Unity Sphere Teleport Room:
The next Day:
Waiting in front of the supposedly new Boom Tube contraption that Sphere had made in the lower hall of the Unity Sphere, my eyes drifted over the team that was going through with me towards Apokolips.
Wonder Woman was sitting on a crate, sword in lap and her eyes closed in prayer. Next to her were both Hawkman and -woman, who were in each other's arms.
Batman, Flash and Green Arrow were off to the side with Black Canary with them, having a whispered conversation with each other.
A few feet away, the Titans were huddled together, having a quiet conversation while also deciding who would go with the other heroes.
"You look tense," M'gann whispered at my side, making me turn to see the smile on her face as she held my hand.
"I am. This could either end this all or it could lead to a whole can of worms that we should not have opened."
"If it's the latter, we'll just deal with it how we usually would."
"Blow it to kingdom come?"
"As a team." I gave a sheepish smile as she gave me a pointed stare before I noticed Raven approaching the two of us.
She had a frown on her face like always, but a blush soon joined it as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders with a smile.
"You doing okay?"
"Yeah, just...tense."
"That's what I said," M'gann spoke with a giggle and I chuckled as Raven rolled her eyes.
"Of course you did," she murmured, the three of us growing silent as we watched everyone talk to each other. "Do you think this could be the end?"
"The end of all the fights or the end of us?"
"A bit of both, honestly," she replied, to which I sighed and freed my hand from M'gann's grasp to pull her close as well.
"Don't worry. I made a promise not to die until we see this dating situation to the end of the week and that's what I'm going to do," I replied with a grin, snickering as both punched me in the chest with a blush.
"Y-Y-You really need to take this seriously."
"I am."
"Okay, you three lovebirds finished with your little goodbye?" I grinned as Match approached, not surprised to see the frown on his face and on Kara's.
"Somewhat, though I think you're still going to be pissed at me regardless."
"You'd be thinking correctly."
"Match, again, we need two Kryptonians to stay here in case Darkseid sends any powerful enemies through and while I would stay, it would be cowardly of me to do so when I was the one who proposed the plan."
"I know, but let me sulk in peace," he grumbled, making me roll my eyes as M'gann giggled.
"Don't worry, Match. He's only allowing Raven to go with him so I'll be here too."
"Because the Unity Sphere needs one of its rulers here, which reminds me." Their eyes widened as I reached for the circlet on my head and pulled it off before putting it on M'gann's head. "Now, you and Sphere can protect this place."
"W-What?! W-What if I lose it?!"
"You won't," I spoke with a smile, but she did not look convinced at all.
"Is everyone prepared?" Unfortunately, Batman took that opportunity to spoke so, with great reluctance, M'gann sighed as I smiled and kissed her softly.
"Get a room." I ignored Wally and turned to Raven, who turned a pink-red as I kissed her as well. "See, now he's just flaunting it."
"Shut up, Wally," Artemis spoke with a sigh as I pulled back from Raven, who hid her burning face with her hood while I turned to the rest of the group.
"Sphere, activate the portal," M'gann called out through the circlet and I smiled as it lit up. The massive metal ring embedded in the wall began to hum, its centre sparking with orange light spread soon encompassed the entirety of its inside.
"Remember the strategy we came up with," Batman spoke and we all nodded, the girls stepping back as I walked towards the portal with Wonder Woman right beside me.
"You ready to cause havoc?" I asked, smirking as she just smiled and gripped her sword with a nod.
"Let us show this foe why they should not have turned their gaze to our home."
"The portal is locked onto the coordinates of Apokolips. You are free to move." Taking one final glance to Raven and M'gann, the three of us shared one smile before I turned and charged forward.
Wonder Woman was right with me as were the two Green Lanterns, and the four of us were immediately greeted with a horde of Parademons that soared from the pits of the planet.
The first Parademon flew to me and I swung, delivering a crushing punch that sent out a shockwave to push most of them away.
"Now!" With my command, Hal and John's rings flared before they constructed an entire highway just as a blur of yellow rushed through the portal and leapt onto it.
Soon, Hawkman and Hawkwoman along with Martian Maunhunter and Batman came through, Raven being the last as her aura flowed around her form.
"Azarath, Metrion Zinthos!" A dozen arms made out of her aura flew from her back and tore through the sky, grabbing dozens of Parademons and tossing them back.
The beings shrieked as Raven hurled them to the sides, allowing Wonder Woman and I to dive towards the largest structure in the distance.
My eyes, however, caught a flicker of light below me and I rolled out of the way, snapping my fingers and creating a shockwave that moved her out of the way of a blaster beam being fired from the ground.
"Flash! Below!"
"On it!" The yellow zigzagging blur ran along the road that Hal and John had created, leaping onto the streets below where he rapidly took care of the anti-aerial cannons below.
With the fighters below focusing on the blur rushing through their ranks, Wonder Woman was free to fly forward, but my eyes widened as a figure dropped from the skies.
"Diana, above!" I exclaimed and she lifted her sword, blocking the glimmering silver-gold axe from the equally silver-gold and spiked behemoth swinging the weapon.
The air cracked as both of them were sent spiralling to the ground, and I turned to follow after.
Unfortunately, I immediately ceased such attempts when a blast of kryptonite-laced energy flew past, frowning at Big Barda flying towards me with Gilotina and Lashina at her sides.
"You girls healed quickly, huh?!"
"You were just too weak to put us down permanently!" Gilotina exclaimed as she swung her blade, which sparked against my skin as I used TTK to harden the area.
Lashina used that opportunity to throw her whip, but a blur leapt from the ground and grabbed onto it, Barry giving a wink as he pulled her down with him.
Gilotina looked surprised at that and that gave Martian Manhunter the opening to dive into her, pushing away as I saw Batman landing on the ground.
Gilotina noticed my gaze, but I appeared in her and Big Barda's path before they could go after the caped crusader, raising my fists as Barda turned her spear-sceptre back into an axe.
As she swung it, I caught it and turned, throwing her to the side while snapping out with a kick to stop Gilotina's slash. Wrapping my leg around her arm, I pulled her into a headbutt and let go of Barda's axe.
She spun around and threw it at me, but I caught the weapon as Gilotina recovered, catching her slash only for her to drop the blade and let it fall into her other hand when I tried to pull her in.
Thrusting at my chest as I flew back, I threw the weapon at her only for it to stop and fly back at me, forcing me to dodge. At the same time, she caught the axe and I raised an arm, blocking it by the haft just as Gilotina delivered a glancing cut along my forearm.
However, I was prepared for it as TTK grabbed onto the infected area and I tore it away, catching and flinging the bloody flesh into the eyes of a surprised Barda.
Pulling the blinded New God into a knee strike, I spun around her and wrapped my arms around her, heaving before slamming her into the flying form of Gilotina.
Sending both flying towards the ground, I turned and flew directly towards Wonder Woman, who was stuck in a fast-pace clash with the axe-wielding figure that looked all too familiar.
'They even got him?!' I shouted in my mind at the sight of Steppenwolf, who parried her slash and slammed the butt-end of his shaft into her side.
It made her roll across the ground before she flipped to her feet, but before he could swing his weapon down, I caught it and delivered a crushing kick to his head.
TTK exploded at the impact and the combined power sent the being flying through the walls of a pit and out the other side.
"I had that."
"I know you did, but we still have the big boss after this," I replied as I helped her up, to which she scoffed just as we heard the rumbling of something collapsing.
Both of us spun on our heels and struck behind us, Big Barda blocking my attack while Gilotina wheezed as Wonder Woman parried her slash and drove her own into her stomach.
"You were struggling with this?"
"I was trying to take them down non-lethally," I grunted as I pushed Barda back, who flipped and fired a barrage of kryptonite beams that I avoided.
At the same time, I watched as Diana pushed her blade out the back of Gilotina and kicked her to the side, flicking the blood off the blade.
Huh, guess she has no remorse here.
'Forget about Supes' ideology for now. Right now, we just need to win and that's it.'
"I see how Grayven and Kalibak lost to you." Turning my head at the gruff voice, I narrowed my eyes at the sight of Steppenwolf landing a few paces away with a thunderous crack.
Axe still in his hands, he looked between us before his gaze settled on me. "I have long since lamented the loss of your species and my missed attempt in subjugating them for Darkseid. Now, I shall have my battle, even if it is with a lesser version."
"You can try, but I'm not the one you need to worry about." Taking a step as I turned away from him, I stood back to back with Wonder Woman while looking to Big Barda.
'This is a war. Don't stop.' My eyes hardened and I shot forward as she did the same, throwing her axe at me. Avoiding it with a step and then twisting around it again when she recalled it, I swung my fist as she swung her weapon.
TTK erupted from my knuckles and smashed against the axe, unleashing a massive shockwave that shattered the flooring and pushed away the waves of Parademons diving towards me.
The weapon's edge cracked from the pressure as both Barda and I dug our feet into the ground, pushing against each other just before I fell back.
As she stumbled with my abrupt retreat, my leg came around and smashed into her side, blasting her through a building before I tore after her.
Coming down on her body with a dropkick, she rolled and kicked above her, driving her feet into my arms and forcing me up through the roof into the sky.
Following closely after, I slipped through her guard and drove a straight jab into her chest plate. It caved in and folded her over my fist, but she caught my leg as I went to kick her.
With a roar, she turned and flung me through the air, flicking her wrist to turn her axe back into its sceptre form. Flipping around, I kicked off the air and zigzagged through the air to avoid the storm of kryptonite blasts she fired at me.
Banking hard towards the ground in a spiral, she flew out of the way as I slammed into the ground, digging my hands into the ground.
Ripping my hands up, I flung a flurry of rocks at her and disappeared amongst them, flying to her side just as she turned with the sceptre.
Before she could fire, I grabbed it and pulled her into a rising knee. It slammed into her chest and knocked the wind from her lungs, slamming a harsh elbow into the back of her head before grabbing her sceptre.
With a grunt, I raised it above my head and swung down, slamming it into the back of her neck and sending her crashing down towards the ground with an ear-shattering boom.
Tossing the kryptonite weapon away and into a pit, I looked down at where Diana was easily fighting against Steppenwolf, both trying their very best to kill the other.
"Everything okay?" I turned as I heard Raven, smiling when she hovered beside me with a frown and a slightly concerned look in her eyes.
"As right as rain. What about you?"
"Can't complain!" She replied while firing a black-violet beam of energy from her palms, which swept across the Parademons and blew them away.
"Kryptonian!"
"Oh, come the fuck on," I groaned as a figure stepped out of the crater that I had sent her into, one arm hanging limp while the other held her sceptre.
Blood stained the side of her head as her helm was bent at an angle and she spat to the side before pointing the weapon. "I have not been vanquished and you! Are no victor!"
"Go," Raven spoke before I could, making me raise an eyebrow. "Batman is heading for the leader and he'll need the help. Go help Wonder Woman and then you two go help him."
"You sure?" At her nod, I smiled and flew away, ignoring the wall of black-violet energy stopping the barrage of kryptonite blasts. Instead, I dove down to where Steppenwolf sent Wonder Woman sliding back with a heavy swing.
His eyes locked onto me and raised his axe to swing, but Wonder Woman threw her sword and made it bounce against his wrists. This loosened the grip he had on his axe and I immediately kicked it away, spinning with the kick to stomp against his chest.
Digging trenches in the ground as he forced himself to slide to a stop, he blocked my punch and pulled me into a knee strike. The blow cracked against my chest, but I grabbed onto his leg as he pulled it back.
Ducking under his attempt to grab at me, I heaved and lifted him up as Diana leapt through the air and wrapped her arms around his neck.
With a synchronised roar, I slammed him down as she drove him down, burying him head first into a crater right before she picked up her discarded blade and stabbed down.
Steppenwolf's body stilled and his legs dropped as I took heavy breaths, looking at Diana who pulled her sword back out and looked at me.
With a silent nod to each other, we took to the skies and flew towards the castle, where the big boss was waiting.
A/N: And we end it here! A bit of a chaotic path here as we don't let rules of justice stop us from taking care of the threats, but will that work out? Who knows?
As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one...
Ba-Bye~!