Apocalypse
Desaad sat before a bank of monitors, eyes glued to the drone footage of Earth. His fury mounted as he watched Max Schiller tear through the weapons he had sent with infuriating ease.
A snarl escaped Desaad's lips. "How… how did he get so strong?!" he hissed, fists curling tight as rage coursed through him.
Yet, even in his fury, a spark of consolation flickered. These weren't all of his creations. Beyond the mindless, uncontrollable weapons he had sent to Earth, he had crafted hybrids,controlled, intelligent, and infused with ","parademon genes. They combined the best of both worlds: the strength of his prototypes and the discipline of the parademons.
They lacked only resilience and the ability to evolve, but for the upcoming invasion, their sheer numbers would suffice. Fifty thousand strong, and if the previous monsters were called Doomsdays on Earth, these would be known as Paradoms.
Desaad was broken out of his thoughts when the chamber he was in began trembling violently. The monitors on the Genesis Chamber went haywire, along with other sensors across the planet that started beeping wildly as he realized what was happening.
Darkseid had awakened with newfound power.
The Genesis Chamber he had built had worked perfectly,but Darkseid's new power was now affecting the whole planet of Apocalypse.
Desaad ran as fast as he could toward where the Genesis Chamber was located, stumbling a few times as the tremors intensified. Before he could reach it, a loud explosion went off, sending him flying back and destroying the entire structure.
A few minutes passed.
The rubble shifted as Desaad finally dug himself out while coughing from the dust and looked up,and saw Darkseid standing in the middle of the chaos.
Much had changed about him.
Where he had once stood at an already towering 8.9 feet, he now stood at 10.2. His already muscular frame had thickened, with red, glowing veins pulsing across his arms and face. The arm he had lost while fighting Max Schiller had regenerated.
He now bore a burning Omega symbol on his chest.
But the most striking feature,was the crimson energy emanating from his body like a flame, illuminating everything around him. The same energy burned in his eyes like stars.
Even Desaad, who was accustomed to serving one of the most feared beings in the universe, instantly bowed his head in a mixture of fear and reverence.
"Prepare all of our forces for a full assault on Earth," Darkseid commanded, his voice deeper than before.
Desaad swallowed hard. "Sire, our forces are not yet ready. I have replaced them with stronger variants, but they will be ready in 336 hours."
"Unacceptable. Correct this while I go and exterminate them all," Darkseid said.
Desaad tensed but spoke anyway.
"Sire, I believe it would be unwise for you to face their combined might alone. In your absence, the one known as Max has grown stronger. I believe you should save your strength for him, as he is the only one worthy of it. The others can fall to the might of your new army, which will be ready soon. In the meantime, my lord, you can grow accustomed to your new power."
There was a brief silence.
"You make a valid point," Darkseid said. "This new army of yours had better not disappoint me. My tolerance for failure has run out."
The crimson aura around his body faded as he descended, landing heavily with a loud impact that rattled everything around them.
Then he turned and walked away, each step shaking the ground and leaving deep imprints behind.
The Genesis Chamber hadn't increased his strength directly,but it had increased how much of his Omega power he could use before his body broke down.
And now, when he descends upon Earth,the one known as Max will understand what happens to those who stand against him amd his power of Omega.
The life that is death.
Metropolis, LexCorp Tower
Inside the briefing room, Lex Luthor sat in his chair, his hands clasped together.
Before him stood a teenage boy, about Thena's age,one who would soon be known as Superboy.
"I think it's time for you to step into the light," Luthor said. "With Superman out of commission, the world will be looking for its so-called symbol of hope. Someone to fill that void."
He leaned back slightly.
"And that someone… is you."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Superboy replied. "So where's the costume?"
Luthor pressed a button on his desk. A hidden section of the wall slid open, revealing an array of suits.
"Sweet," Superboy muttered, dashing toward them and immediately starting to go through the options.
"Have you decided on a name?" Luthor asked.
"Yeah… how about Awesome Man?" Superboy said.
Luthor didn't even look impressed. "Or how about Superboy?"
"Technically, I'm a teen… but it could work," Superboy shrugged, still browsing.
"Technically, you are five," Luthor corrected calmly. "So Superboy better suits your age and status compared to Superman."
"Superman isn't even dead, and you're already planning on replacing him…"
A voice cut through the room.
"Typical Luthor. Ever the opportunist."
Both Luthor and Superboy turned.
From the floor,like it was liquid,Max Schiller slowly emerged.
"…Who the hell are you?" Superboy asked.
"Max…" Luthor murmured bitterly, a hint of anger seeping into his tone.
"It's been a while, Luthor," Max said calmly.
"So this is Max in person?" Superboy said, looking him up and down. "Not what I was expecting."
"I have no expectations to meet," Max replied, unfazed. "Unlike you, who is about to attempt to be something you clearly are not."
"Hey, pal,you got a problem with me?" Superboy stepped forward, his tone sharpening.
Max didn't even acknowledge him,instead, he turned to Luthor.
"Luthor, get your pet before it gets put down"
Superboy's jaw tightened, his fists clenching as he took another step forward, clearly ready to act.
"Enough."
Lex Luthor rose from his chair, his voice cutting through the tension.
"What do you want, Max?" he asked.
"We have an incoming threat. Those creatures you know as Doomsday were just prototypes. If two can put the heroes on the ropes… then what about a hundred? A thousand? Or even ten thousand?"
A brief silence followed.
"And where do I fit into all of this?" Luthor asked.
"Those creatures were Kryptonian in nature," Max said. "I'm sure you understand where I'm going with this."
"You want kryptonite?" Luthor asked.
"No," Max replied. "Kryptonite-based weapons. An arsenal. As many as possible,and as soon as possible."
Luthor's eyes narrowed slightly.
"And what if I refuse?"
Max's expression didn't change.
"I spared you last time because I thought you could prove useful one day," he said calmly. "If that turns out not to be the case… I can rectify that mistake."
The tension in the room spiked instantly.
Superboy tensed, ready to react at a moment's notice.
A few seconds passed.
"Alright," Luthor said. "I'll have it arranged. Now leave."
"Very well then," Max replied.
His body began to sink back into the floor—
But he paused just before disappearing.
"We could have achieved a lot together, Luthor," he said. "But you just had to believe you were the smartest person in the room… despite my warning."
"A pity."
And then he was gone.
Silence filled the room.
"…Who does that guy think he is?" Superboy muttered.
End of Chapter
You can read up to 10+ chapters at Patreon.com/DarkerKnight.