"Who are you?" Goku demanded, his voice steady but laced with the thrill of impending combat. His fists clenched tighter, knuckles whitening as his ki surged higher, pushing the limits of his already immense strength. He had faced gods, tyrants, and monsters before, but this newcomer radiated a malevolence that felt ancient and all-consuming.
The figure didn't flinch. His arms remained crossed behind his back, a posture of supreme confidence that bordered on arrogance. His eyes glowed with a sinister red hue, like twin embers from the depths of hell. "I am called Darkseid," he intoned, his voice a deep rumble that echoed through the devastated streets, carrying the weight of countless dead souls. "Destroyer of worlds, ruler of galaxies, universes, and even the realms of gods. You will kneel before me... or perish."
Goku's brow furrowed, a mix of confusion and defiance flashing across his face. He had just dispatched a horde of weak heroes who swarmed him like insects, then two so-called gods who put up a bit more of a fight but ultimately fell short. And now this? A hulking brute demanding submission from a Saiyan? The blood of warriors coursed through his veins—a lineage of proud, unbreakable fighters who bowed to no one. "Kneel? To you?" Goku scoffed, his energy spiking even further, causing nearby debris to levitate and shatter in mid-air. "I've heard that line before from guys who thought they were tough. But a Saiyan like me? We don't kneel. We fight. And I'm gonna make sure you regret coming here!"
Without another word, Goku exploded forward, his speed blurring into invisibility to the naked eye. The wind howled in his wake, kicking up dust and rubble as he closed the distance in an instant, his fist cocked back for a devastating strike.
Darkseid remained unmoved, his expression one of bored indifference. As Goku neared, the lord of Apokolips unleashed his signature weapon: the Omega Beams. Twin streams of crimson energy erupted from his eyes, zigzagging through the air with impossible precision, homing in on their target like guided missiles of doom.
Goku's instincts kicked in. At point-blank range, he swatted the beams aside with the back of his hand, redirecting them effortlessly. The deflected energy slammed into a nearby storey building—the same one where cyborg had crashed earlier—erupting in a cataclysmic explosion. The building groaned and collapsed in a thunderous cascade of steel and concrete, burying the mechanical fighter deeper under tons of debris. Smoke billowed into the sky, adding to the apocalyptic haze that already choked the city.
But Darkseid was no stranger to combat. Before Goku could press his advantage, the New God swung a massive fist, connecting squarely with the Saiyan's jaw. The impact was seismic; the ground beneath them fractured like a spiderweb, cracks spidering outward for blocks. The shockwave alone toppled distant lampposts and shattered windows in the few structures still standing.
Goku staggered back a step, tasting blood, but his warrior spirit ignited. He retaliated with a punch of his own, harder and faster, his blow landing on Darkseid's armored chest with the force of a meteor. The two titans unleashed a barrage of heavy blows, each strike resonating like thunderclaps. Fists blurred in a frenzy of power, the air itself screaming in protest as shockwaves rippled outward. Buildings around them crumbled one by one, reduced to dust and rubble. The earth sank beneath their feet, forming a deepening crater that widened with every exchange. Sparks of energy flew from their clashes, illuminating the darkening sky like fireworks from hell.
Meanwhile, far from the chaos, Bruce Wayne—Batman—sat hunched over his array of monitors. The dark knight's cape draped over his shoulders like a shroud, his eyes narrowed behind the cowl as he watched the feed from surveillance drones hovering over the remnants of Washington, D.C. The city was a wasteland now, much like the others that had fallen before it in this multiversal nightmare. Smoke rose in thick columns, fires raged unchecked, and the skyline was a jagged silhouette of destruction.
"Help has arrived, Constantine succeeded," Batman murmured to himself, his voice gravelly from exhaustion. "But where is he?" He leaned back in his high-backed chair, fingers steepled as he analyzed the data streaming in.
A holographic projection flickered to life beside him, revealing J'onn J'onzz—the Martian Manhunter—from the orbiting Watchtower. The alien's green form was stoic, his red eyes glowing faintly as he monitored vital signs on his end. "I have no idea, Batman," Manhunter replied, his telepathic voice calm yet tinged with concern. "Flash is now out of danger. His lifeline is stable; he should regain consciousness soon." The Watchtower's systems hummed in the background, orbiting Earth like a silent guardian, its sensors beeping as they tracked the escalating battle below.
Batman nodded curtly, his mind racing through contingencies. "Now that Goku is distracted by Darkseid, we need to go in and rescue our team—dead or alive. We retrieve their bodies and retreat." His fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up schematics of the battlefield. "Lantern's status is unknown, same with Shazam. Superman, Kratos... Zeus is confirmed dead. Cyborg's a robot; total destruction is required for finality. Aquaman's loss is a blow—tragic how he went down. Wonder Woman's situation remains unclear."
Manhunter's projection frowned. "It's a suicide mission, Batman. Let us prioritize the living. We can retrieve the fallen later, once the immediate threat is contained."
Suddenly, a new voice intruded into their minds, "Hell, you two are still kicking? Knowing Batman, he's not one to die easily." It was Constantine, communicating telepathically from his vantage point atop a shattered mountain peak on the outskirts of the city. He pulled a cigarette from his trench coat pocket, snapping his fingers to ignite it with a spark of hellfire. Inhaling deeply, he exhaled a plume of smoke that mingled with the twilight air.
Batman didn't miss a beat. "I thought you might have died after summoning Darkseid here."
Constantine chuckled dryly, the sound echoing in their heads. "Could've, mate. But we had a bargain, and here I am. Though he's not the only one I pulled into our world. This battle's about to take a nasty turn." He gazed at the setting sun, its orange glow casting long shadows over the desolation, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
Manhunter interjected, "Batman, Constantine can assist with the plan. His clone magic could create decoys, allowing us to avoid direct danger."
"Agreed," Batman responded without hesitation. "Let's proceed. But first—who is this Darkseid, Constantine? He's not our universe's version."
Constantine took another drag, his eyes narrowing. "This one's the strongest Darkseid across the multiverse, Bruce. Our local knockoff wouldn't stand a pissing chance—would've been squashed like Superman nearly was. I'm heading to you now." With that, the telepathic link faded, leaving a faint echo of his presence.
Batman sighed, rubbing his temples as he switched off the communicator. The weight of the world pressed on him heavier than ever. "The U.S. has declared a worldwide emergency protocol," he noted aloud, scanning incoming alerts. "Radiation is spreading rapidly from D.C. Those nuclear strikes did nothing but exacerbate the damage—more fallout, more chaos." The screens flickered with maps showing contamination zones expanding like a plague, a grim reminder that even if they survived the fight, the aftermath might doom them all.