The Legends of Forever by Barry Lyga (books to read for beginners .txt) 📕

away from everything else, that meant everything was redshifted.

No longer. They were now experiencing blueshift. Which meant that the universe was collapsing, not expanding.

“Cosmologists were wrong,” Superman muttered. “It’s closed, not flat.”

Barry immediately understood. Cosmologists had basically agreed that the universe was flat. By which they didn’t mean it was two-dimensional. The term flat simply meant that the force of the Big Bang, the amount of dark energy in the universe, and the density parameter combined to craft a universe that would continue expanding into infinity.

But the Multiverse was the agglomeration of all universes. Perhaps that combination of separate physical models yielded not something flat but rather what cosmologists referred to as a closed universe, where gravity takes hold and everything contracts into a Big Crunch. All matter would blueshift as it drew toward each other, eventually compressing into the space of a single atom again.

Barry understood now: By opening breaches and shunting matter between universes, the Time Trapper had artificially manipulated the amount of matter and energy in each universe. Changing the universal densities and causing fifty-four Big Crunches, leading to this, the End of All Time. The Biggest Crunch of all.

And then there would be nothing left. Forever.

“I think this is why we’re here,” Superman said, pointing.

They all followed his gesture. A spindly rock floated some distance away, but even those without telescopic vision could make out a steely structure of some sort erected on its surface. And standing there was a large figure swaddled in a purple cloak. Yellow and blue light flickered and flashed there. Two other asteroids drifted nearby, each of them with a metallic structure that—even at this distance—seemed corroded. Everything here was corroded, Barry realized. Everything was as old as anything in the universe could possibly be. The ground was dead. The sky was dead.

“That’s our enemy,” he said. “That’s the Time Trapper.”

33

“Breach!” Caitlin yelled. “Breach!”

Sure enough, a blue vortex spiraled into existence in the center of the Cortex. No one should have been breaching into S.T.A.R. Labs. Iris immediately snatched up a phase rifle that she kept in a bracket under her workstation console, aiming it at the cloudy blue mass. Meanwhile, Caitlin and Felicity dived for cover behind some chairs.

Iris blew out a controlled breath, then sighted down the barrel of the rifle as a silhouette formed at the center of the breach. It took a step forward.

“Don’t shoot! I come in peace!”

“Kara!” Iris threw down the rifle, not wanting to think how close she’d come to zapping her friend with whatever a phase-centric photonic array was.

Supergirl hunched up her shoulders, wrinkling her nose in embarrassment. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to spook you guys.”

Felicity and Caitlin came out of hiding as Iris threw her arms around Supergirl. “I am so glad to see you, Kara! We could totally use a Kryptonian right now.”

After returning the hug, Supergirl held Iris out at arm’s length, her expression one of disappointment. “I don’t know how to tell you this, but my powers still aren’t back. I came here because Brainy and Lena have things under control back on Earth 38, and I thought you guys might be able to use an extra pair of hands. Even if they aren’t superpowered.”

“We can always use your help, Kara,” Caitlin assured her.

“Even if that extra pair of hands can’t, you know . . .” Felicity mimed bending something with both hands.

“Powers or not, we’re grateful you’re here,” Iris said. “It’s good to see you up and about. Why don’t you settle in at Cisco’s old station and take a look at—”

Iris glanced at the computer screen, then did a double take and looked again.

“Hey!” she called out. “Why is there a second pulse coming from the speedster treadmill?”

Supergirl grinned nervously. “I don’t even understand the question, honestly.”

Felicity craned her neck to peer at the screen. “What are you even talking about?”

“Look at the telemetry from the treadmill,” Iris insisted, pointing. “It’s all wonky.”

Felicity snorted derisively. “Wonky. I love when you try to be all technical and precise and . . . Hey!” she exclaimed as she skimmed the readout. “That is wonky!”

“See?”

Grinding her teeth, Felicity tapped some keys. “It looks like the speedster treadmill has been modified.”

“How would that happen?”

“Dunno.” Felicity shrugged. “It’s wonky.”

Iris growled with impatience. “Well, let’s figure it out, because anything that messes with the treadmill can’t be good news.”

The main screen bleeped for attention. Mr. Terrific’s image fuzzed into place. He held an ice pack to the back of his head. “Gang, we have a problem, and its name is Owlman.”

34

In the Bunker, Joe watched the feed from multiple security cameras. The chaos in the streets of Star City in the wake of the A.R.G.U.S. broadcast was not as bad as he’d feared. Yes, people were afraid, even panicking, but several days of Ambush Bug’s madness had prepared them for more craziness. In general, people took the warning seriously and the streets emptied quickly, save for a few teenagers and twenty-somethings who just had to stick around and shoot selfies and videos.

“Idiots are gonna die trying to one-up each other’s Instagram Stories,” Joe muttered.

“Nah, they’re probably doing it for TikTok,” Rene advised. “That’s what all the teenagers are on now.”

“I’m glad we settled that,” Joe said. On the monitor, the swarm was shifting. It was going to happen any moment now. He could feel it in his bones.

“Any last ideas?” he asked the room. “No matter how crazy? Bert? Your last chance to be a hero.”

Larvan snorted and pointedly gazed at the floor between his feet.

“That collar thing she wears seems to let her focus her sonic screams for different effects,” Dig mused, pointing at Dark Canary. “What if we took it off her and let Dinah use it?”

Dinah hmpfed and made a show of sticking out her tongue. It was grotesquely bulging and dark red.

“Right. Forgot. Sorry.” Dig flashed her a smile, then turned and tossed a grossed-out expression at Joe.

On the screen, the swarm bunched . . . massed . . .

And then dived from the