2007

"Mr. Stark! Mr, Stark! Are the rumors of you dating Susan Nicole true?" {Pic}

"No comments on that Darling. Next!" Standing on the podium was Anthony Stark, a Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, answering the press conference on behalf of Stark Industries, where he was meant to answer the questions regarding the future of the Stark group of companies, but the press was more interested in the young, 37-year-old man-child.

"Mr. Stark, what are your views on the new and upcoming competitors to your company in the field of weapon manufacturing?"

"Competition? Why was I not informed of this Happy?"

"Ah- Sir You were elaborated about the Hammer industir-"

"See, No competition in weapon manufacturing, miss CNN, you there, go on"

"Yes, Mr. Stark, the populace has still not been briefed about the strange blue pond up in the sky of New York. Can I hope you answer what that could be?"

Tony refocused as he held together his deep thoughts within.

In 2005, a pond-like, circular phenomenon took place in the sky of New York.

This emerged out of the blue and did not show any change in the last two years, just whirling in the sky, peacefully.

The government made great efforts to research the origin of the sky-pond, but no additional data was updated in their archives for months.

A lot of scientists, researchers, and professors made a joint effort under the government to find anything about this but none to avail.

Finally, the US government opened the area around it for the world to visit and research, on the condition that any and all data has to go through them.

Great minds, such as Stephen Hawkings, Alan Guth, Ashoke Sen, Tony Stark, and Bruce Banner were brought together. In the famous speech of Donald Trump.

"There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Researchers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable intellectuals to see if they could become something more. To see if they could work together when we needed them to, to find the answers that we never could."

Finally, after another year and a half, the single page was all the information about this phenomenon found its company, as the joint venture of all of the world's leading scientists conclude that the thing was some sort of portal, non-hostile as of yet.

No gamma, alpha, or infrared rays were emerging out of it, it just, stays still.

It was a huge disappointment for people around the world, but they did not have anyone that could give them a second opinion.

Some riots took place in Korea and Japan mentioning protests for making skill books and magic accessible to all, whatever that meant, but that was all.

The glowy, pond, was still glowing without any explanation, and the people just added the blue hallow of it to their daily life after some time.

So no one could answer the masses and no one knew what the answer was, but it still sounded like a conspiracy as people did not easily believe the government.

Back at the press conference, Tony was in a pinch as to what to answer, as for the first time in his life he did not have an answer. It was infuriating for him to be in a situation such as this.

This acted as fuel to the fire, as Tony Stark ran down the podium, sat in his car, and drove to the epicenter, the origin just below the blue hallow-pond-portal thingy in the air.

"Jarvis, pull out the investment, all resources from the side projects, Bring out all the gamma-alpha-infrared all spectrum of detectors, lasers, radioactive wave emitters, everything, we are going to dig this out of the sky if we need to, but we are going to have our answers today,"

"On its way sir," The Nokia 3310 spoke in a mechanical voice to affirm Tony of his orders being acknowledged.

And so Tony Stark, indulged in his search for answers, about the most incomprehensible thing humankind had on their planet.

...

In Universe DCU- 19800, a caped crusader was fighting the god's servant, Steppenwolf, alone in a dark, dark world.

The big man-monster, Steppenwolf was the apostle of Darkseid, leading his liege's army tasked with conquering one hundred fifty thousand worlds in Darkseid's name, after he was exiled because of the betrayal.

He had betrayed Darkseid to the enemies, and out of guilt and fear, asked for a chance to repent.

Fortunately or Unfortunately, the last of those worlds was Earth, which was protected by the heroes as the world called the Justice League.

Lead by the Kryptonian powerhouse, Superman was the team which included the warrior of the past, with the blood of Zeus, Amazonian Wonder Woman, followed by once a time their nemesis race, the Atlanteans, the king of them was none other than Aquaman.

One who could tap into the Speedforce, a multiversal power was the Flash, and the technical powerhouse, one who could be crowned the god of all technology was Cyborg, blessed with the power of the mother box.

Then there was one of the Green Lanterns, guardians of the Universe, Hal Jordan, and Shazam, having the powers of Solomon (wisdom), Hercules (strength), Atlas (stamina), Zeus (power), Achilles (courage), and Mercury (speed), served as the wizard Shazam's champion and herald.

All fought valiantly against the extraterrestrial invasion against their kind, their planet.

But the victory was never in sight.

Superman, killed by Darkseid's avatar, was ripped from the chest into two, fought valiantly in his last fight, which the humans titled the Battle of 9 Moons, because true to its word, the moon was ripped into 9 minor celestial bodies.

It would have destroyed Earth then and there, if someone did not have enough brains to fend off the destruction brought by Earth's own white buddy.

Everyone followed soon after, Wonder woman and Hera, the wife of the Atlantean King were killed by Steppenwolf in an ambush in the city Metropolis soon after, which followed Aquaman to go into solitude with his people. Not knowing that till the invasion was going on, no place was safe.

He was killed in the following week, along with the people who hid within the deep waters of the Mariana Trench.

Barry Allen had his identity revealed and died a pathetic death when he refused to kill the Death God Darkseid's priests and worshippers.

As the invasion evolved to its worst, Green Lanterns were called to fend off and fight the main body of Darkseid, in which Hal Jordan followed his elders to death, and the entire Lantern force was wiped from the face of the universe.

Cyborg, the god of technology, was killed by being defeated in his own forte, tech as Darkseid's servant AKala destroyed any trace of the human-machine hybrid from the earth and from elsewhere.

In the last stand, stood Shazam, the child scared out of his wit, beside a man who looked in his early forties.

The man, if one read the newspaper could be easily identified as the billionaire Bruce Wayne, with a hint of white hair in the front, fighting Steppenwolf, on near equal terms.

As hints of exhaustion became noticeable, Shazam followed up, wiping all the small-time para demons around them.

Finally, Steppenwolf was on his knees, awaiting his judgment from the victor.

"Kill me, I have failed to serve my master, end me human, for in my next life I would be the beacon for the name of Darkseid."

" " Batman silently brought out the blade made of Nth metal.

"N-No Batman doesn't kill, B-" In the back was Billy, not in his Shazam form with his expression looking grim.

'No matter the wisdom of Solomon, this type of battle is not for children to fight.'

Batman refocused as he pulled the blade out of his wrist before Steppenwolf.

When suddenly a portal opened as the god, the myth, the legend Darkseid came out of it. None of the Avatar, the real one was there.

Billy turned to him and shouted Shazan as early he could, but to no avail as Darkseid pulled the adult form of Shazam from the chest, ripping the body with herculean strength in two.

"Wayne."

Batman turned to him, as no good killing the servant if he could not end the master, with plans in his own mind.

"You know me." It was not a question, but the grim voice intrigued the Apokolips god.

"You are not the only one with the curse of knowledge."

Batman walked forward still having one hand in his cape the last stand he could muster with his might, hoping to catch the new god without his guard up, useless and wishful thinking as he said but nonetheless, the only effective way in the book- last stand of the famous writer, Batman.