DC: Chapter 214/215

Chapter 214: Paradise Island
Early morning.

The sun slanted down onto Paradise Island, and the morning dew glistened like crystals on the tips of the green grass.

Behind Paradise Island stretched dense forests, with towering jungle trees rising and falling like waves. There were even plants from the ancient Jurassic era, forming an immense and endless sea of green.

Diana took a deep breath of the morning air. The fragrance of fresh earth, the coolness of dawn, and the pleasant chill against her skin filled her senses.

She wore straw sandals, stepping on the wet grass. Animal skins wrapped around her waist, her chest full and firm beneath a tube top also made of animal skin. With a vigorous and athletic posture, she ran swiftly across the peaks of the jungle.

Holding a Greek spear in her hand, she moved like a cheetah. Her shadow leapt nimbly through the green forest, shaking droplets of water from the tree trunks as she passed.

The morning sun shone on her healthy wheat-colored skin. The beauty bestowed upon her by the gods made the world itself seem pale in comparison. Her sharp eyebrows reflected her determination, her beautiful face was radiant with excitement, and her calm, confident eyes glimmered. The corners of her mouth curved into a charming smile as she climbed a mountain in high spirits.

It was a flat-topped mountain, its peak shaved smooth for the purpose of combat training.

The icy mountain wind, sharp as a blade, whipped through her hair, sending her curls fluttering in the breeze.

With slender fingers, she tucked the strands of black hair away from her eyes. Gazing into the distance with her beautiful dark eyes, she could see the Amazon palace buildings not far away, nestled amid the vast, connected forests.

The Amazon architecture, built in the Greek style, was famous for its grand spans. Whether arch structures, truss systems, beam-and-column frameworks, fountains, lintel designs, vaulted arches, cross vaults, or multi-domed structures, each building was massive yet adorned with delicate carvings. From Diana's vantage point, the scene was breathtaking and majestic.

As Diana watched the Amazon capital slowly awaken beneath the rising sun, she imagined that by now her mother had noticed her absence and was likely eating breakfast with a dark expression, already sending people out to search for her.

She smiled faintly, her gaze drifting beyond the Amazon city. In the distance, the blue sea and sky merged into a vast, rippling horizon. Her eyes were filled with longing and curiosity.

There lay the outside world, the world of men.

After watching for a while, Diana held her Greek spear firmly and began her morning practice. At dawn, she trained diligently with the spear. Her figure was strong and graceful, radiating dazzling brilliance under the sunlight. Her black hair swayed in the breeze, and her beautiful face remained calm and confident.

About an hour later.

Another Amazonian leapt through the jungle, agilely climbing and jumping up onto the peaceful mountaintop.

Diana's ears twitched slightly at the sound of the approaching footsteps. She spun around, spear in hand, turning sharply to aim at the newcomer. Raising an eyebrow, she smiled and said, "Perfect timing, Artemis. How about we spar for a bit?"

The visitor had blond hair tied up high behind her head. Her face bore the fierce spirit of a woman who would never yield to men. With a slender figure and heroic bearing, she was Artemis.

Artemis and Diana were the two most skilled Amazon warriors. They often sparred with each other, exchanging combat techniques.

At the same time, Artemis was also one of the commanders and instructors of the Amazon army.

"Diana, you know I would love nothing more than to punch that pretty face of yours, but now's not the time. A man was caught inside the palace. The queen wants you back immediately. Apparently, this man has something to do with you."

Artemis spread her hands helplessly, her golden hair fluttering in the sunlight, shining brightly.

Diana slowly lowered her spear, doubt flashing across her beautiful face. Someone related to her?

She knew that ever since the Amazons revealed their existence to the world, many humans had tried to investigate and approach Amazon.

But those who ventured near were either repelled by the magic barrier surrounding the island or, in some cases, killed by it.

No human had ever truly entered Amazon, let alone infiltrated the palace.

"Someone related to me? How is that possible? I don't even know any men."

Diana's face was full of confusion. Frowning, she gripped her spear tightly and followed Artemis down the mountain, leaping gracefully through the trees as the rustling of leaves echoed around them.

"It seems that outside forces are plotting to dominate the world. This man is said to be a rebel. He somehow discovered the secret passage from your room to the forest and used it to sneak into the palace," Artemis explained, though she sounded just as puzzled. How could a human so easily breach Amazon's defenses?

What?

Diana's eyes widened in shock. The secret passage in her room's bathroom… how could it have been discovered so easily?

…

Inside the palace hall of Amazon.

Queen Hippolyta, draped in a luxurious golden cloak, sat upon the Amazon throne. Her dignified beauty remained striking, the kind of grace that once even tempted Zeus himself.

At this moment, her gaze was thoughtful as she stared at Victor, who was held down by two Amazons, kneeling on the floor where the light filtering through the walls cast reflections all around.

"In the future, you and Diana will be comrades-in-arms?" Hippolyta asked, her sharp eyes fixed on Victor, searching for any sign of deceit in his expression.

Victor bore the marks of a beating. The moment he was discovered, the Amazons had attacked him fiercely. He had been beaten nearly to death.

Paradise Island was a land of women. What's more, this man had come through the secret passage that led directly to Diana's bathroom. Fortunately, she had not been there at the time. Otherwise, he might already be dead.

"Yes. We need Diana's help. We need Amazon's help. In the future, Diana and we will be founders of the Justice League, standing together to protect this planet," Victor replied firmly, his eyes unwavering.

Hippolyta's breath slowed slightly. She leaned back against the throne, her gaze steady as she stared down at Victor, remaining silent.

Several Amazon warriors had requested to deal with him immediately. For a man to so recklessly enter the palace was an unforgivable insult to them.

But Hippolyta had refused.

At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed outside the hall. Diana and Artemis ran in, their chests rising and falling with each breath.

Artemis dropped to one knee, bowing respectfully before standing at attention.

"Mother!" Diana greeted her, her chest still slightly heaving as she caught her breath. Her gaze quickly shifted to Victor's face.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 215: Ready to Save, It's Bruce!
Emperor Building.

Underground Research Institute.

On the fourteenth underground floor, this level was filled with cloned flesh, various detection programs, and research on the genetic programming of Doomsday cells and multiple cell types, mainly conducted by humans.

It was brightly lit, vast, and empty. Doctors in white coats and researchers moved back and forth. The institute housed the world's most advanced biological research equipment and gathered the finest biomedical experts. At every moment, human brilliance and wisdom shone here.

The white floor was made of sound-absorbing clay. As Bardi stepped on it, it sank slightly beneath his feet without making a sound, so as not to disturb the researchers at work.

Some researchers, upon seeing Bardi, would bow slightly to show their respect.

Passing through the quiet white corridor, Bardi reached the innermost section and entered the Doomsday manufacturing, research, and training room.

Tall glass-sealed tanks stood like scenes from a science fiction film, arranged neatly throughout the room. The ground was covered with a cold mist, enhancing the futuristic, cinematic atmosphere.

"Increase nutritional supplements."

"Inject solar energy."

"Stimulate antibody proliferation."

"Tear muscle fibers."

"Protein synthesis is insufficient."

"Freeze it immediately."

Lex gave these commands with calm eyes.

The assistant nearby followed his instructions and activated the low-temperature cooling system to freeze the sarcoma mass within the glass-sealed jar.

Alongside the assistant, data was collected and recorded, analyzing where the process had gone wrong.

Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion, though no results had been achieved yet. It was another failed experiment.

Bardi was not surprised.

This research was carried out by a team of human bioscience experts. On the ten floors below, there was also a specialized group composed of Hera and artificial intelligence systems. Using the combined knowledge of these scientific teams, along with Bardi's understanding of Kryptonian cells, research continued. Yet, success remained out of reach.

Doomsday was not so easy to replicate. Perhaps they truly would need to wait for the arrival of General Zod.

Bardi gazed at the mass of sarcoma, thinking silently to himself.

When Bardi finished inspecting, Lex and the other researchers lowered their heads in greeting. Bardi gave a slight nod, allowing them to resume their work.

"Is it ready?" Bardi asked. In the days following the capture of The Flash, he had begun planning to use The Flash to alter the past.

It was not simply about saving Jenny.

It was also essential to avoid disturbing his past self, ensuring that the younger Bardi would not see his future self and thus avoid any temporal disruptions.

Bardi would never underestimate the risks of altering time.

"It is ready. The embryo is absorbing nuclear energy and continuing to grow. It is expected to reach a height of thirteen meters. The body will be bloated, the bones barbed, and the flesh layer will be adjusted to 95 percent completion of the desired form," Lex replied, leading Bardi toward the largest glass-sealed tank.

This giant glass jar stood over twenty meters tall with a diameter of fifteen meters.

Inside, floating in the green nutrient solution, was a massive and grotesque embryo. It curled up, peacefully asleep with its calves tucked against its body.

Bardi stood silently before the embryo, his expression softening. A trace of tenderness appeared in his eyes, touched by memory.

The flickering flames, the ugly figure standing alone in the darkness, flashed once again before his eyes.

…

On the ninth floor of the underground research institute. From the first floor down to the ninth floor were all mechanical research levels. The air carried a faint scent of engine oil. Countless individual weapons, nanotechnology projects, and other mechanical research filled these floors. They were also connected to the large-scale circular accelerator collider on the ground, as well as the subterranean Atlantic Ocean, where the Kryptonian spacecraft was docked.

The Kryptonian spacecraft, however, had been completely refitted. It had become an amphibious giant aircraft carrier, capable of flying into space and carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers.

On the ninth floor, Mike surveyed all the high-tech equipment present. Under strict orders, he was stationed here to guard the researchers as they installed mechanical prosthetics on Barry Allen's legs. These prosthetics were designed to absorb and limit the Speed Force, suppressing Barry's abilities.

Mike had been assigned to ensure that no accidents occurred during the procedure.

Watching Barry, now under the researchers' control like a puppet as they manipulated the nerve connections in his legs, Mike's anger surged. His face grew tense, his fingers clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He wanted to lash out, to beat these people to death and rescue Barry.

But he could not. The security here was too tight. Without his current identity, he would not have been able to get this close at all.

When the researchers finished installing one of the mechanical prosthetics and sighed in relief, a yellow arc suddenly flashed across Barry's arm, accompanied by a sharp 'zipping' sound.

Mike stepped forward abruptly, placing his hand on Barry's arm.

"Hey! This is inappropriate. Combat personnel are only here to guard, not to interfere with the research. What do you think you're doing?" the commander overseeing the operation shouted at Mike.

"I was sent by His Majesty to prevent The Flash from losing control."

"The Flash is under His Majesty's strict supervision. There is no room for error. If he resists, none of us will escape His Majesty's wrath."

"The Flash's power is about to recover. Even ten times the normal dose of anesthetic may not hold him."

Mike responded coldly. The commander froze for a moment, then noticed the arcs of electricity flickering across Barry's body. He quickly ordered the staff to bring stronger anesthetics to sedate him further.

Just as Mike had said, The Flash's power was returning. The arcs around him intensified as he regained consciousness, though he still lacked the strength to escape.

Mike continued holding Barry's arm. With his thumb, he pressed into Barry's skin in a specific rhythm, communicating through a cipher.

"Barry, what's going on?"

Barry, who had only just regained consciousness, froze. This cipher—painfully memorized under Bruce's strict training—was far more complicated than Morse code. Bruce had forced them to learn it alongside the world's most difficult languages, like Chinese, Arabic, and German. Though it had been a nightmare at the time, it proved invaluable now. A simple nod or gesture was enough to convey full messages.

Only Hal, Barry, Bruce, and Victor knew this code. No one else.

In that instant, Barry understood clearly. This "Mike" was Bruce!

Hidden from view where Bruce's hand covered Barry's, Barry lightly touched Bruce's clothes and replied with his fingers.

"Barmulodi wants me to help him go back to the past."

Bruce's eyes narrowed. His fingers tightened around Barry's arm.

At that moment, the researchers approached with the stronger anesthetic and injected it into Barry.

Taking advantage of the brief moment before Barry lost consciousness again, Bruce pressed one final message into Barry's hand.

Barry gave a slight nod before passing out once more.

(To be continued.)