Vol III | Chapter II

Author's Announcement

StromLantern offered me a nice stone in this trying time. Therefore an update. So don't forget to vote, perhaps I already have a chapter prepared already.

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"I won't hide it. But seeing the core members of the Justice League all in one spot is just bizarre." Sandra recalled back to the moment as she shared it with her colleagues and friends, well what remained and lived.

It had been a couple of days in when the war was finally concluded, and any remaining active androids have been terminated and scrapped to bits for extra confirmation on their 'permanent deactivation' state. Meanwhile, the city was rebuilding, but the damages inflicted on the lives were too severe that the wounds that ached in their heart may be a pain that would never fade. Loss of a loved one, missing their sentimental item or heirloom, perhaps their homes that held many memories and emotions in it – no matter what it was; the large range all leads to the grievance of loss – the city was shrouded in a gloomy depressive state.

"Then? What happened to them?" a man asked, but the question she received wasn't understood. It wasn't when Nick specified what the man hinted that Sandra figured it out. "The Korpsmen? I'm not sure either, the last I've seen them was with Batman. Perhaps he's taking them off Supergirl for the meantime, especially at her current state."

Sandra witnessed it all as she accompanied Alex all over the city after the war. The meeting with Lena gave the soldier the fright when she saw Lena's state, although Alex has claimed she was recovering. The same could be said for Supergirl, but she estimated it will take a long while. But returning back to Lena's state, Sandra was able to gather a bit of understanding – mostly just from picking up words and connecting them – that the whole cause of Lena's state had been the presence of the artifact.

Now simply based on assumptions, Sandra can depict that this 'artifact' is far gone to even affect Lena. But then if that's so, she along with Alex and anyone else with the knowledge of the 'artifact' – where has it gone, and who has it?

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Alex on her part as the Director of the D.E.O felt too burdened by the overwhelming weight that pressured her shoulders. The deaths of many of her subordinates, and it hurt especially more when she thinks about how she wasn't where she was needed most when the war erupted.

'Damn it…' Alex sighs as she slums down her chair as she savors the time of being alone and in the moments of silence, but it appears to be a curse when she lingers too long in it. Like at this moment, she felt that she was truly alone – the ghosts of those that had died when she was absent now haunt her – and then the silence became too deafening it was driving her insane along with the guilt eating her up.

Until a knock shakes her awake from it. "Lieutenant Sandra, permission to enter." The familiar voice was deeply welcomed.

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Emelia had been dreading the moment she could finally return home, especially when the news was bringing in hopeful ones – regarding mostly about restricted areas and borders being lifted due to clearings of the place for enemies – that and she couldn't wait to reunite with her mother.

It hadn't been until hours ago that Emelia was informed that she could catch a ride to the other side of the city, the part of the city where she grew up and lived with her mother and younger brother. "Hey! Is this truck heading to-" Emelia questioned, to which it was perfectly headed to the place she was to be and jumped aboard.

When she did arrive at the location, the visual scenery answered more than questions could fit in. It was with absolute certainty that this part of the city was hit the hardest based on the devastation and the countless bodies that were laid along the road – covered in white sheets to pay respect – and with sudden fear as she felt her heart sink as she thought of the worst.

"Mom?!" Almost as if she reverted back to a child, she began calling out, hoping that her calls would be answered but there were none.

Everyone around only offered sympathetic looks, as everyone suffered much or less the same. Emelia was just another victim.

Emelia went on throughout the whole day screaming and tears rolling down the red flushed cheeks and rosy eyes. Until when she felt she was at rock bottom, a voice answered her calls. "E-Emelia?! Emelia!"

Looking around the crowd, she searched for the voice until the person answering ran through the crowd, and a pair of hands wrapped around Emelia's waist. "Emelia!" her young brother none older than six cries and bawls his eyes shut in tears as he embraced her tightly – almost as if too afraid to let go.

In instincts and response, she immediately reciprocated the close embrace as the siblings were relieved to have found each other. But Emelia had to pull away to ask her brother a question, "Have you seen mom? Where's mom?!"

The silence was all that answered Emelia's question and frozen eyes stared right back at hers. It was all she needed to know what had befallen their mother.

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In the shambled state of National City, wandering the battered roads, streets, and buildings, a soldier roamed it aimlessly – all the while looking the part of the grand apocalyptic stage he was in – until he stumbled upon a half-dead woman that had the bottom torso of her buried by the caved-in ceiling.

The woman who was drifting in and out of consciousness was suddenly snapped out of the trance from falling asleep when she heard the sounds of clicking boots approaching her, but she had been too weak to call out. But it didn't seem to matter when she felt gloved hands tenderly hold her head easing her fear of being abandoned to die alone.

With closed eyes, she could only assume the stranger was kneeling beside her as he tended to her carefully, especially when he scooted in and cradled her head comfortably before he began stroking her hair. It was comforting.

But when she could sense her life withering away, she used all the strength she could muster to open her eyes – revealing to be such glamorous blue orbs – to meet only the lens of a gas mask. "Could I… see your face?"

She requested but was met with silence. But despite not receiving an answer, she took it upon herself to weakly reached out her trembling hands for the straps. When she did unhook the gas mask, she delicately took it off.

"Thank you… for keeping me company…"

Looking at the man's eyes, she inspected every part of his face with so much gratitude, while despite those very eyes she was gazing at were unmoving and unsympathetic. But his actions said otherwise with his true expression.

Then in the next moment, she peacefully passed on. Leaving only Hylric to dwell on what has just transpired.

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Between Batman and the Watchmaster both have expressed an obvious yet subtle hint of being suspicious and cautious towards the other. But the event he pulled at the warehouse only increased the play by a level. Masha wouldn't dare to make a subject of an Imperial Guardsman be under the mercy of a foreign authority – such as Batman.

On another account, a potential ally was encountered in that same moment – Agent Liberty – and she hopes to get the chance to establish a communication with him as well as an associate to reach the Imperium.

Over the course of their stay here on Earth – the supposedly claimed named homeworld of Humanity and the bastion palace of the God Emperor – she is coming to a state this could all be due to everything being an alternate reality, she could only theorize. But as a guardsman, as a soldier, she would not give in. Even if she has to build an Imperial army under the banner of the Death Korps serving the Imperium in this separate reality.

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Meanwhile, the Death Korps Guardsmen have just arrived in Gotham.

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