After Magician Superman finished introducing himself, he turned to the pre-Crisis The Flash Barry Allen.
Barry's eyes kept drifting toward the unconscious pre-Crisis Batman Bruce Wayne on the ground. Then he heard Magician Superman say:
"Speaking of you, you're Barry Allen, The Flash of Earth-One."
The Flash felt a faint tremor in his heart. He realized that the other man hadn't known him at all before today, and the only reason he could state such information so accurately was because...
"Whoa, what's that? Telepathy?"
"Yes. Although your superspeed thoughts are difficult to follow, Barry, your thought process is extraordinarily rapid with the Speed Force's enhancement. Keeping up with you is an interesting challenge."
The Flash Barry crooked his mouth. The other's attitude seemed a little...
How should he put it? Condescending?
"Yeah, I'm glad to be an 'interesting challenge,'" Barry said.
"Oh, no offense. You're a metahuman, while my abilities are simply superior to yours in every regard."
Magician Superman said, "Once again, that's not boasting. I'm merely stating a fact. Any battle between us would be completely one-sided."
"Uh-huh..." Barry gave a soft snort.
"But I admit my attitude has been somewhat arrogant. Still, I have complete respect for you. You're The Flash. You've been proven to be a hero—brave, determined, talented, selfless. In your timeline, you saved the world."
There was something strange about Magician Superman: he was condescending, yet utterly sincere.
That bizarre mixture of arrogance and sincerity made Barry uncomfortable, but he didn't know how to refute it. He was left speechless.
Oh, Barry. Barry.
Young Barry lived in the Golden Age before the Infinite Earths Crisis. In the Golden Age's Gotham City, even robbery was considered a serious crime.
Barry hadn't seen much like this.
"I have no intention of fighting you. Under different circumstances,