Justice League III: Shattered

Chapter Twenty-Six: Warworld

Warworld, 12/27/15, 12:58 PM

Kaldur wiped the blood from his cheeks as he slashed his way towards the great doors ahead.  He could see them looming overhead, Darkseid's command center was right there.  But the team was being held up by the massive force guarding the chamber.  Drones flew overhead blasting at the team while the parademons moved on the floor slashing and mauling at any moving body they could catch.  Kaldur had intended on keeping the group together, but they became spread out as the battle raged on.  He stuck close to the main group with Artemis nearby as well as Crescent, Killer Frost, and Superman.  Connor smashed a parademon in the chest and rammed it through the crowd using it as a plow of sorts.  Kaldur ran after him with Artemis at his heels, the parademons attempted to swipe him away, but he slashed at all sides with his hydro-swords.  Artemis shot her arrows into the crowd, some exploded on impact while others covered the parademons in foam.  Connor bent over as he smashed the parademon into the floor and Kaldur took the moment to leap over him and land in front of the doors.  He looked back as Kyle and Supergirl fought their way through the masses of drones in the air while Miss Martian, Shazam, Clayface, and Blue Devil moved in from the right.  Kaldur looked up at the doors as his friends began regrouping.

This was it, behind those doors was their greatest threat yet:  Darkseid.  

Kaldur raised his hand to the doors expecting them to be solid, but as he did they suddenly swung open ominously revealing a large circular room with a large throne sitting before a great window looking out over the Earth.  

"We're here."  Kaldur widened his eyes as he moved forward with his friends covering him from behind.  He looked back as the parademons began to back away forming a half circle around the entrance, the drones filed around creating a wall over the parademons keeping the group trapped inside.

"They want us to go in..."  Fate noted looking around, "Darkseid wants us here."

"That is right."  Darkseid boomed from his chair, he stood up moving around it to face the group.  Kaldur widened his eyes as the warlord faced them, he towered over most of them being many feet tall.  Kaldur knew they were able to take him, they had to be with Fate on their side.  

Kaldur moved forward in front of his group as they moved inside the control center.  Behind them the doors slid shut locking them inside with Darkseid.  This was it, the final fight.  

"This is your last chance, Darkseid!"  Kaldur yelled raising his hydro-sword towards the looming giant. Darkseid glared at Kaldur with his piercing scarlet red eyes, "Surrender or face us!"

"You cannot be serious?"  Darkseid mocked him staring at Kaldur still, "I will destroy you all."  Darkseid's eyes gleamed red as his Omega-Beams shot out at the group.

"MOVE!  FATE NOW!"  Kaldur yelled to the others leaping to the side as Doctor Fate shot out in front raising his hands and blasting a yellow energy at the Omega-Beams.  The two energies collided and created an explosion in the middle of the room.  Kaldur shielded his eyes but he felt the air shifting as others flew at Darkseid.  The smoke cleared and Kaldur could make out Wondergirl and Supergirl flying around Darkseid taking punches in turns.  Darkseid punched Wondergirl back, but Supergirl moved in hitting him with her heat-vision and punching him back.  Darkseid blocked an energy construct of a baseball bat from Kyle and instead flew up to him punching him into the wall.  

Darkseid raised his arm again, but Supergirl grabbed onto it pulling him back while Wondergirl tackled him from the left.  Blue Devil flew up kicking Darkseid in the back as Wondergirl moved away allowing Blue Devil to kick him into the wall.  Darkseid hit the wall and flipped around only to be hit again by Superman as he punched Darkseid in the gut.  Darkseid felt the hit and then grabbed Superman punching him in the cheek and then throwing him at Miss Martian as she flew up behind him.  The two hit the floor rolling away towards the throne while Doctor Fate and Supergirl flew up both hitting Darkseid with their respective ranged attacks.  Darkseid hit them back with Omega-Beams.  The Omega-Beams flew around the room to hit Supergirl in the back and Fate in the side.  Both were knocked down as Darkseid flew down to the floor as Clayface came up from behind to grab Darkseid's shoulders.  Kaldur ran up with his swords stabbing at Darkseid in the stomach, but Darkseid kicked Kaldur down and prepared to stomp down on him.  Kaldur rolled to the side and blasted Darkseid's leg with mystic-energy.  Darkseid stumbled back allowing Shazam to ram into his back and Killer Frost to freeze his feet to the floor.  Supergirl was back up and hit him with heat-vision. Connor ran in punching Darkseid in the cheek several times until Darkseid broke free of the ice punching Superman down into the floor.

Miss Martian flew up hitting Darkseid back with a telepathic attack and knocked Darkseid into the wall.  Darkseid angrily blasted another Omega-Beam blast towards the group, but Doctor Fate blocked the attack again as the group regrouped.  Kaldur ran ahead with those that could not fly while those above flew through the smoke towards Darkseid to renew their attack.  Kaldur leaped in and evaded a swing from Darkseid whom instead slammed Killer Frost away.  He blasted his Omega-Beams at Kyle whom attempted to shield himself.  The shield worked, but Kyle was hit further away from the force of the impact.  The rest of the heroes attacked Darkseid from all around slamming him with their fists and blasting at him with energy rays.  Darkseid slowly picked them off though, Kaldur slashed into his side and was hit in the head by Darkseid's elbow as he swatted Miss Martian against the wall.  Crescent fell back as Darkseid stomped forward punching Shazam and Blue Devil down.  

"We need an edge on him!"  Connor yelled as he was thrown back by the force of an explosion.  He moved towards Kaldur as Darkseid punched Supergirl back and knocked away Doctor Fate with his arm.

"We could pin him down and attack from above?"  Kaldur suggested as Clayface moved around his feet and began pulling him down.  But Darkseid simply looked down at him and blasted him with his Omega-Beams.  In an instance, Clayface was gone, every essence of him was gone.

"Shit..."  Connor stumbled back as Darkseid looked up blasting at Supergirl whom blasted back with her heat-vision hitting the Omega-Beams head on.  Kyle flew up now bashing into Darkseid with a green energy construct of a battering-ram hitting Darkseid back.  Blue Devil flew in next hitting Darkseid back with a blast of energy from his trident and gave Kaldur an idea as he drew out his own trident.

"We hit him from all sides."  Kaldur said holding his trident up, he nearly forgot to use it in the past few hours as it was too heavy against parademons.  He blasted an energy blast at Darkseid hitting him back and allowing Doctor Fate and Shazam to hit Darkseid back with their energy blasts and lightning.  

"Lets go."  Connor nodded leaping into action along with Kaldur.  The two ran in as Kaldur leaped up with Connor hitting Darkseid head on with a blast from the trident while Connor tackled into his chest beating him back ferociously.  Wondergirl moved in as well punching Darkseid back.  

Miss Martian flew in using her telepathy to push Darkseid against the wall again while the others hit him with everything they had.  They moved around him slowly moving in closer until Darkseid's eyes lit up again blasting Omega-Beams every which way.  

Kaldur was knocked down and rolled away feeling the smoke rolling off of him from the hit.  He looked around as his friends were all knocked away as well except for Connor whom stood in the same spot as before in front of Darkseid.

"Puny Kryptonian."  Darkseid mocked him moving towards him slowly with his hand raised.  Connor stood up tall against Darkseid much to Kaldur's shock.  He was braver than ever, Kaldur looked to his right seeing Miss Martian laying on the floor  watching with widened eyes.  Kaldur attempted to get up, but he felt a pain unlike any other in his back.  He looked back over as Darkseid punched Connor down and slammed him to the side.  Connor rolled away, but Darkseid swooped down picking him up and looking at him in the eyes.

"Superman may be dead, but I still have you who wears his symbol."  Darkseid laughed as he grinned looking at Connor closely, "I swore vengeance on him, by the means of killing him.  Since I cannot have that luxury, I will just have to settle for you."

"NO!"  Miss Martian yelled in both her mind and out loud causing Kaldur to flinch, many others did as well as her mind link suddenly came up.

She flew towards Darkseid quickly and Darkseid swung Connor to the side and blasted Miss Martian down with an Omega-Beam that was hit quickly by a blast from Doctor Fate as he struggled to stand up as well.  The explosion knocked Miss Martian down and Darkseid held Connor back up again.

"Time to end you."  Darkseid's eyes lit up as he held Connor close to his face.  

Kaldur watched as one of his last few friends was obliterated before his very eyes.

Connor...

"Now for the rest of you."  Darkseid boomed as he turned towards Kaldur, "This time, the Justice League will be destroyed for good."

"NO!"  Miss Martian screamed in anger and grief again, Kaldur felt his own anger rising.  Connor was dead and Darkseid was preparing to kill them all.