"Malrick, what should we do?"
Diana's hand gripped his arm tightly, her expression fierce, determined to end Darkseid once and for all.
"Let me think…" Malrick lowered his head for a moment, his brow furrowing in concentration. After a second, he raised a finger.
"I have a plan."
All eyes turned toward him, hope flickering like a dying ember. Even Batman leaned forward, waiting for an answer.
Malrick's finger wiggled slightly. "Simple. We fight our way to Apokolips—and take Darkseid down ourselves."
"…"
The silence was deafening. The desert wind howled across the dunes, carrying the echo of crows in the distance.
Batman blinked slowly. For a moment, he wondered if all Kryptonians shared the same brand of overconfidence.
He thought carefully before speaking. "A bold plan… but there might be a better approach. We could start by eliminating Darkseid's fleet. They're the ones extracting Earth's core."
"Once the fleet is destroyed, we can clear the Parademons on the surface and stabilize what's left of Earth's environment."
He looked around the group. "Before he died, Lex Luthor created a gene bank. I preserved another from the Red Alliance before coming to Kandak. If we hold our ground, we can defend this planet and use those genetic materials to rebuild the human race."
It was the most pragmatic, survival-based plan Batman could conceive.
But Mera slammed her hand down on the table and stood. "I object! I'm siding with the new Superman's plan!"
"Batman, Earth is gone! The crust is hollow, the people are gone! What are we rebuilding?" Her voice trembled with anger. "We're nothing but ghosts wandering a graveyard. What's the point of recreating humans who won't even remember the world we lost?"
She thrust her trident into the sand, sparks scattering from its tip. "All we have left now is hatred. Malrick may be hope—but he's the hope of vengeance!"
Her eyes burned. "I'm going to find Darkseid myself. He killed Arthur, and I'll drive this spear through his heart to see what kind of blood that monster bleeds!"
Mera's rage crackled like lightning. It wasn't just grief—it was the fury of the last Atlantean alive. The rest of her people, her kingdom, her family—all gone. Revenge was all she had left.
Batman's team remained silent. They were humans, each torn between the instinct to rebuild and the desire to destroy.
Tony Stark leaned closer to Malrick, lowering his voice. "You've lost your mind. You really plan to take on Darkseid?"
Malrick didn't answer right away. Tony continued, incredulous, "If there was still something to save here, I'd understand risking everything. But this Earth? It's already finished. The war's over."
"Is that so strange?" Malrick's gaze didn't waver. His calm tone made Tony's chest tighten.
Tony scoffed. "Strange? I've read about Darkseid. His true form exists beyond universes—his body alone could crush worlds. You seriously want to pick a fight with that?"
Malrick gave a faint, confident smile. "That's only his true self. He can't enter this universe completely. The one here is just an avatar—a shadow."
He folded his arms. "These clones die all the time. Across countless universes, hundreds of Darkseid's avatars are destroyed every year."
Tony rubbed his temple. "You're not helping your case."
Malrick knew it was reckless. The thought of storming Apokolips was suicide. The Justice League once tried something similar—and it had ended in tragedy. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman—all captured, broken, or worse.
But this was different. The Darkseid of the DCEU had hesitated before. He feared Superman enough to attack through weakness, not strength. That weakness was Lois.
If Darkseid could bleed, then he could die.
The only real danger was the fragment of the Anti-Life Equation he held. If that power overwhelmed him, even Malrick might not resist forever.
Still, his will was stronger than most. His power and spirit had grown together—if control became inevitable, he'd rather die fighting.
He shared his reasoning with Tony, whose brow furrowed deeply.
"Even if you can beat him," Tony muttered, "why should you? This isn't our war, Malrick."
He gestured around them. The wind swept over the barren sands—an empty, ruined planet. The Parademon ships still burned in the distance. The world had no more life left to save.
The DC heroes were silent, shadows of their former selves, fueled only by grief and vengeance. Tony understood them. If Thanos had done this to his Earth, he might have become just like them.
He sighed. "This world's done. Flash could've reset time—but he's gone. No Speed Force, no hope."
He hesitated, glancing at Batman. "If this were Marvel, I could've built a Mobius loop with Pym Particles. But here? It's just… ashes."
Batman finally spoke, his voice coarse and heavy. "Barry is dead, Mera."
Everyone turned toward him. His tone was that of a man who had seen too much loss.
"We can't restart this world anymore. If we rush into Apokolips and die, then everything ends with us."
He paused, then looked up. "But not yet. Not like this."
"Mera, I will personally take Darkseid's head—I promise you that. But not now. We are the last spark of Earth. If we die too soon, the flame dies with us."
His eyes glinted behind the mask. "We must burn brighter first—rekindle the world. And then we'll burn Apokolips to the ground."
Even for a man as dark as Batman, his words struck like fire. Hope flickered faintly again among the group.
Mera stood frozen, then slowly sat down. Her rage hadn't vanished—but Batman's conviction steadied her heart.
The wind swept over them once more, empty but alive.
Then Malrick spoke again.
"In fact," he said quietly, "Barry's death doesn't mean the past can't be changed."
The others looked at him in disbelief. "What do you mean?"
"Have you ever heard that Superman once had a dog named Krypto?"
He smiled faintly and gestured beside him. "Mine's called Lil' Krypto. And he happens to know a little something about the Speed Force."
A Siberian Husky suddenly stood upright beside him, tail wagging proudly. Before anyone could react, the dog vanished in a blur of light and wind, circling the group faster than the eye could track.
When he reappeared, he wore Batman's cowl, held Mera's spear, and somehow carried Deathstroke's twin swords across his back.
The group stood stunned, blinking at the absurd sight.
"Speed Force!?" Batman's voice cracked.
Tony's eyes widened. "You're kidding me…"
Malrick smirked. "I'm not. I absorbed Barry Allen's genetic residue and awakened the Speed Force inside my own energy field. Turns out, Krypto here picked up a bit of it too."
The others stood speechless, the wind whipping around them, carrying both disbelief and the faintest glimmer of hope.
Maybe, just maybe, the story wasn't over yet.
_______
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