Batman stared at the array of flickering screens in his hidden bunker deep within the jagged peaks of the Appalachian Mountains. The air was thick with the hum of machinery, the beeping of alerts echoing off the cold stone walls like a symphony of impending doom. Each monitor displayed a different horror: Metropolis reduced to a smoldering wasteland of twisted steel and shattered glass, where once-towering skyscrapers now lay crumpled like discarded tin cans. New York, the city that never slept, was now eternally silent, its iconic skyline erased, replaced by craters filled with debris and the lifeless forms of millions. Gotham, his own shadowed domain, fared no better—its gothic spires toppled, its streets clogged with the fallen, the Bat-Signal forever darkened.
Canada, vast and unyielding, had been wiped from the map in a blaze of unfathomable power. Reports from surviving satellites showed entire provinces engulfed in flames, forests incinerated to ash, cities like Toronto and Vancouver buried under layers of rubble and bodies. The death toll was incomprehensible—billions gone in hours, their screams silenced by the rampage of a single being. Heroes had fallen like dominoes: Black Canary's cry cut short mid-scream. Martian Manhunter's voice crackled through the comms from the Watchtower, his telepathic link strained as he relayed the grim tally.
"Batman, at this point, we might just be erased," Manhunter's voice echoed, laced with a rare edge of despair. "That being... Goku... he's beyond anything we've faced. The destruction is absolute. Bodies cover the ground like a macabre carpet—men, women, children, all twisted in agony. I've never sensed such loss."
Batman's gloved hands clenched into fists, his cape draped over his shoulders like a shroud. The bunker was a fortress of technology: rows of supercomputers analyzing data streams, cameras patched into global surveillance networks, drones hovering over the ruins for real-time feeds. But all the preparation, all the contingencies, seemed futile now. "Where's Constantine?" Batman growled, his voice a low rumble. "He mentioned having help. We need that now more than ever."
A pause on the line, heavy with unspoken dread. "Constantine is gone," Manhunter replied finally. "His signal vanished hours ago. I can't locate him through any means—physical or psychic. For now, he's not our priority. Zeus himself has fallen; his divine essence scattered to the winds. Shazam's whereabouts are unknown—last seen trying to summon the gods' power, but it backfired spectacularly. Superman... he's barely clinging to life, his cells regenerating slower than the damage inflicted. Cyborg, Lantern, Aquaman—they've thrown everything at him, but Goku shrugs it off like rain."
Manhunter's words came amid the sounds of frantic activity. In the Watchtower's medical bay, he was hunched over the Flash, performing emergency surgery with precision tools and his shape-shifting abilities. Barry Allen lay on the table, his suit torn, wounds from energy blasts cauterizing under Manhunter's care. "The U.S. has launched a full nuclear barrage," Batman interjected, his eyes scanning a tactical map. "Multiple missiles inbound—Trident IIs, Minutemen—ETA less than five minutes. Our hopes are pinned on this. If it doesn't work..."
Manhunter's response was grim. "That man—Goku—leveled Metropolis with a single blast from his palm. It was like the sun itself descended. Nuclear weapons? I doubt they'll even scratch him. I'll keep you posted, Batman. Signing off."
The line went dead. "Fuck!" Batman roared, slamming his fists onto the reinforced table, the impact reverberating through the room. Sweat beaded on his forehead, trickling down his mask, his mind racing through a thousand scenarios, each more hopeless than the last.
Down on the battlefield, amidst the ruins of what was once Washington D.C., the remaining heroes regrouped—or what was left of them. Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, pushed himself up from the dirt, his ring flickering weakly. Blood streamed from a gash across his forehead, his uniform ripped in multiple places, exposing bruised and battered skin. "Shit, we're getting our asses kicked," he muttered, forcing a bitter laugh through gritted teeth.
Victor Stone, Cyborg, groaned as he rose from a crater, his mechanical parts sparking and whirring in protest. "We're on the verge of dying, and you're joking?" he snapped, his human eye narrowing in frustration. Earlier, Goku had slammed him into the ground with such force that it felt like being hit by a freight train from another dimension.
Arthur Curry, Aquaman, gripped his trident tightly, his Atlantean armor dented and scarred. "Canada's in complete destruction—my scouts from the depths confirm it. Entire coastlines erased. We can't stand here talking. Let's return to battle!" With a surge of determination, he dashed forward, his spear gleaming in the dim light of the smoke-filled sky.
Lantern and Cyborg followed, their forms cutting through the haze. In the distance, Superman—Kal-El—fought on, his cape tattered, his body a canvas of burns and bruises. He swung a massive punch at Goku, but the Saiyan dodged at the last possible second, his movements a blur of superhuman speed. Goku's hand shot out, grabbing Superman by the throat. With a sickening snap, he twisted, and the Man of Steel's eyes rolled back, white and lifeless. His body crumpled to the ground, the symbol of hope extinguished.
"Bastard!" Lantern bellowed, his ring channeling willpower into a colossal emerald hammer, swinging it down with the force of a meteor. Goku's aura erupted in response—a golden blaze of Super Saiyan energy, crackling with yellow lightning. The hammer shattered on impact, fragments of green light scattering like fireworks. Goku dashed through the air, a streak of power, as Cyborg unleashed a barrage of plasma blasts from his arm cannon. Goku weaved effortlessly, countering with a ki blast that exploded against Cyborg's chest, sending him crashing through a nearby building.
Lantern retreated upward, soaring toward the clouds in a desperate bid for advantage. But Goku was faster—grabbing his leg mid-flight, yanking him downward with inhuman strength. The impact as Lantern hit the ground created a massive crater, the earth buckling under the force. Bones cracked audibly, blood spurting from wounds across his body. He lay there, gasping, his ring's glow dimming.
Cyborg, meanwhile, had been hurled into a collapsed two-story structure, his systems short-circuiting. Both his arms were severed in the blast, sparks flying from the stumps as he struggled to remain conscious, his vision blurring with error messages.
"Son Goku!" A thunderous voice boomed across the devastation. Kratos, the God of War, charged from the shadows, He moved with the fury of ancient battles, his massive frame barreling toward the Saiyan.
"You're beginning to annoy me," Goku said calmly, his stance unwavering as Kratos closed in. "Just get lost."
Kratos roared, launching a devastating fist. Goku blocked it effortlessly, the impact shattering Kratos' hand bones with a crunch. The Spartan screamed in agony, but Goku didn't relent—he drove his hand forward like a spear, piercing through Kratos' abdomen. Flesh tore, blood gushed, and Goku's fist emerged from the back, coated in crimson. Kratos slumped to his knees, then face-first into the dirt, a pool of blood spreading beneath him.
From behind, Aquaman struck, his trident aimed true for Goku's skull. It connected with a clang—but the spear shattered on impact, shards flying everywhere. In a flash, Goku spun and kicked, his foot connecting with Aquaman's head. The force was minimal for Goku, but catastrophic for Arthur—his skull caved in, brains and bone fragments exploding outward. The King of Atlantis fell, lifeless.
Goku straightened, brushing off dust from his orange gi, his expression one of mild irritation rather than exhaustion. The air around him hummed with power, his hair standing in golden spikes, eyes teal and fierce.
"You're a strong one," a deep, resonant voice called out. From the sky, a figure descended slowly, cloaked in shadows. He was clad in black, his muscles bulging like carved marble, eyes glowing a menacing red. His arms were crossed behind his back, exuding an aura of controlled menace. He hovered there, assessing Goku with a predatory gaze.
Goku looked up, his fists clenching tighter. "This planet is pissing me off," he growled, his Super Saiyan aura flaring brighter, yellow lightning arcing around his form like a storm about to break.
"Show me your power!" the mysterious figure challenged, his voice echoing like thunder.
In an instant, both warriors charged, the air ripping apart as they collided in a cataclysmic clash. The ground trembled, shockwaves radiating outward, cracking the earth for miles. Fists blurred, energy clashed—ki against unknown darkness. The figure unleashed a barrage of punches, each one carrying the weight of shadows, but Goku parried with ease, countering with ki-infused strikes that lit up the sky.
The battle raged on, the newcomer summoning tendrils of black energy that whipped toward Goku like living whips. Goku dodged, his speed creating afterimages, then retaliated with a Kamehameha wave that the figure barely deflected, the blast carving a new canyon into the landscape. They traded blows high in the atmosphere, then plummeted back to earth, cratering the ground anew.
Back in the bunker, Batman's screens captured fragments of the fight—blurs of motion, explosions of light. He watched, analyzing, searching for a weakness. But deep down, he knew: this was no ordinary foe. Goku's power seemed limitless, adapting, growing. The nuclear missiles streaked across the sky now, their trails visible on radar. Impact in seconds.
The explosions lit up the horizon like a dozen suns—mushroom clouds rising, radiation spreading. But when the smoke cleared, Goku stood unscathed, brushing off the fallout like dust. The mysterious figure paused, reassessing, as Goku's aura surged even higher.