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[Superman] Chapter 185: The Arrival of Steppenwolf
🕑 Added 2024-08-10 06:37:59 +0000 UTCA short time later...
After the group's explanations, the recently resurrected Superman finally understood the true reason they had brought him back.
"The apocalypse of humanity, the fall of Earth, and demons from Apokolips?"
Superman slowly repeated the words that had frequently come up during their conversation. Although he had been in a state of confusion due to fragmented memories after his resurrection, he had now fully regained all the memories from before his death, thanks to spending time with Lois.
Now, he was once again the hero who would sacrifice himself to save the world and protect innocent lives. When faced with the news that the world was on the brink of collapse, he was shocked, but he did not hesitate.
"So, what do we need to do now?"
The distant, guarded look in his eyes softened, and he gazed calmly at the group before him. This moment signified that he had finally accepted the other members of the Justice League. From here on, they would fight side by side, becoming trusted comrades and allies.
"Unite as one and repel the invading enemy!" Batman spoke slowly, his voice heavy but filled with powerful confidence, stirring the emotions of those around him.
"Exactly! As long as we stand together, we will be invincible!" The Flash's eyes gleamed with excitement. He had spent nearly a month back in the past, and he had finally completed all the preparations in advance.
The Justice League had been formed to confront the crisis before it even arrived. The grim future he remembered would be rewritten through their combined efforts. The world would endure, and humanity would thrive!
At this moment, almost no one on Earth knew that the famous superhero organization, the Justice League, was quietly being established. Six founding members, along with several auxiliary members, were preparing to face the impending threat to Earth—the arrival of Steppenwolf, the servant of Darkseid, the dark lord of Apokolips.
With Superman's return, their plans were fully set in motion. They began recruiting more members with a strong sense of justice and unique abilities, while also making more thorough preparations.
As time passed, the day finally arrived when Steppenwolf would descend upon Earth.
"Everyone, an alien civilization has its eyes on Earth, and humanity's crisis is imminent."
"As heroes of humanity, it is our duty to protect Earth and its people!"
"This time, we must repel all invaders, maintain the peace of Earth, and let our planet's name resonate across the universe, striking fear into the hearts of any potential foes."
Superman, with his unmatched strength, was a natural leader for countless heroes. At this moment, as all the members gathered together, inspired by Superman's leadership and passionate words, both the core members of the Justice League and the new recruits preparing for the crisis were filled with excitement.
"Fight for humanity, fight for Earth!"
"This battle will be victorious!"
Energized, the group, led by Superman, boarded the aircraft that Batman had already prepared. Soon, a total of five aircraft took off, forming a triangular formation as they rapidly accelerated toward an unknown destination across the ocean.
"Mother, I will finally see you again!"
Wearing golden armor, wielding a shield and a divine sword, and with a golden lasso at her waist, Wonder Woman gazed at the rapidly passing sky, her eyes filled with memories and anticipation. Their destination was her childhood home, Themyscira, the hidden island of the Amazons.
"Who would have thought that a day would come when our two rival tribes would fight side by side," Aquaman remarked as he approached Wonder Woman, sensing her special emotions about returning home.
The Amazons and the Atlanteans had been enemies for thousands of years, harboring deep animosity toward each other.
Only during Darkseid's last invasion of Earth had they temporarily set aside their hatred to fight against his army.
Now, once again, it was Darkseid's threat that brought the two tribes together to fight as allies.
...
The aircraft soared through the sky for what felt like ages, and after several hours of flight, they drew closer and closer to Wonder Woman's homeland. Yet, as they approached, a strange unease flickered in her eyes.
Growing up in the isolated Paradise Island, they adhered to strict laws—among them, the absolute prohibition of outsiders and men entering the island. But now, Wonder Woman had no choice but to break that rule herself, leading a group of outsiders back to Themyscira.
In the Flash's recollections, Steppenwolf was first drawn to the island by the call of the Mother Box and descended upon Themyscira. Despite the Amazon warriors' fierce resistance, they were unable to withstand the might of Steppenwolf, and countless warriors fell to his ax.
Thus, even though it meant breaking the island's ancient laws, Wonder Woman had to bring reinforcements to defend her people.
Finally, they pierced through the magical barrier that shielded the island from human discovery and beheld the unique civilization atop a vast island that humanity had never explored.
"So, this is your homeland, the isolated Paradise Island?"
Superman, Batman, and the others gathered behind Wonder Woman, gazing down at the god-like city below.
"Yes, this is Themyscira. Mother, I’ve returned!"
Wonder Woman maintained a calm exterior, but the deep longing in her eyes was unmistakable. It had been nearly a hundred years since she last left this place.
Meanwhile, the Amazonian warriors guarding the island noticed the line of approaching aircraft and were instantly filled with shock.
"Quick, notify the Queen! Outsiders have entered Paradise Island!"
One warrior, stunned by the sight, ordered her comrade before swiftly drawing her longbow and setting aflame a special arrow. She then aimed at the sky and fired.
Whoosh!
The flaming arrow streaked toward the heavens like a brilliant firework, casting a radiant light across the sky.
The arrow's flare immediately caught the attention of every warrior on the island. In the palace, the Amazon Queen, Wonder Woman’s mother, also noticed the arrow and the swiftly approaching aircraft in the distance.
"Who dares to intrude upon Paradise Island? Are they Atlanteans? Or humans?"
The Queen's eyes grew cold as she speculated about the identity of the intruders.
"Not long ago, the Mother Box that our tribe has guarded for millennia began to stir, and now outsiders have suddenly breached our island…"
"Could it be that something truly catastrophic is about to happen?"
As the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta was no ordinary woman. The recent events suggested that the peace Themyscira had maintained for thousands of years was on the brink of being shattered.
"Whoever they are, I will not allow them to disrupt the peace of Paradise Island!"
In the next moment, resolve flashed across the Queen's face. Though she was the Queen, she was also the most formidable warrior among the Amazons. She feared no danger and swore to protect the harmony of Themyscira.
"Gather the army at once! Prepare to intercept the intruders!"
The Queen shouted her command, calling her warriors to assemble and prepare to confront the trespassers.
Without hesitation, she donned her golden armor, mounted her steed, and led her warriors as they galloped toward the distant intruders.
The thunder of hooves echoed across the island as thousands of warriors charged, creating a sound like a massive boulder rolling across the land.
In just a few minutes, the Amazonian cavalry had formed a defensive line at the front of the island. Their longbows drawn, arrows poised, they aimed at the sky with a strength far surpassing that of ordinary humans, capable of shooting arrows thousands of meters high—enough to threaten any aircraft in the sky.
"To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, we should land first."
Seeing the island’s tight defenses, the group decided to land the aircraft gently on the flat ground of Themyscira, hoping to prevent any conflict.
"Your Highness, they’ve landed. It seems they do not intend to force their way in…"
"Let's go and see who dares to intrude on Paradise Island!"
"No one is to attack without my command."
Noticing the intruders’ peaceful landing, the Queen showed no hesitation. She spurred her horse toward the landing site, her warriors quickly following behind.
"Protect the Queen…"
The other Amazons rushed to her side.
"Wait, is that… Diana? Diana has returned!"
Halfway there, the Queen spotted a familiar figure stepping out of the aircraft—the daughter she had longed to see for so many years.
In that instant, the Queen forgot all about the intruders on Paradise Island. Overcome with emotion, she charged toward her daughter on horseback.
Wonder Woman, just as eager, sprinted toward her mother, her face alight with excitement.
...
The long-separated mother and daughter were filled with emotion at that moment, embracing each other and sharing their feelings of longing.
It was only after some time that Superman and the others, who had accompanied Wonder Woman, slowly approached the two as they calmed down.
“You must be Diana’s mother. We’re very sorry for intruding on Themyscira due to certain circumstances. We hope you can forgive us.”
Superman and Batman walked side by side, with Superman stepping forward to apologize to the Queen, who had just turned her gaze away from her daughter.
“You’re… Superman?”
Although Themyscira was isolated from the world, it wasn’t completely detached from human civilization. At least, after Diana chose to venture into the human world, her mother, the Queen, paid close attention to the developments of human society.
While they didn’t value human technology, they had heard of the hero Superman, who appeared on Earth decades ago to protect humanity. However, this was the first time she saw him in person.
“Hello, Your Majesty. I am Batman, a friend of your daughter…”
Batman also introduced himself to the Queen.
“Batman? Never heard of you…”
However, the Queen wasn’t familiar with his identity.
“Enough. I don’t care about your names. I just want to know why you’re here!”
Although seeing her long-lost daughter had moved the Queen deeply, she quickly regained her usual regal demeanor and questioned the group. Even in the presence of the so-called god among men, Superman, she would not back down. After all, her husband was a true god—the King of the Gods, Zeus!
“Mother, we have come for a reason!”
“Themyscira is about to face a great calamity! We intruded on the island out of necessity to protect you and our people.”
Seeing that a misunderstanding was about to occur, Wonder Woman quickly stepped forward to explain to her mother.
“Diana, you’re still young. The world outside is full of sweet-talking deceivers. Don’t let yourself be fooled by the treachery of humans!”
To the Queen, Wonder Woman was still a child, even though she was thousands of years old. She was worried her daughter might be deceived by the false promises of humans.
“Mother, it’s true. I haven’t been deceived. Themyscira is about to be invaded by the forces of Darkseid!”
At this critical moment, Wonder Woman did not hesitate to reveal the real reason for their arrival.
“What? Darkseid? How do you know that name?”
The mention of Darkseid’s name instantly changed the Queen’s expression, even though she had remained calm in front of Superman.
“Your Majesty, Diana is telling the truth. It’s because of this threat that we’ve come to Themyscira!”
Superman added solemnly.
Boom… Boom Boom!
Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled violently.
“This isn’t good; it’s coming from the direction of the temple!”
Feeling the sudden tremor, the Queen quickly turned toward a specific direction.
The Mother Box from Apokolips was stored in the temple in that direction.
“Hurry, everyone, head to the temple immediately!”
At this moment, the Queen had no time to think about the intruders on Themyscira. She mounted her horse and led the others in a gallop toward the temple.
“It seems we’ve arrived just in time. The real battle is about to begin!”
Superman looked seriously into the distance, where a massive blue beam of light suddenly appeared in the sky. It was like a portal spanning across space and time, its powerful hum resonating throughout Themyscira.
It was as if something was crossing through the light, traveling an immense distance.
“Everyone, follow the plan and prepare for battle!”
Batman instructed the group, and with that, Superman shot into the sky, heading toward the beam of light.
Whoosh!
The Flash turned into a streak of lightning, quickly following.
The others also used their unique abilities, some taking to the skies, others speeding across the ground.
Batman, on the other hand, returned to the aircraft, leading those without travel abilities to the battle.
The fight was about to begin!
Meanwhile, in the distant temple, the trembling Mother Box suddenly stopped its vibrations as if sensing some imminent danger. But it was too late—the portal had already opened, allowing a massive figure to be transported through.
Boom!
The enormous figure, clad in silver armor bristling with metal spikes, radiated an aura of power and intimidation.
“Earth’s insects, tremble before the might of Steppenwolf!”
The imposing figure, like a demon, raised his ax crackling with yellow lightning, his eyes full of killing intent as he stared down the Amazon warriors prepared to fight.
Boom!
But in the next moment, a figure burst through the stone walls of the temple, charging directly at the triumphant Steppenwolf!
…
(End of Chapter)
