Thor's casual remark echoed in the deathly silent corridor.
No one answered.
Or rather, no one dared to answer.
Kate Kane, Barbara Gordon, Dick Grayson... these battle-hardened veterans, now looking at each other, all wearing the same expression—a mixture of Shocker and "I definitely don't want to experience this."
They all shook their heads in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, as if they had rehearsed countless times.
Are you kidding me? Being thrown from hundreds of meters in the air like a hammer and smashing through a building?
Leave that kind of experience to crazy people like Harley Quinn.
"Tch, how boring." Thor curled his lip, looking disappointed by the group's cowardice.
He didn't say anything more, just waved his hand casually.
Space distorted once more.
The next second, the solid ground beneath everyone's feet disappeared, replaced by a dizzying spin.
When their vision refocused, they found themselves in a huge, chaotic top-floor office.
A strong smell of gunpowder and ozone filled the air.
In the center of the office, cold air was pouring in through the huge hole that Harley Quinn had smashed into.
Their "vanguard," the crazy girl with twin ponytails, was standing atop a pile of Doomsday and robots, wielding her massive hammer covered in some unknown liquid.
"Hahahaha! Next! Who's the next lucky one?" Harley Quinn the Batman Who Laughs, her divine power and electricity burning even brighter than before, and she was in a state of extreme excitement.
Around her, dozens of enormous Doomsday were closing in with heavy steps, their hideous bone spikes protruding from beneath their gray skin.
More robot guards emerged from the hidden compartments in the walls, the light from their energy weapons casting flickering shadows throughout the space.
"Looks like our 'vanguard' got the party atmosphere pretty good." Red Hood Jason Todd cracked his neck.
He drew his two guns, and bullets crackling with divine electric arcs were instantly chambered.
He could feel this power calling him to fight, to unleash its power.
"Don't steal my monsters!" Damian Wayne sneered. He was faster than anyone else, and in a flash, he had already rushed into the array of the Doomsday.
Once upon a time, a single Doomsday was enough to plunge the entire Bat Family into a bitter struggle.
But now...
Damian didn't even use his knife; he simply dodged the giant claw of Doomsday, then pointed his fingers like a sword, imbued with the power of thunder, and easily pierced the opponent's hard chest.
With a flick of his wrist, violent energy exploded inside, tearing the monster to shreds from the inside out.
"Happy!"
This was the only thought in the minds of all the former "ordinary people" present.
The assassins of the League of Assassins, the vigilantes of the Bat Family —each of them represents the pinnacle of combat skills on Earth.
In the past, they relied on skill, equipment, and the limits of their mortal bodies to contend with these inhuman monsters.
Now, when skill is combined with divine power, the effect is devastating.
Dick Grayson's every roll and leap produced a sonic boom, and every swing of his short stick smashed the robot into a pile of scrap metal.
Barbara and Commissioner Gordon moved their hands swiftly, and strands of energy formed from divine power precisely wrapped around the necks of the Doomsday, then tightened sharply, tearing their heads off.
This was a Carnage with no suspense whatsoever.
They were venting their frustration, helplessness, and anger stemming from the fall of Earth.
The enemies who once killed them easily are now being slaughtered like vegetables in their hands.
Soon, Constantine detonated the last robot with a spell, and the entire top floor fell completely silent.
The group walked through the wreckage and arrived at the door leading to the top-floor control room.
The door slid open automatically.
The scene inside stunned everyone.
There is no final boss, no last line of defense.
Lex Luthor, one of the most intelligent criminals on the planet, stood in the center of the control room, hands raised, wearing his signature green armor.
"I surrender," he said, his synthesized voice devoid of any emotion, but his raised hands said it all.
Looking at this group of menacing figures before him, his heart was in turmoil.
What hormones did these survivors take?
If they had been even a tenth as powerful back then, Darkseid's fleet wouldn't have been able to even enter the Sun System!
"You bastard!" Damian's eyes instantly turned red. He thought of the Teen Titans, of Alfred, and of everyone who had died in this disaster.
Lex Luthor, that opportunist, definitely didn't do anything good in the apocalypse.
Raging with rage, Damian's figure blurred into a streak, his katana crackling with deadly electricity as he aimed straight for Lex Luthor's cockpit!
"Don't kill me! I'm the ' Sleeper '!" Just as the Blade was about to touch the armor, Lex Luthor roared with all his might.
"Stop, Damian!" Lois Lane rushed forward and stood between him and Lex Luthor.
Damian's blade stopped a centimeter in front of Lois's nose, the violent energy causing the hair on her forehead to stand on end.
"Get out of the way, Lane!" Damian growled.
"We can't kill him," Lois gasped, explaining quickly, "' Sleeper ' is the informant who's been giving me intelligence about Apokolips! The reason I know the Justice League wasn't wiped out, the reason I know Darkseid's movements, is all because of him!"
She turned to Lex Luthor: " Darkseid has already set off for Oa, hasn't he?"
"Yes." Lex Luthor lowered one hand and pointed to the massive star map beside him. "His target is the Central Power Battery. If he succeeds, all the light in the universe will go out."
Then everyone understood.
It turns out that this biggest villain has become a key element in saving the world.
"Moreover," Lex Luthor's voice held a hint of smugness, "Currently, only I on Earth can activate the sonic Boom Tube to Apokolips. If you want to get there, you'll need me."
Damian reluctantly sheathed his knife, but his eyes remained fixed on Lex Luthor.
Lex Luthor, seemingly oblivious to his murderous intent, casually opened a weapons cabinet. "I've prepared some small gifts for you."
Inside the cabinet, rows of Kryptonite weapons, shimmering with a green glow, were neatly arranged.
"You'll find it useful against that brainwashed Kryptonian."
The members of the Bat Family and the League of Assassins exchanged a glance, then stepped forward without hesitation and distributed all the weapons.
For them, the more preparations they have, the greater their chances of winning, regardless of who those preparations come from.
Others, such as Billy Batson and Zatanna, did nothing.
Just then, a seven-colored bolt of lightning suddenly exploded in front of Lex Luthor, startling him so much that he took a step back.
Barry Allen emerged from the lightning, his suit intact, and calmly stated to the crowd, "I've taken care of those three machines."
He paused, then scanned the entire room.
"Guys, it's time to go."
Thor yawned and stepped forward. "You guys go have fun, I'll stay here and watch the house."
Death, standing to the side, nodded slightly; she had no interest in the fighting and killing.
"I'll stay too," Kara, said coldly.
But as soon as she finished speaking, the image of her controlled cousin, Carl El, flashed into her mind.
The thought that idiot was now an enemy's lackey sent a surge of anger through me.
"... Never mind," she changed her mind, "I'll go over there anyway, I've been wanting to beat up some guy."
Thor shrugged, offering no comment.
Upon seeing this, Lex Luthor immediately went to the control panel and activated the Boom Tube.
A huge, twisted vortex of energy, radiating an ominous red light, unfolded in the center of the room.
Without hesitation, the heroes entered the passage one by one.
After the last figure disappeared into the vortex, Lex Luthor closed the passage.
He turned around, looked at the only three remaining "people" in the room, and finally fixed his gaze on Thor.
"I still don't know what to call you, our... savior?" Lex Luthor asked tentatively.
Thor merely glanced at him, a glance that made Lex Luthor feel as if he had been seen through completely.
"You don't need to know," Thor said. "Besides, you're useful to them, but not to me. Don't even think about doing anything underhanded."
He took a step forward, and the immense pressure caused Lex Luthor's armor to sound an alarm.
"If you think your clever tricks are harder than Darkseid's fist, you can try."
"Fine! Fine!" Lex Luthor immediately raised his hands again, forcing a dry laugh. "I just want to know your name, why make things so tense?"
Thor couldn't be bothered with him anymore.
He knew very well that while someone like Lex Luthor might be reliable in the face of a major crisis, once the crisis was over, he himself would become the biggest crisis.
But what does this have to do with him? He's just an spectator.
Thor casually waved his hand, and the air in front of him rippled like the surface of water, slowly unfolding a clear, real-time picture.
The image shows the surface of Apokolips, engulfed in flames.