Simply put, that universe's Superman is an idiot.
Thor stood in front of the conference table, hands in his pockets, speaking as casually as if he were reporting today's cafeteria menu.
Six pairs of eyes were fixed on him. Batman's expression was hidden behind his mask, but he leaned forward half an inch.
Clark's smile vanished instantly.
"What mistake did he make?" he asked.
"Leading people to their deaths without any research on the enemy led to the destruction of the Earth."
Thor used a very vague statement because he didn't want to spend an hour explaining the whole story of the war.
Bruce opened his mouth.
Thor saw his signature move: lifting his hands off the table, fingers interlaced, ready to begin his interrogation-style barrage of questions.
The questions are probably already lined up in Batman's mind: Which universe? What timeline? What exactly did Superman do? How many survivors are there? Where are the people you brought back?
Thor didn't want to answer.
"Never mind," he interrupted abruptly, "You guys watch the movie first."
Bruce closed his mouth again, his expression amusing, as if someone had suddenly snatched the food from his mouth.
Thor didn't give him time to react, raising his hand and waving it away.
Law of Narrative and Law of Reality intertwined, and a blue-white light curtain unfolded in the center of the conference room, like a giant screen suspended in mid-air.
The scene has begun—a dark Earth, the sky covered in red, and Darkseid's army descending from the sky.
"This is a complete video record of that universe." Thor took a step back. "From beginning to end, including how Superman courted death, how the Justice League lost, and how Earth was destroyed. Watch it yourselves, and then come find me."
Wally peeked at the image on the screen, then looked away.
"Uh, how long is this movie?"
"A little over two hours." Thor was already heading for the door. "Don't worry, it'll be shorter than Bruce's meeting."
Bruce didn't speak, but Thor felt a gaze piercing the back of his head.
It doesn't matter.
He stepped out of the conference room, his steps unwavering, a thought forming in his mind.
His body disappeared from the Watchtower corridor and was standing in another place the next moment.
That was his own personal space.
It's called a portable space, but it's more like an independent universe.
The Law of Space have been rewritten here; theoretically Infinity large, but in practice, the area used is only about the width of a city.
He had set this area as a vast white plain, with no sky above and no ground texture underfoot—just a pure, clean, and empty void.
Except for that group of people.
More than thirty figures were scattered across the plain, gathered in twos and threes.
Some were standing, some were squatting, and some were pacing back and forth.
Thor scanned the area.
The Flash Barry Allen, stood at the front, his red suit still bearing unrepaired cracks. Next to him was Kara, arms crossed, expressionless.
Next up is Batman, his face covered in bruises, and his left eye socket so swollen it's barely a slit.
Next to her was Damian, Barbara was leaning against a rock that had appeared out of nowhere. Commissioner Gordon stood beside her, holding an unlit cigarette in his hand.
Superman and the modified Wonder Woman stood a little further apart.
Aquaman and Mera stood side by side, Green Lantern Hal sat on the ground with his ring glowing dimly, Martian Manhunter stood on the outermost edge of the crowd like Sentry.
Starfire, Raven, Zatanna, Constantine stood in a circle, with a cigarette dangling from Constantine's lips, seemingly complaining to someone.
Red Hood leaned against the void, Nightwing beside him, and Batwoman stood with her arms crossed.
Harley Quinn sat on the ground swinging her legs, with Poison Ivy standing behind her.
The survivors of the League of Assassins huddled in a corner, with Captain Boomerang keeping his distance from everyone, seemingly wanting to find a place to hide.
When Thor emerged from the void, everyone looked at him.
"Alright." He spoke, his voice not loud, but the acoustics of the space were set up by him, so everyone could hear him clearly. "You've probably guessed the news—your universe is gone."
silence.
A few seconds later, Barry took a step forward.
"What happened?" His voice was a little hoarse, but his tone was steady. He looked Thor into the eyes. "That thing you did to Darkseid earlier—"
" Darkseid's true form channeled power into his clone," Thor said. "The battle was so intense that the entire universe couldn't withstand it and collapsed."
He said it very casually.
Barry didn't react, he just nodded.
He had known Thor's level of power for a long time, ever since Flashpoint.
This kind of person clashed with Darkseid's true form and destroyed the universe.
That's perfectly normal. Having the ability to resurrect people at will and destroy a universe—what's so strange about that?
But others don't think so.
"Wait," Batman spoke, his swollen face making his words slightly slurred, "You mean a clone?"
Thor glanced at him.
"Yes, the Darkseid you've been fighting from beginning to end was just an avatar; the real Darkseid resides in a higher dimension."
Silence spread.
Constantine pulled the cigarette from his mouth. "Bollocks!"
This probably represents the sentiments of most people present.
They fought desperately, so many people died, so much was sacrificed, and the other side just used clones to play with them the whole time?
Thor didn't give them time to process it, or rather, he thought these people were smart enough that they didn't need much time to process it.
"Now let's get down to business." He scanned everyone present. "Two options. First, come with me to my city and help me with its development. Second, I'll place you in a place similar to your universe, where there's also a Justice League guarding the area."
"Your city?" Damian frowned.
" Frost City is expanding and needs people." Thor's explanation was concise to the extreme.
Batman, his face swollen, stared at Thor for a few seconds.
So you're here to settle us in.
Thor nodded. "Yes."
"What's the difference between the two options?" Batman pressed.
"Come with me, and there's a high chance you won't be able to commit any more crimes. We can build the city, develop it, and live a peaceful life."
Thor paused. "If you don't come with me, you'll have to face Justice League from another universe. Another Batman, another Superman, another Wonder Woman —they don't know you."
The meaning is clear: if you go to other universes, you are outsiders.
The crowd began to stir.
Whispers, glances exchanged, various reactions.
Harley Quinn raised her hand. "There's something fun over there..." Before she could finish speaking, Poison Ivy pushed her back down.
Thor ignored their discussion; he knew this wasn't something that could be decided in a minute or two.
Barry walked around to his side and lowered his voice.
I'll go with you.
Thor turned to look at him. Barry looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes.
"After being a superhero for so many years," Barry chuckled, "I'm a little tired."
Thor didn't say anything, he just nodded.
Kara also came over. She didn't beat around the bush; she went straight to Thor and said three words: "I'm going too."
Thor nodded again.
Barry was still standing there, his mouth open, but he couldn't say anything.
He lowered his head, looked at the white ground beneath his feet, remained silent for several seconds, then shook his head and took a step back.
Thor knew what he wanted to say.
You can tell without even using your mental power to scan.
This guy's mother, Nora Allen, died at the hands of the Doomsday. He had helped him retrieve her from the timeline last time, but he couldn't save her himself.
Now that the universe is gone, he wants Thor to help him one more time.
But he couldn't bring himself to speak.
Thor understood this mentality: the first time was out of gratitude, the second time was about taking advantage, and Barry wasn't that kind of person.
Thor turned his head and looked at the group of survivors still discussing in the distance, his mind starting to wander.
resurrection.
This is a problem.
Barry wanted to resurrect his mother, and there will surely be others who want to resurrect someone else in the future.
The demand is certainly not limited to Barry alone.
He can't possibly help everyone he meets for free.
He had mastered all the laws related to death; resurrecting a person was as easy for him as drinking water.
But that's precisely why it can't be used casually; if it's too cheap, it's meaningless.
There needs to be an exchange mechanism.
He quickly considered the situation in his mind— Frost City was under construction and needed a large workforce, and various Metahuman could accelerate the city's development.
Everyone who contributes to the city receives Contribution Points, which can be redeemed for items once accumulated.
Ordinary supplies, technical equipment, and training resources are all minor components.
Resurrecting a loved one? That's the highest level.
The required Contribution Points would be astronomical.
In this way, these superheroes and supervillains will work desperately to build Frost City in order to achieve their goals.
The Flash can move supplies, Kara can work as a construction crew, Batman can do urban planning, Constantine... Constantine can guard the gate.
Thor gave himself a mental thumbs up.
I need to go back and discuss the details with Emma Frost. She's a master at management, so it would be perfect for her to design the Contribution Points system.
He glanced at Barry again; the guy was still standing there, his fist clenching and unclenching.
Thor didn't speak. There were some things he could tell him after the Contribution Points system was implemented.
Giving something to look forward to is more helpful than giving a direct answer.
The discussion in the distance seemed to be nearing its end.
Batman was walking this way, the bruises on his face making him look unusually serious, or rather, unusually comical.
Thor organized his thoughts and prepared to listen to the answer.
Suddenly, the communicator in his pocket rang.
J'onn's voice came through the Watchtower's emergency channel, calm and collected.
" Thor, in the conference room. Bruce has finished watching the video you left, and he has something to say."
Thor paused for a moment.
You watched a two-hour movie, Batman finished it in less than twenty minutes?
That control freak probably skipped through all the crucial parts.
Thor sighed. "We'll talk about you two later." He waved to Barry and Kara, his figure already beginning to blur.
Barry opened his mouth, but his expression remained the same—he wanted to say something, but didn't.
Thor has disappeared.
The white plain was silent for a few seconds.
Barry stood there, watching the spot where Thor had disappeared, and finally relaxed his clenched fist.
Kara walked up to him, but didn't look at him; she kept her eyes straight ahead.
I roughly know what you want to ask him.
Barry did not answer.
"It's not that he doesn't want to help you," Kara said calmly. "He's thinking about how to help."
Barry looked up at her.
How did you know?
Kara didn't speak, but simply tilted her head slightly. She had dealt with Thor long enough to understand his ways of doing things.
He never refuses, and he never gives things away for free.
In the distance, Batman, his face swollen, had already approached, followed by a string of people.
"We've reached an agreement," he said, his swollen lips making the statement sound somewhat ridiculous.
Barry and Kara turned their heads at the same time.
Batman paused, his gaze sweeping over the two men before moving past them to the spot where Thor had just been standing.
Where are the others?