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Staring into the eyes of the now slain Doomsday, Superman dropped Wonder Woman's sword and staggered backwards. Stumbling, Superman fell to his knees as the exhaustion overtook him. Wonder Woman rushed to her fallen comrade's side, holding him up by his arm.
"Kal, are you alright?"
"This-This isn't over, not yet."
Looking out at his surroundings, Superman saw the true extent of the devastation.
"He'll pay for this, I swear it." Superman ground out through grit teeth as his eyes grew misty.
All around the trio, the landscape was a blackened and ash filled nightmare. Nothing but death permeated in the air.
"That's a slippery slope, Clark."
Superman shot up from his kneeling position, and spun around to look directly into Batman's cowl. His whole demeanor changed as he shot his hand out towards the countryside.
"For heaven's sake, look around us Bruce! This…this is all that monster is capable of. You talk about imprisonment and rehabilitation; you can't rehabilitate the devil. We have done this little song and dance too many times, this is all that lies in store for the universe if Darkseid continues to live." Superman spat with venom.
Batman narrowed his eyes and held Superman's icy glare, his damaged suit sparking.
"That's how it starts, but where does it end? When do you decide Metallo or Livewire has gone too far?"
"Are you saying I can't handle it?" Superman warned.
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Batman bit out, matching Superman's hostile stance.
In an attempt to diffuse the growing tension between the friends, Wonder Woman rested a hand on each of their chests.
"We can't fight each other."
Superman turned to look out at the destruction once more as Wonder Woman continued.
"He's right though, Darkseid will only come back again and again."
"Not if we imprison him once and for all."
"With what? Apokolips has proven they can retrieve monsters from the Phantom Zone, no prison can hold him."
"The New Gods can hold him." Batman added.
"As long as he's alive, he's an existential threat."
"The Justice League isn't a death squad."
"I'm not asking it to Bruce!" Superman yelled.
Wonder Woman approached Superman, and placed her hand on his shoulder. Batman's scowl only darkened.
"Bruce, why can't you see that this is the only way to insure lasting peace?" Wonder Woman said in no higher than a whisper.
Batman's cape fluttered in the breeze as he took a deep breath and removed his damaged cowl, dropping it into the soot near his feet. Bruce nearly choked on the ash his lungs inhaled with each breath. His eyes panned over the devastation wrought by Doomsday who now laid dead at the Trinity's feet. An eerie and unnatural silence still hung dead in the air. The silence was so familiar…
They just laid there, the rain pouring over their bodies. He knelt among them. His mother's pearls floating away in the blood and rain. For that horrific moment, the world was silent. That day he made a promise, a promise to uphold justice, a promise to protect those who couldn't protect themselves.
Bring himself back to Diana's lingering gaze, Batman's scowl softened slightly. Diana approached him and placed her hands on the sides of his face.
"Stand with us on this, we aren't like the Justice Lords.
Superman finally turned back to his friends and awaited Batman's response.
"I've seen too many men corrupted by power and hatred. Their pure intentions twisted and contorted but I trust you with my life Clark. There's been countless times where your commitment to fighting for justice could have been broken but you've remained a paragon of hope unlike any other. I'm with you." Batman relented.
Wonder Woman stepped back and smiled from behind the friends. Superman himself approached Batman with a warm smile on his face, gripping his friend's shoulder he spoke.
"Then let's finish this."
Falling to his knees before his master, DeSaad awaited Darkseid's approval to speak.
"What is it DeSaad?"
"My Lord, reports from Earth have come in."
"Has my pet secured the Kryptonian?"
"N-no my Lord, Doomsday failed."
Darkseid's face darkened into a deep seeded glare.
"I'll kill the damn beast myself for his failure." He bellowed as he clenched his fist.
"M-my Lord, th-the Kryptonian killed him."
Darkseid couldn't hide the shock that rippled across his face. Quickly recovering, a ferocious smile spread across his cracked and disfigured face.
"The Kryptonian finally shows his true colors."
"What would you have me do, Lord Darkseid?"
"With the World Engine fully charged, I will take command in the field."
"Let your will be done." DeSaad humbly spoke.
Standing from his throne, Darkseid opened a boom tube and approached the opening. A second boom tube opened directly below the World Engine, dropping it towards Earth's surface. Looking ever so slightly over his shoulder, Darkseid spoke.
"Ready my mantle, I intend to add the Kryptonian."
Darkseid entered the boom tube, commencing his personal invasion of Earth.
Above the Metropolis skyline, a large crack of thunder proceeded the opening of a large boom tube. Plummeting from the opening was a large alien device, colliding with any structure in it's way. A large plume of dust and debris shot out from around the device, blanketing the surrounding area. Civilians still in the area ran in terror from the device and accompanying Parademons.
Hearing the opening of the boom tube, Superman began to lift off the ground.
"Somethings landing in Metropolis."
"The big fish makes his move." Wonder Woman grimly chimed.
Batman dumped the last of his faulty and damaged suit before Diana lifted him into the air to follow Superman. With Metropolis coming into view, Superman recognized the device.
"I-it's a Kryptonian World Engine."
"What's it for?" Diana questioned.
"Terraforming." Batman cut in before Superman could answer.
"But it doesn't look right, almost like its been altered." Superman continued as the trio landed atop a high-rise building near the collision.
"Correct, Kal-El."
Superman whirled around to meet his adversary. Descending from the sky, Darkseid continued to gloat.
"It seemed fitting to destroy you and your adopted world with a piece of your own technology."
"Its been altered." Superman stated rather than questioned.
"It has, to accommodate the Anti-Life Equation."
Disbelief rang across the trio's faces.
"Luthor attempted to double cross me, but I killed the wretched fool before he could imprison me."
"Leaving you with the equation." Wonder Woman deduced.
"Precisely."
Superman released a savage growl before launching into Darkseid. Wonder Woman began to chase after the two before Batman stopped her.
"No, our job is to destroy the World Engine.
Wonder Woman reluctantly landed back on the roof top before Batman reached for his commlink.
"Batman to all points…static."
"The device must be disrupting communications."
"My thoughts exactly." Batman agreed.
J'onn, can you hear me?
"He still hasn't recovered yet." Batman sighed as he turned toward Diana.
"Then we'll have to be enough." Diana boomed with a fierce resolve.
Superman dove head long into Darkseid, driving his fist deep into the stomach of the New God. Darkseid quickly regained control of himself in the air and counterattacked. Grabbing the Kryptonian's next punch, Darkseid tightened his fist.
Superman hollered out in pain as he felt his knuckles being crushed. Superman's eyes began to blaze red as he fired off two beams of scorching heat vision at Darkseid. Before the lasers could reach their intended target, Darkseid blocked them with his free hand. Forcing his hand forward, Darkseid clasped his hand around Superman's face. The impact caused an explosion of energy to detonate directly in the Man of Tomorrow's face. Dazed and disorientated, Superman collided with the planet's surface. Darkseid began to drop from the sky, his arms raised above his head. Superman pushed off and took flight, sliding out from beneath Darkseid's impending strike. The devil from Apokolips attempted to swing again from his position on the ground but was pitched off his feet by the Kryptonian's super breathe.
"I admire your determination Kal-El but you can't win this time. Soon you along with everyone on this pitiful world will kneel before me, then-then I will kill you.
Superman's face twisted into a feral snarly as dirt tumbled off his already tattered uniform. His shredded cape blew in numerous separate strands as he stared Darkseid down.
"This ends today."
Darkseid's face glossed over with a sneer.
"Do you intend to kill me Kryptonian?"
"You've left me no other choice, and I swear by Rao I will bury you." Superman seethed as his eyes once again burned red.
"I'll remember this every time I look upon your mounted head, Kal-El." Darkseid taunted.
"Then come and get it!" Superman yelled as he launched at Darkseid once more.
"He altered the device, but the main core should still be operational." Batman pointed at the center of the Kryptonian World Engine.
The device was head and shoulders taller than any skyscraper that dotted the Metropolis skyline, and rested on three legs. The legs curled and dug into the ground, supporting the towering structure. Atop the three legs sat a spherical body. The World Engine reflected the early afternoon sunlight off it's metallic exterior, blinding those who looked directly at it. On top of the device was a long rod surrounded by multiple floating rings, a clear modification to the original design.
Pointing again, this time at the top of the device, Batman spoke.
"There's your modification."
"That's the device that will release the Anti-Life Equation."
"Most likely, yes." Batman concurred.
A large opening appeared from the bottom of the device and began to charge. The noise emanating from the charging device got louder and louder, the frequency burning into the heads of everyone around it. The charge reached it's peak, and a large blue energy beam shot out from beneath the device, impacting the ground. Wonder Woman lunged for Batman, lifting him off the rooftop as the building they had just been standing on disintegrated along with the others near the device. After what felt like an eternity, the energy beam stopped and one of the rings on top of the Kryptonian World Engine activated, glowing red. Even from the air, the explosion that followed the blast resonated in the ears of Batman and Wonder Woman. Suddenly, massive fiery sink holes began to open all over Metropolis.
"The energy blast must have ruptured the gas lines!" Batman shouted over the immense clatter.
"All those people." Diana realized.
A grim expression adorned Batman's usually stoic expression as he continued.
"The longer that device is active, the more people we'll lose."
Still carrying the Dark Knight, Diana made her way towards the device as it began to charge up once more. Nearing the hulking tower, the duo looked down. The energy blast had burrowed down at least a half mile into the Earth's crust. The surface wasn't looking much better, infernos engulfed much of the city as a result of the gas explosions. Metropolis looked like Apokolips. As Batman and Wonder Woman closed in on the World Engine, Parademons began to descend on them from multiple sides. Red energy shots lurched past Diana as she took evasive maneuvers.
She can't keep this up, not while carrying me.
"Drop me!" Batman yelled.
"Are you crazy?? We're over a half mile in the air!"
"You need both hands."
"I'll manage." Diana returned as the shots were getting closer to the pair.
Finally, a shot rang true, clipping her right arm. She yelped in pain but forced herself to maintain her grip on Batman.
"Trust me!" Batman called.
Knowing she couldn't very well dodge all the shots being poured on them and protect Bruce, Diana obliged, dropping him.
Fear clenched her as she saw him continue to plummet. Diana nearly diverted her course to catch the mortal man, but was astonished when he quickly gained control of his descent and landed directly on the back of a passing Parademon. Diana couldn't help but smile as she realized he had planned the whole thing. Unsheathing her sword, Diana turned on her attackers. She too had a few surprises of her own.
Colliding with the Parademon, Batman swiftly anchored his grip around the monster's neck. The Parademon began fervently pitching from side-to-side attempting to dislodge his assailant. The two raced through the air, heading directly for the side of the Kryptonian device. Searching the quickly approaching structure, Batman spotted a landing pad below them. Batman tightened his hold on the Parademon, chocking it. As the abomination fought to remain conscious, it began to descend…rapidly. Batman held on to the falling Parademon till they were directly over the platform. Relinquishing his hold, Batman flew off the back of the Parademon and began to glide on his cape towards the platform. The unfortunate grunt he had been riding finished the descent faster than Batman and made a nauseating splat as it struck the landing pad. Batman himself was closing in on the pad faster than he had anticipated. As his feet met the metallic pad, he rolled to soften the blow.
Batman grunted as he stood from the kneeling position he had finished his roll in. Affording himself a brief second, Batman looked skyward to where Diana was. He was far enough away that she wasn't visible, but the number of red splotches still flashing throughout the sky told him she was still standing.
Batman considered firing his orbiting satellite to help her out but figured he'd get an ear full from her about taking away her fight. Smiling to himself, Batman made his way to the large blast doors on the side of the World Engine. Before he could make it far, the deafening shrill of the charging energy blast forced him to his knees as he clutched the sides of his head. This close to the device, the sound was overpowering. Forcing himself to pull his hands away from his ears, Batman accessed his wrist computer. His nose began to bleed as he activated the reverse frequency emitter he added to his suit to counter Canary's cry. The reverse sound waves increased to match that of the Kryptonian World Engine, sparing Batman's ears. Batman breathed heavily as he wiped the blood away from his nose with the back of his black gauntlet. Much longer and he would have been permanently deafened or worse, already he had a splitting headache. Batman rolled over onto his stomach and began to rise to his feet as the energy blast crashed into the ground, tossing Batman violently back onto his back. The whole World Engine vibrated aggressively, flinging Batman towards the edge of the pad. Batman hurriedly fumbled to grab his grapnel gun. Sliding off the platform, Batman's fall was halted quickly by the Amazon Queen. The energy blast ended and Wonder Woman landed with a Dark Knight in her arms.
"Bruce were trying to go inside." She teased.
"Just put me down." He grumbled.
Both made their way quickly across the platform before it started to charge up again. Diana's golden heals clicked across the metal floor as the duo reached the large blast doors.
Kneeling before the wall mounted door control, Batman initiated his wrist computer. Kryptonian symbols appeared on his phantom monitor. Diana looked on curiously as he expertly clicked different symbols. Tapping a final Kryptonian character, the large alloy door unlocked with a large thump.
"How did-"
"After I found out Clark's rocket had a built-in Kryptonian computer, I used it to learn how to read the language." Batman stated matter of factly.
As Batman stood, she continued.
"Always the paranoid one." Diana laughed
"Someone has to be." Batman finished as he made his way inside, Diana close behind.
I never intended for this chapter to take as long as it did, sorry for the delay. As always, feel free to review the story. Tell me what I need to work on or what I'm doing right.