American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

34. Batman’s Old Friend’s Relics.

It shouldn't be like this. Barry Allen was on the verge of a breakdown. He had already witnessed the changes in this universe firsthand.

His mother was indeed alive, but his most trusted freinds had disappeared. He didn't know if what he had done was right or wrong, but he already regretted it.

Perhaps, as Bruce Wayne said, time is an extremely fragile and unstable thing. Any change can cause it to undergo unpredictable changes. Maybe every superhero needs to go through some setbacks to grow, no matter how desperate those setbacks are, but they are inevitable. Changing the timeline was clearly a selfish act.

"I can make it right, can't I?" Barry Allen asked Alex blankly. Although he didn't know who these two people claiming to be from another universe were, it was clear that they were more knowledgeable than him.

He was just a speedster who could travel through the timeline, and a novice at that, having just learned about the Speed Force's power and still unable to fully understand and control it.

But Alex, the man in front of him, could freely traverse various parallel universes. Their knowledge and understanding of parallel universes were far superior to his, so Barry sincerely hoped that they could tell him how to remedy his mistakes.

Seeing Barry's reaction, Alex felt a bit helpless. Who could have thought that after escaping from an extremely desperate universe, he would immediately have to clean up the mess of a rookie Flash?

"It's not that easy. Although I don't want to discourage you, the fact is, this universe is hard to save. Even if you go back and correct the history, a broken mirror can never be fully restored. Like a shattered mirror, even if you piece it back together, the corrected timeline will still have cracks."

"How could this be…" Barry Allen took a few steps back and collapsed into a chair.

"Do you finally realize the magnitude of the trouble you've caused? The time branch has already formed. For you, going back to fix the timeline might restore a universe similar to the one you were in before, but that doesn't mean the universe you created will disappear."

Alex pointed downwards with his index finger and said.

"For the people here, this universe doesn't disappear; you do. You mistakenly created this universe and then abandoned it. After you leave, this universe will continue to operate and ultimately become dust in the multiverse."

"What should I do then?" Barry Allen gritted his teeth in pain. Suddenly, he seemed to think of something and looked up hesitantly. "What if we deal with the problem of Zod? Will this universe still be doomed?"

"You really dare to say that." Alex gave a bitter smile. Dealing with General Zod was easier said than done.

However, Barry Allen wasn't entirely wrong. This world would indeed ultimately be destroyed by General Zod. But if they could find a way to solve this problem, the world might survive past this hurdle and develop like a normal parallel universe.

Although this universe didn't have Superman, Wonder Woman, or Aquaman, that didn't mean it couldn't have Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, or Green Arrow in the future. Anything was possible, and no one could predict the future.

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Moreover, without the Mother Boxes, Darkseid wouldn't wage war on the Old Gods of Earth, which likely meant Steppenwolf wouldn't come to claim the Mother Boxes. This world might actually break free from its original constraints and become a free timeline.

Thinking of this, Alex nodded. "If you can solve that problem, then this universe can survive, and you can make up for your mistakes."

"What should I do? Can you teach me?" Barry Allen asked earnestly, grasping at his last hope.

"Don't you already have a plan? Why else would you come here to find Batman?" Alex hinted.

"What? Bruce Wayne is Batman!?" Young Barry Allen, who had been quietly eating noodles, exclaimed.

Barry Allen was speechless. He turned to his younger self and said, "What else did you think? Why else would I bring you here?"

"You said we were visiting a relative. I thought we were looking for a cousin," young Barry mumbled.

"I…" Barry Allen pointed at his younger counterpart, speechless. He never imagined that he could be so foolish in this timeline.

"Alright, enough of that. Barry, don't you have work to do? Time is running out. You need to act quickly," Alex said, patting Barry Allen's shoulder.

Hearing this, Barry Allen realized what he had to do. He nodded. "You're right. I need to find Superman. If we can find him, we'll have a chance to defeat Zod."

With that, Barry Allen and his younger self rushed out. Their goal, besides finding Batman, was to use his supercomputer to locate the scattered superheroes. Of course, the main focus was Superman. In Barry Allen's memory, it was Superman who defeated General Zod.

Watching the two Barrys rush out, Alex sighed and turned to look at Bruce Wayne, who was drunk on the stairs.

"You're just letting them into your Batcave? That's not like you."

"Heh heh heh," Bruce Wayne chuckled deeply, took another swig of his drink, and said with a laugh, "It seems you know me better than that young man who claimed to be a friend of another world's Batman. Interesting. I'm more curious about you two than them. Honestly, how long has it been since you bathed? The smell of blood and gunpowder on you is so strong, I thought you'd just come from a battlefield."

"If you put it that way, you're not wrong. We've been through some rough times," Alex said, spreading his hands.

"So, what do you want?"

"As you can see, I'm no superhuman. I'm just an ordinary person, far from your level. So, I'm here hoping you can provide some weapons and equipment to give me a chance to protect myself."

"Oh?"

Bruce Wayne's weary eyes suddenly gleamed with light. His lazy demeanor instantly transformed into a sharp, cold presence. Under his gaze, Alex felt his hair stand on end, his back prickling with tension.

After a long while, Bruce Wayne finally spoke. His white beard trembled as he slowly said, "Why should I help you?"

Alex paused for a moment before responding with a faint smile. "Then why are you helping them?"

Bruce Wayne fell silent, his eyes fixed on Alex as if trying to see through him. The entire kitchen fell into a tense silence. No one spoke, including Pietro, who had wanted to say something but chose to remain quiet to avoid disrupting the serious atmosphere. Finally, the old Batman snorted, breaking the silence.

Bruce Wayne took a swig from his bottle and said in a deliberately casual tone, "It doesn't matter. I'm retired anyway. You want my Batsuit? Fine, I'll give you two."

"No, I don't want your Batsuit." To Bruce's surprise, Alex shook his head.

"Your Batsuit is impressive, but as I said, I'm far from having your physical condition. Even if you give it to me, I wouldn't be able to fully utilize its power and would be restricted by it."

"Then what do you want?" Bruce Wayne put down his bottle.

Seeing his curious gaze, Alex smiled harmlessly.

"I want your old friends' relics."

....

20 advanced chapters on p@treaon
For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
35. The Villain's Relics (Part 1).
36. The Villain's Relics (Part 2).
37. Misunderstanding.
38. Teaming Up with Batman.
39. The Terrifying Invasion.