William gazed at his handiwork, his crimson-streaked armor glistening under the eerie glow of the ruined battlefield. The silence that followed was deafening, an oppressive void that seemed to mute all other sounds.
Blood dripped from his fingertips, pooling at his feet like an offering to the devastation he had wrought. He exhaled slowly, reveling in the raw, unfiltered destruction that surrounded him.
Then came the sound, faint at first, like the rustling of a dying animal, before growing into a maddened frenzy. The sharp clatter of metal echoed through the ruined landscape as Granny Goodness thrashed wildly against the chains binding her. Her bloodshot eyes burned with desperation, her gnarled hands clawing at the restraints that held her in place. Foam frothed at the corners of her mouth as she snarled like a rabid beast, a far cry from the ruthless matron who had once commanded fear and obedience.
William turned his gaze toward her, expression impassive.
"Step."
With a single step, he closed the distance in an instant. The air cracked around him, a thunderclap of displaced force preceding his arrival. His towering form cast a dark shadow over the struggling wretch beneath him, and for a fleeting moment, her defiance flickered into something else, fear.
It was too late.
"BOOM!"
His foot came down like the hammer of a vengeful god, obliterating her skull with a sickening, wet crunch. Bone shattered, fragments spraying in all directions as blood and brain matter splattered across the ruined ground. The once-ferocious struggle of Granny Goodness ceased in an instant, her body convulsed once, a final spasm of dying nerves, before going utterly limp.
A deep crater had formed beneath the impact, jagged cracks splintering outward like the broken remains of her will. A thick pool of crimson spread from the mangled remains of her head, her once-commanding face now nothing more than an unrecognizable smear of pulp and shattered bone. The sickly stench of blood filled the air, mingling with the iron tang of death that already clung to the battlefield like a shroud.
William lifted his boot, viscera dripping from its surface. He stared down at the lifeless husk beneath him, his expression unreadable. Then, with a slow exhale, he turned away. The battlefield was silent once more, save for the wind, which howled mournfully over the corpses of the fallen.
The battle was over. The ground around William was scorched and torn, evidence of the chaos and destruction that had just unfolded. The air around him still hummed with the residual energy from the fight, a constant crackling buzz in the atmosphere. He stood for a moment, taking in the aftermath—his enemies defeated, yet his focus remained sharp, his every sense alert to the world around him.
With a slow, deliberate motion, William scraped the dark blood from the sole of his boot, the viscous substance leaving streaks across the rough surface. He sighed as he relaxed his posture, the weight of the battle lifting for now. Yet, his mind wasn't at ease. There was still unfinished business, and the lives of those around him remained at stake.
Batman.
Turning toward the brooding figure of the Dark Knight, William noticed him cradling Damien, his son, in his arms. The faint rise and fall of Damien's chest was the only sign that the young man still clung to life. William's eyes softened for a moment before he approached.
Batman, ever cautious and wary, glared at him, his jaw tense, hands wrapped protectively around Damien. But there was something different in his gaze—a flicker of understanding that, despite the circumstances, William had no intention of attacking. It was as if the weight of battle had forged a temporary truce between the two.
"You're still standing," Batman muttered, his voice rough from exhaustion, his eyes never leaving William's form.
William ignored the tension in Batman's voice and instead reached into the void, his power drawing from the very fabric of reality. His hand dipped into the nothingness, fingers closing around the source of his power.
"WENG!"
A soft, almost imperceptible ripple echoed through the air as Senzu beans materialized in front of him. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed them gently toward Batman, the small, shimmering green beans glinting in the fading light.
Batman eyed them suspiciously, his eyes flicking between the beans and William's calm expression. The world around them seemed to still as William's emerald gaze met Batman's.
"If you eat one, it will heal you completely."
William's words rang with an eerie calmness, but they weren't meant to be persuasive—just a statement of fact. As if he knew beyond a doubt that the healing power of the Senzu would restore Batman.
Before Batman could respond, a screen materialized in front of William, the glow of it momentarily blinding his vision. His eyes narrowed as the system messages flashed across the screen. They weren't just notifications—they were rewards. The price of battle paid in full.
[System Quest - Defeat Darkseid's Army - 345,555/1,000,000 Parademons remaining]
Bonus due to extra kills will be rewarded.
System Reward: Apokoliptian War Cruiser – "Harbinger of Ruin"
A deep rumble of satisfaction echoed in William's chest as he saw the Apokoliptian War Cruiser listed in the rewards. It wasn't just a ship—it was a beast of dark technology and war, a harbinger of doom. The description sent a flood of anticipation through his veins.
A high-speed war cruiser, sleek, maneuverable, and deadly—designed for deep-space combat, infiltration, and surgical strikes. He could already imagine the terrifying might of its Omega Disruptors, the sheer gravitational power of the Graviton Lances, and the advanced cloaking systems allowing him to move unseen through the galaxy. The Boom Tube Core alone promised to open up unimaginable tactical advantages.
But it wasn't just the ship. His other rewards were just as intriguing.
[System Quest - Defeat Darkseid - System Reward: Omega Spark]
A nascent version of the Omega Effect, inherited from Darkseid himself. While still in its infancy, the Omega Spark would grow, evolving as William absorbed divine energies and devoured the very concept of divinity. This was a passive ability—an ability that would change the course of the battle every time William added more power to it.
[System Quest - Defeat the Regime - System Reward: Bottled City of Kandor]
A hidden prize, the Bottled City of Kandor—a fragment of Kryptonian history, preserved in crystal. It wasn't just a trophy. The city contained the legacy of Krypton, and in the right hands, it could be harnessed for extraordinary purposes.
[System Quest - Defeat Darkseid's Generals - System Reward: The Omega Forge
A portable Apokoliptian forge that can create and upgrade weapons and armor using rare cosmic materials.
Then— a hidden quest.
[Hidden Quest - Kill Superman - System Reward: Sunstone Core]
A legendary crystalline fragment, the Sunstone Core, forged from the collapsed essence of a Kryptonian's solar energy reservoir. It was a power source unlike any other, a treasure from the very heart of Krypton's destruction.
The system rewards flashed quickly, each one another piece of the puzzle, building William's strength in a way that was beyond mortal comprehension. But there was one final, particularly sinister note that appeared with a chilling warning.
[Hidden Quest - Kill Diana - System Reward: Partial Divinity Absorbed]
William's eyes flicked to it, his face briefly reflecting a hint of satisfaction.
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]
[Olympus Decree: Kill on Sight Order]
Objective: Terminate William Parker, also known as Viridian.
Reason for Order: The killing of Diana, daughter of Zeus, has been deemed an unforgivable act of treason against the gods of Olympus.
Immediate Action: All Olympian gods, heroes, and creatures are authorized to engage with William Parker upon identification. Failure to comply with this decree will result in divine retribution.
Warning: Due to the nature of the offense, extreme measures are authorized. Any attempt to resist will be met with overwhelming force.
[End of Transmission.]
William stood in stunned silence, his gaze drifting over the rewards that flashed before his eyes, the weight of the victory still hanging in the air like the aftermath of a storm. The sounds of distant fighting faded into the background as he took a brief moment to collect himself, soaking in the magnitude of the battle he had just won.
But then—
"CRUNCH!"
The sharp sound of something breaking pierced the stillness, pulling William's attention. He turned his head, watching as Batman, still cradling Damien's unconscious form, hesitated for a brief second. The silent tension in the air grew heavier as the Dark Knight glanced at the Senzu bean in his hand, then at his own battered body.
With a heavy exhale, Batman finally gritted his teeth and pressed the bean between his lips, biting down in skepticism.
For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.
And then—
A sudden surge of warmth flooded through his veins, the sensation soothing yet overwhelming. It started from his mouth, spreading through his chest, down his limbs, and throughout every fiber of his being. His fractured bones, torn muscles, and bruised skin seemed to mend before his very eyes, the pain and exhaustion that had plagued him during the battle rapidly fading into nothingness.
His breath steadied, the aching fatigue that had gripped him just moments ago washed away like a wave against the shore.
The wound on his chest, the deep gash that had left him struggling to stay conscious, disappeared, replaced by perfect, unmarred skin. His legs, once trembling from the fight, now felt as if they had never been injured in the first place. The sheer vitality he now felt was enough to make him almost dizzy.
"Impossible!"
The words were barely a whisper, but they carried the weight of his disbelief. Batman's eyes scanned his body, watching the healing process unfold before him as his muscles rebuilt and his tissues knitted back together with surgical precision. It was as if the body had repaired itself, not over hours, but in mere seconds.
This wasn't just some conventional healing; it was a power beyond understanding, something that felt almost magical. The sensation was like nothing he had ever experienced, and the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
The Senzu bean, whatever it was, wherever it came from, was a tool of astonishing power.
Batman stared at his now-perfect body, flexing his hands experimentally, and felt an immediate surge of strength flood through him. His skepticism faltered as he realized just how completely the bean had healed him. The impossible had happened right in front of his eyes.
Without a second thought, Batman's focus shifted to Damien. The young hero, still unconscious, lay limp in his arms, and Batman's expression hardened. He couldn't waste time questioning things anymore, not when there was still work to be done.
"Damien," Batman muttered, his voice urgent as he took another Senzu bean and pressed it gently against his son's lips.
With a swift, practiced motion, he forced the bean into Damien's mouth, watching the young man's face tighten with discomfort as he chewed. Batman's eyes never wavered, the weight of responsibility pressing heavily on his chest. Damien's life, his recovery, depended on this moment.
For a long, tense second, nothing happened. Batman's eyes flicked between the bean, his son's face, and the horizon, until—
Damien's body shifted.
It was subtle at first, just a twitch, but then the change began to unfold. Batman's expectation flared, and he watched in awe as Damien's injuries began to heal in real-time. Cuts, bruises, and abrasions that had once marked the young man's body began to fade as tissue repaired itself.
"Amazing!"
Batman couldn't help the awe that laced his voice as he stared in astonishment at the miraculous healing unfolding before him. His son, once battered and unconscious, was now rising, the deep marks of battle fading from his skin with every passing second. His body seemed to be returning to prime condition, every muscle restored with the power of the Senzu bean.
For a fleeting moment, Batman's expression softened, his protective nature shining through.
Damien's eyes fluttered open, groggy but alive. For a moment, his face was blank, clouded by the remnants of unconsciousness, before he registered where he was, his father's arms, and the safety that the healing had brought him.
"Dad?"
Damien's voice was barely a whisper, hoarse from battle, but it carried the relief of someone who had been brought back from the edge of oblivion.
Batman's gaze softened, just for a moment. He gently lifted Damien, brushing a few strands of his son's hair back with a tender hand. But even in this quiet moment, Batman's mind raced with questions he didn't yet have answers for. His sharp, calculating mind weighed the significance of the strange powers William had exhibited.
"You're okay, Damien. You're safe now." Batman's words were calm, but they carried the weight of a thousand thoughts still brewing beneath the surface.
Damien nodded, still trying to regain his bearings. But his sharp instincts kicked in, his eyes darting to William, standing just a few feet away. Damien, ever the soldier, was already assessing the situation.
"Who is he, Dad?" Damien's voice was low, wary. He'd seen enough of the world's darkness to know that not all power came without a price.
Batman, still cradling his son in his arms, only offered a brief glance toward William. The mysterious figure had saved them, healed them, but something about him unsettled the Dark Knight. Batman could feel the tension in the air, the calm before a storm that was only just beginning to unfurl.
"I don't know," Batman muttered, his tone colder now, though his attention remained on Damien. He could feel the weight of the mystery surrounding William, the potential dangers his presence posed, but right now, there were more pressing matters.
Damien's healing was nearly complete now, and the young hero's thoughts were already shifting to what was going to happen next.