Metropolis: Sonic blasts tore through the sky as pedestrians ran everywhere in panic for cover. Doomsday was continuing to be battered backwards as multiple blasts hit it from all sides as the supersoldiers blazed all around it on their jetpacks. Lex Luthor watched from a nearby rooftop with slight disgust as Doomsday took a giant leap and took out a soldier in an explosion of blood.
"Tell the other soldiers to keep moving!" Lex growled. "That thing may not be able to fly but that doesn't mean it's defenseless."
"Yes sir," said Bartlett issuing the command through his headset as yet another soldier went down in a massive explosion as Doomsday punched it through its jetpack and then crashed down onto yet another roof before taking off with the soldiers in pursuit along with news and army helicopters.
"Retreat?" asked Bartlett hopeful.
"No," Lex growled. "It's only attacking our troops when they get in its way, it's still heading east. Otherwise it's…ignoring…them."
Lex's body began trembling as he slowly began crushing the binoculars in his hands.
"I won't be ignored," he raged before turning around and getting into the LuthorCorp helicopter with Bartlett and it took off into the sky.
Oliver Queen's Loft: The team was suiting up ready for action, including John Henry Irons.
"John I really don't want to bring you along with us until you've finished your prototype armor," Oliver admitted. John nodded as he picked up his massive steel hammer having already been decked out with a massive holed device on his right arm and a pair of devices on his legs and a large steel chestplate to finish off the ensemble above his black jumpsuit.
"I know and I do agree with you, but you need the help you can get," John pointed out. Oliver nodded and hit him on the shoulder reassuringly as John then put on a pair of glasses similar to Oliver's and a regular hat to try and further conceal his identity.
"So what should your codename be?" asked Hal curious. John shrugged lightly.
"I want it to be one of significance. What do you call Clark?" asked John of Chloe. Chloe thought about that.
"Boy Scout, my army of one, the Man of Steel," continued Chloe trying to remember various names he'd been given.
"The Man of Steel," said John thoughtfully. "I like that, you can call me that."
"That's too long, how about Steel?" asked Oliver. John nodded.
"Steel it is," he agreed with a grin. The others nodded and headed for the elevator while Steel headed for the window.
"I don't think you can leap tall buildings in a single bound," said Chloe looking at him doubtfully.
"No," Steel conceded. "But Clark told me that he once managed to fly. I intend to do the same."
With that the devices on his legs lit up and rockets on them propelled him into the air where he shook around unsteadily before getting a hang of it and rushing straight out into the open sky leaving a trail of smoke behind him.
"That scorch mark is coming out of his pay," Ollie noted when he spied the blackened mark on his floor.
"We get paid?" said Aquaman confused before the elevator doors closed leaving Chloe alone.
"Watchtower calling to confirm your radio transmitters are working," she said into her microphone. Six affirmatives came back as Chloe consulted the large LCD monitor showing their location relative to Doomsday's.
"Looks like Lex's goons are bringing him in, he's headed this way," said Chloe.
"Understood," said Oliver as the team raced out of the entrance below and into the city streets, which were mainly deserted by now.
"So what are you going to do, ally yourselves with Lex or fight against his Ares soldiers?" Chloe had to ask.
"We'll let him make the first move, all we care about is stopping that thing," said Ollie not happy with that choice but realizing they had none thanks to Doomsday's seemingly unstoppable power.
Warehouse: The LuthorCorp engineers were putting the finishing touches on a seemingly massive cannon perched on top of a gigantic military APC.
"There it is," said Lionel approvingly. "The Dimension Tide, one Doomsday annihilator in convenient portable size."
"You realize the dangers involved if such a device does not work properly?" asked the Martian Manhunter.
"Yes," said Lionel nodding his head. "But even if it doesn't work properly, it will perhaps be a better result than allowing Doomsday to continue his rampage unopposed."
"Agreed," stated the Martian. "How much longer until it is completed?"
"A few more hours," said Lionel. "I just hope Lex is able to keep him occupied that long."
J'onn closed his eyes and concentrated. "He seems to be less reckless this time with his soldiers but that may change. It seems the Green Arrow and his team are due to arrive on the scene shortly."
"That," said Lionel sighing. "Could be a problem."
Sullivan Lane: A flaming car went flying across the street as more sonic cannon shots were seen arcing through the sky as Doomsday appeared trying to shake off the body of another soldier that had gotten itself impaled on its right arm.
"There's still no word on where these soldiers have come from or if they are related to the team fighting them here in Metropolis earlier, but what information we do have seems to suggest that these are the same beings who were fighting the creature at the International Airport in Las Vegas," said Cat. "More information as it becomes available. Now then…"
As Cat was saying this, Lex's helicopter soared underneath hers trying to get a better vantage point on the battle. That battle soon came right to them when Doomsday finally ripped the soldier off of its arm and launched it at the helicopter, slamming into it leaving a smear of blood down the side of it as the body plummeted back to the ground below.
"God damn it," said Lex growing more frustrated. "How many soldiers do we have left?"
"Four sir," said Bartlett. "Though all in all by this time in the fight in Nevada we had lost them all so we are doing…better."
Lex scowled at that as he counted his flying soldiers. 1,2,3,4…5?
"What on Earth?" demanded Lex as Steel went flying by his helicopter and began firing railroad spikes from the device on his right arm at Doomsday.
"What is that?" demanded Lex being more and more upset about things he didn't know about. Before Bartlett could respond, an arrow lodged itself in the upper part of the helicopter's open cabin. Lex instinctively reached for a gas mask but was stopped when part of the arrow unfolded revealing a message that Bartlett took.
"Either help us or stay out of our way," Barlett quoted. He handed the message to Lex who read it and immediately snapped the arrow in half in anger but said nothing. Down below, arrows, spikes, blue plasma blasts, and green energy shots flew through the air slamming into Doomsday.
"Remember, get him into the water and then Aquaman should be able to hold him down with his powers," said Ollie to the team. The team continued firing using their long range weaponry as did the supersoldiers, but still Doomsday advanced.
"Okay boys, reel him in slowly," Ollie advised as they kept backing up allowing the creature to slowly follow them. The plan was going well and they were making their way to the waterfront when the plan inevitably fell apart. The major problem was that the military decided to get involved. Fighter jets roared overhead and began carpet bombing the area breaking the group's constant barrage and Doomsday's attention as it leapt high into the sky and tore through an F-17 like it was tissue paper before grabbing one of the falling missiles and launching it at the ground where Oliver's team scattered but Lex's team wasn't programmed to retreat without commands and the missile took them all out in a fiery explosion. Lex was operating on adrenalin alone as he made his way to his seat and pulled out a trunk revealing one more shock cannon and took it to the open doors of the chopper and aimed it into Metropolis. Lex's mounted scope aimed at Doomsday before he moved the cannon and focused it on the Green Arrow who was pointing his team in different directions in an attempt to get back to their plan.
"I'll see you in hell," Lex said as he reached for the trigger. But before he could fire, Bartlett stopped him.
"Sir, there are news helicopters everywhere. If they see a similar beam come from this chopper that the soldiers had, then that could put you and LuthorCorp in a precarious situation," Barlett advised. Lex looked at him and then at the helicopters and finally at the cannon before throwing it away in disgust.
"You may want to stay away from me for a few days," Lex said harshly. But before Bartlett could respond, a shadow fell over them as Doomsday hurtled through the air straight at them fist reared back before it punched the forward canopy killing the chopper pilot immediately before it fell away from sight as the chopper entered into a freefall. Lex and Bartlett hung on for dear life in an attempt not to fall out of the vehicle as the ground rushed up to meet them.
Below: "Oh damnit," said Oliver as Chloe informed him that it was Lex's helicopter that was now falling to the ground.
"What do we do now oh fearless leader?" asked Aquaman confused about what to do as Doomsday could be seen bounding away. Oliver knew they only had one choice.
"We follow Clark's example. Hal you go get whoever is still alive on that thing and Impulse you make sure that there's nobody around where that thing is going to hit," ordered Green Arrow. "The rest of you are with me."
Impulse blazed off as Hal took to the sky and Ollie, Victor, and AC ran in a different direction as John took once more to the air.
Warehouse: The flatbed truck carrying the Dimension Tide cannon rolled out and moved slowly along the roadway towards the sound of explosions as the Martian Manhunter streaked by overhead while Lionel rode in the cabin of the truck.
Helicopter: Lex vowed to himself that even in death he would come back and get his revenge on the world when he and Bartlett were picked up by a man dressed entirely in green clothes and then deposited them on a rooftop.
"Why?" Lex seethed at being rescued by this unknown person.
"Because we'll never become like you," said the Lantern bitterly before leaving a green streak behind as on the ground a blur raced down the empty street when the chopper hit the ground and exploded.
Oliver's Apartment: "You did a good thing Green Arrow," said Chloe also knowing how better off the world would be without Lex Luthor. "If we allowed him to die…"
"I know Watchtower, I know," said Oliver distantly. "Where is Doomsday now?"
"Well on a more positive note, he's now near the river leading to the waterfront," said Chloe trying to think positive.
"Good," said Ollie darkly. "Let's finish this."
River: There was a river that ran from the somewhere in the distance to the large body of water out beyond the city and effectively split off part the warehouse district from the hustle and bustle of the business and civilian sectors. It was this river that Doomsday was now overlooking as it continued on its path. It was about to leap off again when a plasma blast took out the perch it was standing on and it went hurtling at the ground before a green energy blast hit it full force and pushed Doomsday towards the river before Steel came rushing in and slammed Doomsday with his massive hammer so hardly that it nearly destroyed the thing. Doomsday was now headed straight for the river as a plume of water shot into the air and morphed into a giant hand that grabbed a hold of the creature and dragged it in.
"I've got him," said Aquaman at the water's edge with both of his hands in the water, his body visibly strained. "But he's resisting me."
"Impulse, whirlpool," ordered Green Arrow. Impulse snapped his fingers and ran off onto the water before running in a circle causing an underwater tornado to form, battering Doomsday.
"Open fire!" ordered the Green Arrow as Hal and Cyborg began firing their energy beams at the water heating it up as Steel raced over the water and turned his boosters to full throttle to further add to the water temperature. As they were doing this, Ollie took out a specially designed arrow with a steel wire attached to it that he handed to Cyborg who stopped shooting his cannon and punched hard into the ground revealing a main line for the city's electricity.
"Here goes," said Ollie trying to sound confidant in the plan. He fired the arrow into the water as Cyborg was getting ready to grab the electrical wires.
"Steel, grab Impulse!" ordered Ollie. John nodded and held out his hand as Bart stopped his circular motion and zoomed straight for him and both headed for the sky as the arrow flew into the whirlpool.
"Now!" he shouted as he leapt to the ground while Victor slammed his hand onto the main and became a conduit for millions of volts of electricity that pumped through him and into the arrow in the water as power was lost all over the city including Oliver's apartment as Chloe sat there in the dark waiting for Ollie's backup generator to kick in. Back at the river the electrical shocks continued until it became too much for Victor's body and he was blown away onto his back as electrical sparks rippled across his body while Steel and Impulse crashed to the pavement, Steel's boots were out of power, and Hal's ring ran out of juice and Aquaman too was nearly rendered senseless having left his hands in the water to keep Doomsday down and so he took was pumped full of electricity. Only Oliver was left standing until he too had to sit down from exhaustion from the fight. Looking expectantly out at the water for Doomsday's pending arrival, the surface was instead completely calm.
"Well done team," said Ollie breathing heavily. "Well done."
The others nodded and just sat there catching their breath as police sirens were heard when several cop cars came to a halt all around them and police officers emerged weapons drawn.
"Terrific," said Hal trying to get up but still didn't have the energy. The team looked at the cops uncertain as to what to do, fight them or surrender and have their identities revealed.
"Stand down," said a voice with authority. The cops looked on as a gruff older man approached them.
"Hello boys, my name is Inspector Dan Turpin of Metropolis' Special Crimes Unit, I'm known around these parts as 'Terrible Turpin' though I can't imagine why," said the man introducing himself. The team looked at him confused as to how that was supposed to reassure them.
"No offense Mr. Turpin, but your position on vigilantes is hardly cause for celebration amongst my team," said the Green Arrow having switched his voice changer back on.
"You're right," Turpin agreed. "But I too know the value of doing what's right when no one else will. So I'll let you off with a warning this time but don't do this again in my town."
Silence followed at that.
"You can't get rid of us that easily. We're here to stay officer, like it or not," said Oliver standing up. Turpin nodded amicably.
"I had a feeling you'd say that," he said. "So what's the name of your little league that I'm going to have to take to justice?"
The team appeared thoughtful at that statement before looking at each as if sharing some unheard conversation before all nodded. Oliver turned to Turpin and smiled.
"We're the Jus-," he began when the riverfront exploded behind him. Turning around, the team watched in terror as Doomsday came hurtling right at them from above ready for battle.
Elsewhere: Lionel's convoy made it through the city streets as only the occasional drifter or looter could be seen moving across the deserted streets. Inside the truck cab, the Martian Manhunter held his head in pain.
"They fail did they?" asked Lionel. "A shame and they were so gifted to in putting a stop to my son's actions."
"I have to go," said the Manhunter opening the cab door.
"Be careful," was all Lionel said. "From what little I gleaned from Jor-El's memories, that thing may be able to give you a wound you won't be able to recover from."
The Manhunter nodded and then vanished into the sky.
Near Oliver's apartment: A police car went flipping end over end before exploding raining debris on the beleaguered Justice League and Metropolis Police Department.
"Keep firing!" ordered Turpin as he kept firing, using his squad car as a shield along with the rest of the PD did as well against Doomsday who was completely unphased by the bullets and continued advancing on the helpless officers.
"I need options!" shouted Oliver to his team as they lay huddled while explosions tore up all around them.
"I-I can't," said Impulse defeated. "I'm just too tired!"
"We all are!" snapped Hal. "But Boy Scout didn't quit either when things turned against him and neither can we! We'll quit when we're dead!"
"I might be able to jury rig something if I can find one of those super soldier's weapons intact by funneling the energy through Cyborg here," offered Steel.
"Youuu tttthinkkkk IIII ccccan handleee any mmmore enerrrrgy running throughhh mmmmeeee?" said Cyborg, his speech slurred from electricity still sparking through his body and his mildly charred flesh.
"It won't be a lot of energy but it'll be better than nothing," responded Steel.
"Good," said Ollie approvingly. "What about the rest of you?"
The others looked at each other unsure.
"Well my ring is powerless and I don't have the energy to even make anything with it anyway, but if Impulse here can get up to speed we should be able to fix the VTOL rather quickly," offered Hal.
"I don't know technical crap!" Impulse complained. Hal groaned.
"I'll handle all of the more advanced stuff but even you should be able to handle using a hammer," said the Green Lantern pointedly. Impulse thought about it and nodded.
"Good, Aquaman?" asked Ollie.
"I'll go kick over a fire hydrant," he grumbled as the team laughed.
"Good now that everyone's in better spirits, I'm headed back to my place to get more arrows so keep in radio contact," said Oliver. "On three."
The team held their hands together.
"1…2…3…Justice League!" they shouted. But before they could break, a shadow loomed over their circle. The team all dove away from it as Doomsday crashed down where they had been and without breaking a sweat, grabbed Hal and threw him across the intersection where he crashed into a light pole, knocking it off its base and then both came crashing down to the pavement in a shower of sparks. It then spun back around and found a plasma cannon and projectile cannon aimed point blank at its head by Cyborg and Steel. A moment of silence passed between the three as Victor and John nodded and then fired directly at its head with everything they had, which wasn't much but at point blank it didn't have to be. Smoke soon covered the entire area from the ensuing explosion as everyone waited in silence to see if it had worked.
Slowly the smoke began to clear revealing an extremely out of breath Victor Stone and John Henry Irons as they struggled to keep their weapons at the spot where Doomsday's head had been. Slowly a black spot of Doomsday's body became visible but unmoving as the smoke dissipated more and more and still it did not move. No one in the team dared say: 'I think we got him' because that line always meant the opposite in the movies and so they continued waiting and waiting, each moment Doomsday didn't move the sentiment growing larger and larger in their minds.
And then the smoke was gone and the truth was revealed.
"Goddammit!" shouted Oliver despite himself.
Doomsday had been completely untouched by the assault and just stood there waiting for the smoke to clear as if to prove how powerful it was. All Victor and John could do was stare in stunned silence as Doomsday calmly lifted up its left arm and brushed them aside with a powerful sweep of the back of its hand as the two went flying off into the nearest building and hit it with enough force to damage the bricks holding it up.
"Retreat!" shouted Turpin. He was not a quitter by any means of the word but even he knew that sacrificing themselves in a hopeless battle was a mistake. Everyone scattered as Aquaman and Impulse approached the Green Arrow.
"What do we do?" they asked helplessly as police officers scattered all around them as Doomsday began picking off the nearest ones. Oliver's teeth gritted together angrily.
"Get the others out of here and vanish," ordered Oliver. "Don't go back to my loft, don't go anywhere around here. Go someplace far away and make up a cover story to a hospital there explaining our team's injuries and see that they get the best possible medical attention. I've left instructions about what to do when you're all back to fighting strength and follow them at Base Beta. That's my final order."
"What're you going to do bro?" asked Aquaman concerned as Oliver turned to leave.
"End this," he said darkly. "One way or another."
With that he was gone as Impulse and Aquaman looked at each other and then rushed off to help their fallen comrades amidst the chaos.
Ollie's Loft: Chloe was standing by the massive windows as explosions drew closer and closer to the building. She was standing there so mesmerized she didn't see Oliver enter from a hidden entrance since the power was still fried to the building.
"Didn't go well I take it?" said Chloe sympathetically. Ollie shook his head as he headed for the far wall.
"No and you'd better find someplace to escape to," the Green Arrow said as he removed a painting of his parents from the wall revealing a safe behind it. "This city isn't safe anymore."
Chloe nodded sadly. "Yeah the DP just ordered all of its personnel to leave and head out to leave to field offices across the country."
"So where are you going to stay if we have to get in touch with you?" asked Oliver spinning the lock and opening the safe.
"Well since my job security isn't so secure anymore, Martha said that I shouldn't be worried about spending my money on rent for my apartment and that I could hole up in their farmhouse," answered Chloe. "It's pretty much abandoned now since…well you know."
Chloe was beginning to tear up as Ollie removed a case and placed it onto a nearby table as the building briefly shook from yet another explosion.
"Maybe we can use the farm too as a temporary base because I don't think this place is going to survive for much longer," commented the Green Arrow as he opened the case. "In any case, you'd better go now."
"What're you going to do?" demanded Chloe as Oliver produced a massive cylinder that looked like a menacing arrow.
"Do what Clark did," said Oliver. "Save the world at the cost of my own."
He headed for the door as Chloe hurried and blocked his path.
"You said you'd given up trying to be 'like Clark' after that whole thing with the super soldier serum," Chloe said slightly irate.
"I know," Oliver acknowledged. "And you were as right then as you are now. But what I'm doing now isn't selfish this time. Clark taught me what it really means to be a superhero and one of our primary tenants is that 'evil flourishes when good men do nothing' and I'm about to do something to try and save us all."
"So what are you going to do?" Chloe demanded. Oliver held up the arrow.
"I used one of these on one of Lex's super soldiers awhile back, it's a concentrated nuke in convenient arrow form," explained the rich CEO. "I'm going to shoot him right between the eyes with it."
"But the nuke in New Mexico…," began Chloe.
"I don't know what else to do," said Oliver helpless. "I'm scared okay. For once I don't have a plan or a strategy to save us that I know will work. All I know is that Clark had to have known what was coming when that plane dropped its bomb, but he still stayed regardless. He must've believed it was the only solution to stop that thing's rampage and it's the only solution I can come up with too and if you've got a better one let's hear it because if not step aside."
Chloe had no response to that and Oliver smiled half-heartedly and brushed past her leaving her alone in the massive loft as this time the whole building shook from another much closer explosion. Moving quickly, Chloe began collecting her things when her eyes fell on Jimmy's camera sitting absently on a desk in the room where Impulse had apparently left it while they were recuperating earlier.
"I can't just let Jimmy loose his job," Chloe's mind decided as she picked up the thing and removed the memory card and plugged it into her laptop's port. After scrolling annoyingly through nearly a couple dozen photos of herself, she reached the photos of Oliver's team. Hastily deleting them, she then took out the memory card and put it back in his camera, but she could only watch in shock as when she went to the window, she saw a car arcing through the air right towards her. Only this time there was no man of steel to stop its course and so it came through the windows unopposed as Chloe hit the ground while it flew over her head and then went tumbling end over end before wedging itself sideways against the two exits out of the room. Chloe ran over in panic but the car was firmly pressed against the exits and there was no way to move it. Turning around she headed for the rooftop exit and emerged into the daytime sky and ran to the side of the building. Looking down, she saw debris littering the streets as Doomsday headed down the main one towards her.
"Wait, what the-," began Chloe to herself. Down on the ground, something was fighting Doomsday. Using the zoom on Jimmy's camera, Chloe saw an African-American man dressed in purple throwing hard and heavy punches against Doomsday as the creature was battling the being right back. Down the street proved even more confusing as a semi-truck with a large flatbed trailer was being worked on by several individuals who removed a tarp revealing a massive device with a giant cannon at the end that swiveled to aim at the two combatants as it began powering up. Not sure where Oliver was, Chloe made her way to the fire escape ladder and moved down as quickly as she could while the building quaked all around her from the fight down below and various cars and other things exploding from Doomsday's rampage.
Down on the ground, the Martian Manhunter was fighting for his life against Doomsday as he tried to avoid every blow he could to varying degrees of success. Even moving at super speed hardly seemed to affect Doomsday's ability to sense where he was and all the Manhunter could do was slow Doomsday's rampage but not stop it or even batter him back. And so the fight continued on.
"If Kal-El was able to still able to muster up the courage and strength to combat this monster for all these hours, he was right to not back down like I told him to," thought J'onn sadly. The two continued fighting while oblivious to them, Oliver Queen was on the other side of the building pacing back and forth waiting for Doomsday to get within range so he could fire the arrow through the building's now open entrance and exit doors on both sides of the main lobby. Finally a sound beeped from his sunglasses and Ollie spun around as the lenses revealed Doomsday fighting another individual, someone not Clark the glasses said. Slight sorry but undeterred from the action he had chosen, he drew his nuclear powered arrow and aimed it at the two.
"We're ready, J'onn," said Lionel over the radio. The Martian Manhunter nodded and roared off into the sky leaving Doomsday behind as it punched at open air.
"Fire!" shouted Lionel to his troops. The Dimension Tide opened fire as a ball of swirling energy rocketed out of it and flew right at Doomsday as Oliver fired his arrow at the same time and it flew through the building right at the beast.
Below Chloe, a massive explosion rang out and she was buffered against the side of the building as she screamed while the Dimension Tide shot coalesced into a miniature black hole and began dragging everything into it as the building was ripped to shreds from the atomic explosion. It was all too much for the intrepid reporter and her feet fell out from under her as she held on for dear life. But that grip didn't amount to much when the ladder was forcibly torn from the building and she screamed as she plummeted to the brewing black hole vortex below.