146 Changes in the Mother Box!

(~˘▾˘)~Don't forget to send your power-stones!~(˘▾˘~)

========

"First, regarding the question of why the Beyonder didn't come with me.

He enjoys being alone and doesn't like these kinds of gatherings."

Clark replied. David had only appeared a few times in public, and much later than him. However, it seemed that David's popularity was no less than his, and people were even more curious about the mysterious David.

He then faced the reporters, whose eyes were shining with anticipation for him to reveal some big news and answered their questions with a smile.

"My suit, it's technology from my home planet. Honestly, I don't know much about it."

"Home planet?"

A reporter seized the keyword and eagerly asked.

"Superman, are you admitting that you are an alien? What about the Beyonder?"

The idea that Superman was an alien had become a common belief among people after the Zod attack on Metropolis, but hearing it directly from the person involved was different.

"That's right. I wasn't born on this planet, but the Beyonder is different from me; he is not an alien."

Clark replied.

He had a sunny smile on his face and answered every question. In fact, his purpose for appearing here today was precisely to address the public's questions about him and David.

"Where is the Beyonder from? Is he from Metropolis? Oh my God, have I ever passed him on the street without realizing it!"

Below, there were enthusiastic fans of the Beyonder, excited and unable to contain themselves, screaming loudly.

Clark pretended not to hear, not providing answers about where he and David were from; that would delve too much into their real identities.

'Metropolis is big when you say it's big, and not so big when you say it's not big. Under certain specific conditions, finding a family is not difficult.'

Clark continued.

"As for my purpose of coming to Earth, I can only tell you that my parents launched me towards Earth intending to escape a natural disaster when I was still in the cradle. I grew up on this planet, breathing the same air as you."

He gazed seriously at the crowd below; his alien identity had brought him a lot of hostility and suspicion.

"What you see is my real face. I'm not much different from you. I will do my best to use my abilities to help others. When someone is helpless in times of danger, I hope my presence can bring them a glimmer of hope."

Finally, he finished saying what he had wanted to say for a while, took a deep breath, and a look flashed in his eyes.

"As for when the Beyonder and I met, I can only say it was earlier than you might imagine. We grew up together."

He played a little trick with his words, giving the impression that he and David were childhood friends. He didn't lie; their relationship was just much more intimate than that.

"Grew up together. Two gifted children? The Beyonder must have been lonely when he was young. Did you two become friends because of the same specialness and loneliness?"

Clark answered some questions, but human curiosity is never-ending. People generated more questions, and microphones were thrust forward, making him somewhat overwhelmed. He noticed the figure of a beautiful and spirited female journalist in the crowd, looking a bit disheveled, being pushed around.

At this moment, even the reputation of a renowned journalist couldn't make colleagues polite when facing a big news opportunity.

"One last question. Let this lady ask, please."

He pressed his hands down to signal the reporters to be quiet. Clark extended his hand, smiling, pointing towards her.

Louise Lane pushed aside two people beside her. She opened her mouth to ask but suddenly realized that the questions she had in mind had already been asked by her colleagues. She gazed at Clark's face, observed him for a moment, and then asked:

"Superman? I think this is a question that no one else has asked. Have you ever felt powerless in the process of saving the world?"

Clark's smile faltered, and he fell into silence, looking towards the radiant sun that bestowed him with strength.

"When I was a child, I kept my abilities hidden, afraid of hurting others. The world seemed as fragile as a bubble to me, and I even feared my own power because of it. However, facing numerous powerful enemies from the universe with malicious intentions towards Earth and humanity showed me the shortcomings of my strength."

He recalled the scene of David and the final battle against Brainiac, defeating Brainiac. His voice became serious, tinged with determination.

"But I will strive to become stronger, to use this power to protect you all. I hope that the next time a powerful enemy from the stars comes, I'll be stronger and ready. I hope that when the Beyonder faces a formidable foe, I won't have to stand by and watch."

...

"What do you call me for?"

Within Paradise Island, David flew back to the island and just landed in the palace when the anxious Hippolyta, accompanied by Diana, approached.

The last time he left Paradise Island, he left behind a mobile phone, and Hippolyta, with some reluctance towards the new technology, now had her daughter use the phone to contact him.

"As a former queen of the Amazons, bowing to me for help, I'm afraid it's not a trivial matter."

As for what it was, a conjecture flashed in David's eyes. He had some predictions.

What could be the reason for both Atlantis and Paradise Island to call for him?

"Something in Paradise Island, left by alien enemies, is showing signs of disturbance."

Hippolyta quickly led David towards a fortress at the edge of the cliffs of Paradise Island, an area usually marked as restricted. As she explained the situation to David, she hoped that this usually carefree Amazon king could realize the seriousness of the matter.

Diana followed along, and she only learned about these things after her mother discovered the anomaly in that item.

'As expected, it's a Mother Box disturbance...'

David's eyes flickered, indicating that he was listening.

Only the alien invaders, who were barely repelled by uniting all the forces on Earth back then, could make the queen so vigilant.

"Millions of years ago, a group of alien enemies invaded, intending to destroy the world. The gods united the Amazons, the Atlanteans, and the cosmic Green Lantern, defeating those enemies. The weapons they intended to use to destroy the world were confiscated by the gods."

Buzz!

Accompanied by Hippolyta's narration, they arrived inside the fortress built with giant stones. On a stone platform at the center, a steel-cast box was continuously buzzing and vibrating, as if communicating with something.

"This weapon consists of three identical parts."

Walking along the way, the Amazon guards bowed in deference to David. After he waved for them to rise, he turned his attention to the box.

The iron-cast box had cracks from the vibrations, and a white lightning-like glow leaked from it. Inside, the Mother Box from the Fourth World of Apokolips was restlessly vibrating, communicating with its former masters.

Through the cracks, David gazed attentively at the dark silver Mother Box. His power to manipulate energy allowed him to vividly sense the terrifying power contained within this seemingly harmless box, making him feel the presence of danger.

"The combined energy of three Mother Boxes, if unleashed, could destroy a planet in an instant!"

Even he wasn't confident about surviving in such a terrifying energy.

"Three boxes were entrusted by the gods to us Amazons, humans, and Atlanteans for safekeeping. I don't know why it suddenly woke up. But the other two Mother Boxes might also be in turmoil; I don't know if humans and Atlanteans have noticed."

Staring at the box, Hippolyta looked worried.

She had personally participated in that great battle and knew the dreadfulness of those alien enemies. According to Zeus, the once young leader of the invading force had become a dark sovereign that countless worlds and even the universe bowed to in fear.

If not for the loss of the Mother Box and the subsequent loss of the recorded cosmic coordinates, Earth might have been destroyed long ago.

She still remembered Zeus's expression when he mentioned the leader of the alien enemies, who had narrowly escaped being killed by Ares. Even the mighty Zeus showed a sense of fear and trepidation.

"Atlantis, like you, despite enduring countless ages, has never severed its history. They've also detected the anomaly of the Mother Box and are deeply uneasy."

David glanced at the power ring and answered. 

"How do you know?"

Diana was puzzled.

"Because shortly after becoming the Amazon King, I also became the King of Atlantis."

His simple and straightforward answer left both mother and daughter in astonishment. They looked at each other, wondering if they had misheard something.

Ignoring the dazed pair, David reached out to touch the Mother Box.

He wanted to see if he could absorb the Mother Box's energy, neutralizing its threat and preventing the dark monarch from turning his attention towards Earth.

"Be careful!"

Hippolyta's face changed dramatically, and she reached out to intervene.

Hadn't she already mentioned that this was a terrifying weapon capable of destroying the world? Why was this guy so casual about it?

"It is in an unstable state. Your touch may provoke its attack."

But in the next moment, a surprising scene unfolded.

David touched the Mother Box, and it, like a frightened rabbit, suddenly stopped vibrating, pretending to be an inanimate object. The glow on its surface also dissipated.

"It has been continuously vibrating for a day, and now...?"

Hippolyta was stunned, continuously looking back and forth between David and the Mother Box.

"What's happening to it?"

She had a feeling that the Mother Box seemed to be wary of the man before her.

The Mother Box, the pinnacle of technology from Apokolips, had contained all its energy. David didn't absorb anything, disappointedly retracting his hand.

"This Mother Box probably has a considerable level of intelligence."

Remembering the original plot where, after awakening, the Mother Box discovered Clark's existence and hid until the Doomsday created by Clark and Luther was destroyed, allowing Darkseid to descend.

However, it didn't know that its original owner, Darkseid, had undergone significant changes over millions of years. He had grown from a young eight-year-old to a formidable force, gaining the Omega Effect. Following his destined path, he became the dark and tyrant ruler looming over the universe.

"It's no longer vibrating. Does that mean things have calmed down?"

After a moment of contemplation, Hippolyta frowned.

"Not that simple."

David shook his head.

"It's just that this place has been marked as unsuitable for descent by it."

While the three Mother Boxes could unleash their most potent power when combined, they also possessed various incredible abilities when separated. For example, opening a boom tube that crossed the universe, allowing the armies of Apokolips to continuously descend upon Earth.

With three Mother Boxes, there were three potential locations for them to choose.

'The Mother Box, after awakening, should have directly fallen silent, rather than showing activity like this. It means it has already begun to contact Apokolips, calling for the army to descend. Has everything changed?'

David furrowed his brow.

"Descend? Do those alien enemies want to invade this world again?"

Diana frowned, a hint of determination in her eyes.

Paradise Island was also part of the world, and although she had left the island and witnessed countries in turmoil, she also saw many things in the human world worth protecting. Like those innocent children.

Hippolyta, unlike her daughter, was not as optimistic; her brows were tightly knit.

"The world is likely to face destruction."

Even if the gods were still present, uniting various forces, could they once again repel the alien enemies? It seemed doubtful, especially in an era when the gods had mostly departed.

She shook her head, looking up at David.

If David was indeed the king of Atlantis, as he claimed, and considering his previous encounter with the Green Lantern Corps, he seemed to be the best candidate to unite the various forces of the present world. 

However, she doubted whether David could surpass Zeus and lead the forces of Earth to repel the now much more formidable Darkseid.

"I'll take this box. It has become the source of disaster and leaving it on Paradise Island is not a good idea."

After some thought, David manipulated gravity to lift the Mother Box in the air.

While the Amazons were powerful, they were still far from the level of the Apokoliptian armies led by Darkseid. 

In the original plot, shortly after the arrival of the parademons and the Apokoliptian army, the Amazons were devastated, serving as a grim evidence to the overwhelming force the heroes faced.

Although he instilled fear in the Mother Box, David couldn't let it linger here. Who knew if the Mother Box would activate and contact the Apokoliptian army again after he left?

"Where do you intend to take it?"

While it was something the gods instructed to be protected, now that the Amazon's ruler had changed, Hippolyta didn't have the authority to decide. She just asked the question.

"It seems a bit afraid of you. If you find the three boxes and keep them with you, maybe they will never again contact forces from beyond."

As they walked outside, Diana suggested this as a possible solution.

Leaving the fortress built on the cliffside, with the waves crashing against the dark cliffs, David smelled the sea air mixed with a hint of ocean spray. He looked towards the distant, gloomy and cloudy sky, sensing an imminent storm. He shook his head without saying much.

"Why has this box remained inactive for millions of years and suddenly changed like this?" 

Hippolyta's expression was confused.

David knew why the Mother Box had become active.

In the original plot, with Clark appearing in the public eye, governments worldwide started paying attention to things related to aliens. An item that had been accidentally captured during World War II and deemed related to aliens was unearthed and handed over to Stone's father for research.

That item was indeed the Mother Box. After Victor Stone, who was involved in a car accident after a football game, his father used an energy beam from the Mother Box to save his son's life, the Mother Box was activated, setting the gears of destiny into motion.

His and Clark's simultaneous appearances didn't change this fact.

However, what puzzled David was that, in this timeline, Clark didn't die. Although he wasn't as powerful as he was in the original timeline, this was still Clark, am himself, who if not stronger than the Clark from the original plot. Why did the Mother Box start contact Apokolips now?

"Did I change something that triggered all of this?"

=======

(~˘▾˘)~Don't forget to send your power-stones!~(˘▾˘~)

T/N: Regular updates from next weekend.

If you guys want early chapters, I can post the unedited ones faster, though they would have a bit of sense of AI writing. What do you guys think?