Chapter 186: The Tragic Fate of Steppenwolf
Just seconds earlier, the Mother Box had activated, creating a Boom Tube that connected across the universe, summoning Darkseid's servant, Steppenwolf. Unfortunately, before Steppenwolf could fully arrive on Earth and unleash his wrath...
Boom!
A terrifying force almost collapsed the entire temple, which was constructed from massive stone blocks weighing tens of thousands of tons. Amidst the flying debris, a figure burst through the temple's stone walls with immense power, slamming directly into Steppenwolf, who had just emerged from the Boom Tube.
Bang!
The tremendous impact sent Steppenwolf, whose body was several times larger than a human's, flying through the air. The force of the blow propelled him through the stone wall behind him, hurling him out of the temple.
"Protect the Mother Box!"
The sudden turn of events caused the Amazon warriors guarding the Mother Box to react with shock. They drew their swords, gripping their blades and shields tightly, and warily eyed Superman, who had just knocked Steppenwolf away.
"This place is in your hands now!"
Despite the intense, watchful gazes of dozens of Amazon warriors, Superman remained calm, nodding at them. After glancing at the Mother Box, which had completely stopped vibrating and was now silent, he chose not to pick it up. Instead, he immediately pursued the Steppenwolf he had just sent flying.
"What should we do now?"
Both Steppenwolf and Superman had appeared suddenly and then quickly left. This unusual situation left the warriors who had long protected the Mother Box feeling uncertain, unsure of what to do next.
"This place is no longer safe. We need to move the Mother Box to a secure location!"
One of the female warriors, who seemed to be the leader, wrapped the Mother Box in a cloth without hesitation and quickly prepared to leave the temple with it. Given the recent events, this specially designed temple was indeed no longer safe—especially when such powerful forces could break through the temple's walls, which were hundreds of centimeters thick.
Meanwhile, the figure that had been sent flying out of the temple was launched several hundred meters before finally crashing into the ground, creating a massive crater. The momentum carried on, gouging a deep trench in the earth that stretched over a hundred meters before finally coming to a stop.
Everyone rushing toward the scene clearly saw the figure.
However, they were still thousands of meters away from that figure and couldn't reach it quickly. Only the Flash, with his super speed, and Superman, who had flown out of the temple, arrived swiftly at Steppenwolf's location.
At this moment, Steppenwolf appeared to be in excruciating pain, lying in a disheveled heap at the end of the trench. His weapon had been knocked from his grasp and lay several meters away. He was struggling desperately to rise, despite the intense pain.
"Is this the Steppenwolf you were talking about?"
Superman landed in front of Steppenwolf, standing side by side with the Flash, who had reformed into a solid figure, and asked in a deep voice.
"That's right, he's Steppenwolf, Darkseid's subordinate, the vanguard of the invasion of Earth."
The Flash's expression was one of suppressed fury. In another timeline, this very villain had used the combined power of the Mother Boxes to nearly destroy the entire Earth, turning it into a burning wasteland. Ultimately, this led to the arrival of the cosmic tyrant Darkseid from Apokolips, causing Earth's complete downfall.
"He doesn't seem so tough."
Superman clenched his fist, his once serious expression gradually relaxing. Although this was their first clash, he could already tell that Steppenwolf was far less powerful than he was.
…
"You... will regret this!"
Superman unleashed his full strength, striking Steppenwolf with immense force. Even though Steppenwolf was fully armored and had a physique far beyond that of a normal being, he still felt an overwhelming pain coursing through his body at that moment.
Struggling through the agony, he forced himself up from the ground, grabbed his battle axe, and slowly straightened his massive form. He glared down at the Flash and Superman, his eyes burning with lethal intent.
"I have conquered tens of thousands of worlds like this one, turning them into hellish infernos. You have no idea the kind of terror you are provoking."
"Pathetic humans, you have truly angered me!"
As one of the New Gods of Apokolips, Steppenwolf, though just struck by Superman's powerful punch, wasn't mortally wounded. His formidable body quickly began to recover, and his god-like pride wouldn't allow him to be defeated by what he considered mere insects.
His intense rage triggered a terrifying aura. The once clear sky suddenly darkened as thick clouds rapidly gathered, blocking out the sun as if the apocalypse had arrived. Steppenwolf brandished his battle axe, which crackled with yellow electricity. While he couldn't control lightning like Thor, his New God strength and presence were powerful enough to shake the heavens and earth.
"This time, I will make everyone on this planet suffer the torments of hell!"
Slowly raising his axe, Steppenwolf finally revealed the terrifying power of a god-like being.
"Well, now it's starting to get interesting."
Feeling Steppenwolf's rising power, the relaxed expression on Superman's face slowly faded, replaced by a fierce determination. Without a hint of fear, he felt a surge of battle spirit.
Superman didn't hesitate. His eyes suddenly glowed bright red.
Zzzzzz!
In an instant, twin beams of searing heat vision shot from his eyes, piercing through the air straight at Steppenwolf.
This time, Steppenwolf seemed prepared. He raised his axe to block the incoming heat vision. While the beams couldn't directly harm his body, the sheer force of the impact gradually pushed Steppenwolf back.
Several seconds passed before the crimson beams finally dissipated.
As the powerful force ebbed away, Steppenwolf seemed to regain his confidence.
"So, you're not human, but a Kryptonian? Is that all you've got?"
During his conquests across the universe, Steppenwolf had heard of Kryptonians. Now, he quickly recognized Superman's true identity. But rather than remembering his recent struggles, he began to taunt Superman.
"Too bad for you, you're not just facing them—you're facing all of us!"
Suddenly, the roar of approaching aircraft filled the air.
Boom, boom, boom!
The ground began to quake as an army surged toward them, raising a cloud of dust like a massive tidal wave rolling in. Above, several figures flew swiftly through the air, each one seeming to possess power far beyond that of ordinary humans.
"Dammit!"
Steppenwolf's eyes widened in shock at the sight, unable to maintain his previous composure. He cursed the cursed Mother Box under his breath for summoning him at such a time and then cutting off the Boom Tube, leaving him alone without the army of Parademons.
Now he found himself alone, facing an overwhelming force, including a Kryptonian whose strength was immeasurable.
...
"Haha, anyone in Steppenwolf's position right now, facing such a force, would probably feel a bit dizzy."
While Steppenwolf stood alone against an overwhelming army, Peter watched everything with interest from above.
"But enough playing around. It's time to get to business."
The next moment, Peter's smile faded, and he instantly vanished.
When he reappeared, he was right in front of a group of female warriors galloping on horseback toward the perimeter.
"Whoa..."
The sudden appearance of a figure blocking their path forced the warriors to halt their steeds.
"You're that... No, you're not him!"
Seeing Peter floating in the air, the female warrior initially mistook him for Superman, who had just assisted them. But as she got a better look, her expression quickly changed.
"I'll be taking that Mother Box."
Without hesitation, Peter reached out toward the Mother Box strapped to the warrior's back.
"Damn it, protect the Mother Box!"
The warrior hadn't expected that, with just a gesture from Peter, the Mother Box would be yanked by some unseen force and fly toward him. Her expression turned to one of panic as she quickly grabbed her bow, nocking an arrow and aiming it at Peter, who now held the Mother Box in his hand.
The other warriors reacted swiftly, unleashing a flurry of arrows at Peter almost simultaneously.
In an instant, dozens of arrows formed a small storm of projectiles, raining down on Peter.
"So this is the Mother Box?"
Peter examined the Mother Box, the pinnacle of Apokolips technology, as the arrows flew toward him. He seemed completely unfazed by the incoming barrage.
With a casual wave of his hand, a flash of crimson light appeared, and the specially made arrows were instantly reduced to ashes, scattering in the air.
"How... how is that possible?"
The female warrior stared in shock. Their arrows, though not ancient relics, were specially crafted weapons, impervious to ordinary flames and even imbued with a trace of divine power to pierce through various magical defenses.
But before they could fully grasp what had happened, Peter erupted with terrifying speed, accompanied by a deafening sonic boom, disappearing from their sight.
"Quick, after him! We must retrieve the Mother Box at all costs!"
Despite the fearsome power Peter displayed, the female warriors remained undeterred. Even in the face of such a formidable enemy, they refused to abandon their duty and the belief in protecting the Mother Box.
Meanwhile, Peter, now holding the Mother Box, appeared on the battlefield where Steppenwolf was facing off against Earth's defenders.
"Huh? Steppenwolf's already struggling?"
By this time, Steppenwolf's earlier bravado was long gone. He was being mercilessly beaten by Superman, who had pinned him to the ground. Superman's heat vision flared occasionally, scorching Steppenwolf's body, and when the beams subsided, Superman would land punch after punch on his face.
Steppenwolf's once gleaming silver armor was now charred black. His face was swollen and bruised, as though it had been pummeled by a giant fist dozens of times.
To prevent any escape attempts, the other League members had formed a tight perimeter around the two combatants. Beyond them, a massive army of Amazon warriors surrounded the area, creating layer upon layer of defense.
In just a short time, Steppenwolf had been beaten into submission by Superman. If nothing unexpected occurred, he would soon be beaten to death.
Cough, cough. "I hate to interrupt your fun, but I still need this guy for something."
Peter's speed was so incredible that the others only noticed his presence when they heard his voice. Suddenly, another figure had appeared in the sky.
"That's...? The person from before? What's he doing here?"
With Peter's sudden appearance, the others looked at him in confusion. Only the Flash and Batman, who had encountered Peter before, stared at him in shock, a sense of foreboding creeping into their hearts.
"Who are you?"
The unexpected voice caused Superman to pause his brutal assault on Steppenwolf. He slowly turned to look at Peter, his eyes filled with surprise.
Peter's appearance seemed similar to Superman's, but his aura and presence were far more intense and awe-inspiring.
Most importantly, Superman's keen senses detected that Peter might harbor a power even more terrifying than his own.
Almost without hesitation, Superman came to a conclusion: this was a being stronger than himself.
"Could it be that in the few months I've been gone, the world has changed this much?"
...
"Sir, you recently took Doomsday's body from the military, and now you're here to seize the Mother Box. What exactly is your goal?"
Unlike Superman, Batman immediately noticed the Mother Box in Peter's hand and asked him with a serious expression.
"Doomsday's body was stolen by him? Could it be…"
"What's your connection with Lex Luthor?"
Hearing Batman's words, Superman's eyes flickered as he suddenly considered a troubling possibility.
This guy stole Doomsday's body, possesses power greater than mine, and now he's after the Mother Box…
Everything was starting to give Superman a bad feeling. Could this guy have something to do with Lex Luthor?
"Hey, I have nothing to do with that bald guy… Forget it, there's no point in explaining anything to you."
Peter had no intention of explaining himself. He shot straight toward Steppenwolf, who was trapped at the center of the battlefield.
"Damn it, whoever you are, I won't let you destroy this world!"
Superman's eyes flared with intense energy as beams of brilliant red light shot out.
Szzzzzz!
"What? How is that possible?"
But in response to Superman's heat vision, Peter simply extended his hand, effortlessly blocking the searing beams. Without losing any momentum, he was in front of Superman in an instant.
With an overwhelming force, Peter grabbed Superman, lifting him off the ground with ease. Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, he hurled Superman backward. Superman's body flew out of sight, vanishing into the distance, with no telling how far he was thrown.
"Steppenwolf… I need you to help me with something."
"Who… are you? And what… do you want from me?"
Steppenwolf, his mouth still crooked from Superman's earlier punches, stared at Peter with a mix of confusion and disbelief.
Both of Steppenwolf's horns were broken, leaving him with a bald, battered appearance. He couldn't understand why someone who seemed to be rescuing him would suddenly appear. There shouldn't be anyone this powerful on Apokolips with such an alliance on this planet.
"I need you to open a portal to Apokolips for me."
...
(End of Chapter)
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