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Chapter 387: Where Did Dad Go?
"This is Arkham?" Helena was startled.
As a native of Gotham, she of course knew of the infamous Arkham Asylum. It was not only a landmark in Gotham, but also the central gathering place for her old man's "fan club" back in the day.
The Batman of Earth 2 had almost succeeded in eliminating crime in Gotham, turning it into one of the safest model cities on Earth—until the invasion of Apokolips.
Afterwards, everyone was busy fighting the war against Apokolips, and Arkham Asylum, once a concentration camp for super-lunatics, was gradually forgotten. But now, it seemed Arkham's infrastructure had been repurposed by the World Army. They had renovated it, building upon the former Arkham's top-tier security system funded by Wayne Enterprises, and designed it as a base.
The lunatics imprisoned in Arkham were consequently transferred into the custody of the World Army. They created this hibernation prison, locking the most dangerous lunatics inside and keeping them in a permanent state of dormancy. While controlling the threat, it also allowed them to study the secrets of the superpowers many of them possessed.
This research was, in fact, highly effective. Some of the emerging super-powered individuals and new types of weapons and equipment produced by the World Army post-war were the fruits of the research conducted at the hibernation prison.
Batman strode purposefully to one of the hibernation pods, opened the control panel, and after hacking the system, activated the unlocking program.
The hibernation pod rose quickly, and a thick fog billowed out. Before the two of them could react, a hand shot out from within, seizing Batman by the throat.
Helena, startled, was about to make a move but was stopped by Batman.
"It's alright, don't worry." He raised his hands. "Don't be afraid. We are not enemies; we're here to let you out. You're safe now... Your Majesty."
As the fog dissipated, standing within the pod was... a woman.
She was dressed in strange and ancient attire, with clothes and jewelry that seemed woven from pearls. Her expression was one of confusion and bewilderment as she looked around.
"This is...?" Helena shot a questioning look at Batman.
"Aquawoman," Batman said calmly. "The Queen of Atlantis, ruler of the oceans."
In other words, the Aquaman of Earth 2, except in this world's version, she was evidently an Empress.
Aquawoman frowned and leaped out of her prison. She glanced at Batman and Huntress, then said dryly, "I'm grateful for my liberation. But if you're about to ask me to be deeply grateful and help you fight against humanity's enemies, then you can save your breath.
"You humans ambushed me, captured me when I was weak, and have kept me imprisoned until now. I will not fight for you."
"I know, and you don't have to," Batman said calmly. "But right now, the invaders aren't threatening us, but the entire Earth. Your nation needs you, Your Majesty. You just need to return and fulfill your duty."
Aquawoman understood.
"I see. You need the army of Atlantis to help you pin down the enemy and alleviate the pressure. We will do so not for you humans, but for our own survival."
She snorted lightly.
"For a human, you have a good strategic mind. Besides, I owe you a debt for my freedom... Very well, as you wish."
She glanced around, her eyes settling on the exit.
"First, let's fight our way out of here."
"No, wait a moment."
Batman turned and continued walking among the forest of hibernation pods.
"I have one more person to find," he said coldly.
Helena noticed he was walking toward a particular pod. Through the glass, she could faintly make out the figure inside the hibernation pod.
Helena's pupils contracted, a look of shock flashing involuntarily in her eyes.
It was the Joker.
Her father's greatest arch-nemesis, his worst nightmare.
"Wait, not him!" she shouted. "Not the Joker. Even if it's the end of the world, we don't need that animal."
But the next moment, she saw this Batman silently raise a handgun.
"I never said I was letting him out," he said coldly.
Bang.
The bullet pierced the hibernation pod, and a violet solution gushed out from the crack in the glass. Blood and brain matter burst from the Joker's shattered forehead, gradually forming a bloody mist that engulfed his pale, hideous face.
Even as his vital signs flatlined, a hideous smile remained plastered on his pale face until the very end.
"There." Batman holstered his gun and turned to leave. "Now we can go."
Karen streaked through the sky at dozens of times the speed of sound, her Super Vision scanning in all directions.
While Helena was looking for Batman, Karen was searching for the whereabouts of her corrupted cousin. For the second-generation Super and Bat, their primary mission at the moment was essentially 'Where Did Dad Go?'.
After the temporary retreat of Apokolips, Black Superman had also vanished without a trace. No one knew where he went. Karen began systematically searching every place he could possibly be. She first checked Lois and Clark's residence in Metropolis, then Superman's abandoned Fortress of Solitude, and was now on her way to the Kent Farm.
It was midway through her flight when a black afterimage suddenly struck her from the side, ramming into her at an extremely high speed and catching her completely off guard. Karen plummeted diagonally, crashing into a field with a deafening boom that sent a towering wave of dust into the air. She tumbled for a full mile before coming to a stop.
She rose, somewhat dazed, and looked up to see the very person she was searching for floating in mid-air, his eyes burning as if with black flames.
Superman, in his black uniform.
"You were looking for me, woman," he said coldly. "What is it?"
"Kal... Kal, is that you?" Karen asked nervously as she got to her feet.
Black Superman frowned. "Who are you?"
"When I was little, you and Lois used to take me to the beach all the time. I tried to build a sandcastle, and that's where my Heat Vision went berserk for the first time. I turned the sandcastle into... a glass castle..."
A flicker of surprise crossed Black Superman's face. He stared at Karen for a moment, then said in astonishment, "You're... Kara? But you died..."
"It's me. I was just trapped somewhere else before, but I'm back now." Karen took his hand. "What happened to you, Kal? Why are you like this?"
Black Superman embraced her and said with a smile, "We can talk about that later. Quick, come with me."
As he spoke, he took off into the air with Karen. In just two seconds, they had landed at the Kent Farm, the place where Clark Kent grew up.
"I can't wait. They'll be so happy to see you."
Black Superman excitedly pulled her by the hand to the front door.
"Dad! Mom!"
He knocked, and the door opened. An elderly couple appeared, but their expressions upon seeing the two were not of joy, but more like they had seen a ghost.
But Black Superman seemed not to notice.
"Mom, you're going to be so happy," he said with a smile. "Look, it's Kara! She's alive!"
(end of chapter)
"This is Arkham?" Helena was startled.
As a native of Gotham, she of course knew of the infamous Arkham Asylum. It was not only a landmark in Gotham, but also the central gathering place for her old man's "fan club" back in the day.
The Batman of Earth 2 had almost succeeded in eliminating crime in Gotham, turning it into one of the safest model cities on Earth—until the invasion of Apokolips.
Afterwards, everyone was busy fighting the war against Apokolips, and Arkham Asylum, once a concentration camp for super-lunatics, was gradually forgotten. But now, it seemed Arkham's infrastructure had been repurposed by the World Army. They had renovated it, building upon the former Arkham's top-tier security system funded by Wayne Enterprises, and designed it as a base.
The lunatics imprisoned in Arkham were consequently transferred into the custody of the World Army. They created this hibernation prison, locking the most dangerous lunatics inside and keeping them in a permanent state of dormancy. While controlling the threat, it also allowed them to study the secrets of the superpowers many of them possessed.
This research was, in fact, highly effective. Some of the emerging super-powered individuals and new types of weapons and equipment produced by the World Army post-war were the fruits of the research conducted at the hibernation prison.
Batman strode purposefully to one of the hibernation pods, opened the control panel, and after hacking the system, activated the unlocking program.
The hibernation pod rose quickly, and a thick fog billowed out. Before the two of them could react, a hand shot out from within, seizing Batman by the throat.
Helena, startled, was about to make a move but was stopped by Batman.
"It's alright, don't worry." He raised his hands. "Don't be afraid. We are not enemies; we're here to let you out. You're safe now... Your Majesty."
As the fog dissipated, standing within the pod was... a woman.
She was dressed in strange and ancient attire, with clothes and jewelry that seemed woven from pearls. Her expression was one of confusion and bewilderment as she looked around.
"This is...?" Helena shot a questioning look at Batman.
"Aquawoman," Batman said calmly. "The Queen of Atlantis, ruler of the oceans."
In other words, the Aquaman of Earth 2, except in this world's version, she was evidently an Empress.
Aquawoman frowned and leaped out of her prison. She glanced at Batman and Huntress, then said dryly, "I'm grateful for my liberation. But if you're about to ask me to be deeply grateful and help you fight against humanity's enemies, then you can save your breath.
"You humans ambushed me, captured me when I was weak, and have kept me imprisoned until now. I will not fight for you."
"I know, and you don't have to," Batman said calmly. "But right now, the invaders aren't threatening us, but the entire Earth. Your nation needs you, Your Majesty. You just need to return and fulfill your duty."
Aquawoman understood.
"I see. You need the army of Atlantis to help you pin down the enemy and alleviate the pressure. We will do so not for you humans, but for our own survival."
She snorted lightly.
"For a human, you have a good strategic mind. Besides, I owe you a debt for my freedom... Very well, as you wish."
She glanced around, her eyes settling on the exit.
"First, let's fight our way out of here."
"No, wait a moment."
Batman turned and continued walking among the forest of hibernation pods.
"I have one more person to find," he said coldly.
Helena noticed he was walking toward a particular pod. Through the glass, she could faintly make out the figure inside the hibernation pod.
Helena's pupils contracted, a look of shock flashing involuntarily in her eyes.
It was the Joker.
Her father's greatest arch-nemesis, his worst nightmare.
"Wait, not him!" she shouted. "Not the Joker. Even if it's the end of the world, we don't need that animal."
But the next moment, she saw this Batman silently raise a handgun.
"I never said I was letting him out," he said coldly.
Bang.
The bullet pierced the hibernation pod, and a violet solution gushed out from the crack in the glass. Blood and brain matter burst from the Joker's shattered forehead, gradually forming a bloody mist that engulfed his pale, hideous face.
Even as his vital signs flatlined, a hideous smile remained plastered on his pale face until the very end.
"There." Batman holstered his gun and turned to leave. "Now we can go."
Karen streaked through the sky at dozens of times the speed of sound, her Super Vision scanning in all directions.
While Helena was looking for Batman, Karen was searching for the whereabouts of her corrupted cousin. For the second-generation Super and Bat, their primary mission at the moment was essentially 'Where Did Dad Go?'.
After the temporary retreat of Apokolips, Black Superman had also vanished without a trace. No one knew where he went. Karen began systematically searching every place he could possibly be. She first checked Lois and Clark's residence in Metropolis, then Superman's abandoned Fortress of Solitude, and was now on her way to the Kent Farm.
It was midway through her flight when a black afterimage suddenly struck her from the side, ramming into her at an extremely high speed and catching her completely off guard. Karen plummeted diagonally, crashing into a field with a deafening boom that sent a towering wave of dust into the air. She tumbled for a full mile before coming to a stop.
She rose, somewhat dazed, and looked up to see the very person she was searching for floating in mid-air, his eyes burning as if with black flames.
Superman, in his black uniform.
"You were looking for me, woman," he said coldly. "What is it?"
"Kal... Kal, is that you?" Karen asked nervously as she got to her feet.
Black Superman frowned. "Who are you?"
"When I was little, you and Lois used to take me to the beach all the time. I tried to build a sandcastle, and that's where my Heat Vision went berserk for the first time. I turned the sandcastle into... a glass castle..."
A flicker of surprise crossed Black Superman's face. He stared at Karen for a moment, then said in astonishment, "You're... Kara? But you died..."
"It's me. I was just trapped somewhere else before, but I'm back now." Karen took his hand. "What happened to you, Kal? Why are you like this?"
Black Superman embraced her and said with a smile, "We can talk about that later. Quick, come with me."
As he spoke, he took off into the air with Karen. In just two seconds, they had landed at the Kent Farm, the place where Clark Kent grew up.
"I can't wait. They'll be so happy to see you."
Black Superman excitedly pulled her by the hand to the front door.
"Dad! Mom!"
He knocked, and the door opened. An elderly couple appeared, but their expressions upon seeing the two were not of joy, but more like they had seen a ghost.
But Black Superman seemed not to notice.
"Mom, you're going to be so happy," he said with a smile. "Look, it's Kara! She's alive!"
(end of chapter)
