Chapter 39: Chapter 39
Chapter 39: Chapter 39
"Bonus Chapter for the 100 power stones}
"...Then, your honor, I would like to start this," John Constantine said, stepping forward with his usual air of confidence. Seeing me nod, he turned to face Superman, his sharp gaze
softening just slightly.
"Superman is grieving," John began, his tone measured yet empathetic. "And that's
understandable. The man lost his wife, his unborn child, and even his city. Anyone would be shattered by that kind of pain."
He paused, glancing around the room to let his words sink in before continuing. "But instead of collapsing under that grief, he stayed strong. He pushed forward, working through all that suffering to try and make the world a better place."
I nodded slightly, acknowledging his words, though my expression remained neutral.
"But..." John continued, his voice dropping slightly, "he went about it completely wrong. Instead of letting himself grieve, he started to lose himself. Bit by bit, piece by piece, the Man of Steel began to disappear."
He paused, turning to glance briefly at the silent Superman before continuing. "It started with the Joker. No one blames him for that-not really. The guy should've been put down a long time ago."
I nodded in agreement at that last part, my expression momentarily softening. Even I couldn't argue with that logic. Constantine caught the gesture and pressed on, his voice steady but charged with emotion.
"But Superman didn't stop there," John said, his voice heavy with both disappointment and conviction.
His speech was long, meticulously laying out every event that had led to this trial. He spoke of how Superman forced world leaders into peace, not through diplomacy but through fear. He detailed the slow disintegration of the Justice League, the very symbol of unity and hope, as its members either fell in line with Superman's vision or were crushed for opposing him. John's words painted a vivid, damning picture. He described moments like Superman's brutal killing of Green Arrow in a fit of uncontrollable rage, and the countless other instances where the lines of morality blurred into nothingness.
"Each step he took," John continued, his voice steady but firm, "twisted his view of justice further. Each life he took made it easier to take the next. And the next. Until eventually, even those so-called innocent lives he once claimed to protect were destroyed by his own hands."
The room was silent, the weight of John's words suffocating. Even Superman, unyielding in his righteousness, looked away for a fleeting moment as if the recounting of his deeds had finally reached a crack in his armor.
"In the end," John continued, his tone growing heavier, "things spiraled out of control. Superman's actions became so oppressive, so absolute, that people began to see the Joker-a madman, a monster-as a symbol of freedom."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle over the courtroom. "The Joker," he repeated, his voice laced with disbelief. "A murderer, a sadistic lunatic, replaced the image of Superman in the hearts of the people. They chose chaos and insanity over a man they once saw as their savior."
John turned to Superman, his gaze sharp and unwavering. "I believe that speaks volumes about how far you've fallen. When people would rather rally behind the Joker than trust in the Man of Steel... what does that say about you?"
The silence that followed was deafening. Even those who supported Superman couldn't deny the power of John's argument, and for a moment, all eyes turned to the once-unshakable hero to see if he had anything to say in his defense.
"Superman, do you have any words?" I asked, my gaze fixed on him and the small group that stood behind him.
The room remained silent. Superman, once a figure of unshakable confidence, said nothing. His shoulders sagged slightly, his head bowed, as if the weight of everything that had transpired was finally settling on him. His group exchanged uneasy glances, but none of them dared to speak. They all knew the truth-today, they had lost everything.
I sighed, the sound cutting through the heavy silence like a blade. Slowly, I reached for my hammer, gripping it firmly. "I've heard enough," I said, my voice calm but resolute.
Boom!
Before I could even raise my hammer, my eyes widened as a bolt of lightning struck the courtroom with an ear-splitting crack, its brilliant flash enveloping Superman. And then, just as quickly as it appeared, the lightning vanished-along with Superman.
I froze, my grip tightening on the hammer as I tried to process what had just happened. I mean, how couldn't I be shocked? Right before my eyes, something utterly ridiculous had unfolded.
A fusion of Batman and Shazam had arrived-a being radiating both the intellect of the Dark Knight and the divine power of Shazam. In that split second lightning had struck, illuminating the courtroom in a blinding flash, and Before anyone could react, Batman Shazam had grabbed Superman. With a surge of power, they vanished, fleeing the universe and disappearing into the multiverse, their destination unknown.
For a moment, the room was silent, the weight of what had just happened settling over everyone. "Well," I muttered, lowering my hammer, "that's one way to disrupt a trial."
"... I can't believe I never thought of that possibility," I muttered, my mind racing as I considered the implications. Could this have something to do with the evil Batman? What was his name again? Oh, right, the Batman Who Laughs or something equally ridiculous.
My thoughts trailed off as my eyes brightened, a grin spreading across my face. I hadn't expected this turn of events to be so fun.
"Well, I guess I should get going," I said, rising to my feet with a smirk. A Poké Ball materialized in my palm, its surface gleaming. "I can't believe someone just ran off with my super rare Pokémon."
I stared at the Poké Ball for a moment, my resolve hardening. There was no way I was letting my collection get stolen. Even if I hadn't watched Pokémon and only played the games, I knew enough, what's the point of catching them all if someone's just going to steal them?
I ignored Batman and the others demanding answers, their voices fading into the background as I focused on what truly mattered. Without a word, I summoned my Ki aura, its energy flaring around me like a blazing inferno. With a burst of power, I rocketed into the sky, leaving the courtroom and everything in it far behind.
Locking onto Superman's Ki signature, I pushed myself to insane speeds, the world around me becoming a blur of light and energy. The boundaries of the universe didn't even slow me down-I shattered through them effortlessly, propelling myself beyond the multiverse I was
in.
Within moments, I shot into an entirely different set of multiverses within the DC framework, my senses sharpened, homing in on my target.
"Broly?!"
Just as I entered the universe and began to slow down, someone called out to me. Powergirl's voice rang out, filled with shock and confusion.
Her call caused me to pause mid-flight, my aura flickering slightly as I turned to look at her in confusion. My eyes narrowed as I took her in, quickly realizing something was off. She wasn't just any Powergirl-this was Earth-o's Powergirl... I was back in the main universe?
"What are you doing here? I thought you left to return home," Superman asked, his voice laced with confusion as he flew over to join Powergirl. Behind him, the others followed their expressions mirroring his bafflement.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
I raised an eyebrow, glancing at them briefly before looking around. It hadn't even been a second since I'd left, yet somehow time seemed to have slowed down for them.
"I stopped by a universe. Didn't get lost or anything," I said, shaking my head with a faint smirk. "But you wouldn't believe what happened-a rude Superman with a Yellow Lantern ring tried to kill me. For no reason."
"Yellow Power Ring Superman?" a brown-haired girl asked, her voice curious. "Wait, did he lose his wife and was trying to bring peace to the world or something?"
I turned to her, confusion flickering across my face. She was new-someone I didn't recognize immediately. But as I studied her for a second longer, my eyes brightened with realization. "Kitty?" My eyes widened in surprise. How had I missed her just a second ago when I was
here?
Before I could even begin to turn into a fanboy, Rogue stepped forward, cutting in. "We regrouped with the others who were spread out across Earth," she explained. "And by the
looks of it, you ended up in the Injustice Universe."
"Injustice?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Rogue nodded, immediately launching into an explanation about the storyline behind that
universe, with Nightcrawler chiming in to help fill in the details. Their voices blended together as they passionately detailed the rise and fall of Superman in that world.
But I wasn't listening.
My gaze drifted, fixating on Nightcrawler, Cyclops, and the rest of the X-Men standing nearby. A single thought consumed my mind: I needed to get all of their autographs. "...What?" I asked, snapping back to reality as I noticed everyone staring at me.
"You didn't kill anyone, right?" Rogue asked, her tone cautious. I gave her an offended look,
"Like I would ever kill anyone. I value all life equally," I said, slipping the Poké Ball away with casual precision. "Plus, I was only here to save that Yellow Lantern Superman. He got kidnapped by a Batman with Shazam powers."
I paused for effect, letting the absurdity of my statement hang in the air before continuing.
"We should go save him. I have reason to believe that the Laughing Batman is behind this."
I ignored the gazes of those around me, their expressions filled with skepticism. It was obvious they saw right through my little act, but I pretended not to notice, my focus entirely on the task ahead.