[158] : Roger vs Superman?

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On an abandoned, sand-covered road, Roger and Oliver walked side by side.

It was daytime. While most would think moving at night would be safer, Parademons—the minions of Darkseid—were active regardless of the hour. In fact, nighttime was when they were most dangerous. Thus, the two decided to travel during the day.

Daylight offered a clear view, making it easier to spot Parademons from a distance and avoid them in time.

"So, according to your story, you fought against a Multiverse-level threat in your world, and that's how you ended up here?" Oliver asked, breaking the silence.

Roger clarified, "To be precise, I brought him to this world intentionally. I think I mentioned the Infinity Stones before. They only work in our universe."

"Right, the Infinity Stones. What a pity," Oliver said, clicking his tongue.

From what Oliver had heard, the Infinity Stones were immensely powerful. With all six, a snap of the fingers could accomplish nearly anything. If they worked in this world, there'd be no need for Kryptonite. One snap, and Darkseid along with his forces would vanish. It would save them all this trouble.

"Yeah, it's a shame," Roger echoed with a sigh.

He shared the same thought. If the Infinity Stones worked here, they wouldn't be sneaking around like this.

"What about the guy with you—Ultron, right? What happened to him?" Oliver asked.

Roger shrugged. "I dismantled him and dumped him in the ocean. I'm pretty sure the pressure down there will crush him to bits."

"Really?" Oliver raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Not to burst your bubble, but characters like him have a habit of coming back more often than disappearing for good."

"Well… he's not coming back… I think…" Roger started confidently but trailed off. After all, this was the DC Universe, a world where heroes and villains alike always seemed to find ways to return, no matter how decisively they were defeated.

If Ultron was subject to the same trope...

Roger's hesitation made Oliver shake his head, but soon Oliver's optimism resurfaced. "Even if he does come back, it's fine. You said it yourself—his goal is to wipe out all life to create a silent universe. That would make him Darkseid's enemy too. If he revives, he's more likely to fight Darkseid than come after us."

"That… actually makes sense," Roger admitted, nodding.

By that logic, Ultron's first move upon returning wouldn't be seeking revenge on Roger but targeting Darkseid and his forces—or even all life in the universe.

And frankly, compared to DC's myriad of Supervillains, Ultron wasn't that far out of line. If Ultron did come back, someone like Cyborg from the Justice League could probably handle him.

With that in mind, Ultron didn't seem like much of a threat.

"Enough about me. How did you end up here?" Roger asked, shifting the topic.

He remembered Oliver primarily operated in Star City, but the city Roger appeared in looked nothing like it. What brought Oliver to this area?

Oliver shrugged casually. "Me? The usual story. I was stranded on an island, finally made it home, and started operating as the Green Arrow. But before I could do much, Darkseid arrived, and…"

He trailed off, looking toward the distant city where Parademons roamed, then finished, "And you can see for yourself. The world turned into this. My home's gone. Star City's gone. Now I'm just wandering, avoiding Parademons."

"…Sorry," Roger said softly.

Though Oliver spoke lightly, Roger could tell he'd lost more than just a city—likely his family too. Unintentionally, Roger's question had stirred painful memories, and he felt compelled to apologize.

But Oliver waved it off, patting Roger on the shoulder. "What's there to be sorry for? It's all in the past. Right now, we just need to focus on finding Batman—or Kryptonite. Then we'll settle the score with those aliens."

The two chatted as they walked, heading toward the location Oliver had in mind.

Roger didn't know how Oliver navigated without maps or GPS. Roger himself couldn't tell east from west on the sand-covered terrain. Yet Oliver moved confidently, avoiding dangerous areas with ease.

Roger couldn't help but admire the skill. For someone like him, who was a bit of a directionally challenged individual, Oliver's sense of direction felt like a superpower.

"How much longer do we have to walk?" Roger asked the next day after traveling through the desert for another full day and night.

Without the ability to fly, their progress was significantly slower. Oliver had been leading them inland from the coast for over two days now, and the destination was still nowhere in sight.

Although Roger wasn't physically tired, the monotony of the journey was mentally exhausting.

"Almost there," Oliver said, glancing at his map.

"Almost?" Roger raised an eyebrow.

"You know how it is. GPS is down, landmarks are buried in sand, and it's hard to pinpoint exact locations. Finding the place might… well, it might take some effort."

"You're not lost, are you?"

"Relax. I know it's this direction. Even if I'm slightly off, it shouldn't be too far—huh?"

Before Oliver could finish, Roger suddenly pressed his hand against Oliver's head and swiftly pulled him into the cover of an abandoned truck.

"…Parademons?" Oliver immediately pulled out his collapsible bow and whispered.

Roger nodded and gestured upward. "Keep it down. They're right above us."

The Parademons patrolled the city, constantly searching for survivors to transform into more of their kind.

Individually, Parademons were weak—so weak that Oliver alone could handle a horde of them with his bow. But their strength lay in numbers. Like the Zerg from StarCraft, their endless swarms made them formidable.

Even Roger didn't want to engage them directly.

It wasn't that he couldn't handle them or feared for his safety. The problem was their sheer numbers. If he got bogged down, it wouldn't be long before Darkseid's forces—including Superman—showed up.

As the swarm passed overhead, Roger and Oliver held their breath, staying hidden beneath the truck.

It seemed the Parademons were merely conducting a routine search for survivors and hadn't noticed the two of them.

After waiting a few minutes to ensure the coast was clear, Roger signaled Oliver, and they emerged from their hiding spot.

"That was close. If they had spotted us, we'd be done for," Oliver said, exhaling deeply.

Roger smirked. "No, you'd be done for. I could still make a run for it."

"You're saying you'd abandon me to save yourself? Harsh."

"Well, better one person gets caught than both."

"…Fair point."

The two exchanged banter as they continued their journey.

But after only a few steps, Oliver suddenly stopped and frowned.

"Wait a second. Parademons are always searching for survivors, but there shouldn't be so many of them in one place. That was enough for a full-scale assault."

"…" Roger's expression darkened. "You mean…"

"Could it be Batman and his team?" Oliver speculated.

Roger didn't hesitate. Grabbing Oliver, he shot into the air, flying low and fast in the direction the Parademons had gone. "Let's find out."

As they approached, Roger used his enhanced vision to scout ahead.

Initially, he wasn't sure if the group was Batman's team or just another resistance faction. But then he spotted a figure darting through the Parademons like a bolt of lightning.

It was unmistakably the Flash.

"They're here!" Oliver shouted, recognizing the lightning trail created by the Flash.

Roger accelerated, determined to catch up.

By the time they arrived, the battle was already underway.

The Flash was using his incredible speed to create a lightning barrier, slowing the Parademons' advance. Batman and Cyborg handled any that slipped through. Even Mera was fighting, though her abilities were limited far from the ocean.

"Let's help them! We can't let them get overwhelmed here!" Roger shouted.

Shooting heat vision to carve a path through the swarm, Roger flew Oliver into the center of the team's defensive formation.

Their sudden arrival startled the group.

"Who's that? Another Kryptonian?" Mera asked warily, keeping her eyes on Roger.

Batman, pulling down a Parademon, glanced at Oliver and replied, "Whoever he is, he's helping. Focus on the fight—Superman will be here any minute!"

Roger looked at the advancing swarm and then to the distant figure rapidly closing in. Superman had arrived.

Roger took a deep breath and steeled himself. "I'll hold him off. You all get out of here."

"By yourself?" Oliver asked in shock.

Roger smirked. "Someone has to. Besides, I've always wanted to see how I measure up to Superman."

Without waiting for a response, Roger took to the skies, heading straight for the approaching figure of the Man of Steel.

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