Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Flash was speeding through Speed Force in search of his allies. He arrived in a version of Central City. It was the day Deegan (in the appearance of a dark Superman) had used the Book of Destiny to transform reality. Superman and Thor who had tried to neutralize him, but to no avail.
Intrigued, not having attended the whole scene, Flash stopped running and watched the fight unfold before his eyes. He searched for Oliver, knowing he had played a part in Deegan's defeat.
"Come on, Oliver. Where are you?"
He watched as Thor using his Stormbreaker ax to repel the Book's attacks.
And Deegan turned, Flash followed his gaze and saw Oliver in his archer's outfit unsheathing a very different arrow.
Deegan tried to intercept it, but the archer was faster shooting his arrow whose tip was blue, which would strike the Book of Destiny.
The mad doctor collapsed to the ground.
"I wasn't here for this." said Flash.
He saw the real Superman catch Lois in his arms.
"Told you you'd catch me." his wife said to him.
The energy of the Book poured into Deegan, transfiguring him to his original form, but completely disfiguring his face.
Delighted, Thor walked towards the Book, completely destroyed. He joined Oliver.
"Great shooting, archer!" he called out to him. "We finally stopped Deegan."
Superman and Lois joined them.
"Thanks for the save," said the Man of Steel.
"With a magic arrow, no less." added his wife.
"It's a gift from the Monitor." Oliver explained.
Then all three saw Flash, staring at him with wide eyes.
"Barry?" Thor exclaimed, frowning.
"Hey," Flash stammered.
"Did you go out shopping for a new costume while you were supposed to be out saving the world?" Lois pointed out, pointing to the speedster's new outfit.
"I also thought he looked a lot different," Thor said.
"Uh, no. No. It's a crazy, long story," Flash stammered uncomfortably. "And you wouldn't believe me if I told you. (He turned hastily to Oliver.) Can I talk to you for a minute? Please."
Puzzled, Thor, Superman and Lois walked away frowning, then Oliver turned to Barry. He too was intrigued by his friend's confusion.
"Are you okay?"
"What I'm about to tell you isn't gonna make any sense," Flash told him cautiously. "But you're not really here right now. You're actually..."
"In the Speed Force," Oliver replied quietly, sounding very thoughtful. (And he looked at the Central City's superhero with a smile.) "I remember. I remember everything."
"Okay, well," answered Flash surprised. "Well, in that case, that arrow from the Monitor, I always felt like there was something you weren't telling me."
To his surprise, Oliver continued to smile in a friendly manner, responding:
"I didn't want to burden you with the choice I made."
"The choice to do what?"Barry exclaimed intrigued.
"You and Kara, Barry, you were fated to die trying to save the world." his friend replied calmly.
At his words, Flash remembered Oliver's last words as he passed away.
"Right before you died, you said you'd given up everything for me and Kara. (He looked stunned when he understood.) You made some kind of Devil's Bargain with the Monitor to save us, didn't you?"
But Oliver continued to smile softly with a natural tone.
"No. It wasn't a Devil's Bargain, Barry, and I'd make it again in a second."
"It cost you your family, Oliver." the distressed speedster pointed out. "It cost you your life."
"Dying's the easy part." the archer replied softly. "The dead are at peace, but the real heroes are the ones who have to keep going. Go find the others."
Still stunned by the voluntary sacrifice of his friend, Flash ends up disappearing in super-speed.
Flash came to another memory, where he found Sara Lance who had passed away. It must have been after her murder orchestrated by Malcolm Merlyn.
He found Sara dead, and he discovered Laurel Lance and John Diggle, looking at him in amazement.
"Oh boy!"
On Maltus, Mar Novu was heading for the machine that would allow him to travel through time to reach the Great Beginning.
"Engaging quantum portal." he said, raising his hand to the machine.
"I wouldn't do that." said a voice behind him.
Puzzled, Novu tried to reach his wife by communication.
"Xneen?"
"No."
Turning around, he found a bald man dressed in black walking towards him, quietly, with dark designs in mind.
"No, obviously." he said, walking towards the future Monitor. "Hi. Lex Luthor. I'm here to make you an offer I won't let you refuse."
"How did you get in here?" Novu growled in amazement as he walked over to his strange visitor. "Our security protocols are…"
"…A joke," Lex interrupted with a smirk. "But the fact that I was able to circumvent them with astonishing ease is exactly why you need to listen to me."
"Xneen?" cried Novu, distraught not to hear from his wife any more.
"Is taking a little nappy time." Lex replied disinterestedly. "Not to worry. (Then he walked over to the time machine.) So you are a scientist. Tell me you're not intrigued by what I have to say, or do you get regular visits from humans with future knowledge?"
Novu was still wary of his visitor, but nevertheless, preferred to listen to him attentively.
"Speak."
Lex revealed to him:
"The experiment you're conducting will not only destroy you but your planet and your wife."
Then Mar Novu glared at him.
"Another ancients zealot. I am so sick…"
But Lex interrupted him as if he was speaking to a fellow scientist.
"Don't know who they are. I'm not even from this universe. What I am from is the future, so I know exactly how your little time-jumping experiment will go wrong, and I am willing to share my future knowledge with you."
"And in return?" Novu retorted, still suspicious.
Lex pretended to think before answering:
"Well, I don't cotton to aliens, but you will soon have certain abilities that I will need in order to deal with some… shall we say… super problems popping up in my world."
"I do not have any abilities." the future Monitor pointed out to him wryly.
"Stick with me, kid." Lex told him softly with a smirk. "So what do you say? Team up? The Brave and the Bald?"
Novu watched the bald man considering his offers.
Flash had just landed in the middle of a moment of silence for Sara, and didn't know how to react to Laurel and Diggle, who didn't know him yet at the time.
"Who are you?"Diggle exclaimed, shocked.
"Hey… Uh…" Flash stammered embarrassed. "This is awkward. Long story short, you guys aren't really you guys, and none of this is really actually happening."
Not understanding a word of what the stranger in red was saying, Laurel stammered:
"What are you talk…?"
She looked threatening as she saw the stranger stand on top of her dead sister.
"Hey! Hey! Don't you touch her!"
"I'm so sorry," Flash said simply, throwing an electric shock of his speed at the late Black Canary.
Sara woke up with a start, much to the surprise of Oliver's two allies.
"It's a miracle." Laurel whispered, dumbfounded.
Shocked, Sara looked at herself, noticing the red stain of blood on her black outfit, and eyed Flash in amazement.
"Barry?"
"Hey," the speedster replied warmly.
"What's happening?"
"It's a long, very weird story. I'll catch you up on the way."
"On the way to where?" Sara asked still in shock from her rude awakening.
"You're not taking her anywhere." Diggle snapped back, though he couldn't understand what was going on in front of him.
"I'm sorry. Like I said, you guys aren't really here." Flash stammered, still embarrassed.
Confused, Sara glanced at her sister and Dig, before being blown away in super-speed by Flash.
J'onn had just explained to the Supergirl and the Oliver in front of him, his whole mission to save the Multiverse and her journey to the Speed Dimension.
"The Speed Force?"Kara whispered, confused.
Even the Oliver was as lost as she was.
"I can only assume." replied the Martian thoughtfully. "We were moving through the Speed Force when we were attacked…"
"Uh, by someone called…" the archer asked, confused.
"The Anti-Monitor," J'onn replied.
"Doesn't even sound like an actual name." Oliver said disdainfully.
"We're all trying to stop him." the Green Martian said, looking at the two heroes. "We're working together. The two of you work together."
J'onn had just realized that he had come to a time when Kara and Oliver had just met. They were getting to know each other and still couldn't trust each other. He said:
"I know you don't trust each other. Right now, I know you don't even like each other, but all that changes. In fact, we all come to depend on each other. We all come to trust each other."
"Why are you telling us this now?"Supergirl asked, confused.
But before he could answer, J'onn got carried away by Flash in super-speed.
Kate had listened to Oliver and Ray, and understood how they had come to trust each other. The two men eyed the woman from Gotham curiously when the latter replied:
"This seems to be a pattern with you. You don't trust people. They don't trust you. Then all of that changes, and the bond between you is stronger than iron."
"I'm sorry. What's your point?"Oliver wondered, very confused by this woman he didn't know at all.
Ignoring the confusion of the two men, Kate continued in a calm voice:
"It's maybe something I can learn from."
Finally, she was gone when Flash arrived to retrieve her.
On the false island of Lian Yu, Thor had just related the entire Anti-Monitor Crisis to the two old versions of Kara and Oliver.
"So in the future we're gonna fight a guy named Anti-Monitor –not even an actual name– to save the whole Multiverse?" Oliver said confused.
"And we're not really here?" Kara added as confused as him. "Then, you're not… my Thor who's supposed to help us find the Infinity Stones?"
Thor smiles, remembering the time he lost hope, until Supergirl gave him something to hope for a better future.
"I'm not, really. But it's okay, I will. I remember when I had no faith in anything. When I considered myself an idiot, unable to save anyone. That Thanos was stronger than me. (Then he turned to Kara with a big smile.) It was you, Kara, who helped me become the hero that I am again. Even when we failed, five years ago, Supergirl has never disappeared. She continued to keep hope. The hope I wish I had. You never let anyone break you. Not even Thanos. You're better than me. Surely that's why Mjolnir deemed you worthy."
"What are you saying?" Kara exclaimed, stunned.
Then Thor was gone, when Flash arrived to carry him away, in super-speed.
Peter Parker wore his Spider-Man outfit again, and was ready to go fight the universe's greatest enemy. He was a hero. A Paragon. His responsibility to face it.
He turned to the archer and the former Iron-Man.
"Thank you."
"Good luck, kid. You'll need it," Tony said, smiling.
"Never give up, Spider-Man," Oliver said with an encouraging look.
"I won't," Peter retorted.
Then the New York neighborhood began to shake. Oliver looked around, still smiling.
"Barry is coming for you. Good luck!"
Spider-Man nodded and got carried away by the speedster in super-speed.
On Maltus, Lex unveiled the disastrous experience Mar Novu would undergo. At least, his own version to fix his situation.
"So basically, you tore a little hole in the space-time continuum, opened a doorway into something called the anti-matter universe."
"Matter and anti-matter cannot coexist." objected Novu.
"Hence a lot of bad stuff happening that we would just as soon not have happen, so I think what we need to do is adjust the ronstrom coefficient." Lex said, observing the time machine.
It was then that the room shook. Then Supergirl arrived demolishing the door, folding it like paper, and eyed her enemy in fury.
"Lex, we need to talk." she declared.
Rocket, who had latched onto the Kryptonian's back, leapt out of her, and landed on the ground, brandishing his blaster at the bald man baring his fangs.
"Hi, Chrome-Dome!" he roared contemptuously. "Like the Kryptonian said, we need to talk. And we're not asking permission!"
Lex eyed the two newcomers with disdain.
Supergirl and Rocket walked over to the two men. Ryan came right up behind them.
"Mar Novu," the Girl of Steel said, pointing angrily at Lex. "Do not trust this man with anything! Give him a knife for his food, and no matter how much he thanks you for the dinner, he'll stab you right in the back with it!"
"Or the front." retorted the bald psychopath slyly. "I'm not choosy."
"Well, I don't have a knife, but I have my gun!" Rocket said, brandishing his gun in the air. "And I'm gonna enjoy making big holes in your fancy suit, you hairless human scum! (Speaking to Mar Novu.) I don't know what that bald nerd told you, but that's all lies. He thinks he's an all-powerful genius, but he's just an egotistical, selfish bastard!"
"Last time, you caught me by surprise." said Supergirl threateningly. "That's not gonna happen again. (Speaking to Ryan Choi.) Get Novu out of here."
Ryan accosted the future Monitor, taking him with him away from the time machine.
"Come with me, sir, please."
With the two men away, Supergirl and Rocket stared down at their worst common enemy, ready to face it.
"Supergirl?" the raccoon asked, raising his gun, as if asking for her permission.
"Go ahead, Rocket, have fun." the Girl of Steel replied without taking her eyes off Lex Luthor.
Immediately, the Guardian of the Galaxy fired his blaster, then Supergirl fired her heat vision.
Ryan and Novu found the monitor room, where Xneen the scientist's wife was inert on the ground, unconscious.
Distraught, Novu ran to join his wife.
"Xneen!"
The room shook, from the fight between Supergirl, Rocket and Lex Luthor. Knowing that he had a role to play, Ryan Choi approached the future Monitor.
"Okay. Listen to me. Whatever you do, you can't open that portal!"
"The hairless one warned me." Novu replied, still leaning over his wife.
"No. This isn't a warning kind of situation." Ryan said. "This is a don't do it at any cost kind of situation."
"It is my life's work." Novu said, looking at Dr. Choi with a serious gaze.
Then Ryan continued with an alarming tone:
"Trillions of other people's lives, an infinite number, will be lost if you go through with it. It's not worth it."
But Mar Novu hardly seemed convinced.
"You just show up here as if by magic and demand belief."
Frightened, Ryan continued:
"The fact I'm here at all should be enough to convince you."
Then Novu eyed the Earth scientist with interest.
"You are a remarkable individual."
"Funny," Ryan retorted wryly. "A new friend of mine just told me I'm special. I didn't believe her until now."
Below them, Supergirl and Rocket were fighting Lex. The bald psychopath used his new powers on his opponents. Rocket bounded around to dodge them, and fired his blaster at his enemy. But Lex was able to repel the shots of the raccoon.
"I fought against Superman! I wouldn't be afraid of a talking raccoon!"
"Bastards like you, I've faced hundreds, human!" Rocket roared fiercely. "It's not enough to have a lot of neurons in your head to be a special guy! You are just a tiny little speck in this universe! You act like you're a real hero, but all you manage to do is be the villain everyone hates! A poor bald guy who is desperately trying to leave his mark on the universe with those filthy little nails! Even if, in the end, he's left with nothing but the scars of his failures."
"You better shut up, you mammal!" Lex retorted, using his power on the alien animal.
Rocket was thrown away, while Supergirl hovered above her enemy. She used her heat vision but Lex was able to dodge it with his new powers.
She eventually landed on the floor, staring at Lex threateningly.
"I wonder, is it a double-cross if I never trusted you in the first place?"
But Lex just chuckled in annoyance.
"Why do you Kryptonians always have to take things so personally?"
"You tried to kill my cousin," Supergirl continued, circling around her enemy. "You tried to kill me, you betrayed Lena, left her with nothing but a ruined name and a broken heart."
She shot her heat vision again, but Lex intercepted it and threw it back at her. Supergirl leaps into the air to dodge it.
"All I did was tell her the truth," Lex roared fiercely. "Something you never had the courage to do! Don't take it personally!"
And he used his powers on her. The Girl of Steel defended herself with her heat vision. The two attacks crossed. As the two attempted to shoot the other down, Rocket stood up, and aimed his gun at Lex.
"I'll kill you, you bald idiot!" roared the raccoon.
Suddenly Ryan ran into the room and stopped them in their fight:
"Hey! Stop trying to kill each other. I got through to Novu."
Rocket smiles in satisfaction.
"Good job, you pal! I like you!"
Supergirl looked at her friend with glee, while Lex gave the scientist a sullen and annoyed look:
"You just ruined a perfectly good bad guy plan, you know that, new guy?"
"Shut up, cue ball!"roared the raccoon, brandishing his blaster at him.
Then, a blur came and took Lex, Rocket and Ryan. Puzzled, Supergirl looked around her, and was taken away too.
Finally, all were gathered. Supergirl, Rocket, Ryan, and Lex reunited with Flash, Thor, J'onn, Sara, Batwoman, and Spider-Man. All were in a rocky and desert place.
"Hello again guys!" Rocket said to the whole troop of heroes. "Where are we?"
"The anti-matter universe." Flash said.
"At the Dawn of Time." added Sara.
"We arrived, and he was already here. The Anti-Monitor." J'onn said, looking at their desert place.
"How?" Thor wondered, stunned. (He turned to Supergirl and Rocket.) "Didn't you guys manage to stop Novu from creating his doppelganger?"
"That's impossible."Ryan objected distraught. "I got through to him. I know I did."
Rocket stammered, moaning:
"So what did we screw up?"
Then a big sinister and powerful voice echoed behind them:
"Some fates are inescapable!"
All the heroes turned around and saw in amazement, the Anti-Monitor standing a few feet away from them, in a titanic position.
"You spoke to one man across countless universes, but within the tapestry of the Multiverse! There will always be one Mar Novu who cannot turn from his towering ambition, and in that inevitability, there is destiny! Welcome to MINE!"
At his words, a whole fleet of Shadow Demons emerged from the ground, and floated around the mighty cosmic being.
Rocket raises his gun again, ready to shoot the great enemy of the universe and his army. While all the other heroes eyed the Anti-Monitor with determined looks, ready to face him.