In the distance, the skyline was shrouded in thick, heavy clouds. Dull thunder rumbled through the sky, and fine rain washed over a city whose sins could never be cleansed.
All Joey could hear were overlapping gunshots and sirens, the angry roars and screams of residents, and hysterical laughter from the corners of the city.
Gotham City.
He had no idea why Doctor Fate had brought him to this hellish place.
"What do you want from me?"
Even though the information from earlier was overwhelming, Joey had no time to think it through. Facing Doctor Fate required maximum vigilance.
Doctor Fate was a chaotic wildcard. Despite being one of the most powerful mages in the DC universe and bearing the imposing title of Fate, he could not even fully control his own destiny.
The golden helmet on his head was the true core of Doctor Fate, containing the power and will of the Lord of Order, Nabu. It was a parasitic relationship: the host gained the power of fate, but also surrendered his body to it.
Doctor Fate acted as the agent of Nabu, the god of order. The identity of the person beneath the helmet and cloak changed from one bearer to another—it did not matter. Everything was ultimately dictated by Nabu's will.
In Joey's impression, in most crises, Doctor Fate rarely contributed positively. He was absent when things went right, but almost always interfered when things went wrong.
"What a harsh judgment. You know Doctor Fate, just as you once knew someone you had never met."
Doctor Fate's voice sounded like clashing metal, emotionless as before, echoing directly in Joey's mind. He could clearly read Joey's thoughts.
"That explains why I could not see your future in the Book of Fate, and why our first encounter was in such a remote, desolate universe. You are an 'unknown variable' outside of planning."
"You mean…"
Joey caught the implication in Doctor Fate's words. It had clearly met him before—and in a previous universe.
"Joey Joseph Kent."
Doctor Fate called out his name from the previous world.
But the voice that now entered Joey's mind was no longer that emotionless, genderless tone. It had become a familiar female voice.
"It's me… Raven."
BOOM—
Joey's punch shattered the heavy clouds hanging over Gotham. Even the searchlights illuminating the sky lost their targets, and the entire city was bathed in long-lost moonlight.
Doctor Fate—or rather Raven—was caught off guard and struck directly. The impact sent her all the way to the surface of the Moon, carving a brand-new crater into its pitted terrain.
Joey followed immediately, delivering a second strike powerful enough to destroy the Moon itself.
At times like this—like just now—Joey could temporarily push the cracks in his mind aside and think about the future he could create.
But his scars always caught up to him.
"I don't give a damn about any of this! I only care about how the hell you just won't leave me alone!"
He didn't care whether the Moon shattered from the aftermath. He could always drag another asteroid into place to maintain Earth's tides.
The shadow of his past once again drove Joey into madness. It felt like his mind was never allowed even a moment of peace.
From their brief exchange, Raven already understood: Joey was far beyond what she could handle. The Kryptonian's rage was as intense as when she had first met him.
Her power was already far weaker than before, and this universe's magic was nearly depleted—so even Nabu's power could not be fully manifested. If the fight continued, she might actually die.
She had come to the right universe and found the right person—but clearly at the wrong time. It was too early.
Joey had not yet faced death.
Suddenly, everything around him shifted again.
This time, it was a true transformation of reality itself. He and Raven were transported from the Moon to a star system bathed in a red sun.
"It's useless! I already anticipated this!"
The Arc Reactor in Joey's chest continued to emit radiation similar to a yellow sun. While not as effective as a real sun, it was enough for him to fight under a red sun.
Joey lunged at Raven at maximum speed, trying to rip the Helmet of Fate from her head.
Although he didn't understand exactly what this strange combination of Raven and Doctor Fate was, based on his own understanding, dealing with either one of them quickly was already difficult—let alone both together, which was completely hopeless.
"Kal-El, stop! This world is in danger!"
Doctor Fate's voice returned to its mechanical tone again:
"You and Raven's conflict should not even be the issue! I'm telling you—"
"Don't listen to him!"
The cold voice of Doctor Fate was interrupted. Raven's voice returned:
"You're not ready yet!"
Joey realized it now: Doctor Fate was likely in a split-state conflict—the helmet and the host each speaking separately, pulling in different directions.
The will of the god Nabu was enough to suppress mortals, but clearly it was not enough when it came to Raven.
Taking advantage of the moment while the two forces were struggling against each other, Joey stepped forward and ripped off the golden helmet in one motion, revealing Raven's true face beneath it.
Although Joey immediately followed up by throwing a punch at her exposed head—after everything that had happened, he simply wanted to leave the mark of his fist on Raven's face, but his powerful strike actually missed.
Because what was hidden beneath the Helmet of Fate was not the face Joey had expected.
To be precise, it was only half a face.
The right half of Raven's face—no, her entire right half of her body—was absolute void, as if something had cleanly split her vertically in two.
What lay beneath the Helmet of Fate and cloak was only half of Raven.
The wound along her head and torso was sealed by golden light, and Joey's lightning-fast punch just barely missed the edge of that cut surface.
"Wtf..."
Although Joey knew the universe he was in was always full of supernatural and absurd phenomena, things like Wonder Woman and Aquaman were still within a somewhat understandable range. This, however, was on a completely different level—and difficult to accept.
For a brief moment, Raven broke free from the influence of fate. Before Joey could recover from his shock, the missing half of her body transformed into a massive black raven, spreading its wings and vanishing into the endless void, leaving only a message projected into Joey's mind:
"1906, San Francisco."
Although Joey was annoyed, he still remembered the message:
"You damn riddle-spouting bastard… why can't you just speak normally?"
[Put… it… on…]
The Helmet of Fate in his hand began to glow with golden light, and the voice echoed again in Joey's mind:
[Infinite power…]
The Helmet of Fate revealed a power that could surpass even the multiverse itself—power that was within reach, as long as he put it on.