Previously: The heroes left on Earth: The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Wonder Woman, defeated Steppenwolf and restored the terraformed Gotham to normal; however, Darkseid had arrived and restarted the process instantly.
Apokolips, Unknown Location
Superman POV:
So. Much. Pain.
The roots dug themselves deep into every part of my body, and every time I try to resist, electrical pulses would ravage my nervous system, rendering me paralysed, but not enough so that I fall unconscious. This was torture. My strength was failing me, and my heat vision isn't working either. Damn you Darkseid!
"You must be wondering why you can't use your powers…" a voice said with sinister malevolence. "Red sun radiation! I have been tracking your adventures, Kryptonian, since you thwarted our Lord's baptising of your Earth. It is only fitting that I turn you into a weapon which will destroy your own adopted world…"
"Who's… There…" I asked, struggling to find the words as the roots within my body began to multiply, taking over my mind and my body.
"Of course, we haven't been properly introduced," a hooded man walked out of the shadows, looking at me.
"My name is Desaad," he said. "And you are my new laboratory experiment!"
Apokolips, Armaghetto District
Batman and Martian Manhunter looked at the horizon over the Apokoliptan district, analysing the landscape. The skies were red from the fire pits that dotted the planet, while Parademons flew overhead, however they did not notice the Dark Knight and the Martian, with one lurking in the shadows and the other invisible to the naked eye, respectively. After the Parademon swarm finally passed, the two showed themselves, looking at the people below them.
"All these people," Martian Manhunter said sadly. "They have no voices, no thoughts. What has this planet done to them?!"
"This will be the fate of our planet if we don't find Superman," Batman replied. "We need to find him. Can you track him with your telepathy?"
"Of course," Martian Manhunter replied. The Last Son of Mars' red eyes glowed a bright red as he began to sift through the thoughts around him in Apokolips. He heard the pleas for help and the screams of humans, and then finally, he narrowed into Superman's thoughts.
"Superman," Martian Manhunter called out to him telepathically. "It's me, J'onn, can you hear me?"
"J'onn… You need to come now… I can't use my powers, they're turning me into a weapon… Please…" Superman communicated to him weakly. Martian Manhunter created a telepathic tether to him and looked at Batman.
"He is weak, but he is fighting," Martian Manhunter stated. "But if we do not get to him soon, his mind will be taken over."
"Then we need to move. Now." Batman said with urgency.
"I created a telepathic tether to him; as of now, I am fighting with Superman telepathically as we speak, we can track his thoughts."
Martian Manhunter grabbed Batman and immediately they became intangible, phasing through the building they were standing on and into the ground. Martian Manhunter and Batman landed in a dimly lit metallic tunnel, with echoes of screams throughout the area.
"This is where they are," Martian Manhunter stated. Batman stood in front of him and began to walk, with Martian Manhunter in tow.
"For a human, you are surprisingly better than I thought," Martian Manhunter said. Batman merely grunted.
"I had my reservations, but I thought you were something other than an alien," Batman replied as they walked through the dimly lit tunnels, their voices low enough so that it didn't echo in the empty tunnels.
"I am the last of the Green Martians from Mars," Martian Manhunter stated. "They were all murdered by the White Martians that attacked us. I was summoned by a human, through a teleporter many years ago."
Batman stayed silent, crouching and walking towards a corner that had a left turn. He waited, and heard Parademon screeching around the corner.
"Wait," Batman stated. "There's Parademons coming this way."
"I can take care of them," Martian Manhunter replied. He phased through the ground and out of the ground next to the two Parademons. He grabbed their heads and slammed them together, rendering them unconscious.
"The coast is clear," Martian Manhunter telepathically communicated to Batman. "I can feel my connection to Superman's mind get stronger; he is this way."
Superman began to resist the roots in his mind and his body; and this time, he was beginning to win. Desaad intensified the electrical signals within the roots, making him scream in excruciating pain.
"There is no one here that can save you, Kryptonian," Desaad cackled in maniacal glee. "No one will ever hear you scream!"
"Too bad no one will hear you scream, either."
Desaad turned to see a bat-like figure towering over him, his black cape and cowl blending with the darkness. The bat-like figure grabbed him by the cuff of his neck and raised him to his height.
"Now, how do I get Superman out of this device?" the bat-like figure asked menacingly.
"You will not get anything out of me, creature!" Desaad replied with arrogant defiance. "Besides, the process is complete; he is now a weapon of Apokolips!"
"What are you-" Batman was then slammed into the wall nearby. He stared back at two eyes glowing crimson red. Batman felt a searing pain on his back and felt his throat begin to close as Superman's hand began to crush his neck. He struggled to loosen his grip.
"J'onn… If you're going to do something, do it now…" Batman stated. A green figure then slammed into the Man of Steel, sending him flying into three walls. The figure, who is Martian Manhunter flew after him. Batman looked for Desaad, who had fled the scene. He began to run after the two fighting aliens.
Martian Manhunter hovered over the Superman on the floor, hesitating to throw another punch before knowing that he could get through to him by speaking to him.
"Superman, this is not you! You are not Darkseid's weapon!" Martian Manhunter called out to him. Superman did not say anything and within moments, Martian Manhunter burst out of the ground in the Armaghetto District. A red blur followed suit and threw a punch which collided with the Martian's chest, sending him flying. Martian Manhunter immediately recovered and flew back at Superman, matching his every hit, creating sonic booms on impact which could be heard across the Apokoliptan district. Each blow by the Kryptonian was matched by the Martian, as they were locked in a stalemate. Martian Manhunter then avoided a punch to his face by phasing, and then he sent a psionic attack into Superman, sending the Kryptonian reeling in pain.
"You must fight it, Superman! We need your power to stop Darkseid! Remember who you are!" Martian Manhunter shouted as Superman remained hovering, clutching his head. However, it was immediately all for naught as Superman flew at him and threw a devastating punch into Martian Manhunter's abdomen. The Martian's ability to make his body elastic saved him, however as the force was absorbed. However, Superman was blindingly fast; so fast, in fact, that immediately after the punch to Martian Manhunter's abdomen, the Man of Steel slammed his elbow into the Martian's right cheek, sending the latter freefalling towards the ground at high speed, slamming into the street with enough force that debris flared upwards. Superman landed on the ground in front of where the Martian fell, waiting for another chance to attack.
"No more holding back," Martian Manhunter said as the debris dust cleared. He flew towards Superman, who's eyes flared red as they released his heat vision; however, Martian Manhunter phased through the beam and through Superman, and before Superman could counterattack, he threw a punch which connected with Superman's left cheek, sending the Kryptonian flying. The Martian became relentless, pursuing the Kryptonian and grabbing Superman's cape, hammer throwing him into the ground and then pinning him onto the ground. Superman's eyes lit up crimson red again, about to fire heat vision into Martian Manhunter's head. However, Martian Manhunter's red eyes glowed red as well, and his consciousness transferred into Superman's mind, using his telepathy to destroy the mind control embedded within the Kryptonian. Superman's eyes turned bright yellow and he began to scream in pain as Martian Manhunter's psionic attack systematically eliminated the mind control roots in Superman's head, his body creating roots which stuck into the Kryptonian's body. Batman finally caught up to the two fighting aliens, seeing Superman in agonising pain and the Martian Manhunter concentrating on his attack.
After a few minutes, the Martian Manhunter stood over Superman, who was unconscious. Batman approached the Martian, looking at Superman's unconscious body.
"You better not have overdone it," Batman stated to the Martian.
"He has a strong mind," Martian Manhunter commented. "I didn't have to hold back to take out the control roots in his mind that Desaad planted."
Superman began to move and sat up on where he was just cured. He massaged his head with his left hand and looked at the two heroes who were currently wary of his condition after the previous battle.
"I didn't cause too much damage, did I?" the Man of Steel asked, fully aware of the control he was under. Batman walked up to his slightly disoriented ally and held out his hand, which Superman took to help himself stand.
"Not a lot," Batman replied. "But we need to get out of here; the others may be fighting Darkseid right now and they won't hold out for very long."
"Of course, but first things first," Superman said. "Thank you, J'onn, for your help in getting me out of Desaad's control."
"We needed you and now we have you," Martian Manhunter replied. "Now we must help the others."
"There's a boom tube that's currently open nearby," Superman said. "I can hear its portal from here, we need to hurry."
Gotham City, The Battlefield in the Bowery
The red skies began to rain fire. Parademons swarmed the skies, blotting out the moonlight, and the holes in the ground which exposed Earth's mantle flared fire upwards into the sky, creating a picture of Hell on Earth. On the streets of an all but ravaged Bowery, the sound of lightning, battle cries, metal clashing with metal and explosions ringed outwards out of the area, followed by the swarming screeches of Parademons. Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern and The Flash were locked in battle against the God of Evil incarnate, Darkseid, who barely flinched at everything that was thrown at him.
"Guys, we're barely even leaving a dent on him," The Flash said, noticing that Darkseid has done nothing but stand, not even attacking.
"I don't care," Green Lantern said, creating a boxing glove construct. "I'm taking him down." He swung the boxing glove construct at Darkseid, and Darkseid merely raised his arm in the boxing glove's direction, shattering the construct. Darkseid looked at the Ringbearer with annoyance.
"Flea," Darkseid's eyes glowed crimson red, ready to release the Omega Sanction.
"Made you look," Green Lantern replied. Suddenly, Darkseid was pulled towards the ground from behind, courtesy of Wonder Woman's Lasso of Truth roped around his neck, however, he did not lose balance, using his strength and locking the two in a tug-of-war. At the same time, Aquaman, holding the trident with both hands over his right shoulder, jumped up and jammed his trident into Darkseid's right eye; at the same time, Green Lantern created a sledgehammer construct which he slammed into Darkseid's chest. This knocked the New God back, while he was slightly reeled from Aquaman stabbing the trident into his eye. However, Darkseid immediately recovered, grabbing the Atlantean king and slamming him onto the ground, the latter still wielding his trident. The New God, in mere moments, grabbed the lasso that Wonder Woman was using to pull him down and pulled her towards him, throwing a punch which hit the Amazon in the abdomen, sending her flying into a building.
"You will all fall before me!" Darkseid shouted at the falling heroes. The Flash zoomed around the New God, hitting him with the makeshift hammer, however, Darkseid predicted the Scarlet Speedster's movement within seconds, tripping the Flash over and making him skid and slam across the asphalt road, unconscious. Green Lantern looked at the Flash, his eyes glowing bright green with anger and his ring glowed even brighter.
"Flash!" Green Lantern shouted. He flew straight at Darkseid, firing numerous missiles which Darkseid merely absorbed.
"Flea, I will end your insignificant life!" Darkseid shouted. He held his hands out to his sides and slammed them together, creating a sonic boom with a thunderclap that sent Green Lantern flying and slamming onto the ground. He removed the lasso off him, realising what he had said. He became calm, looking forth at the four unconscious heroes. Green Lantern struggled to stand along with Flash, who had cuts all over his body. Aquaman had a gash across his left cheek and he was disoriented as well, struggling to stand. Wonder Woman flew out of the building, holding her reopened wound. Darkseid looked at the four injured heroes, his eyes glowing a bright red colour, beginning to release the Omega Sanction.
"The death that is life," Darkseid declared. "See that your futile resistance ends here, mortals." As he was about to release the Omega Beams, a red and blue blur slammed into Darkseid's side, sending him flying. At the same time, a green blur met the flying New God halfway, slamming into his torso. Darkseid recovered almost immediately, hovering, his crimson red eyes glowing more fiercely than before.
"Kryptonian…" Darkseid growled with anger, looking at the hovering Man of Steel above him, the Kryptonian's eyes glowing an even brighter crimson red. "You escaped… If you will not become my weapon, you will burn to ash."
"He's not alone this time, Darkseid, your invasion ends here," Martian Manhunter declared, hovering alongside Superman.
A dark figure glided over Flash and Green Lantern, landing on the ground in front of them. Flash ran to his side, looking at the dark figure, who was Batman.
"What took you so long?" Flash asked Batman.
"We were a little busy," Batman replied.
"At least we have Superman here with us," Wonder Woman said, landing on the ground next to Batman.
"Him and Martian Manhunter can't do it alone," Green Lantern commented.
"No, we will help him; but we need a plan," Aquaman said.
"I have one," Batman said. "And it might take out the Parademons in one swoop too."
Superman and Martian Manhunter flew at Darkseid at the same time, beginning the final battle, while the other five heroes followed in tow.
Next: The Final Battle!
