Nina formed another handseal, and with a puff of smoke, a shadow clone appeared beside her.
"You know the plan," Nina said in Max's voice.
Her clone nodded and darted off into the distance. Nina folded her arms, eyes on the horizon. The ocean churned and boiled, and within moments, a colossal tsunami rose from the depths,an unstoppable wall of water that blotted out the skyline.
Hall of Justice
Alarms blared as Barry skidded to a stop beside the main console. Satellite images flickered across the massive screen, showing a monstrous wave hurtling toward the coast.
"Uh, Batman,still nothing from Cyborg, but you should really see this," Barry said, voice tight.
"What's going on?" Shazam asked, floating closer.
"I see it," Batman said, his voice grim. "Get it on the main screen."
Barry zoomed in. The feed displayed a towering wave miles wide,bearing down on the eastern seaboard.
"A mother of all tidal waves is headed for the East Coast," Barry said.
Shazam's eyes widened. "Is that… Metropolis?"
"Yes," Batman replied.
"ETA to impact?"
"Twenty minutes."
Shazam clenched his fists. "How are we supposed to evacuate an entire city in twenty minutes?"
Batman didn't look up. "We can't. If we don't stop it at the source, a lot of people are going to die."
Metropolis Coastline
The massive wave halted just short of the city's edge. The water split down the center, and from the newly formed trench marched thousands of Atlantean soldiers, their armor glinting like shark scales under the sun. At the forefront strode Orm, trident crackling with power.
Rows of U.S. tanks and Humvees lined the shore. Helicopters hovered overhead as General Sam Lane stepped forward, megaphone in hand.
"Atlanteans! This is General Sam Lane of the United States Army! You are ordered to stand down!"
Orm smirked, his eyes glowing faintly. "I am King Orm of Atlantis, and you, General, are in no position to issue orders."
He raised his trident high. "For Atlantis—kill the humans!"
A thunderous roar erupted from the Atlantean ranks as they charged.
"Open fire!" General Lane barked.
The beach exploded into chaos. Gunfire and energy blasts collided in midwater as explosions shook the coast. Hovercrafts screamed through the air, unleashing plasma bolts that incinerated tanks.
Orm thrust his trident forward, releasing a surge of lightning that obliterated a cluster of Humvees in a blinding flash.
From above, Shazam descended like a comet, slamming into an Atlantean hovercraft and blowing it apart. He grabbed another by the wing and hurled it into the ocean before turning to blast a squad of soldiers.
The Flash blurred through the battlefield, zipping between enemy lines, disarming and knocking out Atlantean warriors in a dizzying streak of red.
Then the rest of the Justice League arrived—Superman cutting through the clouds, Wonder Woman's sword gleaming as she dove into the fray, Green Lantern raining down constructs of light.
Riding a swirling bubble of water, Mera landed in front of Orm, her eyes blazing.
"Stop this madness at once, Orm!"
"It's King Orm to you, traitor," he snapped.
"You'd commit mass genocide just to feel powerful? To make Atlantis safe?"
"Victory is the only way to ensure our safety," Orm declared.
Mera hurled a tidal wave at him, but Orm swung his trident, splitting it apart. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the ocean, throwing her back into the sand.
"Seize her," Orm ordered coldly. "Let her watch my triumph."
Two soldiers stepped forward and restrained her.
Then, lightning cracked across the sky, striking Orm square in the back.
He turned, unharmed, to see Shazam hovering with one hand outstretched.
"It seems we can both call down lightning," Orm said with a smirk. "Let's see whose is stronger."
He raised his trident toward the storm above. The clouds churned—and a blinding bolt of divine lightning slammed down onto Shazam, engulfing him in white light.
When it cleared, a small figure fell to the ground ,Billy Batson, dazed and smoking.
Orm scoffed. "So these are your defenders? Pathetic."
"This will actually be easier than I ever dreamed," Orm said, grabbing Billy by the scruff of his shirt. He raised his trident, ready to strike—when a sonic blast slammed into him. Orm staggered back as Cyborg descended, his arm cannon still emitting powerful sonic waves.
HE swooped in, scooping Billy into his arms. "Hang on, kid"
But before he could take off, Orm hurled his trident. The weapon pierced straight through Cyborg's chest, the sound of tearing metal echoing through the battlefield. Cyborg gasped, his systems screaming warnings in his head as sparks burst from the wound. He dropped Billy and fell to one knee.
Orm stalked forward, ripping his trident free and stabbing it into Cyborg again,this time unleashing a surge of electricity. Cyborg screamed as the voltage tore through him, the red glow of his cybernetic eye flickering and dimming before he collapsed, unconscious and smoking.
"Take this, you bastard!" a voice shouted.
Orm turned just in time to see a massive, glowing green hammer crash down toward him. He barely dodged as it shattered the ground where he'd stood moments before.
Green Lantern hovered in the air, gritting his teeth. "You just picked the wrong surface world to mess with!"
Orm snarled and raised his trident, unleashing a bolt of lightning that struck Lantern square in the chest, blasting him through a building.
He was about to fire again when a golden lasso whipped around his trident, yanking it out of his grip. Wonder Woman pulled it toward her, lightning dancing across her armor as she held on, teeth clenched against the pain.
"I admire your determination," Orm said, extending his hand as the trident began to pull back toward him. "But the trident is mine to command. Now hand it over, wench."
With a violent tug, the trident flew back into his grasp, dragging Wonder Woman forward. Orm met her mid-air with a brutal punch that sent her crashing into a truck. He leveled the trident at her as it began to crackle with power again.
Then something moved. A blur.
Orm barely caught it in his peripheral vision before a heavy punch smashed into his jaw, sending him tumbling through the debris. He rolled and skidded to a stop, spitting blood.
Wonder Woman lifted her head, dazed—just in time to see a familiar figure standing in front of her, hand outstretched.
"Need a hand?" Max asked, smiling faintly.
Wonder Woman took his hand as he helped her up. Her eyes narrowed. "Why are you here?"
Max's smile widened. "I'm here for you, of course."
"Wanna take him down together?" Max asked.
"Can't you take him alone?" Wonder Woman raised an eyebrow. She knew full well that if Max really wanted to, he could end this fight in an instant.
Before Max could respond, Orm released a bolt of lightning toward them. Both heroes dove aside as the blast scorched the ground between them.
"You take the left, I'll take the right," Wonder Woman said.
"Alright," Max replied, breaking into a sprint beside her.
Orm fired another blast of lightning toward Max, but he flipped over it effortlessly. Wonder Woman reached Orm first—his trident swung in a wide arc, but she ducked low and countered with a brutal uppercut that snapped his head back.
Before Orm could recover, Max appeared beside her and landed a crushing punch to his jaw, sending him skidding backward. His mask shattered on impact.
Max and Wonder Woman exchanged a quick glance before charging again. They struck simultaneously—Orm raised his trident to block, but their combined force sent him flying. He crashed onto his back with a heavy thud, groaning as he tried to rise.
"I am the King of Atlantis!" Orm roared, fury flashing in his eyes. "I will not be humiliated by filthy surface dwellers! Feel my wrath!"
He thrust his trident skyward. Lightning struck the weapon's tip, gathering into a blinding surge of energy.
Max didn't hesitate. Chakra spiraled in his palm. "Rasengan!"
Orm released the bolt of lightning, a roaring torrent of power. Max charged head-on, Rasengan humming violently as the two forces collided. The clash lit up the battlefiel,blinding arcs of blue and white energy that crackled around them.
Wonder Woman shielded her eyes as Max pushed forward, teeth gritted.
"Rasengan!" he shouted, driving the sphere into Orm's abdomen.
Orm's battle suit shredded under the impact, his stomach twisting from the counterclockwise rotation. Max forced the Rasengan deeper, its energy erupting violently as Orm's body was launched backward. He spun through the air, carried by the Rasengan's rotation, before crashing into a distant building with an explosive boom.
Max straightened up, dusting his hands before turning toward Wonder Woman with a faint smile.
"That was some nice teamwork," he said. "We should definitely spar together sometime."
Before she could reply, a deep explosion echoed a few blocks away. Smoke rose into the sky as Wonder Woman glanced toward the source.
"I have to go," she said, spreading her arms to take off.
but Max caught her hand gently. "Diana, wait."
She turned to him, brow raised. "What is it?"
"The reason I came here was to invite you to our family dinner," Max said. "Are you coming?"
. "Yes… Nina has already told me. This is Thena's idea, right?"
"Yeah," Max admitted with a chuckle. Then his tone softened. "But… I also want you to be there because there are a lot of things I'd like to discuss with you."
As he spoke, his feet began to lift off the ground, wind swirling lightly around him.
"So please.....make it."
And with that, Max blasted off into the sky, disappearing into the horizon and leaving Wonder Woman standing in silence, her thoughts lingering on his words.
End of chapter .
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