Chapter 393
Zatanna Zatara smiled slightly, her magic runes forming a mysterious pattern in the air.
"Reverse Entropy magic tells me this is a new beginning and also a tremendous test. We need to handle it with caution."
Just then, the frozen space-time suddenly began to tremble, as if some immense power was striking it.
Cracks spread through the void, revealing a dark and evil aura from within.
"Not good!" Hode shouted, "This is... the power of the anti-life equation!"
Countless Dark Creatures poured out from the cracks. They varied in form, some like hideous demons, others like twisted ghosts, emitting a nauseating aura.
These Dark Creatures roared as they charged toward Hodeand the others, corroding space-time into tatters wherever they went.
"Everyone, be careful!" Diana shouted. She let go of Hode's hand, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. shield appeared in her hand, the shield gleaming with divine light.
She was like a bolt of golden lightning, charging toward the Dark Creatures. As she brandished the S.H.I.E.L.D.shield, she repelled one Dark Creature after another.
Carol did not show weakness either; her body turned into a stream of light, charging into the swarm of Dark Creatures.
Stellar energy erupted from her body, forming scorching orbs of light that blasted the surrounding Dark Creatures to smithereens.
Natasha's Data Stream spread rapidly, forming a massive network that clearly analyzed the movement trajectories of the Dark Creatures.
She transmitted information to everyone through the chip behind her ear: "There is a large gathering of Dark Creatures on the left; Diana, go support them. There is a group of flying ones on the right; Carol, you are responsible for intercepting. Shazam, you and I will break through from the center!"
Shazam shouted excitedly: "You got it!" His War Armorflashed with the light of six attributes. Six bolts of lightning shot from him, intertwining with Natasha's Data Stream to form a powerful impact force that scattered the Dark Creatures in the center.
Zatanna Zatara stood beside Hode, her lips moving rapidly as she chanted incantations. Rose petals flew from her hands, forming a massive magic circle in the air.
The magic circle emitted a dazzling light, enveloping the surrounding Dark Creatures. Those Dark Creatures struggled painfully in the light, gradually turning to ash.
Hode looked at his lovers beside him, his heart filled with emotion and strength. He felt the Love and Freedom Power within him surging, as if echoing this fierce battle.
He closed his eyes and focused his mind, attempting to control this mysterious power.
Suddenly, countless images appeared in his mind—the little moments between him and his five lovers across different Universes: laughter, tears, touching moments, and arguments.
These images flashed before his eyes like a movie, causing his soul to achieve an unprecedented sublimation.
"I understand!" Hode opened his eyes abruptly, his gaze flashing with determination. "The Love and Freedom Power is not just an emotional connection with the lovers of the '705u.com-53 Reading Club', but also the pursuit of freedom and the protection of true love. I will use this power to protect our Universe and our love!"
As he spoke, Hode extended his hands, and the Love and Freedom Power erupted from them, forming a massive beam of energy.
The beam of light shot into the sky, illuminating the entire dark Universe. Those Dark Creatures enveloped by the beam let out shrill screams, their bodies gradually dissipating.
However, just as Hode thought victory was in sight, a massive figure slowly walked out from the cracks.
The figure was tall and hideous, his entire body exuding the dark aura of the anti-life equation. He wore a Batmanmask, but the eyes beneath the mask were filled with evil and madness.
"Hahaha!" the figure let out a wild laugh. "Hode, do you think you can stop me? This anti-life equation has already merged with me; I am the master of this Universe!"
Hode clenched his fists, looking at the figure with a determined gaze. "No! You are wrong! No matter how powerful you become, you cannot destroy the power of true love and freedom. We will defeat you and protect our Universe!"
The figure sneered and waved his hands. Countless Dark Energy converged toward him, forming a massive dark sphere. "Then let me see how you block this power that destroys everything!"
Saying this, he threw the dark sphere at Hode and the others. Wherever the dark sphere passed, space-time was torn apart, emitting a deafening roar.
Diana, Carol, Natasha, Shazam, and Zatanna Zatara stood beside Hode. They held hands, converging their respective powers together and fusing them with Hode's Love and Freedom Power to form an even larger Energy Shield.
The dark sphere slammed heavily into the Energy Shield, producing an Earth-shattering explosion. The powerful impact force made the entire Universe tremble. Under the impact of the dark sphere, the Energy Shield developed countless cracks, but Hode and the others still held each other's hands tightly, guarding the final line of defense.
Just as the dark sphere was about to break through the Energy Shield, Hode suddenly felt a marvelous change in the Love and Freedom Power within him. That power became purer and more powerful, as if it resonated with the energy of the entire Universe.
"Now!" Hode shouted. He led everyone to concentrate all their power together, launching a final counterattack against the dark sphere. A dazzling beam of light shot from their hands, colliding with the dark sphere and erupting with unprecedented energy.
Under the impact of this energy, the entire Universe was plunged into a vast expanse of white light. Everyone's vision was blocked by this intense light, unable to see the situation around them.
When the light gradually dissipated, Hode slowly opened his eyes. He saw that the massive figure had disappeared, and the Dark Creatures had all been wiped out. However, before he could even rejoice, his gaze was suddenly drawn to something in the distance.
Amidst the ruins, a Batman symbol with a faint glow lay quietly. The red dot in the center of the symbol was still blinking rhythmically, as if telling some unknown secret...
Chapter 662: Gotham City from Different Universes
Hode stared at the flickering Batman symbol, his heartbeat inexplicably trembling in sync with the red dot. He felt the five powers within him intertwining, like a Nebula stirred by invisible hands, both conflicting and harmonious.
This symbol... Diana's S.H.I.E.L.D. shield rippled. As she crouched down, her chainmail sparked with fine friction. It was different from Bruce's; the edges had carvings of the anti-life equation.
Carol's fingertips brushed across the surface of the symbol, and stellar energy caused the metal to ripple: it was absorbing the surrounding dark matter, just like... She suddenly turned to look at Hode, her morning-star-like eyes reflecting his stunned expression, as if waiting for energy resonance at a specific frequency.
Natasha's Data Stream suddenly surged, projecting a 3D model in the void: According to calculations, when five hosts release emotional energy simultaneously, there is a 73% probability of activating... Her voice cut off abruptly, because Shazam was already rubbing his hands in excitement.
"Let me!" The young Thunder god's body burst with six-colored lightning. Just as he was about to touch the symbol, his ankle was bound by Zatanna Zatara's magicrope.
Reverse Entropy magic indicated it was a trap. The Witch's rose petals formed a warning symbol; it required... She suddenly choked, looking at Hode's fingers intertwined with those of his five lovers, and the magic runes exploded into sparks in the air.
Hode felt his throat tighten. The moment his fingertips touched the Batman symbol, the entire Universe suddenly fell into absolute silence. Countless fragments of memory flooded into his mind: Bruce's profile while adjusting equipment in the Batcave, the curve of Clark Kent's mouth when he smiled in the Sun, and Tony Stark's back as he welded armor while drinking in the laboratory.
"No..." Hode stumbled back, watching his palms begin to turn transparent. "This is not the anti-life equation... it is an emotional resonator!"
Diana's S.H.I.E.L.D. shield suddenly flew out of her hand, disintegrating into countless metal fragments in the air. Carol's stellar energy erupted uncontrollably, scorching the space-time around her. Natasha's Data Stream began to reverse-analyze its own program, Shazam's Thunder ran wild within him, and Zatanna Zatara's magic runes frantically reorganized the reality structure around her.
"Steady your minds!" Hode roared. The Love and Freedom Power transformed into five chains of light, wrapping around everyone's wrists. "Remember who you are! Remember everything we have experienced together!"
Carol's morning-star eyes suddenly focused. She grabbed Hode's light chain with a backhand, and stellar energy flowed along the connection into his body: "Do you remember the two Suns in the sky we saw in the ruins of the Kree Planet?"
Diana's S.H.I.E.L.D. shield fragments reorganized in the air, and the morning mist of the Amazon rainforest appeared on the shield surface: "And the wild rose you picked for me under the walls of Troy."
Natasha's Data Stream suddenly materialized into a solid entity. She pressed the chip behind her ear into Hode's temple: "The snow in Moscow Red Square, remember? You said it looked like coolant from Stark Industries."
Shazam's Thunder transformed into six rainbows, forming the phantom of a young hero behind him: "And that time in Philadelphia, when we roasted marshmallows with lightning!"
Zatanna Zatara's rose petals formed ancient incantations, her fingertips touching Hode's chest: "And every morning, the cup of coffee with double milk you brewed for me."
Five torrents of memory collided and merged within Hode, sparking an unprecedented golden light. The Batmansymbol suddenly sprang up, turning into a black shadow that entered Hode's brow. He saw Bruce Wayne standing in the void, the man's face constantly switching between Batman and the billionaire.
"You have finally come," Bruce's voice carried multiple echoes, "I have waited for seventy years."
In the real World, Hode's body began to quantize, and the power of his five lovers formed a protective shield around him. Diana's S.H.I.E.L.D. shield turned into liquid metal, enveloping his entire body; Carol's stellar energy formed a cocoon of light; Natasha's Data Stream wove into logical chains; Shazam's Thunder constructed an energy matrix; and Zatanna Zatara's magic runes inscribed protective incantations.
"What on Earth is this..." Hode roared in the depths of his consciousness, watching the images of countless parallel Universes flickering behind Bruce. "What is the plan?"
"It is not a plan," Bruce's figure suddenly split into countless versions, each bearing different scars and exhaustion, "it is insurance. When all Universes face destruction, someone needs to remember..." His voice was suddenly interrupted by a sharp alarm.
In the real World, the defeated wreckage of the anti-life equation suddenly reorganized. The figure wearing the Batman mask crawled up from the ruins. His body was composed of countless shattered reality plates, and starlight from different Universes shone through every crack.
"Do you think this can stop me?" The wreckage emitted a synthesized voice, containing the despair of all Batmen. "I have seen too many Hode Carters, too many Diana Princes, too many..." His voice suddenly got stuck, because Hode's body had completely quantized, and the power of his five lovers formed a brilliant Nebula where he had originally stood.
Carol's morning-star eyes contracted to the size of a needle point: "He is absorbing himself from parallel Universes!"
Natasha's Data Stream suddenly pointed to the sky: "Look! The Starlink satellites are changing orbit!"
Shazam's Thunder suddenly pointed to the ground: "No, it is the Earth that is..."
Zatanna Zatara's rose petals formed a warning pattern: "Space-time curvature is collapsing!"
Diana's S.H.I.E.L.D. shield let out a mournful cry, and countless cracks appeared on the shield surface: "Bruce Wayne... he turned himself into..."
The quantized Hode suddenly heard a familiar mechanical voice in the depths of his consciousness: [Emotional energy of the host has reached the critical value. New ability unlocked: Universal Memory.] His vision suddenly expanded, seeing himself on countless timelines—some were ambushed by Ares while on a date with Wonder Woman, some were interrupted by Galactus while kissing Captain Marvel, some were being dragged by Shazam to race on the Bifrost Bridge...
"So that is it..." Hode's voice echoed at the quantum level, "This is the truth of the Love and Freedom Power."
In the real World, the five lovers saw the quantum Nebulasuddenly shrink into a point of light. That point of light split into six parts, each entering their brows. Diana felt her shield become as light as a feather; Carol discovered she could manipulate more subtle stellar spectra; Natasha's Data Stream gained quantum computing capabilities; Shazam's Thunder could be precise to the molecular level; Zatanna Zatara's magic began to influence probability clouds.
And Hode's figure re-condensed among them, his eyes becoming vortices containing nebulae: "I understand, Bruce. This is not a sacrifice..." He looked up at the collapsing sky, "It is a legacy."
The wreckage's synthesized voice suddenly became shrill: "No! You cannot..."
Hode extended his right hand, and the power of the five lovers converged into a miniature Universe in his palm: "Love is not a weakness," he said softly, "it is a power that transcends dimensions."
The moment his finger touched the remains, the Batcave in every Multiverse lit up with green light.
In Gotham City of a certain parallel Universe, an aged Bruce Wayne suddenly stopped wiping his Batarang, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.
"You did it, child." He whispered to the void, then pressed the red button hidden in the armrest of his wheelchair.
In the real World, the micro-Universe at Hode's fingertip suddenly expanded, enveloping the remains of the anti-life equation.
The five lovers saw countless threads of light extending from Hode's body, connecting to their counterparts in every Universe—some were dating Black Widow, some were being teased by Flash, others were discussing technology with Cyborg...
"This is impossible!" The remains let out a final, frantic roar. "I calculated all possibilities..."
"But you didn't calculate love," Hode's voice carried a cosmic echo, "and the infinite distance we are willing to traverse for each other."
The micro-Universe suddenly burst open—not an explosion of destruction, but a blossoming of creation.
New galaxies were born within it, and every stellar core flickered with a bat symbol.
When the light dissipated, the remains of the anti-life equation had vanished, leaving only that flickering bat symbol lying quietly in Hode's palm.
"Now..." He turned to look at the five lovers, their hair gently swaying in the breeze of the newborn Universe. "Do you want to see the gift Bruce left for us?"
Diana's shield flew automatically to her shoulder, Carol's stellar energy formed wings of light behind her, Natasha's Data Stream organized into a navigation map in the air, Shazam's Thunder cracked a rainbow path under their feet, and Zatanna's rose petals formed a teleportation array.
But just as they were about to step into the teleportation array, the bat symbol in Hode's palm suddenly emitted a blinding red light.
The five lovers clutched their chests simultaneously, and tiny cracks appeared on their emotional connection lines with Hode.
"What's wrong?" Carol's morning star eyes reflected Hode's shocked face.
Natasha's Data Stream suddenly issued an alert: "Detected reverse flow of emotional energy! Someone is extracting..."
Shazam's Thunder surged uncontrollably toward the bat symbol: "My power! It's disappearing!"
Zatanna's rose petals formed blood-red incantations: "The reverse entropy magic has been tampered with! This is not a legacy..."
Diana's shield let out a mournful sound, and darkness seeped from the cracks on its surface: "It's parasitism."
Hode felt the power of Love and Freedom within him being torn apart by some entity, and he saw himself on countless timelines screaming in agony simultaneously.
In one parallel Universe, Hode, who was dating Catwoman, suddenly fell to his knees, his ring turning into black mist and wrapping around his finger; in another Universe, Hode, watching a movie with Black Canary, suddenly bled from his seven orifices, and bat-shaped shadows poured out of the popcorn bucket...
"No..." Hode gripped the bat symbol tightly, his quantized body beginning to crack. "This is not Bruce..."
The five lovers grabbed his arms simultaneously; their power, which should have formed a protection, was instead being rapidly devoured like starlight falling into a black hole.
Carol's stellar energy scorched the surface of the bat symbol, but the marks recovered instantly, even beginning to erode her body in reverse.
"Hold on!" Diana's shield turned into liquid metal to wrap around Hode's hand, but the moment the metal touched the symbol, it turned into black crystal. "We must..."
Her voice was interrupted by a sudden alarm. Natasha's Data Stream exploded into sparks in the air, displaying a line of blood-red text: [Emotional energy of host reached critical value, initiating ultimate protocol: Emotional Erasure]
Hode felt as if an ice pick had been driven into his brain, and countless memories began to blur.
He saw the faces of the five lovers distorting before his eyes, their voices becoming distant and strange.
Carol's final shout of "I love you" turned into harsh electronic noise, Diana's gentle gaze transformed into cold blue light, and the bloodstains on his face from Natasha's fingertips suddenly began to burn...
"No..." Hode used his final strength to press the bat symbol against his chest, his quantized body suddenly erupting with supernova-like light. "I will not forget..."
The five lovers were simultaneously blown away by the light; in the air, they saw Hode's body gradually becoming transparent, yet his eyes remained fixed on them with determination.
In the moment before disappearing completely, Hodemouthed something, then dissolved into countless specks of light, dissipating into the air.
The bat symbol fell to the ground with a click, its red light extinguished completely.
Carol fell to her knees, her fingers digging deep into the ground, her stellar energy scorching the soil uncontrollably.
Diana's shield shattered into powder, and she stared blankly at her palm, where Hode's final warmth still lingered.
Natasha's Data Stream reverted to the chip behind her ear, and she repeated mechanically: "Emotional Erasure complete... Emotional Erasure complete..."
Shazam's Thunder vanished completely, and he turned back into Billy Batson, sitting on the ground hugging his knees and sobbing: "Big Brother Hode... Big Brother Hode, don't go..."
Zatanna's rose petals all withered, and she knelt in the ruins, her lips silently moving with the name that had been erased.
Suddenly, the extinguished bat symbol lit up again. But it was not red light; it was pure blue light.
The five lovers turned simultaneously, seeing Hode's smiling face emerge on the surface of the symbol—it was the most vivid image in their memories.
"Remember?" A familiar voice came from the void, trembling with quantum echoes. "When we were watching the twin Suns in the ruins of the Kree Planet, you said..."
Carol's morning star eyes suddenly refocused, and she touched the air tremblingly: "You said... You said it was like our love—forever burning, yet never scorching each other."
Diana's shield fragments suddenly floated up, forming words in the air: "Under the walls of Troy, you said the thorns of a wild rose..."
"...are sharper than an Amazon warrior's spear." Natasha's Data Stream completed the sentence automatically, her chip beginning to overheat and smoke.
Shazam suddenly jumped up, his eyes lighting up with Thunder: "Big Brother Hode said it! He said true power is not lightning!"
Zatanna's withered roses suddenly bloomed again, and she choked out the erased incantation: "It is remembering how to love."
The bat symbol suddenly burst open, the blue light transforming into Hode's figure. But this time, he was not alone—the five lovers' powers formed wings of light behind him, each feather engraved with fragments of memories they had shared.
"Emotional Erasure?" Hode's voice carried a cosmic echo. "What you erased was only the surface." He reached out to touch Carol's face, her morning star eyes reflecting them in countless parallel Universes. "True love, even the anti-life equation cannot destroy."
Diana suddenly pointed to the sky, where the starlight of the newborn Universe was converging into a pattern.
Natasha's Data Stream automatically decoded it as Morse code, and Shazam excitedly deciphered the message: "The ultimate gift from Bruce Wayne."
Zatanna's rose petals formed a portal, and behind it were countless flickering Bat-Signals, each coming from the Gotham City of a different Universe.
"Are you ready for a real adventure?" Hode extended his hands to the five lovers, their powers merging into a new Universe in his palm. "This time, what we are going to save is not just this World..."
His voice was interrupted by the sudden sound of breaking glass. The six of them turned simultaneously to see spiderweb-like cracks appearing on the barrier of reality, with starlight of different colors shining through each crack—red from the Iron Man armor of some Universe, blue from the Heat Vision of a Kryptonian, gold from the scepter of an Egyptian deity...
"It seems..." Hode tightened his grip on the five lovers' hands, the power of Love and Freedom surging within him like a galaxy. "The party is about to begin."
The cracks suddenly burst open, and countless familiar yet strange figures poured in from different Universes. Before being completely overwhelmed by the clamor of the Multiverse, the last thing Hode saw was the smiles on the faces of the five lovers, brighter than any star.
Chapter 663: Their bodies suddenly turned into black mist.
Hode felt his consciousness being torn in the cracks of the Multiverse, countless memory fragments of himself surging in his mind.
He saw himself in one Universe kissing Black Widow on the rooftop of S.H.I.E.L.D., his fingertips brushing the tactical goggles behind her ears; in another Universe, he was suspended in mid-air by Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth, forced to admit that he had secretly planted a tracker in her Amazon boots during their first date.
"Focus!" Diana's angry shout pierced through the chaos, her Lasso of Truth turning into golden light and wrapping around Hode's wrist. "Think of the strongest emotional anchor!"
Hode opened his eyes abruptly, seeing the five lovers floating in the quantum Storm in different postures.
Carol's stellar energy formed a cocoon of light, yet it was constantly twisting due to the gravitational fluctuations of the Multiverse; Natasha's Data Stream was being eroded by garbled code, her mechanical prosthetic eye flashing with dangerous red light; Shazam was struck by six bolts of lightning, his hair standing on end, yet he stubbornly held up his deformed Thunder scepter; Zatanna's rose petals formed broken incantations in the void, each petal reflecting scenes of disaster in different Universes.
"Damn it..." Hode bit his tongue, the taste of rust exploding in his mouth.
He saw his palms quantizing, with Nebula-like spots of light flowing beneath his skin.
Memories from a certain parallel Universe suddenly flooded in—in that World, he had been torn in half by Magneto while protecting Storm, and before dying, he had turned his final strength into a diamond ring and placed it on her ring finger.
"The emotional resonator is not a weapon..." Hode roared suddenly, his quantized body expanding into a giant stellar object. "It's a key!"
"705u.com-53 Reading Club." The five lovers froze simultaneously.
Carol's stellar energy suddenly flowed in reverse, forming a Gemini star map behind her; Diana's Lasso of Truthautomatically untied itself and wrapped around Hode's dissolving left arm; Natasha's Data Stream suddenly reorganized, projecting 3D images of all of Hode's lovers in the air—from Black Cat to Jean Grey, from Nebula to Valkyrie; Shazam's Thunder turned into six rainbow bridges, connecting Hode's clones in different Universes; Zatanna's rose petals formed ancient incantations, each letter bearing the magical imprint of a different civilization.
"You..." Hode's voice carried a cosmic echo, his quantized eyeballs suddenly splitting into countless ones. "Remembering our first date..."
Carol's morning star eyes suddenly contracted: "At the Kree Planet space station, you said my energy pattern was like..."
"Like a pulsar before a supernova." Diana's shield fragments automatically pieced themselves together, the surface displaying a star map of the Amazon rainforest. "But you said what really attracted you was the look in my eyes when I fought."
Natasha's Data Stream suddenly materialized into a physical form, and she pulled open her collar to reveal the barcode beneath her collarbone: "Moscow Red Square, you said this looked like a Stark Industries serial number, but..." Her mechanical fingers suddenly inserted into the chip behind her ear, blood streaming down her neck. "But what you truly remembered were my trembling eyelashes when I killed my first person."
Shazam suddenly jumped up, the Thunder forming a Stormcloud above his head: "Philadelphia cotton candy! You said lightning-roasted cotton candy was even... than a McDonald's cone."
"Shut up!" Zatanna's rose petals suddenly formed a silencing spell, but the petals turned into cotton candy the moment they touched Shazam. "What he truly found unforgettable was when you transformed into an adult form..." Her incantation suddenly stalled, and a quantum blush spread across her cheeks.
Hode felt his consciousness being torn into countless pieces, each fragment falling into a different Universe.
In one Universe, he was kissing Scarlet Witch on the plains of Wakanda, Chaos Magic forming a heart-shaped shield around them; in another Universe, he was carried into the Sun by Captain Marvel, who laughed and said she wanted to show him a real sunbath; in yet another Universe, he was pinned to the Bifrost Bridge by Valkyrie, her sword pressed against his throat: "Say you love me, or I'll show you a real Asgardian-style punishment..."
"Emotional resonance..." Hode's body suddenly reorganized, the ability patterns of the five lovers appearing beneath his quantized skin. "It's not an overlay..." His fingers suddenly pierced the void, pulling out a thread flickering with the colors of different Universes. "It's a fusion!"
The five lovers screamed simultaneously.
Carol's stellar energy was torn into colorful ribbons of light, wrapping around Diana's Lasso of Truth; Natasha's Data Stream suddenly materialized, condensing in her hand into the weapons of all of Hode's lovers—from Catwoman's whip to the Phoenix Force Fragment of Jean Grey; Shazam's Thunder turned into liquid lightning, pouring into Zatanna's rose incantation; and Diana's Amazon war cry triggered a quantum Storm, pulling everyone's power into the center of the vortex.
"Grab me!" Hode extended his right hand to the five lovers, his skin peeling away to reveal the skeleton beneath, composed of nebulae and magical runes. "Grab the most real memories!"
Chapter 394
Carol grabbed his hand first, stellar energy exploding in her palm into a supernova: "Remember on the Kree Planet... You said my hair was like..."
"Like a comet's tail swept by solar winds." Diana's shield flew over automatically, the surface reflecting scenes of them fighting together—from Mount Olympus to outer space, but what truly made your heart race was the smile on my face when I broke the God of War's spear.
Natasha's Data Stream suddenly invaded Hode's nervous system, projecting countless images onto his retinas: Hodefrom one Universe kissing Black Widow in the S.H.I.E.L.D.medical bay, her mechanical arm piercing his back to extract a gene sample; himself from another Universe held at throat-point by Nebula with an Energy Sword, yet she suddenly shoved the hilt into his hand: "Kill me, or take me with you..."
Real memories... Hode's body suddenly fully quantized, the power of the five lovers forming new organs inside him—Carol's stellar energy becoming his heart, Diana's Lasso of Truth becoming his spine, Natasha's Data Stream forming his nervous system, Shazam's Thunder being his blood circulation, and Zatanna's magic spells covering his skin, it was painful...
The quantum storm suddenly went still. The five lovers saw Hode's body reorganizing, but this time not in human form—his left arm was the material of Diana's shield, his right arm entwined with Carol's stellar energy, his left leg covered in Natasha's Data Stream, his right leg filled with Shazam's Thunder patterns, and his chest embedded with Zatanna's rose spells, each petal engraved with a different lover's name.
"But the pain..." Hode's voice suddenly became strange, carrying the echo of the Multiverse, "is the proof of love."
The reality barrier suddenly collapsed completely. Enemies from countless Universes poured out from the cracks—Thanos from one Universe wearing the Infinity Gauntlet, Darkseid from a parallel World riding a hell-steed, Ultronwearing the Hulkbuster armor, Loki holding the Spear of Destiny, and Brainiac composed entirely of anti-matter.
"Finally..." Hode spread his arms, the power of the five lovers forming giant light wings behind him, "they are here."
Carol's Morning Star eyes suddenly turned into a double-Sun form, she grabbed Hode's stellar energy arm: "Remember on the Kree Planet..."
"You said you wanted to show me true cosmic-level romance." Hode smiled, stellar energy condensing into a ring at his fingertips, "Now, close your eyes."
Diana's Lasso of Truth suddenly entangled the charging Darkseid, her Amazon battle cry shattering his Omega Beams: "The walls of Troy..."
"Cannot compare to the back you showed when you broke the God of War's spear for me." Hode backhanded with his shield, the edge of the shield ejecting Jean Grey's Phoenix Force Fragment, "But today..."
Natasha's Data Stream suddenly invaded Ultron's core, her mechanical fingers ripping out his energy core: "The snow of Moscow..."
"Cannot compare to the warmth of the first time you shed tears for me." Hode's Data Stream arm turned into a light sword, piercing Ultron's chest, "But at this moment..."
Shazam's Thunder suddenly formed six Bifrost Bridges, connecting Hode's clones from different Universes: "Philadelphia cotton candy!"
"Cannot compare to the sweetness of the future we are about to create." Hode's Thunder leg stomped the ground, the quantum storm turning into an Impact shockwave that blew Brainiac away, "Zatanna, the spell!"
The Witch's rose petals composed an ancient incantation, every letter carrying the destructive power of different civilizations: "In the name of love..."
The power of the five lovers suddenly fused within Hode, forming an unprecedented golden light. The enemies screamed simultaneously—Thanos's Infinity Gauntletbegan to melt, Darkseid's hell-steed turned to ash, Ultron's mechanical body disintegrated into screws, Loki's Spear of Destiny snapped in two, and Brainiac's anti-matter body suddenly began to absorb itself...
"This is impossible!" Thanos's roar carried the sound of the Infinity Stones cracking, "We calculated all possibilities..."
"But you didn't calculate..." Hode's voice carried a cosmic echo, golden light forming a giant Batman symbol behind him, "Love makes people..." His fingers suddenly pointed to the sky, the power of the five lovers forming a pillar of light that pierced the heavens, "Unpredictable!"
The reality barrier suddenly began to repair itself, but this time it wasn't closing, it was expanding. Hode clones from countless Universes walked out from the cracks—some riding the Phoenix Force, some driving Thunder steeds, some holding the Lasso of Truth, some with Data Streamwings unfurled behind them, and others covered in rose spells.
"The feast..." Hode reached out both hands to all his clones, golden light condensing into a miniature Universein his palm, "let's begin."
The five lovers saw countless Hodes turn their heads at the same time, each carrying the scars and smiles of a different Universe. Before being completely drowned out by the clamor of the Multiverse, the last thing they heard was that sentence spoken by Hode with the voices of all parallel Universes simultaneously:
"This time, what we are going to save..."
Before he could finish, the reality barrier suddenly exploded, revealing countless flickering Bat-Signals behind it. Each signal came from the Gotham City of a different Universe, and at the center of the lights stood countless Bruce Waynes—some wearing the Batman suit, some leaning on canes, some sitting in wheelchairs, and some were merely phantoms.
"Child..." All the Bruces spoke at once, their voices carrying echoes of different ages, "Are you ready..."
Hode suddenly felt his heart stop. He saw a Bruce from a certain Universe melting, black matter from the anti-life equation pouring out of his eye sockets; an old Batmanfrom another Universe suddenly exploded, turning into countless bats flying in different directions; and in another Universe, Bruce was just standing there quietly, but his shadow was twisting into the wreckage of a bat mask.
"No..." Hode let go of the five lovers' hands, golden light beginning to run wild, "This isn't a legacy..."
Carol's Morning Star eyes suddenly reflected a terrifying scene—in a certain parallel Universe, Hode was being eroded by the anti-life equation, black matter flowing under his skin, yet his mouth was still muttering the names of different lovers; Diana's Lasso of Truth suddenly went taut, the other end of the lasso connected to countless collapsing Universes; Natasha's Data Stream suddenly sounded an alarm, showing all Hodes in all parallel Universes quantizing at the same time; Shazam's Thundersuddenly turned into black lightning, striking himself; Zatanna's rose petals all turned black, composing an ancient spell of Death.
"Bruce..." Hode's voice carried a quantum tremor, his body beginning to split into countless parts, "What exactly did you do?"
All the Bruces smiled simultaneously, their smiles carrying the despair of different Universes: "It's not about what we did..." Their bodies suddenly turned into black mist, "It's about what we failed to stop."
Countless bat symbols emerged from the black mist, each mark bearing the scars of the anti-life equation. The five lovers screamed simultaneously—Carol's stellar energy began to extinguish, Diana's shield shattered into powder, Natasha's Data Stream turned into garbled code, Shazam's Thunder struck himself in reverse, and Zatanna's magicrunes began to erode her body.
"Grab me!" Hode reached out his hands, split into countless ones toward the five lovers, each hand engraved with a different lover's name, "No matter what happens..."
But just as their fingers were about to touch, all parallel Universes suddenly went still at the same time. Hode felt his consciousness torn into fragments, falling into endless darkness. Before completely losing consciousness, the last thing he saw was the smiles on the faces of the five lovers, brighter than stars—and behind them, countless Bruce Waynes raising their bat-gloved hands simultaneously.
Chapter 664: Five Different Names
Hode felt like he had been stuffed into a continuously compressing quantum capsule, all his senses stripped away, leaving only his consciousness floating in the darkness. At one moment, he could suddenly "see" countless glowing threads entwined around him—each thread connecting to a parallel Universe, the other end of the thread being the distorted faces of his five lovers.
"Carol's stellar energy is undergoing reverse entropy..." Diana's voice sounded like it was coming from underwater, "His emotional resonator has been polluted by the anti-life equation."
Hode wanted to speak, but could only spit out black foam. He saw his left hand becoming transparent, and what flowed under his skin was no longer Nebula, but countless memory fragments of Bruce Wayne—a Batman from one Universe kneeling in the ruins of Gotham, holding a Jokerdoll corroded by the anti-life equation; an old Batman from another Universe piercing his own temple with a mechanical arm, his brains mixed with black equation symbols; and the most terrifying scene of all: Bruce taking off his bat cowl, revealing a face engraved with the word "Failure" by the equation.
"Emotional anchor unstable!" Natasha's Data Streamsuddenly exploded in the darkness, forming countless red warning boxes, "He is experiencing the Deaths of all parallel Universes at the same time!"
Hode felt his heart pierced by countless needles simultaneously. Memories from a certain Universe flooded in: he was kissing the Scarlet Witch on the plains of Wakanda, Chaos Magic forming a heart-shaped shield around them. But the shield suddenly cracked, black matter from the anti-life equation pouring out from the fissures, the Witch's pupils turning into two rotating black holes, she screamed as she tore off her own arm: "I can't control it! Hode, run!"
"No..." Hode's voice carried a quantum tremor, his right eye suddenly splitting into countless ones, each pupil reflecting the Death scene of a different lover—Carol consumed by stellar energy, her body expanding like a supernova explosion before collapsing into a black hole; Diana's Lasso of Truth strangling her own neck, her shield shattered into powder scattered on the Amazon Queen's grave; Natasha's Data Stream eroded by garbled code, her mechanical body self-destructing in Moscow Red Square, the explosion not fire but countless weeping children; Shazam struck by six black lightning bolts, turning back into Billy Batson the moment he was corroded into a pool of blood by the equation; Zatanna's rose petals turning into black spells, she used her final strength to chant "In the name of love," only to let her body melt like a candle.
"The emotional resonator isn't used like that!" A Zatanna from a certain Universe suddenly appeared in the darkness, her rose petals forming a broken incantation, "You need to transform the pain into..."
"Transform into power?" Hode roared suddenly, his quantized body suddenly expanding into a giant celestial body, the capability patterns of his five lovers appearing on his skin—but this time, mixed with black equation symbols, "You didn't tell me love would hurt this much!"
The darkness was suddenly torn apart, countless Bruce Waynes walking out of the cracks. Their suits were stained with the blood of different Universes: some holding the remains of Robin, some leaning on broken Batarangs, some followed by countless Batman clones corroded by the equation.
"Child," all the Bruces spoke simultaneously, their voices carrying echoes of different ages, "you still haven't understood the true meaning of love."
Hode felt his consciousness being torn in two. One half told him to trust his lovers, the other half replaying all the failed memories—he in one Universe rushing into the Sunwith Captain Marvel, she smiling and saying she wanted to show him a real sunbath, but the Sun suddenly turned black, her body began to crystallize, finally shattering into countless diamond fragments marked with the equation; himself in another Universe pinned to the Bifrost Bridge by Valkyrie, her divine sword at his throat: "Say you love me, or I'll show you a real Asgardian punishment." But the moment he said "I love you," the divine sword suddenly twisted into black tentacles, stabbing into his eye sockets.
"No..." Hode's body suddenly reorganized, but this time not in human form—his left arm was the material of Diana's shield, but the shield face was engraved with the anti-life equation; his right arm entwined with Carol's stellar energy, but the energy core was black; his left leg covered in Natasha's Data Stream, but the data was mixed with garbled code; his right leg filled with Shazam's Thunderpatterns, but the lightning was black; his chest embedded with Zatanna's rose spells, but the petals had all turned black, composing the spell: "Death is the only truth."
"You see," all the Bruces smiled simultaneously, their shadows suddenly twisting into giant bat wreckage, "the more you love them, the more you will become the source of destruction."
Hode suddenly heard the voices of his five lovers echoing in the darkness—not painful screams, but laughter with the characteristics of different Universes. Carol's Morning Star eyes suddenly flashed in his consciousness: "Remember the Kree Planet? You said my energy pattern was like a pulsar before a supernova explosion." Diana's shield fragments automatically spliced together, the shield surface revealing the star map of the Amazon rainforest: "But you said what truly attracted you was the look in my eyes when I fought." Natasha's Data Stream suddenly materialized into a physical entity, she pulled open her collar to reveal the barcode under her collarbone: "Moscow Red Square, you said this looked like a Stark Industriesserial number." Shazam's Thunder formed storm clouds above his head: "Philadelphia cotton candy! You said lightning-roasted cotton candy was even... than a Golden Arches cone." Zatanna's rose petals suddenly formed a silence spell, but the petals turned into cotton candy the moment they touched him: "What he truly found unforgettable was when you turned into the adult form..."
"No..." Hode's body suddenly trembled violently, black equation starting to ooze from under his skin, "You shouldn't..."
"We should!" All the lovers screamed in his consciousness simultaneously, their voices carrying cosmic echoes, "Love is not about escaping pain, but moving forward with the pain!"
Hode felt his heart suddenly pierced by something—not pain, but a strange sense of relief. Memories from a certain Universe suddenly became clear: he was kissing Black Widow in the S.H.I.E.L.D. medical bay, her mechanical arm piercing his back to extract gene samples. But when the black matter of the equation poured out of the wound, she didn't back away, instead pressing her lips tighter: "Devour me, or fight with me."
"Together..." Hode's voice suddenly became clear, his quantized body beginning to shed its black shell, "Fight..."
All the Bruce Waynes suddenly froze at the same time. They saw Hode's body reassembling—the anti-life equation was being forced out of his body by the power of his five lovers, forming miniature anti-life equationUniverses. Carol's stellar energy condensed into a supernova in Hode's palm, Diana's Lasso of Truth turned into golden light to entangle the black Universe, Natasha's Data Stream invaded the core to rewrite the code, Shazam's Thunder split the shell, and Zatanna Zatara's rose incantations formed a seal.
"This is impossible!" A Thanos from a certain Universesuddenly burrowed out of the black Universe, the Infinity Gauntlet on his hand flickering with the light of broken Infinity Stones, "We calculated all possibilities..."
"But you didn't calculate this." Hode's voice carried a cosmic echo. His body had completely reassembled, and the ability patterns of his five lovers flowed beneath his skin—but this time, the patterns were mixed with golden love, "Love makes people..."
"Unpredictable!" All his lovers screamed in unison behind him, their voices carrying the distinct characteristics of their respective Universes. Carol's Morning Star eyes turned into a dual-Sun form, Diana's S.H.I.E.L.D. popped out a Phoenix Force Fragment, Natasha's Data Stream turned into a light sword, Shazam's Thunder formed a Bifrost Bridge, and Zatanna Zatara's rose petals formed an incantation of "In the Name of Love."
The barrier of reality suddenly exploded, revealing countless flickering Bat-Signals behind it. But this time, the light was mixed with the power glow of his five lovers—Carol's gold, Diana's silver, Natasha's red, Shazam's yellow, and Zatanna Zatara's purple. All the Bruce Waynes looked up simultaneously, their bat masks cracking to reveal faces scarred by different Universes.
"Child..." all the Bruce Waynes spoke at once, their voices echoing with different ages, "You finally..."
Hode suddenly felt his consciousness being pulled by something. He saw his five lovers reaching out to him, the coordinates of different Universes etched into each of their palms. But behind them, enemies from countless parallel Universes were reassembling—Thanos's Infinity Gauntletbegan to recover, Darkseid's hellish warhorse neighed, Ultron's core restarted, Loki's Spear of Destiny flickered with a cold light, and Brainiac's antimatter body began to absorb everything around it.
"Hode!" Carol's voice carried the tremor of stellar energy, "Choose!"
"Choose..." Hode looked down at his palms, the patterns of interwoven gold and black flowing beneath his skin, "I..."
Memories from a certain Universe suddenly flooded in—he was kissing Captain Marvel at the edge of the Sun, her body beginning to crystallize, but with a smile on her lips: "Tell me, you love me."
"I love you." Hode suddenly looked up, his voice carrying a cosmic echo, "No matter which Universe, no matter how many times..."
The five lovers smiled in unison. Their powers fused within Hode, forming an unprecedented golden light. The enemies screamed simultaneously—Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet shattered into dust, Darkseid was shattered by an Amazon war cry, Ultron was pierced by the Data Streamlight sword, Loki's Spear of Destiny snapped, and Brainiacwas split in two by Thunder.
But at the moment of victory, all parallel Universes suddenly stood still simultaneously. Hode felt his consciousness torn to pieces, falling into endless darkness. Before completely losing consciousness, the last thing he saw was the smiles on the faces of his five lovers, brighter than stars—and behind them, the hands of countless Bruce Waynes, all wearing bat gloves, raised at the same time.
And this time, what was engraved on the bat gloves was not the bat symbol, but five different names: Carol, Diana, Natasha, Billy, Zatanna Zatara.
Chapter 665: The Battle, Erupts Again
Hode floated in the darkness, his consciousness seemingly entangled by countless threads, each pulling on different memories and emotions. He could feel his body reassembling, but this time it wasn't being torn apart by pain, but wrapped in a warm and powerful force—it was the love of his five lovers, gathering here across parallel Universes.
"Hode..." Carol's voice rang in his ears, carrying the scorching heat of a stellar explosion, "Wake up, we haven't won yet."
Diana's S.H.I.E.L.D. suddenly unfolded beneath him, turning into a golden cloud, supporting him as he slowly rose: "Your battle has only just begun, child."
Natasha's Data Stream materialized into a physical form, and she poked Hode's face with her mechanical finger: "Hey, stop playing dead, the snow in Moscow Red Squareis still waiting for you to walk on it."
Shazam's Thunder exploded above his head, Billy's voice filled with youthful energy: "Get up! The cotton candy in Philadelphia is about to melt!"
Zatanna Zatara's rose petals formed an incantation, gently brushing over his eyelids: "Open your eyes, my love."
Hode opened his eyes abruptly. His five lovers were surrounding him, each with a different smile on their face. Carol's Morning Star eyes shimmered with golden light, Amazon star maps appeared on Diana's S.H.I.E.L.D., red Data Stream flowed through Natasha's mechanical body, Shazam's suit was still stained with the scorch marks of Thunder, and Zatanna Zatara's rose petals formed a heart-shaped shield around her.
"We..." Hode's voice was hoarse. He looked down at his palms, the patterns of interwoven gold and black flowing beneath his skin, but this time, the black was no longer the erosion of the anti-life equation, but a shadow wrapped in love, "Did we win?"
"Not yet." Diana's S.H.I.E.L.D. suddenly popped out a Phoenix Force Fragment, turning into a golden phoenix that soared into the sky, "Look over there."
Hode followed her gaze and saw that in the cracks of the reality barrier, enemies from countless parallel Universes were pouring out—Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet had recovered, its six stones flickering with evil light; Darkseid's hellish warhorse trampled through the void, his Omega Beams carving a trail of Death in the darkness; Ultron's core had restarted, and countless mechanical clones were pouring out from within him; Loki's Spear of Destiny flickered with a cold light, behind him were countless controlled Asgard warriors; Brainiac's antimatter body had completely absorbed everything around it, his eyes flashing with the light of calculating everything.
"So many..." Hode felt his throat go dry. He turned to look at his five lovers, "How do we fight this?"
"We fight together." Carol's Morning Star eyes turned into a dual-Sun form, her body surrounded by energy like a stellar explosion, "Just like we did on the Kree Planet."
"Just like in the Amazon rainforest." Diana's S.H.I.E.L.D.popped out a Phoenix Force Fragment, turning into a golden barrier that blocked in front of them, "You handle the defense, I'll handle the attack."
"Just like in Moscow Red Square." Natasha's Data Streamturned into a light sword, red light flashing in her eyes, "I'll handle the assassinations, you handle the aggro."
"Just like in Philadelphia." Shazam's Thunder formed a Bifrost Bridge, yellow lightning flickering on his suit, "I'll handle the comedy, you handle... uh, the fighting?"
"Just like in Las Vegas." Zatanna Zatara's rose petals formed a Silence Spell, but the moment the petals touched Hode, they turned into cotton candy, "I'll handle the magic, you handle... the love?"
Hode laughed, feeling his heart filled with a warm and powerful force. He looked at his five lovers, each wearing a determined smile, a testament to trust and love that spanned parallel Universes.
"Alright." Hode's voice carried a cosmic echo, his body suddenly expanding into a giant celestial body, the ability patterns of his five lovers appearing on the surface of his skin—Carol's stellar energy, the material of Diana's S.H.I.E.L.D., Natasha's Data Stream, Shazam's Thunder, and Zatanna Zatara's rose incantations, "Let's fight together."
The battle erupted instantly.
Carol turned into a golden meteor, charging towards Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet. Her body was surrounded by energy like a stellar explosion, each Impact forcing Thanosback a step. Thanos roared and swung his gauntlet, the six stones firing destructive beams simultaneously, but Carol's body suddenly became transparent, the beams passing through her without causing any harm.
"Your attacks are useless against me." Carol's voice carried the tremor of stellar energy, her body suddenly splitting into countless versions, each charging at Thanos with the power of a stellar explosion, "Because I am a Supernova!"
Diana's S.H.I.E.L.D. turned into a golden phoenix, charging towards Darkseid's hellish warhorse. The phoenix's feathers shimmered with the light of Phoenix Force Fragments, each flap of its wings forcing Darkseid back a step. Darkseid roared and fired his Omega Beams, but Diana's S.H.I.E.L.D. suddenly popped out a Phoenix Force Fragment, forming a golden barrier that blocked the beams.
"Your beams are useless against me." Diana's voice carried an Amazon war cry, her body suddenly turning into a golden light as she charged at Darkseid, "Because I am S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
Natasha's Data Stream turned into a light sword, charging towards Ultron's core. She wove flexibly between the mechanical clones, severing one with every swing of her sword. Ultron's core suddenly fired countless lasers, but Natasha's body suddenly digitized, the lasers passing through her without causing any harm.
"Your lasers are useless against me." Natasha's voice carried a red glow, her body suddenly turning into a red lightning bolt, charging towards Ultron's core, "Because I am Data Stream!"
Shazam's Thunder formed a Bifrost Bridge, charging towards Loki's Spear of Destiny. His body was surrounded by yellow lightning, each leap forcing Loki back a step. Lokiroared and swung the Spear of Destiny, but Shazam's body suddenly turned into a bolt of Thunder, charging towards Loki.
"Your spear is useless against me." Shazam's voice carried a youthful energy, his body suddenly expanding into a giant form, grabbing Loki's Spear of Destiny, "Because I am Thunder!"
Zatanna Zatara's rose petals formed a Silence Spell, charging towards Brainiac's antimatter body. Her body was surrounded by purple incantations, each spell forcing Brainiac back a step. Brainiac roared and fired an antimatter beam, but Zatanna Zatara's rose petals suddenly formed a heart-shaped shield, blocking the beam.
"Your beams are useless against me." Zatanna Zatara's voice carried a magical echo, her body suddenly turning into a purple light, charging towards Brainiac, "Because I am a Rose!"
Hode stood in the center of the battlefield, watching his five lovers fight, his heart filled with pride and love. His body suddenly split into five parts, each part bearing the ability patterns of one of his lovers—Carol's stellar energy, the material of Diana's S.H.I.E.L.D., Natasha's Data Stream, Shazam's Thunder, and Zatanna Zatara's rose incantations.
"Let's go together!" Hode's five parts spoke simultaneously, their voices carrying a cosmic echo, "For love!"
The five parts charged at the enemies simultaneously, Carol's part turning into a golden meteor, Diana's part into a golden phoenix, Natasha's part into red lightning, Shazam's part into yellow Thunder, and Zatanna Zatara's part into a purple rose. The five parts wove through the battlefield, each attack carrying the power of the five lovers, making it impossible for the enemies to resist.
Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet suddenly shattered, the six stones flying in different directions; Darkseid's hellish warhorse was torn apart by the golden phoenix, his body shattered by the Amazon war cry; Ultron's core was pierced by the red lightning, countless mechanical clones ceasing to function; Loki's Spear of Destiny was snapped by the yellow Thunder, his body sent flying by the power of Thunder; Brainiac's antimatter body was sealed by the purple rose, his eyes flashing with the light of calculation failure.
The enemies retreated, and the battlefield fell into a brief silence.
Hode's five parts merged back into one, and he looked at his five lovers, each with a tired but satisfied smile on their face. He walked towards them and reached out his hand, and the five lovers held his hand simultaneously, a warm and powerful force transmitting from their palms.
"We did it." Hode's voice carried a cosmic echo, his body surrounded by the power glow of his five lovers, "We won."
But just at the moment of victory—705u.com-53 Reading Club—the reality barrier suddenly exploded again, revealing countless flickering unknown signals behind it. Those signals carried the evil aura of different Universes, making Hode feel as if his heart was being tightly gripped by something.
"No..." Hode's voice was hoarse. He turned to look at his five lovers, "There's more?"
The five lovers didn't speak, just held his hand tightly, a more powerful force transmitting from their palms.
Hode took a deep breath. He looked in the direction of the unknown signals, his eyes flashing with a determined light.
"Then, let's keep fighting." His voice carried a cosmic echo, his body surrounded by the power glow of his five lovers, "For love."
The five lovers smiled in unison, their powers fusing within Hode to form an unprecedented golden light. The light illuminated the battlefield and also the direction of the unknown signals.
And this time, Hode didn't wait for the enemies to charge.
He actively charged towards the unknown signals, the power of his five lovers gathering into a golden torrent behind him.
The battle, erupted again.
But this time, Hode knew he was no longer fighting alone.
He had his five lovers, the Avengers, the Justice League, and countless comrades from parallel Universes.
He had love.
And love would make him unpredictable.
Chapter 666: We're Changing the Way We Play
Hode charged into the vortex of unknown signals, the power of his five lovers boiling in his veins. Carol's stellar energy scorched his retinas, allowing him to see the countless light spots floating in the darkness—each light spot was a projection of a Universe, and at this moment, these projections were collapsing into materialized enemies.