Reading settings
Chapter 231: The Martian
Author: Rowing Without Oars 233
Area C-703 was a prison fortified by every security device engineers could possibly conceive, reinforced layer upon layer to make it almost impregnable. A striking red "X" was printed on its main gate.
However, Orin Vale tore through every layer of obstacles with his bare hands.
Strolling in, he soon saw the target of his visit and confirmed he had found the right place.
It was a gloomy and dark room, spacious yet almost devoid of any light source. In the center of the room was a circular platform, upon which a green figure stood. Countless cables were connected to his body, and the device above his head was releasing some kind of transparent fluctuation downward, forming a force field invisible to the naked eye that held him in restraint.
By human standards, it was a body so thin it resembled a skeleton. It had a humanoid torso and limbs, but its structure was vastly different. Its physique was tall, slender, and unsettlingly strange. The face was generally flat, without a nose, and by human aesthetic standards, it was certainly not what one would call handsome.
Without a doubt, that was J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter.
Orin Vale could tell with a single glance that the force field was not just for restricting movement; it was a cage specially designed for psychic powers. It blocked the transmission and reception of mental signals, preventing Uncle Jiong from trying to contact the outside world with telepathy.
Orin Vale walked over to the control console and deactivated the force field. The invisible fluctuation disappeared. Martian Manhunter's knees buckled and he started to fall, but Orin Vale flashed from the console to his side and caught him.
He looked very weak.
Martian Manhunter barely managed to open his eyes, looking up to see the face of the person supporting him.
"You are...?"
"I'm here to help you," Orin Vale said. "I'm getting you out of here now."
Martian Manhunter opened his mouth, about to say something, but was suddenly cut short as if electrocuted. His body convulsed, his expression twisted in suffering, and he clenched his jaw, his face contorted with difficulty.
"What is it?" Orin Vale asked.
"No... they're coming, they'll be here soon..." Martian Manhunter said, clutching his head in pain.
"Who's coming?" Orin Vale frowned.
"They... they've been trying to contact me." Martian Manhunter was almost incoherent. "The shielding force field interfered with the signal before, so I only received a few fragments intermittently. But now... it's too much, these images, they're in my head... Arghhh!"
Martian Manhunter's arms trembled and his eyes turned blood-red. Veins bulged from his arms to his face, a complex network of vessels crawling all over his body.
"The Great Apocalypse is coming..."
He spoke woodenly, like a broken doll.
"For... Darkseid!"
At this point, it was obvious to Orin Vale what was happening. He was under a psychic attack.
It was likely that because Uncle Jiong had been imprisoned for too long, both his powers and his spirit were at their weakest. Apokolips had exploited this vulnerability, attempting to brainwash him with a psychic attack and turn him into a powerful ally for their invasion.
This also allowed Orin Vale to be one hundred percent certain that his guess was correct—behind Intergang was indeed Apokolips.
If this followed the usual tropes, now would be the time for Orin Vale and Uncle Jiong to have a big fight, during which Orin Vale would deliver a heartfelt talk to reason with him, snap him out of his dark state, and help him get back on his feet...
Superman would probably do something like that.
But unfortunately for the invaders, he was Ultraman.
Orin Vale remained impassive, placing a hand on Uncle Jiong's head. Light Energy surged, and the Light of Purification began to pour into him from the crown of his head.
In an instant, a blue radiance illuminated the entire passageway. Light shot out from Martian Manhunter's eyes. The virus-like veins gradually receded, and clarity slowly returned to the Martian's eyes, which now bloomed with a dazzling blue glow.
His eyes widened as he saw a scene from the deepest recesses of his heart, one he yearned for, a scene that seemed to come from a past life.
His wife and daughter, long lost in the cataclysm that had driven his race to extinction on Mars.
"Martian Manhunter!"
"Daddy!"
Martian Manhunter couldn't believe it, slowly reaching out a hand.
"You... why...?"
He embraced his family tightly.
Tears streamed from the corners of the Martian's eyes.
"This isn't real, is it? A beautiful illusion?" he said, choking back sobs.
But even knowing it was a dream, he didn't want to wake up. The feeling was so real, so wonderful. He felt an incredible... peace.
Ever since the Martians went extinct, he had been adrift, unable to find a single moment of peace.
"No, it's not a dream, Martian Manhunter," his wife said softly, cupping his face and resting her forehead against his. "It is a gift."
"I'm sorry, I couldn't save you," Martian Manhunter said softly. "I failed you. I should have saved you..."
His wife smiled and shook her head.
"There was no need for that, Martian Manhunter." She reached out and gently placed her hand on his heart. "We didn't die. We never did. We all live on in your heart, and we have been with you from the very beginning. What you see now is the best evidence of that. I had no other wish in the past, and I have only one request now."
"Tell me," Martian Manhunter nodded. "Anything."
"It is this: stop tormenting yourself with the past. Even if it's for our sake, Martian Manhunter, hold your head high and live on."
"I promise."
His daughter hugged him tightly, and his wife smiled with relief. They both transformed into blue specks of light and dissipated within the narrow passageway.
Martian Manhunter knelt on the ground, closing his eyes for a moment.
Then, his form changed. His gaunt body grew muscular, his physique becoming more human-like. Clothing and equipment materialized on his body: a belt, the harness-like X-shaped mark, and a cape hanging down his back.
He had finally transformed into the classic appearance of the Martian Manhunter.
He stood up, wiped away his tears, and turned to look at Orin Vale with a solemn expression. "I don't know how you did that, but thank you. After I lost everything, I was just a walking corpse, with a huge void left in my heart. But now I feel warmth, peace, an incredible fullness, a wondrous emotion..."
"That is called Hope. It's the power that drives everyone in the universe toward the future."
Orin Vale smiled.
"You don't have to thank me. In any case, let's get out of here first—"
Boom!
The entire prison shook violently above their heads.
Orin Vale frowned slightly. With the mental shielding now deactivated, they both extended their telepathy outward and quickly assessed the situation outside.
Belle Reve was under attack.
The way was first cleared by a bizarre hand grenade. It was thrown directly at Belle Reve's heavy main gate, and its violent explosion caused space to collapse around the point of detonation.
The supposedly indestructible gate was like a sheet of paper, instantly obliterated by the collapsing blast. The alarm blared, and prison guards rushed out. A team of soldiers, who seemed to have appeared out of thin air, abruptly charged into the prison, clad in strange combat suits and brandishing energy weapons as they rampaged through.
Martian Manhunter's expression grew grim.
"They... they're here for me."
(end of chapter)
Author: Rowing Without Oars 233
Area C-703 was a prison fortified by every security device engineers could possibly conceive, reinforced layer upon layer to make it almost impregnable. A striking red "X" was printed on its main gate.
However, Orin Vale tore through every layer of obstacles with his bare hands.
Strolling in, he soon saw the target of his visit and confirmed he had found the right place.
It was a gloomy and dark room, spacious yet almost devoid of any light source. In the center of the room was a circular platform, upon which a green figure stood. Countless cables were connected to his body, and the device above his head was releasing some kind of transparent fluctuation downward, forming a force field invisible to the naked eye that held him in restraint.
By human standards, it was a body so thin it resembled a skeleton. It had a humanoid torso and limbs, but its structure was vastly different. Its physique was tall, slender, and unsettlingly strange. The face was generally flat, without a nose, and by human aesthetic standards, it was certainly not what one would call handsome.
Without a doubt, that was J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter.
Orin Vale could tell with a single glance that the force field was not just for restricting movement; it was a cage specially designed for psychic powers. It blocked the transmission and reception of mental signals, preventing Uncle Jiong from trying to contact the outside world with telepathy.
Orin Vale walked over to the control console and deactivated the force field. The invisible fluctuation disappeared. Martian Manhunter's knees buckled and he started to fall, but Orin Vale flashed from the console to his side and caught him.
He looked very weak.
Martian Manhunter barely managed to open his eyes, looking up to see the face of the person supporting him.
"You are...?"
"I'm here to help you," Orin Vale said. "I'm getting you out of here now."
Martian Manhunter opened his mouth, about to say something, but was suddenly cut short as if electrocuted. His body convulsed, his expression twisted in suffering, and he clenched his jaw, his face contorted with difficulty.
"What is it?" Orin Vale asked.
"No... they're coming, they'll be here soon..." Martian Manhunter said, clutching his head in pain.
"Who's coming?" Orin Vale frowned.
"They... they've been trying to contact me." Martian Manhunter was almost incoherent. "The shielding force field interfered with the signal before, so I only received a few fragments intermittently. But now... it's too much, these images, they're in my head... Arghhh!"
Martian Manhunter's arms trembled and his eyes turned blood-red. Veins bulged from his arms to his face, a complex network of vessels crawling all over his body.
"The Great Apocalypse is coming..."
He spoke woodenly, like a broken doll.
"For... Darkseid!"
At this point, it was obvious to Orin Vale what was happening. He was under a psychic attack.
It was likely that because Uncle Jiong had been imprisoned for too long, both his powers and his spirit were at their weakest. Apokolips had exploited this vulnerability, attempting to brainwash him with a psychic attack and turn him into a powerful ally for their invasion.
This also allowed Orin Vale to be one hundred percent certain that his guess was correct—behind Intergang was indeed Apokolips.
If this followed the usual tropes, now would be the time for Orin Vale and Uncle Jiong to have a big fight, during which Orin Vale would deliver a heartfelt talk to reason with him, snap him out of his dark state, and help him get back on his feet...
Superman would probably do something like that.
But unfortunately for the invaders, he was Ultraman.
Orin Vale remained impassive, placing a hand on Uncle Jiong's head. Light Energy surged, and the Light of Purification began to pour into him from the crown of his head.
In an instant, a blue radiance illuminated the entire passageway. Light shot out from Martian Manhunter's eyes. The virus-like veins gradually receded, and clarity slowly returned to the Martian's eyes, which now bloomed with a dazzling blue glow.
His eyes widened as he saw a scene from the deepest recesses of his heart, one he yearned for, a scene that seemed to come from a past life.
His wife and daughter, long lost in the cataclysm that had driven his race to extinction on Mars.
"Martian Manhunter!"
"Daddy!"
Martian Manhunter couldn't believe it, slowly reaching out a hand.
"You... why...?"
He embraced his family tightly.
Tears streamed from the corners of the Martian's eyes.
"This isn't real, is it? A beautiful illusion?" he said, choking back sobs.
But even knowing it was a dream, he didn't want to wake up. The feeling was so real, so wonderful. He felt an incredible... peace.
Ever since the Martians went extinct, he had been adrift, unable to find a single moment of peace.
"No, it's not a dream, Martian Manhunter," his wife said softly, cupping his face and resting her forehead against his. "It is a gift."
"I'm sorry, I couldn't save you," Martian Manhunter said softly. "I failed you. I should have saved you..."
His wife smiled and shook her head.
"There was no need for that, Martian Manhunter." She reached out and gently placed her hand on his heart. "We didn't die. We never did. We all live on in your heart, and we have been with you from the very beginning. What you see now is the best evidence of that. I had no other wish in the past, and I have only one request now."
"Tell me," Martian Manhunter nodded. "Anything."
"It is this: stop tormenting yourself with the past. Even if it's for our sake, Martian Manhunter, hold your head high and live on."
"I promise."
His daughter hugged him tightly, and his wife smiled with relief. They both transformed into blue specks of light and dissipated within the narrow passageway.
Martian Manhunter knelt on the ground, closing his eyes for a moment.
Then, his form changed. His gaunt body grew muscular, his physique becoming more human-like. Clothing and equipment materialized on his body: a belt, the harness-like X-shaped mark, and a cape hanging down his back.
He had finally transformed into the classic appearance of the Martian Manhunter.
He stood up, wiped away his tears, and turned to look at Orin Vale with a solemn expression. "I don't know how you did that, but thank you. After I lost everything, I was just a walking corpse, with a huge void left in my heart. But now I feel warmth, peace, an incredible fullness, a wondrous emotion..."
"That is called Hope. It's the power that drives everyone in the universe toward the future."
Orin Vale smiled.
"You don't have to thank me. In any case, let's get out of here first—"
Boom!
The entire prison shook violently above their heads.
Orin Vale frowned slightly. With the mental shielding now deactivated, they both extended their telepathy outward and quickly assessed the situation outside.
Belle Reve was under attack.
The way was first cleared by a bizarre hand grenade. It was thrown directly at Belle Reve's heavy main gate, and its violent explosion caused space to collapse around the point of detonation.
The supposedly indestructible gate was like a sheet of paper, instantly obliterated by the collapsing blast. The alarm blared, and prison guards rushed out. A team of soldiers, who seemed to have appeared out of thin air, abruptly charged into the prison, clad in strange combat suits and brandishing energy weapons as they rampaged through.
Martian Manhunter's expression grew grim.
"They... they're here for me."
(end of chapter)
