At this, a flash of anger crossed Nina's face. After all they had gone through in the future because of him, and with how busy Max was these days, he might not get the time to put down this roach before it became a problem again.
"Where did they last see him?" Nina asked.
"They said it was in Branson, Missouri, where a confrontation between his associates,Silver Banshee and Blockbuster,fought against Vandal Savage's men for the capture of an individual called Steel Maxumm, who possesses a special artifact, from the information we've gathered," Lady Shiva said.
"What happened next?" Nina asked.
"Vandal Savage's men managed to escape with the man via helicopter. Whatever this artifact is, Reverse Flash seems to be desperate to possess it," Lady Shiva concluded.
"Who's this Reverse Flash guy you're talking about?" Zetsu finally asked.
"He's basically an evil version of the Flash, and let's just say he has a grudge to settle against Max," Nina said.
"Good luck to him with that," Zetsu said.
"That's the problem,he's not strong enough to pose a threat to Max right now, so guess who he'll come for," Nina said.
"Ahh… I see now," Zetsu replied. "So you want to take him out first?" he added.
"That's the idea, but it's more than that. It has become personal, for all the shit he does in the future," Nina said.
"Then what has he been waiting for all this time? I'm sure there were opportunities to exact his revenge on Max while he was occupied," Zetsu asked.
"It's because he knows that the moment he shows up, Max will seek him out and kill him. And for all the things he's done, there's a lot waiting for him when he dies. Even now, he's dying from his last encounter with Max," Nina said.
"Did Max spare him?" Zetsu asked.
"No. He put a hole through his skull," Pain said.
"But he's still alive,that's how much of a roach he is. So that's where the artifact he's looking for comes into play," Nina said.
"What is it?" Zetsu asked.
"It's a card… a get-out-of-hell-free card that ensures the one who dies possessing it skips hell entirely and moves on to heaven," Nina said.
"Oh… now I see what he's planning to do. And damn, this guy is petty," Zetsu said.
"Where's Savage located right now?" Nina asked.
"His last known base of operation -32.1 degrees north, 112 degrees east," Lady Shiva said.
"I guess you need to find this guy to find Reverse Flash?" Zetsu asked.
"Yes. Thawne will be coming for him," Nina said.
"Who's Thawne now?" Zetsu asked.
"It's Reverse Flash's real name,Eobard Thawne," Pain said.
"Ahh, I see," Zetsu said.
"I'll be leaving now. Zetsu, go and keep an eye on Terra and Thena for the moment. They should be safe as long as they remain here," Nina said before vanishing.
-------
Max hovered above yet another ruined battlefield as metahumans lay scattered,some unconscious, others dead. He had spared those who surrendered and executed those who still resisted.
To say that the government was willing to cooperate when he took Ultraman's corpse and brought it to them would have been an understatement. They had even been willing to reward him for his "great service."
Though he could tell some of them were moles who had been corrupted under the Syndicate's rule and had benefited greatly from it, they were just trying to appease him so he wouldn't take them out should he find out,or if he were to take over where the Syndicate left off.
Max frowned as the memories from his clones transferred back to him,there was no Lucifer here, which meant there was no use lingering in this place. Time to move on to the next Earth.
Max activated the ring once again, and a portal opened in front of him. He gave the current Earth one last glance before entering it, the portal closing shortly after him.
There was silence for a while.
Then, on the horizon, a shimmering wall of light came into existence and began consuming the planet. Distant cries of panic and warning sirens echoed,only to be silenced as the wall of light continued sweeping forward, leaving nothing behind it but empty space.
---
Earth-16
A blue pickup truck drove down a small road along the tree line, its engine humming steadily as it cut through the quiet stretch of forest. Behind it, a Boom Tube silently opened, and a sleek brown robot with a single red eye stepped through. A sword extended from its right arm as it immediately broke into a sprint, weaving through the trees to catch up to the truck ahead.
The man driving the truck was whistling a tune, completely at ease, when suddenly the dark figure burst out of the woods on his right and leapt onto the hood. Startled, he gasped and swerved violently, the truck fishtailing as he struggled to keep control. The sudden motion threw the figure off, sending it rolling across the road.
He steadied the wheel just long enough to glance back, only to see the machine already rising to its feet. It picked up its sword and turned its gaze toward him, its single red eye locking on with clear intent,it did not look friendly.
Panic set in as he slammed the accelerator, throwing the truck into reverse before spinning it around in a rough drift and speeding away. Behind him, the robot gave chase, its footsteps denting the asphalt as it rapidly closed the distance. Within seconds, it leapt and landed on top of the truck with a heavy crash, plunging its blade into the roof to steady itself.
The man swerved again, trying desperately to shake it off, but it was too late. The robot drove its fist through the roof, tearing through the metal as if it were paper, and grabbed him by the head, yanking violently. The truck lost control completely, flipping several times before crashing to a stop.
Groaning, the man kicked the mangled door off its hinges and stumbled out, blood streaming down his face. He clutched his shoulder where a jagged piece of metal protruded, his vision swimming as he turned back to face the thing that had attacked him.
Behind him, the machine twitched before slowly standing again.
Fear surged through him as he turned and ran, diving behind a tree and pressing himself against it while trying to steady his breathing. The robot began scanning the area, its movements precise and mechanical. He dared a small peek from behind the tree, only for its eye to snap toward him instantly, forcing him to duck back in panic.
This wasn't some creature,it was a machine, and it had been sent specifically to harm him. Realizing this, he held his breath completely, trying not to make even the slightest sound as the heavy footsteps drew closer and closer.
Just as the tension reached its peak, he suddenly heard the sound of metal groaning under pressure, followed by the sharp crackle of sparking electricity.
He froze, whispering a quiet prayer under his breath.
Then a voice spoke.
"You can come out now."
The man tensed at the calm tone.
"I don't mean you any harm. If I did, you'd already be dead by now."
Taking a shaky breath, he slowly peeked from behind the tree and saw a man standing there with the strangest eyes he had ever seen,lavender, with concentric ripple patterns. His build was lean but powerful, and in his right hand he held a badly mangled head that used to belong to the robot, still faintly sparking as it hung from his grip, its body standing headless behind him.
The sight alone told him everything he needed to know,his was no ordinary person.
The man before him spoke.
"I mean you no harm. I'm just going to ask you a few questions… then I'll be on my way."
End of Chapter.