Above the ruins of Wakanda, the former royal palace had been reduced to shattered walls and rubble.
The air was thick with smoke, dust, and the acrid smell left behind by burning energy.
At the heart of this apocalyptic scene, the most inconceivable negotiation in the history of the universe was taking place.
Link sat quietly on a mostly intact stone sculpture, still cradling Harley Quinn, whose breathing was faint and whose body had become almost transparent. His God King armor was riddled with cracks. The majesty and mockery that had once marked his face were gone, leaving only bone-deep exhaustion and coldness.
Across from him stood the core members of the Resistance Army.
Batman remained hidden in the shadows, revealing only a pair of eyes gleaming with shrewdness and vigilance.
Captain America was covered in dust, his shield scarred with scratches, but he still stood tall, embodying humanity's last resolve.
Wonder Woman, Diana, stood to one side with a conflicted expression. Her gaze kept straying to Harley in Link's arms, filled with guilt and inner turmoil.
"We don't have much time." Batman broke the silence first, his voice like two stones grinding together. "Those 'Eradicators' have only retreated for now. They're reassessing our threat level. Their next attack will hit with overwhelming force."
Link did not look up. He merely ran his fingers gently through Harley's golden hair, which had also begun to turn insubstantial.
"I can lead you against these 'things.'" Link's voice was hoarse, stripped of its former divinity and majesty. "I possess the Six Infinity Stones. Even with my connection damaged, I'm still the only being in this universe who can contend with them on the level of laws."
His words carried an undeniable truth. The heroes fell silent. They had witnessed firsthand how the Eradicators