The neon lights of Valhalla City flickered against the night sky, their glow distorted by the sheer magical energy that filled the air. On the wide boulevard, rubble from earlier skirmishes still lay scattered across cracked pavement. The silence of the street broke as golden light erupted high above, flooding the darkness with a brilliance so arrogant it felt suffocating.
Lex Luthor stood atop the Vimana, clad in his battle armor, surveying the scene like a king over conquered land. His expression was calm but carried the smirk of someone who believed victory was already secured.
Beside him, lounging with all the casualness of a man who owned the heavens, Gilgamesh reclined on his golden throne. One arm draped lazily over the rest, eyes half-lidded but sharp, his presence made it clear who dominated this battlefield.
"Caster, if you will do the honors?" Lex spoke smugly.
"It doesn't leave a good taste in my mouth," Gilgamesh said, his tone smooth, every syllable dripping with disdain. "But consider it your misfortune to cross paths with me."
He didn't even raise his voice. The words carried regardless, echoing down the ruined street toward Ace and Heracles.
A single flick of his finger followed.
The sky tore open with golden light as the Gate of Babylon bloomed into existence. Hundreds, then thousands of portals unfurled like petals of light across the night. Each one brimmed with weapons—swords, spears, axes, shields, ancient relics that pulsed with their own magic.
Ace's breath caught. Her eyes widened at the sheer immensity of it. It wasn't an army—it was a storm.
Heracles, standing in front of her, growled deep in his chest. The massive stone sword clenched in his hand looked small against the endless tide of divine weapons. His red eyes burned with primal focus as he rumbled, "Protect… Ace."
Ace's hand shot forward, desperate. "Wait, Berserker!"
But he was already moving, charging forward with unstoppable momentum as the first volley screamed down.
The weapons rained like a storm of meteors, blazing arcs of light tearing through the night sky. Heracles swung his blade in a wide arc, smashing aside spears and shields, his body absorbing impacts that would have leveled city blocks. Steel and stone clashed with deafening thunder, sparks raining down in waves.
"Berserker!" Ace shouted, fists clenched, her power already building. But her eyes flicked upward, locking on Lex. If Heracles could handle the weapons, she had to deal with the one giving orders. She focused, calling on her ability, trying to seize his thoughts, twist his will.
Nothing happened.
Her mind pressed against a wall that didn't budge. She tried harder, pouring more of herself into it—yet Lex remained untouched, smirking down at her.
He raised his left hand slowly, showing off the ring that glowed with unnatural energy. "Surprised?" he taunted. "That little trick of yours doesn't work anymore. Thanks to my new partner, I've gotten my hands on tools that… let's say, level the field. Magic really is convenient."
The ring pulsed.
Ace screamed, clutching her head as a sharp, invasive frequency tore through her senses. The resonance bent her own powers inward, distorting them until they lashed back at her. It felt like her very mind was splitting apart.
Heracles bellowed in fury, his massive body shaking as blades embedded into his chest and shoulders, piercing his flesh. Blood spattered, but he didn't falter. He surged upward with another leap, weapons tearing through his side and robbing him of one of his lives. Pain meant nothing. His purpose was clear.
"Protect… Ace!" he roared, leaping toward the golden throne.
Gilgamesh sighed as though inconvenienced. "Unfortunately, I can't allow you to harm that man. I can, however, grant you a swift death."
With a single motion, the king extended his hand. From one of the gates emerged glowing chains—living, writhing, divine. They snapped outward like serpents.
"Enkidu," he said softly, as if invoking the name of an old friend.
The chains shot downward, glowing with divine power. Heracles swung his blade, smashing aside several, but they twisted and coiled back, binding tighter with every motion. They wrapped around his legs, his arms, his torso, their weight unnatural and suffocating. He thrashed, muscles bulging, veins straining, but the chains were alive, adjusting with every surge.
Bound, Berserker was yanked upward, suspended in the air.
From the gates, another storm of weapons screamed forth. They pierced him from every angle, spears through his arms, swords into his chest, axes splitting skin and bone. Explosions rocked the boulevard as treasures detonated on impact, engulfing Heracles in fire and smoke.
His roar shook the city, but it was drowned beneath the cascade of destruction.
"No!" Ace screamed, staggering forward, her vision blurred by tears. She threw her hand out, her command seal burning red against her skin. "By this seal, return to my side!"
But the chains held. Enkidu pulsed with golden light, its nature divine, specifically made to bind those of greater strength. The command seal's magic sparked, but could not break through.
Ace's chest heaved. She coughed, blood flecking her lips. Her powers, though distorted, surged again. She raised her trembling hand, fingers curling into a grasping motion. Her nails dug into her palm as if holding something unseen.
Gilgamesh leaned forward slightly, curious now. His golden eyes narrowed.
The chains quivered.
Ace's fingers clenched tighter, and the invisible pressure forced the divine bindings to groan. Cracks of golden light splintered across their length as though some greater hand was trying to rip them apart.
"How interesting," Gilgamesh said, his voice no longer dismissive but intrigued. "Never before has anyone overpowered Enkidu's hold. No wonder Lex covets you. If you surrender without a fuss, I may even grant you life. Perhaps I'll spare the brute as well."
Ace's voice shook, but her resolve didn't. "I… WON'T GO BACK TO THAT LAB!"
Her scream ripped through the night as power exploded from her. The chains twisted violently, straining against both her force and Heracles' primal strength. Berserker roared with renewed fury, muscles bursting with energy as he pulled with all his might.
With a shattering crack, the bindings broke.
Heracles dropped heavily to the ground, still riddled with wounds but far from defeated. Seven lives burned within him still, his aura blazing red.
Lex's composure cracked for a moment. "Caster! Stop wasting time and deal with them. This shouldn't be difficult."
Gilgamesh didn't move from his throne. His gaze slid to Lex with a glare sharp enough to silence him. "Do not presume to command me. We are allies only for mutual benefit. Your petty obsessions do not bind me."
Lex's jaw clenched, but he swallowed the retort. His tone softened, forced into civility. "Of course. But if those matters interfere with our victory, surely that demands your attention?"
Gilgamesh exhaled through his nose. "Very well."
He turned his eyes back to Ace and Heracles. His tone was calm, even regal. "By my order, ready the arrows! Use my treasures to show them the power that guarded Uruk. My resolve shall flood the earth. Melammu Dingir!"
Behind him, the air rippled. A massive golden wall unfurled, stretching high and wide. Embedded across its surface were countless magical cannons, each glowing with immense energy. Their barrels rotated, locking onto Ace and Berserker.
The glow built until the street itself vibrated with the hum of charging power.
Ace stared at Heracles, her breath ragged but her eyes steady. "Berserker… with all three of my command seals, I order you…"
The marks burned away on her hand, flaring brilliantly before vanishing entirely. Her voice rose with conviction. "…defeat all enemies, stay with me, and protect me forever!"
Heracles froze. Then his entire body lit with a red aura, a primal surge of Command Seal energy wrapping him like fire. His roar thundered through the boulevard, glass shattering across the block. His muscles swelled, veins glowing, as his stone sword pulsed with brutal power.
The cannons fired in unison.
A storm of beams brighter than daylight ripped down, each strike strong enough to obliterate city blocks.
Heracles met them head-on. His sword swung upward, shattering through the first volley with sheer force. The clash detonated with a blast so strong the air rippled like water.
The boulevard shook.
Lex leaned forward, anticipation burning in his eyes. Gilgamesh's gaze remained sharp but calm, as though studying.
Ace shielded her face from the light, her heart hammering in her chest.
The real clash had begun.
*****
The boulevard had become a cratered battlefield, its towers half-collapsed under the weight of divine treasures and explosions. Firelight painted the night in red and gold. Rubble still fell from shattered windows, and the air stank of ozone and burning steel.
Gilgamesh no longer lounged. He rose from his throne, golden armor materializing around him in radiant plates that shimmered with divinity. His crimson eyes fixed on his opponents with cold, aristocratic disdain.
"Very well," he said, voice carrying like a decree. "You have earned the honor of seeing me fight in earnest."
The Gate of Babylon roared behind him, thousands of portals widening until the sky itself gleamed like a tapestry of light. The storm of weapons hung suspended, waiting for the will of their master.
Heracles bellowed, charging forward once more. His massive stone sword swung with earth-splitting force, cleaving through the rain of weapons. Each impact tore shockwaves through the boulevard, pavement cracking under his feet. His skin was already torn, wounds glowing faintly as more of his divine lives slipped away.
Ace staggered behind him, her body wracked with strain. She pressed her hand outward, reality itself bending in her grasp. Buildings twisted, the air shivered, the ground rippled like water. Her voice cracked, but her eyes blazed. "Stay away from him!"
Gilgamesh's expression didn't change. "Sha Naqba Imuru."
The world shuddered. A faint golden aura enveloped him, a subtle distortion that spread like a dome around himself and Lex. Every warp of reality Ace forced unraveled the moment it touched the barrier, nullified as if swallowed into nothingness.
She gasped, her knees buckling as backlash tore through her body. Blood leaked from her nose and ears, her frame trembling as though the very act of standing upright was rebellion against her limits.
Lex chuckled, unbothered behind the protection. "Marvelous, isn't it? No matter what trick you use, Gilgamesh has already accounted for it. Every possibility, every outcome—it's all within his reach. And once your servant is down, you're mine."
Heracles roared again, his voice drowning Lex's gloating. He broke through another volley of spears, his sword shattering weapons like brittle glass.
But Gilgamesh didn't flinch. He raised a hand.
The storm descended.
Treasures fell in coordinated waves, a symphony of destruction guided by absolute mastery. Each strike was aimed not randomly, but with surgical precision—slicing tendons, striking joints, embedding into weak points Heracles couldn't block.
One blade pierced his chest. A spear skewered his leg. An axe cleaved into his shoulder.
Heracles dropped to one knee, blood spraying from wounds too severe even for him. His body convulsed as another life was burned away in light, the injuries closing only to be replaced by fresh ones.
Lex's eyes gleamed. "Yes… yes! Take him down! With her protector gone, she'll have no choice but to obey."
Ace screamed, reaching her trembling hand toward Heracles. "No! Stop! Please!"
Her reality warping flared again, but the golden aura of Sha Naqba Imuru crushed it flat. The strain ripped through her—skin cracking with glowing fissures, bones groaning as if her body itself was rejecting her existence.
Heracles staggered upright despite it all. Another volley came, and another life vanished in a burst of light.
Seven became six. Six became five.
Every step forward cost him a life. Every roar shook the boulevard, defying inevitability.
Gilgamesh's lips curled slightly. "How pitiful. To struggle so fiercely when the outcome is set. Yet… there is valor in this futility."
The Gate roared again, unleashing a spiraling rain of swords that buried themselves in Heracles' torso. He tore through them, but blood poured freely, his chest riddled with holes.
Four.
A chain lashed from the Gate, binding his arm, dragging him sideways. He ripped it free with sheer strength, the links snapping like brittle wire.
Three.
Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed faintly. "Persistent mongrel."
Another wave of treasures detonated around Heracles in simultaneous explosions, the street consumed in fire. His silhouette emerged from the blaze, staggering but unbowed.
Two.
He charged again, his roar shaking the heavens.
Ace sobbed, powerless to stop what she saw. Every pulse of her power only fractured her body further, her frame splitting under the strain of forcing reality to bend. Yet she refused to stop, refused to let him fight alone.
Gilgamesh's voice rang out, calm and final. "Fall, Heracles."
The largest volley yet rained down, hundreds of treasures converging at once. Heracles swung his sword in a defiant arc, smashing dozens aside, but too many pierced his body.
Light flared. His final life before one burned away.
One.
He dropped to a knee, blood painting the shattered pavement. Weapons jutted from his body like the spines of a beast brought low.
Lex's grin widened. "Perfect! Finish it now, Caster. I'll handle the girl."
Gilgamesh didn't answer him. His crimson gaze lingered on Heracles—measured, appraising. "Even now, you stand. Foolish… yet admirable. Perhaps there is some worth in you after all."
Heracles' chest heaved. His vision blurred, yet one thought burned in his fractured mind. Protect. Protect Ace.
Lex descended from the Vimana, armored boots striking the ground. He advanced toward Ace, raising his hand. "It's over. You're mine again. Don't resist and this won't have to hurt more than it already does."
Ace's trembling body straightened. Her skin cracked further, glowing lines spreading like molten fractures, but her eyes locked on him with raw hatred. "I'll never go back."
The air distorted violently around her. Buildings warped inward, the boulevard rippling like liquid. Energy flared, tearing through the fabric of space itself.
Lex faltered, eyes widening. "What the..."
Her body was coming apart from within, but her will drove it beyond reason. "If I'm going to die… I'll take you with me!"
Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow. His treasures flared brighter, suppressing much of her distortion, but even it groaned under the pressure. "So. She chooses self-obliteration. How… defiant. Almost Reminds me of myself"
Ace's scream tore through the night. The ground split beneath her feet, arcs of distorted energy ripping skyward.
Then Heracles moved again.
His body, pierced and broken, surged with one last burst of primal strength. The divine chains that had begun binding him again snapped apart under his sheer will. His sword dropped from his hands as he staggered toward her, each step shaking the rubble beneath him.
Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed. "What ! How can he break free from Enkidu again! "
He then smiled. "How amusing for a mindless beast. Very well, I shall allow it."
Heracles reached Ace and collapsed to one knee. His massive frame hunched, his bloodied hand reaching for her.
Lex cursed, stepping back instinctively. He looked at Gilgamesh accusingly. Gilgamesh merely shrugged. " I recognize his efforts. I shall allow his final act."
Heracles' hand touched her shoulder, glowing faintly. His remaining life force surged, pouring into her with raw divinity.
His voice was rough, broken, but carried clarity beyond madness. "I… protect… Ace…"
His body shimmered with light, dissolving into motes as his final life was gifted away to Ace. His sanity, restored in the last breath, gave him peace. His other arm wrapped around her weakly, pulling her into an embrace.
Ace's eyes widened, tears spilling down her cracked cheeks as she felt the vitality returning to her body. "No, don't! Please don't leave me! You're the only one who ever cared… you are my only friend!"
Heracles' faint smile softened his brutal features. He leaned closer, his voice a whisper carried only to her. "Live… on...Ace... Friend..."
She looked up, her vision blurred. His massive face, usually twisted by fury, now carried the faintest of smiles.
"No! I can't! Not without you!" Her nails dug into his skin, desperate to hold him there. "You promised—you said you'd protect me forever!"
"Forever… ends… here," Heracles said, his breath fading. "But… not my will."
His hand ruffled her hair, slow, tender, before his form dissolved into motes of golden light. One by one, his fingers slipped away, his chest faded, until only a single flicker of light remained in her arms.
It flew up, scattering into the night sky. His arms, once unyielding, slipped away, leaving only warmth fading from her skin.
Ace's scream tore through the battlefield, raw and broken. She clutched at the fading motes as though trying to hold them together. But the light slipped away, vanishing into the night sky.
She collapsed to the ground, hollow, her hands stained with blood that wasn't her own.
Above her, Gilgamesh folded his arms, regarding the scene with distant curiosity. Lex, however, smiled with pure triumph, eyes fixed on the broken girl.
The battle was over.
Her protector was gone.
*****
Lex's polished shoes clicked against the fractured concrete as he stepped down from the Vimana. His expression was carved in smug triumph, his gaze fixed on the broken girl before him.
Ace remained on her knees, head bowed, her hands still trembling where Heracles had vanished. Her eyes were empty, her breaths shallow. The battlefield that had shaken under the roars of Berserker now felt hollow in his absence.
Lex's voice cut through the silence like a blade. "I win."
Each step brought him closer, the confidence of inevitability in his stride. He raised his hand, the ring glinting faintly in the moonlight. Ace did not move.
Then, A violent gust split the air.
Whoosh.
A golden spear slammed into the ground between them, the earth cracking under the impact. The air quivered with divine energy, forcing Lex to halt mid-step. His eyes narrowed.
From above, a young figure descended, black hair catching the faint glow of the ruined city. His boots hit the ground with a resounding thud that echoed across the ruined street. He stood tall between Lex and Ace, shoulders squared with defiance.
"Lex Luthor," the boy said, voice steady, though his fists were clenched. "You're even more despicable than I thought. I feel disgusted knowing your DNA aided in my birth."
His gaze hardened, and a spark of something long suppressed flared in his eyes. "I will stop you before you hurt more people."
He turned, and for the first time since Heracles' fall, Ace felt a hand extend toward her. His smile was small but warm. "Hey. You're safe now."
Her cracked lips parted, her voice hoarse, fragile. "Who… are you?"
Before he could answer, Lex's fury exploded. His voice thundered across the field. "Superboy! Are you done running?" He spat the name like venom. His hand gestured sharply toward Ace. "Just because you've summoned a heroic familiar, you think you can defy me? Pathetic. Both of my disobedient tools… have come together it seems."
Connor's jaw tightened. His heart hammered against his ribs, but his voice came out firm, steady despite the storm inside. "I won't let you keep hurting others. Not her. Not anyone. Even if I have to take you out myself."
Beside him, golden light shimmered into form. Karna, the Son of the Sun, stood tall, his armor gleaming like dawn against the battlefield's ruin. His calm eyes swept from Lex to Gilgamesh, before settling on Connor.
"Well said," Karna murmured. His voice carried quiet pride. "Take the girl, Connor. Leave. I'll take care of this."
Gilgamesh stirred, the faintest smirk curling on his lips. He rested his chin on his hand, golden eyes flashing with interest. "Another strong mongrel… how amusing." He stood, golden portals flaring wider behind him. "This night keeps getting better."