Orion could feel his father's blood seep through his hand as he pressed against the wound. Tears streamed down his face and glistened in the shower of explosions that rippled in the background like an angry wave.
Minutes ago a portal had opened up in the sky, causing it to turn velvett red. Legions of shadow demons poured out of that portal like a swarm of angry flies. They swept over the city like a plague. Soldiers of the Divine Guard had jumped to their city's defense, but it was futile. It wasn't long before they became outgunned, their weapons as useless as stones. Soldiers fell one after one. Their armor splintered in half as their insides turned to mush, eyes popped out of their sockets, their skin growing old and wrinkled.
Eventually the famous Lightray joined the fray. At first the tide of the battle seemed to be changing. Lightray was able to make quick work of the demons with his solar powers. But, then, reinforcements arrived in the form of the Black Racer, Earth -39 Superman, and Earth -18 Hal Jordan. The Black Racer drew Lightray's attention away from the demon. Superman swooped down on the ground and used his heat Vision to decimate everything in a ten mile radius. Hal Jordan created multiple arrows with his yellow ring that struck the soldiers.
"I can smell your fear." a gravelly voice said.
"You killed him."
"Only the strong can survive the coming days."
"You think cruelty is strength-" Orion could feel his heart pounding. His breath ragged. Making sure it'd go unseen, he carefully reached for the golden staff. "-Darkseid?"
Donning his classic suit with black robes, the mad god gleamed. His eyes shimmered with a bright blue hue almost like they were stars from the night sky itself.
"The universe is unforgiving. To survive you must be cruel. To rise above you must take that cruelty and forge it into something else. "
"You're wrong. There is light just as there is darkness. Anyone can walk the path of the righteous."
"Yet that darkness is the one constant. The light is not. Just look at Earth's champions. How many crises have unfolded? As hard as they try, they never will win. They will never stop fighting against the one constant."
"What you are doing will bring upon another crisis!"
"No, not a crisis. A war that I will win." Darkseid's eyes lit up. As fast as a bolt of lightning, his omega-beams shot out. Heading straight towards Orion. Orion raised the golden staff, blocking the beams and sending them in wayward directions.
"I will not allow it!" Orion roared. He charged forward and tackled Darksied. The two were sent hurtling through the glass window. Now they were free falling and, as they did, they grappled and kicked. Darksied's burly hands inches away from crushing Orion's windpipe. However, just as he was about to, they landed on the streets of Celestial City. The golden staff rolled out of Orion's hand. He quickly recovered and grabbed it, just as Darksied was standing up. He swung it hard and it knocked Darkseid in the jaw. Blood from his mouth flew up in the air. Orion then side kicked him in the stomach and sent him sprawling.
Darksied chuckled, wiping the blood from his mouth.
"You think this is funny?" Orion swung the staff again but this time Darksied caught it.
"Enough." To Orion's surprise, Darksied completely bent the staff in half like a muscle man bending a bar. He then slammed his fist into Orion's chest. A gallon of blood spluttered out, drenching the already blood-soaked streets. Orion stood motionless. The only thing keeping him alive was Darksied's fist in his chest.
"T-T-They'll beat you." Orion managed to choke out.
"They'll try." Darksied then ripped out Orion's heart and, with that, he was dead.
"Darkseid!" Lightray hollered. He came rushing towards Darksied, his entire body radiating with energy. At that moment the Black Racer dived down and sliced off Lightray's head. The head rolled to Darksied's feet with a thunk.
"Pitiful." Darksied turned to Superman who had just landed next to him. "Turn this planet to ash."
Superman nodded. He went back up into the sky and did laps around the planet before coming back down like a hammer. The impact caused the New Genesis to Shake and tremble. A portal opened up before Darksied. Almost smiling, he said, "Long live the Darkness." and then stepped through.