Darkseid's words were less a provocation and more a statement of fact.
However, for Cronus, the Titans King, this was the ultimate humiliation.
Who do you think you are?
The ancient Titans leader, having just experienced the thrill of crushing his opponent, was now burning with rage. Pointing at Darkseid hovering in mid-air, his roar whipped up a storm, "How dare you speak to me like that?!"
Darkseid did not respond.
This New Gods of Apokolips showed not the slightest emotional fluctuation.
He simply hovered silently, two scarlet beams of light bursting from his calm, still eyes.
Omega Beams!
The beam of light was not a straight line, but drew a strange arc in the air, bypassing Cronus's instinctively raised arms to block, and struck him squarely in the chest in a way that defied the laws of physics.
boom--!
Cronus's massive, mountain-like body was blasted away by the two seemingly slender rays, tracing a pathetic parabola in mid-air before crashing heavily into a distant mountain range, triggering a violent landslide.
"This guy..." Hades, King of the Underworld, narrowed his eyes, and the sulfurous aura around him paused for a moment.
He could sense the power contained in that strike—pure, domineering, and filled with the concept of destruction that would end everything.
"Be careful, Hades." Ares's voice came from within the Destroyer Armor, tinged with unprecedented solemnity. "You were asleep in the Underworld and missed his first 'visit.' This guy... is here to destroy Earth."
One sentence is enough.
Hades instantly understood Ares's implication.
The struggle for dominion is an internal conflict, while Darkseid is an external enemy.
Thus, a bizarre scene unfolded on the battlefield.
Ares of war, and Hades, King of the Underworld, the god of the underworld, who were just about to fight each other, and Cronus, the Titans king who was struggling to get up from the ruins of the mountain, covered in dirt but even more furious, all changed direction at the same time. The three terrifying divine powers locked onto that lone figure.
The war between the New Gods and the Old Gods suddenly broke out at this moment!
At the same time, on the ground of Themyscira, countless Boom Tube tore through space, and a swarm of Parademons, like locusts, poured down, emitting piercing screams as they charged toward the remaining Titans and Amazons warriors on the ground.
"For Themyscira!"
"Roar--!"
The two sides, who were fighting to the death just a moment ago, are forced to join forces when faced with this endless common enemy.
The Amazon Warrior ' spears and the Titans ' massive fists slammed together into the twisted monsters.
Justice League, Watchtower.
The medical room was deathly silent, save for the faint beeping of the life support system.
J'onn the Martian Manhunter and John Stewart the Green Lantern lay inside a medical pod, their bodies covered in tubes.
The scan screen showed extensive fractures and internal bleeding within their bodies; the situation was horrific.
On the other side, Superman, Supergirl, and Shazam lay side by side. Their powerful physiques spared them from fatal injuries, but Cronus's terrifying attack still plunged them into a deep coma, leaving them with severe internal injuries.
"Hey!"
A red shadow limped past. Wally West leaned against the wall, his leg, which had just been forcibly healed by the Speed Force, still somewhat unresponsive. "My leg's broken again! Again! I feel like it's about to have a mind of its own."
Wonder Woman Diana stood in the center of the medical room, her super armor dimmed, with several dents clearly visible.
She ignored the Flash's quip and instead looked at the figure in the shadows in the corner.
" Bruce, what do we do now?"
Batman did not answer.
He stood in front of a huge monitoring screen, which displayed live satellite images of Themyscira.
Four god-level beings are engaged in a world-destroying battle, and each energy collision causes the satellite signals to be violently distorted.
After a long while, his deep voice finally rang out.
"Let's go help those Titans."
"Are you crazy, Bruce?!" Wally jumped up instantly, nearly twisting his ankle again. "That's what those guys beat Clark and the others up! Are we going back to our deaths?"
" Darkseid's goal is to Anti-Life Equation, to utter destruction and enslavement." Batman finally turned around, shadows obscuring most of his face.
Hades, Ares, and Cronus —all they wanted was to overthrow Zeus's rule. Essentially, this was still an internal conflict within the Earth's pantheon; they would never allow Darkseid to destroy the world.
His logic was cold and clear.
Helping them is helping ourselves.
Wally opened his mouth, but couldn't refute the cruel reality. He deflated and leaned back against the wall.
"Okay... so what's our Plan B?"
Batman didn't answer directly, but instead activated the League's internal communications. "All non-core members, deploy immediately worldwide to protect civilians and establish shelters. No one is allowed to approach Themyscira without my order."
He cut off the communication and looked at Diana.
" Diana, can you contact Olympus? Contact Zeus?"
Wonder Woman shook her head wearily. "I can't get in touch with him. He's always the one who contacts me first."
The command center fell silent once again, a sense of powerlessness enveloping everyone.
Just then, Wally muttered to himself, "Why don't we ask Thor for help? He should... be able to take on those big guys, right?"
One sentence brought Diana to a standstill.
Batman also fell into deep thought.
Seeking help from Zeus is like appealing to a known but arrogant old order; the chances of success are unknown, and the consequences could be disastrous.
Seeking help from Thor... that introduces a completely uncontrollable, much more powerful chaotic variable.
Which option carries greater risk?
Just as he was rapidly weighing the pros and cons, two figures appeared in the glow of magic.
Doctor Fate and Zatanna.
"Is there a way?" Batman asked directly.
The two exchanged a glance, and Zatanna shook her head helplessly. " Hades, King of the Underworld, we can try to banish him back to the Underworld. But Ares, the Titans King... and Darkseid are beyond our capabilities."
No changes were visible beneath Batman's mask.
"Think about it again."
He uttered two words, plunging the two magic masters back into a discussion of ancient texts and spells.
When Zatanna and Doctor Fate looked up again, the shadow in that corner was gone.
Batman has disappeared.
Wally shrugged and gave Diana a helpless look.
"That's normal, isn't it?"
Maldives.
The azure sea and the brilliant sunshine created a serene and peaceful atmosphere.
On an unassuming little fishing boat, Thor, dressed in flashy beach shorts and wearing sunglasses, was leisurely fishing with a fishing rod that he had casually compressed and condensed using the laws of nature, shimmering with starlight.
Behind him, the Hawkgirl Shayera was leaning against the ship's railing, taking sips of wine intermittently.
At the other end of the ship, Galatea sat expressionless. Kryptonite suppressed all her power, making her appear as just an ordinary woman with a tall figure and a cold demeanor.
Suddenly, the fishing rod in Thor's hand trembled slightly.
"They've taken the bait..."
Just as he was about to lift the fishing rod, a white light flashed across the center of the boat without warning.
The fishing boat rocked violently.
A figure clad in a black bodysuit appeared out of thin air on the ship.
Shayera and Galatea both stood up alertly at the same time.
Batman didn't even glance at them.
His gaze pierced through several meters, locking firmly on that leisurely figure from behind.
That hoarse, deep voice, as if from the abyss, shattered the tranquility of the sea.
"Thor, we need to talk."