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Chapter 552: Apocalypse
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
"Our death toll has already surpassed fifty million!"
"Southern Africa has fallen... Oh my God, I'm seeing a group of gorillas shooting down planes! OMG, they're speaking English!"
"Australia has completely fallen, global tsunamis are occurring frequently, and we are severely short-staffed!"
"They went to Antarctica... but they came back!"
"Damn it, these guys from Apokolips are dead set on conquering Earth!"
...
A flood of terrible news poured in. The decline of the entire Earth seemed irreversible, with one tragic scene following another.
Some clearly witnessed the monster wielding an axe cleave the entire Australian continent in two with a single swing. Countless humans wailed in the flames and seawater as they died in agony.
One ancient faction after another went to battle, mounting a tenacious resistance against the powerful enemy from Apokolips. They had no idea that the "powerful enemy" in their eyes, the Parademon Army, was nothing more than cannon fodder dispatched by Apokolips—an inexhaustible supply.
Killing a single Parademon was a major, joyous event that greatly boosted humanity's morale.
That was until the Boom Tube opened once more, and a hundred thousand Parademons descended upon Earth, plunging the planet into absolute despair.
The Justice League, the Avengers, the Sorcerer Supreme, Themyscira, and K'un-Lun attempted to execute a decapitation strike, aiming to take out Steppenwolf in one fell swoop.
But the power Steppenwolf displayed was simply suffocating.
In the ensuing fierce battle, Steppenwolf single-handedly took on the combined mighty forces of Earth and won effortlessly.
The Atom, Firestorm, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, War Machine, and over twenty other superheroes were killed on the spot, their bodies left completely mangled.
Stephen tried to pull Steppenwolf into the Mirror Dimension but suffered a backlash, causing him to vomit blood.
Iron Man's armor was shattered by the aftershock of Steppenwolf's power, and Tony himself was critically injured and on the brink of death.
Captain America lost an arm, becoming crippled.
As the main force against Steppenwolf, Superman fell into a coma from his grievous injuries. Half of his chest was torn open, revealing the organs within.
As for the others, like the ordinary warriors from Themyscira, it goes without saying—the casualties were countless. Even the Immortal Dragon Shou-Lao from K'un-Lun, who hadn't appeared in thousands of years, was nearly cut in half at the waist by Steppenwolf. This enraged the Immortal Dragon, who immediately took Iron Fist back to K'un-Lun to receive the legacy of the Divine Dragon.
The previous generation's Iron Fist who received the legacy had a record of shattering the Phoenix Force with a single punch, though he died soon after from overexerting his power.
The one who contributed the most was The Flash. The speedster unleashed his full potential, increasing his speed tenfold. He successfully rescued the survivors from right under Steppenwolf's nose at a speed of 3,000 times the speed of sound.
However, he was nearly struck by the axe Steppenwolf threw. The impact from the aftershock of divine power also left him severely injured.
The terrifying power displayed by Steppenwolf, a mere avatar of this singular god, had already plunged the entire Earth into endless darkness and collapse.
"Foolish Earthlings..."
Steppenwolf sat on the ruins of the Australian continent, sneering as he watched the countless red lightning arcs disappear over the horizon. He was moving so fast that countless afterimages of him appeared almost simultaneously, each carrying several survivors.
In Steppenwolf's eyes, The Flash's speed was nothing special. He could even clearly see every one of The Flash's movements as he ran back and forth, his eyes reflecting the hero's figure rescuing one survivor after another.
Steppenwolf was very familiar with speedsters. He recognized The Flash at a glance—the doppelganger of that annoying fellow who created the Speed Force Wall.
If it weren't for the Speed Force Wall blocking the way, it wouldn't be a mere avatar that came to Earth, but his true body.
"There are still some interesting fellows on this planet who might cause me a little trouble," Steppenwolf mused, squinting as he indifferently observed every scene on Earth.
But there were some things he couldn't see through.
For instance, Wizard Shazam's Rock of Eternity, the Dragon Power of K'un-Lun, and the portal deep within Themyscira that connected to the Underworld—one of the top-tier realms on par with Apokolips.
And deep underground, the corpse of a Final Host Celestial, and the cosmic locusts parasitizing its body.
There was also Constantine, who was fleeing pathetically from the pursuing Parademons, his body shrouded in the aura of both an archangel from Heaven and an archdemon from Hell.
And that frozen black dragon hidden deep away by S.H.I.E.L.D. This thing made even Steppenwolf's brow furrow, reminding him of some unpleasant memories.
He also saw some robots that could transform into planes and cars. The Sparks in their chests seemed to hide some secret that even Steppenwolf couldn't figure out at first.
But it didn't matter. No one was his match.
"If my true body were here, none of these things would be a problem..." Steppenwolf licked his lips cruelly, a trace of savagery flashing across his ferocious face.
As the uncle of Darkseid and the brother of Yuga Khan, Steppenwolf was by no means good-tempered; he was more ruthless and cold-blooded than anyone.
"Speed it up, you trash!"
Steppenwolf's demon-god-like figure stood tall. He roared at the Parademon Army swarming through the sky, irritably picked up his axe, and slammed it down, smashing the last remaining piece of the Australian continent beneath his feet into the ocean.
If a hundred thousand isn't enough, then a million! If a million isn't enough, then ten million!
The Parademon legions of Apokolips were endless and inexhaustible!
Darkness descended, and the entire Earth was shrouded in the shadow of Apokolips.
...
A secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base.
Agent Coulson walked in silence, his face grim. His brand-new leather shoes tapped against the floor, making a sound that wasn't exactly pleasant, but one could be sure they were made of top-grade leather.
Agent Melinda, who had been missing for a long time, was reporting the situation to Agent Coulson.
"...Our soldiers have suffered heavy losses. These Parademons are advancing too quickly. Each one is far stronger than a hand-picked special forces soldier. I have to say, your choice was the correct one," May said.
"It was just a matter of making a less bad choice from a pile of worst-case scenarios." Agent Coulson's voice was a bit hoarse, the exhaustion on his face impossible to hide.
They were too strong. These powerful enemies from Apokolips were terrifying. The overwhelming swarms of Parademons put immense pressure on humanity, but what truly brought despair was the unfathomable Steppenwolf.
The crushing defeat of the superheroes and their irreparable, painful losses were the most demoralizing blow of all.
Just then, someone reported the news of a nuclear bomb detonation.
"We launched a one-megaton nuclear bomb at that demon. He was completely unscathed."
Agent Coulson nodded calmly, his expression growing even more weary.
"Has A.R.G.U.S. responded? We need him back..." Agent Coulson asked.
Melinda shook her head. "A.R.G.U.S. is trying, but it seems Tony isn't on Cybertron. We'll have to hold on by ourselves for now."
Agent Coulson rubbed his forehead, feeling his receding hairline, and nodded silently.
"Open the door. We have to restart the project Nick Fury terminated last century... We need more super-soldiers."
Agent Coulson said in a low voice, "Resume the research on that giant dragon. No matter the consequences, nothing could be worse than our current situation."
"We must hold on, even if it means sacrificing lives to buy time. We have to hold on until reinforcements arrive on Earth..."
Melinda hesitated for a moment but ultimately said nothing. What they were about to do could be described in one phrase: drinking poison to quench their thirst.
A massive metal door slowly slid open, revealing what was deeply frozen inside... a black dragon.
The God of the Symbiotes.
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
"Our death toll has already surpassed fifty million!"
"Southern Africa has fallen... Oh my God, I'm seeing a group of gorillas shooting down planes! OMG, they're speaking English!"
"Australia has completely fallen, global tsunamis are occurring frequently, and we are severely short-staffed!"
"They went to Antarctica... but they came back!"
"Damn it, these guys from Apokolips are dead set on conquering Earth!"
...
A flood of terrible news poured in. The decline of the entire Earth seemed irreversible, with one tragic scene following another.
Some clearly witnessed the monster wielding an axe cleave the entire Australian continent in two with a single swing. Countless humans wailed in the flames and seawater as they died in agony.
One ancient faction after another went to battle, mounting a tenacious resistance against the powerful enemy from Apokolips. They had no idea that the "powerful enemy" in their eyes, the Parademon Army, was nothing more than cannon fodder dispatched by Apokolips—an inexhaustible supply.
Killing a single Parademon was a major, joyous event that greatly boosted humanity's morale.
That was until the Boom Tube opened once more, and a hundred thousand Parademons descended upon Earth, plunging the planet into absolute despair.
The Justice League, the Avengers, the Sorcerer Supreme, Themyscira, and K'un-Lun attempted to execute a decapitation strike, aiming to take out Steppenwolf in one fell swoop.
But the power Steppenwolf displayed was simply suffocating.
In the ensuing fierce battle, Steppenwolf single-handedly took on the combined mighty forces of Earth and won effortlessly.
The Atom, Firestorm, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, War Machine, and over twenty other superheroes were killed on the spot, their bodies left completely mangled.
Stephen tried to pull Steppenwolf into the Mirror Dimension but suffered a backlash, causing him to vomit blood.
Iron Man's armor was shattered by the aftershock of Steppenwolf's power, and Tony himself was critically injured and on the brink of death.
Captain America lost an arm, becoming crippled.
As the main force against Steppenwolf, Superman fell into a coma from his grievous injuries. Half of his chest was torn open, revealing the organs within.
As for the others, like the ordinary warriors from Themyscira, it goes without saying—the casualties were countless. Even the Immortal Dragon Shou-Lao from K'un-Lun, who hadn't appeared in thousands of years, was nearly cut in half at the waist by Steppenwolf. This enraged the Immortal Dragon, who immediately took Iron Fist back to K'un-Lun to receive the legacy of the Divine Dragon.
The previous generation's Iron Fist who received the legacy had a record of shattering the Phoenix Force with a single punch, though he died soon after from overexerting his power.
The one who contributed the most was The Flash. The speedster unleashed his full potential, increasing his speed tenfold. He successfully rescued the survivors from right under Steppenwolf's nose at a speed of 3,000 times the speed of sound.
However, he was nearly struck by the axe Steppenwolf threw. The impact from the aftershock of divine power also left him severely injured.
The terrifying power displayed by Steppenwolf, a mere avatar of this singular god, had already plunged the entire Earth into endless darkness and collapse.
"Foolish Earthlings..."
Steppenwolf sat on the ruins of the Australian continent, sneering as he watched the countless red lightning arcs disappear over the horizon. He was moving so fast that countless afterimages of him appeared almost simultaneously, each carrying several survivors.
In Steppenwolf's eyes, The Flash's speed was nothing special. He could even clearly see every one of The Flash's movements as he ran back and forth, his eyes reflecting the hero's figure rescuing one survivor after another.
Steppenwolf was very familiar with speedsters. He recognized The Flash at a glance—the doppelganger of that annoying fellow who created the Speed Force Wall.
If it weren't for the Speed Force Wall blocking the way, it wouldn't be a mere avatar that came to Earth, but his true body.
"There are still some interesting fellows on this planet who might cause me a little trouble," Steppenwolf mused, squinting as he indifferently observed every scene on Earth.
But there were some things he couldn't see through.
For instance, Wizard Shazam's Rock of Eternity, the Dragon Power of K'un-Lun, and the portal deep within Themyscira that connected to the Underworld—one of the top-tier realms on par with Apokolips.
And deep underground, the corpse of a Final Host Celestial, and the cosmic locusts parasitizing its body.
There was also Constantine, who was fleeing pathetically from the pursuing Parademons, his body shrouded in the aura of both an archangel from Heaven and an archdemon from Hell.
And that frozen black dragon hidden deep away by S.H.I.E.L.D. This thing made even Steppenwolf's brow furrow, reminding him of some unpleasant memories.
He also saw some robots that could transform into planes and cars. The Sparks in their chests seemed to hide some secret that even Steppenwolf couldn't figure out at first.
But it didn't matter. No one was his match.
"If my true body were here, none of these things would be a problem..." Steppenwolf licked his lips cruelly, a trace of savagery flashing across his ferocious face.
As the uncle of Darkseid and the brother of Yuga Khan, Steppenwolf was by no means good-tempered; he was more ruthless and cold-blooded than anyone.
"Speed it up, you trash!"
Steppenwolf's demon-god-like figure stood tall. He roared at the Parademon Army swarming through the sky, irritably picked up his axe, and slammed it down, smashing the last remaining piece of the Australian continent beneath his feet into the ocean.
If a hundred thousand isn't enough, then a million! If a million isn't enough, then ten million!
The Parademon legions of Apokolips were endless and inexhaustible!
Darkness descended, and the entire Earth was shrouded in the shadow of Apokolips.
...
A secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base.
Agent Coulson walked in silence, his face grim. His brand-new leather shoes tapped against the floor, making a sound that wasn't exactly pleasant, but one could be sure they were made of top-grade leather.
Agent Melinda, who had been missing for a long time, was reporting the situation to Agent Coulson.
"...Our soldiers have suffered heavy losses. These Parademons are advancing too quickly. Each one is far stronger than a hand-picked special forces soldier. I have to say, your choice was the correct one," May said.
"It was just a matter of making a less bad choice from a pile of worst-case scenarios." Agent Coulson's voice was a bit hoarse, the exhaustion on his face impossible to hide.
They were too strong. These powerful enemies from Apokolips were terrifying. The overwhelming swarms of Parademons put immense pressure on humanity, but what truly brought despair was the unfathomable Steppenwolf.
The crushing defeat of the superheroes and their irreparable, painful losses were the most demoralizing blow of all.
Just then, someone reported the news of a nuclear bomb detonation.
"We launched a one-megaton nuclear bomb at that demon. He was completely unscathed."
Agent Coulson nodded calmly, his expression growing even more weary.
"Has A.R.G.U.S. responded? We need him back..." Agent Coulson asked.
Melinda shook her head. "A.R.G.U.S. is trying, but it seems Tony isn't on Cybertron. We'll have to hold on by ourselves for now."
Agent Coulson rubbed his forehead, feeling his receding hairline, and nodded silently.
"Open the door. We have to restart the project Nick Fury terminated last century... We need more super-soldiers."
Agent Coulson said in a low voice, "Resume the research on that giant dragon. No matter the consequences, nothing could be worse than our current situation."
"We must hold on, even if it means sacrificing lives to buy time. We have to hold on until reinforcements arrive on Earth..."
Melinda hesitated for a moment but ultimately said nothing. What they were about to do could be described in one phrase: drinking poison to quench their thirst.
A massive metal door slowly slid open, revealing what was deeply frozen inside... a black dragon.
The God of the Symbiotes.
(end of chapter)
