The Fortress of Solitude.
In the empty crystal hall, Tel-Rol was alone.
He leaned against the cold wall, motionless.
There was nothing in his blue pupils.
The destructive golden aura from a few days ago was now nowhere to be found, not even a spark.
In the medical pod in front of him, Kara was still inside, barely clinging to life.
"Tel."
A steady voice came.
Clark Kent walked over, his tall figure blocking some of the light refracted by the crystals.
Tel-Rol didn't even lift his eyelids.
Clark didn't mind, stopping beside him, his gaze also falling on the medical pod.
"We found a way."
Clark's voice was calm.
"Bruce contacted Thor; they have a way to provide enough energy to activate the mother box, and it's stable and controllable energy."
"Victor said that as long as there is enough energy, the mother box can activate Kara's body tissues and allow her to fully recover."
Tel-Rol's rigid body finally showed a tiny hint of loosening.
His constantly tensed shoulders slumped a few inches.
"Oh."
He squeezed out a single syllable from his throat.
"Finally, someone is doing something useful."
His tone was still as annoying as ever, but the lifelessness within it had dissipated.
Clark didn't argue with him, just patted his shoulder.
"It will be fine tomorrow."
With that, Clark turned and left, leaving the space to him.
Diana emerged from behind another crystal pillar; she had been there all along.
She saw a hint of life finally return to Tel-Rol's dull face and smiled in relief.
But immediately after, an indescribable feeling welled up in her heart.
It was a sour feeling.
Why did she feel uncomfortable seeing him so concerned about another person?
Diana shook her head, shaking off that strange emotion.
It must be a misconception.
This guy was just an annoying jerk.
Hmm, it must be.
The next day, the Arctic.
The endless ice plain was blindingly white.
The cold wind cut like a knife across their faces.
Today, this unchanging forbidden zone of life was as bustling as a market.
Two groups of people with completely different styles stood distinctly apart.
On one side were the familiar faces of the Justice League.
Bruce Wayne, wrapped in a specially made cold-weather Batsuit, stood at the very front, exuding an imposing aura.
Clark and Diana were on his left and right.
Barry Allen rubbed his hands, constantly hopping in place, his breath puffing out white.
"Oh my god, it's so cold, so cold, my suit doesn't seem to be very warm."
Arthur Curry stood shirtless, displaying his muscular, tattooed body, completely immune to the surrounding low temperatures.
He carried his trident, curiously observing the group opposite him.
Mera stood beside him, her fiery red hair particularly striking in the white world.
Victor Stone's mechanical body was indifferent to the temperature, his red electronic eyes rapidly scanning the other party.
On the other side were the Avengers.
Tony Stark, wearing a flashy red armor with his faceplate open, was critiquing Bruce Wayne.
"Bruce, is this the attitude you have when asking me for a favor? No ribbon-cutting ceremony?"
Tony looked Bruce up and down.
"This is too boring; I don't even want to discuss energy cooperation with you."
Bruce was expressionless.
"Now is not the time for jokes."
Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Tsk, still so rigid."
Steve Rogers, in his star-spangled uniform, stepped forward to mediate.
He walked in front of the Justice League members, his expression very sincere.
"I apologize that we couldn't arrive in time for the invasion a few days ago."
Steve's tone carried an apology.
"We were... dealing with some internal conflicts at the time."
Tony added coolly from the side.
"The internal conflicts he's referring to were a friendly discussion about 'company regulations,' which incidentally caused a little property damage."
Steve gave him a helpless look.
If Bruce hadn't contacted Tony to ask Thor for help, the two of them might still be fighting endlessly over the Hero Registration Act.
Barry Allen's eyes had already lit up.
He flashed over to Steve, too excited to speak coherently.
"Oh my goodness! Captain America! Alive! Can you sign my name? Just on my suit! It's anti-static!"
He then turned to Tony.
"Iron Man! I love you so much! You're my idol!"
Natasha and Clint stood behind, looking at this live wire, both a little amused.
Bruce Banner pushed up his glasses, appearing somewhat reserved.
And Tel-Rol, alone, floated in the air, his arms crossed, his gaze fixed only on the center of the ice plain.
There, a huge metal sarcophagus lay.
The sarcophagus was entirely silver-white, with smooth lines, full of futuristic technology.
"Allow me to introduce."
Tony spread his arms, as if showcasing his proud masterpiece.
"Stark Industries' latest product, codenamed 'Sleeping Beauty Awakening Device,' made of vibranium, a global limited edition of one unit."
"It's infused with the 'Water of Life' you extracted from that crystal palace, no tricks involved."
Kara could be seen lying peacefully inside, as if asleep.
Thor walked over, looking at the vibranium sarcophagus, then turned to look at Vision, who was standing not far away.
The mind stone on Vision's forehead was emitting a soft yellow glow.
Thor scratched his head, muttering softly.
"What's going on? Is business so consistent lately?"
"Last month I hammered a robot awake, and this month I have to hammer a Kryptonian girl back to life."
"Am I becoming a professional defibrillator?"
Tony heard his mumbling and rolled his eyes.
"Stop rambling, Blondie."
"Get ready to work, aim for those two cubes, and strike hard."
Tony pointed to the two mother boxes floating on either side of the sarcophagus.
"Got it, got it."
Thor waved his hand impatiently.
He gripped Mjolnir tightly and looked at Kara lying in the sarcophagus.
Then, he rose into the air.
"Everyone, stand back!"
Thor shouted.
He began to spin the hammer in his hand, faster and faster.
The sky darkened within seconds.
Heavy dark clouds gathered from all directions, forming a giant vortex overhead.
Silver-white lightning snakes darted through the clouds.
The air became oppressive; everyone felt a tightness in their chests.
Thor raised Mjolnir high.
"Boom!"
A terrifyingly thick bolt of lightning descended from the sky, not striking the ground, but pouring into the top of the hammer.
Thor's entire body was enveloped in violent lightning, making him like a small sun.
The lightning gathered around him, finally forming a giant lightning dragon, snarling and roaring with thunderous force.
"For the glory of the Northern Gods!"
Thor roared, descending from the sky with the lightning dragon!
His target was precisely those two mother boxes!
The next second, the lightning dragon crashed into them.
A blinding flash of light, impossible to look at directly, suddenly spread out.
The entire Arctic turned pure white.
Everyone instinctively closed their eyes and raised their hands to shield them.
The strong light lasted for more than ten seconds before slowly dissipating.
The crowd tremblingly lowered their arms and opened their eyes.
The ice plain was still the ice plain.
But the sight at the center made everyone hold their breath.
The two mother boxes were glowing, their metallic surfaces beginning to twist rhythmically, frantically injecting energy into the vibranium sarcophagus.
The entire sarcophagus hummed, with white lightning flowing across its surface.
Inside the sarcophagus, it was so bright that Kara's figure could not be seen clearly.
"Did it work?"
Barry asked nervously.
No one answered him.
Everyone's heart was in their throat.
Just then.
"Buzz—"
A violent tremor.
The vibranium sarcophagus began to emit a "crack-crack" sound.