Hi, ladies and gentlemen! Sorry for the long wait. I've just been away at camp and now I can continue this fanfiction. Hope you like the new chapter!


Chapter 11: The Battle of São Paulo

SÃO PAULO
JUNE 13, 12:14 BRT

The Atom, Bumblebee, Firestorm, and Guardian arrived in Brazil to meet with the Brazilian army shortly before the attack on Metropolis began. Big Barda and Mister Miracle, who had both escaped from Apokolips years before, had agreed to help fight against Darkseid's invasion and so joined them on Iota Squad along with Hourman, Wildcat, Doctor Mid-Nite, and Jay Garrick (the former Flash). They found the Brazilian army already rallied to meet the invasion and came to greet General Danillo Gutierrez, who saluted them and said, "Bom dia, Justice Thank you for coming so quickly."

"Technically, Old Flash and I are Justice Society retired," said Hourman.

"Not the time, Rick," Atom said under his breath. Then he asked General Gutierrez, "Are your men mobilized for the defense of São Paulo?"

"Yes, Atom. Our ground forces stand at 120,000 here with at least 40,000 reserve units, and more reserves are on the way," replied the general. "The enhanced arms and vehicles are ready and standing by."

"Then let's prepare for action," said Firestorm. "Here they come now."

It wasn't a moment too soon, for swarms of Parademons and Doom Hawks followed by huge regiments of Hell Hounds and Draco-Tanks were about to enter São Paulo. That was the signal to counterattack, and the Justice League moved in to fight as General Gutierrez ordered his troops to open fire on the Apokoliptan monsters. The Brazilian soldiers filled the air with brilliant laser fire followed by the blasts of plasma-cannon and cold-missile tanks. Units of soldiers opened fire from all sides, from atop and behind buildings and from hidden crevices that made it more difficult for the enemy to discern their whereabouts. At a signal from Staff Sergeant Hernando de la Cruz, a unit of 4,000 men fired on the incoming Parademons to divert their attention. Then from the south side, soldiers on two-wheeled armored pods fired several high-impact missiles that ripped through the Parademons and Draco-Tanks as they came on.

As the attackers from Apokolips prepared to engage, the Justice League and their allies mounted their counterattack. Atom was the first to go in, shrinking himself to microscopic size in order to sabotage Darkseid's warriors and machines. He jumped inside several Parademons, one after another, and slipped under their armor and shorted out their technological hearts, sending them falling helplessly into the streets. He climbed aboard a few Doom Hawks and disconnected their servo-guidance mechanisms, then sent them crashing to their fellow Draco-Tanks like missiles. Aside from shrinking and sabotaging Darkseid's monstrosities, he returned to his full height and began firing on some Parademons who had just landed with a pair of atom blasters.

Bumblebee and Guardian were facing a squad of Parademons, tensely awaiting the first move. Bumblebee was not certain if her stingers would be effective against these creatures, but she promised herself she would give it her best shot.

"You ready, Mal?" she whispered to her boyfriend.

"Ready when you are, Karen," Guardian replied.

Then the two heroes moved in and fought back with all the vigor they had. Bumblebee flew around the Parademons to avoid their attacks and after a few preliminary scans, she stung the creatures in the weak points of their armor where their organic shells met with their metal forms. Guardian took a plasma impactor and fired on a couple Doom Hawks before firing on the Parademons again. They preferred to stay out of the range of Hell Hounds and Draco-Tanks for safety reasons, but the opponents they were up against were just as dangerous. At length, one Parademon spewed a blast of fire from its mouth and clipped Karen's suit wings.

"Guardian! I've been hit!" she cried. Bumblebee managed to reverse her suit's shrinking process and landed safely in Guardian's arms. He removed her damaged pack and snuffed out the lingering flames, but then the two heroes returned their attention to the Parademons that were circling them like a pack of wild dogs. It looked like the end, but Bumblebee and Guardian gave a silent nod. If they went down, they would take these creatures with them. But before they knew what was happening, beams of searing plasma blasted the Parademons to pieces.

It was Captain Fernando Ribeiro who had saved Bumblebee and Guardian along with a large company of soldiers. He saluted them and then ordered the new Mazer tanks to fire on the Hell Hounds that were approaching from the northeast, and Bumblebee and Guardian stayed with Captain Ribeiro's company for safety measures.

On the western end of São Paulo, Major Lucas Cardoso of the Força Aérea Brasileira was leading twelve squads of enhanced Northrop F-5s and AMX Internationals to counterattack Darkseid's forces. As they approached the enemy lines, Firestorm linked his comlink to the major's radio and said, "Major Cardoso, do you copy?"

"Copy, Firestorm," Cardoso replied.

"Form your squadron behind me and prepare to engage."

"We're on your tail, Senhor Firestorm. Setting position to attack now."

With that, the Brazilian fighters arranged themselves behind Firestorm just as the Parademons and Doom Hawks were in their range. Firestorm led the aerial charge and began firing orbs of atomic energy at the incoming Apokoliptans. The orbs exploded on contact, sending out waves of energy that carbonized swaths of Parademons and Doom Hawks. He blasted the techno-beasts with scorching flames and sent them sailing away into the streets or into buildings, and some ended up crashing into public fountains or pools.

The Brazilian pilots pulled off the sharpest aerial maneuvers to lead the Apokoliptan forces on wild chases that resulted in their devastation by other planes. When they had their opponents in front of them, the pilots fired radar-controlled missiles to finish the monsters off. However, at least five planes were torn to shreds in the first charge and on the second round, the Doom Hawks fired beams that were like energy mixed with acid, which dissolved a number of jet fighters. However, Firestorm held the line for the rest of the squad so they could push Darkseid's invasion force back. As they did so, the airborne defenders received some unexpected aid from Kilowog, Tomar-Tu, and Tomar-Re as well as a number of other Green Lanterns, and they managed to divert more of Darkseid's Parademons from the ground forces.

On the south flank, Captain Julio Álvares and Corporal Roberto Garcia had done a fair job of keeping many Hell Hounds and Draco-Tanks from pushing further toward the city center. However, a few hundred Parademons were swooping down on them, and many were armed with vibro-pikes and fire whips. The Brazilian soldiers opened fire on them, destroying a great many, but they soon found themselves outflanked. But before the Parademons could strike, Jay Garrick ran to the rescue and knocked several of the monsters off their feet.

"Hey, you tin-armored Batman rejects! Why don't ya pick on somebody your own size?!" Garrick taunted.

The Parademons howled fiercely and came barreling headlong at the retired speedster, intending to strike him down. However, Jay Garrick ran around the first group, creating a super-speed tornado that whirled the beasts around in its awesome vortex until it scattered them across the street. Then Garrick dashed at the other Parademons and hit them as hard and as fast as he could. He twisted their arms, kicked them in their stomachs, tripped them, and even head-slammed them. Once each of the Parademons were down, the former Flash lured another group away after yelling, "Come and get me, dragon boys!"

Outside the Ipiranga Museum, Hourman, Wildcat, and Doctor Mid-Nite were busy aiding another ten platoons of the Brazilian army led by 1st Lieutenant Diego Banderez. Several Hell Hounds were tearing a flaming swath of destruction as they rumbled toward the downtown area, and more Parademons armed with vibro-pikes and Agony Gauntlets were in the air. Fortunately, the platoons opened fire on the Hell Hounds with photon cannons mounted on their enhanced tanks and the high-energy beams ripped through them quite efficiently. Then as the Parademons made their attack, Wildcat and his companions nodded and moved in to counterattack, and as usual, Wildcat was the first to leap into action.

"For Darkseid!" the Parademons howled.

"Aah, shut up!" retorted Wildcat with spirit.

With that, he began performing the old boxing tactics he had used so often in his days as a prize fighter. Unfortunately, he realized a little late that having no superpowers meant he had to keep going for the weak spots of his opponents rather than taking them down and be done with it. So after a few dozen punches and kicks at the creatures, Wildcat tackled another and wrenched the Agony Gauntlets from its clawed hands.

It's not cricket, I know. But I'm an old guy with no superpowers. What are you gonna do?, thought Wildcat with a bemused expression as he fitted the gauntlets on his own hands. Then turning, he said, "Hope I can handle these things as well as they can."

While Wildcat tried his hand at attacking the Parademons with a sample of their own technology, Hourman faced off with a band of Doom Hawks coming toward him and the platoon of soldiers with that creepy red light in their "eyes" again. But as the soldiers readied themselves for the horrific onslaught, Hourman only cracked his knuckles and said, "Meet Miraclo-powered heroism, you clanking creeps!"

Then he clenched his hands in fists, and before the startled eyes of the Brazilian soldiers, a golden glow ran up Hourman's arms, then around his head and over his body until his muscles became pronounced like those of a bodybuilder. Then as the Doom Hawks came tearing through the sky, Hourman took off like a Roman candle and began slamming his armor-clad hands into the creatures. He jumped from one Doom Hawk to the next and in moments, he managed to bring down at least twenty before needing to look around for more. Hourman moved quicker than he ever had before to avoid the lasers from some Parademons' vibro-pikes, but after another tussle, several of the creatures ganged up on him.

"Keep your stinkin' Apokoliptan hands off him!" a deep voice boomed out.

It was Kilowog. Single-handedly, he attacked the horrendous Parademons with a green-energy super-robot as well as several complex laser cannons and missile launchers, and in a few moments, he had beaten each of the Parademons to scrap.

"Thanks for the help!" Hourman called to the Bolovaxian Green Lantern.

"No problem, poozer!" Kilowog replied. "The Justice League has done a grand job, but only four hundred Green Lanterns aren't enough! It's time to call in the Corps!"

With that, he sent a signal beam into space before returning to the battle. He wouldn't say much more, only that there were more Green Lanterns on their way to aid Earth.

Back on the ground, Doctor Mid-Nite had his hands full helping another squad of soldiers handle some incoming Draco-Tanks. He threw a couple of his Blackout Bombs to cloud the vision of the machines and allow the Brazilian super-tanks to fire on them while being hidden. Then as another squad of Parademons came down upon him, the hero took some of his moon-shaped boomerangs and flung them at the creatures. They crashed into the streets all around him and were smashed into scrap metal, but more Parademons immediately took their place. Doctor Mid-Nite took a fallen vibro-pike and used it against his attackers to grand effect.

On the north flank, Big Barda and Mister Miracle were preparing to engage Darkseid's Parademons along with another few platoons of soldiers. More Parademons, Hell Hounds, Draco-Tanks and the rest were on the march, but the soldiers were already receiving some help from the other Green Lanterns who had come to help the Justice League defend Earth. As the two heroes moved in on their aero-discs to offer their line of defense, Mister Miracle said to his wife, "I know you're still getting used to Earth, darling, but I trust you are aware of what we're fighting for?"

"Yes, Scott," Barda replied. "If the Injustice League didn't take over the world, then neither will Darkseid. We won't let him!"

"That's my girl," Mister Miracle said with a nod. "Let's take them down."

Big Barda grinned at that and uttered a battle cry she had been working on since adapting to life on Earth. "Hail freedom! Hail Earth's heroes! Hail to the One God whom Earth's people honor!"

With that, she and her husband broke into a charge and began tearing through the Apokoliptan ranks with terrifying efficiency. On Big Barda's end, she had her hooked spear ready for action and the first Parademon that reached her got it in the neck. Barda then walloped more Parademons to the ground and speared several Doom Hawks like fish. Then she was knocked aside and nearly trampled by a Draco-Tank. However, Big Barda was back on her feet and she ran at the mechanical monster and pushed against it with all her might. She stayed in that position for more than a minute, turning red in the face as she struggled, and she was nearly breaking a sweat before she finally managed to flip the Draco-Tank on its side.

For Mister Miracle, it was a different story. He moved through the air on his aero-discs, then jumped off them and used them as throwing discs to cut the muzzles off several Draco-Tank cannons. When they returned to his hands, he took to the air once more and began taking down several Parademons that kept getting in his path. Suddenly, he heard one Brazilian soldier call to him, "Senhor Milagre, look! Our air force is in danger!"

"Not to worry! I've got this one!" Mister Miracle assured the man. He took his trusty Mother Box from a hidden compartment in his armored suit and angled it at the oncoming Parademons and Doom Hawks. The blue-and-gold box opened a Boom Tube that sent thousands of the creatures back to Apokolips. Then he used the Mother Box to jam the signals to and from Apokolips that allowed more of Darkseid's agents to arrive.

That should hold them for a while, Mister Miracle thought as he resumed his counterattack on the ground. As the fight in Brazil continued, more Green Lanterns and a number of Star Sapphires continued to enhance the Justice League's foothold on the battlefield.


A/N: What did you all think of this chapter? Feel free to let me know. By the way, Big Barda's war cry was inspired by the one heard in her first appearance in Young Justice. Seeing as she became a hero (likely because Superman saved her life when she had only met him), she probably would have made up this new war cry after some time observing Earth culture.

Translations:

Bom dia- Good day
Força Aérea Brasileira- Brazilian Air Force
Senhor Milagre- Mister Miracle

Hope you liked seeing the Atom and some other great DC stars! Chapter 12 will be up soon, and there'll be some more popular heroes there!