"Superman," Batman glared at the individual hovering over him. The Kryptonian, clad in blue and red, landed on the ground, looking at the two heroes with slight uneasiness.

"I was called here by J'onn," Superman declared. Batman turned to the Martian Manhunter with an unamused expression, the Martian returned the look with calmness.

"We need all the help we can get, Batman. There have been sightings of these Parademons all over the country; I have been trying to stop as many of them as possible, but I fear that these separate incursions are more than just a coincidence," the Martian Manhunter explained, with a heavy tone in his voice.

"I have faced Darkseid once before and even then, he only brought with him a small army of Parademons," Superman added. "Metropolis barely escaped unscathed; I think he's coming back for revenge."

"I have been tracking these "Parademon" incursions for months too," Batman replied. "Their movements have been erratic. If I can get back to the Batcave-"

Ping.

The Mother Box began to shake unpredictably, energy emanating from it with sheer ferocity, and rose to the sky. Following the shake, a resounding boom, followed by the opening of a portal to hell itself. Out of the portal came hordes of Parademons, this time carrying weapons which surpassed human understanding, their screeching piercing the sky like thunder, alerting the city of their presence.
"It has begun," Martian Manhunter said.
"We need to move. Now." Batman replied. Superman didn't speak and flew towards the incoming horde with unfathomable speed, his eyes crimson red. Within seconds, the horde was immediately split in half, and the sky began to display red flashes, courtesy of Superman's heat vision. Martian Manhunter immediately followed suit, flying headfirst into a group of Parademons, his punches creating sonic booms in the sky. Batman looked at the ground below, the Parademons capturing innocent civilians and flying off. Batman jumped off the roof, freefalling towards the ground. At the same time, the Batmobile travelled through the streets, swerving past incoming traffic, while also firing artillery rounds at the Parademons with precision. In perfect sync, the Batmobile stopped where Batman was freefalling, and Batman opened his cape, gliding into the Batmobile. The upper hatch was closed, and the Batmobile immediately entered offensive mode. While the two aliens were trying to halt the invasion in the sky, Batman held his own on the ground, firing relentlessly but accurately at the incoming hordes.

Superman continued to fight, each blast by the Parademons careened off his body of steel, his punches creating sonic booms which echoed in the night sky, followed by red flashes, reminiscent of lightning and thunder. However, the Parademons kept coming in full force, overrunning Superman while falling towards the ground. Superman, using his extraordinary strength, kept flying, eventually releasing himself from the horde that covered him, grabbing a bus and swinging it towards the horde with brute force, scattering them and sending them flying.
"There's too many of them," Superman said. "If we keep this up, we'll be overrun."
"You are correct, Kryptonian!" a booming voice said in the sky. Suddenly, a man, bearing a helmet with horns and a battleaxe flew out of the portal, colliding into the Martian Manhunter and sending the Last Son of Mars crashing into the ground. The man stood over the Martian, ordained in silver armour, a belt with a red skull on his waist, and his figure towering over Superman. "Darkseid said you were the reason he failed to conquer this planet… I will bring him your head!"
"Not a chance," Superman replied, flying towards the unknown assailant at high speed.

Central City

The chaos unfolding in Gotham wasn't an isolated incident. The skies of Central City were blood red, and the skies were filled with swarming Parademons like locusts, blotting out the moonlight of the night sky. On the streets, were Parademons marching. Suddenly, three red blurs zoomed across the city streets, sending Parademons flying in different directions. Yellow lightning crackled as they ran past hordes of Parademons after another, eventually stopping next to each other. This was the home of the Flash, the Scarlet Speedster, yellow lightning crackling around his suit, with a lightning bolt insignia on his chest, his red suit covered in yellow lines. To the left of him was another Flash, clad in red armour, his lightning bolt insignia silver instead of yellow, while the hero on his right was the speedster named Kid Flash, his suit was yellow instead of red.
"We need to evacuate as many civilians out of the streets as possible. Wally, you start evacuating. Bart, you need to divert some of the Parademons back to CCPD, Jesse Quick and Jay may already be nearby. I'll try and take out as many of the Parademons as possible." The Flash directed. The two Flashes nodded and sped off into the distance. The Flash started to run and within seconds, he defeated at least ten Parademons at once, his speed incalculable, being only a red blur to the naked eye, sending Parademons flying in different directions. He stopped in the middle of the street and began to point his arms up at the sky and rotated them at a high speed, creating twisters that made the Parademons struggle to fly, some of them freefalling to the ground. Catching the Parademons' attention, the Scarlet Speedster began to run, the insect-like creatures following suit. As he began to pick up speed, a voice called out to him, an alien voice, deep but trusting, however he was in a large amount of pain.
"Barry Allen… We need you in Gotham City," it called out.
"I can't right now, I don't even know you," The Flash replied, continuing the chase throughout the city.
"I know your situation, and help is on the way."

Straight after the voice's claim, a green light began to travel towards where the Flash was running, and he stopped. The green light was later revealed to be a fighter jet, and it dissipated to reveal the man within; a man clad in green in black, the ring on his finger glowing a green light. The light from his ring glowed brighter, and the man formed three missiles with his ring, sending it flying into the Parademon horde, exploding on contact. The Parademons were thrown back, some flying into the buildings, unconscious, and some retreating. The man landed on the ground, and the Flash ran up to him as he turned to face him.
"Hal, you're meant to be in Coast City, these monsters-" The Flash said.
"We have it mostly under control there," Hal replied. "We had backup; most of the Green Lanterns from Earth have come, and so have some of the Green Lanterns from other sectors. I was called by a voice to come here and help you, and then to head to Gotham."
"You were called too?"
"Yeah, I wasn't convinced that I could trust him especially with all the hell breaking loose in Coast City. I didn't think your city would be affected too."
"We're in emergency right now, the CCPD and the other two speedsters are working to stop it; I don't think we have time to leave Central City do we?"
"Come to Gotham now, we don't have time! Superman, Batman and I are fighting as we speak, and we need your assistance! A warrior named Steppenwolf has just appeared in Gotham along with many Parademons and Superman is facing him right now! To those who hear this message, come now!" the alien voice shouted in their heads. The Flash and the Green Lantern did not hesitate, immediately travelling towards Gotham.

Gotham City

The man clad in black armour and holding a black axe, known as Steppenwolf, stood in front of Superman, who was hovering over the ground. The Martian Manhunter and Batman continued to fight the Parademons around them. However, for every Parademon they took down, another fought in its place. They were beginning to be overrun, and all three of them knew it.
"The longer you fight me, Superman, the more your allies will tire. Both will be suitable as Darkseid's servants, especially that human you call the Batman," Steppenwolf claimed, grinning at Superman.
"I stopped Darkseid before, I'll stop him again!" Superman replied defiantly, flying at full speed towards Steppenwolf and throwing a punch which landed on Steppenwolf's stomach, sending him flying into a building nearby. Superman followed suit, his eyes glowing red with his heat vision, firing it at Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf merely blocked the heat vision with his axe and jumped towards Superman with a smile, swinging his axe ferociously, while Superman blocked the swings with his arms. Steppenwolf finally found an opening, his axe colliding with Superman's head, sending him flying into the ground. Steppenwolf landed on his feet, with Superman trying to stand. A boom tube opened behind Steppenwolf, and with it numerous hordes of Parademons. He smirked at Superman, who was ready to fight.
"Resistance is futile, Superman; your world will be overrun," Steppenwolf declared, picking up the Mother Box next to him. "Now, I must attend to business somewhere else… Enjoy my army of Parademons, Kryptonian!" Steppenwolf walked into the portal, and the boom tube closed. Batman and the Martian Manhunter walked towards him, facing the many Parademons coming their way.
"We need to retreat; they'll defeat us eventually if we don't," Batman claimed. The hordes of Parademons began to travel towards them.
"Then you'll be glad to see us," a voice said. A red blur stopped next to Batman, while a man wielding a green ring, clad in black and green with the symbol of the Green Lantern Corps on his chest landed next to Martian Manhunter. They all looked at the incoming hordes.
"You got my message," Martian Manhunter said.
"Who else did you send it to?" The Flash asked.
"That doesn't matter right now," Batman interjected. "We need to start fighting back. Superman, Manhunter, you're our damage dealers, take out as many of them as possible." Superman and the Martian Manhunter both nodded, flying towards the incoming horde. The Flash and Green Lantern looked at Batman questionably.
"I don't know what you two can do, but we need to set up a perimeter. Do what you can and go," Batman said.
"What are you going to do?" Green Lantern asked. "You don't have any powers, do you?"
"No," Batman replied. "I'm rich." As if on cue, a jet-black fighter plane appeared out of the sky, and Batman used his grappling gun to get inside. The plane began to fly into the battlefield, accompanying Superman and Martian Manhunter.
"I already hate him," Green Lantern remarked.
"Well, we don't have time to argue. Let's go," The Flash replied. They both decided to move into action, The Flash evacuating civilians, and Green Lantern creating a dome over the battlefield, creating a perimeter, while simultaneously fighting with the other four heroes.