Ron briefly explained his group's encounter to Clark. Clark looked bewildered, wondering, is Bruce the Great Prophet? There really is an impostor invasion?!
Wait a minute, Clark suddenly realized, the Martian invasion plan devised by Bruce isn't just aiming to force humanity to unite and promote technological advancement, is it?
It's quite possible when you think about it. The greatest characteristic of these impostors is that they look exactly like normal humans. The captured couple, under the research of so many scientists, appear indistinguishable. If not for this prearranged Martian invasion plan, their entry into Earth would be like dragons returning to the sea, allowing them to roam freely?
Now, with the Martian invasion plan, the whole world is united in enmity against them. From top to bottom, the most hated are the Martians who can impersonate humans, and every department's level of alertness is at its peak. At this time, a person who was supposed to have died years ago suddenly resurrects, they're instantly labeled as the enemy, and there's no way to deceive the public anymore.
The imposter parents were caught this way. Initially, they reported themselves to the police, trying to have the police confirm their identities and force Barry to comply. Without this Martian invasion scenario, the police seeing two living humans, might have thought an accident occurred at that time, and the deceased were not these two. They were just missing and have now returned. Even if they look rather young, it could be attributed to good maintenance, with no solid evidence to prove they're not who they claim.
However, the post-Martian invasion plan police were different. Seeing these two people identical to deceased individuals left no room for doubt, they were immediately labeled as Martians.
If they aren't Martians, then they're unlucky; but if they are Martians and fail to report it, they'd be in big trouble. So, the police would certainly report it. Others would do the same, reporting at the highest level of alert so that if anything happens later, they wouldn't get blamed.
Thus, they were arrested by the official law enforcement officers, failing to establish their identity.
At this point, they faced two choices: either use superpowers, confirming their identity as Martians, since both Barry, the police, and the neighbors knew the Allen couple were ordinary people, and possessing superpowers would definitely mean they're Martians.
If they still wanted to maintain their social identity and shake off the Martian stigma, then they couldn't use superpowers and would have to obediently stay in jail. Whatever they initially planned, it couldn't be achieved in the short term.
In other words, this Martian invasion plan perfectly countered these impostors. Even before they arrived, the blame was placed on them, creating a false impression of them invading Earth, inciting global hostility and preventing them from launching a covert infiltration.
Clark doesn't believe such a brilliant strategy was an inadvertent mistake by Bruce; it clearly looked like a deliberate setup.
"Now you really have to tell me," Clark said to Shiller, "I know you and Bruce share some secrets regarding the Multiverse. You had things arranged long ago, kept from me probably to prevent leaking. But in the current situation, with the calamity starting to unfold, I should at least know by now?"
The others also looked at Shiller. Shiller put down his pen and looked up, saying, "The main reason for not letting you know was the uncertainty over whether understanding could be a form of power. There's a fear that knowing certain things might lead it to come find you through cognition."
Everyone in the room shuddered. Ron hesitantly said, "Maybe we should still forget it? These matters are too dangerous. If the opponent is too strong, I can't be sure I can protect your spirits."
"But I can tell you the gist of it," Schiller continued, "a certain dark energy is invading the Multiverse. Through tests, it was found your universe has the highest energy density, indicating the behind-the-scenes manipulator intends to first erode your universe. Of course, all this is already known."
"Across the Multiverse, many Justice Leagues aren't just there for nothing. As you rally, they also conducted investigations and ultimately discovered it might be Darkseid causing trouble with the Multiversal convergence."
"Darkseid?" Clark frowned, asking, "Is he Savage Wolf's boss? Can he resurrect the dead?"
"He certainly can't. He once suffered a setback at Batman's hands, so he didn't act personally this time but instead brought in another formidable enemy. The opponent is hostile to the entire Multiverse, indiscriminately attacking all life, but hasn't yet completely freed himself from origin, hence he chose to attack where the Multiverse is weak, with the aim of fully opening a manifestation channel."
The few people exchanged looks. Clark turned to Shiller, asking, "How strong is he exactly?"
"As I mentioned earlier, cognition might impact you; it's a power at the cosmic rules level. If I were to give him a codename, I'd call him 'the God of Death.'"
Everyone gently inhaled. Ron stepped forward, asking, "Can he manipulate life and death, resurrect the dead?"
Shiller nodded, saying, "Exactly, but that's merely his most basic ability. The channel isn't fully opened yet, he's currently extending a tendril. Once he fully arrives, an even greater disaster will befall."
"He chose our universe as a passageway. What does this have to do with resurrecting our family members?" Barry asked.
"The place he originally occupied was called the Realm of No Life, meaning a void where no life exists. To construct a passage connected to the Multiverse, he needed to extend part of the Realm of No Life into the Multiverse. That is to say, the place he chose as a passage cannot have any life."
"He wants to destroy Earth?!"
"Not just Earth, but the entire cosmos. He needs a completely lifeless individual universe. You are the soft targets he's picked."
Shiller stood up, looked at them, and said, "Before I came, Batman had already retired in despair, Superman was still confused, Wonder Woman was fighting alone, and the others hadn't even considered forming an alliance."
"If you maintain this state and he strikes hard, resurrects your loved ones, and then lets the other members of the Justice League kill them, causing you to fight amongst yourselves, what kind of disaster would explode eventually?"
This made everyone break out in a cold sweat.
Currently, they face these resurrected loved ones with some ease, because they still have the rational capacity to think clearly.
The battle against Savage Wolf was tough, but it allowed them to experience life and death together, becoming comrades they could trust with their backs, providing professional support and emotional solace. They didn't need to seek elsewhere, evidenced by their unanimous decision to spend Christmas Eve together.
However, without such like-minded bonds, if they were persecuted and driven to the brink, their appearing loved ones would unquestionably become their last lifeline. No one can say they won't be emotionally overwhelmed and act irrationally.
As always, mental health is vital for any wise being. Decisions made under full mental and emotional conditions might not be made under pressure and emotional deprivation.
At that point, a small provocation could lead to severe chain reactions. Once trust is broken, it's unlikely it will ever be regained, and the space between them would transform into a true Dark Forest.
Moreover, this universe is at a critical juncture of trust and distrust. The Kryptonian spaceship has arrived, Luther is about to react, persecution of Superman is certain. If he spirals out of control further, he and Batman are bound for confrontation, while behind-the-scenes manipulators stir the waters, easily causing total chaos. Forming the Justice League after fighting is out of the question, and whether Superman or Batman will survive is also unknown.
Behind all this stirring is Darkseid, who suffered immensely under Batman. He knows that to turn a universe into a soft target, Batman must be dealt with first. The Batman of this universe is old, thoroughly injured, and deeply traumatized.
Fighting Superman could destroy his body, whereas reviving Damian with revival power could crush his spirit. Attack from both sides, there's no fear of not managing him.
If the Primary Universe Batman hadn't caught on earlier, dispatching Shiller to execute a series of operations so Batman and Superman did not become enemies, but instead Superman inspired Batman, granting him new hope and forming the Justice League, finding each other as spiritual pillars, then Multiverse Darkseid's plan to sow chaos might have already succeeded.
The others hadn't thought so deeply, as those who have been smoothly sailing may not guess their breaking point under pressure. Ron said, "Now, his plan to stir up violence amongst us should be failing. What will he do next?"
Shiller shook his head and said, "It's difficult to know in advance. Even Batman can only deal with issues as they arise. Although we've researched that the God of Death might have the power to reverse life and death, we cannot know in advance whom he will resurrect, how, or what those resurrected will be like. Just, Batman chose a universal solution, which seems to be quite effective."
Clark nodded and said, "Indeed. Now all resurrected persons have been identified as Mars people, becoming public enemies, so no more sowing discord. I want to know, regarding your plans, what can we do?"
"First off, you are the President, you just need to be a successful President. Continuing the resistance against Mars people's invasion plan is effective enough. Also, that revived Dr. Erdel needs to be dealt with by you, but we've laid enough groundwork earlier; he won't be difficult to handle."
"As for the others, although you've awakened earlier, not everyone possesses such willpower. You might have to help your companions, not letting them drown in false family ties."
Clearly, this is very challenging work, and everyone realizes this. You cannot demand anyone fully refrains from drawing emotional solace from resurrected close kin, it's against human nature.
However, if left unchecked, the entire cosmos could be jeopardized. When necessary, some forceful measures must be taken, even if it harms the feelings among comrades. Everyone can only hope they don't delve too deeply, while praying for this.