#2

" Who are you?" Superman asked the new arrival.

The new warrior ignored Superman's question and instead focused his attention on the box in Batman's hands.

In the blink of an eye, the man's body turned into a blur, and he appeared in front of batman, snatching him off of the ground by his throat.

" Nostato forrta frotuga?!" 

Batman and the others were surprised by the sudden burst of speed and violence. 

" What'd he say?" Barry asked.

Superman flew up to the alien holding Batman and grabbed his shoulder.

" Hey, let him go now, before I-"

" Demere?!" The man said. His facial expression was one of offense and anger. 

" Hey, whoa, whoa, Superman, he doesn't like that!" Jordan exclaimed. He raised his hand to stop Superman, however it was too late.

The man surprised Superman. He turned around faster than Superman expected and landed a solid right strike on his left cheek.

" Ah Hell!" Jordan exclaimed.

The sound of thunder popped as Superman went racing across the street and into a nearby building, scaring the people around them even more than they already were.

Superman was surprised.

" He's as strong as me?!" He said to himself. The disbelief on his face was clear. Not once in his whole life had he met anyone who could physically overpower him. Not like that anyway. " Alright, then."

* Zoom!

" Hey, buddy. You need to calm down." Jordan said to the man. 

" Nostato Forrt-"

Before this new alien could finish his sentence, Superman slammed into him shoulder first. 

" Superman, Wait!" Hal Jordan exclaimed. " Ah damn it!" Jordan flew into the air, chasing after the two men, however even he found himself having trouble keeping up with the two blurs as they crashed around the city. " What is with these two?! They're like human wrecking balls!"

Superman and his competitor flew around Metropolis, smashing into the buildings around them like two speeding trains. Superman had his opponent's fists locked with his own, in a test of strength that neither seemed to be winning out on.

' What is this guy?' Superman wondered.

Suddenly the man headbutted Superman, dazing him for a moment. He then followed that up with powerful punches to Superman's stomach, lifting him higher and higher into the air. He then grabbed Superman's cape and threw him into the side of a nearby skyscraper, shattering the glass and stone that made up the building. 

Superman shook off the pounding feeling in his skull and immediately exploded back into the sky with a counterattack of his own.

The sound of Thunder boomed in the air as Superman unloaded on his new foe, striking him multiple times in the face before slamming both of his hands down on the man's head. 

Just as quickly as he had brought them down, Superman brought both of his closed fists back up and slammed them into his opponent's chin, sending him crash landing on a nearby rooftop. 

Sensing that wasn't enough, Superman continued his assault and divebombed the man, driving him straight through to the bottom of the building.

Moments later, Superman emerged from the debris, having been knocked away once more by his challenger.

As the scene unfolded Hal Jordan and the others raced to catch up with the two men.

" We have to stop them. They're gonna destroy the entire city at this rate." Batman stated.

" Yeah, no kidding." Jordan told the man. 

The dust settled in the streets once more and Superman emerged from the rubble that had buried him.

Superman and the Alien exploded off of the street and met each other high in the sky. The shockwave produced by their fists hitting each other, caused almost every single glass window in the surrounding area to shatter instantaneously.

Superman landed multiple solid punches to the man's face before punching him in the jaw and sending him careening into the buildings below them, tearing apart the side of the building with his iron body. 

The Man responded by firing a sudden beam of heat from his eyes.

" What?!" Superman exclaimed. He quickly dodged the red beams, turning to the side as they passed by his face. 

Heat Vision was one of his powers. The strength, the speed, the durability, the heat vision. All of it was weird to Kal-el. In that moment a thought entered Superman's mind. 

' Is this guy a kryptonian?' He wondered.

However, he didn't have long to think on it, as a moment latter the man delivered a powerful blow to Superman's temple, stunning him for a moment.

Superman felt his entire world spin for a moment, before the intense feeling of pain began shooting through his face again. 

The drumming of the purple being's fist against Superman's face sounded like a machinegun being fired inside of a dome. 

It took a moment, but Superman managed to catch one of the man's fists. He then threw a punch of his own, which was received as well, leaving the two men struggling against one another as they floated in the skies of Metropolis. 

Seeing no other option, the two men's eyes started to glow, an obvious sign of their heat vision being used. However, just before they fired-

" HEY!" Green Lantern Hal Jordan flew between the both of them and shoved them to the side. " Knock it off, will ya?"

Superman looked at Green Lantern in confusion, as did the other guy.

" Bialta nostra Green Lantern? Dondou vaaga findo?"

" Yes, I'm a Green Lantern." Hal stated. He turned to the man and held out his hand to keep him from attacking Superman again. " I came here to figure out what was going on with these aliens." Hal explained to the man.

" What's going on, you can understand him?" Superman asked the man.

Green Lantern turned to Superman and held up his ring. " Power ring, basically an intergalactic translator." Hal told the man. " Follow me, both of you." 

Hal began to slowly descend from the sky back down to the streets. 

The other two men, stared at each other for a moment, before begrudgingly floating back down along with Jordan. There they joined Batman and the Flash in the streets. 

" Hal, what's going on?" Barry asked. 

" Give me a moment to get everything together and I'll explain it. But first..." Jordan spoke. " We should probably get out of here."

As Hal said that a squad of attack helicopters surrounded the men.

" Great. Just what the flash needs. More bad press. Thanks Lantern." Barry said to the man.

" How is this my fault? I'm not the one who smashed up the city." Jordan responded.

" The military. that means Lex Luthor won't be far behind." Superman explained.

" Not a fan of Lex Luthor, either?" Batman asked.

" Nope."

" Come on, everyone follow me." Batman exclaimed. He blew open a hole in the street and jumped down into it with Flash and Superman behind him.

" Hey, you come on. We need to figure this out." Hal said to the man.

The man nodded and followed Hal into the tunnels with the others.

......

An abandoned printing press, located somewhere in Metropolis.

" Alright, let's figure this out first." Superman stated. " Ask him who he is and what he's doing here." Superman told Hal.

Hal turned to the unknown alien and asked him Superman's question. 

" Vi jiat ar Kaldur de Chandilar. Vi jeet Gladiator, Jimeet Praetor." 

" What did he say?" Superman asked Hal.

" He said, his name was Kaldur of chandilar. He also said he was known as Gladiator, the Last Praetor." Hal Jordan explained.

" So, he's not Kryptonian?" Superman asked.

" Ring Scan." Jordan muttered.

His ring emitted a green glow and scanned the man's, now known as Gladiator, body. 

" Scan complete. Subject analysis: Strontian."

" The Ring says he's strontian. Huh, that's weird... Never heard that one before." Hal exclaimed. 

" Okay, what's he doing here?" Superman asked.

" What are you doing here?" Jordan turned and asked the man.

Sometime went by and Kaldur explained to the heroes his story. How his planet had been accosted by creature's carrying the box Batman had, how the planet was lost, the armies that sprang forth from those boxes, and why it was he had attacked Batman, having believed him to be another one of those things. 

" I see." Superman muttered. While he had experienced it, even Superman couldn't fully comprehend how it felt to lose his home planet.

" So, you've faced these creatures before. Ask him how it was these boxes worked. If he knows maybe he can help stop whatever it is they're trying to do." Barry mentioned.

Hal turned to Kaldur.

" You wouldn't happen to know how to stop these things do you?" Hal asked.

Kaldur heard Hal's question and simply shook his head no.

" Well, that failed. Maybe I could take it to star labs then. Have them analyze it. See if they could maybe figure this out." The flash spoke.

" You sound like a cop." Batman muttered.

" That's because I am. I work for the Central City crime scene investigators office." Flash explained.

" Uh, you're giving away your identity Barry." Hal told the man.

" And you just called me, Barry genius." Flash told the man.

*ping ping ping!

The box all of a sudden came to life and started beeping.

" Hey, what's it doing?" Hal asked.

" Undajacka!"

" What do you mean they're coming?" Jordan asked the man.

*Boom! 

The box suddenly exploded and the creature's that attacked them earlier came spewing out in hordes.

" FOR DARKSEID!"

" Holy SHIT!!!!"

Hal retreated backwards, to get some distance, as the creature's started pouring through on top of them. 

" What the hell?!"

" Take'em down!" Superman yelled. With a blast of his heat vision, he evaporated a group of the demons in a second, and upon seeing Flash and the others, Jordan followed suit.

" All right, let's play." With a single thought, Hal commanded his ring to create a giant Mech suit, full of machine guns and rockets for him to use on the creature's. 

Hal opened fire on the creature's unleashing a barrage of hard light rockets and bullets that tore them. However, even with the number they were taking down being so many, many, many more were coming through. 

It wasn't long until the creatures began to surround Hal, forcing him to take the fight outside, in order to avoid being overwhelmed. 

" Damn it! These things just keep coming!" Jordan exclaimed.

" Ngh!" Batman grunted. " Lantern! Flash! We need to take a step back and regroup. There's too many of them to just barrel through!" Batman told the two men.

Jordan swung around a giant hammer of light, knocking away a group of demons. " Oh yeah? Tell that to those two!" Jordan exclaimed.

His point, referring to Superman and Gladiator.

" HA!" With a wave of his hand, Gladiator split one of the demons in half down the middle. He easily turned and grabbed one of the creatures and started swinging it around like a whip, thrashing the oncoming demons until the creature's body was reduced to just a bone. 

Superman handled the creature's about as well, easily swatting them away with the wave of his hand, before disintegrating a group of them with his heat vision. He then turned around and grabbed a nearby eighteen-wheeler. " Come on!" He said. " Smile for me!" He waved the truck around using it like a giant bat to beat the creatures away.

The heroes found themselves with a moments reprieve. But only momentarily. It was only a matter of time before more showed up.

However, for Superman, he didn't have time to breathe.

His hearing was strong. " The presidents under attack!" He heard it loud and clear, and within seconds he took off into the sky, racing towards the danger.

" Oh, well gee! There's goes one of our big guns." Lantern stated. " YEAH SURE, We'll just... We'll teach new guy English while you're gone!" Jordan yelled after Superman. Hal then turned to Barry. " Can you believe this guy?" He asked.

Flash looked at his friend with a look of amusement on his face and just shrugged his shoulders. 

" So, how do we break the language barrier here? Because, and I'm just being honest, I'm getting really tired of being a translator." Hal stated.

" Well, if he can read as fast as moves... Then maybe." 

* Zoom

The Flash hesitated in finishing his sentence and quickly turn and sped away, returning moments later with something in his hands.

" This should do it." Flash exclaimed.

" A dictionary? Really?" Hal asked the man.

" Hey, do you wanna try it, or do you want to keep translating?" He asked.

Hal looked at Flash deadpanned and sighed. " All right, let's give it shot."

Without wasting time, Hal grabbed the dictionary from Flash and handed it to Gladiator. " Here read this. This'll help you learn earth's language." Jordan explained.

Having understood what Hal said, Gladiator took the book from Hal and began studying it curiously.

" I can't believe this." Hal muttered.

.....

Flying high over the Atlantic, the presidents ship was making its way back to the white house, when it suddenly came under attack by the very same creatures that were attacking Gotham and Metropolis.

The president's security engaged the creatures with handguns and assault rifles, but nothing they did had any effect on the creatures from another world. 

They were quickly backed into a corner. Things seemed bleak.

Thats when a startling shout for battle caught their attention.

Flying into the plane from where the creatures emerged, a Woman dressed in strange clothing started cutting through the creatures with a sword. 

She was unbelievably strong and fast. She moved with the grace of a trained warrior. 

With single swipes of her blade, body parts were scattered. 

However, the president and vice president still found themselves being cornered in the planes cockpit. 

Though all was not lost. Our new hero stabbed the creature in its back, cutting it in half with ease, saving the duo.

She wiped the blood from her face with a smile, and greeted the two.

" Mr. President. It's nice to finally meet you. I am Diana, but you may call me-"

" Wonder Woman!" The vice president shouted in relief. " Thank goodness."

The two elected officials felt a brief moment of relief wash over them. However, things were far from being finished.

More of those armored creatures appeared, tearing holes in the hull of the plane. One of them grabbed the president.

Wonder Woman quickly threw her sword at one of the creatures, getting lodged in its chest, while the Vice president fell back to safety.

Wonder Woman rushed forward, vaulting over the group of demons, and started tearing them apart with her bare hands. Punching and kicking with enough force to completely dismember them. A feat not many can replicate. Not many except the very best.

Wonder Woman grabbed the creature that held onto the president and ripped its arm off, freeing the president. She then pushed the creature out of the plane, unknowingly shoving it into one of the planes propellers. 

The sudden shock of losing one of its propellers, caused the plane to shake and begin to fall.

The sudden loss of gravity caused the president to lose his balance and he fell out of one of the holes. 

" Julian!" The Vice president shouted as the man fell.

Wonder Woman quickly dived out of the plane and using her lasso, pulled the President back up into the plane to safety. Once again saving his life, something the president wouldn't forget later on for sure.

Though there was still one problem. The plane was still falling out of the sky. Meaning their lives were still in danger. That is, until the plane suddenly came to a slow halt, as if it had landed on something. 

Having saved the president and his companion, Diana noticed something on one of the security monitors of the plane. There, holding up the plane on his own mighty hands, was Superman.

He had heard the sound of the attack and quickly came to save the presidents life.

He floated beneath the plane, blasting the approaching demons out of the sky with his heat vision. Any who were lucky enough to get close were quickly dealt with, with a simple wave of his hand. 

Wonder Woman was impressed by this man's performance. Taking good note of his strength.

She lowered one of the planes lower wheels, and assisted Superman in dealing with the remaining attackers.

This was becoming an occurring theme tonight. Once again, Superman had the chance to come across another person with amazing strength like his.

" You're strong." He said with gusto. He had a grin on his face wide enough for anyone to see, and his eyes locked in on hers as she drew closer.

" I know." 

There seemed to be an air of interest between the two. Intrigue and wonder on both sides. Two spectacular people placed amongst a world of ordinary beings. It was... Enticing.

............

" All right, so let me get this straight. You mean to tell me; These aren't their main forces?" Hal asked.

" No. Your world has been lucky thus far." Gladiator told the man. It would seem as though the help from Flash allowed Gladiator to speak the English language better. " My world was hit far worse.

It also helped that his brain could process and comprehend things faster than a supercomputer.

" How so?" Batman asked.

" None of those monsters are here. His Generals. The first to assault us were these creatures. They were called Parademons. They came and began abducting our civilians. But myself and the rest of the imperial guard were sent to dispatch of them immediately."

" The imperial guard?" Flash asked.

" Yes. There was myself. The guardian Smasher. The mind reader Oracle. Supergiant, Midnight, Fire Lord, Storm Breaker. And then there was our leader the Original Gladiator." Gladiator explained. " We faced down the parademons, and at first it seemed as though we were on the cusp of victory. But then they came. First it was the flying green one who controlled electricity. His name was Mantis. Beside him was a troll like brute named Kalibak, and while his strength was unbelievable, he was not nearly as great of a threat as their general, Steppenwolf. Though physically weaker than Kalibak, his battle experience and tactics made him a threat that even the Mighty Gladiator could not overcome easily." Gladiator explained.

" Okay, that's.... Okay, so what happened to the people? Where did these parademons take them." Barry asked the man.

" Forget about saving your people." Gladiator told the man.

" Why should we." Hal wondered.

" Because those taken by the parademons are then put through a process that in the end turns them into parademons as well."

" Damn." Hal muttered. 

" That's so messed up." Barry stated.

" Yes. But it does not end there. We must prepare ourselves for-"

As Gladiator was speaking more of the creature's now known as Parademons arrived.

" Watch your back!" Flash yelled.

Just as the creatures were about to attack a loud shout from above announced the arrival of 

" YAAAAAH!" 

Flying down from the sky was Wonder Woman, and thoroughly she decimated the parademons.

The three men watched as Wonder Woman, with her sword, cut through the parademons like butter. Slicing and dicing them without hesitation.

Once she was finished, she turned towards Batman and the others.

" Greetings Warriors!" She said. 

Hal smiled and looked at Barry. " Dibs. He said.

He then flew over to Wonder Woman, to try and speak with her, only to be stopped by Superman, who had returned as well. Superman merely looked at Hal, giving him a threatening glare that no one could misunderstand.

He was telling him to back off.

" Oh, it's good to be back in the heat of war." Wonder woman stated.

" You say that now." Gladiator muttered. He, along with Flash and Batman, joined Hal at Superman's side.

" You can speak English?" Superman asked.

" Yeah, thanks for leaving us with that by the way." Hal said sarcastically.

" It was an easy language to learn. Simple and primitive." Gladiator told the man.

Hal and Barry both looked at Gladiator with offended expressions written on their faces.

" Focus all of you. The parademons are regrouping." Gladiator spoke. He stepped forward and pointed to the flock of demons flying away from the city. 

" Regrouping? For what?" Superman asked.

A moment later, a sudden flying objection came crashing down in front of the group of warriors. It was a man clad in silver metal with only one portion of his face visible.

The group immediately went into attack mode, readying themselves for anything.

" Is this one of those creatures you were talking about." Flash asked Gladiator.

Gladiator stepped forward, shaking his head. " No. I've never seen anything like this."

" Hang tight! I got him!" Green Lantern exclaimed.

" NO! I'm not with them!" The cyborg exclaimed.

The panic in the young man's voice and the sudden declaration was enough for Superman and a few others to stand down. Hal Jordan, however, did not.

Hal used his ring and lifted the cyborg up off the ground.

" HAL WAIT!" Barry yelled.

Hearing Barry yelling at him, Hal quickly dismissed his construct and dropped the cyborg on the ground allowing Barry and the others to get a closer look at him.

" He's just a kid." Barry said.

Gladiator and the others watched as Barry helped the young man up, and it was then that the warrior alien saw something that truly shocked him.

" By the stars. That's not armor." Gladiator muttered. " It's him. It's all him. His entire body is made of that metal. Organs and all." Gladiator exclaimed. " Boy, what has happened to you?"

" It was... One of their boxes. It connected with me. I can understand them. They.... They're gathering." Cyborg explained. " Preparing. It's about to get ugly."

" Well, that makes sense." Batman muttered.

" How do you figure?" Jordan asked.

Batman raised his finger. " Well, for one thing, the waters on fire." Batman said as he pointed at the ocean.

The group all looked towards the ocean and watched as the Parademons all gathered around a large ring of fire that was burning atop the water's surface.

" He's coming." Gladiator stated. His demeanor changed. His brow furrowed and his fists clenched.

A giant blast of energy exploded atop the water's surface, almost in the shape of a tube. And finally, he had come.....

This hulking grey behemoth, clad in dark blue armor. He stepped out of the air and landed on the city, shaking the ground beneath him sending out a shockwave of tremendous proportions.

The heroes braced themselves as the monster stood over them.

" I am entropy. I am death. I am-"

" DARKSEID!"