Kara Zor-El

They called it a surgical patient gown, but in truth, the woman was merely wrapped in a bedsheet with a hole cut in the middle for her head. The sides were simply tied together with ropes, clearly so they could draw blood and conduct experiments more easily.

The woman had short black hair and looked to be no more than twenty years old. This should have been the most wonderful time of her life, yet her skin-and-bones appearance showed that she was already nearing her limit.

Looking at the distinct outlines of the bones in her fingers, Zhang Ye sighed softly. He stepped forward and lifted her around the waist, but she felt unbelievably hard in his arms, like he was holding a skeleton.

"Zhang, are you sure this is the 'Superman' we're looking for?" Pietro froze for a moment, staring at Supergirl for a long while. Her current state reminded him of unpleasant memories.

"It's her. Kara Zor-El, Krypton's 'last' legacy," Zhang Ye said flatly.

Perhaps hearing her own name, Kara hazily opened her eyes. Upon seeing Zhang Ye's rather terrifying Bird-Beak Mask, she struggled briefly before passing out again.

"Enough talking. It isn't safe here. Let's go back before discussing anything else." Carrying Kara, Zhang Ye turned and walked out of the cage. Batman, who had been waiting outside, paused slightly when he saw Zhang Ye emerge with a frail woman in his arms.

"I thought the Superman Barry mentioned was a man."

At that, Zhang Ye curled his lip. "That's true. In Barry Allen's memories, Superman was indeed male. But in this chaotic universe, anything is possible."

The three of them returned the way they had come. Corpses littered the path, while gunfire still raged outside. Judging by the commotion, the soldiers here probably would not stop until only one man remained alive.

But after experiencing another universe filled with despair, Zhang Ye and Pietro no longer felt anything about it. Perhaps these people did not deserve to die; perhaps they did. But who cared?

Batman said nothing either. He had taken plenty of lives himself. The secret chamber displaying countless villains' weapons made it clear that Batman of this universe was also a ruthless, decisive man.

They rode the Bat-Plane back. The operation had been a perfect success, more or less. Though they had made quite a commotion, everyone had returned safely without any casualties. Old Batman had not even needed to make a move.

By the time they returned to Wayne Manor, dawn had broken. The sun slowly rose in the east, and Gotham City welcomed a rare clear day.

Entering the Batcave, Zhang Ye and the other three stepped off the Bat-Plane. The two Barry Allens had already been waiting anxiously for quite some time. The instant they saw everyone return, the older Barry Allen hurried over.

"I've found a way to restore my Speed Force. If we can recreate a natural lightning strike, then place those experimental chemicals around me and reenact the scene where I gained my powers, there's a chance I can regain my abilities."

As he spoke, the older Barry Allen noticed Kara Zor-El in Zhang Ye's arms. He froze where he stood.

"Y-you succeeded? Didn't you say you were going to rescue Superman? Who is this girl?"

"She's this world's 'Superman,' Barry. Do you understand how much trouble you caused this time?" Zhang Ye replied. Then he swept his gaze around and continued.

"Since you're confident you can recover the Speed Force, get moving as soon as possible. I'm sure the Batcave has everything you need. For Bruce Wayne, creating an artificial rainstorm shouldn't be too difficult. Pietro, go help them. I'll take this Kryptonian out to get some sunlight while we have the chance."

After saying that, Zhang Ye headed for the Batcave exit. Surprisingly, no one present objected to his orders. Aside from the obedient Pietro, even Old Batman did not refuse. Or rather, Batman had now recognized the scale of the threat posed by this disaster.

At the same time, he believed that these people truly intended to save this world.

After Zhang Ye left, everyone immediately got to work. Bruce Wayne went to find materials for artificial rainfall and planned to build a bat-shaped kite to attract lightning. Meanwhile, Pietro and Little Barry Allen ran out to gather the chemical agents they needed from various laboratories.

Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. On the other side, Zhang Ye brought Kara to the rooftop of Wayne Castle. Here, Kara could better absorb the radiation of the Yellow Sun. To help her, Zhang Ye even took off his trench coat and laid Kara on it.

The black trench coat could absorb sunlight more effectively, speeding up Kara's recovery.

And that was indeed the case. Under the sunlight, Kara's body, whose ribs had been clearly visible moments before, immediately reacted. Like an inflated balloon, her body gradually returned to normal, while the energy inside her steadily filled up.

Zhang Ye took off his mask and stepped back a few paces, leaving a safe distance between them. He was not worried about anything else; he simply feared that this girl might instinctively lash out when she woke up. His small frame could not withstand a punch from a Kryptonian strengthened by sunlight.

Kara's eyelids twitched slightly before snapping open. Without any support, she suddenly floated into the air, then slowly straightened upright.

"To form a Bio-Field in such a short time... Kryptonian physiology really is terrifying." Zhang Ye could not help clicking his tongue inwardly. Even Kara, who had only just escaped captivity, was this formidable. It was easy to imagine how terrifying General Zod and his men were.

Noticing Zhang Ye's presence, Kara turned toward him. "I remember you. You were the one who saved me from that place."

Kara's voice was calm, but Zhang Ye could sense the trace of joy in her heart, along with rage like flowing lava on the verge of eruption. Naturally, anyone who had been imprisoned and experimented on for more than a decade would harbor boundless fury.

"It's good that you remember. I was worried you'd punch me." Zhang Ye smiled faintly and lowered the umbrella he had been gripping behind his back.

Kara watched Zhang Ye silently, as if recalling something. Then she spoke. "If I remember correctly, you called me by my name. Who exactly are you?"

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Zhang Ye, and I come from another universe."

Zhang Ye smiled, stepped forward a few paces, and extended his hand as he continued.

"This world is about to be destroyed by Zod. To save it, we need your strength."