Although Oliver cannot be considered a scientist, he is somewhat self-reliant in all affairs, possessing various skills to some extent, and should be the best cook in the Justice League.
Thus, after tinkering for a while, the engine's sound emerged, and the lights in the entire hall gradually illuminated.
Despite half of the bulbs mysteriously failing to light, probably owing to mice chewing the wires, Oliver deemed this outcome satisfactory.
The hall housed many items covered in canvas, and in the center, instruments seemed to form a circle; the walls were lined with more boxes of varying sizes.
"Your safe house?"
Su Ming extended his hand, waving off the dust suspended in the air.
"Yes, completely isolated from the outside world; even the air and water undergo internal circulatory purification. It's very dry and safe here."
Recalling the surroundings, Oliver unveiled the canvas covering the instruments, rebooting the console.
These instruments weren't anything advanced, appearing more like last-century items, but sometimes, the older tricks proved more reliable.
"What is this....," Bo Bo jumped onto the console, pointing at a row of bulbs above: "God, is this a computer? Did you buy it from a junkyard?"
Green Arrow shrugged, circling around to activate all the instruments, causing diverse small lights and buttons to illuminate:
"After the Great Alliance disbanded, some tri-proof fortifications were abandoned, and their usable parts flowed into the international black market. I only placed an order, without caring where they came from."
Su Ming casually knocked a button, finding it unease, as if the gears were lacking oil.
"Reliability is not an issue. At least secretly buying a junkyard computer saves me from Batman installing a bug on it. But is this your Doomsday Fortress? Are you preparing for global nuclear war?"
Green Arrow rubbed his hands, retrieving a can from a box nearby: it's soybeans stewed in tomatoes: "I'm not at all afraid of alien invasion, but the greatest threat to humanity is humanity itself."
Bo Bo jumped off the instrument, fetched a can from the box, eyeing its shelf-life, casually remarked: "Yeah, global nuclear war, intelligent machinery, biohazard, and not to mention reckless exploration of mysterious unknowns; we see plenty on TV, but I can't fathom what stupid decisions politicians might make in reality."
The three looked at him with helpless expressions, making Bo Bo uncomfortable. He discarded the can, patting his chest with an annoyed guise: "What? Don't gorillas have human rights?"
Su Ming shook his head, surveying the safe house: "At least you do not have voting rights, I'm sure about that. No one wants gorillas electing the President of the United States."
Bo Bo pointed at himself, solemnly proclaimed: "Someday, they will find this voting loophole; do you know how many gorillas are in North America? Just simple training, and their intelligence can learn to vote. Once that day comes, surely some humans will champion voting rights for gorillas out of dark interests."
"I don't mind; Earth has never been solely for humans. I think gorillas joining the United Nations is easier to accept than coexistence with tentacle monsters, but the prerequisite is, don't block my way."
Su Ming too picked up a can, well, this ghostly thing has a shelf-life reaching a century ahead, stuffed with who-knows-how-much preservative.
"Ah, before the United Nations Building was leveled by Grud, the delegates met an unfortunate fate. Restoring the agency's function will likely take some time." Bo Bo patted the dust off his palms, wisely changing the topic.
Oliver sighed, maneuvering out from between Bo Bo and Deathstroke, heading towards a large container nearby: "What were we discussing..... 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'? Can we focus on the task at hand?"
Diana leaned against the instrument wearing her arm, adjusting the banded war skirt to avoid exposing the Star-Spangled Banner's small pants: "Get used to it; Deathstroke is capable of casual chatting while contemplating serious matters and also fighting simultaneously. Bo Bo is similarly unique; he is the smartest gorilla in the Multiverse, having anonymously joined the Mensa Club once before."
Oliver glanced at Bo Bo, who sheepishly waved his hands with a face too ashamed to face others: "Don't look at me; it's just that when I was young, there was a period of feeling lonely. But now I no longer mingle with those low-intellect fools; these people can't even face the existence of magic, and such a narrow worldview seals their intellectual ceiling."
Diana stared speechlessly at Bo Bo, who even indirectly learned to flaunt his abilities....
"Having transported so much large equipment inside, with the passage refilled and the entrance made narrow, how are we supposed to bring things out?" she decided to ignore the gorilla and direct her question to Green Arrow.
Green Arrow swung open the container's doors, revealing its contents: "This was initially prepared for the Justice League. If this step becomes necessary, there will be ways, won't there?"
Su Ming walked outside the container, gazing inside.
Inside lies an impeccably preserved, almost brand-new artificial communication satellite. Green Arrow had it planned all along.
The Justice League never used rockets for launching satellites; they simply relied on Superman to place the satellite into the correct orbit. As for how to open the passage refilled, both Hal and Ron have ways.
Yet, Oliver's misfortune lies here, never realizing he was positioned as backup, with Batman never granting him an opportunity to use this place.
Also, Batman himself has hundreds of safe houses worldwide, not needing Green Arrow's at all.
"Now we just need to send it into orbit, and it will be operational, right?" Su Ming squatted down to inspect the artificial satellite, which appeared to be intact.
"It should be fine. I checked the supporting facilities here earlier, and not many things were damaged...." Oliver gently tapped the solar panel.
Su Ming nodded, reached under the satellite, and exerted force to lift it up, pushing his waist beneath it.
In an instant, the satellite disappeared.
"Occupies one slot... I must schedule a trip to the package store." Su Ming thought inwardly, but his face remained expressionless.
Oliver: "...."
What kind of operation is this? Even Superman couldn't do it, could he? Oliver knew Zha Kang, and he never realized magic could be this powerful.
....................
"The lie has achieved its goal. You must be ready. I can't hold on any longer, nor can I provide you with more intelligence, but I hope I've helped you a little, Ron. You must make a decision."
The Steward's head slowly lowered, and the voice in Ron's mind gradually grew fainter, breaking intermittently.
"No, you can't die!" Ron held her shoulder, making a futile effort, but enduring the illusion of Senagang Star had long left the Steward drained, an exhaustion of both will and body, with no cure.
"That symbol... has dual meanings. You must tell the Multiverse which form to choose." The Steward let Ron shake her body, but she could feel everything slipping away: "I am glad... to know you, to meet you... farewell."
Those were her last words. Life had already departed from her body, and the white form, devoid of support, slumped into the chair like a sack.
"No!!!" Xiara erupted, knocking over Kendra who blocked her path, rushing in: "You can't die! I can use the Absorption Device to resurrect you, make you forever young, and none of this will change!"
She flew toward the Steward, while Ron could only stand aside, still unable to process what he just heard.
Xiara took the golden ring off the corpse's head and placed it on her own, fully using her willpower to achieve her goal through this Divine Artifact.
However, this Divine Artifact wasn't meant for a Barbarian Warrior. Its user must possess incredibly strong spiritual power, a brain capable of recording the entire history of a planet, including every person, and even every plant.
None present had such an ability. Perhaps in its prime, the Conqueror Starro could've done it, but it had become a Can Luo now.
Irreversible destruction occurred everywhere, and perhaps all of this was caused by Ron's arrival, leaving him feeling manipulated, unveiling the cosmic truth.
But he came back to his senses as Xiara, with the Absorption Device on her head, emitted a white light from her eyes and involuntarily screamed.
"Stop it now! You'll die!" Ron rushed over, forcibly removing the Absorption Device from Xiara's head, causing the Hawkman Queen to collapse onto the ground.
Tears streamed down her face, and she covered her face with her hands, sobbing: "I'm so sorry for everything that happened here. I just futilely tried to cover the truth because this secret truly cannot be revealed."
Holding the Absorption Device, Ron placed it on the corpse's leg beside him: "No, you think you can refuse the truth, but it can never be avoided. Whether you acknowledge it or not, it has already happened. From the breach of the Origin Wall, it's irreversible. All you can do is strive and fight."
Xiara lowered her head, sobbing: "Fine, then let the entire cosmos see the vulnerability of Senagang now and the hidden truth."
With the disappearance of the illusion, the Hawkpeople who were originally hunting the three of them vanished like sand in the wind, leaving nothing behind in the world.
Xiara approached a robust Hawkman, who was a manifestation of Carter's past life created by the Steward from her memory, essentially her husband.
And now, he was also gradually turning to ash and disappearing.
"I don't want to leave without saying goodbye again..." Xiara touched his face, speaking painfully, and then the room was left with just Ron and the other four living people: "I just want to save my people..."
"But were these just illusions?"
John landed on the ground, gasping for air; those Hawkmen were a true menace, and his Lantern Ring Energy was almost depleted.
Xiara lifted her head and shouted mournfully: "Don't you understand? To Papetua, we are all illusions! If she reveals the truth of the world, the entire Multiverse, everyone will be erased just like my illusory kin! And your arrival released this secret! It sent her a signal!"
John looked at Ron in astonishment, hoping for an explanation. He had been busy fighting earlier; why did everything seem to worsen?
But Ron remained silent, knowing that Xiara was right, perhaps they really shouldn't have come here...