Reading settings
Chapter 374: Doomsday is Coming
The giant's body disintegrated into light particles that gathered at the command post, reforming into a human figure.
Orin Vale landed amidst the ruins of the overrun position. The bullet-riddled command post was devoid of life. The commander, who had fought heroically to the last, had already breathed his last.
Commander Chaka was slumped against a wall, his hands still tightly gripping a machine gun. A flicker of fighting spirit seemed to remain in his already vacant eyes.
Whatever this man was like in life, he was at least a respectable soldier in death.
"General Chaka, the populace is safe, we've completed the evacuation!"
A hoarse voice crackled from the command post's communicator.
"We're preparing to return for support. Please respond if you copy…"
It seemed the general would never be able to respond.
Orin Vale reached out and gently closed the general's eyelids, laying him flat on the ground.
"You've done your best. This world will remember you."
As Orin Vale stood up, a faint golden brilliance washed over his body. By the time he was standing straight, he had taken on the appearance of General Chaka.
"My apologies, but I'll be borrowing your identity for a while."
Ever since Ultraseven set the precedent in the Ultraman Universe, this had become one of the classic ways for a human host to be chosen. It was common knowledge that when an Ultraman came to Earth and chose a human host, it usually happened in one of two ways: spirit possession or the true body shapeshifting. The spirit possession method usually involved a hot-blooded youth who died heroically at the very beginning, while the true body shapeshifting was typically used when an Ultraman was moved by a human's spirit of sacrifice and borrowed their appearance.
Earth-2 was already on the brink of the apocalypse, so a general's identity would be extremely useful for gathering intelligence. Orin Vale decided to pay homage to his predecessors and borrow this identity.
"Command post, respond if you copy…"
Orin Vale picked up the communication device. "This is General Chaka. I copy."
At that moment, Karen flew into the command post with Helena. When they understood the situation, Karen looked surprised to see General Chaka's face.
"It's him."
"You know him?" Orin Vale asked.
"Not really." Karen's expression was complicated. "We just worked together during the first Apokolips War. I didn't like him back then, because I heard his private life… his personal conduct wasn't very good…"
Karen sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose and speaking grimly.
"...Well, regardless, he was a respectable soldier. It seems we have one less acquaintance."
"It'll get better, Karen," Helena said, patting her shoulder to comfort her good friend. "We will be victorious. In the end, all sacrifices will be worthwhile."
"Perhaps."
Karen took a deep breath and looked at her two companions.
"So, what's our plan now?"
The three of them looked at each other.
News of the Giant of Light's appearance quickly spread across the globe, causing a massive sensation. Speculation about the giant's true identity was rampant everywhere.
Among the people of Earth-2 facing the apocalypse, a kind of salvation myth naturally emerged. Many believed it to be the physical manifestation of the legendary God. The hardships this world had suffered until now were part of a trial, and the remaining humans had endured it, finally awaiting the arrival of the legendary God.
Of course, this was the view of a minority; most people remained skeptical.
This world had already been through too much, and the survivors had learned not to make overly optimistic assumptions.
Interestingly, Apokolips had been steadily advancing its conquest of this world, with the human side suffering defeat after defeat. But after the unexpected turn of events in the defense of Gotham, the armies of Apokolips all over the world suddenly vanished.
No one knew where the invaders had gone; it was as if the war had been suddenly put on pause. But the military and the experts were not optimistic, with most inclined to believe this was merely the calm before the storm.
Perhaps the enemy was just preparing for something big. When they next appeared, it would be with more ferocity than ever before.
No one noticed that during this period, a new coffee shop quietly appeared on the streets of Metropolis.
He hung up a "HISHE" sign.
Upon returning to Earth-2, Helena was lucky to discover that even in the face of a world-ending catastrophe, her family's Wayne Enterprises was still standing. This provided her with considerable convenience.
Now that Batman was dead, Helena Wayne had become the sole successor to the family business. Now a billionaire again, Helena secured a new base of operations for them within two days. Orin Vale handily hung up the "HISHE" sign, and just like that, it became a branch of their coffee shop.
Even Orin Vale himself hadn't expected that the first time he'd open a branch would be on a neighboring Earth. He wondered if this was a sign that his HISHE was destined to blossom across the multiverse and become the world's number one chain...
The first step was to establish a foothold and gather intelligence.
Ever since he'd heard that Earth-2 was a parallel world on the verge of collapse and filled with despair, Orin Vale's mind had been buzzing with ideas.
On one hand, it was a professional hazard. Just as Superman would reflexively go through his shirt-ripping, telephone booth combo whenever he heard about a volcano or earthquake—"Sounds like a job for Superman..."—an Ultraman would feel an impulse, a "my light is itching for a fight" feeling, whenever he heard of a place where darkness ran rampant.
On the other hand, if he could save this world, Orin Vale estimated the bonus to his light would be far greater than anything he could get in the main world.
First, he needed to figure out the current situation on Earth-2.
This version of Metropolis felt different. Walking down the street, Orin Vale could see many familiar structures, yet they lacked that familiar atmosphere. The streets felt more somber. Pedestrians always kept their heads down, wrapped their scarves tightly, and pulled their hat brims low, hurrying along, though it was unclear what they were so busy with.
He noticed a homeless man on a street corner holding a sign that read, "THE END IS NIGH." Gaunt and sallow, he looked like he hadn't had a proper meal in ages. There was a newsboy selling newspapers on the roadside, but a street over, there was a newsstand. There, besides newspapers, one could also buy comic books, and even those very large, revealing, and rather lewd magazines.
"One newspaper, please," Orin Vale said, walking up to the newsstand.
The owner had his legs propped up, his head buried in an ocean of cleavage in some magazine. The large-print cover was facing the sidewalk with no intention of being concealed. When he heard a customer, he didn't even look up, merely gesturing to a jar for coins and letting him pick from the stall himself.
"Seven World Coins," he said without lifting his head.
Orin Vale pulled a few coins from his pocket. It was a currency he had never seen in the main world, apparently newly issued after the Apokolips War.
Earth-2 was different from the main world. If one had to say there was even a tiny benefit to the continuous conquest of Apokolips, perhaps it was that it had finally forced humanity, which had been fighting amongst itself for millennia, to unite.
Although the concept of a nation still existed on Earth-2, it had become blurred under the long years of war against the aliens. To resist the invaders, humans had established a World Federation, and their armies had been united, collectively called the "World Army."
The currency had also been unified under the federation. While some regional currencies hadn't completely disappeared, the World Coin had basically become the mainstream currency of Earth-2.
Learning of these changes, Orin Vale couldn't help but feel a bit wistful.
Perhaps only in the face of such a powerful external enemy, only when facing a crisis of their civilization's survival, could humans truly put aside their prejudices and unite.
Orin Vale casually flipped through the items on the newsstand. It seemed there weren't many newspaper agency options in Metropolis these days; it was always the same few choices.
He scanned them and looked up to ask, "No 'Daily Planet'?"
Hearing this, the owner was finally willing to lift his head from that nutritionally-deficient magazine. He sized up Orin Vale with a strange look.
"Huh? Are you kidding me?" he said oddly. "That's ancient history. The Daily Planet has been gone for ages."
"Gone?"
"Yeah. First time in Metropolis since the war, buddy?" The owner pointed in a certain direction. "There used to be a Daily Planet, right over there. But it was destroyed during the first Apokolips invasion. It was the aliens' first target when they invaded Metropolis."
"Superman's girlfriend, that Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Lois Lane, was in that building at the time. Superman didn't make it in time... you should have seen how furious the big guy was. I've lived in Metropolis my whole life and I'd never seen him like that..."
The owner sighed.
"Ah, it's all in the past, nothing more to say. Anyway, everyone knows now, even Superman died. And the invaders are back... who knows what the future holds?"
He shook his head and reopened his magazine, as if in this cold world, only the cleavage within could let him feel that one, single sliver of warmth.
Orin Vale paid, took a newspaper, and glanced in the direction the man had pointed.
He did see it, the former site of the Daily Planet.
The building itself was no longer there, but the planetary ornament that had seemingly fallen from the top of the building during the invasion was still on the ground. People had built a plaza around the area. In the plaza stood a statue of Superman and a massive monument, densely inscribed with the names of the victims.
The top line clearly showed two names that were not unfamiliar to him.
Clark Kent, Lois Lane.
The world's greatest reporters were laid to rest here.
(end of chapter)
The giant's body disintegrated into light particles that gathered at the command post, reforming into a human figure.
Orin Vale landed amidst the ruins of the overrun position. The bullet-riddled command post was devoid of life. The commander, who had fought heroically to the last, had already breathed his last.
Commander Chaka was slumped against a wall, his hands still tightly gripping a machine gun. A flicker of fighting spirit seemed to remain in his already vacant eyes.
Whatever this man was like in life, he was at least a respectable soldier in death.
"General Chaka, the populace is safe, we've completed the evacuation!"
A hoarse voice crackled from the command post's communicator.
"We're preparing to return for support. Please respond if you copy…"
It seemed the general would never be able to respond.
Orin Vale reached out and gently closed the general's eyelids, laying him flat on the ground.
"You've done your best. This world will remember you."
As Orin Vale stood up, a faint golden brilliance washed over his body. By the time he was standing straight, he had taken on the appearance of General Chaka.
"My apologies, but I'll be borrowing your identity for a while."
Ever since Ultraseven set the precedent in the Ultraman Universe, this had become one of the classic ways for a human host to be chosen. It was common knowledge that when an Ultraman came to Earth and chose a human host, it usually happened in one of two ways: spirit possession or the true body shapeshifting. The spirit possession method usually involved a hot-blooded youth who died heroically at the very beginning, while the true body shapeshifting was typically used when an Ultraman was moved by a human's spirit of sacrifice and borrowed their appearance.
Earth-2 was already on the brink of the apocalypse, so a general's identity would be extremely useful for gathering intelligence. Orin Vale decided to pay homage to his predecessors and borrow this identity.
"Command post, respond if you copy…"
Orin Vale picked up the communication device. "This is General Chaka. I copy."
At that moment, Karen flew into the command post with Helena. When they understood the situation, Karen looked surprised to see General Chaka's face.
"It's him."
"You know him?" Orin Vale asked.
"Not really." Karen's expression was complicated. "We just worked together during the first Apokolips War. I didn't like him back then, because I heard his private life… his personal conduct wasn't very good…"
Karen sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose and speaking grimly.
"...Well, regardless, he was a respectable soldier. It seems we have one less acquaintance."
"It'll get better, Karen," Helena said, patting her shoulder to comfort her good friend. "We will be victorious. In the end, all sacrifices will be worthwhile."
"Perhaps."
Karen took a deep breath and looked at her two companions.
"So, what's our plan now?"
The three of them looked at each other.
News of the Giant of Light's appearance quickly spread across the globe, causing a massive sensation. Speculation about the giant's true identity was rampant everywhere.
Among the people of Earth-2 facing the apocalypse, a kind of salvation myth naturally emerged. Many believed it to be the physical manifestation of the legendary God. The hardships this world had suffered until now were part of a trial, and the remaining humans had endured it, finally awaiting the arrival of the legendary God.
Of course, this was the view of a minority; most people remained skeptical.
This world had already been through too much, and the survivors had learned not to make overly optimistic assumptions.
Interestingly, Apokolips had been steadily advancing its conquest of this world, with the human side suffering defeat after defeat. But after the unexpected turn of events in the defense of Gotham, the armies of Apokolips all over the world suddenly vanished.
No one knew where the invaders had gone; it was as if the war had been suddenly put on pause. But the military and the experts were not optimistic, with most inclined to believe this was merely the calm before the storm.
Perhaps the enemy was just preparing for something big. When they next appeared, it would be with more ferocity than ever before.
No one noticed that during this period, a new coffee shop quietly appeared on the streets of Metropolis.
He hung up a "HISHE" sign.
Upon returning to Earth-2, Helena was lucky to discover that even in the face of a world-ending catastrophe, her family's Wayne Enterprises was still standing. This provided her with considerable convenience.
Now that Batman was dead, Helena Wayne had become the sole successor to the family business. Now a billionaire again, Helena secured a new base of operations for them within two days. Orin Vale handily hung up the "HISHE" sign, and just like that, it became a branch of their coffee shop.
Even Orin Vale himself hadn't expected that the first time he'd open a branch would be on a neighboring Earth. He wondered if this was a sign that his HISHE was destined to blossom across the multiverse and become the world's number one chain...
The first step was to establish a foothold and gather intelligence.
Ever since he'd heard that Earth-2 was a parallel world on the verge of collapse and filled with despair, Orin Vale's mind had been buzzing with ideas.
On one hand, it was a professional hazard. Just as Superman would reflexively go through his shirt-ripping, telephone booth combo whenever he heard about a volcano or earthquake—"Sounds like a job for Superman..."—an Ultraman would feel an impulse, a "my light is itching for a fight" feeling, whenever he heard of a place where darkness ran rampant.
On the other hand, if he could save this world, Orin Vale estimated the bonus to his light would be far greater than anything he could get in the main world.
First, he needed to figure out the current situation on Earth-2.
This version of Metropolis felt different. Walking down the street, Orin Vale could see many familiar structures, yet they lacked that familiar atmosphere. The streets felt more somber. Pedestrians always kept their heads down, wrapped their scarves tightly, and pulled their hat brims low, hurrying along, though it was unclear what they were so busy with.
He noticed a homeless man on a street corner holding a sign that read, "THE END IS NIGH." Gaunt and sallow, he looked like he hadn't had a proper meal in ages. There was a newsboy selling newspapers on the roadside, but a street over, there was a newsstand. There, besides newspapers, one could also buy comic books, and even those very large, revealing, and rather lewd magazines.
"One newspaper, please," Orin Vale said, walking up to the newsstand.
The owner had his legs propped up, his head buried in an ocean of cleavage in some magazine. The large-print cover was facing the sidewalk with no intention of being concealed. When he heard a customer, he didn't even look up, merely gesturing to a jar for coins and letting him pick from the stall himself.
"Seven World Coins," he said without lifting his head.
Orin Vale pulled a few coins from his pocket. It was a currency he had never seen in the main world, apparently newly issued after the Apokolips War.
Earth-2 was different from the main world. If one had to say there was even a tiny benefit to the continuous conquest of Apokolips, perhaps it was that it had finally forced humanity, which had been fighting amongst itself for millennia, to unite.
Although the concept of a nation still existed on Earth-2, it had become blurred under the long years of war against the aliens. To resist the invaders, humans had established a World Federation, and their armies had been united, collectively called the "World Army."
The currency had also been unified under the federation. While some regional currencies hadn't completely disappeared, the World Coin had basically become the mainstream currency of Earth-2.
Learning of these changes, Orin Vale couldn't help but feel a bit wistful.
Perhaps only in the face of such a powerful external enemy, only when facing a crisis of their civilization's survival, could humans truly put aside their prejudices and unite.
Orin Vale casually flipped through the items on the newsstand. It seemed there weren't many newspaper agency options in Metropolis these days; it was always the same few choices.
He scanned them and looked up to ask, "No 'Daily Planet'?"
Hearing this, the owner was finally willing to lift his head from that nutritionally-deficient magazine. He sized up Orin Vale with a strange look.
"Huh? Are you kidding me?" he said oddly. "That's ancient history. The Daily Planet has been gone for ages."
"Gone?"
"Yeah. First time in Metropolis since the war, buddy?" The owner pointed in a certain direction. "There used to be a Daily Planet, right over there. But it was destroyed during the first Apokolips invasion. It was the aliens' first target when they invaded Metropolis."
"Superman's girlfriend, that Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Lois Lane, was in that building at the time. Superman didn't make it in time... you should have seen how furious the big guy was. I've lived in Metropolis my whole life and I'd never seen him like that..."
The owner sighed.
"Ah, it's all in the past, nothing more to say. Anyway, everyone knows now, even Superman died. And the invaders are back... who knows what the future holds?"
He shook his head and reopened his magazine, as if in this cold world, only the cleavage within could let him feel that one, single sliver of warmth.
Orin Vale paid, took a newspaper, and glanced in the direction the man had pointed.
He did see it, the former site of the Daily Planet.
The building itself was no longer there, but the planetary ornament that had seemingly fallen from the top of the building during the invasion was still on the ground. People had built a plaza around the area. In the plaza stood a statue of Superman and a massive monument, densely inscribed with the names of the victims.
The top line clearly showed two names that were not unfamiliar to him.
Clark Kent, Lois Lane.
The world's greatest reporters were laid to rest here.
(end of chapter)
