Emperor Building, top floor.
The sunlight was warm, faintly highlighting the dust particles drifting through the air.
Bardi stood before the window, his crystal-clear skin glowing faintly. His fingers moved rhythmically through the air, sifting through a series of projected data streaming across the lens of his eye mask.
It displayed global city reports, virtual game distribution metrics, and user access statistics.
Around the world, underground organizations had been dissolved by 99 percent. They no longer posed a threat to his rule.
In the Middle East, Africa, and other regions once plagued by war, the conflict zones had been eliminated. Housing projects and welfare institutions were being constructed to provide safe and comfortable living conditions for refugees, the disabled, and war survivors.
It could be said that the world was steadily moving in a positive direction—under Bardi's rule.
Of course, Bardi alone had the power to either rule the world or destroy it.
With the launch of the virtual game, Hera's artificial intelligence was able to record the brainwave frequencies of every human being on Earth, building a comprehensive database for total surveillance and control.
On the entire planet, there was now no force capable of threatening Bardi.
The Flash, however, remained the one existence Bardi still paid attention to. But once the large-scale magic-tech arrays were completed across the seventeen continents, Bardi would use his soul essence and flesh to link directly to the Earth—controlling the planet's weather, the growth of all flora, and every human being. He would become the origin point of the Earth, the center of the universe, and its spiritual embodiment.
At that point, no matter how the Flash moved across Earth, he would pose no threat.
As for Zod, now transformed into Doomsday, he had arrived in a Kryptonian ship, hoping to steal the fruits of Bardi's labor. Zod's Doomsday cytokines, developed by Jor-El, were indeed powerful. Over the past decade, Zod had trained himself nonstop.
Meanwhile, Bardi's own research into Doomsday cells had been progressing slowly.
Bardi suspected that his own overwhelming power and intellect had stifled Lex Luthor, preventing him from reaching his full potential and assisting in developing the Doomsday Cell.
"It's truly disappointing..."
Bardi murmured, expressing his regret over Lex, who was far less divine than the one portrayed in comics or film.
He had given Lex access to vast data sets, unparalleled computing power, and complete freedom—freedom to betray him or contribute greatly. He had placed no restrictions, leaving Lex to do as he pleased.
And yet, Lex had failed him.
Somewhere along the way, Lex had lost his edge. He never succeeded in developing a viable Doomsday cell. Perhaps he had grown too complacent under Bardi's command. Without a sense of mortal danger, without a worthy enemy like Superman, the fire that once drove him was extinguished.
Without that fire, he had become dull.
"Hera, activate the proton AI embedded in Lex Luthor's body. Begin playback from the moment he entered the Doomsday Lab."
"Understood, Master."
Each of Bardi's valued subordinates carried an eye-mask projection system for communication in plain view, and secretly, a microscopic, cell-like proton AI embedded in their bodies. This AI recorded everything—actions, speech, surroundings.
At any moment, Bardi could tap into it and see, hear, and feel through their perspective.
His control over his subordinates was absolute. They didn't even know it existed. They had no freedom. If Bardi had even a trace of suspicion, he could access everything they had seen or heard.
Soon, Hera compiled the footage and projected it before Bardi.
"Hm..."
Bardi raised an eyebrow.
The proton AI hidden inside Lex had only been used for passive recording, and Bardi had rarely accessed it before. But this time, he found something unexpected.
Mike, whom he had personally sent out, had secretly been overtaken by Batman. Batman had used Mike's body to move freely through the Emperor Building and conspired with Lex to act against him?
Bardi wasn't particularly shocked. He calmly reflected.
At the time, his focus had been on the Flash and on using him to save Jenny. That distraction had created an opening for Batman.
He hadn't monitored Mike's behavior closely enough. That was his mistake.
It was also a product of underestimating Batman. For so long, in every aspect—wealth, power, intellect—Bardi had crushed Batman so completely that he'd dismissed him entirely, assigning his surveillance to subordinates.
That had been his negligence.
No one can be vigilant about everything. Bardi had done his best to cover all fronts, and had taken significant precautions.
At least now, he knew that Lex had communicated with Batman.
After reviewing Lex's records, Bardi called Hera to access Mike's recording.
From Mike's visual log, Batman would never have guessed that the body contained a proton AI, recording his every move, sound, and sensation.
"It's all my fault. I only wanted to save my mother..."
"Barry, it's not your fault!"
"This world is not right. Maybe we're what's wrong."
"We built the Cosmic Treadmill. Now it has to be corrected."
"This world must be overwritten."
"We must restore everything!"
Until the moment Mike closed his eyes, the image faded, leaving only the red figure of the Flash.
Bardi had fully understood Batman and the Flash's intentions.
Batman was clever. He didn't build the treadmill himself. Instead, he stole high-strength composite materials from the Emperor Building and gave them to the Flash to build it in secret.
Even now, though Bardi knew the treadmill had been built, he had no idea where it was being hidden.
Bardi paused, becoming increasingly wary.
This Flash... had already been replaced by the future Flash's consciousness. That's why he believed he'd made a mistake—why he said coming out of the Flashpoint was an error.
And Batman's words were not directed at Bardi's dominion over Earth.
They were about the world itself.
While posing as Mike, Batman had searched for many powerful heroes—gods of Olympus, Black Adam, Shazam, Doctor Fate... but they had all vanished from this world.
Clearly, Batman did not believe the Flash was to blame for this.
Could it be that the Flash had simply arrived in this world by mistake?
Why did Batman think that?
Bardi had entered this world from outside—beyond its boundaries. He knew more than anyone.
As he contemplated the implications, his gaze sharpened, turning toward the stars.
Perhaps, somewhere out there, in every corner...
(To be continued.)
***
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