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Chapter 48 - faint light

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In the dark hall, the massive black throne rose atop steps of blazing volcanic stone, its red glow casting demonic shadows across the walls carved with tortured shapes. At the top sat Darkseid, King of Kings, enthroned in dreadful majesty, his arm resting on the throne's armrest, his face as still as a funerary monument, his eyes burning with Omega fire.

Before the throne, Desaad knelt — Darkseid's vizier, his right hand in torment and scheming. His tattered dark robe brushed the searing ground.

A heavy silence reigned, until Darkseid's voice thundered:

"Desaad..."

Desaad trembled, lifting his head slightly.

"My lord Darkseid, at your eternal service."

Darkseid narrowed his blazing eyes.

"The rebellion on Thanagar has lasted longer than it should. Their generals believe they are free of my will. It is time to humiliate them... and annihilate them."

Desaad bowed lower, relishing his master's cruelty.

"Yes, my lord. It shall be destruction that leaves no stone upon stone."

Darkseid roared:

"Take the army. Take whatever you need from the factories. I want no reports. No negotiations. I want ashes. Obliterate Thanagar at any cost. A total annihilation that makes every planet that even thinks of rebellion tremble."

Desaad inhaled deeply, a sick smile spreading across his face.

"As you command, my lord. I will burn their hearts before their cities. I will make their screams echo through the void of space itself."

The Omega light flared in Darkseid's eyes.

"And beware of disappointing me, Desaad. If you fail... your fate will be no better than theirs."

Desaad shivered but masked his fear with a smile.

"That will not happen, my lord. They will be ash before their next dawn."

Darkseid slowly raised his hand, a signal to dismiss.

Desaad retreated with deliberate steps, not daring to turn his back on the throne until he reached the massive door.

As he exited, his voice echoed as he barked commands to the soldiers:

"Summon the space fleets. Ready the parademon armies. Prepare the siege engines. We are going to Thanagar… and we shall turn it into a mass grave."

The corridors of Apokolips trembled with the coming storm. The grinding of chains, the roar of hellish engines, and the howls of bloodthirsty parademons filled the infernal halls.

And on the throne, Darkseid sat in dreadful silence, unmoving, confident in his power, certain that nothing could stand in the way of his will.The invasion begins.—At the Watchtower — the Justice League's orbital headquarters — a tense stillness loomed over the vast meeting chamber. Transparent walls looked out over Earth's blue curve, while massive screens displayed escalating crisis data.

The central table was dimly lit. Seated around it were Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter.

Batman opened a new file on the screen in front of them, speaking in his firm tone:"There's suspicious activity on the outer edges of the system. Massive energy readings... they seem linked to Apokolips. We need to understand what's happening before Darkseid strikes again."

Superman tapped the table with his fist, controlled but firm:"I won't allow a repeat of last time. If Darkseid is behind this, we stop him — together."

Their voices overlapped in a tense strategic discussion — until suddenly, the heavy doors of the command hall slid open.

Hawkman stormed in with hurried steps, the metal feathers of his wings gleaming under the room's lights, his face drenched in both anger and fear.

"Justice League!"

Everyone rose in alarm. Superman turned to him, concerned:"Hawkman? What is it?"

Hawkman stepped forward, his voice shaking as he spoke quickly:"We need your support. Immediately! Thanagar is at war. Darkseid's legions have invaded. Desaad himself is leading the campaign... and the resistance is collapsing. We won't last much longer. Please…"

Wonder Woman placed her hands on the table, her gaze sharp:"How much time do you have left?"

Hawkman slammed his fist against the wall:"Days. Maybe hours in some cities. They're slaughtering us without mercy. We need you… we need everything!"

The heroes exchanged glances. Batman narrowed his eyes, calculating fast:"Darkseid doesn't move without purpose. If he's targeting Thanagar, it means he wants control of space — or to forcibly recruit them into his army. If he succeeds, we'll be facing a far stronger enemy later."

Martian Manhunter, in his deep, calm voice:"We need a plan. And we need intel — troop size, weapons, supply lines. We can't jump in blind."

Hawkman nearly shouts:"There's no time! Planning is nice, but they're dying now! Please!"

Superman looks around, resolute:"Batman, we're going. And I'll be the first."

Batman exhales slowly:"...We'll begin emergency evacuation planning. Flash, Green Lantern, gather as much intel as you can. Wonder Woman, prepare the fighters. We'll need every ally we have."

And during this conversation, in one dark corner of the ceiling, there was a very tiny lens—nearly invisible to the naked eye—glowing with a faint light.—

Somewhere far away on Earth, in his room at Titans Tower, Blade was perched upside-down on a flipped chair, watching the live feed on his handheld screen.

He spoke to himself in a theatrical tone, like a stage actor:"Ooooooh, look at them… so serious, so organized, so boring! Hawkman's almost crying, Superman wants to play guardian angel, and Batman… Batman's planning like the end of the world is just another bullet point on his agenda!"

He threw his head back in hysterical laughter:"Oh my god, I have to crash this party. They can't leave me on Earth while they fight Darkseid! Where's my golden ticket? Oh right… I've got a multiverse passport called 'Annoy Everyone.'"

He grabbed his communicator and whispered:"Titans, later. I'm going on a business vacation. Cover for me if Robin starts interrogating people."

He stood up, prepped his favorite weapons, pulled on his mask, and winked at a mirror in the corner:"Time to save some space birds from the wrath of a giant cosmic titan. How cartoonish! I love it!"

The red emergency lights flickered and dimmed, the soft alarms fading as the system began returning to normal.

Blade was walking briskly down a metal corridor, toying with one of his pistols in a rhythmic motion while speaking to Cyborg over a private comm channel:

Cyborg (in a tense whisper):"Blade, wait. Something's off. Robin wants us on high alert, but also says we need to meet. He says he has critical intel. Don't move alone right now!"

Blade (whispering with a laugh like he's telling a joke):"Ah yes, perfect! A tea party and press conference? While those space birds are turning into laser-fried nuggets?"

Cyborg (sharply):"I'm serious! Hold up. Batman's on the line. The satellites just picked up something in Thanagar's orbit... You move solo and you could ruin everything!"

Blade (raising an eyebrow beneath his mask, sarcastically):"Oh, how delightful, my dear robo-friend. Hit me with the headlines! Evil aliens? Unstoppable army? A maniac for a leader? Seen it before. At least these guys have some fashion sense!"

Cyborg (sighing):"Listen! Robin's calling everyone. Said to meet immediately. We need to hear his plan."

Blade (muttering in theatrical mockery):"A plan! A plan! Oh yes, I adore plans. I usually set them on fire."

Cyborg (with tense seriousness):"Blade, please. Just shut up for a second. Robin's speaking. Focus."

But Blade suddenly raises a finger toward the speaker, interrupting with extra biting sarcasm:"Ooooh, before His Majesty finishes reading his Encyclopedia of Cosmic Threats — let me tell you what I saw! Someone or something named Darkseid handing over a planet-crushing army to his pal Desaad and unleashing him on that fancy feathered planet. I heard everything. Literally. I've got a recording. And now imagine this — if we want to save them, maybe, just maybe, we act today and not, I don't know, next year?"

Cyborg (shocked):"W—what? How… how did you get that intel?!"

Blade (in boastful, childlike pride):"Tiny camera. Basically in Darkseid's ear! Oh, the juicy details! And free of charge!"

Suddenly, Robin's voice cuts in over the team comm channel, sharp and commanding like a blade:"All team members, to the command room now. Emergency briefing. Blade — we'll be talking in detail later about how you got that intel."

Blade (laughing wildly):"Ooooh, little Robin! Is that a threat or a dinner invitation? I'll take both!"

Cyborg (frustrated as he ends the call):"Damn it, Blade... just get here."

Blade lets out a dramatic sigh, slowly holstering his gun, then suddenly glances at the reader and says as he walks toward the command room:"Emergency briefing. Rescue mission. New feathery friends. Dear god… I might cry from emotion. Or boredom. Let's see which hits first — all thanks to this cursed writer making me sit through the longest meeting in human history."

And the doors slide shut behind him as he heads in to join the others.

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If you liked the story and want to read more

or just to support me, copy the link below.

You will find a special membership for:

3 chapter

 and another one for:

7 chapters.

patreon.com/zakx205

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