Arthur Curry's face appeared on the communication screen, water still dripping from his beard.
"Atlantis has fallen," he said grimly. "Steppenwolf took our Mother Box an hour ago."
Bruce leaned forward. "Casualties?"
"Too many. But I'm ready to fight. Where do you need me?"
Diana stepped closer to the screen. "We'll coordinate and—"
Suddenly, alarms shrieked through the Batcave.
Ojaga's wrist GPS device flashed red.
"Themyscira!" he shouted. "The tracking bugs we planted are going crazy."
Bruce pulled up satellite feeds instantly. "Parademon swarms. Hundreds of them attacking the island."
Diana's face went white. "My mother. My sisters."
"We split the team," Clark said immediately. "Half to Themyscira, half to Gotham Harbor."
Victor's cybernetic eye glowed. "I can open portals using Gotham's entire power grid."
Barry frowned. "The whole city's electricity?"
"Every last volt," Victor confirmed. "It'll black out Gotham for hours."
Bruce nodded. "Do it. Lives over convenience."
Diana grabbed her sword and shield. "Ojaga, Bruce—you're with me to Themyscira."
Clark stepped forward. "Flash, Cyborg—we handle Gotham Harbor. Save the scientists."
"And my father," Victor added quietly.
Arthur's voice came through the speaker. "I'll meet you at the harbor, Clark."
Victor spread his arms wide.
Electricity arced from every power line in Gotham.
Street lights died. Traffic signals went dark.
The energy gathered around them like a controlled lightning storm.
"Portal opening!" Victor shouted.
A swirling blue vortex tore through space.
Diana, Ojaga, and Bruce leaped through.
They landed hard on Themyscira's golden beaches.
Smoke rose from burning buildings.
The clash of steel on steel echoed across the island.
A thousand Amazon warriors in gleaming armor battled swarms of metallic parademons.
Queen Hippolyta stood on the palace steps, her sword cutting through three enemies at once.
Above them, a massive shadow descended.
Steppenwolf.
His electro-axe crackled with deadly energy as he touched down near the Mother Box chamber.
"One thousand years of exile ends today," he growled.
Amazon archers fired coordinated volleys.
Arrows bounced off his armor like pebbles.
He laughed and swung his axe in a wide arc.
Three Amazon warriors flew backward, their shields shattered.
"Mother!" Diana cried, running toward the battle.
Her sword flashed as she cut down two parademons blocking her path.
Bruce transformed mid-sprint, lightning wrapping around his body.
"SHAZAM!"
He flew straight up, tackling a cluster of flying parademons.
His magic-enhanced fists exploded through their armor.
Ojaga charged directly at Steppenwolf.
Golden ki blazed around his fists like miniature suns.
"Hey! Ugly! Fight someone who can hit back!"
Steppenwolf turned, axe raised high.
"Another insect. I will crush you like—"
Ojaga's uppercut connected with Steppenwolf's jaw.
The impact created a shockwave that cracked the stone beneath their feet.
Steppenwolf staggered backward, eyes wide with shock.
"Impossible," Steppenwolf snarled. "You're just a mortal child."
"Mortal maybe," Ojaga replied, power increasing.
He unleashed a barrage of ki blasts.
Golden energy bolts hammered Steppenwolf's armor.
Each impact forced the ancient warrior to take another step back.
Steppenwolf's confidence began to crack.
Meanwhile, at Gotham Harbor...
Clark, Barry, and Victor flew toward the nuclear facility.
Arthur emerged from the ocean, trident gleaming.
"What's the situation?" Arthur asked.
"Hostages in the reactor chamber," Clark replied. "Scientists being forced to calibrate the Mother Boxes."
Barry drew his Amazon swords. "How many parademons?"
Victor's scanners swept the area. "Fifty inside the building. More patrolling the perimeter."
"I'll clear the water approaches," Arthur said, diving back beneath the waves.
Clark flew toward the main entrance. "Victor, can you track your father?"
"Basement level, reactor room three," Victor confirmed. "But Clark—"
A parademon slammed into Clark mid-flight.
His reduced strength made the impact more painful than before.
He grunted, grabbed the creature's wings, and threw it into the harbor.
Barry became a red blur, weaving between parademon claws.
His swords sliced through wings and armor in precise strikes.
Twelve creatures fell in as many seconds.
"Speed still kills," he muttered, shaking blood off the blades.
Victor landed on the facility's roof.
His arm transformed into a plasma cannon.
Energy beams lanced down, clearing the upper floors methodically.
Back on Themyscira...
The battle raged across the entire island.
Amazon spear formations held the beaches.
Diana fought beside her sisters, her sword singing through the air.
"Hold the line!" Episteme commanded. Archer ready !"
Arrow flew through sky, and perademon in thousand coming.
Golden shields locked together in perfect unity.
Parademon charges shattered against the Amazon wall.
Ojaga and Steppenwolf dueled in the palace courtyard.
The Saiyan's tail whipped around, striking Steppenwolf's wrist.
The electro-axe went flying.
Ojaga followed up with a ki-enhanced knee strike to Steppenwolf's ribs.
The impact sent the warrior crashing through a marble pillar.
"What are you?" Steppenwolf gasped, struggling to rise.
"I'm Saiyan," Ojaga replied, golden aura flaring brighter. "We get stronger during battle."
"And you just gave me a really good workout."
Steppenwolf's eyes filled with something he hadn't felt in millennia.
Fear.
Bruce descended from above, lightning crackling around his fists.
"SHAZAM'S LIGHTNING!"
The magical bolt struck Steppenwolf directly.
The ancient warrior screamed as electricity coursed through his armor.
Ojaga didn't waste the opening.
He charged forward, both hands glowing with concentrated ki.
"This is for invading our world!"
The double-palm blast struck Steppenwolf in the chest.
The explosion was visible from orbit.
When the smoke cleared, Steppenwolf lay motionless in a crater.
But he wasn't dead.
His hand weakly reached for a small device on his belt.
A boom tube portal opened beside him.
With his last strength, Steppenwolf grabbed the Themyscira Mother Box.
"This... isn't over," he wheezed. "Darkseid comes..."
He fell through the portal just as Diana's sword struck where his head had been.
The portal closed.
The parademons, without their commander, began retreating in panic.
Amazon warriors cheered across the battlefield.
But the victory felt hollow.
Queen Hippolyta approached Ojaga, who was breathing heavily.
"You fought like the Old Gods themselves, young warrior."
Diana looked at the empty Mother Box chamber. "He escaped with it."
Bruce powered down from his Shazam form. "So now he has two of three."
Ojaga wiped sweat from his forehead. "Next time he won't get away."
"There may not be a next time," Diana said grimly. "If he gets the third box..."
"Then we make sure he doesn't," Bruce replied.
At Gotham Harbor, Clark carried Dr. Stone out of the facility.
"The calculations," the older man gasped. "He forced us to synchronize two of Mother Boxes already."
"One more and he can reshape the entire planet."
Clark's jaw tightened. "Then we stop him."
Barry and Victor joined them outside.
"All hostages secured," Barry reported.
"Facility cleared," Victor added. "But Clark, my readings show massive energy signatures converging, I felt the boom tube activity. Steppenwolf's regrouping somewhere."
Clark looked up at the stars. "Then we'd better be ready."
"Because next time, he might not come alone."
In the depths of space, aboard a massive warship, Steppenwolf knelt before a towering figure.
Darkseid's eyes burned red as he studied reports of the battle.
"So," the dark god rumbled. "Earth has warriors after all."
"Prepare my personal fleet," he commanded. "I will handle this myself."