Malrick was preparing to leave.
He had accomplished everything he needed to in the DCEU universe. The Life Codex and several varieties of Kryptonite were already secured. He'd even collected blood samples from some of the most powerful beings in that world—Wolf Superman, Superman, and Darkseid among them.
And there was one unexpected bonus: a nearly complete fragment of the Anti-Life Equation.
That equation was one of the supreme forces of the DC universe—an embodiment of control over will, emotion, and existence itself. Though it originated in a different reality, Malrick believed it could still serve a purpose in the Marvel Universe. He didn't intend to wield it for domination; instead, he viewed it as an invaluable key to understanding the mysteries of the Infinity Stones.
"After I get back, I need to push those Super Skrulls," Malrick muttered. "It's been months and they still haven't gotten the Mind Stone from Thanos."
He and Kara were walking toward Barry Allen's tent. Though their mission in the DC world was complete, there were two final matters to settle. The first: returning Barry's mother to him.
Barry's mother had been asleep in Malrick's inner world for a full day and was about to wake. Malrick couldn't help but wonder what her reaction would be when she opened her eyes to find her husband and son years older.
"Barry! Barry!" Malrick called from outside the tent.
There was only a sleepy murmur in response. Barry mumbled something and rolled over.
Malrick sighed and raised his voice, "Come out and take your mother back from me, Barry!"
The word mother had an immediate effect.
Before Malrick could finish the sentence, a burst of static electricity crackled through the air, and Barry Allen appeared in front of him, barefoot and wide-eyed, a residual trail of blue lightning still sparking behind him.
Malrick casually tore off a strip of tent fabric and tossed it around Barry's waist to preserve what little dignity he had. Then, he summoned Nora Allen from his inner world, gently holding her before placing her in Barry's trembling arms.
"This… this, this, this—!"
Barry's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. Any trace of drowsiness vanished instantly as his brain tried to process what he was seeing. His gaze darted between Malrick and the mother he'd lost.
"You… I… she… my mom—"
Malrick chuckled softly. "You don't remember this, huh? Makes sense. When you reset the timeline, I hadn't made this change yet. Your mother was brought here by another version of you—before the reset—and that version asked for my help."
Barry's mouth hung open. Then, tears welled up in his eyes. "There was actually… a way to do this… Malrick, thank you. Thank you! Because of you, my mom—"
"All right, enough of that," Malrick interrupted gently. "Just promise me you won't go resetting the world again. Some things are better left in one piece."
He gave Barry a light push back into the tent. "Now, think about how you're going to explain this situation to her before she panics."
Barry froze mid-step, realizing the chaos ahead. "Oh—oh no, what do I even say?!"
"Start with the truth," Malrick suggested with a smirk. "Or better yet, bring your dad here. He's probably missed her just as much."
"You're right!" Barry exclaimed. In an instant, he blurred into lightning and disappeared—only to return seconds later with his father, dropping him off at the tent before speeding off again in a frenzy of excitement.
Malrick could only shake his head with an amused sigh. "Typical Barry."
He turned to Kara. "Come on. Let's go find the old wizard's successor."
They continued through the camp until they spotted a young boy drawing water to wash his face.
"Billy!" Malrick called.
The boy looked up. He wore a small felt hat, and his face still carried the round innocence of childhood—barely ten years old.
"Are you talking to me, sir? Wait… you're Malrick, aren't you? The one who defeated Darkseid in that video from the future!"
Malrick smiled. "That would be me—assuming nothing's gone wrong with the timeline."
Billy's eyes widened with awe.
"It was the message I left that led Batman to send you to Philadelphia," Malrick continued. "To find the old wizard and inherit his power."
The boy nodded eagerly. "Yes! Batman said that's what happened!"
"So," Malrick asked with a faint grin, "the old wizard must've been satisfied with you?"
"I think so…" Billy said after a pause. "He looked at me once and just handed me his power."
Malrick raised an eyebrow. "Straight to the inheritance, huh? Guess that old man really has a soft spot for pure hearts."
He chuckled to himself. When I took the trial, I had to list pros, cons, moral implications—and he still hesitated.
It seemed the old wizard had judged him harshly simply for being "less pure." But even the purest hearts would one day learn life's messier lessons.
"Ah, well," Malrick said finally, "the important thing is, he found his successor. My job's done."
He'd kept his word—to help the wizard find someone worthy. He'd even left Batman a recorded message to guide Billy toward his destiny.
"I'm leaving now," Malrick said, ruffling Billy's hair. "You go finish washing up."
"Wait, Malrick! Can we take a picture together?" the boy asked, pulling out his phone.
"Of course. Kara, could you do the honors?"
After the photo, Billy looked at the image with pure excitement. "That punch you threw at Darkseid—it was amazing!"
Malrick smirked. "You'll get there, too. Just focus on mastering your power. And maybe try not to turn into a complete goofball in the process."
He waved goodbye and walked off, leaving Billy grinning from ear to ear. It was hard to believe that this bright, excitable kid would one day transform into the chatterbox known as Shazam. Maybe the Wisdom of Solomon came with a side of overconfidence.
---
By afternoon, the Justice League gathered by the sea to see Malrick and his group off.
"Goodbye, everyone," Malrick said, smiling faintly. "When I return someday, I hope to see Earth still as peaceful as it is today."
Tony Stark clapped Bruce Wayne on the shoulder. "Listen, all those anti-Superman and anti-Wonder Woman plans of yours? Not gonna cut it. You need to build actual combat suits—precision engineering, targeted design. That's how you win."
Batman gave a rare smirk. "Maybe next time you visit, I'll have an Anti-Iron Man Suit ready to show you."
Tony blinked. "Anti–me? Why the hell would you need that?"
"You never know," Batman said dryly.
Tony groaned. "Unbelievable. Fine, but at least keep an eye on your red speedster—and that lightning kid too!"
"You mean Barry? Or Billy?"
"Both. One's already broken the universe once, and I doubt the other's far behind. Seriously, build the suits."
Even as they parted ways, Tony kept lecturing Bruce about the superiority of armor over strategy until Batman gave him a light shove toward Malrick.
Nearby, Diana and Kara had finished their farewells and joined them.
"Ready?" Malrick asked.
Both women nodded.
Malrick activated his Dimensional Crossing ability, locking onto the coordinates of the Marvel Universe. Energy flared around them, bright and crackling, bending the air like heat over asphalt.
A surge of power enveloped them—then silence.
They reappeared on the West Coast of Los Angeles, inside the underground garage of Stark Mansion.
As always, Tony collapsed instantly upon arrival, groaning softly before slipping into unconsciousness. Kara and Diana steadied themselves, adjusting to the sudden shift between realities.
Malrick was about to speak when his brow furrowed. He could feel it—the sensation of being watched.
For a brief instant, several immense presences fixed their gaze upon him. Then, just as quickly, they withdrew.
"Eternity… Death…," he murmured. "So they've noticed."
It didn't surprise him. The DC and Marvel realities had crossed paths before—through old multiversal connections and cosmic anomalies. The higher entities of Marvel were well aware of the neighboring realm.
So, whatever he had brought back with him, it wasn't new to them.
Malrick took a deep breath and let the unease pass. "Not my concern for now. I'll deal with them when I'm stronger."
He smiled faintly. "Still… it feels good to be back."
In the DC universe, he'd been weakened constantly. His Kryptonian bloodline had remained intact, but his Starry Sky System—his unique power rooted in the Marvel cosmos—had been heavily suppressed.
The true strength of that system lay in his understanding and manipulation of cosmic laws. But those laws were different in DC. Everything he'd mastered in Marvel had to be relearned there, almost from scratch.
Someday, he thought, when he grew powerful enough—strong enough to create universes with a thought—he would imprint his own laws onto any world he stepped into.
Only then would his full potential be unleashed.
For now, though, he allowed himself a quiet smile.
___
Milestone
100 Powerstones = 1 Bonus chapter.
I've been getting little to no Powerstones, don't be greedy with them 😪