Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 134: Ch.133 Earth Floats Up

Chapter 134: Ch.133 Earth Floats Up

Bruce walked through the dust and debris towards the cosmic tuning fork. The gigantic golden tree had stopped operating, and the dark clouds that once gathered at its peak had dissipated.

The heroes who had been bound to it had all been rescued and were now moving about nearby, either chatting in small groups or quietly reflecting on what had happened.

Bruce made his way through the crowd, observing their varied faces, noting their expressions of exhaustion or relief, and feeling the reality of it all.

He was certain this wasn't a nightmare anymore; he had truly escaped Barbatos's clutches.

Perhaps the story of the bat and the bird wasn't over yet, but at least for now, it had come to a close.

As he walked, people kept greeting him. At times like this, Batman's presence always brought a sense of reassurance.

"Hi, Batman."

A blonde woman greeted him, but Bruce only tilted his head slightly and responded with a blank expression, "Hello, Kara. Have you seen your cousin?"

"He's the one who got me down. But I still think I should thank you—you're the brains of the Justice League, after all," the woman, who floated beside him, said with a grateful smile. Although her body was stiff from being in one position for so long, her superhuman physique was recovering quickly.

"Not this time."

Batman walked past the surprised Supergirl and continued forward. He wouldn't take credit for someone else's work, but he also wouldn't tell those unaware about the alternate world's Deathstroke.

Kara scratched her head. Batman was always so mysterious. If he didn't want to talk, then fine. She could always ask Clark later. As Superman's cousin and a reserve member of the Justice League, she figured she had some right to know, right?

If that didn't work, she could always ask Barry. He had the loosest lips of anyone. If she kept pestering him, he'd eventually spill everything.

She was curious about this mission, but unfortunately, she'd been taken out early, knocked into a nightmare by kryptonite.

"Batman, mind giving an interview for Channel 52?"

"Not now, Ambush Bug. And a reminder: you should probably drop your whole 'we're all comic book characters' theory for a while. Freedom of speech aside, that kind of talk isn't suitable for TV right now. It could cause mass hysteria."

"Alright... but maybe later? An exclusive interview?"

Bruce didn't respond, walking right past the green-skinned, insect-headed alien. He figured Ambush Bug needed to take his meds and get treatment; the nightmare Barbatos had spun had made his delusions even worse.

"Hey, Bats~~~ Heehee."

"You should head home, Doctor Quinzell."

"I know, but I live in Brooklyn. Can I borrow the Batmobile?"

"No."

"Aw, c'mon, I still need to find Red."

"..."

There's no arguing with a lunatic, so Batman ignored Harley Quinn. Even if she wasn't a villain anymore, she was still a handful.

Harley sat on the ground, pouting. She didn't have any special powers, so getting back to New York on foot would take forever. She decided to stay here and wait. Once they fixed the Bleed, she'd hitch a ride with someone she knew.

But why did this ending seem different from what she had seen before? Huh? Why was the world outside shrouded in mist?

"Batman."

"Steel."

"Batman."

"Gypsy."

Bruce quickened his pace through the crowd. Many greeted him, and he acknowledged them with a nod, but his mind was elsewhere.

Barry and Deathstroke made a formidable team, strong enough to defeat even Barbatos. But why hadn't they returned yet? Had something gone wrong?

He was unsure whether he should send Clark to search for them.

But the task at hand was more pressing—repairing the Bleed came first; everything else could wait.

He reached the base of the tuning fork and pulled out his Bat-Megaphone from his utility belt.

"Everyone, please listen to me." He threw his Batarang, which latched onto the fork, pulling him up to a higher branch where he stood, addressing the crowd below: "Barbatos has been defeated. We've won."

"OH! YEAH!"

"Good!"

"Haha!"

Bruce looked down at the sea of faces below. Many of these heroes from alternate worlds were injured, but now they were all smiling, celebrating in their own ways.

Batman didn't rush them; he waited for their celebration to end. The pressure they had all been under was immense, and they needed this.

The celebrations were simple—clapping, hugging, nothing too elaborate. And it only lasted a short while, as they knew Batman had more to say. They quickly quieted down, awaiting his next words.

"Though he has been defeated, our world still needs to be repaired, and that requires all of us working together!"

The heroes below began murmuring among themselves. Some of them had no superpowers and couldn't imagine what they could do.

Batman didn't leave them guessing for long, speaking directly:

"I have one drop of X-Metal. This unique substance is the essence of our world. We will use it to connect with everyone's minds and pull Earth-0 back to its original place."

Some understood what he meant, but most were still confused. However, Batman didn't bother explaining further. Instead, he continued with instructions.

"Now, everyone, hold hands with those beside you, close your eyes, and think of your happiest memories. Recall what makes our world beautiful."

As he spoke, he jumped down from the tower, poured the X-Metal liquid into his palm, and clasped hands with Cyborg beside him. Clark appeared on his other side, taking his other hand.

Next came Aquaman, who, though pale, gripped Clark's hand and extended his own to Green Arrow.

One by one, every hero grabbed the hands of those beside them, forming a massive circle.

They might not have all known each other, but they all fought for the same belief. Hundreds of them stood united, following Bruce's instructions, recalling the beauty of the world.

Some thought of the scenic countryside they had flown over, others of the candy a little girl gave them after they saved a city, and some of their hopes for a better future.

The X-Metal emitted an invisible light that connected everyone through their arms.

Bruce nodded at Cyborg, who activated the Mother Box, pressing Bruce's hand and his own against the cosmic tuning fork.

In an instant, the tuning fork began to glow with a silver light that spread out in all directions, forming a massive network that shot across the sky.

In Coast City, in Washington, in Central City, in Detroit, in every city and village in America, the light spread rapidly.

Next, the light crossed mountains and forests, rivers and seas, enveloping the entire world.

No matter where people were—whether trapped in nightmares atop dark towers or shivering in their basements at home—whether they were praying at altars or lying drunk in bed waiting to die—

Everyone was touched.

The silver light flowed into their bodies, connecting the souls of everyone in the world.

They felt the beauty of the world, the determination of the heroes, and recalled their own happiness, sharing it with others.

They heard the heroes' voices—a chorus of countless sounds telling them that the darkness would pass, and Earth would see a new day.

People began to smile.

Under this collective will, the entire Earth began to glow like a silver sun, lifting the main universe from the Bleed, rising slowly back to its original position.

Everyone could feel it—they were going home.

It was as if they could hear a 'click' in their ears as the main universe returned to where it belonged.

If anyone had looked up at that moment, they would have seen the rift in the sky growing smaller as the Bleed repaired itself with this energy—a universal law with the ability to self-repair.

Blue skies and white clouds reappeared, and everything returned to normal.

Life could resume its calm, or at least relatively calm, course.

But they didn't notice that directly above the tuning fork, as the Bleed closed, a massive silver beam of light still shot straight out, crossing through all the universes, hitting something.

The 'click' they heard wasn't just an illusion.

The Source Wall, the outermost layer of the DC Universe that encased and protected all the multiverses, had been struck by the powerful energy. Human curiosity, condensed by the power of the X-Metal, had broken through what was once the most formidable barrier.

Some grayish, silver-like sand substance began to roll on the other side of the wall like a tide. No one knew what was beyond.