Chapter 226: Doing Nothing Would Have Been Better
Du Wa was serious when he spoke, but everyone thought he was spouting nonsense.
What kind of disaster could possibly render Prime Earth defenseless, to the point where it needed protection from an invading god like Du Wa?
"If even Superboy-Prime can't protect Prime Earth, then you have even less of a chance," Morrison said, shaking his head repeatedly.
Even if Du Wa was exceptionally powerful in every aspect, his status could never compare to Superman's. This was determined by the fundamental structure of the DC World, a fact these editors were well aware of.
Du Wa smiled faintly and didn't bother explaining further, because even if he did, these guys probably wouldn't be able to understand.
On Prime Earth, there was only a DC Editorial Department; no Marvel Editorial Department existed. In other words, one couldn't say these people were completely ignorant of the existence of another Multiverse, but they knew very little about it at best.
And Du Wa was determined to cause two super-massive multiverses to collide. This was the most advantageous outcome for him. When that time came, the DC Editorial Department would no longer be unique, and a special world like Prime Earth, hiding behind the fourth wall, would also no longer be unique.
No matter how chaotic things became, at least one thing was certain: a horde of troublesome gods would eagerly explore the DC World and, in doing so, discover the existence of the DC Editorial Department.
Just like what Du Wa had done.
"It's fine if you can't understand. You just need to remember my words," Du Wa said.
Superboy-Prime had lost his patience. He abruptly threw a punch at Du Wa's head, but Du Wa simply extended a single finger and blocked his fist.
A look of astonishment crossed Superboy-Prime's face. Refusing to believe it, he unleashed another series of attacks. The stunning frequency of his blows easily created numerous sonic booms, blowing the Editorial Department to pieces.
The editors scrambled out, watching the battle between the two superhumans with lingering fear.
A one-on-one fight of this type was a first for Prime Earth.
"Even though I've seen it many times in the comics, witnessing a battle like this with my own eyes is still a real eye-opener."
"Clark can't win. Even we have no way of knowing where Du Wa's upper limit of strength lies, let alone Superboy-Prime. Du Wa doesn't even need to call his subordinates; he alone is more than Clark can handle."
The editors sighed, at a loss for how to resolve this situation.
The enraged Superboy-Prime and the mysterious God of Xenomorphs battled it out on Prime Earth. Fortunately, both were exercising restraint, controlling the scope of destruction as much as possible to avoid involving more ordinary people.
But this earth-shaking confrontation still produced tremors like a small earthquake, causing the people nearby to scream in terror and flee.
However, neither Du Wa nor Superboy-Prime paid any attention to these people at this moment.
"Why so angry? Because your safe zone was invaded by me from the Multiverse? This world never belonged to you."
"Damn it, it never belonged to you either! This is no place for a guy like you!"
Superboy-Prime swore he had never been in a fight like this in his entire life!
His enemy was terrifyingly strong, yet he had to desperately suppress his own power to avoid destroying this relatively peaceful world... Had this been anywhere else in the Multiverse, he would have already gone on a killing spree. To hell with Earth, to hell with the Universe, they would all have to die!
What made his blood pressure soar even higher was that the endless stream of incoming warplanes and tanks were firing wildly, yet they couldn't even scratch him. They were just an annoyance.
"It seems we've finally reached a consensus on one thing. Neither of us likes show-offs. You have too many scruples, needing to consider how the people of this world view your family and loved ones. But I don't. I'll take care of these guys for you."
Du Wa grabbed Superboy-Prime's head, raised his other hand, and chopped down on his shoulder. The heavy blow sent him plummeting to the ground like a meteor, creating a massive crater that swallowed several surrounding streets.
At the same time, the people nearby, including the pilots of the various planes and tanks, were instantly parasitized by Du Wa, becoming extensions of his concept.
"No! What have you done?!" Superboy-Prime climbed out of the pit, looking in disbelief at the surrounding buildings that were caving in and collapsing.
"Don't be hasty."
Du Wa spoke nonchalantly. In the surrounding skyscrapers, many people who hadn't managed to escape suddenly moved with the agility of superhumans, easily smashing through walls and windows, and leaping more than ten meters with a single bound.
Under Du Wa's control, every action these people took was like an optimal solution derived from countless computer calculations. A shattered wall kicked aside by one human would quickly become a crucial springboard for many other humans to rapidly escape from deep within the building.
Every detail was calculated. When each individual should run, when they should jump, and which route to violently clear—everything was arranged with perfect clarity.
In an instant, countless figures flickered one after another, moving from peril to safety.
"I forgot to tell you, it doesn't matter even if these people die. I can resurrect them, as long as that fellow Death doesn't interfere—you've been staying in the Prime Universe all this time, so you probably don't know who Death is. That being is even more special and powerful than Black Hand," Du Wa said casually.
No matter how furious and exasperated Superboy-Prime became, or what kind of offensive he launched, Du Wa remained completely unfazed.
"Great. Am I supposed to thank you?"
"You're welcome. It's what I should do. I have an idea. Since you're so afraid of people dying, how about I turn all intelligent life in the universe into Xenomorphs? It would increase my burden, but I'm willing to do it. After all, I am committed to maintaining peace."
"Bullshit! Stop acting like a savior!"
Superboy-Prime used his Super Vision to look around at the people who, with dazed expressions, had instantly become superhumans. He clearly realized that there was nothing he could do to Du Wa.
Nothing at all.
He had never truly backed down before. Not when facing the Superman of Earth-2, not when battling in the dimension of Heaven, not when single-handedly fighting the Teen Titans and the Justice Society, slaughtering the Green Lantern Corps, torturing Mister Mxyzptlk, or going on a killing spree on Main Universe Earth, slaughtering superheroes as if they were chicks. Even when facing Black Hand, he had never backed down.
But now, on Prime Earth, the home he cared about most, he faced the Xenomorphs, which were more terrifying than a plague and spreading with impunity. For the first time, he hated how utterly powerless he was.
"I shouldn't have just kept increasing my own strength! I should have mastered other special abilities, even Mister Mxyzptlk's method of reality-warping would have been fine!" Superboy-Prime was filled with regret.
A stronger body, more abundant energy—what was the use against a powerful enemy like Du Wa? Even in a one-on-one fight, he couldn't truly harm Du Wa in the slightest!
Superboy-Prime watched helplessly as countless "Du Was" appeared on Prime Earth.
In a daze, Du Wa appeared before him, grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him up.
"Regret? It's what keeps you from being eternally lost to madness. This world didn't have to become like this. Why did you have to stand up?"
Du Wa attacked relentlessly. Not only did he fight himself, but a continuous stream of parasitized humans also rushed in. Having received a portion of Du Wa's power, their strength surged, and they began to besiege Superboy-Prime.
The most ridiculous part was that these superhumans, who had been ordinary humans just moments ago, were now like a group of carbon-copy Supermen. Each possessed Super Vision, Super-Strength, and Super Speed. Although their individual strength wasn't high, their numbers were truly vast.
The Xenomorphs Du Wa had implanted in their bodies all possessed Superman's genes.
In an instant, Superboy-Prime fell into the miserable plight of being besieged, and his face was quickly beaten bloody.
If there were any research enthusiasts around, they would probably be excitedly collecting Superboy-Prime's blood, studying how to produce some scientific breakthroughs.
Under this siege, Superboy-Prime began to question his life. His intense pride made him subconsciously want to strike back.
"If you strike back, the very next second, your parents and Laurie will be among those attacking you. You might just kill them with a single punch," Du Wa said slowly.
Superboy-Prime immediately froze, not daring to move. He was held down by many hands, seething with impotent rage. Finally, he just clutched his head and wept, tears streaming down his face.
In the distance, the editors, tightly surrounded by a group of Xenomorph-humans, looked at each other, all speechless.
They didn't know what to say either. They could only confirm one thing: as soon as the next issue of the comic was released, it would be an explosive hit. Countless readers would rush to tell their friends, showing them the page where Superboy-Prime was beaten to tears.
Superboy-Prime was truly unlucky, confronting the one enemy he should never have faced in the wrong place.
Du Wa had morals, but not many. When it came to a fight, he was far more ruthless than Superboy-Prime, leaving the boy completely cornered.
Du Wa stood before the bruised and swollen figure, looking at this guy whose snot, tears, and blood were mixed together, and directly began to parasitize him.
Originally, he had no such intention. He didn't even plan to do anything to Prime Earth and had no interest in Superboy-Prime.
But there was no helping it. The guy's ego was out of control, and he had insisted on rushing to his doom.
"I have many genuine Supermen under my command, and now I'm adding you to the list... You are the most powerful Superman in my hands."
Du Wa pulled Superboy-Prime up from the ground and forcibly healed his injuries.
Superboy-Prime was still crying. Du Wa waved his hand impatiently, forcibly stopping him from wasting time on weeping.
"Did I do the wrong thing again?" Superboy-Prime asked, still unwilling to accept it.
"Yes. Similar to things you've done in the past, if you had simply done nothing, things would have turned out better."
"That's different! All those other times, it was those bastard editors manipulating my fate! They smugly used me to advance the plot of the Multiverse..."
"You overestimate those guys."
Du Wa didn't continue the discussion on this topic. Instead, he herded the editors over to him.
Jeff hesitated for a moment. "Gentlemen, that was truly a spectacular confrontation. I finally understand how the people in the Multiverse view superhumans like you. However, you've also wrecked the Editorial Department."
"Don't worry, rebuilding is a very simple matter. Including all these surrounding shattered buildings, the repairs can be completed quickly. I have experience."
Du Wa began to manipulate the numerous Xenomorph-humans, who threw themselves into the reconstruction effort one after another, arranging everything in an orderly fashion.
"You've done something like this before?"
"I have."
"None of us editors knew..."
Having dealt with the Editorial Department and Superboy-Prime, Du Wa had completely lost interest in Prime Earth. Once the plot points were seeded into the Multiverse, all that remained was to wait for them to bear fruit.
It would only take a little time.
"Clark, you will continue to guard this universe. Until a greater crisis erupts, this place can be considered the safest place. Ordinary major events can't affect it here," Du Wa said.
If Du Wa hadn't acted now, in the future, Superboy-Prime would have been plastered onto the Origin Wall by the Main Universe's Teen Titans. He would only be freed when the Origin Wall shattered, becoming a minion for the unprecedentedly powerful The Batman Who Laughs, also known as The Darkest Knight.
"You have to stop your corrosion of this world! Make your Xenomorphs stop at once!" Superboy-Prime roared.
But Du Wa's figure had already vanished before his eyes.
Jeff said, "He's left. He must have returned to the Multiverse. I guess some new development has occurred over on Earth-3 that requires him to go back and handle it personally. Black Hand is not an easy opponent to deal with."
"Left? There are still so many Xenomorphs in this world, what difference does it make whether he's left or not? As long as he wishes, he can mobilize the vast majority of his power and return here at any moment!" Superboy-Prime was devastated.
This terrible reality, this terrible future, truly ought to be erased. If possible, the best outcome would be to return Prime Earth to that specific historical period—the Golden Age.
...
Universe 3.
The battle between Black Hand and Thanoseid had been going on for some time. The entire universe was already shattered, with only the region around Earth remaining relatively intact.
Just as Thanoseid was searching across the universe for Du Wa's whereabouts, Black Hand suddenly stopped fighting.
"So that's how it is..."
The light in Black Hand's pitch-black eye sockets flickered.
He knew where Du Wa was.
Prime Earth. Once, his Black Lantern Ring had entered there. It was a very special world.
"Hmph, you're finally back?" Thanoseid's expression turned to one of excitement. Compared to Black Hand, all he wanted to do now was use his own greatest power to kill Du Wa!
Of course, it would be even better if he could enslave him instead!
"Du Wa, get the hell out here and fight me!!"
Thanoseid's voice resounded throughout Universe 3. He immediately abandoned Black Hand, his gaze focusing on a certain spot.
Du Wa's figure slowly emerged. This method of appearing from thin air, which didn't involve any changes to space-time, was something Thanoseid couldn't comprehend.
But it didn't matter. Once he killed or enslaved Du Wa, he would find out what was going on.
(end of chapter)