abnabooks Chapter 323 The Moonlight Paradox
Chapter 323 The Moonlight Paradox
Chapter 323 The Moonlight Paradox
The Ancient One and Doctor Doom perished together, but left behind even more questions.
Joey desperately hoped that the Ancient One had some other trick up her sleeve to help her escape from Dormammu's dark dimension, but that was clearly unlikely.
If she has this method, then Doctor Doom will likely have it too, so this wouldn't be her ultimate method.
With "how to retrieve the Ancient One from the Dark Dimension" on his long to-do list, Joey, who had been grinning foolishly while watching Tony doggy paddle in mid-air for ages, suddenly couldn't laugh anymore.
To be honest, he never expected that the Destroyer would appear so suddenly, and then be taken away by the Ancient One.
After helping Tony "come back to life," Joey's eyes swept over the ravaged Earth, and he rushed to the site where the Helicarrier had crashed, retrieving the multi-billion dollar toy from the water in Hudson Bay.
As the ship rose, the seawater that had flooded into the space carrier returned to the ocean. Joey moved the carrier, which had almost completely sunk to the seabed, to land, giving the survivors a chance to catch their breath.
In this parallel universe, the so-called "S.H.I.E.L.D." is practically defunct, with almost everything now under the control of the cyborg Iron Man.
This is actually a good thing; his technological upgrades to the space carrier have increased the chances of survival for more people.
However, one person was crucial to the large number of these survivors who were able to survive.
Even though S.H.I.E.L.D. is an extremely professional paramilitary organization, no matter what kind of damage control technology it has, it is useless against an attack of the magnitude of Doctor Doom. To keep hundreds of crew members alive, a more powerful piece of equipment is needed.
"Finally, someone came to rescue us!"
The little spider, who had previously used the green light ring to support a large area underwater, felt the tide receding and collapsed to the ground after holding on for so long.
Just a dozen minutes ago, he was playing games with Xinxing in the meeting room. Why did he suddenly sink to the bottom of the sea the next second?
As Joey used his thermal vision to slice through the upper deck, tearing a huge gash in the Helicarrier, a sweat-drenched Peter Parker let out a long sigh of relief, and the faint green light in his hand finally went out completely with peace of mind.
"Superman! Thank goodness you arrived early, I almost couldn't hold on!"
Spider-Man not only has to gather the survivors in the cabin, but also has to create a protective shield that can withstand the pressure of the seabed.
As the space carrier descends deeper into the ocean, the water pressure from all directions grows increasingly terrifying. The little spider, who has already endured the unfathomable depths for a long time, feels that this is about its limit.
"The most important thing about using a green light ring is that you have to believe in yourself. This is far from the limit of the green light ring, and it is not your limit either."
Joey urged the seemingly exhausted little spider to quickly get involved in the disaster relief work:
"If you really reach your limit, then use your willpower and imagination to break through it—start by using your green light ring to get them out of here."
"Dude, didn't you say this Superman was very approachable?"
After playing games with Spider-Man for half a day and getting almost everything out of him, Nova watched the red cape disappear into the distance and felt that this Superman didn't match Spider-Man's description:
"If it were me, I'd definitely praise you a couple of times. Isn't he being a bit too harsh on you?"
Urged on by Joey, Spider-Man, despite his mental and physical exhaustion, forced himself to activate the rare original Green Lantern ring from the Flashpoint universe, following Superman's instructions:
"Then you haven't seen Batman."
Even back when the Green Lantern Rings were in mass production, rumors circulated from other members of the Spider-Man Legion during their training sessions, revealing just how monstrous Batman truly was.
Spider-Man definitely doesn't want to try that kind of devilish training where they push you to the brink of death as long as you don't die.
Spider-Man, who was always unafraid of difficulties, was now even grateful that he still had classes to attend at his high school in New York and that he had to pick up Aunt May from get off work at Uncle Ben's request in the evening, thus managing to escape this predicament.
However, since it was Superman's guidance, it shouldn't be wrong. Soon, Spider-Man, who tried it out, felt his mental fatigue disappear. The lamp ring in his hand burned continuously, and his nerves, which had been somewhat sluggish due to constant tension, became clear in an instant.
"OMG, Superman is telling the truth!"
It wasn't until this moment that Spider-Man began to understand why the Green Lantern Ring was described by Superman and Batman as "the most powerful weapon in the universe."
Spider-Man, who had gained a new level of control over the Green Lantern Ring, was initially pleased, but when he glanced at the shattered Helicarrier, a wave of guilt gripped his heart, making it difficult for him to breathe.
"No! I should have realized this sooner—"
If he had been subjected to some brutal torture by Batman like other Spider-Men, and had pushed his limits earlier, wouldn't he have been able to save more lives in the previous accidents?
Nova patted Spider-Man on the shoulder. He was very close to Spider-Man from his own universe, and no one knew better than him what the young Spider-Man was thinking right now:
"Hey buddy, don't think like that. You did your best at the time."
"That's not it! You don't understand at all. I'm so much stronger now than I was before. I didn't give it my all, I didn't fulfill my responsibility!"
Was Superman's words to him just now more of a rebuke than a guidance?
"Hey, damn it!" Joey, who hadn't flown very far, overheard Spider-Man and Nova's conversation.
Realizing something was wrong, he cursed inwardly at the phrase that started with 'F' and ended with 'K' before turning back.
He shouldn't have talked to the little spider like that.
Although the other person is also Spider-Man, he is more like a child.
Even though Aunt May and Uncle Ben are both still alive, he didn't encounter the first hurdle on his path to becoming Spider-Man, nor did he suffer any setbacks or injuries in the New York underworld.
This unforged gold cannot be treated the same way as the other Spider-Men who have already been through countless battles.
Inside the space carrier, as Spider-Man questioned himself, the green light in his hand flickered.
Just then, the red cloak descended from the sky once more.
Joey temporarily put aside the things weighing heavily on her mind, but despite her best efforts, she couldn't put on a natural smile and had to give up.
He spoke gently, apologizing to the little spider who was regretting not having prepared more before coming:
"I'm sorry, I wasn't criticizing you just now. It's just that other things on my mind affected my emotions, making me a bit harsh."
Spider-Man's face was buried in his hands, and even the light ring on his hand stopped flashing: "I know."
He also believed that Superman wouldn't deliberately blame him, but this made him even more uneasy, because just as Superman had just instructed, he had underestimated his own and the ring's limits.
He could have pushed his limits and done even better.
"That's not how it works. None of us knew what the future would hold us to. You can't always judge your past self by the standards of the future."
Sunbathing and growing stronger every moment, Joey knew what Spider-Man was thinking: "You feel you didn't do well enough before. You feel that you could have saved them all, not just a part of them, now that you're stronger, so you think you were wrong."
"The point of this kind of thing is not how perfectly you do it, but that you take action when people are suffering or their lives are in danger."
Nothing is perfect, a fact Joey realized long ago. He often found himself caught in the same kind of struggle as Spider-Man, but in the end, he had to reconcile with himself.
"Saving everyone may sound unrealistic, but if we all get stuck in past regrets and don't move forward, it will forever remain just a fantasy."
After some encouragement, Spider-Man was finally able to shake off his guilt, and the green lantern ring on his hand began to glow anew: "Can we in the future really save everyone?"
"Trust me." Joey finally mustered her courage and flashed an infectious smile: "Everything will get better."
After guiding Spider-Man out of his regret and anxiety about not being able to save more people, Joey spread his arms and flew towards the rendezvous point.
The warm sunshine that had once comforted the little spider on his face was gone, replaced by dark clouds.
Joey's state of mind was far from as rosy as he appeared when he talked to Spider-Man; he simply realized that he often had to show his optimistic side to his friends.
Emotions are contagious. If someone like him is feeling down, this low mood will undoubtedly affect the atmosphere of the entire team.
Superman is said to represent truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
Right now, Joey only believes that might makes right, is still figuring out what true justice is, and is facing a tomorrow that looks like it's all over.
The Age of Ultron has ended, and Doctor Doom has been imprisoned in the Dark Dimension by the Ancient One's sacrifice.
Logically, this terrible crisis should have been over, but Joey felt increasingly insecure.
The visions that appeared when he beat up Doctor Doom still haunted Joey; each vision represented a catastrophe worthy of being called the apocalypse.
If those illusions are possible in the future, then the current situation is not an end at all; it is not even the beginning of an end, but merely the end of a beginning.
Unable to come up with any conclusions, Joey arrived at Stark Tower in this universe with a bitter expression. He wasn't worried that his bitter and resentful mood would infect Batman or Tony.
One of these two has an inner world even more sinister than Joey's, and the other is eccentric and extremely self-willed, showing absolutely no fear.
Even now, the two were still discussing the same issue that Tony and Joey had discussed earlier.
How did the causal relationship between Tony and Doctor Doom come about?
Batman posed an interesting hypothesis: "You guys know Moonlight, right?"
"Moonlight Sonata?" Having grown up in a Chinese-speaking environment and having spent his second life in rural Kansas, Joey had no connection to refined tastes. When Moonlight Sonata came to mind, it naturally reminded him of that poignant anime theme song:
"Hey, you're right—"
"No!" Before Joey could utter a single word, Tony interrupted him, accurately rejecting Joey's unspoken answer: "Not Hu Yanbin's! It's Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata'."
"That's right." Batman nodded. The two rich kids finally matched up on the point of music appreciation, excluding Joey, the Kansas farmer:
Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor.
Joey frowned, startled by the abrupt interruption, instinctively sensing something was amiss, but he patiently listened to Batman play the Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Beethoven's famous Moonlight Sonata, using this piece as a simple example.
Imagine someone traveling back in time and meeting Beethoven, only to discover that Beethoven never composed any music and was just an unknown figure.
To maintain historical accuracy, the time traveler gave him the Moonlight Sonata and other scores that should have been composed by Beethoven.
Only after Beethoven published all the scores did he become the "great musician Beethoven" in history, and the "Moonlight Sonata" came to exist in history.
So here's the question: if Beethoven didn't write "Moonlight Sonata," and it was brought to him by a time traveler from the future...
Where did the song "Moonlight Sonata," which existed from the very beginning, come from?
Batman tells the story from Doctor Doom's perspective, that is, like in "Moonlight," where did Doctor Doom come from?
"This story simply repeated my question from a different perspective!"
Since Beethoven lacked the talent to compose "Moonlight Sonata," and Tony didn't possess the necessary qualities to become Doctor Doom, then "Moonlight Sonata" had already been played, and Doctor Doom already existed. Frustrated and unable to understand, Tony rubbed his temples in anguish, almost frantic: "Are we ever going to find 'Moonlight Sonata'?"
Who wrote it?
Just like when the Ancient One had an accident, Tony, without anyone to teach him, knew nothing about magic and couldn't become Doctor Doom.
If Beethoven didn't compose Moonlight Sonata, then who wrote the score for the "Moonlight Sonata" that the time traveler brought back?
There must be a source to all of this, right?
Batman only provides a perspective, and the inconsistencies are indeed difficult to explain unless we can actually find the person who originally wrote "Moonlight".
"Tony, I have a question."
Tony, whose train of thought had been interrupted, was somewhat annoyed by Joey's question:
"Yes, you should really put your brain to use, which is faster than any supercomputer in the world, and help us two slow-thinking mortals solve some of the biggest problems of the century!"
Tony's words were clearly just to appease Yang Yi; everyone knows that Yang Yi has never liked or been good at thinking about these strange questions.
If these arguments could be materialized, then Joey might be somewhat useful; he could simply and brutally knock them out with a single punch. Unfortunately, abstract problems cannot be solved with a concrete fist.
Just now, Joey even mistook Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" for Hu Yanbin's "Moonlight"!
"No, Tony, I didn't say that name just now, but you contradicted me before I even said it. And when did you find out?"
"Me?" Tony's usually fluent words suddenly faltered as he began to search his memory: "Didn't you tell me that before?"
Tony searched from three minutes ago all the way back to three months ago, but could only find a blurry trace.
He was wondering what exactly Hu Yanbin's "Moonlight" was.
While Tony was thinking, Joey went through the conversation between the three of them dozens of times in his mind, and even searched through all his past memories more than ten times.
"No, Tony, I have never told you anything about Moonlight."
With his incredibly accurate memory, Joey felt he had found the source of "Moonlight": "You just blurted out the words that contradicted what I hadn't even said yet."
It's like predicting the future.