Kaitou Kid—no, it was Ada—had saved six cities, with a population of millions. It was more than many superheroes would accomplish in their entire lives.
But Kaitou Kid knew that he hadn't done much. It was really just the thrill of taking down the bad guys. Everything else had been done by Ada. She was the one who truly saved the world.
In the Antarctic, at Ozymandias' pyramid base, a flash of light appeared. After a shockwave, Dr. Manhattan, along with Nite Owl and Silk Spectre II, materialized.
Dr. Manhattan and Silk Spectre II had spent some time on Mars discussing life. Silk Spectre II was the result of her mother's extramarital affair. Her mother, the original Silk Spectre, had made peace with the Comedian at their wedding, but this one brief affair had led to the birth of Silk Spectre II.
Dr. Manhattan suddenly realized how slim the chances were for humanity to survive. From the ancient single-celled organisms evolving and stepping out of the oceans, to the hundreds of millions of years of evolution, humanity had managed to survive when dinosaurs had not. He finally understood that humanity's existence was the result of countless unlikely coincidences, such as the birth of Silk Spectre II. He came to see humans as something extraordinary—despite their destructive tendencies, their survival was no accident. It was a testament to their strength.
With that realization, Dr. Manhattan and Silk Spectre II returned to Earth, only to sense a massive surge of energy emanating from various parts of the planet. This energy felt strangely familiar to him. He went to Nite Owl to find out what was going on, but Nite Owl was busy worrying about the disappearance of their aircraft. Once they were all gathered, they teleported to Antarctica.
"Rorschach, Ozymandias?" Seeing his old friends, Nite Owl was confused. "What happened?"
Silk Spectre II was equally baffled. Why were they in Antarctica?
Dr. Manhattan, however, already understood the situation. "It's Adrian's plan."
Liu A'dou was already tired of Dr. Manhattan's exhibitionism. How could someone who was once human be so shameless?
"What plan?" Nite Owl asked.
"A series of events were all orchestrated by Adrian. From the Comedian's death to the nuclear explosions in the cities, it was all part of his plan. He calls it 'the greatest practical joke in human history,'" Dr. Manhattan said succinctly.
Nite Owl and Silk Spectre II didn't quite understand, but they knew that Ozymandias had betrayed them. "Rorschach, please explain further," Nite Owl said.
Rorschach briefly summarized everything. When they learned that Ozymandias intended to kill millions to frame Dr. Manhattan, they were both enraged.
Ozymandias' conspiracy was utterly repulsive. Claiming to act for world peace, his methods were downright despicable, targeting his own teammates and causing harm to countless lives. Even worse, his excuse was absurd—killing people to save others. It was a stupid, self-centered scheme, simply to showcase his limited intellect.
"Thankfully, it didn't work," Nite Owl said, still shaken. He had been in New York when the explosion was supposed to occur. He had almost died.
Rorschach said, "You should thank this gentleman, Kaitou Kid." He briefly described how Kid had stopped Ozymandias' plan.
Liu A'dou didn't care for thanks. He needed Dr. Manhattan's help, so he fixed his gaze on the hydrogen atom symbol on Dr. Manhattan's forehead.
Noticing Liu A'dou's intense focus, Dr. Manhattan turned to him. "If you want me to help you find your daughter, you need to ask."
That was when Rorschach understood why Liu A'dou had sought Dr. Manhattan. "Jon, help him. We, the Watchmen, owe him."
Finding his daughter was indeed important, and Nite Owl and Silk Spectre II agreed that Dr. Manhattan should assist.
Liu A'dou thought to himself, "Didn't you predict the future already?" but still decided to follow their advice. "Dr. Manhattan, I need your help."
"Speak," Dr. Manhattan said, as his companions had agreed, and he felt it was time to offer his assistance.
"My daughter went missing during the explosion on Krypton the other day. I need your help to find her."
"You want me to help you find your daughter??"
Liu A'dou cursed inwardly. "How dramatic can you be? You've already predicted it, and yet you're still putting on an act."
"Yes," Liu A'dou replied. "Can you do it?"
Dr. Manhattan thought for a moment, then began to predict the future. He could only see his own future, but by touching someone, he could see their past and future. "Do you mind if I place my hand on your forehead?"
"Of course not."
Dr. Manhattan walked over, placed his hand on Liu A'dou's forehead, and then stabilized the particle flow in time. His particles followed Liu A'dou into the future. What he saw was a vibrant future—no more Cold War, no nuclear wars, the "Keene Act" abolished, new superheroes stepping up. He even saw some familiar faces: Magneto, who had collaborated with the Comedian to assassinate Kennedy, and Captain America, who had disappeared during World War II. Everything was a fresh chapter. Humanity would overcome the darkness of this dawn and see unexpected developments in the new century.
Dr. Manhattan finally recovered from the interference of the superluminal particles and had a clear understanding of the future. He saw that Liu A'dou would find his daughter. However, Dr. Manhattan couldn't search the entire universe, so he had to rely on a specific search. If Liu A'dou was meant to meet his daughter, it would happen. Sure enough, they were reunited.
Liu A'dou looked at the doctor. "What did you see?"
"I saw a prosperous future, a brand new and beautiful future. But I am not in it," Dr. Manhattan answered, seemingly indifferent to the question.
"I think you've gone to other parts of the universe, to simpler places, to create your own world," Liu A'dou said. "Quick, tell me where my daughter is."
"In the future, you will meet her. On Earth. It won't be long before she returns to your embrace. You just need to wait," Dr. Manhattan said.
At that moment, a golden light descended, and a female warrior in golden armor fell from the sky. It was Ada, the one who had stopped the nuclear bombs. Over the next thirty years, she had clearly become much stronger. Not only had she prevented the nuclear explosions in the six cities, but she could also fly.
Liu A'dou watched as Ada, dressed in the Gold Cloth of Scorpio, looked elegant and alluring, truly captivating in her attire.
"Have you found our daughter?"
"Madam, your daughter will wait for you in the future," Dr. Manhattan said. Through his vision of the future, he already saw what was to come. "In the near future, your family will reunite. The ending will be a happy one."
Dr. Manhattan had finished his assistance, and slowly moved to stand by, gazing up at the sky.
Silk Spectre II suddenly felt that her lover was about to leave her. "Jon."
"Laurie, I think it's time for me to go. Although Adrian didn't succeed, it's clear humanity is still not ready to accept me," Dr. Manhattan said. "I will continue to observe you from the universe."
"Jon, where will you go?"
"I don't know. The universe is vast. I may find a planet to create life that isn't as complicated as humanity," Dr. Manhattan said, looking out the window. "Laurie, it's you who taught me the difficulty of the continuation of life. Now, I see that your future doesn't depend on me. You can continue to survive without me. I must leave."
"But we're friends."
"I will always remember you," Dr. Manhattan said. "Goodbye, my friend." With that, he vanished into blue fluorescent particles, disappearing into the base.
"He's gone," even Rorschach couldn't help but feel a bit of emotion.
Ada turned to her husband. "So?"
She was still somewhat doubtful about Dr. Manhattan's abilities.
"Our daughter is waiting for us in the future," Liu A'dou said. "We don't need interstellar travelers, and we don't need to search. She'll find her way home. Let's have some faith in our daughter. After all, she's our precious little girl."
Ada froze, clearly not expecting the outcome to be this way. But then she smiled. "Alright, I'll wait for her here to come home. And I'll make sure to tell the future you to stop making dangerous things like that."
"That's good." In a way, the future had been changed, though Liu A'dou wasn't entirely certain.
Ada suddenly smiled brightly, like a blooming flower. "Honestly, I'm looking forward to the two of us, alone together."
Liu A'dou had no words for that, but her words made his heart melt. Ada, now with her long hair mature and beautiful, was truly amazing. Unfortunately, the two of them wouldn't be alone together. Instead, it would be the future him.