Boston.
The capital and largest city of Massachusetts, and the biggest in New England, Boston holds the distinction of being the most highly educated city in the United States.
Its economy thrives on research, finance, and technology—especially biotechnology. It's no coincidence that the disfigured Barry Allen chose to build his Advanced Research Laboratories here. The people of this city have an almost instinctive faith in science, a belief so deep-rooted that it borders on devotion.
That's why so many gathered at the Advanced Research Laboratories late into the night—after all, both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology sit right within Boston's city limits.
Now...
Numerous physicists of notable repute and highly educated science enthusiasts had assembled here, lured by the grand promises painted by the disfigured Barry Allen.
Originally, everyone had come to witness the launch of the Particle Accelerator, to celebrate a new chapter in the future of physics.
But things didn't go as planned.
Before the Particle Accelerator could even start, it was blown apart.
All the scientists present witnessed something utterly beyond the realm of science—the Homelander, Herman, destroying the future of physics in an instant no one could have anticipated.
Had the military fired a missile and destroyed the accelerator, many of the influential figures there would have been the first to step forward in outrage. Even if it had been a terrorist attack, some zealots might have fought back in fury. But the one who destroyed the accelerator was Herman.
A god among men, bound by no scientific law.
Terrifying rays and five hundred fierce explosions lit up the sky as Herman hovered amid the curtain of rain, his eyes blazing with searing golden light. The sheer pressure of his presence was suffocating—none of the scientists dared step forward or demand an explanation.
The hall fell silent. The roar of nearby flames and the collapse of steel and concrete echoed through the night with chilling clarity.
"No... no... why would you do this?!"
The disfigured Barry Allen, who regarded the Particle Accelerator as the foundation of his own apotheosis, shouted in fury from beneath the rain canopy at Herman suspended above.
Yellow arcs of lightning crackled across his body. Yet even this short-tempered, arrogant man—who fancied himself the God of Speed—didn't dare make the first move.
He couldn't.
Through the rain, Herman's black battle cloak stood out starkly.
The disfigured Barry Allen knew exactly what that suit represented.
It belonged to the true god among men—the one even Speedsters feared. To him, Herman could only be this parallel universe's Superman.
And worse yet...
He was the unrestrained, "do-whatever-he-wants" version—free from all moral restraint.
Clearly, the disfigured Barry Allen didn't realize he was in an entirely different multiverse. He thought he'd merely entered a parallel world—one without the Flash, without familiar faces, but with Superman.
As someone who had crossed over from the DC Universe, the disfigured Barry Allen understood better than even Supergirl Kara what kind of monster Superman truly was.
Carrying all the memories of the real Flash, he knew full well that Superman embodied the very essence of "invincible."
Superman's only weakness was his kindness—but from everything he'd seen in this world, Herman possessed none of it.
Even his suit told the story.
The once bright, colorful uniform had been replaced with black. To the disfigured Barry Allen, it was proof enough—Superman had become the evil version of himself.
"Why destroy my life's work! Destroy my... future!"
The disfigured Barry Allen's temper flared, driving him to the brink of transforming into Savitar and tearing Herman apart. Yet his reason whispered that he might not be a match for this world's Superman.
The Speed Force surged violently within him, but the disfigured Barry Allen still didn't act. He only stood there, roaring furiously at Herman beyond the rain canopy.
Herman paid no heed to the man's outburst. Even before he made a move, he had already probed the disfigured Barry Allen's mind from the clouds above.
This man...
He truly was plotting something remarkable—and dangerous.
The disfigured Barry Allen actually intended to harness the power of the Particle Accelerator to transform all of Boston into a city of superhumans.
Then, following the example of the Thinker, DeVoe, he would absorb the nine most powerful and essential abilities he desired, becoming a being who not only possessed the Speed Force but also an extended, near-eternal lifespan.
But that wasn't all.
After achieving all this, the disfigured Barry Allen planned to rule the Earth, then search for gateways leading to other universes—becoming the master of countless dimensions across the Multiverse.
Herman didn't even need to delve deeply into his mind to understand; he had already seen through the disfigured Barry Allen's entire plan.
Though he wielded the Speed Force and possessed the power to bend time and space, the disfigured Barry Allen's mental defenses were still no stronger than those of an ordinary man.
That was the Speed Force's greatest strength and weakness—it granted overwhelming power, but did little to enhance the person themselves.
Even while the disfigured Barry Allen was speaking, his thoughts were filled with endless fantasies of his grand design.
Savitar's ambition was immense.
Just as Herman had expected, if left unchecked, he would turn this universe into a desolate wasteland.
Therefore, Herman would never allow him to succeed.
"The future you want hasn't been approved by me."
Herman fixed his gaze on the lone figure still standing in the hall—the disfigured Barry Allen. His voice was quiet, but as a Speedster, Barry could still read his words from the movement of his lips.
"You! You've gone too far! Do you really think I'm no match for you?!"
The disfigured Barry Allen had been wary, but Herman's calm words ignited his fury, filling the self-proclaimed god with a deep sense of humiliation.
My future as the God of Speed needs your approval?
"Superman! You're not the only one who stands above the clouds!"
The disfigured Barry Allen roared, arcs of lightning flashing wildly across his body.
Herman actually liked being called "Superman" rather than "Homelander," but the man's tone—and the chaos he planned to unleash upon this world—displeased him deeply.
"I respect you, but you don't respect me! So don't blame me for being ruthless, Superman! Do you think you're the only god?"
The disfigured Barry Allen's delusions of grandeur had reached their final stage. He bellowed like a madman.
As he slammed his hand on a hidden control, the floor beneath him suddenly split open. A lift platform rose from below, pushing up a strange, jagged suit of armor—the Savitar armor he had worn when he first arrived in this world.
Of course, he would never let his battle armor stray too far. He always ensured he could summon it at a moment's notice.
Without the Savitar armor, he was no different from Barry Allen himself. It was only thanks to the armor's extraordinary amplification of the Speed Force that he could truly call himself the fastest Speedster—able to crush any other wielder of the Speed Force with sheer velocity.
Come to think of it... perhaps calling him the God of Technology would be more fitting. After all, most of his strength came from his technological equipment.
Who knew which era of the DC Universe had forged the Savitar armor? That was the perk of being a Speedster—you could shop across time itself.
"I! Am also a god of this world!"
The disfigured Barry Allen became a streak of lightning, shooting straight into the strange battle armor.
The dormant armor flared to life, glowing brilliantly as it rose from a kneeling position with a thunderous roar—all of it happening in an instant.
The surrounding crowd and scientists barely had time to react. Only Herman could clearly perceive every movement of the disfigured Barry Allen.
Speedsters relied on the Speed Force to move swiftly—but Herman could match that speed on his own. The moment the disfigured Barry Allen began to run, Herman's super-vision had already tracked every single movement with precision.
Still, he made no move to stop him.
"Savitar? God of Speed? Heh... I hope this guy can actually make me take things a bit more seriously."
Herman tilted his head slightly, rolling his neck as divine power surged through every cell in his body, filling him with boundless vitality and an overwhelming force capable of crushing both gods and demons alike.
"You dare challenge the God of Speed? You'll pay the price! Today... marks the death of Superman!" Savitar's voice sharpened, cold and piercing.
He suddenly leapt upward, his entire body wreathed in arcs of lightning. In an instant, he shot into the air at a speed beyond human perception, tearing through the canopy and vanishing into the rain.
"Pay the price? Heh... I'll be waiting to see."
Herman watched as Savitar surged toward him from below, golden light swirling violently within his eyes.
The battle between them—at this very moment—was about to begin!
...
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