novelnext Chapter 140 The Mastermind
Chapter 140 The Mastermind
Chapter 140 The Mastermind
"Damn it, are we the only ones left with any brains intact?"
After Constantine finished speaking, he watched as Shazam also shouted and summoned magical lightning. He immediately felt that this guy was even more hopeless than himself.
"Outsider, I don't quite understand why you'd help Shazam. He's clearly the source of all this chaos."
Connors ignored him and instead beckoned to Madame de Sultan, who immediately threw herself into his arms, leaving Constantine dumbfounded.
"When did you win her over?"
"It's a bit dangerous, you should go inside and hide," Connors said to Lady Shangdu, who nodded and entered the "Mysterious House" on the ring.
Constantine gritted his teeth:
"You stole my secret house?"
Without Connors needing to speak, "Firestorm" unleashed a burst of flames at Constantine amidst the chaos of battle:
"Shut up, old man."
Constantine let out a painful cry and fell backward, the Pandora's Box falling to the ground.
As he fell, Constantine subconsciously stared at Connors, but Connors remained unmoved by the Pandora's Box on the ground, showing no desire whatsoever to pick it up.
Instead, a belt shot out from somewhere, and Batman used it to entangle the Pandora's Box and turn to run away.
The Lantern of the Justice League of America is protected by the Green Lantern Ring, and he is one of the few who has not been corrupted by the Box.
Seeing Batman run off with the box, he instinctively shouted to team leader Steve:
"Batman got the box! We can use it to help Superman!"
Steve's eyes were fixed on the Pandora's Box, his eyes bloodshot.
"You think I care whether Superman lives or dies, Lantern Man? The world doesn't need Superman, let him rot!"
Seeing this, "Lantern" stopped wasting words with Steve, and his green lantern ring shone brightly, conjuring up a scorpion-tail-like chain that bound Batman.
"You're just a mortal, I'm not afraid of you, Batman. I'm Green Lantern!"
"Lantern" flew to Batman's side and spoke to Batman, who was bound by chains.
"But you're not Hal Jordan."
Batman pressed a button on his "Bat Gauntlet," releasing a large amount of electricity from his fingertip, which made "Lantern" feel numb all over.
Lantern Man loosened the chains binding Batman, and Cyborg flew in to help him.
Frankenstein's monster seems to have clashed with Shazam; even at the temple, the two still consider each other rivals.
"Shockwave" attacked "Firestorm" while simultaneously being hit by an arrow from "Green Arrow".
Aquaman's trident was held in Wonder Woman's hand, with one foot pointing towards Hawkman, while Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth flew towards Steve.
"Stargirl" attacks indiscriminately with her star staff, while "Hawkman" watches intently, ready to deliver an axe blow.
"Elemental Woman" transforms her arms into tentacles and wraps around "Steel Bone".
Catwoman and Black Orchid simultaneously attacked the Katana, while the Katana's longsword attempted to slash at The Flash.
In a scene more chaotic than any previous battle, "Superman" lifted the last remaining foundation of the temple and slammed it down on everyone watching:
"I'm the one you should be worried about!"
The "dead man" floated to the side of "Frankenstein's monster," whose arm was tightly gripping Shazam:
"Hold onto this muscular guy tight, I need to perform a minor operation on him."
"Shazam!"
With a roar, Shazam unleashed his magical lightning, sending both "Dead Man" and "Frankenstein's Monster" flying.
During the battle between Aquaman and Hawkman, an unexpected and graceful figure rushed into the battlefield, causing Aquaman to...
He was taken aback:
"Mera? What are you doing here?"
Mera responded to Aquaman with her massive, spiked fist, revealing Martian Manhunter's true form:
"She's not here!"
Wonder Woman used her Lasso of Truth to fling Steve Trevor away, sending him crashing to the ground, before heading straight for Batman.
"Give me the box! I can destroy it! We've saved Superman!"
Batman hung the belt that held the Pandora's Box around his neck:
"No, that would also open it. We can't let that happen. Nobody knows what's behind the passage."
Superman flew to Wonder Woman's side and reached out to grab her:
"I'm here!"
Wonder Woman dodged Superman's attack:
"You're sick, Superman. If Batman doesn't hand over that box soon, I'm worried you won't make it."
Superman's eyes were bloodshot; he was no longer in his right mind.
"Connors beat you to it, so wouldn't my death be exactly what you wanted? It would be best if you killed Batman too."
Nobody's bothering you and the outsider in your private time?
Wonder Woman's two protective silver bracelets collided, vibrating as she launched an attack on Superman:
"Are you jealous of Connors? He's a member of our Justice League!"
"But he started all this trouble! He's the mastermind behind it all!" Superman roared angrily. "He wants to kill us all!"
Batman remained unusually calm. He crouched on a pile of rubble and tried to reason with Superman:
That box is eroding us, we have to—
Before he could finish speaking, Superman slammed his fist into the ground, creating a deep crater in the foundation of the temple of Hephaestus, the god of fire.
"Don't try to boss me around, Batman! I have the right to share that box!"
As he spoke, Superman threw a punch at Batman from a distance.
You don't even need to hit Batman; the sheer amount of air compressed in front of the fist is enough to seriously injure him.
"Superman, that's enough!"
Wonder Woman, unable to bear it any longer, leaped high into the air and deflected Superman's punch.
Even when the punch missed, Superman's fist still produced a deafening roar, and even in his weakened state, his punch speed exceeded the speed of sound.
The violent impact sent Batman flying, and the Pandora's Box hanging around his neck fell to the ground.
Superman collapsed to the ground, the punch having exhausted most of his strength, leaving him even weaker.
"The box is in hibernation mode."
Atomic Girl muttered to herself as she fled in panic amidst the chaotic battle.
The chaotic battle around them suddenly stopped, and the superheroes turned their attention to the Pandora's Box. This time, their eyes were no longer bloodshot.
"Everyone back off, no touching the box!" Batman slammed to the ground, but quickly issued the order.
The heroes remained silent, each helping up those they knew or didn't know.
"Why is it that only Superman's body has been affected, but ours hasn't?" Wonder Woman asked, looking at the fallen Superman.
"Firestorm" approached and spoke with a grave expression:
"The Wonder Woman box might make us crazy, but I don't think it's affecting Superman. It was too weak before, I didn't even notice, but it's gradually getting stronger."
"Superman is emitting some kind of radiation—kryptonite. It's inside him."
"I can find where it is," the Elemental Woman stepped forward.
"I can transform into oxygen and enter his body, finding the source through the dying cells."
She transformed into a gaseous form, flew into it with Superman's breath, and then quickly reappeared before everyone:
"There is a miniature kryptonite in his brain."
"How did such a tiny kryptonite get into his head?" Cyborg wondered.
"It couldn't be simpler, Cyborg." Atomic Girl, clutching her head and dodging attacks, returned to Connors' shoulder. "I put it there."
"When you were fighting the Justice League of America, Connors instructed me to insert a miniature kryptonite, which I had taken from Batman's ring, into Superman's brain."
"And it triggered his thermal vision."
The arrival of this moment excited Atom Girl. She sat on Connors' shoulders, her legs swinging leisurely. "You all thought I was with the Justice League, and the American Justice League thought I was with them—but you're all wrong."
"So, you're a traitor? And 'Outsider' Connors too? But he's done so much for this world." Cyborg's super brain made him feel inadequate.
"Victor, you too."
"I don't-"
Before Cyborg could finish speaking, another mechanical voice sounded within his body:
"Yes. This body is no longer necessary and has become a useless weakness."
"Therefore, the separation process is initiated."
Four mechanical arms uncontrollably extended from "Cyborg's" body and gripped the ground firmly.
All the metal parts detached from his remaining flesh and were reassembled, transforming him into a creature with half a head and a complete steel skeleton.
"Grid is now online."
"No, Cyborg—!" Batman had never expected this scene to unfold.
At this moment, Connors, the "outsider" who had remained silent throughout the chaos, walked to the Pandora's Box, which everyone had left behind, bent down, and picked it up:
"It's my turn."