Chapter 170: The Insanity Of Superheroes
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Wingspeed rushed through New York carrying Doctor Frost on his arms, finally reaching a hospital. For a couple of seconds already, he couldn’t hear Doctor Frost’s heartbeat anymore.
BAAAM!
With his superspeed, he pierced through the door and reached the hospital's interior.
“Please someone, save this man! He was attacked, and he’s full of holes!” he screamed.
“W-What?!”
“Eh! A man in a tight suit…”
“Bring him to me!”
A doctor quickly came rushing inside; used to hunters coming dying, the hospitals of the big cities of the world had already been adapted to quickly attending people in emergencies.
Wingspeed rushed towards the doctor, and then Doctor Frost was placed over a bed, where he slowly started freezing it.
“Ah! What is this man? He’s an Awakened? Can’t he control his frost powers?”
The doctor, an old man in his fifties with a short white beard, couldn’t even get close to Doctor Frost, as he felt the tips of his fingers freeze.
“Y-Yeah! He’s a metahuman,” said Wingspeed. “I think he had an accident while trying to create some sort of Cryogenic Sleep Device, and he ended up being in a permanent state of cryogenic sleep that granted him such powers.”
“W-what?!” The doctor had never heard of such insanity before. “Unless he can deactivate his powers, I don’t think I could close his wounds, though! At least you can pour these potions!”
“Potions?!” Wingspeed was shocked that when he entered the damn hospital, he was given potions instead. “T-They’re magical… magical potions? Like in video games?”
“Yeah, I mean, where have you been, kid? This is how it has been for eleven years,” said the doctor. “Now quickly!”
“Ah! Yeah, sure!” Wingspeed opened the potion bottles and then… “Um, how do I use these? Do I apply them over his body or…?”
“Apply in the body wounds,” said the doctor. “There are some that can be digested, but these are specifically made for that.”
“Gotcha,” he nodded.
He quickly did that, pouring the red-colored potions into Doctor Frost wounds and rapidly seeing them heal and close.
Then, his incredibly slow pulse came back as Doctor Frost’s eyes slowly opened.
“W-Wingspeed…?!”
“Doctor! You ok?!”
“W-What… you saved me?”
“I had to! I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t… as much as I hate you.”
“You superheroes… Are the real insane people here… hahah…”
“Super… heroes?” The doctor didn’t know what to even make of this all. “I should report this… These guys are definitely not from our world.”
“Wingspeed!”
RUMBLE!
Suddenly, a powerful shockwave reached the hospital from the skies, making the entire building tremble slightly.
“Eh?! Ah! Galaxy Man! You’re here too?”
Wingspeed rushed towards the window, seeing the mighty Galaxy Man appear from the skies.
“Yes, I came looking for you guys and the villains that were absorbed by the portals,” said Galaxy Man. “There’s a lot we need to talk about, but I doubt we can do so relaxedly. Is that Doctor Frost? Is he okay?”
"Yes, he’s fine; some natives of this world almost got him,” said Wingspeed. “I saved him, but I can’t really blame them either; they did so on self-defense.”
“Natives of this world were capable of inflicting such wounds on him?” wondered Galaxy Man. “I happened to meet someone of incredible power who was definitely equally strong or even stronger than me, but I didn’t think there were many like her.”
“It’s confusing, I know; we’ll have to find out what’s up with this world first; it’s very different from our own Earth, or most parallel worlds we’ve accidentally visited before,” Wingspeed sighed, crossing his arms. “We need to put Doctor Frost in some sort of jail first though; I don’t want him escaping while we’re not around. Doctor, do you have any prison for metahumans here?”
“Y-You mean the high-security prisons for Hunters? Yes, there’s a couple,” sighed the doctor. “Wait! This man’s a criminal?!”
"Yes, I’m afraid he’s-”
“And why didn’t you finish him off then?! Leaving criminals alive of this caliber would only bring problems in the future, young man!”
“E-Eh?! Finish him off?! That’s illegal! Even if he’s a criminal, killing someone… I don’t think I would be able to live normally if I ever did that,” Wingspeed argued.
“What are you talking about?” facepalmed the doctor. “Well, I’ll call the police, so please keep him in check while they arrive.”
“Sure!” Wingspeed nodded.
“Hmmm, even the morality of this world is slightly twisted,” said Galaxy Man. “Killing criminals before they can even be judged… Most of our villains are mentally ill people anyway, so they never really are given the death penalty and are often times sent to specialized assilums for metahumans. Although… they always find a way to escape, or another villain frees them… Hm.”
“Earlier, I saw some strange people that weren’t humans walking around, and if you look closely, there are a lot of nonhumans too,” said Wingspeed. “From what I’ve overheard, they come from that huge tower on the horizon; did you see it?”
“What tower?” Galaxy Man couldn’t recall seeing any tower from space. “Wait, how did that appear over there?! I was unable to see it from space! It is like… some sort of magical mirage?”
“No idea, but that tower has definitely done something to this world… Not that having a society that accepts other races isn’t bad; I mean, it’s wonderful and everything, but still, it's surprising to see fantasy races you would see in some Tolkien or Narnia book wandering around…” muttered Wingspeed.
“Hm, I agree…” nodded Galaxy Man. “Well, I’ll leave you here then. I’ll go fetch Nightman, Jade Star, Marvelous Woman, and Martian Man; I can sense their presences around the city. Once the whole group is together, we’ll figure out something.”
“Alright, thanks, man!” Wingspeed thanked Galaxy Man, as his friend flew away flashily as always.
“Did he say he met someone as strong or stronger than him?” Suddenly Wingspeed recalled something Galaxy Man said. “There’s... no way, right?”
He looked through the window at New York City and the tower.
He felt a strange sensation the more he looked at it.
As if it were calling him.
“Just what the hell is this world?”
.
.
.
“Phew! Finally here, so this is New York, huh? It sure looks different than El Cairo! The air is a bit fresher too, and it’s not so hot~”
Merneith walked across the John F. Kennedy International Airport of New York, looking at the city in the distance while marveling over the dozens of little restaurants, shops, and many other things within the airport itself.
Because there were new things she had never seen before everywhere, Merneith ended up walking into every new shop she found, buying jewelry and clothes and trying out lots of new food.
“Hmm! I love New York already!”
Her little pyramid-shaped robot followed her, floating right by her left side, his single mechanical eye glaring at her while squinting.
[“Princess, I would recommend you not to get too distracted! We came here specifically to attempt to repair the Mechanical Gods that Bing Xue has secured!”]
He already seemed a bit tired of her distracting herself so much!
"Aw, come on, let me have some fun!” she said. “We’re here to visit the place as tourists, right?”
[“B-But… What about Lady Bing Xue? Where is she? She seems to be late!”]
“I think she might be busy dealing with something, but I bet she’ll be right here in time…”
Merneith was too relaxed as she drank some delicious soft serve ice cream while sitting near a café; she was constantly checking her new phone as well.
She had created several social media accounts and had become rather popular online… Her robot companion was a bit worried she might grow addicted to online attention.
“Ah, look! My last post reached ten thousand likes already!” she celebrated. “I only posted it an hour ago, hehe!”
[“Um princess, you shouldn’t really be concentrating on such frivolities; you’re royalty, much above these things…”]
“Bah, what do you know? I can have some fun while my Bing Xue comes to pick me up~”
[“Y-Your Bing Xue?!”]
As the robot began to question the sanity of his master, suddenly…
Crack, crack…!
[“Hmm? The sound of glass shattering?”]
He looked behind Merneith, into the distance, and tiny cracks right below the ceiling of the airport started to spread through the empty air.
Crack, crack…!
CRACK!
[“Ahh! T-This is…?!”]
CRAAASH!
The loud sound of space and time shattering apart echoed behind Merneith and above the ceiling of the airport; the people walking in and out of every section instantly panicked.
“A-A gate?!”
“You’re kidding me! One in the airport?!”
“R-Run! Quickly run!”
“Aahh!”
The people had grown rather used to gates appearing; their first reaction was instantly to run away… Although there were also always some dumb people that stayed to look around, filming with their phones.
As the people ran away, Merneith was finally taken aback by the loud screams of people. She quickly turned off her phone, pocketing it between her breasts.
“What’s with the commotion?!” she screamed. “Eh?! A gate!”
RUMBLE!
Suddenly, from within the gray-colored gate, a black fog started coming out, spreading around like a veil of shadows.
Sometimes it shone with little stars, as if it were the night sky.
Rapidly, the darkness gathered, taking a slightly humanoid, tall, and muscular form, although it kept a long cape of stars.
“W-What the hell is that thing? A monster?!”
The large, humanoid, and muscular entity made of darkness and little stars quickly formed a head and then a “face” made out of two small stars.
In the middle of his chest, something formed—a large letter “M” made of blue light, which were actually several tiny stars aligned together.
“Hmmm…”
The first thing the entity said upon appearing was humming in confusion and wonder as he looked around, tightening his fists.
“Where is Galaxy Man? What is this place? Another dimension—no, timeline? Universe? This is… Hmmm…”
As the people around remained static while filming him, the man made of darkness glared at them with annoyance.
“It seems that in any universe I visit, pests like you remain as annoying as always.”
He waved his hand as a gigantic wave of shadows and stars surged.
“Those foolish enough to not escape from Dark Matter Man deserve what’s coming for them!”
FLUOOOSH!
“W-What’s happening?!”
“Aarggh!”
“Someone! Help meeee!”
“Noooo!”
The darkness gathered around the people, lifting them up from the ground while beginning to suffocate them, entering their mouths, noses, and ears.
“NO! STOP!” Merneith screamed. “RA!”
With a roar, Merneith summoned Ra out of thin air as her Aura of her Golden Bloodline activated. Dark Matter Man immediately noticed an incredibly bright presence, as if the embodiment of the Sun itself had appeared.
“Galaxy Man?!” He quickly glared at Merneith and Ra. “Wait, no! Who are you?!”
“{Sunlight Plasma Spear}!”
Ra manifested fully as Merneith had already appeared inside of him; this was thanks to him assembling himself around her body.
With a mighty roar, she conjured a giant spear made of the plasma of the sun itself, reaching Dark Matter Man and piercing through his body several times!
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
“UNGH?! It’s damaging me?! Impossible! My body is impervious to damage!”
As he noticed his body being riddled with several holes covered in golden and red flames, Dark Matter man gave a single step back in slight fear.
“This machine! What is this thing?! How are you capable of hurting me?!” As he angrily said that, he conjured several spheres of darkness, firing them at Merneith and Ra at the same time.
“{Sunflare Armor}!”
However, an armor of golden and crimson flames encompassed Ra as he tanked each explosive bullet of Dark Matter, reaching the man.
“Dammit!”
Dark Matter man let go of the people he was torturing, flying away from Ra’s gigantic spear as he pierced the ceiling and flew into the skies.
“To think I would meet a terrible matchup right away once I reached this new universe!” he thought, conjuring more and more of his powers. “But don’t think I am weak! I am the mighty Dark Matter Man! Galaxy Man’s greatest nemesis!”
FLUOOOSH!
“{Black Hole}!”
Suddenly, his powers started distorting space and even time itself around Dark Matter Man, as his darkness created a miniature black hole, creating a terrifyingly powerful suction force.
“PERISH!”
The black hole was fired at Ra, who rushed towards him, reaching the Mechanical God and causing a tremendous explosion in the skies.
“Aaah! Ra!”
BOOOMMM!!!
Dark Matter Man smiled cockily.
“Hmph! Haha! So that’s that!” He smiled maliciously. “Now, where are you, Galaxy Man?! This time, for sure, I’ll slay you! And-”
CRAAASH!
“Guh!?”
However, to the super villain’s surprise, the giant Sunflare Spear pierced his chest, blowing away half of his left shoulder into flames and dark particles.
BOOOM!
“Uuaaarrgh!”
As Dark Matter Man screamed in agony, he glared at Ra, who seemed to have received some damage over his body, several cracks across his steel body, which were already regenerating.
“What sort of machine is this?! Capable of matching my supreme power?! D-Don’t you know who I am?! I am Dark Matter Man! I have destroyed dozens of planets!”
“And I am Merneith, and this is Ra; we beat bad guys now!”
Merneith didn’t hesitate, fighting against a world-ending threat on her own, showcasing the incredible powers of the Awakened Ra!
CLASH! BOOM! CRASH! RUMBLE!
Across the skies, the two battled, firing beams of darkness and sunlight, which cancelled one another! The battle was becoming drawn out; both of their elements were their total opposites.
“This isn’t getting me anywhere!” Dark Matter Man thought. “Dammit! Dammit! I came here for Galaxy Man! Not to fight some damn brat and her robot!”
As Dark Matter Man started to grow frustrated, suddenly…
He heard a mechanical voice behind him.
“Need some assistance, Dark Matter Man?” it spoke. “I could help you; in exchange, you will aid me in my goals.”
“Huh?! Mechanicus?!”
Dark Matter Man glanced down into the airport, noticing a small, gray-colored alien with big green eyes, covered in mechanical armor, bald, and with several circuits across his head.
“This robot indeed is very powerful; it could be said it was made to defeat you. I can’t wait to dismantle it,” said Mechanicus. “So? Do you require my assistance?”
“Tch! Fine!” Dark Matter Man screamed. “Help me already!”
“Yes, it will be my pleasure,” smiled Mechanicus.
RUMBLE!
“Eh?!”
Suddenly, Merneith gasped as space twisted, and several little blue portals materialized around Ra, and from each one of them, gigantic robotic tentacles with giant claws surged, grabbing Ra’s limbs.
Each time Ra’s limbs were grasped by such giant mechanical claws, electricity was released at certain intervals, suddenly paralyzing most of Ra’s circuits and electrocuting Merneith inside.
“Aargh! R-Ra!”
As Merneith tried to channel her Golden Bloodline and her Ki to regain control of Ra…
“Ah, what an exquisite build; I’ve never seen something quite like this,” Mechanicus appeared in front of Merneith and Ra. “Shall we begin the dismantling?”
Dark Matter Man smiled manically at the scene.
“Good! Well done,” he smiled. “I’ll help you later though; I must find Galaxy Man first!”
“Ah, well, be on your way,” smiled Mechanicus. “I don’t want anybody to disturb me while I see this new, wondrous specimen. How amazing! I should have begun traveling to other universes much sooner.”
“W-Who are you?!” Merneith asked. “Who the hell are you guys even?!”
“Me? I am Mechanicus, a biomechanical life form; I once had a name… and I once belonged to a planet of my own,” he spoke. “But such things do not matter now. The only thing that matters is expansion. This planet, I will devour it. But first, I must consume your robot, child. You may end up dying as well, but what is life without sacrifices?”
“W-What?! Stop talking nonsense!” Merneith cried. “Y-You damn…! STOOOP!”
FLUOSH!
Suddenly, her Ki gathered within her entire body and then was released from Ra’s chest as a powerful Sunflare Beam, hitting Mechanicus in the face and sending him flying away!
BOOOM!
“Ugh?!”
Managing to free one of Ra’s arms, Merneith quickly cut the other mechanical claws, keeping Ra paralyzed, flying towards Mechanicus to stop him.
“Amusing!” smiled Mechanicus. “Truly incredible!”
With a wave of his hands, Mechanicus summoned a giant blue portal behind him, revealing a massive mechanical eye that gathered electromagnetic energies and then…
TRUUUM!
It fired an even more massive laser towards Ra!
“Ahh!”
BOOOMMM!!!
“Oh my, did I overdo it?” wondered Mechanicus. “I hope it is not completely destroyed now- Oh?”
However, his mechanical eyes quickly widened as he noticed a silhouette within the smoke produced by his laser beam.
A woman with long silver hair and rainbow-colored eyes appeared, glaring at him with hatred as she protected Ra with her very body.
“Unscathed after taking my Super Photonic Electroshock Laser? It’s capable of blowing up the planet's crust, you know?” Mechanicus laughed. “How ridiculous! So there are beings at the level of Galaxy Man here as well?”
“B-Bing Xue!” Merneith’s voice echoed behind her, full of hope. “You’re here! For me!”
“Sorry for being late, Merneith; I had several things to take care of.” Bing Xue sighed. “Now then, shall we crush this bastard together?”
“Alright!” Merneith roared as Ra cried loudly with mighty pride.
“CRYAAAH!”
Mechanicus, however, laughed, smiling.
“Oh yes, please, do your worst,” he said. “This will help me gather a tremendous quantity of Data after all…”
Suddenly, more blue portals appeared around him, as gigantic mechanical tentacles with sharp metallic claws, titanic mechanical eyes charging energy, and even massive cannons appeared.
“What sort of power does this man have?" Merneith asked.
“It seems he’s capable of summoning portals to a pocket dimension he controls,” said Bing Xue. “Where he stores a gigantic… machine.”
“Hm! So you’ve figured it out… Well, it won’t change anything anyways!”
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
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