to go home." he said in a small, fearful voice.
He grabbed his jacket and rushed over to the exit of his lab. Ray started to catch up with him.
"Ryan. We really need your help."
Then Shuri ran up to him.
"I know how you feel. I too would like to go home, but I can't. As I told you, my Earth has gone. Destroyed by anti-matter. I no longer have a home. And soon this world will suffer the same fate if you refuse to help us."
"But I'm no hero," said a scared Ryan. "I'm a husband. And if this is the end, I have to be with my wife and kid. I'm sorry."
And he left the lab, much to Shuri's dismay.
"Ryan! Ryan!"
Waverider
Lois stood alone in front of the timeship's control screens. To her dismay, she saw on a screen, the image of the Earth – 73 disintegrate by a cosmic wave. Another world destroyed by anti-matter.
Mar Novu appeared and joined Superman's wife.
"Another Earth is gone."
"There's only seven left in the Multiverse." Lois said in shock. "It's ironic. I'm watching the biggest event in history, the destruction of every Earth, and no one will ever read the story."
"These Earths are not the only worlds destroyed."said the Monitor in a low voice with emotion. "My world died. My family…"
Surprised, Lois looked at the cosmic being, not expecting that he could have had a family. After a silence, she asked him:
"What were they like?"
The Monitor remained thoughtful, then gave a soft smile.
"Mm. So full of life. They were everything to me.(Then he gave a look of regret.) If only I'd cared as much for them as I did my work. (Then he gave Superman's wife an encouraging smile.) I now understand why you are such a good reporter, Miss Lane."
This loving moment was interrupted, as an interdimensional breach opened, and Earth – 76's Superman appeared, followed by Wolverine who both fell to the ground.
Superman slammed his fist to the ground, creating a slight quake in anger. Even the clawed mutant was angry.
"Damn!"Logan roared, closing the claws of his knuckles.
"Clark, Logan," Lois said, joining them.
"We couldn't save them," Superman said, standing up in dismay.
"You wanna take a minute? Looks like you could use a breather, and you too, Logan."
"Thanks, my little lady, but it's not the end of the world that will make me back down," Wolverine said as he walked away from the control room. "The X-Men need me!"
"He's right," Earth-76 Superman added. (He touched his black and red S symbol to his chest.) "Put this on, this crest I made a promise to keep fighting no matter what."
"Hey, why'd you add black to it?"she asked, pointing out the dark sign of her costume.
"Because, Lois, even in the darkest times, hope cuts through. Hope is the light that lifts us out of darkness. I must go back. With Logan."
The mutant returned with an extrapolator.
"Hey! Are you comin' or what, Super-Male?"
"I'm coming, Wolverine," Superman said, joining him.
Then they both disappeared into the breach.
Lois couldn't help but notice that this Superman had the same determination as his own Superman. She smiles with joy.
"Guy never quits no matter what Earth he's from, huh?"
Turning around, she saw that the Monitor was no longer there.
"Now you're just talking to yourself."
Central City
In the Anti-monitor realm, Black Panther and Team Flash stood with Earth – 90's Flash as they all watched the dangerously overloading anti-matter cannon.
"It's getting worse." Cisco yelled, his eyes wide with anguish at the sight of the cannon.
"Put me back on that treadmill."prompted Flash from Earth – 90 to the heroes.
"Whether you're on that or not won't change anything," T'Challa pointed out. "It will be the end of the whole Multiverse if we don't stop this cannon. Too many Earths have already gone. This Crisis ends now!"
"He's right," Barry retorted. "We'll find another way!"
Then a bright light flashed out of nowhere and the silhouette of a man emerged. It was a tall man wearing strange glasses and a bluish jumpsuit with big yellow lightning bolts on it.
The man gasped in shock as he looked around. Obviously he didn't know why he was here.
"Where am I?" he declared.
"Who are you?" Frost asked, eyes wide in surprise.
"Send me back to Freeland, now!"the man ordered sharply with an angry tone.
Then he raised his hand, and let out a great bolt of lightning which narrowly missed our heroes. The two Flashes moved away, avoiding the flash, as Black Panther threw himself to the ground, using his suit to absorb the kinetic energy of the lightning.
"Calm down, Electric Guy!" Killer Frost said threateningly.
"Who are you?" Black Panther said, lowering the black helmet of his suit.
"The name is Black Lightning!"growled the man in a dry voice.
As he wanted to attack again, Black Panther ran towards him, and punched the ground that released all the kinetic energy absorbed by his armor that came to hit Black Lightning who collapsed to the ground.
The man wanted to get up, but Black Panther planted himself just above him, showing him the claws of his armor.
"Stay where you are!" he ordered.
Black Lightning looked at the man from Wakanda, dumbfounded.
"Who are you? Cat-Man? Black Cat?"
"The name is Black Panther!"said the King of Wakanda, brandishing his claws.
Then Pariah appeared out of nowhere and stepped between the two men.
"ENOUGH!"
Then all looked at him in surprise.
"I did not bring you here, Jefferson, to fight!" Wells said looking at Black Lightning. "I brought you here to save lives!"
"Who the hell are you people?" Black Ligtning exclaimed confused and stunned as he stood up.
"I am Pariah. (He turned to Black Panther, the two Flashes, and the other heroes.) This is Jefferson Pierce. On his Earth an educator, a father, and a hero."
Black Panther pulled up his helmet, revealing T'Challa's face.
"Welcome to this Earth," he said to the new hero.
"What do you mean, this Earth?" Black Lightning exclaimed more and more confused.
"There are multiple Earths, Jefferson," Pariah explained. "many Earths like this one. Your Earth Has just been destroyed by a wave of anti-matter."
At these words, the new hero looked shocked and upset.
"So… so… Lynn, my girls? They are…"
"Gone" Pariah replied sadly. "I transported you here to help us save humanity."
Crying out in rage and grief, Black Lightning rushed at Pariah, grabbing him by his green outfit.
"You should've saved my family, not me! Not me! My family! (He burst into tears.) They're… No, no…"
T'Challa joined the man, pulling him away from Pariah.
"Jefferson! Jefferson, listen to me! I don't have kids, but I know how you feel! On my Earth, I am a King. Of a whole country that no longer exists. My Earth has been destroyed like yours. And so, I feel your pain. But soon, all other Earths will be gone forever if we don't act quickly. The wave of anti-matter spreads and destroys everything in its path. This place is its source. And if we are to stop it, we need your help."
"Jefferson," Barry said, distraught. "I'm so sorry. Right now we need your help to stop this anti-matter wave. I can't imagine how you're feeling, but I do know how it feels to lose your family. What would they want you to do right now?"
"Please. All worlds could die." Flash from Earth – 90 added.
"Help us, Jefferson," T'Challa said with a look of sadness. "If you are a hero in your world, you know what to do."
Black Lightning thought about his missing family again, then looked at Pariah with an angry look. After a moment he spoke:
"What do you need from me?"
"That machine behind you is the source of the anti-matter wave." Pariah pointed out, showing him the cannon.
"We have to disable it." Barry added. "But we can't get near it. Can you contain that much energy?"
"I can try to absorb the energy from the cannon with my suit, but that won't be enough to disable it," T'Challa suggested. (Then he looked at Black Lightning.) "Do you think the two of us could harness the energies of this weapon?"
Jefferson used his glasses to scan the barrel. Then he continued:
"Let's find out. "
Then he waved his hands, sending lightning bolts on the barrel. Black Panther used his suit to absorb the weapon's energy, hoping to decrease its power and help Black Lightning.
Waverider
Supergirl was in the timeship's library. Mjolnir was on the table with the Book of Destiny beside it. She looked at it and considered using it to restore worlds. Including hers. As she was about to open the book, a hand grabbed her.
"Don't!"
The Girl of Steel then saw Kate standing next to her with determination.
"You open that Book, and you do not know what will happen. Do you? To all of the Earths you're trying to save?"
"I have to, Kate." Supergirl insisted in a loud voice. "Those people, they need help."
"And we are doing our best to help who we can." Kate reminded her, hoping to convince her to give it up. "That is not the answer."
"Then what am I supposed to do? Just be okay with all those people dying? Ignore all these Earths that are disappearing?"
"No, of course not!" Kate continued. "But if you open this Book, it will destroy you!"
Supergirl didn't want fighting Batwoman, but she was determined to take the Book of Destiny for use. Even if that meant having to fight Kate.
"I have to do this," she said still motivated.
Kate eyed the Kryptonian standing right in front of her.
"Then I have to stop you." said the hero of Gotham.
"You won't be able to," Supergirl pointed out.
The two women looked at each other for a moment, clenching their fists. Then Thor came running to join them.
"Hey! Stop it, both of you!" he exclaimed annoyed. "Worlds are being destroyed as we speak. Let's not fight among ourselves."
He separated the two women, then came to the Girl of Steel.
"Kara, don't do that! Do not use this Book!"he told her with an anxious look. "It's too dangerous and we have no idea what could happen! Even for you!"
"What do you want me to do, Thor?" Supergirl roared through her teeth. "That we abandon all these poor people who are dying?"
"That's not what I'm saying. Look, I hate Lex Luthor like you, and I have no faith in Novu, however, using this Book to bring whole worlds back is way too risky! You could die or condemn us forever! And that if something happens to you, everything we've done to save the Multiverse will have served no purpose. Kara, please…"
"Thor, let me try," Supergirl begged desperately.
"No! I know what you're feeling. I really know. Do you remember how I was when I lost my kingdom? If the Book of Destiny could bring Asgard back, I would definitely do so. But look what happened to Deegan, when he used it to change reality. Can you imagine what would happen if you wanted to use it to re-create many Earths?"
"I have to try, Thor, maybe that's my role!"continued Supergirl wanting to pass.
But Thor stayed in his position, preventing the Kryptonian from reaching the Book.
"I'm sorry, Kara, but I can't let you do that. I have already lost too many loved ones in my life. I lost my parents, my brother, also friends who are no longer there now. Don't make me lose you too, Kara. Remember what I was like after Thanos wiped out half the universe? I was a poor, stupid, failure drunk. If I became a hero again, because you was here to me. You gave me back hope. Supergirl has given me hope so that I can continue to fight for the Good. Stop this madness. I'm sure deep down you know that. I don't want to fight you, but I would if it was to prevent you from making a serious mistake."
"For God's sake, Kara, don't do that!" Kate exclaimed, who was screaming now.
It was then that Supergirl was no longer looking at the Book, but the woman of Gotham. She was stunned. Kate noticed that even Thor, speechless, was staring at her in state of shock.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Kate asked confused and surprised.
"Kate," Thor whispered in shock, raising a finger to her.
Then Batwoman then discovered that Mjolnir was no longer lying on the library's table, but was in her hand. Her jaw dropped, and her eyes widened in amazement. Kate raised Thor's hammer above her, simply, as if it weighed nothing at all. She had lifted it without even realizing it. Without noticing it.
"What… I… I… How…? What the…? How…?" She stammered incredulously that she could now hold Thor's hammer in her hand.
"Now you can hold Mjolnir in your hand," Thor exclaimed smiling.
When she had tried to lift the hammer, she had been unable to move it. It was like trying to lift a truck. And there she could easily hold it with one hand, as if it weighed nothing at all.
Then she began to wave it, and to juggle it between her two hands. The hammer didn't change weight, much to her surprise.
"Oh… My… God!… How can this be?"Kate exclaimed stunned looking at her friends in utter incomprehension.
"You've found your courage, Kate," Supergirl told her, who seemed to have completely forgotten the Book of Destiny. "You're the Paragon of Courage. You are worthy of Mjolnir."
Then, Kate ends up putting the hammer on the cosmic Book, as if to prevent her friend from using it.
"Kara, I wish things were different," she said in a small voice. "I wish I was hopeful like you. I'm not God of Thunder, but one thing I do know is if you take a chance on that Book and it doesn't work and something happens to you, we're all doomed."
"Listen to her, Kara, she's right," Thor said, returning his attention to his Kryptonian friend.
Supergirl eyed her two friends for a moment, then looked at the Book that was blocked by Mjolnir, held by Kate, and ended up leaving the library without saying a word.
Then Kate and Thor stayed in the library, still stunned by what had just happened. They exchanged looks without saying a word. Then Thor took Mjolnir, smiling at Gotham's woman.
"Right, well done Paragon of Courage!"
And he left, leaving Kate still in shock that she had lifted a God's hammer.
Central City
Black Lightning was trying to contain the energy of the anti-matter cannon. Black Panther used his suit to absorb the energy particles from the cannon. Then after a while, he finally collapsed, unable to store any more energy in his Wakanda Panther costume.
And the hero of Freeland was starting to wear out.
"Black Lightning is gonna kill himself if we don't solve this soon." Frost said.
"Then we need more time." Barry said looking at his Earth – 90's counterpart.
And the two Flashes used Flashtime to communicate, freezing those around them and slowing down time. Barry looked at the other Flash and retorted:
"Every second that we waste here another Earth dies. That wave gets closer to my wife."
"I was married once, too," said Earth – 90's Flash. "Tina always said that keeping me running was her purpose in life, so as someone who's been running for 30 years, let me tell you. Sometimes, in order to find your purpose as a hero, you gotta take a couple steps back. Reverse the way you see the situation and see a bigger picture."
Barry considered his counterpart's words and seemed to understand where he was going. The words of The Monitor a few months earlier, suddenly gave it meaning.
"In order for billions to survive this Crisis, the Flash must die…"
He got out of the Flastime and walked back to Cisco and Frost.
"I know how to stop the cannon," he said.
"What?" T'Challa wondered, exhausted from the effort of absorbing the cannon's energy.
"This is what The Monitor meant that day in the Time Vault." Barry continued. "This is what I've been running towards all these years. It's time for Flash to vanish in Crisis."
He was determined to do it. Flash had to die to stop the Crisis.