Although Dean and Sam had crossed into other worlds before, this was their first time stepping foot into a universe governed by Alex.
They were already well-acquainted with the heroes of the Wasteland—many had become close friends—but those interactions had always taken place in Dean and Sam's world. Now, it was finally their turn to visit the Wasteland themselves.
It had been a while since Alex last returned, but thankfully, Pietro and the others had familiarized him with the terrain. So this time, Alex confidently led the brothers straight toward the Federal Tower.
As they passed through Central Plaza, Dean and Sam saw the massive monument standing proudly at its center. Towering and majestic, it bore the visages of numerous heroes, each one carved in astonishing detail. The sight left the two brothers stunned.
Naturally, they couldn't help but ask why Alex wasn't depicted among them. Alex waved the question off with a vague mention of magical encryption glyphs etched onto the statue—clearly not interested in elaborating.
When they reached the entrance of the Federal Tower, Madame Masque was already waiting for them.
"Mr. Alex," she said calmly, "Luthor sent me to welcome you. He's waiting upstairs. Please, follow me."
Alex noted how the woman—now free of the mental afflictions she once carried—had gained a poised and intellectual aura. Working under Luthor clearly suited her well.
"Lead the way," Alex said.
They followed her to a private elevator—one built exclusively for direct access to the top floor. Reserved only for high-clearance individuals, it was constructed with advanced materials that could withstand even missile-level impacts. Its exterior was opaque, preventing visibility from outside, but the interior offered a clear panoramic view of the cityscape as they ascended.
Alex, accustomed to such sights, barely reacted. Dean and Sam, however, weren't so numb. Though they'd seen plenty of supernatural wonders, they hadn't encountered much high-tech marvels like this.
As the elevator shot upward and the distance from the ground increased rapidly, Dean—just slightly afraid of heights—instinctively stepped further inside, away from the glass.
"Relax," Madame Masque said flatly, having noticed. "This elevator's shielding can withstand direct missile strikes."
Dean gave a sheepish chuckle and didn't respond further.
Within seconds, the elevator slid open with a soft ding, revealing the top floor of the tower—Luthor's command center and personal office.
Madame Masque stepped out first and guided the trio through the grand, silent hallway. The entire floor was devoid of people, the only sounds echoing were the measured footfalls of the group as they made their way deeper into the heart of power. Finally, Madame Masque stopped in front of Luthor's office and gestured politely.
"Lord Luthor is waiting for you inside."
"Thanks," Alex nodded. It had been a while since he'd returned, and everything seemed even more formal than before.
As he pushed open the office doors, he saw Luthor buried under a mountain of files. Judging by his exhausted face, the man had likely pulled yet another all-nighter.
Hearing the sound, Luthor immediately knew Alex had arrived, but he didn't look up right away. Instead, he carefully finished reading the document in his hand, signed it, and only then raised his head.
"Apologies. Things have been... hectic lately. Haven't even had time to prep the meeting room."
"No worries. We've held official talks in your office plenty of times," Alex replied with a chuckle, casually pulling out a chair and sitting down without ceremony.
Luthor didn't stand on formality either. He was already well-acquainted with Alex's style. "Petra filled me in on what happened in the old Wolverine's universe. Honestly… hard to believe."
"Wasn't easy, but I've seen worse over the years," Alex sighed, finally letting himself relax a bit now that he was back on home turf.
Luthor removed his glasses and glanced toward Dean and Sam, who stood a little awkwardly nearby, then turned his attention back to Alex. "From the look of it, I assume the situation's been handled?"
"More or less," Alex replied.
"'More or less'?" Luthor's brow furrowed.
"The trouble on that end is over," Alex explained, "but we've got another situation brewing over here. That's why I rushed back."
"You're saying someone's targeting us now?" A flash of cold fury lit up Luthor's eyes.
"You could put it that way," Alex said grimly. "I went head-to-head with a group of corrupted Watchers in that other world. Took one of them down, but I'm concerned the rest might now set their sights on us."
"They wouldn't dare!" Luthor shot to his feet, the weariness vanishing from him in an instant like a discarded mask.
Seeing Luthor's intense reaction, Alex raised a hand to calm him. "They probably won't move openly—my Observers here aren't just for show. But if they strike somewhere less protected… things could get messy."
Hearing Alex's words, Luthor fell silent for a moment, quickly piecing together what Alex was getting at.
"You're suggesting… their target is Flashpoint Universe One?"
Alex gave a small nod, but after a pause, he added,
"Of course, that's just speculation. I haven't fully figured out what those corrupted Watchers are after yet. But we can't afford to be unprepared—especially now, when both our universes are at such a critical juncture."
Luthor nodded in agreement.
"True. According to intel Batman sent back, Darkseid's already mobilized his forces and dispatched some of his Parademon vanguard to Earth. That version of Earth is now on full military alert—the two sides are one spark away from war."
"So Darkseid still isn't done with Earth?" Alex muttered, his expression tightening.
"It's not that simple," Luthor said, interlacing his fingers. "Batman found a strange substance embedded in Earth's surface. It's a form of exotic energy—hard to detect, incredibly repulsive to all known matter. He suspects it's what Darkseid's really after."
"Something buried in the Earth…"
Alex mulled over the phrase. His mind drifted back to scattered memories from his previous life, when he'd watched DC films. There had been rumors: that Earth bore the imprint of the Anti-Life Equation. That was the real reason Darkseid would stop at nothing to conquer it.
In the comics, the Life Equation was the source of creation—the genesis of all matter and life in the positive-matter universe. It was diffused across all existence, present in all things, a whisper in every living soul.
But the Anti-Life Equation was its polar opposite: the origin of the antimatter universe, said to reside solely on Qward, its dark heart. The Anti-Life Equation was the deadliest force in the cosmos, capable of subjugating minds, erasing free will, bending all to its user's control.
Some theorized that Earth was etched not with the Anti-Life Equation, but with the Omega Effect—Darkseid's signature power as a New God. But that theory didn't hold up; Darkseid had inherited the Omega Effect on Apokolips, not on Earth.
"So you think the Earth in Flashpoint Universe One holds the most powerful weapon in that entire universe?" Luthor asked, trying to process it. "And that's why Darkseid is hellbent on claiming it?"
"Highly likely," Alex replied. "In ancient times, Darkseid led an assault on Earth—but the planet was defended by gods. Led by Zeus, the Olympians and all of Earth's civilizations fought back… and won. It was the only time in history Darkseid was outright defeated."
"In that battle, he lost two vital things. First, the Mother Boxes—three of Apokolips' greatest tech artifacts—were seized by Earth's forces and rendered dormant. Second, he lost Earth's coordinates. Without them, he spent millennia unable to find the planet again."
Alex leaned forward. "After his defeat, Darkseid retreated to Apokolips. He waged a Holy War, crushed all opposition, and inherited the Omega Effect—becoming the most dangerous New God in existence."
"But with the fall of the Old Gods, and Earth's defenses weakened, the Mother Boxes were reawakened. That's how Darkseid found Earth again. The invasion led by Steppenwolf? That was just a test run—to see how strong Earth's new defenders were."
"Incredible…" Luthor muttered, his expression solemn. He'd had limited contact with Darkseid himself, but he knew the New God's power far exceeded mortal limits. If Darkseid really acquired the Anti-Life Equation…
"It would be catastrophic," Alex finished for him.
"After what happened last time, Darkseid won't move without absolute certainty," Luthor said, brows furrowed. "If he's preparing for war… that means he believes he can win."
He looked up at Alex.
"You've operated in that universe before. With your power… are you telling me you can't beat Darkseid?"
Hearing that, Alex paused and gave it some serious thought.
"If Darkseid doesn't descend in his higher-dimensional true form, then no—he's not a threat to me. I can take him. But the real problem is, if the Dark Watchers decide to meddle, they might escalate things beyond control. That's why our top priority right now is to determine whether the substance buried beneath Earth really is the Anti-Life Equation."
"Wait a second."
It was Sam who suddenly spoke up, breaking his long silence.
"The Anti-Life Equation… there's something odd about it. At first, I didn't think much of it. But after everything we saw in Old Logan's universe—Alex, don't you think there's something strange about the way the Equation affects people's will?"
He glanced at Alex, a spark of realization in his eyes.
"Or let me put it this way—doesn't it feel… a little too similar to the corruption you've been dealing with all this time?"
...
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