Caterpillar

Sacrifice

A wormhole was ripped into the sky above Metropolis and a horrible cry was heard over all the noise of the large city. Savage screams and bloodthirsty shrieks. The skies had turned grey as a swarm of winged demonic beings darkened the light of the day. Thousand upon thousands of Parademons were flying from the enormous boom tube in an ending stream.

A massive being radiating an aura of power walked slowly from behind them, stepping on air as if it was solid ground. Over 40 feet tall, extremely muscular, grey-skinned, red-eyed, and wearing purple-black armour - it was none other than the God of Apokolips, Darkseid. He floated above the large city with his hands behind his back, watching the world beneath his feet as if they were ants. They could not catch his interest. But when he saw a black-costumed blonde young woman with a red S on her chest, a smirk appeared on his terrible-looking face.

Even as dozens of new members of the Justice League of America (JLA) were being teleported behind Superwoman, the God of Evil was not in a hurry. He just stood in the air in the same arrogant posture, with his hands at his back. It was as if he was waiting for JLA to gather its entire forces before finally crushing them. His Parademons were also flying orderly behind him.

"You shouldn't have come here, Darkseid. We've killed you once before. We will do it again." Superwoman spat.

"I have underestimated you once and I paid for it. But now it's your turn to pay for your audacity," Darkseid's deep voice rang. "The skies will rain fire, the oceans will boil and the streets will run red with the blood of billions. Only then, after your last pitiful hope is extinguished, will I end your lives. For I am Entropy. I am Death. I am Darkseid."

As the God of Evil raised a hand from behind his back, his Parademons burst into bone-chilling roars and launched themselves crazily at the metahumans flying in the air.

The members of the JLA were not lacking in momentum either. As a deafening thunderclap rang, five Parademons fell to the ground lifelessly, their entire bodies charred black and smoking. With a battle cry, Shazam was the first to lead the vanguard of the Justice League against the invaders.

A blade-like laser beam cut over 10 Parademons in half, from the waist. Cyborg was on a rampage. His left arm transformed into a particle cannon and he prepared himself to shoot an even more powerful attack. However, before he could fire it, two crimson beams of light flooded his entire vision. Then, he knew no more.

It had happened in an instant. Darkseid's red eyes were still burning with his Omega Beams after firing them. However, there was nothing left of Cyborg in this world. He had been reduced to ashes.

"Cyborg!" Starfire cried out heartbroken.

However, there was no time for mourning on the battlefield. Distracted as she was by the death of a dear comrade, the Tamaranean princess never saw the two Parademons that lunged at her from her blind spot. It was only John Stewart's timely intervention that saved her from being impaled in the back. Instead, the Parademons' claws smashed against a green construct of light in the shape of a sphere.

Superwoman suddenly let out a powerful shout, one that reverberated through the entire city. Dozens of Parademons among the large group surrounding her fell from the air with blood flowing from their eyes and ears from the soundwave. Even her allies, the rest of the JLA members, despite wearing earplugs, felt their bodies shake and their heads hurt too from how powerful the sound had been.

Breaking free of her encirclement, the young Argonian left sonic booms in her wake as she flew at Darkseid like a speeding bullet.

The God of Apokalips greeted her attack with a mocking grin, meeting her punch head-on. A 5'6'' girl's fist smashing against the fist of a giant over 40 feet tall. The difference in size was ridiculous, it was like a house cat clashing against a bull. However, the result betrayed even Darkseid's expectations. The mocking smirk on his face vanished the moment he felt the insane power behind her punch. It was no weaker than that of his late enemy, Superman!