American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

372. Zombie Heroes!!!

The video ended here.

The entire lab returned to silence.

Alex stared quietly at the darkened screen, frowning deeply, lost in thought.

Susan didn't speak either; she simply looked at Alex with deep concern, hoping that the Master of Time could provide the correct directive to reasonably resolve this matter.

After an unknown amount of time had passed—about the time it takes to finish a cup of tea—Reed Richards finally broke the silence.

"So, Alex, it looks like this is a version of 'me' that highly values science and really enjoys sharing. I never thought there could be such an enthusiastic version of myself in another world."

"Enthusiastic?"

Alex tilted his head slightly, a cold smile appearing on his face.

From what he'd already learned from the Watcher, Alex knew that the other universe was in a state of severe contamination. Based on that alone, it was clear that Reed in that world wasn't acting out of kindness.

A polluted universe, a place filled with chaotic strangeness and on the verge of destruction, with a Reed Richards constantly sending messages across the multiverse.

It had to be a trap—one of the most dangerous kinds of traps.

Alex frowned deeply, feeling an odd sense of familiarity with the scene before him. He was sure he'd seen something like this before. But he hadn't yet connected the crucial pieces.

"Alex, is there something wrong?"

Susan, being perceptive and emotionally intelligent, quickly noticed Alex's grim expression. She immediately spoke up, her voice calm with inquiry.

"There's a problem, and it's a big one."

Alex licked his lips, turning his gaze back to the screen, focusing on the kindly-looking Reed. He felt a deep sense of unease.

"There's no way that universe is a normal one—I can assure you of that. Under these circumstances, everything that Reed said is a lie."

"How…how is that possible?" Reed Richards looked stunned, gradually calming his excitement, confused. "How do you know about the other universe?"

"I have my methods. You don't need to know the details, and I have no reason to deceive you."

Alex chose not to mention the Watcher. In this wasteland, the Watcher originally observing had already perished—a fact known by both Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. There was no need to explain further.

"What's most critical now is: what's the other Reed's goal?"

Upon hearing Alex's words, Reed and Susan exchanged glances, both falling into silence.

Although Reed had been genuinely excited a moment ago, he was no child. With the wisdom that comes with age, he quickly reined in his emotions and began to think.

Just as Alex said, he had no reason to deceive them, making the other Reed's intentions anything but simple.

"Thinking about it…yeah, something does seem off."

Reed rubbed his forehead thoughtfully, speaking in a low voice.

"No matter how enthusiastic, it wouldn't make sense to send such a blind invitation without knowing the recipient. There's too much uncertainty in sending such a broadcasted message. You can't be sure that the Reed who receives it would be a good person."

"Agreed," Susan nodded, adding, "This isn't Reed's character. That guy in the video gave me an odd feeling. Even though he looked kind, I had a sense that he was eager to find other Reeds from other worlds."

"But the key question is, why me?"

Reed picked up the thread, pointing to himself with a serious expression.

"Why would that Reed be reaching out to other Reeds? He has the technology to access the multiverse. If it's just about science, he could easily look for the most outstanding scientists from other universes—why only me?"

After Reed finished speaking, everyone fell silent again.

Exchanging glances, the three of them had clearly come to the same conclusion.

"Because only 'Reed' understands 'Reed.'"

Alex finally spoke up, looking directly at Mr. Fantastic, speaking softly.

"He understands you—even across different multiverses, he knows what's in your hearts. He knows what you want most and what you find most irresistible, so…"

"So from beginning to end, this was a trap targeting other Reed Richards from different universes—a massive trap!" Reed clenched his fists.

"Exactly."

Alex's eyes were intense as he nodded slowly.

At the same time, he felt a tidal wave of realization within himself. Finally, he remembered why this scene felt so familiar.

He had read about something like this in a comic book before. In that story, one version of Reed did exactly the same thing and even managed to trick the Reed Richards from the Ultimate Universe.

And that universe wasn't just any place—it was the one filled with eerie, zombie heroes from beginning to end!

A flash of red lightning streaked across the sky, and the zombie sentry marked the beginning of the world's destruction. At the same time, he was also the end of it all, a cycle without end.

He suddenly looked back, but the Watcher, who had been hiding in the shadows, had vanished without a trace.

"Quite fast on their feet," he muttered under his breath, turning back to address the Fantastic Duo.

"Delete this information and never attempt to respond to the other party. What you need to do now is oversee the entire wasteland. The rest is not your concern."

"Understood," Susan immediately replied.

Reed Richards, though still curious, didn't object. He was aware of his limited understanding of the multiverse and knew that if things went wrong, it could endanger the entire world.

"What about the source of this information?" Reed asked. "If another Reed from a different universe gets tricked into falling into this trap, it could be disastrous."

"That's not for you to worry about. I'll handle it."

Alex waved his hand dismissively. His mind was a mess; he needed some time alone to think.

With that, Alex turned and left the laboratory, returning to the grand hall of the House of Mystery.

Now, Alex understood the other party's motive.

Why would they reveal their universe's coordinates? Didn't they fear an invasion of their world?

Ha! That's exactly what they wanted. With an endless stream of food from parallel universes at their doorstep, those zombie heroes would be thrilled. And as for why that zombie Reed Richards targeted his counterparts in other universes, the simple truth was that Reed Richards was "a fool."

These emotionally blind, science-obsessed people could never resist the allure of inter-dimensional adventures.

They probably never expected their message to be intercepted by the Wasteland. But it makes sense, considering the House of Mystery is now situated outside the Wasteland universe, and with Reed on board, his equipment inadvertently interacted with the other side's message.

[Sir, are you really planning to handle this trouble yourself?]

Upon entering the hall, Miss Minutes floated beside Alex and couldn't help but ask.

"I don't want to get involved in this huge mess either, but isn't it an opportunity?"

Alex stroked the time controller, calmly feeling the constant wailing and tearing from the Abyssal Universe. A glint of cold determination flashed in his eyes.

[An opportunity?]

Miss Minutes didn't quite understand Alex's intentions.

Alex didn't explain further. Ever since his encounter with that Worm during Deadpool's Marvel Universe massacre, he had felt an uneasy foreboding.

The Worm's abilities were disturbingly strange. Even the Watchers had to steer clear of it. If it got a foothold, the entire multiverse would be in danger.

Given the Worm's bizarre origins, no one could devise a proper way to deal with the contamination it spread.

Neither the Watchers nor Alex himself had any choice but to trap the contamination sources by tearing timelines or sealing polluted universes.

Even the zombie universe was contained by the Watchers, linking two universes in a perfect loop.

In other words, the Zombie Sentry would appear, spreading the virus across the world, infecting another unfortunate parallel universe, and then re-entering the past to restart the infection cycle.

This story has neither end nor beginning.

It endlessly loops, tormenting everyone within both worlds.

This leads to a critical question: where did this "virus" originate?

The Sentry triggered its spread, but the Sentry was infected by another already-infected Sentry. Within this time-looping flow, no one could pinpoint the virus's origin.

"So, this is something that was born before it was born, existing within existence itself. The contamination has always been there, permeating reality, and the primary contamination source, as well as its carrier, is that zombie Sentry!"

Alex walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, his eyes brightening with excitement.

Previously, he hadn't truly confronted the Worm. Now, with it alive inside the Sentry, if he could venture into that universe, he might find a way to deal with the contamination.

[It seems, Sir, you've made your decision.]

"Yes, that contamination has no effect on me. That may be my greatest asset. If I can take this chance to find a way to neutralize the contamination, I won't have to worry about those strange creatures in the future."

Alex spoke in a low voice. He also understood that even if he failed, it wouldn't matter—the two universes would remain trapped in an eternal cycle. That was his ultimate safety net.

Such an opportunity was rare; he had to seize it.

With this thought, Alex called out loudly to the Watcher.

"Watcher, I know you're nearby. Now it's time for you to lend a hand!"

.....

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