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[Superman] Chapter 235: The Anti-Matter Cannon is Activated
🕑 Added 2024-10-02 14:03:07 +0000 UTC"How's it going?"
Batman asked, turning towards Cyborg, who was monitoring the machine's performance, as he observed Barry running at an incredible speed on the treadmill, moving so fast that he was leaving afterimages.
The entire machine was operating at full capacity, and everyone present wore a serious expression as they watched Barry sprinting furiously.
"Everything's normal. The machine is functioning as expected..." Cyborg replied, though his face still carried traces of anxiety. The data displayed on the monitor allowed him to feel slightly more at ease.
"Will our plan work?"
Despite Cyborg's report, Batman remained stoic. The fact that the machine was operating normally was only the bare minimum requirement.
Success would be determined by whether the machine could harness the immense power of the Speed Force to connect with the realities of other multiverses.
"We're still not there yet... The Speed Force energy isn't quite enough!" Cyborg studied the detailed data on the monitor, noting that it would take some time before they could fully activate the machine.
"Come on, Barry..."
Hearing Cyborg's words, everyone's attention shifted back to Barry, who was still sprinting. Silently, they all rooted for him, hoping he'd keep pushing forward.
The younger Barry, who lacked the experience and hadn't been chosen as the primary runner for the machine's activation, clenched his fists as he watched the more experienced Barry on the treadmill, wishing he could switch places and run in his stead.
Buzz... buzz... buzz...
Every time Barry's foot hit the treadmill, the energy from the Speed Force burst from within him, merging with the machine beneath his feet. The platform began to glow brightly, illuminated by the Speed Force, spinning as if forming a portal.
"Excellent! The Speed Force energy is approaching the activation threshold..." Cyborg exclaimed with delight as Barry continued running at full speed for several more minutes. The room filled with a tense but hopeful atmosphere.
"Is it finally going to work?"
At this moment, everyone felt both nervous and exhilarated. They were on the verge of witnessing something incredible.
And soon enough, their waiting came to an end.
Perhaps sensing that success was within reach, Barry—who had been nearing exhaustion from running for so long—suddenly found a second wind, accelerating once again.
Cyborg, who had been carefully watching the energy gauge, was suddenly overwhelmed with joy as he saw the Speed Force energy surge past the activation threshold.
"We've got it! The Speed Force energy is sufficient. Requesting permission to initiate the Multiverse Connection Device!" Cyborg shouted, seeking approval.
"Victor, no need to hesitate!" Batman's heart raced with excitement, though his face remained composed. With no further delay, he gave Victor the go-ahead.
"Everyone, let's get ready to witness history. Three, two, one..."
"The infinite multiverse, here we come!"
With Cyborg’s excited countdown, he pressed the button to activate the Multiverse Connection Device.
Buzz!
In an instant, the colossal Speed Force energy gathered within the machine exploded outward. A blinding light, as radiant as a star, illuminated the entire room.
The brilliant glow enveloped the laboratory, making it nearly impossible for a normal person to see anything clearly.
Fortunately, none of those present were ordinary people, and they weren’t affected by the sudden burst of light.
As for Batman, the only human in the room, he was well-prepared. His cowl, equipped with protective lenses, shielded his eyes from the intense light.
The blinding light persisted for several seconds before it finally began to fade.
As it diminished, everyone in the room stood in awe of the sight before them.
"Is this... the infinite multiverse? It’s magnificent! Unbelievable!" someone gasped.
At that moment, everyone was captivated by the breathtaking spectacle in front of them. It felt as if they were standing right in the midst of the multiverse, gazing out at countless alternate realities.
Spherical universes, gleaming like stars, filled the space in front of them, each one shining with a unique, ethereal light.
"We actually did it! We succeeded!"
Barry, having stopped running, rejoined the group. The immense power of the Speed Force, amplified by the machine, had unleashed a force strong enough to alter the very fabric of reality, bringing the vast and wondrous multiverse into full view.
"Now, we finally have the power to face the impending crisis!"
...
However, just as they were celebrating the success of the first phase of their plan, far away in the antimatter universe beyond the material universe, the Anti-Monitor had already formed an alliance with a mysterious dark entity known as the Zombie Superman.
Without hesitation, they seemed eager, as though they couldn't wait to devour the endless realities of the multiverse.
The Anti-Monitor slowly raised his hands, and in that instant, the entire antimatter universe began to tremble violently. Infinite antimatter energy gathered from all directions, converging around him. In this moment, the Anti-Monitor resembled the master of all reality, with the entire universe under his command.
Boom... boom... boom...
It was as if he was performing a show for the two figures watching him, a display of his supreme power and status. The endless antimatter energy swirled under his control, gradually forming a vast, dark terrain beneath his feet.
In the next moment, the antimatter energy coalesced, creating colossal staircases and structures on the dark landscape, rising like mountains from the ground.
Soon, a grand dark palace was erected before them, and they found themselves standing inside this massive, eerie structure.
"Now, let me show you my greatest creation—the cornerstone that will allow me to consume all the realities of the universe: the *Anti-Matter Cannon*!"
The Anti-Monitor spoke with excitement. At that moment, atop the enormous palace, the endless antimatter energy began to gather again, altering the surrounding reality.
It was as though the entire antimatter universe had become a giant 3D printer, as a massive, unique device slowly took shape before their eyes.
"So this is the Anti-Matter Cannon... doesn't look all that special," Zombie Superman remarked, looking curiously at the device as it materialized, his expression remaining unchanged.
"Hmph! What do you know? This is a device I meticulously crafted. Once it is fully activated, the antimatter energy in this universe will increase a thousandfold, forming an immense antimatter wall that will crush and consume all the realities of the multiverse," the Anti-Monitor sneered, pride evident in his voice as he explained the massive power of the cannon.
"Sorry, I'm not interested in your boring plans. Just tell me what I need to do," Zombie Superman said, turning his gaze back to the Anti-Monitor.
"Fine, just hurry up and finish your part. I can't wait to experience the thrill of devouring the multiverse's reality," the Anti-Monitor replied, barely containing his excitement as his plan neared execution.
With a wave of his hand, a special apparatus extended from the Anti-Matter Cannon—a massive treadmill of sorts.
"All you need to do is have your companion enter this treadmill, run at full speed, and release the energy within him!" the Anti-Monitor said, pointing to the newly formed device.
"That's it?" Zombie Superman asked.
"That's it," the Anti-Monitor confirmed.
"Alright, don't forget our deal," Zombie Superman responded, glancing at the Zombie Flash beside him.
Zombie Flash, without hesitation and fully obeying Zombie Superman's orders, transformed into a streak of black lightning and dashed onto the massive treadmill. Once inside, his body floated weightlessly at the center of the treadmill. A circular dark barrier slowly formed around him.
"Begin!" the Anti-Monitor commanded, his face showing anticipation.
Zing!
Despite the weightless state, it had no effect on Zombie Flash. He began running at full speed, and in an instant, countless black lightning bolts appeared around him. These bolts, like electrical currents within a Tesla coil encased in glass, were absorbed by the dark barrier, which in turn funneled the energy into the massive Anti-Matter Cannon below.
Soon, visible streams of energy began to flow from the dark barrier, converging into the cannon.
"How long will this take?" Zombie Superman asked, his face expressionless as he observed the scene, directing his question to the visibly excited Anti-Monitor.
"Don’t worry, it won’t take long..."
The Anti-Monitor’s excitement far exceeded that of Zombie Superman. He had waited for billions of years for this moment, so he could certainly wait a little longer!
...
"Alright, the first phase of our plan has succeeded. Now, it's time to focus on the next step."
As they gazed at the magnificent, infinite universe around them, everyone felt a surge of excitement. However, Batman forced himself to stay calm. He knew that this victory was only the beginning. They needed to complete the next stages of the plan to have any chance of withstanding the impending crisis.
"Victor, prepare to shut down the device," Batman said slowly, instructing Cyborg to temporarily deactivate the machine.
Buzz!
With a hum of energy, the beautiful cosmic scene around them faded away like an illusion. What they didn’t notice was that just before the infinite universe vanished, a vast wall of nothingness and darkness beyond the universe's boundary was slowly surging toward reality.
Soon, they were back in the lab where they'd started.
"Alright, Victor, Mr. Clark, the next step is up to you two!" Batman turned to Cyborg and Superman-2.
"Leave it to us," they responded earnestly.
The group, pushing aside their excitement, focused on their tasks once again. As expected, the duo didn’t disappoint.
In just a few days, Cyborg and Superman-2 had designed a device, based on their understanding of antimatter energy, capable of theoretically detecting the presence of antimatter across the multiverse.
With the completion of this device, they were ready to begin the second phase of testing.
"I didn’t expect you to finish so quickly," the others remarked in surprise when they received the news.
"We don’t have much time, so we had to speed things up," replied the duo, looking a little tired, as if they hadn’t rested in days.
Thankfully, they weren't ordinary people—one had a half-mechanical body, and the other was a superpowered Kryptonian. Even after working for days without sleep, their bodies weren’t greatly affected.
Still, mental exhaustion was something even they couldn't fully escape.
But fortunately, they had succeeded. Now, all that remained was the testing phase.
"Alright, they’re right. We don’t have much time left. Let’s proceed with the second phase of testing," Batman said as they all returned to the lab. Cyborg and Superman-2 connected their device to the multiverse connector.
Once again, they needed Barry's help to activate the multiverse connector, just like last time.
Buzz!
This time, everything proceeded smoothly. As the Speed Force energy illuminated the device, a brilliant flash of light transported them once again into the infinite cosmos, surrounded by the beautiful and radiant realities of the multiverse.
"Prepare to initiate the antimatter detection test—"
This time, they didn’t get lost in the awe-inspiring sights of the infinite universe and immediately prepared to start the test.
"Warning... Warning... Anomalous energy detected..."
Before they could react, the antimatter energy detector, already connected, suddenly blared with a piercing alarm.
"What’s happening? Did something go wrong with the detector?" The others looked at Cyborg in confusion, waiting for an explanation.
But Cyborg was just as shocked as they were. He quickly glanced at the screen, and in the next moment, his expression changed drastically.
"No, it's not a problem with the detector. There really is a massive wave of antimatter energy approaching one of the realities!" Cyborg said in disbelief, his face filled with shock.
...
(End of Chapter)
