Chapter 71: Let the invasion begin

Batman and Green Lantern landed softly on the rooftop, their eyes scanning the chaotic scene below. "He's close," Batman said quietly, his voice filled with certainty. "I've been tracking his flight pattern."

Toneri hovered high above them, his Tenseigan effortlessly observing everything. 'Good to know he's Equally as paranoid on this Earth as well…' he thought. 'Well, paranoia keeps you prepared for the worst-case scenario.'

Green Lantern glanced at Batman with a skeptical look. "With what? Your own satellite?" he joked.

Batman shot him a glance, causing Green Lantern to blink in surprise. "I was kidding… You have a satellite??"

Toneri shifted his attention to Superman, who was moving at an insane speed, flames trailing behind him as he wrestled with a Parademon. The two hurtled dangerously close to Batman and Green Lantern, almost crashing into them.

Superman slammed the Parademon into multiple buildings, smashing through walls and steel. Green Lantern quickly created a transparent safe around Batman, boasting, "Don't worry, I'm going to kick Superman's ass."

Toneri, watching from his vantage point, thought, 'Oh, that's not going to end well.'

Just then, something pinged on his senses. Without even glancing, he raised his hand and shot a chakra rod toward Australia, moving multiple times faster than the speed of sound.

---

In a secret underground hideout in Australia, a Parademon was about to attach a Mother Box to the side of the facility when it heard a sudden, deafening boom. The sound barrier shattered multiple times as the rod tore through the air, piercing the Parademon's face and continuing through the ground beneath.

The sheer force and speed of the rod caused an explosion underground, triggering a collapse. The kinetic energy from the impact dislodged the structural integrity of the hideout, leading to a cave-in that buried everything inside.

---

Toneri, still observing the scene in Metropolis, thought, 'The planet is starting to get infested with these annoying little insects.'

Below, Superman continued his assault, punching Green Lantern's barrier with Batman trapped inside. The impact sent the green bubble hurtling through buildings like a wrecking ball.

'At this rate, he'll lose his concentration,' Toneri mused, noticing the cracks forming in the green barrier. Batman, clearly thinking the same, calmly stated, "The shield will break if you lose focus."

Green Lantern gritted his teeth. "Shut up!" he snapped, struggling to maintain the barrier as Superman's next punch rocketed them through several parked vehicles.

'How Reckless,' Toneri thought. He raised his hand, and several small portals opened inside the cars. Before anyone could notice, the civilians inside were teleported safely to another location, undetected.

'If this keeps up, I'll have to intervene,' Toneri thought.

At that moment, Superman's next punch shattered Green Lantern's barrier. Batman crashed into a nearby car, the impact crumpling the vehicle beneath him. Green Lantern groaned, "He's trying to kill us."

In an instant, the air shifted. Superman swung another punch, but before it could connect, a resounding boom echoed pushing the cars around them away due to the force while green lantern shielded Batman with his ring. His fist was caught mid-air by a figure in a white robe with white hair—Toneri. The impact made Toneri's arm shake slightly, confirming his suspicions. 'Oh, he's definitely more powerful than the previous Superman,' he thought.

Batman, picking himself up from the wreckage, called out, "He doesn't kill, you bruise, but you don't kill, do you, Clark?"

Superman, surprised, turned his gaze toward Batman. "You've made your point Bruce Wayne," he said flatly, using his X-ray vision. He then looked at Toneri, narrowing his eyes. "Who are you?" Batman asked, stepping closer.

Toneri simply replied, "I'm Lunaris."

He raised his hand, and a box—similar to the one Batman had in his hand—appeared encased in a red transparent barrier similar to how green lantern had encased their box when they got to metropolis earlier. "I believe we're chasing after the same thing."

Batman nodded. "I believe it's alien tech."

"It's not Kryptonian," Superman added, his voice stern.

"No," Toneri replied, "It's not." Seeing the curious looks from both heroes, he continued, "It's from a Parademon I encountered a few weeks ago in Africa. It's been sending signals off-world to an unknown destination."

Toneri chose not to mention Apokolips just yet. Green Lantern, clearly irritated, butted in. "Hey, hey, is that it? Are we done fighting? The new guy shows up, and suddenly you all behave?"

Superman turned to Green Lantern. "Alien is a relative term. For example, Lunaris here isn't human."

*Oh, he scanned me, did he?* Toneri thought, chuckling lightly.

"What makes you say that?" Toneri asked, amused.

Superman smirked. "That energy around you, your density… You don't feel like Earth to me."

*Hmm…* Toneri pondered, while Batman gave a thoughtful, "Hmm…"

Just then, Green Lantern's ring chirped. "Unable to identify," the AI stated. Green Lantern frowned. "That's impossible. The ring knows what the Guardians know, and they know everything."

"That's because I'm one of a kind," Toneri replied. "You won't find anyone like me anywhere in this universe."

Batman, ever the detective, caught the phrasing. "*This* universe?" he questioned.

Before he could continue, Toneri's gaze shifted, sensing something approaching. Turning to Superman, he said, "Now that we've established why we're all here, can we get going before those helicopters show up?"

Superman raised an eyebrow. "You have super-hearing too?"

Toneri nodded. "Yes, and I saw them coming a few minutes ago."

Superman nodded in acknowledgment. "We'll need to move."

Batman glanced around. "Let's get underground."

Green Lantern groaned. "Man, what is it with you and sewers?"

Batman, ever-focused, replied, "Someone is strategically placing these boxes. We need to figure out who and why before it's too late."

'Before their army gets here,' Toneri thought grimly. *We need to disable all the boxes, or this planet will fall into chaos.*

---

In the far reaches of space, on the planet of fire and metal, Apokolips, within a dark, towering citadel, a voice—deep, inhuman, and filled with malice—echoed. "Desaad, what have you to report from our agents on Earth?"

In the shadows of the chamber, a figure with glowing red eyes loomed over a pale man in a blue robe, who knelt before him.

Desaad's voice quivered. "Sire, the powerful one has found the Mother Box. The one they call Superman—the Kryptonian."

"And?" the figure asked, his tone dangerously calm.

Desaad hesitated. "Another complication has occurred. Someone—or something—has been killing our agents. A Mother Box was destroyed. We are still unsure how."

Darkseid's presence grew more intense, the atmosphere heavy with impending doom. "Go on."

Desaad, trembling, continued, "These defenders… They have sprung up like antibodies to protect their planet. I fear we have lost the element of surprise. I humbly request that you move up your timetable, sire."

In the darkness, the glowing red eyes burned with fury as Darkseid spoke in an unforgiving voice that promised nothing but death and destruction.

"Let the invasion begin."

___________________________

The old, abandoned factory attached to the Daily Planet loomed over the group as Toneri, Batman, Green Lantern, and Superman gathered inside. It was an old printing press, now long unused, but apparently, it had become Superman's base of operations. The dim light filtered through the broken windows, casting long shadows over the rusted machinery.

Green Lantern looked around with a mix of amusement and disbelief. "So *this* is your hideout? Seriously?"

Toneri scanned the area, his sharp eyes analyzing the layout. 'Hiding in plain sight… smart, but still crude. Anyone competent enough could have tracked him here.'

Superman, brushing aside Green Lantern's sarcasm, replied, "It'll have to do for now until I can find a better place. Besides, what are all of you doing in Metropolis? This is my turf."

Toneri raised an eyebrow, but Batman answered calmly, "There have been reports of kidnappings across the country."

"We've had them here too," Superman said with a frown.

"It's the Parademons," Toneri interjected. "They've been appearing all over the planet, planting these devices and taking people when they can. When they encounter any serious trouble, they self-detonate."

"Yikes," Green Lantern muttered. "But what are they planting those devices for, and what exactly do they do?"

"It's all connected," Batman said, his tone dark.

Toneri glanced at the box floating next to him. "Yes," he confirmed.

Green Lantern grimaced. "So these monsters…"

"They're soldiers. Expendable soldiers at that," Batman interrupted. "It's military tactics. They plant these devices at all costs, we might be looking at a full scale invasion."

Toneri thought to himself, 'Impressive as usual…' His gaze lingered on Batman, 'His analysis and deductions are spot on. And he's level-headed as well… good.'

"That's paranoid," Green Lantern quipped, breaking the tense silence. The idea of a full-scale planetary invasion wasn't something anyone wanted to seriously consider. It was easier to dismiss it as paranoia or superstition. After all, the truth was a hard pill to swallow.

Superman turned to Toneri. "You've encountered them before. What do you think?"

Toneri nodded slightly, his thoughts already piecing together the puzzle for them. "They appear out of nowhere, but I haven't seen any foreign objects entering the planet since I arrived. That means they're using some other method to get here—like portaling in from somewhere else. Alternatively, they may have been here all along, waiting for the right time to start planting these boxes."

"Reasonable," Batman said, his sharp eyes locking onto Toneri.

Before Superman could respond, Green Lantern conjured a large hammer and anvil with his ring. "Let's just crack one open and see what happens," he said with a grin.

Batman grabbed Green Lantern's arm, stopping him. "Without any idea of what could be inside? That's idiotic."

Superman nodded. "It could be an explosive capable of causing significant damage to the planet."

Toneri, still surveying the area with his Byakugan, suddenly narrowed his eyes. He heard two distinct—

'Ping!'

"This can't be good," Toneri muttered, focusing on the two alien boxes now hovering in midair. They were suspended by fields of emerald energy from Green Lantern's ring and a red aura from Toneri's shisekiyoujin. 'Interesting… they're reacting to something.'

He noticed that both boxes had emitted the ping at exactly the same moment, almost as if they were communicating or receiving information from the same source. 'They're receiving signals…' Toneri thought, '…and interacting, as if trying to establish a link of some sort.'

Activating his Byakugan, he looked to his left, then his right. His face darkened. "That's definitely not good."

"What is it?" Superman asked, sensing the change in Toneri's demeanor.

"They're activating… all around the world," Toneri said grimly.

"How many of them?" Batman asked.

"All of them," Toneri replied, the weight of the situation settling in.

'Those ping sounds…' he thought, his mind racing. 'They're messages, transmitting either to each other or to another party.'

'Ping! Ping!!'

Toneri's Byakugan revealed waves of energy growing stronger, like ripples expanding in every direction. He could see the signals spreading, connecting the boxes together in some unseen network. 'There it goes again…' He readied himself, the nigh-infinite chakra within him beginning to stir. "Ready yourselves," he warned. "Something is about to happen."

Superman tensed up, his fists clenching. Batman remained still, calculating. "What about the other boxes?" Batman asked.

"They're all acting the same way," Toneri said. "It's almost as if—"

The realization hit him like a lightning bolt. 'A gateway…' he thought in urgency.

Before he could speak, Green Lantern moved closer to the boxes, curiosity getting the better of him.

'Ping!... Ping!... Ping!...'

Green Lantern froze. "What the—? I didn't touch anything!"

The boxes pinged faster, the intervals shortening, the sound growing in intensity. Toneri could feel the energy inside coalescing, as if the boxes were charging up.

"They're activating themselves!" Superman yelled over the growing noise, as the frequency of the pings increased to a frantic pace.

"They're gonna blow!" Green Lantern shouted, quickly creating a shell of emerald energy around the box he held, encasing it in a large, spherical forcefield. Toneri did the same, moving his box to the other side of the room, enveloped in his red barrier. 'Now what?' he thought, preparing for the worst.

For a moment, everything was silent.

Then—

BOOOOOM!!!

The room shook violently as the two boxes erupted with energy. But instead of exploding outward, the energy condensed, swirling into a dark, ominous vortex. The air crackled with power, and the force of the blast sent waves of energy rippling through the factory.

The boxes hadn't just exploded—they had opened a portal.