Chapter 29 The Blade Hanging Overhead
Austin suddenly whipped around, his previously relaxed expression instantly tensing up.
Assemble the Justice League!?
When General Zod invaded, there was no damn Justice League. Batman was completely unprepared, only able to watch the battlefield helplessly. The Flash tried his best to save just one child.
As for Wonder Woman and Aquaman, one was hiding among the crowds without showing herself while the other was getting drunk by the seaside. Neither participated in this battle at all, not to mention the rookie Cyborg who was still just a football player called Victor Stone*.
Moreover, and most critically, without any outside intervention, no one would have known of the name "Justice League" at all, much less thought to gather its members ahead of time. That was something that would only happen in the future.
So for this guy to say something like that, it showed that like Austin, he was not a "native" of this universe!
Twins?
NO!
That's not Twins at all.
That was the same person from two different timelines, or an intervenor from another timeline who was disrupting the original one, incorporating it as part of the multiverse.
And there weren't many in the DC universe capable of interfering with the timelines. After all, that was an extremely dangerous thing to do.
But it just so happens that there is that one being who does this on a regular basis, often pulled out to sacrifice or wrap up every big event.
What's more, Austin remembered that such a scene had appeared in the DC Movie Universe right before he Transmigrated!
Austin stared dead-on at those two young figures that were drifting away, only to feel his lips dry up a little.
This wasn't the timeline of Superman - Man of Steel at all. This was the goddamn Flashpoint universe from the Flash movie version!
The Flashpoint Universe was created when Barry Allen, The Flash, time traveled back to the past to save his mother, interfering with the original timeline. And because this timeline was artificially created, it led to an exceptionally unstable world that was doomed to destruction.
The different universes were like branches on a towering tree, constantly birthing and developing. But if there were too many, it could easily lead to chaos and collisions between universes, resulting in their mutual annihilation.
Thus, during the developmental phase of the multiverse, many universes were fated to head towards destruction, in order to ensure the safety of other universes. They were like trimmed branches, worlds that were going to be abandoned no matter what.
Most of these universes came about by chance, their births and destructions following a certain rhythm. However, if someone were to artificially interfere with the development of a timeline, it would instantly disrupt the original linear progression, thus spawning an extremely unstable and out-of-control parallel world.
There were not many people who possessed this power, but once they did, it would have an extremely terrifying effect.
Their interference with the timelines would create a time paradox, a fulcrum, an "Absolute Temporal Node" formed by personal actions - something that could never be undone. Thus, such universes were destined to meet their ends.
When the Flash time traveled back to save his own mother, that seemingly tiny action formed an independent fulcrum that allowed him to directly change the entire universe - not just the new future, but even rewriting the past.
As a result, Zeus in this universe didn't give birth to Wonder Woman, Aquaman's parents never met each other, and Superman was intercepted while leaving Krypton, preventing him from ever landing on Earth. The one who ended up coming to Earth was instead his cousin, Supergirl*.
And all of this originated due to the Flash's alteration of the timeline. This world was fated to head towards destruction when General Zod descended upon Earth.
Because at this moment, no one would stand up to defeat General Zod. There was no one left on Earth who could stop General Zod.
Watching the two Barry Allens gradually disappear around the street corner, Austin's heart remained uneasy for a long time. He had thought there were still a few years to slowly make plans, but reality had caught him unprepared.
From the time General Zod appeared on Earth, to when he killed and took the Codex from Supergirl's body, then activated the World Engine to terraform Earth, it only took a few days.
It was evident that not much time was left.
"Fuck!"
"Damn it! Can't you let me properly rest for a while?" Austin angrily punched the wall. After figuring out his current predicament, Austin felt even more vexed.
He didn't directly chase after the two Barry Allens, because even if he found them, it wouldn't change the fact that all of this was going to happen. The most urgent thing right now was to think of a way to leave this universe.
"All I've done after transmigrating is either I'm on the run or on the way to escape. This really sucks."
Austin returned to the hotel, looking at Pietro who had already entered the dreamland, Austin also laid down on the other bed.
He hadn't given it much thought before, so when he crossed over, Austin hadn't been able to take away something from Marvel's Ruined Universe that could improve his combat power, and the only useful Iron Man Suit had even been crushed by President X.
After reflecting on this, this time, Austin decided that there was no way he could do another unprepared crossover.
Although this world was going to be destroyed by General Zod, there were quite a few decent treasures here that would be good to bring along. With those, Austin would at least have some self-protection capabilities.
However, before, in order that he would not die suddenly in the middle of the road before he was halfway through the venture, Austin still decided to get a good night's sleep.
Time passed bit by bit.
General Zod's warning to the Earth had attracted the attention of various countries around the world. This was the first time that people had personally experienced an alien descending on the Earth, which led to the event instantly causing a great deal of discussion throughout the Earth.
Many felt they could hand over the fellow Kryptonian General Zod spoke of to secure peace with the Kryptonians, yet more people were somewhat curious - if aliens truly existed and were living on Earth, wouldn't there be more aliens surviving on Earth?
No one could answer them on this question, because even Austin at this time could not guarantee if the Martian Manhunter* or Green Lantern were on Earth.
If this universe was definitely going to be destroyed based on its trajectory, then those heroes who might have originally existed would be like Aquaman and Wonder Woman - not appearing at all or ever being born.
At the same time, countries began aggressively searching for General Zod's so-called Kryptonian kin, yet over ten hours later, there were still no leads.
The sun gradually rose, sunlight spilling onto the land. But despite the seemingly nice weather, people's hearts were not delighted at all, because General Zod's spaceship had already entered the earth's atmosphere.
It was like a sharp blade, hanging above everyone's head.
(End Of The Chapter)...To be continued.
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( T/N:
Victor Stone: Cyborg (Prime Earth)
Victor Stone is Cyborg, a high school student who merged with a Mother Box when he was injured.
Although he always exhibited a genius-level intellect, young Victor Stone didn't want a life dedicated to science and research like his parents. Instead, Vic dreamed of being a football player and devoted all of his time to becoming a star athlete while he was still in high school. But a tragic twist of fate that should have left him dead instead found him becoming part man and part machine—a Cyborg.
Saved by his scientist father after an accident left very little of Victor's body intact, Dr. Silas Stone used all of his advanced scientific knowledge to save his only child's life, and to rebuild him into a superior being, one that was arguably now more machine than man. As a cyborg, Vic was now far stronger than the average person, could interface with computers, and emit various types of energy that made him a formidable fighter. Although he ultimately chose the path of the superhero, Victor never fully acclimated to being only partially human. He always carried a sadness within him as he mourned for the normal life he never had.
Powers: super strength, advanced technology, instant weaponry, genius-level intellect, control over technology, computer hacking, durability, teleportation
Kara Zor-El: Supergirl (Prime Earth)
Kara Zor-El, Superman's cousin who, after 12 years of keeping her powers a secret on Earth, decides to finally embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be. Twelve-year-old Kara escaped the doomed planet Krypton with her parents' help at the same time as the infant Kal-El. Protected and raised on Earth by her foster family, the Danvers, Kara grew up in the shadow of her foster sister, Alex, and learned to conceal the phenomenal powers she shares with her famous cousin in order to keep her identity a secret. Years later at 24, Kara lives in National City assisting media mogul and fierce taskmaster Cat Grant, who just hired the Daily Planet's former photographer, James Olsen, as her new art director. However, Kara's days of keeping her talents a secret are over when Hank Henshaw, head of a super-secret agency where her sister also works, enlists her to help them protect the citizens of National City from sinister threats.
Though Kara will need to find a way to manage her newfound empowerment with her very human relationships, her heart soars as she takes to the skies as Supergirl to fight crime.
Supergirl is one of the most powerful heroes in the world and has been a member of the Justice League and the Red Lantern Corps.
J'onn J'onzz: Martian Manhunter (New Earth)
One of the last survivors of the civil war that ravaged his home planet of Mars, J'onn J'onnz traveled to Earth and now fights to protect his adoptive home.
J'onn J'onzz of the planet Mars was accidentally transported to Earth, where he became one of its greatest champions under the moniker Martian Manhunter. Displaying a vast array of powers that can give even Superman a run for his money, the Martian Manhunter was a founding member of the Justice League of America and has been a member of almost every incarnation of the League ever since. It has been said by many that J'onn J'onzz is the heart and soul of the League.
One of the last surviving members of his species, the Martian Manhunter wields such powers as the ability to shape-shift, telepathy, flight, invisibility, phasing, super-strength, and Martian vision. His only weakness is an inherent fear of fire, which all Martians have. All of these abilities make him one of the most powerful beings on the planet. But it is his brilliant mind and steady leadership style, along with his gentle soul, that has made him a beloved member of the League in all of its incarnations. Indeed, if there is one being whom the rest of the DC Superhero community looks up to as their elder statesman and the voice of wisdom, it is the Manhunter from Mars.
Although J'onn J'onzz suffered great tragedies in his long existence, including the deaths of his wife, their child, and almost his entire race, the Martian Manhunter passionately defends Earth, fighting to make sure his adopted home planet never suffers the same fate as his beloved Mars.
Powers: flight, super strength, invulnerability, enhanced speed, shapeshifting, invisibility, telepathy, telekinesis, intelligence, intangibility, optic blasts )
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