Malrick sized up the man floating before him—Superman.
The resemblance was uncanny—this version looked nearly eighty percent like Henry Cavill, the actor who famously portrayed the Man of Steel.
Even the dim cave light couldn't dull his presence. Superman's features were carved like a statue from ancient Greece—an embodiment of perfection and strength.
If the Discobolus sculpture itself came to life, it would struggle to match his vitality.
"A man sculpted by the gods," Malrick thought. Then, with a faint smirk, he added inwardly, not inferior to me.
He offered a friendly smile. "Don't be so tense, Clark. I'm a friend of your cousin. I came specifically to find you."
His eyes swept the surroundings. "Are you out here chasing criminals? Seems this bunch is rather organized if they dragged you into a cave…"
But as Malrick looked closer, his smile froze.
Bodies lay scattered around. Cyborg was broken and sparking, Joker was standing off to the side watching with twisted amusement, Mera was barely breathing, and Batman lay motionless nearby.
Was this Justice League: Civil War?
Superman's eyes glowed faintly, a savage crimson light burning within them. The aura he emitted was unmistakable—rage and bloodlust, unrestrained.
Malrick's gaze fell to the object clutched in Batman's hand—the Shabak Crown.
So that was it. Superman's heat vision just now had been aimed directly at Batman.
They weren't sparring. They were trying to kill each other.
The Justice League… had torn itself apart.
And the others—Cyborg, Mera, even Joker—were all simply casualties or spectators in this war.
Where was Barry? Where was Wonder Woman?
"Who are you?" Superman's cold, murderous voice shattered Malrick's thoughts.
Before answering, Malrick tilted his head. "Before that, I've got one question. Why aren't Wonder Woman or Flash involved in this little civil war of yours?"
Superman's eyes narrowed. "So you're not under the command of Darkseid?"
That name snapped everything into focus.
"Darkseid?" Malrick muttered. "Don't tell me… he's returned to Earth again?"
The simple statement told him everything. Superman wasn't himself—he was under Darkseid's control.
Superman had gotten what he wanted from the exchange, though. Before Malrick could move, Superman threw Deathstroke aside and lunged forward, shattering the ground beneath his feet.
So this was what it felt like to be charged head-on by Superman.
Tony Stark once described it as "like getting hit by a freight train from hell," while Pietro had summed it up more colorfully as "dying twice at once."
Now Malrick finally understood what they meant.
Superman broke the sound barrier instantly. The air itself screamed in protest, light bending around his speed.
The sonic boom couldn't keep up. The world bent to his will, parting before his sheer force.
The only other person Malrick had seen move that fast was Captain Marvel—though she lacked Superman's terrifying power.
Speed and strength, in perfect harmony. The ultimate weapon.
A thrill ran through Malrick's veins—battle instinct. But confusion lingered.
What happened to this world?
Had Barry's timeline reset turned Superman into his Injustice counterpart?
Malrick twisted his body just slightly, narrowly dodging Superman's blow.
He exhaled slowly, focusing his mind. Every nerve in his body came alive—electricity surged through his system like melting glaciers rushing to the sea.
And then… the world slowed.
Superman's speed reached unimaginable levels—hundreds, maybe thousands of Mach—but from Malrick's perspective, he was practically frozen in mid-motion.
Everything around him—particles of dust, fragments of rock, even the flicker of light—hung still in the air.
He could see everyone clearly.
Their faces were etched with terror and despair, locked in that single instant.
They had watched their Superman lose control again.
The last time he did, Cyborg and Doctor Fate had died.
How many would die this time?
Malrick's eyes scanned the scene. Everyone else was fighting against Superman. None of them appeared corrupted or possessed.
Even Joker seemed—well, Joker—still as deranged and unpredictable as ever.
And Superman… Darkseid's puppet.
Malrick's expression darkened. He activated his super vision, scanning the planet.
The entire Earth unfolded in his sight.
Cities lay in ruin. Parademons swarmed the skies like locusts. Enormous ships hovered in orbit, draining the planet's core energy.
The world… had fallen.
Even with his enhanced vision, Malrick couldn't find many survivors.
Paradise Island—gone. Atlantis—silent.
Humanity had been turned into Parademons, mindless soldiers of Apokolips.
The Earth was dead.
In comparison, even the zombie universe he had once visited had felt more alive.
Barry… what did you do?
Malrick sighed inwardly.
At least there were no direct Apokoliptian generals present. Everything here had likely been orchestrated by this mind-controlled Superman.
Perhaps he could still reason with him—if only to understand the situation.
Malrick finished his planetary scan in less than a millisecond.
Superman, realizing his attack had been dodged, roared in fury. He adjusted mid-strike, his punch redirecting straight toward Malrick's chest.
Even in Malrick's slowed perception of time, that punch was devastating—like a mountain thrown by a god.
Malrick didn't dodge this time.
He met Superman's fist with his left hand, catching the blow in a thunderous collision that cracked the ground beneath them.
With his right hand, he flicked a bottle of Zeus Spring Water toward the old wizard standing nearby.
Then both he and Superman rocketed upward, shattering the mountain above and exploding out of the ruins.
From the others' perspective, it all happened in an instant.
The air around them blurred, the ground trembled violently, and deafening booms echoed through the cavern.
To them, it was as if a bomb had detonated right next to their ears.
The shockwave threw them across the cave floor. Ears ringing, heads spinning, they struggled to make sense of what just happened.
When the chaos settled, they stared in disbelief at the gaping hole where the two superhumans had vanished.
Atom, having reverted to normal size, winced as he pulled a shard of metal from his foot. He looked around helplessly.
Other than Batman and Deathstroke, everyone was in rough shape.
Joker, of course, seemed perfectly fine.
Whistling a tuneless melody, he stepped lightly over Batman's prone form, strolling toward the cave's exit.
"A Superman with an 'S' on his chest, huh?" Joker murmured, grinning. "Looks like things are getting fun again, Bruce. Why don't you go pay a visit to that big guy you've missed so much?"
Batman stirred, his expression grim.
"Another Superman…" he whispered. "Is that the one Barry mentioned?"
He stood up slowly, dusting off his cape. The crown in his hand gleamed faintly in the dim light. After a moment's hesitation, he slipped it back into his pack.
Then he turned his attention toward the old man who had arrived alongside the other Superman—the one who had fought him evenly, and vanished with him into the sky.
Batman's eyes narrowed beneath his cowl.
Whoever that man was… he wasn't ordinary.
And if he was tied to Barry's mysterious reset.
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