American comics: Today’s big news Chapter 130

Beneath the waterfall, “Katana” Da.Tolo is embracing her husband in the pool.

“Surprised to see your dead husband? Da.Tolo?”

Katana’s husband, Yafu, said to her, who was at a loss.

“Even a wandering ghost needs a place to rest, so from time to time, I recuperate in this place, in what your friends call the ‘basement of heaven’.”

“When I saw you in the crowd, I risked stalking you, I knew our love could create a paradise that belongs only to you and me.”

“Now the dream has come true.”

Yafu spoke to Katana Da.Tolo, stroking her face and gradually exploring downwards.

“How long can this last?” Katana asked.

“Time means nothing here,” Yafu said, “Let go of everything, my love… and convert to paradise.”

…

In the waterfall, the Phantom Stranger, holding a scarecrow, hesitated as he watched the two become one in the pool:

“Are you sure that woman is Katana?”

“Resurrect, my…” Connors was enjoying the action scene in the pool, and said upon hearing this, “Yes, if you don’t stop her, she will be lost in paradise.”

Connors did not appear in, but maintained the scarecrow form of “Straw Man”, which could prevent the “Straw Man” from turning into useless straw after excessive use.

“Katana” had little use value for Connors, Connors had hardly dealt with her, and he was not prepared to intervene at this time, but left it to the Phantom Stranger to deal with.

The Phantom Stranger stood in the waterfall, hesitated for only a second, and rushed out:

“Stop lingering, ghost!”

“Katana” and her husband, who were in the process of merging, were startled.

“Return to the lower space you belong to!”

The Phantom Stranger roared, stretched out a hand, and the pool under the waterfall suddenly turned into a whirlpool, engulfing Yafu in it.

“Katana” crossed her arms and hid most of her body in the pool.

When “Yafu” completely disappeared, her appearance quickly changed into an image of wearing armor, a mask on her face, and a katana in her hand:

“What did you do to my husband?!”

“How can you be sure that was your husband?”

The Phantom Stranger determined that he was just a false “projection” after seeing the phenomenon of “Yafu” sinking into the water, and asked Katana back.

“I know him better than I know myself.” Katana rushed towards the Phantom Stranger.

“Perhaps you are right, but he is just a projection of your own desires… or worse, a wandering ghost controls you, just to absorb your life and emotions.”

“In either case, he will only stop our current mission.”

The Phantom Stranger stood there and said, Katana on the opposite side slashed his head off:

“You have no right to take him away from me, you have no such right!”

The Phantom Stranger’s head flew into the sky.

After doing all this, Katana realized what she had done, the surrounding waterfall and pool disappeared, and she collapsed to her knees on the ground:

“…Forgive me…”

“This guy is really scary, I’m glad I didn’t get involved with her.” Connors said thankfully.

The “Straw Man” was still in the hands of the headless Phantom Stranger. The guy whose head was chopped off did not bleed a drop of blood from his neck, but his head hovered in the sky and returned to his neck:

“I am the one who needs to be forgiven, I should have thought these things would happen.”

Katana carefully poked the Phantom Stranger with the hilt of her sword, and asked after confirming that this guy was not dead:

“Where are the others?”

She realized that she was in a hallucination just now, but she didn’t see anyone else except the Phantom Stranger.

It is conceivable that Deadman, Catwoman, and Batman may also be trapped in their own exclusive paradises like her.

“Deadman will be fine, we have to find Catwoman.” The Phantom Stranger said.

“Then where is Catwoman?” Katana asked.

The “Straw Man” in the Phantom Stranger’s hand spoke:

“In the orphanage.”

…

In the orphanage, “Catwoman” Selina in her childhood had her little friends, a warm bed, and a kitten doll given by a kind person.

“Why would this experience become her paradise?”

Outside the orphanage, the Phantom Stranger looked at the dilapidated orphanage with leaves covering the courtyard and wondered.

“Catwoman” Selina was holding a dirty doll in her hand, and the clothes on her body were more tattered than the doll, looking emaciated.

“Her mother liked cats more than she liked her, and her alienation even led Catwoman to attempt suicide.”

“Her father hated Catwoman’s suicide attempt and was unusually cold to her. After she lost her family, she had to wander the streets.

“She later saw how cruel the world was in the juvenile detention center, where the administrators embezzled funds and tried to drown her, so the orphanage where she could eat something that didn’t look like food, had toys, and no one bullied her became her paradise.”

Connors’ voice came from the scarecrow in the Phantom Stranger’s hand.

Katana already knew about Connors on the way here, and she couldn’t help but say:

“Even so, Catwoman eventually chose to join the Justice League of America and become a hero?”

“Yes,” Connors said.

The Phantom Stranger opened the door of the orphanage and came to the little girl “Catwoman”:

“Catwoman, wake up, you shouldn’t be addicted to this.”

The intervention of outsiders made “Catwoman”’s eyes change from dazed to vigilant. She quickly realized the situation she was in, and quickly restored to the “Catwoman” image known to the world.

“Oh, this paradise is too simple, the paradise I imagined should be a city full of rich people, that’s the dream of a thief.”

Catwoman said with a nonchalant smile, she saw the scarecrow in the Phantom Stranger’s hand, and subconsciously wanted to take it back:

“Give it back to me, Connors gave it to me.”

“I’ll send you a new one after it’s over, we have to find Batman now.” Connors said.

“He’s at Wayne Manor, right?” The Phantom Stranger learned to answer first this time.

Katana, Catwoman, Connors, and the Phantom Stranger walked towards Wayne Manor in silence. The Phantom Stranger said as he was about to arrive at Wayne Manor:

“Batman has always been synonymous with ruthlessness and fear, but behind the mask is the humanity he is trying to hide desperately, the compassion in his heart…”

“And the deeper fear.”

Wayne Manor seemed to be celebrating Christmas. In front of the fiery fireplace, a young couple was telling stories to a little boy leaning in his mother’s arms.

The story comes from “A Christmas Carol”, which tells the story of a rich man who is busy making money and ignores his nephew’s invitation to a Christmas dinner, and is visited by a ghost at midnight.

Burning fireplace, Christmas tree full of colored lights, soft sofa, father telling stories, mother holding him warmly.

“This is more like ‘paradise’ than our paradise.” Katana said.

“But this is a non-existent place, a Christmas that never happened.”

The Phantom Stranger and others stood in the shadows and said:

“This little boy spent that night alone in extreme sadness, but here he can rewrite history, here Christmas can be eternal.”

“Bruce, it’s time to sleep.” The young mother holding the little boy on the sofa urged.

“But it’s just started… Although it’s the second time, please, Mom…?” The little boy coquettishly said.

“Oh, okay, five more minutes.” The young mother compromised.

In the shadows, Katana stared blankly at the little boy on the sofa:

“Could it be that the child on the sofa is Batman?”

The Phantom Stranger nodded:

“It’s surprising, isn’t it? A man who incarnates as a knight of the night, walks in the darkness day after day, and is ruthless, his shelter, his paradise, would actually be in a little boy’s lost dream?”

Connors didn’t speak, he was playing the role of an “eye” at this time, quietly stationed in this paradise.

While the Phantom Stranger was speaking, a black shadow appeared from behind him:

“Not at all surprising. Maybe one day, when I’m free… I’ll come back here.”

It was Batman who spoke, he was not addicted to this paradise.

“Batman? Then that little boy…” Katana asked doubtfully.

“He’s a part of me—they’re all a part of me, an inseparable part. Even if it’s just for a moment.”

The group of four walked towards the outside of the manor. Before leaving, Batman turned to look at Thomas Wayne, who was telling a story to the little boy:

“But it’s all over.”