Emperor Building.
Underground Research Institute.
Fourteenth floor below ground.
Inside a massive glass-sealed chamber, Jenny's bionic body was nearly complete.
The solution within the glass jar was no longer the usual green nutrient liquid, but a cloudy yellow nuclear energy solution.
The embryo floated and sank in the murky yellow fluid. Its curled body was grotesque and hideous, with white bony barbs protruding from its surface. The cuticle was thick, like the texture of frosted skin. The curled form was already more than four meters tall, and once fully extended, it would become a monstrous figure over thirteen meters high.
Bardi narrowed his eyes slightly. Standing tall and unmoving like a pine tree, his strong physique beneath the white trench coat resembled a towering mountain.
Beside him, one of Lex's researchers continued adjusting Jenny's bionic body, working nervously under Bardi's silent pressure.
Bardi rested his right hand against his left, his thumb lightly rubbing his palm. Surrounded by the tense movements of white-coated researchers, he remained still, staring at the bionic body of Jenny, lost in thought.
To be honest.
He could not be entirely certain that his actions would not affect the future at all.
In this world, even the slightest disturbance—like a single speck of dust—could shift the air, triggering a chain reaction.
This was especially true for himself. His arrival in this world had already caused too many changes. People, events—everything was different.
Krypton. Jor-El. Superman, killed by his hand. Faora. Zod. Deathstroke. Atom. Firestorm. Constantine. Captain Cold. Raven. Poison Ivy. Flash. Batman. Cyborg. Killer Croc… and more.
There were also the various heroes and villains who had met their end by his hands. For example, Billy Batson, whom Bardi had immediately identified as a threat and crushed to death. Afterward, he created a bionic body using Billy's genes, installed a control program, and imprisoned it within the Emperor Building, awaiting rescue, awaiting the moment he would transform into Shazam.
Green Arrow's companies were also destroyed by Bardi. Unlike Batman, Green Arrow was not so fortunate. After several rounds of pursuit, he disappeared from the world. Star City fell completely under Bardi's control.
There were many others, lesser-known heroes and villains alike, either subdued or killed by Bardi.
This was a path soaked in blood and cruelty. The well-known heroes and villains of the comics were destined to become his enemies, one by one. Very few were worthy of his trust. This was a painful, twisted, and lonely road of conquest, a road filled with adversaries.
Therefore, even knowing the risk of altering the situation, and despite little personal gain, Bardi still wanted to save Jenny's life.
He wanted to do the best he could. To give everything within his power.
The scene of that moment remained vivid in his mind. Jenny had detonated herself before his eyes, destroying her own body. The silver ring had flown through the flames, and even now, the burning sensation remained in his palm where he had caught it.
Now, by using the bionic body to replace Jenny's self-destructed form, Bardi was trying to recreate that exact moment, restoring the scene as precisely as possible, while avoiding further disruptions.
Bardi's thumb pressed harder into his palm, and with a soft exhale, the haze in his eyes gradually cleared.
"Master, the alien spacecraft approaching Earth from the direction of the Andromeda Galaxy is expected to land at Mogoro Beach, a coastal city, in forty-seven minutes and fifty seconds," Hera's voice reported suddenly through the communicator.
Over the past few days, Bardi had been entirely focused on dealing with the Flash and Jenny's bionic body. He had not paid much attention to the incoming spacecraft.
In truth, over the past ten years, it was not uncommon for alien ships to crash on Earth. However, most of them held little value, and Bardi generally ignored them.
But this time.
When he heard that the landing would be at a seaside city, Bardi's eyes narrowed, and the image of the Green Lantern ring involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
...
Night.
The night was deep, like a curtain drawn across the sky. The stars above shone like tiny holes pierced through the darkness.
California.
In the seaside town of Mogoro Beach.
A lighthouse stood at the edge of the rocky shore, its light sweeping through the dark, guiding lost ships back toward land.
Waves continuously crashed against the rounded stones, spraying white foam into the air.
In the stillness of the night, there was only the scent of the sea and the sound of waves colliding.
The wind howled.
From the darkness, three figures emerged.
Hal Jordan walked at the front, wearing a brown jacket—a keepsake from his father, who had died in a plane crash before Hal's very eyes. This jacket symbolized his father's spirit, giving him strength and faith whenever he faced important moments.
Stepping onto the rounded stones at the water's edge, Hal lifted his head, his determined face illuminated by hopeful eyes. The night was dark, but the stars remained bright.
Behind him, Victor Stone wore the last remaining set of exoskeleton armor. His iron boots clinked against the stones as he scanned the surroundings like a rabbit on alert for wolves.
At the rear stood Diana. Her flowing black curls danced in the wind. Even in the darkness, her goddess-like beauty was undeniable.
She was as beautiful as Aphrodite, as wise as Athena, faster than Hermes, and stronger than Hercules. She stood as the most prominent female superhero in the world.
Her figure was radiant, the Amazonian armor tightly outlining her perfect form. At her slender right waist hung the Lasso of Truth and the Vulcan-forged sword capable of splitting atoms. A round divine shield rested on her back, and silver bracers on her wrists restrained her overwhelming divine power.
Her steel boots pressed into the small stones by the sea. The ocean breeze blew her curls across her face. Her eyes were firm and resolute, her expression serious and unwavering. Under the glow of the moon and stars, she gazed into the night sky.
"As soon as he appears, I will bind him with the Lasso of Truth and make him confess his crimes," Diana declared firmly. Her eyes flashed with unyielding will. The sea wind howled, but she remained fearless.
At that moment.
The waves surged higher, crashing forcefully against the coast.
In the shimmering darkness of the sea, a figure clad in a golden-scaled suit leapt from the water.
Aquaman held his trident tightly as he stood upon the raging waves. Under the moonlight and starlight, his eyes gleamed with anger and determination.
Clutching his trident, he stepped firmly upon the water, the wind carrying his fury like a chilling blast.
"The wrath of Atlantis is not something he can bear!" Aquaman declared.
(To be continued.)
***
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