Batman held Darkseid's head from behind, his armor blazing with the yellow light of Kryptonite. The core at his chest gathered power like a roaring furnace. It was a pseudo–Star Destroyer Cannon, a weapon Tony had modified using Starry Sky technology. Even if it couldn't destroy a planet outright, it could still tear through its crust, wreck its core, and warp its magnetic field.
Jarvis had once warned Batman about the danger of activating such a weapon. It was meant to prevent anyone from using it by accident. But now, Batman wasn't hesitating—he was charging it deliberately, ignoring the AI's desperate warnings.
"Darkseid," he said coldly, voice low and steady, "this is the wrath of humanity."
In that instant, he wasn't a hero in armor. He was once again the shadow that stalked Gotham's streets—the same man who whispered in the ears of the Joker and Penguin after breaking their bones, calling himself Gotham's vengeance. But this time, he was vengeance for Earth itself.
The cannon fired.
The distance between them was zero. A blinding orange beam erupted from Darkseid's back, punching through him like molten sunlight. Both of them fell from the sky, swallowed in the explosion.
Darkseid roared in pain and fury, but Batman didn't move. His armor was melting, the heat unbearable, his body screaming in silence beneath the steel.
"Damn it, my Anti-Superman Armor!" Tony shouted through the comms, his heart aching at the sight of his creation burning away. Then he paused, realizing what Batman was doing. "He's insane! Does he really plan to die with Darkseid?!"
Malrick appeared beside him, his expression grim. "No. This is the real Batman."
He was right. Batman had been teetering on the edge of madness for years. He'd lost his parents, his partner Robin, and watched the world fall apart under Darkseid's invasion. The day Flash sacrificed himself, something inside Bruce broke.
He had always clung to his principles, binding himself just one step away from complete collapse. But now—now that vengeance was within reach—he no longer cared. His restraint vanished.
If Malrick and the others hadn't been there on Apokolips, Batman's original plan had been to drag the entire planet into the abyss and annihilate it completely.
And he wasn't the only madman left.
Doctor Fate, Mera, Deathstroke, and even Joker were fighting nearby, laughing like lunatics as they butchered Parademons. Joker held up a severed head, gargled the creature's blood, then spat it out with a laugh. "Tastes worse than Batman's sense of humor!" he jeered.
They were the last seven living people from Earth who still retained their minds—and they were determined to return every ounce of pain Apokolips had inflicted.
Batman's suicidal strike hadn't killed Darkseid, though. Even with Malrick's help, the tyrant's body was too durable, his power too monstrous. The pseudo–Star Destroyer Cannon wasn't enough.
Before Batman could hit the molten ground, Malrick appeared beside him, pulling him to safety. The armor peeled away in molten scraps. Beneath it, Batman's chest was charred, bone visible beneath the burned flesh.
"You don't have to do this," Malrick said, pouring a vial of Zeus Spring Water into his mouth.
As his wounds began to knit together, Batman shook his head weakly. "His body's stronger than I thought. To kill him, I'd have to destroy Apokolips itself."
He looked up, eyes burning with resolve. "But I have a way. While fighting DeSaad, I worked with Jarvis to hack Apokolips's armory. They have a weapon called Hell Spores. I cracked the activation code. If I detonate them all, it'll obliterate the planet."
"Malrick, take your team and leave. I'll handle this."
Malrick raised an eyebrow. "You managed to hack their armory in this short time?"
Tony blinked in disbelief. "Jarvis, is that true?"
"Yes, sir," Jarvis replied. "Batman provided several methods for infiltration. His strategy succeeded."
Tony scoffed. "Hmph, I could've done that too."
"Of course, sir," Jarvis said dryly. "However, while Batman was linked to the armor, he also installed dozens of counter-viruses into my system. I've now removed them."
The comm channel went silent. Everyone turned toward Batman.
"Dozens?" Kara muttered. "That's… extreme. Is this really the dark side of humanity?"
Batman didn't flinch. "No. It's called being prepared."
The damaged armor was retracted by Tony, and Batman now hung from Malrick's hand above the molten pit below.
Across from them, Darkseid hovered above the magma, his body scorched but unbroken. "You cannot kill me, Earthling," he said, voice dripping with disdain. "Even if Apokolips is destroyed, I will not die."
His presence alone radiated power and domination. He was born to rule—to make the universe kneel.
Batman narrowed his eyes. Perhaps detonating the Hell Spores was the only real option.
Malrick's gaze met his. "Bruce, did you get everything you came for?"
Batman hesitated. "Yes… I did."
Malrick nodded. "Good."
Then he let go.
Batman plummeted toward the magma, staring up in confusion.
High above, Malrick snapped his fingers. A portal bloomed in the air, pulling the others in.
"You all go back first," he said quietly. "I'll deal with Darkseid alone."
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