Below, the huge commotion caused by the Helicarrier naturally drew the attention of everyone in Los Angeles.
This was the farthest major American city from the LexCorp headquarters. It was also the last stronghold for those wealthy elites who had been driven out.
The citizens of Los Angeles knew LexCorp had improved their livelihood, but after constant propaganda from local media, they didn't think much of the company. In their eyes, LexCorp was just another capitalist power. It might be shining now, but sooner or later it would start exploiting the people, just like the others.
But now, when danger loomed above their heads and LexCorp's heroes fought with their lives to protect them, even the most stubborn brainwashing crumbled. No amount of repeated words from the media could compare to what they were seeing with their own eyes.
When they realized heroes weren't just celebrities but people who stood up in the face of overwhelming disaster, they formed their own judgment.
* * *
The wealthy men who had fled to the West Coast also learned what was happening through their channels. At first, they were shocked. S.H.I.E.L.D. was having such a major failure, and Hydra from the Second World War was still alive?
But then, their shock turned to fury. They cursed endlessly, because that damned organization had just handed the last bit of public trust straight to LexCorp.
Hydra's goal was to destroy Los Angeles and use the city's devastation to shatter LexCorp's noble image in the eyes of the world. Once people saw the company fail to protect the lives in Los Angeles, its support would collapse.
These tycoons, however, saw things differently. If this had happened in New York, they would have cheered. Their assets there had already been forced out and they no longer owned anything in that city.
But this was Los Angeles. Their final base.
In this clash between Hydra and LexCorp, if the former won, LexCorp would fall, but their remaining wealth would vanish along with the city. If the latter won, then the last city they could influence would fall completely under the company's control.
Regardless of which side prevailed, they would suffer. How could anyone not break down at that thought?
Still, most of them hoped LexCorp would once again display its power and crush Hydra's plan.
No one wanted to see Los Angeles reduced to ashes, not even those who held no property here.
They might be ruthless, but not entirely heartless. The destruction of a city would send shockwaves so big that even if LexCorp absorbed the biggest impact, the remaining fallout could still destroy them.
"They have to win!"
* * *
Meanwhile, on the rooftop of a tall building in Los Angeles, two figures stepped out of a glowing portal.
Reid, in the form of Doctor Fate, and Luthor had arrived through magic, looking up at the Fantastic Four locked in a desperate battle in the sky.
"The plan worked," Reid said quietly. "From now on, even if you haven't started running for president yet, LexCorp's influence in America is almost unmatched."
He turned toward Luthor, but this time, the man didn't wear his usual composed expression. Instead, his brow furrowed as he stared at the battlefield above, more precisely, at Susan, struggling alone to maintain the force field protecting the city.
"Luthor… you…" Reid frowned slightly. He instinctively reached out with his senses to check Susan's condition, and what he found made him pause.
"What? Don't tell me she…"
Luthor gave a slight nod, his expression grim. "It seems so. Her power is nowhere near the levels we recorded in testing. Her energy is scattered. There's only one explanation."
He didn't need to say more. The truth was clear.
Susan was pregnant. And the Franklin of this world might soon be born. Whether this version of him would be a mutant born with the ability to rewrite reality... they would find out soon enough.
"In that case, let's end this," Reid said, nodding slowly. "Pushing any further won't gain us much."
He raised his hand and used his new magical abilities to contact Superman out at sea.
Since Luthor cared this much about Susan and the child she carried, then there was no point in continuing the charade.
After learning from Superman about everything that had happened in the other DC world, Reid understood. Even though he still had the system's authority to forcefully command the summoned characters, deep down, he no longer saw them as just puppets.
* * *
Up in the sky, Susan had reached her limit.
The force field cracked inch by inch. She fell to her knees, clutching her stomach.
It wasn't pain; she could feel her strength being drained by the life growing inside her. The discovery brought both joy and panic.
This was not the time for something like this.
"Susie!"
A missile tore through the last of the barrier and streaked toward her.
Ben charged in and protected her with his body, taking the full brunt of the explosion.
There was no time for words. As Susan collapsed from exhaustion, more missiles rained down. Despair filled Ben's heart.
He wouldn't die from the blast. At worst, he'd fall a few hundred meters and hit the ground. His body could take it. But Susan? In her state, under this rain of fire, he couldn't possibly shield her from the shockwaves. Without her powers, she would not survive.
Johnny saw it too. He tried to rush in, but the missiles flew as fast as he did. He couldn't make it in time. He could only watch as the warheads closed in on her from every direction.
They were out of options.
Then, among the crowd below, a man noticed a rapidly growing shadow on the horizon.
"Huh? What's that?"
A bird? A plane? No. It was Superman!
The next second, every missile detonated midair, along with the cannons that had fired them.
The massive Helicarrier, a masterpiece built from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s decades of resources and Tony's genius, was neutralized in an instant.
When the explosions faded, Ben felt the last remnants of Susan's force field vanish. His body was not falling though. Someone had grabbed him.
He opened his eyes and saw a man clad in a blue suit, a bright red cape flowing in the wind. A figure radiating hope like the sun itself.
"You're…"
"You can call me Superman," the man said with a smile.
In the blink of an eye, he landed and placed them near Reid and Luthor.
"This lady is pregnant," Superman said calmly. "And something about her condition is unusual. But don't worry. This will all be over soon."
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