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Superman shot through the atmosphere like a streak of molten silver, the winds parting before him in a blur of motion. The stars above glistened for a mere second before he passed through them, breaking free of Earth's gravity. In the void of space, he turned his eyes toward the sun, its brilliant rays beckoning him. His strength had been sapped by the red sun of the Inferior realm, and now he needed to recharge. With a final burst of speed, he dove straight toward the sun's surface.
The solar flare danced around his body, saturating him with its radiant energy, as he let out a long, controlled exhale. His body absorbed the solar power like a sponge soaking in water, his strength slowly returning to its peak. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the warmth, but his mind wandered back to the battle—to the faces of the civilians they couldn't save.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, the Justice League was recovering, but the air was thick with tension.
Batman, ever the planner, stood silently at the edge of the gathering. His sharp eyes studied the bracers that had been given to the League, the strange Valorian runes etched into them. They glowed faintly with an otherworldly light, pulsing as though alive with some ancient power. He ran his fingers over them thoughtfully, already considering the next steps in his endless preparations. If these artefacts held such power, then they could be key in the war that was looming. He would need to analyze them further, back in the Batcave.
"This isn't over," he muttered, his mind already formulating plans, contingencies, and contingencies for the contingencies. His paranoia, which had long been his strength, gnawed at him like a persistent shadow. Without another word, he signaled Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Atom, all of whom bore their injuries silently. Green Lantern's ring flickered weakly, his willpower strained from the relentless fight. Green Arrow clutched his side, his ribs fractured but his pride intact.
"I feel like shit" Green Arrow Groan as Atom and Black Canary agreed
"Let's get you to the Watchtower," Cyborg said, activating the teleportation beam. In an instant, they vanished in a pulse of light, reappearing in the medbay of the Watchtower. Martian Manhunter stood over them, his eyes filled with calm sympathy, as he and Cyborg began to treat their wounds.
But even as their injuries were tended to, a shadow loomed over their thoughts—Wonder Woman, in particular, felt the weight of failure pressing heavily upon her. She had saved many, yes, but over a third of the civilians hadn't made it through the rift. Their screams echoed in her mind, haunting her every step. Frustration burned in her chest, not at her comrades, but at herself. Diana clenched her fists, her warrior spirit angry that her strength hadn't been enough.
On the outskirts of the battlefield, the magical contingent—Zatanna, Doctor Fate, and Constantine—huddled near the ruined towers, their eyes tracing the mystical symbols etched deep into the stone. The towers themselves stood like two ancient sentinels, whispering forgotten secrets to those who knew how to listen.
"These runes... they're ancient," Zatanna whispered, her voice filled with awe. "But... something's wrong. They're not just a barrier... they're a... corruption."
"No doubt about it, love," Constantine muttered, lighting a cigarette, the smoke swirling in the wind. "Whatever these Inferiors are, they've left their mark on this place. And we didn't even notice it until it was nearly too late."
"They've been here longer than we realized," Doctor Fate added, his voice deep and resonant beneath his helmet. "We must prepare a counterspell. Something strong enough to sever their influence."
As they debated, Alexander stepped forward, his face hard as stone, the Valorian warrior seeming larger than life against the backdrop of the destruction. His presence silenced them, a quiet authority radiating from him. He reached into his armor, pulling out a small, gleaming sphere.
"What is that?" Zatanna asked, her brow furrowing.
"A tool of my people," Alexander said, his deep voice reverberating through the air. "To purge the Shadow. The corruption here lingers, feeding on this world like a parasite. It must be cleansed."
Before anyone could ask more, Alexander crushed the sphere in his hand. A sudden burst of blinding light exploded from the center, a shockwave of pure energy that rippled through the air. From the ruins, the air began to tremble, and suddenly, screeching shadowy parasites—small, barely visible creatures—were wrenched from the stone, their forms writhing in the light. They let out a deafening wail, their once-invisible bodies becoming visible to all as they thrashed in the air.
Zatanna gasped in shock, as did Doctor Fate. Constantine dropped his cigarette, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Bloody hell!" Constantine cursed, taking a step back. "How the hell did we miss that?"
"Their corruption runs deep," Alexander explained grimly. "They infect everything—minds, souls, the very stone beneath your feet. My people have been fighting them for aeons. We know how to cleanse them."
As the screeching parasites were disintegrated by the light, Alexander's gauntlets hummed with power. He turned toward the rift, his heat vision igniting in his eyes. With a single gesture, he unleashed a beam of searing energy, severing the rift portal at its source, cutting it off from the Inferior's realm. The sky above shimmered as the connection was severed, the gateway collapsing in on itself with a final, thunderous roar.
But he wasn't finished. Turning his attention back to the ruins, Alexander unleashed a second beam of heat vision, this time aimed at the towers. The stone began to crack and crumble under the immense heat, before finally exploding into a cloud of ash and dust. The ruins—along with the lingering traces of the Inferiors' corruption—were utterly destroyed much to the dismay of the government organizations and the villains that were watching and intrigued to take it off from the Justice League's hands
The magical members of the League stood in awe, their eyes wide with a mix of respect and surprise.
"Impressive work," Zatanna murmured, though her voice carried a hint of worry. "But this is only the beginning, isn't it?"
Alexander nodded solemnly. "Yes," he said, his voice heavy with the weight of countless battles fought in the shadows. "This is only the beginning."
With the last of the ruins reduced to nothing, Alexander turned away, his face as unreadable as ever. But deep inside, he knew that the real war had only just begun—and the Inferiors would stop at nothing to consume everything they touched.