The streets were chaos.
Explosions echoed through the city blocks, as the alien army tore through buildings, vehicles, and whatever stood in their way.
The alien army was vicious—gray-skinned, with long limbs and jagged exoskeletons. Their eyes glowed a sickly orange, and they moved with unnatural agility. Some had wings, leathery and bat-like, while others crawled like spiders along buildings with their jaws dripping with venom. They were otherworldly, animalistic, and utterly relentless.
Their movements were twitchy, erratic, animalistic. They descended in waves, screeching as they fired fire blasts from their mouth and slashed through anything that moved.
But this city wasn't defenseless.
Blurs of red lightning zipped between them—The Flash, in all his high-speed glory, was a crimson comet across the battlefield. He zipped between blasts, disarming enemies, redirecting fire, delivering rapid punches in flurries too fast to see.
"Tag! You're unconscious!" Flash quipped as he ran circles around a group, creating a vortex that sent them flying into nearby walls.
Above them, green light shimmered like a celestial firework.
Hal Jordan AKA Green Lantern—was in the sky, his emerald ring conjuring weapons, barriers, and massive constructs with ease. A roaring green train plowed through a line of flying aliens. Chains burst from nowhere, yanking them mid-flight and slamming them to the ground. Turrets formed around him and began firing energy blasts.
"Eat this, freaks!" he said with a grin before forming a giant glowing green minigun.
Down below, moving in shadows, was the Batman. Using his intellect, precision, and gadgets to kill them. He also used explosive batarangs that detonated with perfect timing, taking out clusters of them.
And yet, despite their differences, the trio fought in sync.
Flash zipped in to disarm one. Batman struck it down with a well-timed taser. Lantern blasted the next with a giant boxing glove construct. They moved as a unit—each complementing the other.
Finally, after a brutal skirmish, the last few aliens fell. The street was littered with burning husks, broken weapons, and the smell of ozone.
Batman knelt beside one of the fallen creatures. His cape flared around him as he studied its form—taking in the serrated armor, pulsating flesh, and strange alien symbols.
A glowing figure descended beside Flash.
"My man!" Green Lantern landed with a bright grin. "Flash—you're doing some solid work out in Central City."
He extended a hand, which Flash eyed with confusion.
"Uh… thanks?" Flash replied before cautiously shaking it. "Do I know you?"
Lantern gave him a wink. "Nah. But you will."
Flash then looked toward Batman, awkwardly scratching his neck. He jogged over with a mix of admiration and nerves. "Hi, uh… sir… Batman, sir. I'm a big fan. Huge, actually."
Batman stood up before dusting off his gloves. His gaze met Flash's for a second longer than necessary. "I've heard of you, Flash. Good work in keeping your city safe."
Flash's heart skipped a beat. He lit up with a boyish grin.
Behind them, Lantern rolled his eyes. "You done with the fanboy moment, Flash?"
Before he could respond, a new sound filled the air.
Whrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhh.
Hundreds more aliens emerged from the darkened clouds above, flying toward them in perfect formation.
Batman's jaw clenched. "There's too many of them. We need to close the portal—they're pouring in without end."
Lantern nodded. "Yeah, and how exactly do we do that?"
But then—the aliens went quiet. Every creature in the sky stopped mid-air.
The clouds above twisted. The night sky darkened, wind picking up with an eerie howl. Lightning danced between clouds.
Lantern's expression shifted. "Uh… is it just me, or did they all just freeze?"
Batman's eyes narrowed. "They didn't stop. Someone stopped them."
In the sky, the aliens trembled—struggling like puppets suspended by invisible force.
CRAAAAACK!
Lightning arced from the heavens. A thousand bolts slammed into the suspended horde, turning them to ash mid-air. Their bodies disintegrated in brilliant flashes, raining down as dust.
Then a heavy thud is heard behind them. Superman landed, cape billowing like a flag. His eyes scanned the scene.
"Whoa," Flash whispered. "It's the Man of Steel."
A moment later, another figure descended. Diana AKA Wonder Woman—landed with elegance and her lasso glowing faintly at her side.
Lantern's eyebrows raised as he nudged Flash. "Dibs." He flew up to her with a cocky grin. "Hey there, beautiful. Name's Lantern. Green Lantern." He conjured a bouquet of glowing emerald roses. "You ever need a light—"
Before Diana could react, a bolt of lightning split the sky and struck the ground between them, forcing him back. Lantern jumped back before raising a barrier. "Hey! Who the hell—"
Another figure landed in the middle of the battlefield. His presence was commanding. Electricity danced along his body. His eyes glowing bluish-white. It was Ethan.
Lantern blinked. "Alright… Who the hell is this guy?"
"Perhaps," Ethan said calmly before looking in certain direction, "it's better to deal with the problem in front of us."
All heads turned in that direction.
Three aliens—burnt, limping, and terrified—had survived. They screeched and took flight, fleeing the area.
Lantern pointed after them. "Yeah, you better run before I turn you all into glowing ash!"
Ethan turned toward him, 'Is this guy serious?'
Batman stepped forward. His analytical gaze swept over Ethan.
"They're not retreating. They're regrouping," he said. "It's a common tactic. Tactic for a counter-offensive. They'll return with more."
He then studied Ethan. "Thanks for the help. I've never seen you before. Are you new to… this?"
"You're welcome, My name is Ethan." Ethan said with a small nod. "And yeah… I'm new to this—world."
Batman caught the wording. 'This world.' His eyes narrowed.
Superman stepped forward. "Alright… now what?"
Batman looked at the sky. The portal still shimmered faintly above the city.
"I don't know," he admitted. "We don't know anything about them. Not enough to plan our next move."
The silence that followed was heavy.
The distant crash of shattering glass and tearing concrete pulled everyone's attention upward.
Something — no, someone — was spiraling wildly through the air like a malfunctioning missile. The figure smashed through the corner of a tall building, tumbled across a billboard, and clipped a crane before finally slamming hard into the pavement just ahead of the group. The impact cracked the street and sent up a gust of smoke and debris.
Everyone immediately dropped into a defensive stance.
Out of the smoke rose a tall mechanical figure, unlike anything they'd seen before — part man, part machine. A metallic body wrapped in sleek black plating, glowing blue lines pulsed across his limbs, and a circular red light hummed on his chest. But what truly stood out was the left half of his face — still human, with rich brown skin, a sharp jaw, and a single expressive eye filled with surprise and confusion.
Diana's eyes narrowed. Without thinking, she surged forward before drawing her sword, "This one's mine," she declared flatly, not breaking stride.
The mechanical figure held up his hand with his eyes wide. "Wait—!"
But his body moved instinctively, systems reacting before thought. A weaponized cannon formed over his right hand, whirring to life with a charging hum. It discharged a beam of crackling blue energy directly at Diana.
She didn't flinch. Her arms crossed into a defensive X as the blast closed in—
BOOM.
But the beam never touched her. A flash of lightning split the air and a figure appeared between them — so fast it was almost like he teleported. It was none other than Ethan Carter.
The energy blast struck directly into his chest and dispersed with a sizzle of smoke.
The others gasped, Diana's jaw tightened in fury. "You shot him," she growled and ready to fight him.
But when the smoke cleared…
And Ethan stood there, completely unharmed, brushing dust from his shirt.
"That didn't even tickle," he said with a smirk before brushing his shoulder like swatting off lint.
The mechanical man blinked. "Wait, I'm not with them!" he shouted, pointing to a half-burnt alien corpse nearby, barely recognizable as anything humanoid.
Before Diana could raise her sword again, Flash zoomed in and slid between them with his arms extended.
"Hold up! Hold up!" Flash said, "He's telling the truth. I've seen him in Star Labs. I think he's one of ours."
Suddenly, the skies sparked with yellow lightning, and a muscular figure floated down from above, hooded, surrounded by crackling electric arcs. A glowing lightning bolt blazed on his chest as he slowly descended with short white cloak fluttering behind him.
He landed between Ethan and Diana with an easy smile. "Hey, everyone. Name's Shazam. What's up?" he said casually and then pointed toward the cyborg. "I'm with him."
Lantern raised a brow and crossed his arms. "Okay, seriously. Is lightning some kind of common superpower now?" He pointed to Ethan. "We had the blonde guy throwing storms earlier," then gestured to Shazam, "and now this walking power surge shows up. I feel like it's the trending thing."
Flash chuckled. "You're just jealous yours is green."
"My power's versatile," Lantern muttered.
The cybernetic figure turned toward the hooded man, voice dry. "You're not with me."
"Rude," the man replied with a playful grin before lowering his hood to reveal his face.
Lantern floated down beside them before frowning. "And who the hell are you, Robocop 2.0?"
The cyborg gave a tired sigh. "Name's Victor. But that's not important right now. What is important is what I know."
Batman's eyes narrowed beneath the cowl. "Which is?"
Victor stepped forward and had grim expression, "I've interacted with their tech. They're not just invading — they're terraforming. They're reshaping Earth into a world fit for them. We're in the middle of a full-scale conversion."
Batman's expression darkened. "I suspected as much."
Lantern glanced sideways. "Oh yeah? What gave it away, Detective?"
Batman turned and pointed toward the coastline. "One thing. The water's on fire."
All heads turned.
Sure enough, flames danced across the surface of the ocean, boiling steam rising in waves. Then, with a deep mechanical rumble, the sea split apart — a massive black tower rose from the depths, jagged and alien in design, humming with power.
Before anyone could react, more towers began to emerge across the skyline — not just from the sea, but erupting from the land as well. The ground shook as skyscraper-sized structures clawed their way from beneath cities, forests, and ruins, spreading across the planet like an infection.
At the pinnacle of each tower, a glowing red light flickered to life — like a beacon or a gate.
And from that light, they came. Parademons. Swarms of them, leaping, flying, screaming, pouring out like a plague. Hundreds at first which then turned to thousands.
Victor stared at the towers in horror. "They're using the towers as dimensional gateways. Each one opens a rift… and they're flooding through."
They all flew in different directions.
Superman's expression darkened. "What are they doing?"
"I'm not sure," Batman said lowly. "But they're not killing everyone. From what I've observed so far. It's like... they're… harvesting."
Flash's voice cut in. "It's happening all over the world."
Victor spoke again, "They're converting people into them — Parademons. They use their tech to override minds and bodies. They strip away what makes you human."
Suddenly, a blinding beam of light erupted from the central tower, illuminating the sky with ominous crimson.
Victor's face drained of color. "We're too late. He's here."
From the heart of the energy, a massive figure slowly emerged he looked like a god among monsters.
He stood nearly ten feet tall. Broad and powerfully built, his armor was made of a seamless gray-metal substance etched with ancient symbols. His skin was ashen stone, chiseled and impenetrable. His eyes glowed a piercing, unwavering red, crackling with omega energy and behind him, an endless swarm of parademons followed in perfect, dreadful silence.
Victor whispered with dread in his voice, "He's here... Darksied."
Lantern gave a dry chuckle, "Well, I guess that's our bad guy."
Batman replied flatly. "Lucky guess."
Superman narrowed his eyes at the figure. "He doesn't look that tough."
As if to answer his arrogance, a squadron of military fighter jets roared overhead before releasing a salvo of missiles aimed directly at Darksied.
The explosions lit up the sky—until the smoke cleared, revealing him completely unharmed.
Zzzzzzraakk!
His eyes flared with red fury, twin beams of pure destruction slicing through the sky, vaporizing the jets
Twin Omega beams spiraled out, zigzagging mid-air and tearing through all the aircraft with surgical precision. Each one exploded in fiery balls across the sky.
Ethan stood at the front with a grin stretching across his face. 'This is it... a real battle. One that'll push me further.'
But even amid that thrill, he didn't forget the civilians. He may not have worn a cape or symbol, but letting innocents die wasn't his style. 'I may not be a hero... but I'm not letting innocent people die either.'
He reached out with his mind — his telepathy expanding like a web — and formed a link between everyone present.
"Everyone, this is Ethan."
The group blinked in unison, startled by the voice echoing inside their heads.
'Wait... you can talk inside our heads?' Flash asked and excited.
'Whoa! That's awesome.' Shazam chimed in.
Ethan chuckled mentally. 'Yeah, just one of my powers. But focus up. We've got company. Grey and ugly isn't waiting. We need a plan. Here's the strategy.'
He took command with the kind of clarity and conviction that surprised everyone, especially Batman.
'Flash — you're the fastest. Prioritize getting civilians to safety before those things can grab them.. Clear as many blocks as you can. Set up a safe zone. Shazam, Lantern, Superman — I need you three to keep the skies and streets clear. Control the air and slow their advance.'
'Victor — you said you've interfaced with their tech. Do it again. Find a way to reverse their portals. If you need anything, Batman's got your back. He can guide and help coordinate the others.'
'Me and Diana will go for the big guy. We'll try to keep Darksied occupied.'
Everyone turned to Ethan in stunned silence, even Batman raised an eyebrow.
'Impressive... precise, effective. And delivered with no hesitation.' Batman thought. 'He's new to this world... but not new to war.'
As the plan settled in, Darksied descended slowly, his arms behind his back like a king observing ants.
But within that link, a skeptical voice broke through.
'Why the hell should I listen to some guy I've never met?' Lantern muttered in the telepathic channel. 'I've got a power ring and I think I can handle that gray freak myself.'
His voice was deep and ancient, echoing across the battlefield. "I am entropy. I am death. I ... am Darksied."
Lantern scoffed. "Yeah? I don't care what you are." He ignited his ring, forming a massive, glowing metallic arm construct. "Let's see if you can handle this!"
He launched forward, the fist slamming toward Darksied's chest — only to shatter like glass. Lantern's eyes went wide. "What the—"
Darksied raised his hand and backhanded Lantern with monstrous force. The green warrior was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing into a distant building and disappearing into the rubble.
The others stood stunned—but Ethan didn't wait. In a blink, he appeared in front of Darksied, faster than the eye could track.
Even Darksied looked surprised by the sheer speed.
Lightning danced around Ethan's body, and his right arm blazed with Phoenix Flames and blue lightning. He didn't hesitate — He delivered a thunderous punch to Darksied's face, flames and lightning converging at the point of contact.
Boooom...
The tyrant flew backward, skidding across the ocean's surface and crashing into one of his own towers.
The others stood frozen. "Did he just..." Flash whispered.
Parademons screamed and surged forward in response — hundreds, then thousands.
Ethan turned towards them calmly before raising his left hand. Thunder boomed as a tornado of lightning spiraled from his palm, ripping across the incoming swarm.
The sky tore open. Electricity danced wildly. The vortex swallowed the airborne beasts, the Parademons were incinerated mid-flight, one after another, the tornado swallowed the airborne beasts, reduced to ash in a wave of power that cleared an entire sector.
Silence fell.
He turned back toward the group with a feral grin. His body is still crackled with energy, "You listen to me because I'm the strongest one here."
...
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