The roar hadn't finished echoing through the forest before Diana moved.
She didn't hesitate, didn't flinch, didn't even blink at the size of the creature standing where a frightened sixteen-year-old boy had been seconds ago. Her stance shifted instantly, weight balanced, shield raised slightly as her eyes tracked every movement of the towering green figure in front of her. She had fought monsters before. She had faced gods, beasts, and things far worse than anything most people could imagine.
"Dinah," Diana said, her voice sharp but controlled, never taking her eyes off the creature. "Go get Clark. Then you and Hal evacuate the village. I'll hold him here."
Dinah didn't argue. She took one last look at the massive figure, her jaw tightening as it let out another low, rumbling breath that seemed to shake the air itself. "Try not to die," she muttered, already backing toward the door.
Diana allowed herself the smallest hint of a smile. "I won't."
Then Dinah was gone as the creature's attention snapped fully onto Diana, its massive hands clenching into fists as it took a step forward. The floor cracked under its weight, splinters of wood breaking apart as the already damaged structure groaned in protest.
Diana moved first as she lunged forward, closing the distance in an instant as her shield came up to intercept the first wild swing. The impact was immediate and thunderous, the force of the creature's punch slamming into her shield hard enough to send a shockwave through the room. The walls shuddered, dust falling from the ceiling as the entire structure threatened to collapse around them.
Diana held her ground.
"Steve!" she called out, her voice cutting through the chaos as she pushed back against the blow. "You need to listen to me!"
The creature didn't respond as it roared again and swung its other arm in a wide arc, aiming to crush her outright. Diana ducked under it, the massive fist tearing through what remained of the wall behind her as wood exploded outward into the forest. She pivoted immediately, driving her shoulder into its torso and forcing it backward through the doorway.
They burst outside as the sunlight hit them both as the creature stumbled a step, then regained its footing, its massive frame towering over her. Its chest heaved, each breath louder than the last, its eyes glowing brighter now as the rage inside it built.
Diana didn't give it time as she charged again, faster this time, her fist slamming into its jaw with enough force to snap its head to the side. The impact echoed across the clearing, the sheer power behind the strike enough to stagger it. She followed immediately with another blow, then another, each strike precise, controlled, aimed to disorient rather than destroy.
For a moment it worked as the creature stumbled back, its movements slower, uncoordinated as it tried to process the hits. Diana pressed the advantage, stepping in and driving her knee into its midsection before slamming her shield into its chest, forcing it further back toward the trees.
"Fight it!" she shouted. "You're still in there!"
The creature growled, low and deep, shaking its head as if trying to clear it. Then something changed as it planted its feet.
Diana's next strike landed but this time, it didn't have the same effect. The creature barely moved, its body absorbing the hit like it was nothing. Its head turned slowly back toward her, its glowing eyes locking onto hers with something new behind them.
"Okay…" Diana muttered under her breath, adjusting her stance.
The creature moved faster than before and it's fist shot forward, catching Diana across the shield and sending her sliding backward across the dirt. She dug her heels in, stopping herself before she lost balance, but the force of the hit was different this time stronger and heavier.
It roared again and charged and Diana met it head-on, bracing herself as their clash sent another shockwave through the clearing. She blocked one punch, then another, but each one was coming faster now, harder than before. The creature wasn't just lashing out anymore. It was getting stronger using its rage to focus on hurting her.
Diana shifted, dodging to the side as a fist slammed into the ground where she had been standing, leaving a crater in its wake. She countered with a strike to its ribs, then spun and drove her heel into its side, forcing it to stagger a step.
But it didn't stay down it came back harder as a massive hand caught her mid-motion, grabbing her by the arm and slamming her into the ground with brutal force. The impact knocked the air from her lungs as the earth cracked beneath her, a deep indentation forming where she hit.
Before she could recover, it swung again but she rolled just in time, the fist crashing into the ground beside her, sending dirt and debris flying. Diana pushed herself up quickly, bringing her shield up as another strike came down, the force rattling her entire body as she blocked it.
He's getting stronger. she realized.
Every second.
Every hit.
The creature roared again, louder now, more intense, as it pressed forward relentlessly. Diana held her ground, deflecting, countering, but the balance was shifting. What had started as control was quickly becoming survival.
Another hit slipped through and the creature's fist slammed into her side, sending her flying back through a cluster of trees. Wood splintered as she crashed through them, finally hitting the ground hard enough to leave a shallow crater where she landed.
For the first time she stayed down for a second and the creature advanced, each step heavy, deliberate, unstoppable.
Then a blur of red and blue cut through the air and impact was instant and devastating as Superman hit the creature from the side at full speed, driving it across the clearing and into the ground with enough force to shake the entire area. The earth cracked beneath them as they slid, carving a path through dirt and stone before finally coming to a stop.
Diana's boots scraped against broken earth as she steadied herself, the last echoes of impact still rattling through her body. Before she could fully reset her stance, a blur of red and blue dropped beside her, the air cracking softly with displaced force as Clark landed. He turned to her immediately, concern written clearly across his face despite the chaos still unfolding around them.
"You alright?" he asked, his voice low but urgent, his eyes quickly scanning her for injuries.
Diana nodded once, rolling her shoulder slightly as she exhaled. "I've been hit harder," she replied, though there was no denying the strain in her posture. Her gaze shifted past him, locking onto the towering green figure as it pushed itself back to its feet, chunks of dirt falling from its massive frame as it rose again as the creature's eyes burned brighter now.
"That's Steve," Diana said firmly.
Clark blinked, his expression shifting instantly from readiness to confusion. "What?" he asked, glancing between her and the creature like he hadn't heard her correctly.
"Something happened while we were talking," Diana continued, her tone steady despite the weight of it. "He transformed into this. I don't fully understand it yet, but the longer the fight goes on…" She paused briefly, watching the way the creature's muscles tensed, the way its breathing deepened. "…the stronger he gets. His anger feeds it."
Clark's jaw tightened as he looked back at it, really seeing it now, not just as a threat but as a person buried somewhere underneath. "Like Doomsday," he muttered.
Diana nodded.
The ground cracked as the creature took a step forward then another and then it charged and Clark didn't hesitate.
"I've got this," he said quickly, stepping in front of Diana as the creature closed the distance. "Go. Help evacuate anyone nearby."
Diana held his gaze for a second, measuring the situation, then gave a single nod. "Be careful, Clark."
Then she was gone, launching into the air in a blur as she moved toward the village.
Clark turned back just in time to meet the charge and the impact was immediate and violent.
The creature slammed into him like a freight train, driving him backward across the clearing as the ground tore beneath their feet. Clark dug his heels in, stopping their momentum with a sharp exhale before driving his fist forward into the creature's chest. The blow landed hard enough to send a shockwave through the surrounding trees, leaves shaking loose as the force rippled outward.
The creature barely flinched and it swung back as Clark raised his arm to block, but the sheer weight behind the hit still forced him back a step, the pressure traveling through his body as the creature followed with another strike, faster this time, more controlled. Clark countered, ducking under the swing and driving an uppercut into its jaw, snapping its head upward.
"Steve!" Clark called out, hovering slightly off the ground now as he reset his stance. "You need to fight this! You're stronger than whatever this is!"
The creature roared in response and it lunged again, its movements faster than before, forcing Clark to fully take to the air. He shot upward, creating distance for a split second before diving back down, his fist glowing faintly with heat vision energy as he drove it into the creature's shoulder.
The impact cratered the ground beneath it.
But it still got back up and that made Clark frowned slightly.
"Yeah… that's not good," he muttered under his breath.
The creature leapt as it didn't just jump but launched itself upward with enough force to crack the ground beneath it, closing the distance in an instant as it collided with Clark midair. The two of them slammed together, their combined momentum sending them hurtling across the sky.
Clark caught it mid-flight, locking his arms around its torso as he forced them higher.
"Let's get you away from people," he said through clenched teeth.
The creature didn't like that as it thrashed violently, driving its head forward into Clark's face with a brutal headbutt that snapped his head back. Clark's grip loosened just enough for the creature to bring its fists down onto his back, hammering him repeatedly with enough force to shake the air around them.
Clark gritted his teeth, tightening his hold as he pushed higher, clouds forming around them as they climbed.
"Not… happening," he muttered.
The creature roared again and broke free as its fist slammed into Clark's side, sending him spiraling downward as the air rushed past him in a blur. The creature followed immediately, diving after him like a missile.
Clark stabilized just in time but got hit again and the impact drove him straight into the ground.
Concrete exploded as he crashed through a street, the force of it carving a massive crater into the middle of a city block. Cars were thrown aside, alarms blaring as debris rained down around him.
Clark groaned, pushing himself up slightly and froze.
Buildings.
Traffic.
People.
"…Los Angeles," he muttered, realizing it instantly.
"Great," he added under his breath.
The creature landed seconds later and the ground cracked again as it hit, standing tall amidst the destruction as its glowing eyes locked onto Clark once more.
"Alright," Clark said, standing fully now as he brushed dust from his torn suit. "We're gonna have to move this somewhere else."
The creature didn't care.
It charged and Clark met it head-on again, their fists colliding with a thunderous crack that echoed down the street. Windows shattered in nearby buildings as the force of their clash sent another shockwave outward.
They traded blows. Clark struck with precision, aiming for control, trying to slow it down, but the creature fought with raw power, each hit heavier than the last. It caught him across the jaw, sending him skidding across the pavement before slamming into a parked car hard enough to crumple it around him.
Clark pushed himself out of the wreckage, blood at the corner of his mouth now as his suit tore further along the shoulder.
"Okay… you definitely hit harder now," he muttered.
The creature roared again, louder than before and came back stronger.
It grabbed Clark this time, lifting him off the ground before slamming him into the street repeatedly, each impact cracking the pavement further. Clark managed to break free with a burst of strength, driving his knee into its chest before launching it back with a powerful punch.
But it didn't stay down it never stayed down.
Clark hovered slightly, breathing heavier now as he wiped the blood from his lip, his eyes narrowing.
"Diana was right," he said quietly. "You get stronger the angrier you are."
The creature growled, stepping forward again and Clark exhaled slowly.
"Alright," he said, squaring up. "Let's see how far that goes."
They charged at each other again and the sky split with lightning.
A bolt of pure energy slammed down between them, forcing both to stop as the ground exploded from the impact. The air crackled with power as the light faded, revealing a new figure standing between them.
Shazam.
He looked between the two of them, then let out a low whistle. "Okay… yeah," he said, glancing at Clark. "You definitely needed backup."
It didn't hesitate, didn't pause to understand the new arrival. It simply roared a deep, violent sound that rattled what remained of the street and charged forward with enough force to crack the pavement beneath its feet. Shazam barely had time to react before the creature slammed into him, driving him backward like a missile. They tore through a line of cars, metal folding around them as Shazam was sent skidding across the street, his boots digging trenches into the asphalt.
"Okay yeah, that's… that's a problem!" Shazam shouted, shaking out his arm as he pushed himself back up.
Clark was already moving. He shot forward, intercepting the creature mid-charge and tackling it through the side of a nearby building. The impact sent a shockwave through the structure as concrete exploded outward, glass raining down as the upper floors cracked under the force.
"Stay on him!" Clark called out, driving a punch into the creature's chest.
Shazam launched in from above, lightning crackling around his fist as he brought it down across the creature's back. The combined blows staggered it for a moment, its massive frame dropping to one knee under the pressure.
For a second it looked like they had control but the creature's head snapped up, its glowing eyes burning brighter as it let out another roar. It swung wildly, catching Clark across the jaw with a brutal backhand that sent him flying through two walls before he crashed into the street outside. Shazam followed up with another lightning-charged strike, but this time the creature caught his arm mid-swing.
"…Oh shit!" Shazam muttered.
The creature slammed him into the ground 3 times. Each impact cracked the pavement further until the street beneath them collapsed inward, forming a deep crater. Shazam groaned as he was finally released, rolling to the side as he struggled to get his footing again.
"That's… new," he said through clenched teeth. The creature turned and was gone.
A red streak tore through the battlefield, circling the creature in rapid bursts before striking it repeatedly from multiple angles. The Flash moved faster than the eye could follow, each hit precise, calculated, aimed at destabilizing it.
"Hey big guy, over here! And here! And okay, maybe not there…" The creature adapted. It's hand snapped out mid-motion and caught him.
Barry didn't even have time to react before he was slammed into the ground hard enough to send a shockwave through the street. The impact knocked the air from his lungs as the creature dragged him a few feet before tossing him aside like he weighed nothing.
Barry groaned, barely managing to roll out of the way before a chunk of debris crushed the spot where he had been. "Okay… yeah… I'm sitting the next hit out…"
A massive green construct crashed into the creature's side, forcing it to stumble as Green Lantern stepped forward, his ring blazing with energy.
"Alright, big guy," Hal said, forming a series of restraints that wrapped around the creature's limbs. "Let's see how you like being held down for a…"
The creature flexed and the constructs shattered instantly.
"…second," Hal finished, eyes widening.
Before he could react, the creature closed the distance and drove its fist straight into Hal's chest. The impact launched him across the street, his construct flickering out as he crashed through a storefront and disappeared into the debris.
Diana descended next, her timing perfect as she drove her shield into the creature's shoulder, forcing it to stagger. She followed with a precise strike to its jaw, then pivoted, landing another blow to its ribs with controlled, devastating force.
"Steve!" she called out, her voice cutting through the chaos. "You are stronger than this!"
For a moment the creature hesitated them it grabbed her. Its massive hand wrapped around her arm, stopping her next strike mid-motion before slamming her into the ground with overwhelming force. The impact cracked the street beneath her, and before she could recover, it lifted her again and hurled her through a nearby building.
Diana crashed through concrete and steel, finally coming to a stop several floors deep as the structure partially collapsed around her.
Clark reentered the fight instantly as he slammed into the creature from behind, wrapping his arms around it and driving it forward across the street. "You're not hurting anyone else," he growled, pushing it back with everything he had.
The creature fought back harder. It drove its elbow into Clark's side, then its head into his face, forcing him to loosen his grip. A second later, it twisted free and slammed both fists down onto Clark's back, sending him crashing into the street hard enough to leave a crater beneath him.
Clark pushed himself up slowly, blood at the corner of his mouth now, his suit torn across the chest and shoulder. The creature roared again and charged and they collided head-on. Their fists met in the center of the street with a thunderous crack that shattered nearby windows and sent a visible shockwave outward. Clark held his ground for a moment, matching the strength but only for a moment.
Then the creature pushed harder and Clark was forced back step by step until the creature drove its fist into his chest and launched him through a building across the street.
Shazam rejoined from above, calling down another bolt of lightning that struck the creature directly. The energy surged over it, crackling violently but instead of weakening it, the creature roared louder, its muscles tightening as it pushed through the blast.
"Why does that make him stronger?!" Shazam yelled
"Because nothing is easy!" Hal shouted from the rubble as he forced himself back into the fight, forming a massive construct hammer and swinging it into the creature's side.
The hit landed but the creature caught the construct and shattered it.
Hal barely had time to react before the backlash sent him flying again, his ring flickering as he hit the ground hard.
Batman's voice cut through the comms, sharp and focused. "You're feeding it. Every strike, every escalation it's adapting in real time."
"Then what do you want us to do? Ask it nicely to stop?!" Barry shot back, still recovering.
Before Batman could answer the creature grabbed Clark again and this time, it didn't just slam him it jumped.
The ground exploded beneath them as the creature launched itself into the air, carrying Clark with it before driving him back down into the city with catastrophic force. The impact carved a massive crater into the street, surrounding buildings cracking as the shockwave rippled outward.
Clark didn't get up immediately as the creature stood over him, breathing heavily, stronger than it had been at the start of the fight.
Then a new presence entered.
Martian Manhunter descended quietly, untouched by the chaos as his eyes glowed faintly. He didn't look at the destruction.
He looked at the creature.
"I will try something," he said calmly.
The creature turned toward him, roaring again as it prepared to charge but J'onn was already reaching out not physically but mentally. The moment he connected, his expression changed.
"This mind…" he said softly. "…it is fractured."
The creature hesitated mid-step.
"There are two," J'onn continued, his voice tightening. "One consumed by rage… and one buried beneath it."
Clark forced himself up slowly, wiping blood from his mouth as he looked at J'onn. "…Steve?"
J'onn nodded faintly. "He is still there."
The creature roared again, trying to push forward but something slowed it and J'onn's voice softened. "Steve… can you hear me?"
Inside the storm of rage something stirred.
"Your parents would not want this," J'onn continued.
The creature faltered and it's glowing eyes flickered.
"Wake up."
The battlefield held its breath as the massive frame trembled as the green began to recede, slowly at first, then faster as the creature's body started to shrink. Muscles contracted, bones shifted, the transformation reversing violently as the rage lost its hold.
Then it collapsed.
Steve lay in the center of the destruction, unmoving.
The city around them was in ruins, smoke rising into the sky as sirens echoed in the distance. Every member of the League stood battered, bruised, and breathing harder than they wanted to admit.
Clark stepped forward carefully, kneeling beside the boy.
"He's alive," he said quietly.
Batman steps forward and says "We need to go." A beam swollows them all as they disappear.