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Ben stepped closer to her. His boots scraped against the wooden floor. He stopped within arm's reach. His voice stayed level, controlled in a way that made Alan's stomach tighten.
Ben: "Tell me the incantations I need… to end it once and for all."
The room went still. The hum of the lights pressed down on them.
Diana's jaw shook. She swallowed hard. Her lips parted, nothing coming out at first.
Diana, barely audible: "You… knew? But I never… I… showed…"
Ben did not move.
Ben: "Now isn't the time. Just tell me."
Her fingers curled against her palms, nails biting into skin. She shut her eyes, drew a shaky breath, then spoke. Each word came slower than the last, dragged out like it hurt to release them.
Diana voice trembling: "O lux divina caelestis, descende super daemonem tenebrarum.
Inimice omnis sancti, te in oblivionem deleo.
Per aeternam Dei vim, existentiam tuam in aeternum erado.
Forma tua in nihilum dissolvat, numquam reditura."
The lights flickered. A cold pressure rolled through the room, heavy against their chests. Alan's ears rang. The air felt thick, like it was resisting every breath.
Diana's shoulders dipped. She braced her hands on her thighs, forcing them to stay still. Her breathing came uneven.
Ben stood there, unmoving. His eyes stayed on her as if he were carving the sound of her voice into memory.
A sharp buzz broke the silence.
Ben's communicator lit up. Richard's voice cut through the static.
Richard: "HeroCorp is calling every available hero we have. But all S rankers are still off- world. They cannot return from that Mars mission in time. There are only A and B rankers left as reinforcement."
Ben's jaw clenched. A muscle jumped near his temple.
Ben: "That won't be enough."
Another signal chirped.
Diana grabbed her own device, pacing two steps before stopping. Her fingers pressed hard into her forehead.
Diana: "How many heroes can you spare?"
A woman's voice answered, strained and rushed.
Woman: "I'm sorry, miss. We can't send anyone else at the moment. Most heroes are already handling global disasters. Evacuations are underway, but Megalodon is too dangerous. We don't have the numbers."
The call is cut to static.
Diana's hand tightened around the device until her knuckles drained of color.
Diana: "All of you are useless."
Ben turned slightly, shoulders squared.
Ben: "Richard. Who do we have?"
The pause stretched. Too long.
Richard: "It doesn't look good. Some heroes aren't answering. Most went to evacuate civilians. Some were too scared. There are thirteen. Maybe twenty willing to fight and waiting for dispatch. They won't last long, but they'll try to buy you time. You're the only one with a real chance, Mentis. Good luck."
The line went dead.
Ben released a slow breath through his nose.
Ben: "They'll send what they can."
Diana looked up at him. Her eyes shone, unfocused. She stepped forward, lifting a hand. Her fingers were cold when they touched his cheek.
Diana: "Why… Why is this happening to us? Now of all times. We don't have enough heroes. And Megalodon…"
Her voice cracked. Her thumb trembled against his skin.
Diana: "I can't lose you. That spell takes years off your life. Please don't use it. Please…"
Ben closed his eyes. He leaned into her touch for a brief moment, then pulled her close. He kissed her hard, desperate. She clutched at his armor plates, kissing him back like she was afraid to let go.
Ben, low: "I'll do whatever it takes, Diana. Don't be sad… love."
Her knees buckled. She dropped to the floor, the sound of bone against concrete sharp in the quiet room.
Diana: "Ben… no… no, please…"
She broke down, hands covering her face.
Alan moved without thinking. He knelt beside her, arms wrapping around her shoulders as her body shook.
Alan: "Have faith in Father… h he's the strongest. He won't lose that easily."
Ben looked at them both… and something inside him twisted. He swallowed hard. Turned away fast.
His armor formed around him, piece by piece. Plates locked into place with sharp metallic clicks. Dark blue and silver caught the dim light, sealing over skin and cloth until nothing human was left exposed.
The room stayed silent.
Black Mentis looked at Diana one last time. He tilted his mask slightly, just enough to suggest hesitation, though his posture never weakened.
Black Mentis: "This may be goodbye. Diana… take care of the kids."
The words landed heavier than he intended.
The air around him compressed suddenly. A sharp pressure burst outward, papers snapping against the walls as his body vanished in a clean, violent displacement.
Alan's shoulders dropped. He lowered his head, fists clenched at his sides.
Alan, barely above a whisper: "Good luck… Father."
Diana stood frozen for a heartbeat longer. Then her breath hitched. She dragged the back of her hand across her cheeks, smearing tears she hadn't noticed falling.
Her voice came out thin, unstable.
Diana, whispering to herself: "I… I need to break this curse. I'm close. I don't have much time left…"
Her fingers trembled as she pressed them against her temple, forcing herself to breathe evenly.
Far from the facility, the night sky above Ember City split apart in a violent flash of white.
Black Mentis reappeared in the center of a ruined intersection.
His boots struck shattered pavement with a heavy crack. Loose gravel skittered away from the impact. Heat slammed into him instantly, smoke stinging the air filters in his armor.
Burning buildings leaned at broken angles around him. Flames crawled up exposed steel beams, snapping and hissing as wind tore through the streets. Crimson lightning arced across the clouds overhead, illuminating the devastation in sharp, violent pulses.
Ember City was collapsing.
Screams echoed between the ruins. Civilians staggered through debris, some dragging injured companions, others clutching children as they ran. A woman tripped over a slab of concrete and was yanked upright by a hero who did not slow down. Another building groaned as its upper floors began to give way.
Black Mentis straightened slowly.
The ground vibrated beneath his feet.
At the base of the shattered Demon King statue, the air distorted violently. Space folded inward, twisting into a rotating black spiral that tore itself open like a wound.
Megalodon emerged.
His obsidian armor scraped against itself as he stepped forward, each movement heavy and deliberate. Smoke rolled off his frame in thick waves. Six glowing eyes swept across the city, tracking motion, fire, and fleeing life with predatory focus.
Megalodon: "Hmph. This should keep everyone busy while I take care of my objective."
His voice reverberated through the streets, rattling loose glass and sending a ripple through the already-panicked crowd.
He raised one massive hand.
Two portals snapped open behind him, ripping through the air with explosive force.
Demons poured out.
They did not move with order. They surged forward in a chaotic flood. Some cracked and burned like skeletal remains wreathed in flame. Others were massive, their muscles fused with jagged metal plates, blades and hooks growing directly from their arms. Dark fluid dripped from their weapons, splattering against the pavement as they landed.
They howled as they ran.
Megalodon extended his fingers forward, his gesture precise and cold.
Megalodon: "Follow the plan, minions. If you fail… our deal is neutralized."
The demons did not answer. They did not need to.
Heroes collided with them seconds later.
Explosions lit the streets as powers were unleashed. Fire slammed into stone. Energy beams tore through bodies. Steel clashed against claws. Shouts of commands and screams of pain overlapped as the battlefield ignited in full force.
Black Mentis stood at the center of it all, watching the war unfold, his fists slowly tightening as he locked onto Megalodon.
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