"It's here! That monster is here!"
Silas shouted. When the doctor had been captured by Steppenwolf, he had witnessed Steppenwolf descending from a Boom Tube.
So when he saw this silver passage now, he immediately shouted almost by instinct.
Alfred's expression changed. He tapped the center console screen in the car and contacted Bruce.
At the same time, he stepped on the accelerator. The car roared around the Boom Tube and fled toward Gotham City.
The next second, Parademons flew out of the Boom Tube one after another. These pale-skinned, modified soldiers of Apokolips buzzed their wings like flies and quickly chased after the car.
BANG!
Steppenwolf's mountain-like body emerged from the Boom Tube and landed heavily on the ground.
He straightened up. Blue light flickered in his eyes as he locked onto the fleeing car.
With a powerful stomp, Steppenwolf shot into the sky, crossed the air, and landed in front of the vehicle.
He turned around. Red-gold lightning burst from the Electro Axe. The blade scraped across the ground before sweeping upward.
The entire car carrying Alfred and Silas was thrown into the air. Parts scattered everywhere before it crashed back down.
BOOM!
The car flipped upside down. Its four wheels spun uselessly, producing a harsh sound.
Then the Parademons swarmed over, cutting apart the vehicle with their rifles before dragging Alfred and Silas out.
Bruce's voice came from the center console.
["Alfred, are you alright? Alfred!"]
Alfred's glasses had fallen to the ground.
Steppenwolf glanced at him before shifting his gaze to Silas.
Steppenwolf sniffed hard and said in a deep voice, "The scent of the Mother Box on you is even stronger now. You really do know where it is."
He reached out and grabbed Silas.
A silver spider crawled out from his body.
The thing quickly climbed onto Silas's face. After several sharp metal legs secured themselves in place, its body sank down and forcibly read Silas's memories.
Then it projected them.
Immediately, the image showed Barry Allen approaching the Mother Box, followed by both of them disappearing together.
"So it's there!"
"It's right there!"
Steppenwolf pointed toward Gotham City.
"Go after it. Bring back the Mother Box!"
Then he looked at Silas.
A cruel smile spread across his face.
———
[Inside the Jet]
Bruce had already changed into the Batsuit.
His expression was serious, "This is bad. Steppenwolf has arrived too, and at a time like this."
"We need to turn back. Alfred and Silas are in danger."
"Dad!"
Victor's face changed.
He immediately flew out of the jet, turning into a silver meteor as he headed toward the warehouse.
Arthur held his trident and said, "No offense, but if that monster has already arrived, then our priority shouldn't be protecting that curious kid. He's carrying the Mother Box."
Bruce said, "Miss Vera has already gone after him. And with Barry Allen's speed, I don't think either the Conqueror or Steppenwolf can catch him anytime soon."
Arthur shrugged, "That actually makes some sense."
At that moment, a figure flashed past outside the jet window.
A Parademon.
Then more Parademons appeared, buzzing like flies as they flew in groups.
Their target wasn't Batman, however.
Without stopping, they rushed past the jet.
Immediately afterward, a figure approached from the distance like a meteor.
Steppenwolf!
The powerful being from Apokolips passed directly over the jet and rapidly disappeared into the distance.
Arthur looked out the window.
"Hey, Bat-bro."
"It shouldn't take three people to save someone. That metal kid is enough."
This time Bruce nodded, "You're right."
The jet suddenly changed direction and chased after the swarm of Parademons and Steppenwolf.
———
Victor descended from the sky and looked around.
He quickly spotted Alfred lying on the ground.
He hurried over and helped Alfred up.
"Where's my father?"
Alfred weakly pointed toward the sea.
"No."
"No! No! No!"
Victor immediately flew toward the water and began searching.
He soon saw a figure floating on the surface.
Silas Stone!
He immediately dove down and pulled his father out.
After flying back to shore, Victor repeatedly patted his father's face.
"Dad, Dad, how are you?"
"Look at me."
Silas's eyes were closed.
His head hung unnaturally to one side.
Victor touched his neck and finally realized that his father's neck had already been broken.
It was clear that his neck had been snapped before he was thrown into the sea.
"NOOO!"
"DAD!"
Victor tightly hugged his father's cold body.
First, the car accident had taken his mother away.
Now Silas had left him as well.
Victor was overwhelmed with grief.
———
BOOM!
Homelander appeared on a street, startling the pedestrians passing by.
He frowned.
His figure vanished.
When he appeared again, he was already on another street.
Even though he had locked onto Barry Allen's mental coordinates, even though he was using Teleportation, Barry Allen was simply too fast.
Every time Homelander appeared, Flash was already gone.
"This won't do."
Homelander sighed.
His figure disappeared again as he used Teleportation to pursue him.
As expected, he missed again.
All he saw were the electric currents left behind by Barry Allen's movement.
Homelander's face darkened. He stopped using Teleportation.
Instead, he flew into the sky and chased after the fleeting streak of lightning.
At the same time, inside the Psychic Domain, Homelander focused on Barry Allen's mental coordinates.
If he could lock onto them, he could attack them.
So within the mental world, Homelander blew a breath toward that coordinate.
The breath became a storm that enveloped Flash's mind.
Mental Storm!
While running, Barry Allen suddenly felt fear for no reason.
It was as though he had returned to childhood, standing at midnight in front of a closet with its doors open.
He felt as if something terrifying was hiding in the darkness inside and would leap out the next second.
The distraction caused him to lose focus.
He immediately tripped over something.
Barry Allen cried out as he tumbled across the ground.
The Mother Box in his hands fell as well, rolling across the road and coming to rest in the middle of the street.
Barry Allen was dizzy from the fall.
Before he could get up, his vision blurred.
A red cape rose in front of him.
"Not good."
He was about to move when a powerful hand grabbed him.
Homelander smiled.
"How about taking a little flight?"
The patterns on the Hercules Bracers flashed.
Homelander's arm blurred.
A visible white airflow exploded in front of him.
Flash immediately shot away at high speed.
Like a meteor, he streaked across the sky and disappeared into the distance.
Eighty percent Divine Power output combined with the tenfold strength boost from the Hercules Bracers was enough to send Barry Allen far away and prevent him from returning anytime soon.
Only then did Homelander teleport into the middle of the road.
The moment he appeared, loud horns blared behind him as a truck crashed toward him.
The driver leaned on the horn desperately.
Homelander ignored it and bent down to pick up the Mother Box.
BANG!
The truck slammed into him.
But the thing that deformed was the truck.
Starting from the front, the massive vehicle crumpled and split apart.
Like waves crashing against a reef, the reef stood unmoving while the waves shattered into pieces.