Bermuda Triangle.
This area lies between the Bermuda Islands on the western side of the Atlantic Ocean, the Florida Strait, and the island of Puerto Rico at the eastern end of the Greater Antilles. Mysterious incidents often occur here. The magnetic field is chaotic, and electronic instruments frequently fail.
In addition, Batman had installed shielding equipment on the island. Not even the satellites in orbit, nor Hera's surveillance, could see what was happening here.
On Noy Island, a small, isolated island, a hunter-style wooden cabin stood within a dense forest. The wood was moist and fresh, clearly newly constructed.
The interior of the house was extremely simple. A futuristic cosmic treadmill sat among scattered wooden chairs, a table, and a bed. There was nothing else.
A gust of wind passed through the open window of the wooden cabin.
Bruce, who had been speaking to the Flash, suddenly paused. He felt as though he was being watched. Frowning, he turned his head toward the window.
Where a clear night sky had just been, a sudden cold wind now blew through. A powerful magnetic reaction surged as the sky rapidly darkened with vast storm clouds. Lightning danced and roared within them, generating a furious electrical storm.
"This isn't natural."
Batman's expression froze. He retrieved a monitoring device from his belt. The readings showed an explosive increase in the local magnetic field, forming a storm cloud over the entire island.
Their location, between 20° and 30° north latitude, was part of the northern tropics.
It was dominated year-round by tropical air masses and the northeast trade winds.
Summer and autumn here were often marked by tropical hurricanes, sometimes forming water walls over ten meters tall. Sea tornadoes were common, capable of pulling seawater several kilometers high. Such phenomena were not unusual.
But the sudden shift from a clear night sky to a raging thunderstorm was unnatural. The clouds overhead churned like apocalyptic shadows, casting a heavy, oppressive weight across the island.
It was as if a pair of enormous hands were manipulating the weather, drawing magnetic energy to generate terrifying thunder and storm.
"Barry, get on the treadmill. Now! Run!"
Batman's face tightened as he shouted to the Flash.
The weather had become so erratic that, despite Barmulodi's operatives not being present, Batman believed they had been discovered—and that something devastating was coming.
"Barry, just like we planned! Use time to shield him! Reset the world!"
Seeing the grim urgency on Batman's face, the Flash instantly grew tense, his skin prickling with goosebumps.
"Bruce, what's going on?"
Flash asked while moving, stepping up onto the cosmic treadmill.
The treadmill would allow him to amplify his speed and frequency, breaking through the time barriers manipulated by Bardi's presence.
This was their final chance.
The mechanical hum of the treadmill echoed inside the wooden cabin, yellow lightning arcing wildly.
The treadmill roared as it accelerated. Yellow arcs surged around the Flash, his legs becoming a blur of motion, slamming into the floor with explosive force. The room crackled with rising electricity.
Crackling.
A yellow arc struck Batman's exposed lower face, singeing his beard and searing his pores with a sudden sting.
A blinding yellow glow filled the wooden cabin, pouring out through the window.
"Barry, it's up to you."
Batman's voice was quiet. He cast one final glance at the Flash on the cosmic treadmill, the wild yellow lightning surging through the room like serpents, like arcs from an arc lamp, spreading in every direction.
Batman's expression hardened. He leapt out of the window, rolling as he landed, then stood and looked to the sky.
The clouds above were more terrifying than before, blackening the sky. The cold wind howled, and lightning snaked through the darkness, illuminating Batman's grim face.
In the next instant, nearly eighteen magnetic bat-darts flew from Batman's hands, launched skyward.
Thunder flashed, lightning danced wildly across the stormy heavens.
Boom!
Lightning cracked as the bat-darts were struck one after another, each triggering a violent arc. The blasts slammed into the sky, but none alleviated the storm.
Batman's heart sank. His face remained calm. He hurled every remaining electromagnetically reactive item in his arsenal skyward.
Thunder exploded overhead. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning metal and smoke.
When he had nothing left to throw, Batman stood alone in the storm. His cape whipped in the wind. The thunder flashed across his stoic face.
The cold wind howled, tossing his cloak like a dark banner.
The leaves rustled, like whispers of mourning, weeping for a hero who stood alone against fate.
Batman cast one final glance back at the cabin, where yellow lightning pulsed through the windows.
Then, he pressed a device on his belt, activating a magnetic field generator. It drew lightning like a rod, and he sprinted away from the cabin at full speed.
In an instant, the storm above surged violently. Countless bolts of lightning converged, forming a thousand serpentine streaks that slammed down toward Batman and the wooden house.
The thunder circled, spiraling into a massive burst of electricity, chasing after Batman's fleeing figure.
The bolt, formed from thousands of combined lightning strikes, reached temperatures exceeding one million degrees. It smashed into Batman's armor, exploding on impact.
His body was charred instantly. He collapsed from his sprint, falling to his knees before crashing into the ground with a final thud—a scorched, lifeless body amidst the storm.
Batman, dead.
"Ahhh—!"
From inside the wooden house, a cry of agony rang out. On the cosmic treadmill, the Flash continued running, forcing every cell in his body to the limit. His tears streamed as yellow lightning burst from every pore.
Right after Batman was struck down, a second wave of thunder roared. Countless bolts of lightning lashed down from the clouds, engulfing the wooden house in blinding white.
BOOM...
A massive explosion echoed as shockwaves rippled outward, sweeping across the sea.
The wooden house was torn apart by lightning. Wild yellow arcs surged within, like a child trying to resist the grip of an overwhelming force.
At the exact moment the house was destroyed, the yellow lightning burst into its brightest flash yet.
BOOM!
Lightning tore through the yellow arcs. At the moment of impact, the Flash vanished from the cosmic treadmill.
The machine crashed under the explosion, engulfed in flames. It smashed through the ruins of the house, carving a scorched crater into the earth, flames flickering over the scattered dead leaves.
The thunder faded from the sky, and the night grew calm again.
…
Antarctic Geocenter Plaza.
Bardi slowly opened his cold, emotionless eyes.
(To be continued.)