The battlefield was a ruin of fire and shadow. Entire blocks of Metropolis had been leveled, streets cracked open into molten scars, and the night sky burned with the glow of Apokoliptian fire. The Justice League stood their ground anyway, their battered figures defying a god who refused to fall.
Darkseid's avatar, already blinded in one eye and stripped of the use of both arms, was staggering but not defeated. He towered over them, his hulking frame radiating an aura that made the air itself feel heavy.
His flesh was split in places where Diana's sword had cut deep, where Superman's fists had cracked him, where Faora's strikes had gouged through the armor. Blood like molten rock oozed from the wounds, but even in this state, his presence was overwhelming. His body slowly regenerating thanks to his new god physique.
The Justice League closed in again, bruised, bleeding, and exhausted, yet unwilling to back away.
Superman hovered near the front, his cape torn, his breathing ragged. Beside him Faora stood in silence, her sword dripping with ichor, her eyes locked on Darkseid.
Diana lifted her shield again, muscles trembling, but her spirit burning as fiercely as ever. Shazame floated barely a few meters above, his energy low.
Batman's Trinity armor hissed and groaned with each movement, the blue lines glowing faintly across its frame as the mechanism strained.
Cyborg's systems were screaming warnings, his cannon sparking with overuse. Flash paced in a circle, lightning flickering, too fast to stay still but visibly slowing as exhaustion set in. Hal Jordan's constructs flickered with strain, but his jaw was set.
Together they pressed forward.
Diana struck first, sword arcing across Darkseid's thigh, biting deep into cracked flesh. Faora followed, her speed almost a blur, slashing his side. Superman slammed a fist into his jaw, snapping his head back.
Shazam dove down with a thunderclap, lightning crackling from his fists into Darkseid's chest.
Darkseid roared, staggering, his massive frame shaking under the flurry of blows. The pavement split beneath his knees as he buckled, one hand pressed to the ground to keep himself upright.
For the first time since the battle began, the League felt it—real progress, the sense that he could fall.
"Push him back!" Batman spoke through the armor, his gauntlets hammering into Darkseid's ribs in a blur of piston-driven strikes. "He's weakening!"
Hal poured his will into the ring, chains lashing down around Darkseid's torso, binding him in emerald light. "You're not going anywhere, you bastard!"
Barry darted in, fists striking pressure points along Darkseid's legs and back, his movements a blur of red lightning. "This is it, this is it—c'mon, stay down!"
The air shook as Darkseid let out another guttural roar. He staggered back onto one knee, ichor dripping from dozens of wounds, his body trembling under the combined might of gods, aliens, and mortals.
And then, he smiled.
It was a terrible thing. His lips pulled back into a jagged grin, teeth bared, his one remaining eye blazing with cruel amusement. "You fight well for ants," he rumbled. "But you still… know nothing of cruelty."
He grunted and focused his regeneration on his arms. His broken right arm snapped back into position. His left arm also showed signs of recovery. From the shadows of his broken armor, he drew out a small, black orb.
The League froze, watching as the sphere glowed faintly in his palm, Apokolips sigil etched into its surface. They pulsed, each line shimmering as if carved by the universe itself.
Before anyone could stop him, Darkseid clenched his fist and crushed the orb.
The effect was immediate.
His body convulsed, the cracks across his skin widening violently. From beneath them, a red glow began to spread, searing through like molten veins.
The air warped and bent, reality itself shuddering as though it could not contain the energy being unleashed. The ground splintered outward, the streets trembling beneath the god's body.
Bruce's voice came sharp and grim through the armor. "He's triggering a failsafe." His eyes narrowed as he processed every detail—the glow, the distortion, the patterns of energy radiating outward. "He's trying to detonate himself as last resort."
Hal's constructs faltered, the weight of his words sinking in. "Detonate? You mean—"
"Not just himself," Bruce cut in, cold and certain. "That kind of reaction… he'll take the planet and us with him."
Superman's eyes widened as he hovered closer, the red glow reflecting in his gaze. "No… not just the planet. That kind of energy levels—" He clenched his fists, his voice low and grim. "It could wipe out the solar system."
The words hit harder than any blow.
Barry's face went pale, his lightning flickering erratically as he stammered. "The whole solar system? Like… gone-gone?"
Bruce didn't look at him. "Yes."
The red light spread faster, lines of glowing cracks racing across Darkseid's body. He trembled, but not with weakness—this was power, contained only by the shell of his form, seconds away from ripping apart.
Hal cursed under his breath, his ring spinning in frantic motion. "We've gotta get him off-world. Now. I'll fly him out, hurl him into deep space before he goes off."
Barry blurted, his words tumbling over each other. "Yes, yes, that's it! I'll spin a vortex, I'll push above Earth with everything I've got, we just need to throw him far enough, get him away from here before he—"
Batman's growl cut through their desperation. "You won't make it. The buildup is accelerating. By the time you clear orbit, he'll detonate. You'll be dragging the bomb with you."
"Then what the hell do we do?!" Shazam shouted, his voice raw with fear and frustration, arcs of lightning sparking from his fists.
Cyborg, crouched low, his systems overclocked to the point of smoking, slammed his hand into the ground. "I've got something—I can hack his armor's boomtube tech, reverse-engineer it. I can… I can pull the captives back to Earth and send him and his army back!" His mechanical eye flashed, data streams racing. "I've almost got them—yes! I've got them! They're safe!"
Dozens, hundreds of boomtubes snapped open across the city. People—soldiers, innocents, all those taken by Apokolips—fell back onto Earth, coughing, confused, terrified, but alive.
Green Lantern conjured giant hands to catch the falling people and put them down safely in a distance.
Cyborg slumped, smoke rising from his shoulder. "They're back. All of them. But…"
He looked up, his face grim. "I can't push him through. His energy—it'll fry the system. Nothing I've got can move him."
The League froze. Their greatest victory—saving the captives—was meaningless if the entire solar system was about to be vaporized.
Darkseid's body pulsed again, the cracks glowing brighter. He laughed, low and guttural, his voice vibrating the air. "Perish… with your pitiful planet."
For the first time, silence fell among the League. They had given everything, every ounce of strength, every desperate plan, and it still wasn't enough.
Superman spoke calmly. " I can fly him to space but I won't be able to escape the blast. Me and Faora are still weakened. I'll take him away. If my life can save everyone elses, it's a fair trade."
Faora glared at him. " Don't even think about playing savior. I won't let you harm yourself. If you die, I'll follow you to the end." She emphasized by grabbing his arm tightly. Clark smiled wryly but he knew she was serious about it.
Diana exhaled slowly, lowering her sword. Her shoulders sagged as she looked at the impossible sight before her. For once, her warrior's pride faltered.
She turned her head slightly, her voice almost a whisper. "I need to call my Father…"
Flash chuckled nervously. " Hey now, it's not like it'll happen immediately. No need to call our loved ones to bid farewell yet."
Shazame muttered. "I don't even have anybody to call."
The others looked at her, confusion flashing across their faces. But she paid them no mind. Her eyes lifted, searching, reaching—not here, not in this battlefield, but beyond.
She sighed and took out her damaged magic phone and called him.
"Father," she repeated, her voice firmer now. "Hear me. We need you."
Bruce narrowed his eyes. " Is she calling Zeus? Darkseid said she had his powers."
Hal scratched his head. "We all couldn't do anything, what could her father do?"
Clark sighed. "Whatever it is, we can only place our hopes on her."
*****
The wasteland was quiet , lit only by the smoldering embers of Anti life. Edward stood by the carving, looking out into the distance, his expression unreadable.
Beyond the horizon, chaos rumbled—the sounds of war, of gods clashing and dying. He said nothing for a long time. Grail leaned against the rock opposite him, arms folded, Black hair spilling around her shoulders. Her expression was unreadable, though her eyes never left him.
"You don't have to keep walking this path," Edward said finally, voice even but firm. "You've carried your vengeance long enough. Drop it. Start anew."
Grail tilted her head, her lips curling faintly. "Start anew?" Her tone was mocking, but underneath there was exhaustion. "You think I can simply lay it down, like putting away a weapon? My entire life has been built for one purpose—killing him."
Edward turned, his gaze steady. "And if you succeed, what then? What will you be when the only thing driving you is gone? That path doesn't end in victory, Grail. It ends with you destroying yourself."
She pushed off from the wall, walking slowly toward him. "That's easy for you to say. You've lived lifetimes in peace. You've seen worlds rise and fall. Me? I was born in blood. Molded by it. I don't know what peace looks like."
"You could," Edward replied, softer now. "If you'd just let yourself—"
She cut him off with a sharp laugh, though her eyes glistened in the firelight. "Don't speak of things you know I can't have. You want me to stop? Then kill me. Because I won't give it up. I can't."
Edward stepped closer, his hand reaching as if to steady her shoulder. "There's always another way. You don't need to walk into the abyss."
For a heartbeat, she seemed to falter, her eyes lowering. Then, just as quickly, her expression twisted into something mischievous. Before Edward could react, she shoved him backward, strength exploding from her lean frame. He stumbled, landing hard on his back against the stone floor, the air rushing from his lungs.
Grail was on him in an instant, straddling his chest, pinning his wrists above his head with surprising strength. Her grin was sharp, wild. "Another way?" she whispered, leaning close. "I can think of one."
Edward growled under his breath, muscles tensing as he tried to break free. "Grail—"
She silenced him with a sudden kiss, forceful and hungry. Her lips pressed hard against his, her Black hair falling around them like a curtain. Edward turned his head to break away, but she tightened her grip, holding him in place.
He could have punched her, threw her off. He was going to, but he noticed how her eyes closed in peace, her expression softened. She looked like just another woman, trying to confess her emotions.
"You fight me like you fight everything," she murmured against his ear, her voice low and heated. "But what if I offered you something better than vengeance? What if I gave you myself? No more tricks, no more... battle."
Her body pressed against his, every line of her frame molded to his. She shifted deliberately, dragging her full breasts against him, her movements slow and teasing. Edward twisted, trying to push her off, but she only laughed and clung tighter, her breath hot against his neck.
"You want me to let go of revenge?" she whispered, lips brushing his skin. "Then give me something else to live for. Accept me. Not as an enemy. Not as a weapon. As your partner, your lover. Show me why I should give up everything." Her tone was hesitant yet hopeful.
Edward's teeth clenched, his breath quickening despite himself. "You're out of your mind. Why are you so crazy about me! We never had anything romantic between us."
Her grin widened, eyes gleaming with dangerous amusement. "Am I? Perhaps I am. You could have killed me, yet you showed mercy. You tried to help me. Everyone is only scared of my powers, hated me for my birth.
But you... You saw me as a person. You are the first person to call me beautiful. To give me another chance. You have my devotion, Edward. Completely. Every night, every morning, every hour. Do you know what I'd do to you if you let me?"
"Aren't you supposed to be inexperienced in that regard?" Edward showed an annoyed expression but his lower half betrayed him. Grail gasped feeling it, then smirked evilly.
She leaned closer, her voice a sultry whisper, dripping with promise. "Looks like your body is rather honest dear. I'd show you pleasures no queen or goddess ever could. I'd keep you awake until you begged for mercy. I'd show —"
A sudden vibration cut through the heated air. A sound that didn't belong in the moment—the sharp, insistent buzz of a phone.
Both froze.
Edward's head turned slightly, his breath rough, his eyes relieved at the interruption. Grail blinked, confusion flashing across her face before she realized what it was.
The phone in his pocket.
Edward didn't hesitate. In the instant her focus wavered, he shifted, rolling his body with a burst of strength. Grail yelped as the world flipped, and suddenly she was pinned beneath him, her wrists held firmly, his hand clamped over her mouth.
Her red eyes blazed up at him, but beneath the defiance was the unmistakable flush of embarrassment.
Edward snatched the phone with his free hand, breathing hard as he raised it to his ear. "Good timing, daughter," he said dryly, his tone casual despite the situation. "You were almost about to get another mommy."
There was silence on the other end. Then Diana's voice, sharp with confusion. "Wait…What!"
Edward's smirk widened, though his own breath was still heavy. He glanced down at Grail, who was squirming beneath him, her face red with both anger and something else entirely. Her muffled protests were lost against his palm as she glared up at him.
Diana's voice came again, louder this time, baffled and tinged with exasperation. "Father… what are you talking about?
Edward chuckled, the sound low and maddeningly amused. "Never mind that. Tell me what's wrong. You don't call unless you are in a pickle."
Beneath him, Grail twisted, her blush deepening as she tried to writhe free. But Edward's grip was unyielding, her muffled noises mixing with the pounding of her heart and the faint crackle of flames still burning in the room. 'Why am I enjoying this?' she thought with helplessness.
The absurdity of it all, an immortal Human restraining the daughter of Darkseid while casually answering a call from his daughter made Edward grin all the wider.
*****
Edward held the phone to his ear, keeping his weight steady against Grail's struggling body. Her muffled protests vibrated under his palm, though the blush in her cheeks betrayed that her fight wasn't entirely fueled by anger. His lips curled into a half-smirk as he listened to the other end.
"…Father?" Diana's voice came sharp with both urgency and confusion. "What in the world is happening? Who were you talking about—another mother?! Are you doing it again!?"
Edward chuckled low in his chest. "Ah, my sweet Diana. Over three thousand years old, and you still get flustered over the strangest details. Shouldn't you be more worried about the glowing doomsday god about to blow up the solar system?"
There was a beat of silence, then Diana's voice hardened, though a touch of embarrassment colored it. "This is not the time for your jokes! We're at our limit. He's… he's going to end everything." Her voice softened almost to a whisper. "And I don't know what else to do. You are the only one I can turn to."
Edward's expression shifted, the teasing lilt fading just slightly as he heard that tremor. For all her age, for all the centuries behind her eyes, she still carried herself like the girl who once hid behind his cloak during storms.
She had grown into a warrior, yes, but he knew her heart , she hadn't lived in the furnace of endless battle like the original timeline. That dependence was still in her bones.
"Three millennia, and here you are," Edward said warmly, though his grin returned. "Still calling your father when the monsters get too big. What happened to that pride of yours, hmm? The girl who swore she'd never need anyone's help before storming off after stealing my wallet? You know that would make your corporation technically mine."
Diana huffed audibly, the kind of sound she made when trying not to sound like a child. "Father…"
He laughed amusedly, shifting his hold as Grail wriggled under him, pressing her thighs together in frustrated resistance. Edward ignored her.
"Don't pout at me, Diana. You sound just like you did when you first begged me to train you. Do you remember? You said, 'If you don't teach me, I'll sneak your sword and stab the villains myself.'"
Even through the urgency, Diana groaned softly in mortification. "I was young."
"You're still young," Edward teased. " Even a few centuries ago you tried to get me to give you a piggyback ride."
On the other end, she tried again, her voice tinged with both desperation and the faintest edge of pleading. "Father, please. I would not call if there was any other way."
That word, please, It softened him. He tilted his head, eyes narrowing at the ceiling as if considering whether to drag it out longer just to hear her beg. But her voice earnest, strained, yet trusting — carried something warmer than pride.
"Ah," Edward said with mock gravity. "So you can still ask nicely. My little Diana has grown, but not too much, hm? Fine."
His tone shifted, firmer now. "I'll take care of it. But don't get used to it. You are supposed to be be independent now."
For the first time since she called, Diana exhaled in relief. "Thank you, Father." she whispered.
Edward smiled faintly. "You'll owe me for this, of course. Perhaps you'll bring me wine next time you visit. Or better yet, admit to your cool new friends that your father is still the one you call when the sky falls."
"Father…" Diana's exasperation came with a warmth of its own now, her voice caught between annoyance and affection. "You are impossible."
"True," Edward said. "But I'm also the only one who can stop him."
She didn't argue. He could almost see the small smile tugging at her lips, the same one she had when she was a child and finally got her way.
"Come father," she said quietly. "I'll hold them together until you arrive."
He smiled mischievously, " aren't you forgetting something, sweet daughter of mine?"
Diana was embarrassed, but she knew her father would nag her till she said it. She moved further away and softly spoke. " Yes. My amazing father is the greatest. I love him more than the stars in the sky." She cringed. "There I said it! I still can't believe you keep making me say that even after thousands of years."
"Good girl," Edward smirked. "I still miss when you used to be so attached to me. You'd say this everytime I was leaving."
Then, with his usual irreverence, he added: "Now stop worrying. Daddy's got this."
Diana smiled. " Thanks. Love you Father."
The line went silent after that, leaving only the crackle of the fire and the muffled noises of the woman still pinned beneath him. Edward slipped the phone back into his pocket and sighed, finally looking down at Grail.
Her red eyes glared up at him, though the blush in her cheeks was unmistakable. She squirmed again, twisting her hips in a way that made his hold more precarious. He frowned, tightening his grip.
"Stop moving," he said gruffly putting more pressure.
Her muffled reply was indecipherable, but the heat in her expression told him it wasn't polite.
It was then he realized something was… off.
During her struggles, somewhere between her attempts to break free and his efforts to keep her restrained, her upper clothing had shifted. The neckline of her dark armor had been tugged askew, pulled lower with each squirm. And now, pressed uncomfortably against his arm, was a supple softness of skin.
Edward's eyes widened slightly. He glanced down further.
His elbow was resting firmly, unmistakably — was rubbing directly against her bare nipple. His elbow moved unconsciously, making her gasp in pleasure.
He froze.
Grail's body shuddered beneath him, her black hair splayed wildly across the ground, her face red as she writhed. And then, before he could shift away, a small sound escaped her throat — half moan, half sigh.
Edward jerked back instantly, leaping to his feet as though burned. "I....That was not...."
But Grail wasn't listening.
She had gone limp beneath him, her chest rising and falling rapidly, a silly, dazed grin spread across her face. The firelight caught her parted lips and closed eyes, her entire expression softened in a way Edward had never seen.
She had passed out From the stimulation.
Edward stood frozen, staring down at her with his jaw slack. Then he ran a hand through his hair, muttering under his breath. "…Perfect. Just perfect. Fuck you Lucifer! This is all your fault."
He looked again at Grail, sprawled on the floor, blissfully unconscious with that ridiculous smile.
"Wonderful," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "My daughter calls me for help, and here I am, accidentally knocking out Darkseid's child with my elbow by.... questionable methods. Truly, the universe enjoys its jokes."
Still muttering, Edward knelt and carefully adjusted Grail's clothing back into place, tugging the fabric over her chest so she at least wasn't indecent. Her grin didn't fade. He held back the urge to give them another squeeze.
He stood again, brushing the dust from his clothes, shaking his head with a rueful chuckle. "Another mommy, indeed…"
*****
As always, give up your stones , or Diddy comes to get ya. Leave some comments and reviews for good karma 💀
Btw, We're close to the first bonus chapter milestone. Not to mention on rank 11 on all time rankings. This does put a smile on my face.
At this rate , you guys might even unlock the second bonus. I had to speed up my uploads in Patreon to keep up.
Suffering from success, but it's a pain I'm willing to bear xD