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***
"This Batman...," Will thought intently as he stepped out of the electric trap with the Kryptonite seal of the God of Thunder.
A prepared route with the help of Liberty Van and general information on the situation was exactly what Will lacked to make confident decisions. Without a doubt, if it wasn't for Batman's support, he would have failed. He simply wouldn't have had the confidence to go and destroy the platforms if the knowledge of their exact location. Otherwise, he might have hung in a network of corridors, trapped, and accomplished nothing.
Will had a feeling that the preparations for this, including the costume and his friendship with Vanessa, were all one big Batman preparation for a possible invasion. However, since even Batman didn't know everything for sure, their enemy was really smart. And since that was the case, Will had a vague hunch that trouble was just beginning.
Of course it was a coincidence. No one could have realized in advance that the Apocalypse would invade Earth when they had no information about it. Predicting a space invasion was basically an impossible task for Earthlings, since they had only started going into space relatively recently. Only Batman had the ability to do so. However, the level of preparation that Batman had done in the case of an alien invasion well demonstrated that he foresaw all the necessary measures that could have been taken by an ordinary person. What was worth it was Liberty Van's ability to analyze and identify alien technology from a distance and the appropriate level of combat tools to deal with traps. Besides, a cursory observation of Willard was enough to appreciate all of Minato's abilities and guess that he could be quite adept at invading an enemy base, and eliminating traps. If anyone could boast of sneaking into an enemy base unnoticed, it was a shinobi.
There was a network of traps all along the way that Will had to push forward. And all the while, there were a couple demons on his tail, including some that were still waiting for him ahead.
Bypassing the enemies at high speed, Will ran down the dark, narrow corridor, but Liberty Van's data on the further layout and construction of the buildings was still missing.
"I apologize, Master Minato. Unfortunately, a further enemy network is making it difficult to analyze the data and the underground part of the building. Someone or something is blocking the satellite signals. Presumably, our enemy has guessed at scanning the underground lab area. Further advancement is extremely dangerous, I recommend you retreat and end the mission. Your injuries from the destruction of the two platforms are reaching critical levels."
«So you can't scan the rest of it properly? - Will sighed.
"Quite right. There's not enough time left to analyze the entire network of traps and the path to the last platform. You're having a hard enough time getting through them with the data I've given you, and now the chance of you succeeding is close to zero."
«Then let's do it another way. Find where the last platform is most likely to be. I'm going through the traps blind.
Soon, two cannons appeared in front of him and fired two red beams at him.
***
Willard appeared on the surface of Gotham City, right with Kara in his arms. The surface of the ground was still clear, and the only thing visible on the horizon was the heroes flying up. The sky seemed more peaceful and calm than ever after all he had been through. It seemed this endless matchmaking would never end. But here it finally came to an end.
Karen slowly opened her eyes and saw the sky-blue eyes of Willard Light. He was staring thoughtfully into the distance.
«Are you awake, Sonya?
«Willard Light..." she lowered her eyes guiltily, gripping her head with a trembling hand, "I'm sorry...I was out of it.
«It's all right," he said confidently, not at all like his old self, "it's not your fault.
«Thank you..." she gave out embarrassedly.
She flew up from his arms and stood on the roof.
«Did we make it?
«I don't know yet.
«You don't know? - she wondered, finally noticing how heavy and intermittent his breathing was. His whole body was covered with blood, his and someone else's, green and foreign. She pressed her lips together. - As far as I know, you destroyed all the portals.
«I guess.
«You used to be more cooperative.
Will smiled awkwardly.
«You also never said you could be so strong.
«In terms of pure strength, you're much stronger than me.
Karen let out a caustic chuckle.
«That's a good one. I couldn't do anything with you at all. I thought speed was the only thing you were better at, but it wasn't.
Will shrugged.
«In some ways I'm actually a little better than you," he said lightly, already completely relaxed. It was evident even in his eyes, which were closing with fatigue.
«A little? - she arched an eyebrow derisively.
Willard walked to the edge of the roof and looked down. There, soon enough, would be the remnants of the para-demons, who would somehow make it to the surface of the earth without the aid of platforms. There were too many of them, after all.
But also somewhere from the east side, countless Justice League ships were already gradually approaching. Some of their members were already running between the houses and evacuating people, there they were, Willard could see their small silhouettes from below, and then he sighed tiredly.
«I guess that's the end of my work," he looked at his palm, which felt both his own and yet foreign, he squeezed it once to taste the cool air one last time. He lifted his head and smiled.
«What are you talking about? - Karen asked awkwardly, stepping to his side.
But Willard's gaze was only a smile and a strange, contagious calm, like the pleasant serenity of a rainy, lazy morning. Looking at him, Karen froze.
«I managed to destroy the platforms leading the para-demons upstairs, but they had an alternate route. Tell the others that most likely the enemy has an alternate gate and they were expecting to be spotted," Will frowned. - Whoever was behind this invasion had thought of everything, including the absence of Superman and Batman.
«I don't understand...
«Yeah, well, you just woke up. Hmm... Anyway, Superman and the League should be able to handle it. Be careful next time, Karen, it took me a lot of effort to get you out of Darkseid's control," Will muttered, his eyes closing tiredly.
Before Karen could realize the meaning of his words, Will began to slowly fall to the roof... and fell right into her arms.
«He's just sleeping...?
***
Heroic squads surrounded the NewFuture Research Laboratory, and met the onslaught of para-demons that burst out of the ground.
Kara, who had flown up to the tower, was one of the first to meet them. She saw the platforms on which the winged creatures with wings began to appear in the laboratory. As it turned out, there were more than three of them. With a horrible roar, the pair of demons immediately lifted off the ground and began to swarm in different directions like buzzing locusts.
A wave of unstoppable chaos immediately engulfed the nearby streets, and Kara clenched her fists and slammed into one of the platforms, crushing it like aluminum sheeting with all her strength. The parade-demons standing on the platform began to fall into the cracks that formed, right onto their brethren flying from below. And soon Kara was surrounded by dozens of them, who immediately rushed at her.
«Kara, you're going too far away! - John shouted, using the power of the ring to create a shield that the Para-demons attacking Kara crashed into.
«John!" she shouted excitedly.
«We've managed to evacuate a tiny fraction of the people, so focus on protecting the population!
«Okay...
But right as she spoke, the platform beneath her feet began to completely collapse, and Kara fell through without noticing as a bunch of para-demons wrapped their arms around her legs and then her arms, dragging her deep down.
«KARA! - Shouted John, reaching for her.
But the darkness of the para-demons had already closed his path, attacking with new and renewed vigor. Their numbers seemed far greater than Vanessa had warned. And John suspected something was wrong.
With a squeak of his heart, he raised the bracelet's built-in oration, and announced to all Justice League squads:
«Kara's fallen into the depths of the lab! I need backup now!
Out of nowhere, a shadow appeared above him, and opening its jaws, the para-demon charged at him from behind. But an arrow flew past him, stabbed him in the eye, and then exploded, sending a hot wave of heat over Jon.
«Be careful, buddy, or we'll have to save more than just Kara," Green Arrow winked cheerfully, then turned serious, "and how much time do we have before she gets eaten?
«Ask for something easier," John said gravely.
Green Arrow sighed grimly, glancing back. There were para-demons everywhere, and they were innumerable. Kara had destroyed one platform, sacrificing herself, but the others... there were more than three still intact, and the Para-demons kept coming and coming.
«We're in bad shape. Either you come with me to rescue the girl now, or I'll go alone," Green Arrow said grimly.
John hummed.
«You ask.
Meanwhile, para-demons began to crawl out from underneath the destroyed platform like cockroaches. Green Arrow fired a couple of arrows at them with an explosion, and John picked him up with his Green Ring.
Together they were descending deep into the laboratory, into the heart of the invading army of Apocalypse.
They didn't encounter many para-demons on their way down.
«I guess the girl's still alive, or there'd be a shitload of them here," Green Arrow grinned.
«Not a cause for rejoicing, if there really are that many of them, I'm afraid to imagine how long she'll last," John said with cold iron, speeding downward so that Green Arrow's hat flew off his head, but he grabbed it just in time.
«Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy, buddy! I've got clients to work with!
Three arrows snapped from the bowstring and struck the walls. An explosion, and a pile of debris began to fall right on top of the Para-demons flying toward them.
«Do you think that's a better solution? - John said glumly.
«We could use a little air support," Green Arrow snorted.
And so they finally came down, right on top of a pile of rubble and the para-demons collapsed beneath them. Looking up at the several-meter-high mountain, Green Arrow took hold of his cap and whistled.
«This place is a mess.
«Hmm...
John flew forward, looking around. There was destruction everywhere, crumpled walls, and para-demons lying on the floor. But despite how many enemies had been defeated, his heart clenched for some reason.
«This lab looks more like a demon factory," Green Arrow said grimly, "We're literally walking through ruins.
The green vats lay on its side, and beneath it the molten iron floor gleamed dimly in the darkness. The heroes stopped at a huge hole in the wall that seemed to have no end, and she stared at each other in surprise.
«Was it our girl who went on a rampage? - Green Arrow asked.
«I hope not, because I shudder to imagine what could have made her hit the enemy so well.
Both knew what Kara was capable of, of course, but neither of them could recall her ever being so far apart.
Then Kara's voice came from somewhere behind them. The men rushed straight there, ran into a long corridor near the platform, and came out into a wide hall that contained a huge, downright gigantic portal, with para-demons flying out of it every now and then. Above the portal was a wide open teleportation vortex that went straight into the city.
«So that's how they got Gotham so fast, oh shit," Green Arrow whispered.
«Look over there," John added quietly, opening his eyes.
Kara was in the hands of a huge titan shrouded in black armor. His face was as stone as the rest of his skin, as if he were a golem rather than a living being. The giant's eyes burned with an imperious fire, and he regarded Supergirl in his grip the way a tyrant does with a purely businesslike interest.
«So, Kryptonian. You'll make excellent meat for my army," he said, holding out his hand to the para-demon standing next to him.
The para-demon had a mother box in his hand, pulsing with a red glow. He placed the box in Darkseid's hands, and the titan took his time pressing it against the weakened Kara's chest.
EXAMPLE.
And Kara shuddered painfully, began to scream. Darkseid smiled slightly and threw the maiden to the floor, a terrifying transformation began that enveloped the girl's entire body in liquid, as if alive nasty red metal.
The red metal began to consume her flesh and then engulfed the rest of her body. When it was over, only Kara's head and neck remained exposed.
«Enough, I can't look at this one anymore," Green Arrow threw irritably, reaching out for the arrow.
But John stopped him.
«What?! If you get in my way, I'll--
But John's face was pale, and he pressed his lips together in pain. Green Arrow hesitated for a moment when he saw his eyes.
And it became a critical mistake.
Red omega rays burst out of Darkseid's eyes and hit directly at Green Arrow, who was distracted at this time.
«Arrow!
The omega beams made a turn, and curving sharply over Jon's head, pierced him with effortless precision as well.
As the heroes collapsed to the floor, Darkseid calmly loomed over them. Kara stood beside him, already converted to his faith.
«Looks like the League's already sniffed around here. Take them to Apocalypse," Darkseid said, raising a blazing gaze to the portal leading to Gotham. - We're launching a full-scale invasion.
***
Fragus 24. The other end of the galaxy. SOME TIME BEFORE THE INVASION BEGAN.
The ground shook as if struck by a great earthquake. No, it wasn't just the ground beneath his feet that shook, it was the whole world he was trapped in.
Batman rushed to the main computer on the ship, hastily typing in the commands necessary to get in touch with Earth. But not a single signal reached its destination, as if he was knocking on empty.
«Shit!" he pounded his fists furiously on the keyboard, but there was no response.
"Darkseid lured me to this planet on purpose to distract me from the main thing. Invasion," he thought, lifting his gaze to the reddening sky.
He was surrounded by an entire army of para-demons with other heroes, and for several minutes now they had been desperately fighting off their attack.
It all started with a strange energy source on the other side of the galaxy and a signal that terrified the Green Lantern Corps. It was like a complicated digit that threatened to destroy an entire planet, and to solve it one of the Green Lantern members, Hell Jordan requested the help of someone who could solve any puzzle.
The request was very cunning, and according to the Green Lanterns only Batman was able to solve it, going from one planet to another and saving them from imminent destruction. Of course, neither the Lantern Corps nor Batman could ignore such a threat - entire civilizations were at stake. But in the end, Bruce found himself here, so far away that any hint of Earth was an empty sound. He'd realized it the first time he'd seen it - it was a cipher for the Apocalypse, a trap Darkseid had prepared especially for him, luring him in.
As it turned out later, Darkseid himself was in a completely different location, preparing for a full-scale attack on Earth.
Batman could not even imagine that Darkseid himself would single him out among all the heroes, lure him alone here, to the edge of the galaxy, just so that he would not interfere with his plans to take over the Earth.
Batman's worst blunder was that this was the first time he was facing such a formidable and cunning foe.
"Don't misunderstand me, Batman. Only minds like us can understand each other," were the last words Darkseid left him, recorded in a hologram when Batman finally made it to the para-demon base on Fargus-24.
Batman slammed his fist into the wall, stepped out of the ship, and looked around. The desolate red planet of mountains and lifeless cobblestones grinned nastily at him in the dusty winds. At least several hundred para-demons lay dead corpses near the ship, and a huge barrier hung over the planet Fargus-24, cutting off all communication and preventing the Dark Knight from returning home.
He pulled a box from his pocket, opened it, and Darkseid's face reappeared in the recorded message:
«You have only a few days to solve the riddle that keeps you in this world, Batman. In that time, you can be sure I'll leave no stone unturned in your world," Darkseid said, his lips curving into a nasty smile.
And then the message dawned and disappeared.
***
«Clark, the connection to John is down," the Martian hunter shouted, fighting off an onslaught of para-demons.
«That's too bad, but we have a bigger problem to focus on right now. We're walking into a prearranged trap," Clark said with concentration.
They were surrounded by a swirling, whirlwind-like crowd of para-demons. Clark and the Martian hunter huddled back to back after they were surrounded.
The sky was reddened as if soaked in blood, and the air shook with the occasional explosions. As he watched the crumbling city from his vantage point, Clark looked up at the countless throngs of para-demons full of steel.
«We'll help them soon, John. Give me a couple minutes.
Clark's eyes flashed red, and he immediately sliced the dense crowd of para-demons in two. Then he flew into their ranks, generating whirlwinds of air, and the ranks of the enemy began to thin with each new moment.
Meeting the clawed paws with his face and chest, Clark crumpled like breaking branches.
The para-demon who had grabbed his bicep immediately flinched when Clark coldly whipped his hand across his cheek, and there was nothing left of the para-demon's head.
With air-cutting waves, Clark slammed the head of the para-demon into the ground, just before it attacked the wounded Captain Atom from behind. The man didn't even realize what had happened, and Clark flew on, smashing large clusters of enemies like dominoes in seconds.
The strongest para-demons that had names were driving Captain Marvel into the ground as he shouted "Shazam!" and a large bolt of lightning scattered them like scraps of meat. The little boy, Billy Batson, lay on the ground, lifting his chest heavily. The dust prevented him from breathing, and he coughed out a goofy grin as the sky above him darkened. Para-demons towered over him in unthinkable numbers, threatening to tear him to shreds.
But at the last moment they were swept away by a huge boulder like gnats. Clark appeared above Billy, holding out his hand, but his face, normally kind and friendly, turned hard and serious.
«Are you all right, Billy? - Clark asked.
«Yeah...thanks, Superman.
And Clark flew farther away, spawning waves of sprawling enemies.
As he flew, he could see many enemies, too many, so many that he couldn't possibly have time to deal with them all at once. Even Superman wasn't enough. His hearing picked up the movement of the Flash, who took on most of the enemies and successfully rescued those Clark couldn't save, but even Barry's efforts were barely enough to save everyone. They were covered from the rear by Wonder Woman and Aquaman, who raised Atlandita in an unequal battle against Apocalypse's advancing army.
But Superman didn't see their situation improving much.
Then he heard someone calling his name, it was... Kara's voice, and Clark's heart shuddered and his eyes widened in confusion.
Clark's kind heart was open to all people, but only a few of them were so close to him that it was simply unbearable for him to endure their pain.
Clark immediately snapped out of his seat and traveled hundreds of kilometers in a matter of moments, not noticing with excitement the earth and nature tearing beneath him. And when he finally reached his destination, he saw something that made him freeze with shock.
Darkseid stood with his back proudly straightened, his hands tucked importantly behind his back, and he subdued the trembling Loisque Lane... in Kara's hands, with a cold concentration in his gaze.
«Lois... Kara? - Clark said with a sinking heart, taking a hesitant step forward.
«Don't be so hasty, Kal-El," Darkseid said with great courtesy, even politeness, as he took a lock of Lois's hair in his rough thumbs, "there's no one on this planet stronger than you, and that's why you're the only one who can stop me now, Kryptonian. And that's why you're the only one who can stop me now, Kryptonian. To avoid that... I hope you realize what you need to do to keep me from killing your loved ones? - Darkseid's lips twisted into a haughty grin.
«Clark, don't listen to him, save the earth! - Lois screamed, trying to get out of Kara's grip," Ugrah... let me go, Kara!
«It's no use, she can't hear you anymore. She belongs to me completely and irrevocably.
«I serve the Great Darkseid and no one else," Kara said melancholically, gripping Lois' hands so tightly that she yelped.
«Your decision, Kryptonian," Darkseid said with a glint in his Scarlet eyes.
«What are you going to do to them if I obey you? - Clark said, holding back his anger.
Darkseid grinned contentedly.
«Of course, I will leave them alive to subjugate you, if one day you are foolish enough to defy me again. At any moment of your life, Kryptonian, I will have power over your will. However, you can listen to this woman and see the breathless bodies of your lovers and loved ones right now," he finished, wrapping stony fingers around Lois's chin, indifferent to other people's pain.
***
When Willard awoke, there was endless noise all around. Metal shuddered and metal shuddered, and the burning sky above his head was on fire. The smell of burning fire hit his nose, and Will jumped to his feet fearfully, feeling his body grow heavy and pull backward as if it were filled with lead.
«That hurts...damn.
With mixed and confused feelings, Will noticed Karen sitting on the roof, frowning at what was happening and doing nothing, as if struck by something terrible. And it was strange, because in Will's memories she had almost killed him, and now she was stripped of that metal armor wrapped around her entire body-that is, the mother box that had taken control of her.
«Karen! Hey... Karen, can you hear me? - He asked, and then froze, taking in the shards of the other self's memories in his brain.
Now he knew what had happened before, but he was even more surprised when he grabbed his head from the brain tearing pain.
«Ah...
«You've finally come to your senses," came a voice behind him.
Will turned around uncertainly and saw Vanessa, who looked no better than a beaten dog. Her costume was badly damaged in places, and her exposed skin was covered with painful red burns that made him want to look away. She was holding a small laptop in her hands, apparently a bit modernized by Batman's technology, and breathing heavily.
Will asked the first thing that came to mind:
«What happened to you? Where is everyone?
Vanessa grinned sadly and lowered her eyes tiredly.
«Darkseid won.
Willard had a horrifying view of the ruined Gotham City, covered in fire and ruins like a picture of hell unfolding. Para-demons flew about it like predators, searching for human survivors, some of the resistance fought back doggedly, taking the fight. The corpses of heroes like Green Lantern, Falconer and the rest lay on the ground, and those were among the ones that caught Will's eye. It was hard to imagine how many casualties there were, some had been taken hostage and carried away to a portal that opened up in the sky red like a black hole. Ordinary people had managed to evacuate, but otherwise the situation was stalemate and completely hopeless. Shocked, Willard stepped back, and at that moment Liberty Van's voice sounded in his ear.
"Master Light, I have a message for you from Master Bruce. He has given orders to turn it on if the situation becomes critical."
In the settled noise and chaos, Batman's calm and focused voice rang out:
"Willard Light, if you're hearing this message, then my worst fears have been confirmed..."
The sequel follows....
End of Volume Two.
***
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