American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

316. Both Sides in Action.

"The Boom Tube is located in the LexCorp Tower, and that's where we need to strike," Lois once again pulled up a photo. Even though it was taken from a distance, the towering skyscraper was still visible, rising into the clouds.

"Our primary objective is to take over the tower, transport the key strike team to Apokolips, and then the next goal is to rescue Batman, destroy Apokolips' central power core, set the energy generator to critical, and reverse the entire Boom Tube to send all the Doomsday-like monsters back to Apokolips.

Finally, we blow it up!"

"Interesting," Captain Boomerang folded his arms. "Have you picked the strike team members?"

"The strike team will be led by me," Clark immediately responded. "With Mr. Crow's help, the liquid kryptonite in my body has been completely removed, and along with Black Canary and the Bat-family, I'm confident we can complete the mission."

"Heh, should I remind you of the mess you made the last time you led a team?" Captain Boomerang rolled his eyes. "And even if you make it to Apokolips, what about the 'big problem' waiting for you there?"

Before Clark could respond, Lois turned around. "If you're talking about Darkseid, I've already planned for that. Tomorrow, he'll personally leave Apokolips to attack the Green Lantern Corps' home planet. This is our final chance."

"How do you know he'll leave?" Black Manta asked.

Lois thought for a moment before revealing her biggest secret.

"I used to be a reporter, remember? I have my own 'source' inside Darkseid's ranks. He calls himself 'The Sleeper.' His age and gender are unknown, and I don't know his or her true identity. But over the past few months, a lot of the intel I've received has come from that person."

"But this could very well be one of Batman's tricks. Trust me, he's capable of that," Jason objected. Based on his knowledge of Batman, if the Dark Knight had switched sides, the threat level would skyrocket to a terrifying degree.

"I understand, Jason. We were suspicious at first too, but this informant's intel has guided us to victory in every battle since Earth's fall, so I trust The Sleeper," Lois said sincerely.

"Yeah, and the Earth's core will run dry in less than ten days. By then, we're doomed with or without Darkseid. I know there's a lot of uncertainty and risk with this plan, but it's our only chance to turn the tide."

Clark supported her, then turned to look at Alex. Given the current situation, Alex's forces were the largest among them—after all, he had another Earth backing him. So, as long as Alex agreed, the plan would be set. In truth, Clark and Lois had presented this plan primarily for Alex's approval.

At that moment, everyone in the room focused their gaze on Alex, waiting for his response.

Alex remained silent, and the atmosphere in the office grew tense. No one dared to interrupt him, not even Harley Quinn, who was just hugging Ashley, blinking and watching Alex.

As for Alex himself, his thoughts stretched far beyond the immediate situation.

Darkseid was undoubtedly important, but there was also the planet-devouring Galactus to deal with on the Wasteland. Both universes were currently facing world-ending crises, and one wrong move could lead to irreparable consequences.

The sound of his fingers tapping the armrest of his chair was unusually loud in the stillness. Finally, Alex slowly nodded, finalizing the plan.

"Let's do it."

With those words, Alex closed his eyes gently.

---------------------

Wastelander.

Outside the ruins of Baxter Tower, on the outskirts of Electroville. A few black-feathered crows circled the sky, adding to the desolate atmosphere.

Led by Star-Lord Peter Quill, Constantine, Pietro, and the others finally arrived at this place, known as the Wasteland's forbidden zone.

This time, since the Blood Hive was still being established and people like Kate Bishop were too old for high-intensity combat, they, along with the Punisher and other older members, stayed behind. The task of finding the Ultimate Eraser was handed to the heroes from another universe. However, aside from Star-Lord, the 'local' hero, there was another joining them on this mission.

"Tch, to be honest, when Barton told me that the ruins of Baxter Tower were situated on top of a giant Loki, I thought he was joking," a short man with white hair in the armored vehicle remarked as he looked at the impressive and awe-inspiring sight in the distance.

"Logan, you missed a lot of the major battles back then," the old Star-Lord sighed.

"Sorry, Quill. I didn't know... really, I'm truly sorry about Kitty." The aged Wolverine looked battered, worn out like a stray dog.

If Hawkeye hadn't saved his family during a gang fight, Logan would likely still be a simple farmer on his farm.

"I've lost my family more than once, Logan. Now, I have nothing left. Likewise, I have nothing more to lose. So, you don't need to apologize. If you really feel guilty, then do what we agreed on before—bring out your claws."

Star-Lord looked at Logan with sincerity. Quill was numb now; he didn't blame Logan for the accidental killing of his former girlfriend, Kitty Pryde, nor did he have the energy to. The only thing keeping Quill going was the goal of taking down the Church.

"I... I understand." Logan sighed deeply. Though Star-Lord had convinced him to come back, Logan still hadn't fully resolved to unsheathe his claws.

"It's time to move, old men," Pietro suddenly appeared, throwing his arms around both Star-Lord and Wolverine, breaking the somber mood in an instant. "The destination is right in front of us."

"The speedster is right. The Church's people have already landed on Earth. We need to act quickly," Constantine said, puffing out smoke from the side.

Everyone knew time was short, so without hesitation, they drove straight toward the ruins of Baxter Tower. It wasn't until they reached the edge of the ruins that they stopped.

"Something feels off." Star-Lord frowned as he looked ahead.

"What is it?" Logan turned his head. "What's going on?"

Getting out of the vehicle, Star-Lord walked briskly to the front of the ruins. He looked at a pitch-black hole hidden amidst the rubble and furrowed his brows even deeper.

"Clint warned me that there shouldn't be any entrance to the entire Baxter Tower, so how come there's a hole here?"

Zzzzzzz

"You guys wanna go in?"

Suddenly, an old man wearing a security guard uniform appeared out of nowhere.

The sudden appearance startled everyone, and they instantly drew their weapons, aiming directly at the elderly figure. If he made any sudden moves, he'd be riddled with bullets in an instant.

"Wait," Barbara spoke up.

After the initial shock, Batgirl quickly recognized the old man's nature. She slowly lowered the Batarang in her hand and took a few steps forward. "This seems to be a hologram. I've seen similar ones in the Batcave. It looks like the system here is still operational."

To prove her point, Barbara even waved her hand through the old man's body, showing that her hand passed through without resistance.

The old man didn't react to Barbara's gesture. Instead, he continued, "This isn't a good idea. Something created that hole... they live inside it.

Plenty of people have tried going in before, but none of them came out alive."

.....

30 advanced chapters on p@treaon
For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
317. The Ruins of Baxter building.
318. Blood Battle with the Subterranean Creatures.
319. Crisis Approaches!
320. The 'God' from Beyond.
321. Fierce Battle!