American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

67. Departure and a New World.

The next day, Alex had a rare chance to sleep in.

This was the most comfortable sleep he had had in a long time. There was no suffocating pressure, no troubles threatening his safety at every moment—just a sense of fullness and the comfort of a soft mattress, something Alex had always longed for.

When he groggily climbed out of bed, he realized it was already noon. He hurriedly got dressed and walked outside.

Entering the living room of Wayne Manor, Alex was surprised to find that everyone else was already up. Pietro and young Barry Allen were engrossed in a mobile game, while Kara was helping old Bruce Wayne cook. Well, it wasn't really accurate to say she was helping—Bruce was doing most of the work, and Kara was just assisting.

"Why didn't anyone wake me up?" Alex rubbed his eyes and wobbled over to the group, feeling a bit dizzy from sleeping too long.

"Alex, you're awake! We figured you were really tired, so we thought we'd let you sleep in a bit. Besides, we're not in a hurry," Pietro greeted with a raised hand.

"But letting me sleep until noon? This Gotham weather is really weird, always overcast and rainy, making it hard to get up." Alex grabbed a teacup from the table and took a sip.

Everyone knows rainy days are great for sleeping in. Gotham's weather is a blessing for insomniacs. It was noon, yet it was still dim outside. They had to turn on lights inside the manor to make it bright enough.

"You drank a lot last night. I warned you that the wine had a strong aftereffect," old Bruce Wayne said, bringing a bowl of noodles to the table and pouring the prepared sauce over it. "But you got up just in time. I was about to send Kara to wake you."

The aroma of the noodles made Alex's stomach growl. After sleeping so long, he was famished.

As he brought his bowl to the table, Alex noticed someone was missing. "Where's Barry Allen? Did he oversleep too? I don't see him around."

"He left early this morning," Bruce replied, sitting down at the table and speaking slowly. "That kid has things on his mind. While we've settled our matters here, he still has unresolved troubles."

"When did he leave?"

"Around six. You were all still asleep. He said goodbye to me and left, not wanting to disturb you. I think he felt guilty for causing so much trouble."

"Okay," Alex nodded, not saying much more. He had considered using Barry Allen to locate the DC film universe, but then he gave up on the idea.

After all, before he traveled, the DC film universe was a mess. Even after a reboot, there was only a new Blue Beetle movie. Going there without a thorough understanding of the plot and events could easily put him in dangerous situations.

After finishing their meal, Alex and the others prepared to leave. Pietro and Kara put on regular clothes over their battle suits to avoid drawing attention if they ended up in a crowded place. Their suits were hidden underneath, just in case.

Alex, on the other hand, didn't change much. His trench coat was ordinary enough, with only the bird beak mask standing out. Fortunately, the Timepad had a special dimension for storing items, so Alex placed most of his gear there.

Alex had no idea how big the storage dimension was, but according to Miss Time, it was a special dimension not part of any multiverse or timeline. It had no rules or life, only endless void—a bottomless pit.

Since it couldn't store living beings, Alex treated it as a mobile backpack, filled with various supplies and equipment. With old Batman's full support, Alex even stored a small mountain of gold there, knowing that gold and silver were valuable in most universes. This ensured he wouldn't be penniless in other worlds.

With everything ready, Alex communicated with Miss Minutes to open a portal to a random multiverse. This time, Alex made sure the destination was set to Earth, fearing he might end up in outer space, which would be a death sentence. Thinking back to his first teleportation, Alex felt a chill. He had been lucky to land on Earth in that universe.

"We're off."

Alex and his companions bid farewell, then stepped through the purple portal.

In an instant, the damp air of the Batcave was replaced by a chilly breeze, as if they had entered an air-conditioned room. They found themselves in a dark alley, surrounded by garbage cans. The nearby high-rise buildings offered no clues about their location, and a few clouds drifted in the autumn sky.

"So this is another Earth's universe? This ability is always so amazing," Kara remarked, glancing around.

"Do you feel anything unusual?" Alex asked, worried that different solar radiation in this universe might affect Kara.

"No, I feel fine. My powers aren't weakened; they might even be stronger," Kara replied, clenching her fist.

"Good. If anything feels off, let me know immediately."

At that moment, Pietro chimed in, "Why do we always end up near garbage cans? Are you doing this on purpose, Alex?"

Alex cleared his throat, "It's better than landing in the middle of a busy street. Remember, we're 'outsiders' to this world's people."

As they chatted, a sudden burst of police sirens sounded from the alleyway entrance. They looked towards the alley's narrow exit and saw an armored truck speeding by, followed by several police cars in hot pursuit.

....

20 advanced chapters on p@treaon
For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
68. A Whole New World.
69. The Butcher Who Hunts Superheroes.
70. Alex's Speculation.
71. A Hard-Earned Vacation.
72. New World, New Atmosphere.