The Hell Lord Damian ultimately met his end at the hands of Clark and Robert, though his death wasn't instantaneous. Being a Hell Lord, Damian's vitality was formidable, and extinguishing him completely in a short amount of time wasn't an easy task. For Damian, this wasn't necessarily a good thing. If his life force hadn't been so strong, his suffering would have ended sooner. Since no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't escape Robert and Clark, a quicker death would have been a relief.
While Clark and Robert were busy eliminating Damian, the battle on the African front resumed. Although Robert's sudden appearance startled the American forces, the officials in their command center weren't so easily shaken. They quickly issued orders to continue the fight.
As the saying goes, "Rank is power," and the frontline troops had no choice but to resume their assault on Wakanda. America, after all, wasn't going to back down easily after gaining nothing from this war.
With the battle intensifying, and without Clark around to save lives, the casualties quickly surpassed those of the prolonged war prior. As the death toll rose, so did the accumulation of death energy on the battlefield. Eventually, this death energy was mysteriously collected and vanished.
"Why is the death aura still being gathered? Did Superman target the wrong enemy?" The Panther God, Bast, was puzzled as she gazed down from the Wakandan god realm to Earth and the cosmos, muttering to herself in confusion.
Earlier, Bast had informed Clark about the death aura, prompting him to summon Robert. After discovering the aura had disappeared, the two went to investigate. Soon after, Bast sensed the presence of a powerful Hell entity.
Although the disturbance from the Hell Lord had vanished for a time, Bast could still feel the aftermath of the battle in space, where Clark and Robert were defeating Damian.
This left Bast perplexed. A Hell Lord strong enough to keep Superman engaged in battle for so long couldn't be weak. But why, even after Clark and Robert had subdued him, was the death aura on the African battlefield still being collected? How many Hell Lords were lurking on Earth?
"Should I investigate further?" Bast hesitated. Letting this entity continue to gather death energy wasn't an option, but if Clark and Robert had indeed targeted the wrong enemy, it meant this new adversary was hiding even deeper than the Hell Lord they had just fought. Such a foe was too dangerous for Bast to confront alone.
Bast's power was limited. Among the Skyfather-level entities, she was among the weakest, even vulnerable to being defeated by some mid-tier gods. Facing Hell Lords, whose power was much broader and more varied, Bast was genuinely afraid.
After all, Bast had no idea whether the Hell Lord she had detected was of mid-tier, Skyfather, or an even more terrifying power level. Even with Earth's dimensional rules restricting their strength, Bast wasn't willing to test her luck.
Especially since Bast had already sensed that even though Damian had been severely weakened by Robert and Clark, his energy still far exceeded the limits of Earth's dimensional laws. This made Bast even more suspicious of those so-called restrictions.
"Maybe… I should wait? The one collecting death energy isn't near Wakanda anyway. Once Superman and Robert finish their fight, we can ask them to handle this," said the White Gorilla God nervously, agreeing with the idea of biding their time.
"Exactly! These supernatural events on Earth have always been dealt with by Superman and his allies. Ever since the Ancient One disappeared, Superman became the protector of Earth, while we, the gods, are relics of the old world. Earth's affairs aren't really our concern anymore, are they?" The Crocodile God nodded in agreement.
"Alright! Let's wait for Superman to return and handle it!" Bast, hearing the agreement of her fellow gods, breathed a sigh of relief and was convinced by their reasoning. For the first time in history, the Wakandan god realm was unanimously united in their decision!
While the Wakandan gods chose to distance themselves from the situation, the battle on the African front continued. However, the activity of Clark and Robert's fight against Damian did not go unnoticed by certain organizations.
Although Clark and Diana had intercepted Damian's attempts to attack Earth, preventing any real damage, the explosions and energy released had still been significant enough to draw the attention of observant individuals.
Soon, in a hidden chamber, several holograms appeared. Among the attendees were Nick Fury and Alexander Pierce, but not everyone present was from official organizations, nor were they all Skrull impostors. Many were individuals with a deep resentment toward the Avengers and superheroes like Superman.
"You've all seen the disturbances in space, right?" a bald-headed figure, whose face remained hidden, was the first to speak. "Has anyone managed to capture footage of the battle? I'd like to see the true extent of Superman's and the Saiyan's power."
"That's beyond our current capabilities," a military officer replied with a sigh. "Although our space technology has made significant progress, we're still far from being able to capture live footage from deep space. The vastness of space makes it nearly impossible to pinpoint their exact location…"
"Are we seriously discussing this already? This chamber hasn't been fully secured yet…" Nick Fury interrupted, his frown deepening. "Superman has x-ray vision, remember? If he spots this meeting, none of us will be able to escape!"
"Heh, Nick Fury, you're being paranoid," the bald man chuckled confidently. "Not only is Superman currently busy fighting, but even if he weren't, he wouldn't be able to see what's happening here."
"Superman isn't truly omniscient or omnipotent. I've tested this before. He can't see through lead, and this chamber is coated with it, so there's no need to worry."
"How do you know Superman can't see through lead?" Fury's eyes lit up with curiosity as he stared at the bald man.
"I have my ways. But unless you're willing to share your secrets, why should I share mine?" the bald man responded with a shrug.
"I'm just curious…" Fury said as his gaze flickered. "If this chamber really blocks Superman's vision, maybe we should meet here more often. After all, our usual communication methods aren't nearly as secure."
It was clear that Fury had set his sights on the bald man. If the man knew Superman's weaknesses, he could be a valuable asset. Recruiting him could be a win-win.
"The method's already been shared. Surely, you have the resources to build your own secure meeting rooms," the bald man smirked, mocking Fury. "We haven't even started discussing anything yet, and you want us to meet in person? I'm starting to question your motives, Fury. Weren't you supposed to be the one who originally formed the Avengers? Could it be you've been playing both sides all along?"
"What are you talking about? I've always been opposed to the Avengers. Don't forget, I've provided more intel on them than anyone else here," Fury retorted angrily, glaring at the bald man's hologram.
"And who's to say that information is accurate? How do we know you aren't feeding us false intel planted by the Avengers themselves?" The bald man's eyes gleamed as he continued to question Fury.
"Enough! If you two keep accusing each other, we won't get anywhere. We're all here because we have a common goal," Alexander Pierce interjected, steering the conversation back on track.
"Now, you've all seen for yourselves. Superman and the Saiyan both have the power to destroy Earth. If we continue to do nothing, we'll be left watching helplessly as Earth is torn apart by them and their enemies."
Pierce's argument wasn't subtle, but it resonated with the group. Everyone here had a grudge against Superman and the Avengers. They all agreed that living on the same planet as beings with the power to destroy it was far too dangerous. No one wanted their lives—and their power and wealth—to be snuffed out in an instant.
These individuals had long sought ways to counter Superman and the Avengers. Yet, no single person or organization had the strength to stand against them. That's why they'd come together in this secret meeting, hoping to pool their resources and find a solution.
"I know many of you have made great strides in space technology. Some of you will soon be able to enter space, and a few may already be capable of it…" Pierce continued, gauging the reactions of his audience.
"But even if we manage to explore the cosmos, we know nothing of the dangers that await us. Earth is our home. Why should we be forced to leave because of an alien? We all know Superman is Kryptonian—the same race as the invaders who tried to conquer Earth. Why should we be ruled by an alien?"
"Earth is where our families, friends, and livelihoods are. Not everyone can leave this planet and survive in the hostile environment of space. And who's to say they'll even live long enough to make it to safety?"
"Enough!" the bald man interrupted, growing impatient. "We all know why we're here. Let's cut to the chase. What resources do we have to offer, and how can we work together to take down Superman and the Avengers?"
"We've developed some demon gene technology—it's quite mature…"
"We've made advances in new supernatural powers…"
"We've had progress with animal warriors…"
"I have the genetic material of that super couple from the Avengers…"
"I have samples from Blanch…"
"I can offer gamma warrior technology…"
"I found the remains of an Atlantean by the coast and can contribute that…"
"I managed to collect some residual Kryptonian genes from the battlefield, and I'm willing to share…"
"Hm?!"
The last person to speak was the
bald man, and his words immediately caught everyone's attention. Kryptonian genes were the most coveted prize of all.
During the Kryptonian invasion, all factions had tried to obtain samples of their genes, but they came up empty-handed. The Avengers had meticulously cleaned up the battlefield.
Now, with the bald man revealing he had acquired Kryptonian genetic material, all eyes turned to him. Nick Fury was the first to speak, "Only a small sample? If you had more, we could achieve even greater results."
"If I had more, why wouldn't I share it? There's no way I could study it as fast as we could working together," the bald man shrugged. "Besides, if I'd found more and didn't say anything, how would any of you know? I'd just be making things difficult for myself."
"Alright, we've gathered enough valuable resources for now. Let's pool our funds and manpower to form an organization and begin our secret research," Fury said, locking eyes with the bald man, finalizing their agreement.
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