Inside the Mirror Dimension, Dr. Bruce Banner sat cross-legged amid shattered concrete and twisted steel, meditating quietly as if the devastation surrounding him had nothing to do with him at all. His breathing was steady and controlled, the calm rhythm of someone who had spent years mastering his temper.
The sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence. Banner slowly opened his eyes and looked toward the three figures who stepped through the glowing teleportation portal.
Although he was trapped inside the Hulk when everything happened, his memory remained surprisingly clear.
"Even though I was stuck inside the Hulk," Banner said calmly, studying them, "I remember all of you."
His gaze shifted from one face to the next.
"You're Batman, the guardian of Gotham. And you're Superman from Metropolis. Honestly, everyone on the planet knows who you are."
Finally, his eyes settled on the last man.
"And you… I remember you most clearly. You're the one who killed both me and the Hulk."
Despite describing his own death, Banner's tone remained almost relaxed. Under normal circumstances he worked extremely hard to control his emotions, because even the slightest burst of anger could trigger a transformation.
Jack only smiled faintly.
"You forgot one important detail," he said lightly. "I also saved you."
Banner paused for a moment before nodding.
"That's true. You saved me and removed the zombie virus from my body." He stood up and brushed dust off his clothes. "Which means technically I should be thanking you."
Then he looked at the portal again.
"So… are you here to let me out?"
Superman and Batman both turned to Jack at the same time.
Superman sighed inwardly. There went his chance to fight the Hulk.
Batman felt equally disappointed. He had just learned a new song and had been curious whether it would calm the Hulk down.
Jack simply gestured toward the portal.
"After you."
"Thanks."
Banner didn't hesitate. He stepped through the portal and returned to the real world.
The moment he arrived, his stomach growled loudly. He glanced around the room with an embarrassed expression.
"Um… is there anything to eat?" he asked. "I'm starving."
Jack smiled.
"What would you like?"
Banner shrugged helplessly while scanning the room.
"Honestly, I can't afford to be picky right now. Anything that fills my stomach will work."
Then he added hopefully, "If possible… maybe a beer too?"
A few minutes later Jack returned with a steaming bowl of instant noodles and a bottle of chilled beer. Banner devoured them gratefully while Jack explained everything about the Mother Box resurrection plan.
After eating, Banner personally inspected the Kryptonian spaceship, the recovery fluid tank, and the Mother Box itself. He examined the equipment carefully, occasionally muttering calculations under his breath.
Finally he pushed his glasses up his nose and spoke.
"I could design a device to control the Mother Box's energy output," he said thoughtfully. "Basically a converter that lowers the energy level to something the human body can tolerate."
He tapped the Mother Box lightly.
"In fact, we might even be able to find an alternate power source. That way Superman wouldn't need to activate this thing personally every time."
Jack waited patiently.
"But," Banner continued, raising a finger, "there's a fundamental problem. If the Mother Box energy isn't fully released, the resurrection process won't work properly."
He glanced toward the recovery tank.
"And this repair fluid obviously can't be reused forever."
Banner sighed.
"So theoretically speaking… your resurrection plan can't succeed indefinitely."
Jack had already considered these issues, so the conclusion didn't surprise him.
"How many times do you think we can still use this method?" he asked.
Banner rubbed his chin while thinking.
"I'd need precise calculations for exact numbers. But if we ignore the limits of human endurance…" he paused, then gave an estimate. "Probably no more than three times."
"Three times."
Jack turned toward Batman and Superman.
"Who should we bring back?"
Both men answered at the exact same moment.
"Diana."
Banner blinked in confusion.
"Wait… who's Diana?"
"Wonder Woman," Jack replied.
Banner looked even more confused.
"And who exactly is Wonder Woman?"
Jack thought for a moment before answering.
"It's a long story," he admitted. "But you can think of her as a female version of Superman."
She didn't have heat vision, but Diana possessed tremendous strength, incredible speed, and an entire arsenal of powerful weapons. In terms of battlefield ability, she could easily serve as a substitute for Superman.
Banner nodded slowly while imagining it.
"So basically… she's invulnerable like Superman?"
That question made things slightly awkward.
Diana had divine blood, so stopping bullets wasn't unusual for her. But technically she wasn't completely invincible.
Thor could withstand a direct punch from the Hulk but still get hurt by a bullet. That didn't mean a bullet was stronger than the Hulk's punch.
Strength and durability didn't always follow simple logic.
Soon afterward they arrived at an abandoned construction site in Gotham.
Banner looked around the empty area with confusion.
"Batman, you said you locked Diana here," he said slowly. "But I don't see anyone."
Bruce Wayne glanced calmly at the ground.
"That's probably because you're standing on top of her."
Banner stared down at the concrete beneath his feet in shock.
"Wait… you mean down there?"
Using his X-ray vision, Jack scanned through the cement and discovered a steel-reinforced chamber buried deep underground. Inside sat a woman tied up tightly with glowing rope.
Batman had built a special prison specifically for Wonder Woman.
Ordinary restraints were useless against her strength, even after becoming a zombie. The rope binding her now was clearly the Lasso of Truth.
Forged by the god Hephaestus from the golden belt of the earth goddess Gaia, the Lasso of Truth was unbreakable. Anyone trapped within it could only speak the truth.
Ironically, it was also Diana's greatest weakness.
Just like kryptonite weakened Superman, Diana lost her divine powers whenever the Lasso of Truth restrained her.
At the moment she was basically no stronger than a normal zombie.
But the instant the rope was removed, her power would return—and this prison would no longer be able to contain her.
Banner stepped back nervously.
"So… how do we open it?"
"Let me."
Superman stepped forward and fired a burst of heat vision. The concrete melted instantly, revealing a deep crater nearly ten meters below.
At the bottom sat the steel prison cell.
Another blast sliced open a square hole in the ceiling of the cell, and a heavy steel plate crashed down with a loud clang.
Inside, Diana Prince sat cross-legged.
Even after months as a zombie she looked surprisingly normal. Her divine bloodline prevented the usual decay and stench.
According to Bruce Wayne, she had been imprisoned here for several months.
When the ceiling opened, Diana suddenly jumped up and bared her teeth at them through the opening, snarling like a wild beast.
Jack calmly tossed ten antitoxin aerosol grenades into the cell before sealing the opening again with telekinesis.
Soon invisible bubbles began drifting upward, and the reward panel in his vision started updating.
Wonder Woman's power.
The Flame of Truth.
Lightning control.
Unlike Superman, Diana possessed elemental abilities tied to divine power. She could manipulate both fire and lightning.
Thinking about lightning made Jack suddenly think of Thor.
If they ever met, those two might actually get along.
…
Later in the laboratory, Diana's body floated inside the recovery tank while the Mother Box rested beside her.
Superman channeled electricity into the device to activate it.
Banner stared intensely at the process, even putting on glasses so he wouldn't miss anything.
When the energy surged through the tank and Diana's eyes suddenly opened, Banner nearly jumped in excitement.
"This is a miracle!" he shouted.
Jack chuckled.
"You already experienced the same miracle yourself."
Banner shook his head immediately.
"That's different. Experiencing something and witnessing it happen are completely different feelings."
Jack's reward panel flashed again.
Four hundred thousand gold coins.
Moments later Diana leaped out of the recovery tank, breathing heavily.
Superman and Batman politely looked away, though both secretly glanced back.
Banner stared openly, so stunned he didn't even notice the nosebleed starting.
Diana looked around calmly.
"Is there somewhere I can take a shower?"
"Of course," Banner said immediately.
He turned to lead the way, then awkwardly stopped.
"Uh… Jack… where exactly is the bathroom?"
…
After showering, Diana sat down with a simple meal of instant noodles and beer.
When she finished eating, she wiped her mouth and frowned thoughtfully.
"So you believe Loki, Voldemort, or Steppenwolf might try to invade Amazon territory to steal the Mother Box?"
Jack shook his head.
"It's worse than that. They've probably already done it."
He leaned forward.
"And the situation there might be far worse than you imagine."
Diana's expression darkened.
"You may be right," she admitted slowly. "But I still can't bring you to the Amazon."
"You misunderstand," Banner said with a smile. "Jack meant you should go back first."
"If the Mother Box is still there, great. If it's gone and you need help, you can contact us."
Diana nodded.
"You're right. I should return immediately."
Then she turned to Bruce Wayne.
"What happened to the equipment I left with you?"
Bruce opened a nearby case.
"Lasso of Truth, bow and arrows, Godslayer sword, Hermes' boots, helmet and circlet, Amazon shield, guardian bracelets."
He pushed the case toward her.
"Everything is here."
"Thank you."
Diana quickly equipped her armor and weapons.
When she finished, she faced the four men.
"I'll return to Amazon territory and protect the Mother Box. You should head to Atlantis and secure the other one."
With a powerful stomp, she launched herself into the sky.
Banner watched her disappear in awe.
"Wow… Wonder Woman is amazing."
Jack glanced at the cracked ground.
"She shows off even more than certain people."
Superman and Batman both looked at each other.
"Cough."
Banner quickly changed the subject.
"So… where are we going next? Atlantis?"
"We'll split up," Jack said calmly. "You three go to Atlantis. I'm heading to the Amazon."
Banner blinked.
"Jack… do you even know where it is?"
"Not yet," Jack said with a mysterious smile. "But I will soon."
He walked toward the exit.
"Let me know if anything happens."
Then he added casually, "And try not to upset Banner."
Banner laughed awkwardly.
"Honestly, I'd be perfectly happy staying in the lab."
A few minutes later Jack stood on the rooftop and activated the Black Dragon mech. The armor closed around him as the targeting display lit up.
A tracking signal appeared on the screen.
It belonged to Diana Prince.
Before reviving her, Jack had secretly implanted a nanotracker inside her body.
…
Amazon Paradise Island was hidden behind a powerful magical barrier.
Ships sailing nearby or planes flying overhead could never see it.
When Diana finally stepped onto the beach after so many years away, a strange uneasiness filled her heart.
Something felt wrong.
She looked around the empty shoreline.
"Why is no one here?"
Normally guards would patrol the beach at all times. Now the entire island felt silent.
Suddenly the ground burst open.
A zombie wearing Amazon armor lunged at her.
Diana instantly leaped backward more than ten meters to avoid the attack.
Then dozens of zombies began crawling out of the ground around her.
She recognized every face.
Former sisters.
Former friends.
But none of them recognized her anymore.
Even so, Diana refused to harm them.
She crossed her guardian bracelets, releasing a powerful sonic shockwave that blasted the zombies backward without killing them.
Then she launched herself into the air and flew deeper into the island.
As she passed over a forest, arrows suddenly shot out from the trees.
"Stop!"
"That's Diana!"
"Stop shooting!"
Diana landed as more than a dozen Amazon warriors rushed out from the woods.
Leading them was a familiar woman.
"Antiope!"
Diana ran forward excitedly.
Antiope was the greatest general of the Amazons and Diana's combat teacher.
"Diana!"
Antiope embraced her tightly, tears already filling her eyes.
"It's so good to see you again."
"I'm glad to see you too," Diana said softly.
Then her expression grew serious.
"But what's happening here? Where is everyone else?"
Antiope's face darkened.
"Now… only we remain on Paradise Island."
....
Want to read ahead by more than 60 chapters. Then join my pa*treon now.
Link: pa*treon.com/Amelie796 (Remove the *)
Also you can read till chapter 17 chapters for free.