Author's note:

This is so much longer than Chapter 3. And so far, this is the longest chapter I've ever written. Ever.

For now, I don't have time to check for mistakes thoroughly but I'm just gonna leave it here for you guys to read it (Update: I've been slowly editing this for errors). I hope it's not messy and I hope you guys are entertained by it despite the length. I didn't base Steppenwolf after anything. I researched him a little but I went with my own version and perception, so he might not be the same Steppenwolf in the comics. I apologize for that in advance if that bothers you.

And lastly, I didn't write this to predict the Justice League movie. So far, I think I'm waaaay off (which makes me feel better). I didn't really follow the hints that people are posting online, so, rest assured, that the plot is most likely very different from the movie. This is just my own take and nothing more. And for those who asked if the hiding-by-kissing thing in Chapter 3 was inspired by the Winter Soldier movie, Yes, it partly inspired the scene, well mostly the dialogue. The Justice League cartoons had a similar scene and I sort of based it to that as well.

Usual disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story.

Faves and reviews are much appreciated.

Slowly, his fingers drummed on the surface of a standard café table.

This was where he found her. Drinking coffee in the corner by the window. Hiding from the rain. Hiding from the world. He was trying to convince her and she was weighing the options. He was building a team and she was his first recruit. Underneath, he was somewhat fixated by her, but he wasn't so sure why. He figured it had been just an attraction, plain and simple, as he would obviously be attracted to the kind of woman she is.

But as it turned out, it wasn't just a simple affinity. He was too careless around her. Letting his guard down. Making it harder for him to set his emotions aside. She can make his façade crumble with just a look… or a touch. And no one has ever made him that much open.

All along, this woman, who was sitting in this corner on that rainy day, was right to say those words before.

Oh I don't think you've ever known a woman like me.

As he sat in the comfortable seat, he tried to make himself unnoticeable. He hid his bandages on his body with as much cover as he can with his coat. But he couldn't do anything about the cast on his left wrist and the few bruises on his face, and the broken blood vessel on his eye that made most of the white turn red. The waitress stared at him and he knew it was because she was seeing the living proof of what the tabloids said about Gotham's favorite billionaire. The drunken Wayne who picked a fight in a bar. Or the Wayne orphan who might've broken the heart of a mobster's daughter which earned him those injuries. Whichever it is, he couldn't care less. The tabloids have never made up their minds about him anyway.

"Coffee, black", he said.

The waitress jotted it down on her little pad. "Anything else?" she asked.

He shook his head.

The waitress left him to get his coffee and he glanced at the rest of the people in the café. None paid attention to him and his peculiar injuries. Most held this morning's paper, which was given a headline that made the news about a billionaire's shenanigans disappear into the background.

WHO ARE THE INVADERS?

He brooded over those big and bold letters.

He looked at the people in the café again.

None of them knew that the stories about Bruce Wayne were fabrications that he allowed to spread. None of them knew that he wore the cowl and the cape on the day he received the injuries. None of them knew that he was in the middle of that battle. That he was part of a team who went into the fray.

None of them knew how much he tried to save everybody…

How much of a nightmare it all was.

Three days ago…

The skies were gray.

They prepared for the rain.

Cold, hard ice fell instead.

"Cyborg to Batman. I was able to escape before they attacked…"

All it took was one box. One last mother box that they failed to destroy.

"… I got the intel. A few of the alien communications and logs. I'm currently decrypting all of it as we speak…"

Early in the morning, the portal opened in Ireland where a forgotten government bunker hid the last of the ancient alien cube.

"… I'm going to Flash's position. He radioed me. He needs help with the refugees…"

Soon, three unusual looking warships hovered over Dublin. Each may have been as big as five or more football stadiums stacked together. They were so large that the Irish military had brought every arsenal and pointed them up at the sky.

"… Aquaman is rounding up his men. He said they need to replenish their weapons…"

Humans waited vigilantly. Surprisingly, the aliens did nothing and left Dublin.

"… Diana said she needs a recharge. I think we all do…"

In less than an hour the ships travelled away across the ocean with great speed. Naval vehicles tried to follow and determine their destination. They soon found out that the alien ships were entering U.S. territory.

"… Where do you want us to regroup?..."

It didn't take long before the visitors loomed over another city.

Metropolis.

"Batman... Are you there? Do you copy?"

Bruce pressed on his ear. His cowl activated the hidden receiver. "I'm still here. Meet me at the docks. In the warehouse."

"Alright. I'll make my way there."

He pressed a few buttons on his gauntlet before pressing his ear again.

"Batman to all points. Regroup at the warehouse. Make sure you're not being followed."

He perched on Daily Planet's roof top in daylight. It was still early but there have been a battle before. There was smoke and some of the buildings were already demolished. The three alien ships hovered far enough from where he was. Fortunately, things got quieter for a while.

Somehow, the view was familiar. Like a nightmare from before, when men died and he was captured, when he literally felt someone tear his heart out before he woke up.

Earlier, the U.S. air force tried to bomb the enemy with the technology that covert agencies adopted from the mother box in Santa Prisca. However, everything backfired. Bombs exploded without being fired. Planes went haywire. Their arsenal betrayed them, leaving fallen aircrafts and dead men on the streets.

The enemy paraded the dead. They mocked the heroes to shame those who had used their technology against them.

The moment the news broke out about the ships, these beings had revealed themselves as early as the people have spotted them from the coast. A few thousands or more scattered around the sky. More were speculated to be in the ships. They had wings and they looked like creatures from an abyss, like soulless monsters that would've only appeared in times of death and defeat. When they finally reached the edge of the commercial district, they perched on building tops like crows in a graveyard, claws on top tombstones, eyes that were looking down at the teeming insects that feared them. It started a massive panic in the city that caused thousands to pack their things and flee, which resulted to traffic jams everywhere.

People have trapped themselves. Bruce couldn't blame them. The invasion led by Kryptonians was too fresh in their minds. Too soon for it to happen again.

When the military sent more bombs and fighter jets, the aliens retaliated with no mercy. The winged creatures fired their own guns and brought down as many as they could in one sweep.

Bruce and his team came, already suited up for the chaos. They fought and saved as many as they could. However it wasn't enough. They have researched about this enemy, relying only on ancient writing, but detailed records were scarce. Monsters. Beings. Myths. Legends. He knew all along that no matter how much they prepared beforehand, they will always have to measure up the challenge on the day itself. That was the reason for the team's defensive strategies. That's why they focused on saving people rather than trying to strike at the heart.

He had learned the hard way in the past. Always study the enemy first. Always let them strike first.

"It's Zod all over again" said a female voice.

Batman turned around and saw a red haired woman. She wore her usual office attire and held a cell phone was on one hand. She looked somewhat in awe to see him. In her article about the Doomsday incident, she had mentioned about the "Bat from Gotham" and the mysterious "Wonder Woman", but it's only now that were able to meet again, excluding that time that Bruce Wayne attended Clark's funeral (but she has no idea about his alter ego).

She stared cautiously.

"My friends from the military said that a C.I.A. covert official is trying to get involved in the attacks against the alien ships. They said she's trying to build a team… Are you part of that?"

As she spoke, her hand kept lightly squeezing the fabric on her pants' pocket. Like a mannerism of some sort, like she's trying to feel the contents from the outside. Probably anxious with what's going on.

"No" he simply said.

"Why?"

"They don't trust a man like me and I don't trust people like them"

After that they were silent for a while.

Batman knew that Lois Lane had been investigating Amanda Waller since the Midway City incident. He had hacked her computer to find out if she knew important information. So far, the reporter proved to be a good investigator. She had been closer to the truth than anyone from the press, but not close enough to ever have willing witnesses to disclose what actually happened. She knew the truth and she couldn't write it. At least, her editor won't allow it. It was too dangerous.

"They also said that a leader emerged from one of the ships" she informed, "They said he talked to them through the Pentagon's communication signals, demanding loyalty and surrender. Or else he'll call another one who will deliver judgment" she continued.

He recalled what he had heard from the flying beings early when he fought them.

To Darkseid we will serve! To Darkseid we will offer this planet!

They celebrated that name. Darkseid.

Bruce knew about the leader and he was able to see who he was in the battle. A horned alien, four times bigger than an average human being, wielding a large axe-like weapon. He called himself Steppenwolf and he shouted the same chant.

To Darkseid we will serve! To Darkseid we will offer this planet!

Then the other one they are to call, the one who will deliver judgment, was Darkseid. It was the obvious conclusion.

"Do you have your own team? A plan to defeat them?" she asked.

He was still silent, expressing that stoic demeanor, before he finally spoke.

"Yes and no. We're still working on the plan"

Lois took another step to approach him. "How long do you think this war will go on?"

"Until the enemy receives loyalty from us."

"You mean they're here to colonize us?"

"Yes… That's what it looks like so far."

He could see in her face that it was what she had already guessed. She just needed to hear it from someone to confirm it. That realization made him pay attention to the woman's apparent composure even more. She was hiding something. Some level of crazed behavior that's waiting to reveal itself. Under the make-up, she had dark circles on her eyes. She looked restless and tired at the same time. Sleepless nights were no stranger to him. Especially to him. For Lois, it had the same effect. The pain. The obsession. He can still remember her tears, when she kissed a man's cheek as if it was enough to wake him up. Lois lost someone that night in the past and it was more than she could ever get over with.

The engagement ring she wore proved it.

"You should evacuate like the rest of the civilians" he said plainly, "While you're at it, ask more about the invasion from your friends. I'll call you when I need to."

Then he handed out a small piece of paper with a contact number written on it.

"If not, contact me"

Lois stayed silent but she took the paper from him.

After that, he moved back to the edge of the roof top. He took out his grappling gun and pointed it at a nearby building. He fired it. When it was secure, he jumped and disappeared from her sight.

…

The eye scanner worked its thing before the door opened for him. The warehouse was one of his hidden satellite caves outside Gotham. Recently, he had to add more retinal scans of the rest of team so they can use it whenever they pleased. It was located at the city's port, opposite to where the enemy was stationed. So far, this part of the coast is safe.

When he entered, the first thing he saw was the people he had expected to see.

The team.

They rested in their own chosen positions near the computer station. Arthur sat on one of the metal chairs and brooded. Barry sat on one of the steps of the stairs that was leading up to the armory. He appeared particularly exhausted. Vic stood and faced the large computer screen. He was hooked up on it. Alfred stood up with the Vic and watched on the screen as well. It seemed that Vic was saving the files into the computer while Alfred studied news footages of the chaos. Diana was sitting on one of the chairs. She stood up when she saw Bruce approaching.

He felt relieved seeing her still strong and able despite the exhaustion.

"We need to assess the situation" he announced.

Everyone's ears were on him instantly.

"What have you seen out there? What have you observed?" he asked them.

His tone was his usual call for an urgent meeting. The team recognized it as such.

Arthur was the first one to utter something.

"They mostly rely on numbers. The winged beings are strong and capable of killing skilled soldiers, but they usually surge in groups. They're afraid to fight alone. But sometimes they get lucky. Some of my men got hurt badly when they faced one of the aliens. The rest are helping them patch up in the waters."

The mariner wore Atlantean battle armor and held a majestic looking trident. His regalia and his unique weapon were given to him by the Atlantean court due to his heritage. It turned out that his mother was royalty and that he was next in line for the throne. That fact gave him influence in the ocean kingdom and its army. However, most in the Atlanis' high-ups weren't convinced of his abilities to rule. So, they just gave him a battalion to lead - only a hundred strong Atlanteans fighters to aid him. It was a test they gave to the half-human to see if he could be effective. But despite that challenge, Arthur accepted it, though he still complains about the fact that he still has to prove himself.

When their team was just starting to do missions, Arthur had been clashing with the Bat in most occasions. Through time they got used to each other. The half-Atlantean eventually found respect for the Bat. And so did Bruce for him. There's no doubt that camaraderie existed between them despite their differences.

"Do they need more time in the water to recuperate?" Bruce asked.

"Yes, but not much. My men would be ready to fight again once we finish this meeting."

Batman nodded to acknowledge that. Immediately after, Barry spoke.

"The military jets made the fight worse. Every time they tried to bomb those weird looking ships, more of those flying aliens come out from them. It's like poking a bee hive with a stick. The more they got poked, the more bees got angry…"

Barry seemed to be fidgeting his foot, either out of lingered nervousness or excitement from the battle. It was a little strange to look at. He was clearly exhausted but his movements don't show that. Maybe that's just him being a speedster. He was widely known as the Flash nowadays, because he liked that code name that Bruce gave him during past missions. Since then he'd always introduce himself as such to strangers he rescued. He was young and full of self-doubt. He just tries to cover all that with cockiness and wit.

"Did any of the missiles penetrate the shields?" Bruce asked, hoping that maybe he made a mistake in seeing the arsenals fail.

"Nope. All of them are useless"

Bruce nodded, finally having confirmation that the enemy's shields shouldn't be underestimated. After that, Vic was next to share information. His mechanical eye glowed, which indicated that he was still connected to the computer.

"I was able to penetrate the shields after some resistance, probably because it was their technology made me into…"

He gestured his hand to his body.

"…this."

The cyborg looked as hardened as any one of them, but some hints of diffidence surfaced on his expression. He's as young as Barry. Almost at the same age. He was always self-conscious and too timid. Sometimes, he even questioned his thinking that maybe the machine in him was somehow taking over his human side. But he found a way to get over that. His heart, one of the few parts of his body that stayed human, would always remind him that he still has a soul and that he will always be in control.

"… In a short while, I was able to hack their system and acquire their files", Vic continued, "I couldn't decrypt all of them but I managed to break into some."

"What did you find out?" Bruce asked.

"The aliens came from Apokolips. A planet from a far away galaxy. They've been taking over planets for centuries, maybe even for thousands of years. Long ago, they left mother boxes in each planet they plan take over. They took time studying the locals. Looking for weaknesses. Their goal is to colonize and to acquire the resources and they don't plan to stop anytime soon. Some planets die from it, some don't. They don't really care as long as it benefits them. They adopt every planet's technology and if they found locals that are useful, they take them in as slaves and control them for their use."

"It goes in line with the information that I received earlier" Batman commented, "They demanded loyalty from the Pentagon. It seems that taking advantage of the people with authority and skill is indeed part of their M. O."

Alfred joined the discussion. The butler had been as tired as the rest of the team, but he didn't show it as much. He had been helping with the team's suit upgrades but he had also been as valuable as anyone in the team.

"If I may add, sir," Alfred began,"the enemy seemed to have taken Metropolis as hostage. The only hostage. They're using this city as leverage against the rest of the world. They are banking on the assurance that governments won't let one city perish. So think they'll be making more demands soon"

After the butler finished, a certain immortal warrior joined in as well.

"There's something more" Diana started, "I saw them inspect the Kryptonian ship. The one used in the previous invasion. The one near Heroes Park. They took notice of it for a while before they ignored it completely. I'm not sure why but they seem pretty interested in it at first."

Diana had been in the battle first. She was able to fare better than Arthur's men, even making a consistence with her wins at some point. However, even though she's immortal, she was still affected with fatigue. Bruce was able to see her receive slight injuries because of it, but her fast healing made her recover quickly than her enemies. She was as effective as he has always known her to be. And she won't give up any fight even if it's an uphill battle. If she had enough energy, she could still be fighting right now.

She was giving her every breath for the cause. She was showing an example to the others.

As they listened, she continued to relay her input. "… And unusually, the mother box is not in use anymore, which led me to believe that it's out of fuel or energy of some sort."

"That's possible." Bruce agreed, "The mother box had been on earth for a very long time by the time they used it again. They might just be waiting for it to recharge. Or maybe they're upgrading it. It's most likely that they will bring more for their cavalry later. Maybe including another alien being that's more powerful. Someone they call Darkseid. For the meantime, they seemed confident to settle with the army they've got."

"Man… those chants are creepy. Whoever Darkseid is, I won't be the first one who wants to meet him" Barry commented.

"I guess this Steppenwolf guy is another subordinate to a more powerful leader" Vic added, "but judging by that axe he holds, he might be enough to cause genocide"

"Not if my trident can block it" Arthur muttered.

"What else did we see?" Diana asked to continue the discussion

The Bat squinted before uttering something.

"It seems that they have come to a rest after our fight with them. They became defensive, only retaliating when they need to. Even now, the fighting against the humans diminished, the movements grew quieter, which, fortunately, gave us time to meet right now. They seem to be waiting for something. Maybe they're rebuilding the Kryptonian ship to use it as weapon. But I'm not sure if that's it. More importantly, what's obvious is that they knew about it even before they came to Earth, because the first thing they did after teleporting was to travel to this city. They knew about Metropolis, which means that they knew about the previous invasion as well. Therefore there's more to it than just selecting a city to start from."

"It's just the Kryptonian ship. You said it yourself; they're waiting for it to be rebuilt and use it for a weapon." Barry said

Bruce paused

"It seems so, but now I don't think that's it, because it's not only their interest in the ship. It's their interest to whole city and only to this city. They could've expanded outside Metropolis already and yet they didn't"

"What do you think it means?"

"It means they're doing something else other that just covering the city with foot soldiers. It feels like a preparation before expansion"

"Well… They do keep themselves within the city. Going into buildings and structures. Pretty soon, they'll reach this place, but they're intentionally slow." Vic added.

"Which makes me think they're searching for something in this city. Maybe something that relates to Kryptonian technology, and they didn't find it in the Kryptonian ship near Heroes Park." Bruce finally concluded.

Everyone audibly expressed their agreement and realization.

After a moment, Diana asked. "What are they looking for?"

Batman supplied his only answer. "We still have to find that out"

Barry stood from his seat and stretched his legs. "What's the plan?" the young man asked.

All ears were on Batman again. He answered with no hesitation.

"Since the air force have learned enough the hard way and have mostly backed away from the assault, things gave room for us to do the offensive and not worry about another party. Some of us will have to find what the enemy is looking for. Others will have to delay them from finding it. Another team will have to hijack one of the ships. And one will have to prepare our best weapon. After that you stand by for the next part of the plan. It all depends on what we'll find out about what the enemy is searching"

The reaction to that was mixed. Well, it's mostly Arthur doing the frowning while the others were more accepting to whatever task will be given to them.

"Diana and I will have to search what the enemy is looking for. We'll call everyone in the team as soon as we can after we find it. We'll catch up to the fight if we have to.

Barry and Vic, you will have to hijack one of the ships. Vic will have to penetrate the shields and hack the system. Barry will deal with the instigators and provide and escape an route for both of them. Your goal is to give the enemy a headache. Something that would make them lose focus. Remember, don't draw attention to yourselves. If you can control the ship's operations, try to propel it away from the city and crash it to the waters. Then move on to the next ship if it's still feasible..."

Barry offered a fist bump to Vic. The cyborg gladly took it.

"… Arthur's men will have to try to distract and delay the winged beings that are the furthest from the ships. They will have to prevent them from finding whatever they're looking for. Alfred will help them by controlling the Batwing through remote. They will have to divide the groups and confuse them.

Then Arthur himself will have to call our big friend. He'll be waiting for it on Strykers Island"

It was what Arthur was frowning about.

"I wouldn't call it a friend" Arthur commented, clearly showing zero enthusiasm.

"It will be when you control it" Diana uttered.

"That's IF I can control it. The Atlantis court isn't going to like this"

"Just do it." Bruce replied, "You'll control it. You won't have any distractions anyway. If Atlantis finds out that you can, they'll be begging for you to take the crown."

After that, they dispersed. One by one the speedster, the cyborg and the half-Atlantean left the warehouse. Alfred stayed and manned the controls on the computer. He activated the metal shields around the warehouse. Bruce and Diana boarded a secondary plane that was parked behind the computer. It was a larger replica of the Batwing that Alfred was about to use.

As Bruce set up the controls, Diana strapped herself tightly into the co-pilot seat. She was quiet for a while but then she finally said something.

"I hope you're keeping me away from the fray for a good reason"

Bruce didn't look at her and continued to turn the switches for their flight.

"I always have the right reasons" he uttered.

"And those reasons outweigh my use in the battlefield?"

Indeed it was wise for anyone to have her go with the others. And there's a chance that he could secure what he sought on his own. But something told him that he should reserve his best soldier for the worse possible scenario. Like when the chess player needs to reserve the queen for the finale.

Or maybe he just kept telling himself that to rationalize his concern over her.

Yes, he was concerned for the rest of the team. Anyone of them could die. However, his unique connection to her has kept him more uptight than usual. In other words, his emotions could be clouding his judgment.

Realizing that, he sighed.

"You're right. I can handle this" he plainly conceded, "You can join Arthur's men. You might guide them better in the city. Or if you wish, you can help Vic and Barry with the hijack."

She chuckled almost inaudibly. He turned and saw her smile.

"Nah… I take it back," she joked, "And truthfully, you do need someone to save you in case you run out of batarangs"

Bruce waited.

Then she turned serious and rationalized it for him.

"I think your plan will work. They're going to be fine without me.

Arthur's men are the best in Atlantis, as far as he told me. I'm sure they're capable enough to handle it. As for Vic and Barry, we've trained them for this and there's no doubt that they can deliver. If you trust them, then I should too. And if where we're going is important for the enemy, then I'm going with you."

Her eyes continued to focus on him. She continued.

"We work well together. That's a fact. We need to use that advantage. I hope that's what you're banking on."

She paused. Her face expressed a hint of what he was keeping inside of him.

Worry.

And she expressed it with some hesitation. "It could get ugly… I don't want to be too far… I don't want to be too late…"

All along, she was worried for him as he was worried for her. He knew it. And she couldn't lie about it anymore. She can never really lie like he does. And now that her inner anxiety is out in the open, there's no use dismissing it. After all the closeness and development of their relationship, it's hard not to fall into that need. The anxiety was mutual. Her worrying about him could cost greatly. He knew how tenacious and unyielding she was, even if it means protecting the one thing she cares about in the middle of certain destruction. That notion kept him thinking of back-up plans after back-up plans. He can't afford to have her perish because she wanted to protect him.

No matter how hard he tried, there's no way he could prepare enough after seeing dark skies. There was only one way to find out if they can survive the storm. And that is to brace themselves together.

Diana looked back at him expectantly. He leaned closer and gently touched her cheek with his fingers, caressing the skin as if there were tears he needed to catch. The princess reacted by holding his hand, keeping it on her cheek like letting go would make their connection fall apart.

She wasn't crying, and yet he felt her melancholy. It reminded him of all her stories about the people she outlived – people she cared about. All of them died, leaving her alone in the world.

He was about to lean closer… to comfort her somehow… But the urgency of their mission nagged him.

So instead, he pushed the few stray strands of her hair away from her radiant face and put them behind her ear. Her cheeks blushed but her hand finally let go of his.

Then he faced the controls and pushed the final switches to lift their aircraft. When the plane was finally in the air, he banked their aircraft westward.

As the Batwing propelled, Bruce temporarily transferred the controls to Diana. He activated the built-in phone in his cowl then he dialed a number on his gauntlet.

It took only a couple of rings before it was answered. He didn't wait for the hello.

"Ask your friends about the government bunkers around the city. Find out which of them is recently used."

…

The plane landed at the edge of Metropolis, specifically a few blocks away from an old observatory. They were surrounded by a forest of pine trees. There was only a lone road and their landed plane blocks it from anyone who would arrive. Serenity seemed to have stayed in this place but Bruce can hear a fight from far away. It told him that the team was already doing their job… which made him feel a bit edgy.

Can Arthur's men hold up in time? Is Alfred going to be alright? Do Barry and Vic get to infiltrate a ship safely? Is Arthur going to be able to control it?

But he had to erase every question. He's here to get what the enemy wanted and they will use it against them.

The J. Byrne Observatory was once a popular place for astronomy enthusiasts. Unfortunately, its popularity diminished due to the new and advanced Metropolitan Observatory that was built on the east end of the city. Now, it was just a well maintained observatory for astronomical experts who don't mind using old tech.

As far as Lois's military contacts knew, this was the secret bunker they should be checking out.

The military guards and the fifty caliber machine guns confirm it.

"Back away from the gate or we will have to use extreme measures!" said a sternly male voice from a megaphone.

A familiar red-haired woman was already there when they arrived. Her car was parked on the side of the road. She was holding up her hands as she showed her Daily Planet I.D.

When the bat and the princess got out of the cockpit, they walked to her side

Without looking at Lois, Batman spoke. "I thought I told you to evacuate."

The red haired woman just wore a straight face and put her hands down.

"Curiosity got the better of me. And I don't like it when a grown man in a bat costume tells what to do" she said.

Diana smirked at that.

"Besides… I'm a reporter. Unearthing secret bunkers is part of my job even if the world is about to end" Lois continued.

Again she slightly squeezed her pocket. Expressing that hidden anxiety again.

All three of them stood facing the gate, as the guards pointed a spotlight on them.

"This is a restricted area. Approach any further and we will –"

"I know what you'll do, soldier" Diana interrupted.

The warrior princess began walking forward. Guns cocked. All of them pointed at her. She stopped just a few feet from the gate

"Do not come any further!"

Diana stayed composed. "We mean you no harm. We came here to help you fight the invaders."

Silence.

Then a female voice replaced the soldier behind the megaphone.

"Civilians are not allowed here"

Bruce knew that voice.

Diana still continued. "We believe that the enemy is trying to find what you hid in that bunker. This is very urgent. We don't have time for protocol"

"What makes you think I should let you in?"

Diana already looked annoyed. She might be in the verge of taking out her sword.

"You will have to. Or else we'll make an entrance for ourselves. And believe me, you don't want that."

While Diana continued to negotiate, Lois leaned and whispered "Where did she come from?"

It was also only the second time that the reporter met 'Wonder Woman'.

Bruce's only reply was "Long story"

After that he walked to Diana's side and joined the negotiations.

"She's not lying" he announced, "You know how well we fight. I don't need to remind you what happened in Santa Prisca"

Silence…

Then a woman emerged from behind the guards. She was wearing a pantsuit as serious as her expression. She had untrusting eyes that focused on the three. And her lips maintained a frown. She asked the gates to be opened and approached them.

As Bruce have guessed, it was Amanda Waller – the C.I.A's go-to person when it comes to national security against meta-humans.

The woman was only as tall as Lois was but she showed no intimidation towards the taller, costumed bunch.

"Fine. I'll let you dabble" she declared, "But if you prove yourselves to be a liability, which I do think you are, I'm going to have you detained."

The Bat joined the stare down and conveyed all of his disdain with just a look before he spoke.

"Drop the empty threats. You and I both know you can't keep us behind bars.

And for the sake of the world, you can't afford to turn us down."

One of Waller's eyes twitched. No amount of positional power can beat the Bat.

And so, she motioned them to follow her.

…

They reached an underground tunnel. Waller's trademark was all over it.

Waller performed a retinal scan to disable the traps. Only the bright lights and the pipes on the walls met them. She had the soldiers stay outside and they walked on briskly.

The walk was awfully quiet, except for Lois and Diana. They fell behind but not too far. The reporter started with the small talk but they both tried to be discreet. Bruce heard all of it while he still contributed to the silence.

"I never got your name", Lois said.

"Diana" the princess replied.

"I assume you already know mine."

Diana probably smiled and nodded. Maybe they shook hands too. Nevertheless, they were silent for a while before one of them continued.

"How do you put up with him?" the reporter asked, obviously couldn't help asking about the Bat himself.

"I don't. He puts up with me" Diana replied casually.

The talk was cut short because they reached a door. But then again, they didn't have time to continue it anyway. Pressing matters didn't have room for the friendlies.

Waller hovered her I.D. A small bulb of light turned green. The door opened after that.

The first thing they saw was a room with a couple of people in lab coats. The scientists sat in front of a dashboard filled with switches and buttons. They were tinkering with it. They faced a large glass window.

Waller asked the scientists to leave and they did.

On the other side of the window was a human-sized casing that stood upright in the middle of a strikingly white room. It almost looked like a sarcophagus but unrecognizable writings covered it. It seemed to be made of stone but something told Bruce that its material is alien… familiarly alien.

The next thing he noticed was the familiar metal on the ceiling. It's the metal that had the mother box's technology. Like the one that was used in an attempt to trap him and Diana in the underground facility in Santa Prisca.

"We don't only use it for bullets and metal bars. Turns out it's great for blocking signals, it keeps this place secret and it's been useful enough. But when the aliens came, it started rejecting our systems. Our computers manage to keep in control for now."

Then Bruce's eyes focused back to the sarcophagus behind the glass window. He didn't need ask for the answer.

"We rid the Indian ocean of the Kryptonian world engine. Disposed most of it. We just saved a few things, including this sarcophagus." Waller informed.

"What did you find inside?" The Bat asked.

"Glowing spores, slime filled with mysterious nutrients. We're not even sure about the composition"

So this is what the aliens are looking for? A bunch of Kryptonian slime and and glowing spores?

No, something's up.

"Open it" he ordered.

Waller sighed. "We can't. It suddenly closed up on us and it won't budge. We tried everything. We even used Zod's key, the one that was found in Lex Luthor's possessions when he was arrested."

"There's a key hole?" Lois uttered.

"Yes, but when we couldn't supply the correct one, it killed the one holding Zod's key. I already lost five men. We can't afford to try again"

Diana wanted clarification. "The sarcophagus… killed? How?"

"Silver spokes come out from it. It started looking like liquid metal…" Waller's brows creased, "No one's sure how but they just pierce through flesh like daggers."

Something was still off about it.

"What did you put in there?" Bruce asked.

Waller looked at him like she was about to regret being part of all of this.

"A test subject."

Then…

He heard Diana shout.

"Lois!"

They were all so focused on Waller's input that they didn't notice Lois entering the other room. They saw the red haired woman from behind the glass window. She slowly approached the sarcophagus.

Waller hastily pushed a button for intercom and shouted on the mic. "Lois, get out of there! it's going to kill you!"

But the reporter didn't budge. She took out something in her pocket. Quickly, metal liquid started to flow out from the sarcophagus.

Batman headed for the door as fast as he can. The princess did so too. But the the door was automatically locked.

Diana was about to bust open the door with her gifted strength when Lois held up a hand to stop her.

The reporter's muffled voice reinforced it.

"I'm going to be fine... I think. Just wait… I'm going to try something."

Somehow that worked on them because they stopped.

Bruce saw something odd on Lois' other hand. It was small and long. One end was pointed and slightly jagged. The other end has an 'S' carved on it. He realized it was the one she kept squeezing in her pocket all along.

Lois turned to the sarcophagus.

The liquid metal floated in the air in a formless shape. It seemed to be waiting for her to make a move.

She hovered the key onto the keyhole and it was sucked in like a magnet being attracted to metal. One end was still protruding so she pushed it all the way.

It made Bruce realize that she had done this before.

Suddenly, the liquid metal started to take a familiar shape. It moved in front of the sarcophagus and it revealed its final form.

It was a man… It still seemed metallic in composition but it was shaped as a man. He wore layers of clothes and he sported a well kept beard. The shape of his eyes looked familiar. And lastly, there was an 'S' on his chest.

Then before they ever reacted to the metallic man, it spoke.

"I am prepared to activate the key. I will upload my system to the sarcophagus and keep check on the patient inside. To confirm my activation, please provide voice confirmation"

Lois approached the man like she knew him.

"Jor El?"

The metallic man looked at her with a confident stance.

"Voice activation is complete. My services for the sarcophagus is now under your command."

"Who are you?" Waller asked through the intercom.

The metallic man looked at her.

"I am Jor El, or at least, the consciousness of him. I am the father of Kal El. I sent my son to Earth to save him from my planet's doom."

"Kal El?"

Lois answered that. "Superman"

Waller looked a little wide eyed. Surprised as well, Bruce and Diana looked at each other before they went back to watching Jor El.

Lois asked a question while expressing confusion on her face.

"How come there's voice activation? I haven't even used the key since Zod's invasion. We thought it was destroyed and he found it during the clean up... Then he gave it to me. But I just kept it... I just kept it in my pocket"

Jor El returned his gaze at the reporter.

"After he found the key in the rubble, Kal was able to use the fallen Kryptonian ship before Earth's officials have claimed it. He asked me to reprogram it for security purposes. He asked me to strictly withhold anyone from its use, except for two people: Kal himself and Lois Lane. Your voice still resided in my memory banks. I acquired it during our short interaction from Zod's invasion. And so, I used your voice as a pass key. Other than Kal, you are the sole commander of this key. And that is why he gave it to you for safe keeping"

Key… the word triggered something in Bruce. He recalled something… something from a dream after a nightmare. He shook his head slightly to keep his head on pressing matters.

"Ask him to open the sarcophagus" he said to Lois.

Lois nodded before she asked. "Please unlock the sarcophagus."

"As you wish" Jor El said.

The sarcophagus opened up on the side. The reporter swiveled the lid open like she was opening a door. She looked shocked to see who was inside.

Tears started rolling down on Lois' face. Bruce was taken aback. Diana eyes widened to express the same realization.

It was Superman.

In a black suit.

With a beard and longer hair.

Looking more alive than they all last saw him.

He was covered in slime and glowing dots or spores. His eyes were closed. Dead to the world.

Suddenly his body dropped. Lois struggled to catch him but she managed quickly. She ended up sitting on the floor, placing the man's head on her lap.

So this was it.

It all made sense now.

Superman was what the aliens were looking for, and somehow things became a lot worse after hearing that revelation.

Waller was surprised as any of them, but for a different aspect. She tried to explain as quickly as she could.

"When we found out about the healing properties in the slime and in the pores, we thought we could use it for the better. Revive Superman and have him help us fight. He's been in there for a week already… And I think it worked… It really worked! But now, since you believe that the enemy is trying to find him. We should secure this place"

Bruce didn't listen as much as he'd like. There was something nagging him. Some clearer realization. The enemy knew about Metropolis and the Kryptonian ship. They also knew about Superman. They're looking for him.

Then his mind recalled Lois' words from before.

They said he talked to them through the Pentagon's communication signals, demanding loyalty and surrender. Or else he'll call another one who will deliver judgment

Another one who will deliver judgment. The one they wanted to find in the fallen Kryptonian ship near Heroes' Park.

His eyes widened in consternation.

"It wasn't Darkseid" he suddenly said.

Diana looked at him with a silent question.

"The enemy, Steppenwolf, he didn't plan to have Darkseid come and help their invasion. It was Superman. They plan to use him."

Clark Kent.

Superman.

The man who can fly.

The man who inspired thousands.

The symbol of hope.

The enemy is going to turn him into something he was not. They're going to turn hope into despair. And they wanted him to start here on earth. Specifically, in Metropolis.

Diana's face conveyed shock and anger.

Bruce remembered the metals in the ceiling and realized something grave. The metals created with the mother box's technology were already betraying them from the start. It was clear that the enemy was able to tap into the tech that Waller has exposed with the mother box. She was experimenting with them, making them have the same properties as the box itself but much stronger. And with that, they are the very extension of the mother box themselves as well.

So it's not just the air force's bombs that were tapped. It was also these metals. They were telling the enemy of Waller's activities. They were telling the enemy about Superman!

So that's why they chose to invade now. They knew the man of steel was being revived.

Then suddenly, his comm-link cracked a sound.

"Sir, we have problem…" It's Alfred.

"… The winged beings. They penetrated through the Atlantean group and they are headed to your direction."

"Just now?"

"Yes."

He looked up at the ceiling. Unlike before, tiny sparks of electricity came from the metals. They finally overcame the computer system and the enemy finally detected this place.

"We've been compromised. The enemy is coming our way", he announced, then he faced Lois "Put him back to the Sarcophagus"

Lois nodded as she tried to lift Superman up. Diana rushed to help her.

Waller approached Bruce with panic. "What are you doing?"

"We're taking him." He replied sternly.

"You can't! You said it yourself, the enemy is looking for him. He has to stay here. It's the safest place in this city" she insisted.

"Your soldiers won't live. The enemy is too powerful"

"I can't let you!"

Immediately after that, she took out a gun and pointed it at his face. Bruce's anger rose but he stayed composed.

"He has a better chance in here than out there", she said.

He didn't budge, instead he gave his most intimidating look.

"Your instruments have already betrayed you. You can't win this war your way."

Then he saw something he was expecting.

The regret on her face. She seemed to have struggled to hide it. She cursed herself and dropped the gun. It was an obvious realization that she should've trusted him from the start and not let her disdain towards his team and people like them cloud her judgment. She was from the government, after all. A man like him and a person like her won't be expected to trust each other.

Today, they should make an exception.

And just in time, there were sounds of gun fire and alarms.

The enemy had arrived.

"There's an exit through that door. It leads to an opening behind the observatory" Waller said as she pointed to her left.

There was a white door.

Bruce nodded and opened his controls on his gauntlet to remote control their plane to meet where they're going. Diana carried the sarcophagus. Jor El faded into a formless liquid metal before disappearing. Lois stood up and wiped her tears.

"I'll stay here and stall them" Waller said.

Bruce paused and was about to object.

"I'll find a way for myself. Go!"

And he nodded to silently to say thank you before everyone else left through the white door.

...

When they finally reached the exit, their plane had already landed in front of them for their convenience. Unfortunately a group of the winged beings have started pouring in, attacking them ferociously with their claws and weapons. They carried guns that fire small energy blasts and they use it almost excessively.

Diana blocked the blasts with her bracers. And as expected, she was quick enough to block most of them. "Just the perfect time to forget my shield in the plane" she muttered sarcastically.

Bruce produced a couple of super-charged batarangs and threw at the nearest ones. Those that got hit were shocked with electricity.

Both took turns in attacking. The princess with her sword and the bat with his gadgets. While the fight to escape was in progress, Lois hid behind the sarcophagus. Apparently, it's invulnerable to the blasts.

With a final strike of her bracers, Diana was able to temporarily repel all of the instigators away. And it created an opening for them to get to the plane. When the area was cleared, they ran, because they could hear more that were coming. Diana carried the sarcophagus because she's the only one who can. Bruce and Lois followed. They were able to enter the aircraft through the opened at the back before the alien reinforcements arrived. Batman manned the controls and immediately initiated the take off. Diana placed the sarcophagus hastily on the side and strapped in with belts that were attached on the plane's wall. Then she sat beside him like before. Lois strapped herself on an extra seat that was nearer to the sarcophagus.

They took off. The enemy chased them and it seemed that more had come to attack. They shot at the plane.

There was chaos again.

Bruce constantly maneuvered it away, intending veer farther away from the city and shake the pursuers off. Diana manned the rear guns through her dashboard. She saw the targets on her screen. She fired at them with accuracy.

As he struggled to shake the pursuers off of their tails, Bruce asked Lois to make Jor El appear again so he can ask the necessary questions that they weren't able to ask in Waller's lab. Lois put the key on the hole and pressed it. Liquid metal appeared. Jor El was with then again, . He asked for voice activation and she gave it.

"The Bat guy, or whoever he is, needs you" she said.

And quickly, Jor El complied.

"How am I of service?"

Bruce tried to sharply bank the plane to the left before asking.

"Is Superman – Kal El – is he really alive?"

"Yes, but he is in a comatose state. The sarcophagus was able to revive him but he needs more time"

He couldn't see Lois' reaction but she must be overjoyed.

"How long before a full recovery?"

"A week in Earth days,"

"If he wakes up prematurely, what would happen?"

"He will be effective at some level, but his strength and other abilities will only be about seventy percent of his full capacity. He will need a generous exposure to the sun to complete his recovery."

Then he paused as he made the plane do sudden maneuvers to continue to shake off their pursuers.

"Do you know about the enemies we face?" he asked.

Jor El turned his head to see the flying beings on a window. Since he was technically Jor El's computer generated "consciousness", he might be just scanning the being's appearance to match it with a specific information from his artificial mind. Bruce had to remind himself that this was just a computer he was talking to.

After a short look, Jor El turned to Bruce.

"Yes. According to my memory banks, they are from a planet called Apokolips. The flying beings are called parademons. They are blind followers of a being called Darksie-"

Out of urgency, Bruce interrupted him. "How will they control Kal El?"

"By using a mother box. It can give a control of his mind to the bearer"

"Will he be safe in the sarcophagus? Safe from a motherbox"

"Yes. The securities are indestructible. No known weapon can destroy it or force it open."

"Then how will the enemy find a way to open it?"

Unblinking, Jor El said "They will have to use the key, but in this case they will need Lois Lane as well. Ultimately, she is the key."

The key... She is the key... Those familiar words made a certain memory surfaced. The dream after a nightmare… A strong Wind. A bright light. A man that looked familiar now. A message so important.

Bruce! Listen to me now! It's Lois, Lois Lane! She's the key!

Even though he relies much on hard facts rather than just vague signs, his intuition nagged him that it wasn't just a dream.

It was a mysterious omen. Something he has to investigate later if they survive.

Suddenly, while still trying to fight in the chaos, Diana cursing to herself in Greek. Her screen went in a haze which meant that the rear guns taken out. He looked at her and saw the exasperated expression. She face him for a bit.

"Don't wobble the plane too much" she said.

He recognized that tone of her voice. Sometimes he heard it in their training sessions together. It was a sign that someone was about to receive a serious beating.

Like second nature, she popped up a small crossbow and a casing for arrows from a compartment at the side of her seat. (He had made it for her for long distance combat.) Within seconds she made her way to the back entrance of the plane and pushed a lever to have it opened. Then she told Lois to keep herself small because lowering the door exposed much of the plane's interior.

Bruce can see from the small rear view screen that the flying beings were within her sights. Before the beings ever approached for the kill, she grabbed something solid to keep herself stable, pointed at a cluster and fired. Rapidly. The beings screamed at the arrows that pierced them. One by one they fell from the sky. But the beings that pursued them, the parademons, they were increasing in number. Steppenwolf must've known about Superman by now and ordered most of them to chase after those who have him.

Since the Bat has stopped with the questions, Jor El asked Lois for temporary deactivation. Lois looked at the pilot and he nodded. Jor El disappeared again like he did before.

Bruce could finally form a plan. Something that would leave rid this planet of extraterrestrial colonizers.

And so, he veered the plane back towards the center of the city. He kept it straight and fast. A few of the beings that remained continued to chase them.

He activated his comm-link and began to speak."Batman to all points. Status report. Make it quick."

One by one the voices popping up. Most of them panted between sentences..

"Flash here. I'm almost spent. We were able to crash one of the ships into the waters and tried to do the same with another, but we got separated. I'm back in the city, hiding. Borg's still trapped up there in one of them."

"This is Cyborg. They haven't seen me yet but I can't move a muscle" Cyborg informed. "They're just too many of them on board".

"Master Bruce, Arthur's men have retreated to the waters for safety. The enemy has become too aggressive. Batwing One is destroy. It seems they are triggered by the discovery of your activities"

"It's here" Arthur announced." It's still underwater but it won't be for long. I feel its anger… I don't know if I can control it long enough."

While he set the plane to do auto maneuvering despite vulnerability, Bruce activated a screen and saw different colored dots on a map of Metropolis. One dot represented a member of the team. Barry was on ground, in one of the buildings near Bloomsbury Street. Vic's dot is floating somewhere over Downtown. Arthur was on Stryker's Island as planned. Alfred was in the warehouse as expect.

He double tapped on the screen to see a different set of dots that his radar would detect. It showed the numbers of the parademons and the two remaining ships. They were scattered enough in groups but some clusters have covered the area near Barry. Another large cluster has stayed with the two remaining ships – probably guarding them due to the hijack. The rest of the dots are moving about in groups. More seemed to have emerged from the ships than before.

Most of them are headed to a certain direction – towards their plane.

After that he didn't hesitate to relay the necessary orders.

"Cyborg, did you have any visual on the mother box?"

"I think I was able to detect its presence in the ship"

"Good. You'll have to retrieve it. Just power through and get out of there quickly. I'll distract Steppenwolf. Once you safely have it, reprogram it to open up another boom tube to destroy the ship you're in. Make sure you are in the right place and at the right time"

"Alright. I think I know where this plan is heading."

"Flash, meet us where we'll land. We don't have time to land safely somewhere specific so you'll have follow our plane using the tracker I gave you. "

"Sure thing Bats", Barry confirmed

"Alfred, stay put. Assume monitor duty on radar. Wait for my call. Contact the military. Have them fire up every jet they have left. Set Batwing Three follow our coordinates"

"As you wish, Master Bruce"

"Arthur, we're heading your way. Release it on my count."

"What're you going to do?"Arthur hastily asked.

"We're going to attempt to lure the enemy and their ships to your position. Do you think it can handle both ships?"

"One ship maybe. Not sure about the other one."

"Alright. Then the mother box will have to do for the remaining ship"

As intended with the multiple-way communication, Diana was able to hear every word of it.

"What about the ones that remain? There could still be too many" she shouted at the back as she continued at to shoot at them.

"We'll just have to eliminate them ourselves" he replied, "The best thing we could do before that is eliminate the ships that have the rest of the army"

Soon, her arrows have dwindled to none before she can finish off the last of their pursuers. She pushed the lever to close the back door and ran back to the co-pilot seat. When she strapped herself, Bruce released the auto maneuvering system and handled the wheel himself again. They were about to reach the area where most of the parademons have scattered, where the two remaining ships floated. It won't take long before they have more at their tail again.

Now, everything was at risk. Anyone of them could fail. Anyone of them could die.

He knew that he had seen this whole war before. In a nightmare where flying beings attacked and his men died. Where the man from the stars was the enemy and people bowed to him.

He had only woken up when he died from sudden pain.

Bruce tried to erase it from his mind. He can't afford to lose faith no matter how everything was as predicted by an omen. But it seemed so hard, now that nighttime terror was becoming a reality.

As they evade the enemy's blasts, Diana looked at him with that hint of anxiety again, but he could see in her eyes that she had quickly resolved it somehow, like all that worry was replace with pure determination.

He managed to stare back at her a few times as he concentrated on his piloting, wondering what exactly she was thinking in midst of pandemonium, wondering where she was getting her determined spirit.

As they zoom into the in-betweens of the buildings, He can feel the plane vibrate more. Blasts scratch the outside of the plane, some flimsily hit it, but it was getting harder to evade all of them. Like angry crows more parademons joined the air pursuit. Maybe even too much for them handle. Since Diana was out of arrows, she had no choice but to hold on. Lois probably did the same. The sarcophagus shook under the straps due to the erratic movements of their aircraft.

Then he heard a sound. Some booming propulsion.

He checked on his rearview monitor and saw that the two ships have followed them. As he had hoped, they took the bait. Without much doubt, Steppenwolf had been displeased enough that a tiny plane has been escaping a horde of his parademons. It was time for the enemy to intimidate big time with their warships.

They were getting cocky.

Good.

Perfect.

Bruce turned the plane around in circles, trying to catch more attention. Soon, something began appearing on the screen, indicating that someone was tapping into the plane's communication line. The haziness made it difficult to see the details but the large, beast-like voice that came from it was clear enough for them to understand clearly.

"You shall not escape…"

It was Steppenwolf, the alien general, the one who controlled the flying army and the one who sought to control Superman.

"… You will perish and I will have the last son of Krypton. I will rule this world for Darkseid!"

The voice sounded angry and it made Bruce smile on the inside.

"Fighting for a tyrant doesn't make you noble"

"And fighting for insects is? You humans are too weak. My army will overpower you. They will win the war for me while I bask in my throne"

Bruce scoffed. "That's the difference between you and me…"

Suddenly, he turned the plane to one direction

"… You're afraid to die in the battlefield with your men…"

Then he pushed for the thrusters.

"… And I'm not"

He cut off the communication after that. The view changed from beaten skyscrapers to a body of water. They could finally see Stryker's Island.

Bruce activated his comm-link for standby.

The plane flew lower and faster. The alien ships and the parademons followed it, thirsty for the blood of those who opposed them.

He pushed the thrusters even more, making their view on the sides to blur. But the island where Arthur waited was just a few seconds away.

Then they finally zoomed above the right spot. As they passed the island, Bruce shouted into his comm-link.

"Now!"

Suddenly…

Huge, gigantic tentacles shoot up from the waters. Each may have been as big as a skyscraper. Five or maybe six of them hit one of the alien warships with accuracy and power.

It was their big weapon.

The Kraken.

The one that Atlanteans have imprisoned because of its notorious destruction.

And now it was under Arthur Curry's command.

The gargantuan tentacles glistened in the sky and stretched out in rage. They began to wrap around its victim – the alien ship. They held the rear, the middle and the head. The puny parademons fired at them with their weapons but they were fools to waste effort. With its head still underwater, the Kraken roared and exerted enough force to crush the ship.

There were explosions and defeat. There were parademons screaming with fear.

Bruce turned the plane to see it all happen, and then he didn't hesitate to make another call.

"Cyborg. Are you in position?"

Vic sounded too tired. "Hyeah… I barely made it alive"

"Open the portal. Now!"

After a moment, a large flash of light opened up from the waters not far Stryker's Island. The second alien warship was just behind the first one and began to reverse, but the portal – the boom tube – was too near to it. It created a huge whirlpool of light mixing with water in the large river. It sucked the ship into it. Finally, the warship's thrusters failed and began to sink.

Another set of explosions. Another set of destruction on the enemy's aircraft.

All three people in the plane expressed relief as they watched. The ships were destroyed and the parademons that didn't get sucked into the whirlpool or got killed by the Kraken scattered in confusion.

"You… you did it" Lois uttered, almost without breath.

But Bruce can't celebrate yet.

The last of the ship was destroyed but the boom tube closed prematurely. Something went wrong. Cyborg's voice broke silence in Bruce and Diana's comm-link.

"It's Steppenwolf, he's out! He got the mother box before the ship went all the way through the portal. And the flying beings! they – AAAAARGH!"

"Vic!" Diana screamed.

It caught them off guard. Blasts came their way. Bruce tried to maneuver the plane away but it was too late. The parademons rain on them. The plane received multiple hits. Alarms started beeping in the cockpit. Small red lights pulsated, warning them that the plane was critically hit. Bruce felt the surge of gravity. He could see smoke outside. The plane spun around downwardly.

He struggled to regain control.

Diana held on.

Lois started screaming.

After a few spins, he moved the plane into a general direction using what remained of the controls. Then he was quick enough to initiate the emergency protocols of the plane. Metal walls quickly went up inside, covering everything, putting everyone in metal capsules. Airbags popped out as well

And soon, there was loud crash.

Then, darkness.

…

The wind blew her hair before he finally saw her beautiful face.

Under the cold, night sky, they sat near a bonfire. She was keeping his hands warm and he just watched. Her lips started to move.

Next time, if you call my name or another, and if I'm near enough to hear it… I'll be there.

Her eyes never looked away.

Just open your eyes and you'll see that I'm safe.

He couldn't… He can't.

Call my name…Just open your eyes, Bruce.

I'll be there.

You'll see me.

"Batman! Hey! Can you hear me!"

The night sky faded.

"Bats! Bruce! Hey! They're coming!

She faded.

"C'mon! We have to fight off these things before they kill us"

Then he heard blasts from guns, metal clinks, and screaming beasts.

He finally opened his eyes. Slowly, he found sunlight smoke. He looked around. He saw that the plane was gone. He was on the ground, with what used to be a pilot's seat under him. There was part of a metal casing on his left. It's edges are jagged.

On his right he saw a young man wearing a red armor.

It was Barry.

"Are you alright? Can you stand up?" he said.

Bruce groaned as he slowly stood up. He didn't felt pain until he moved his left hand. He gritted his teeth as he felt the sharpness of it. His hand must be broken, or maybe his wrist. Barry helped him up but soon, he found out that there was pain on his side as well. He recognized it. Broken ribs.

"I was able to track you guys while the plane dropped from the sky" Barry informed quickly, "You guys just crashed. You were out for a minute or so I think."

As things got clearer for him, Bruce was relieved to realize that he was, otherwise, able.

Then he saw the sky. It was filled with flying beings. Hundreds of them flew amuck in different directions. He looked at a direction and saw a horde charging towards them. They fired at the bat and the speedster. Instincts poured in quickly and they ran for cover. They found temporary protection behind a ruined, concrete wall that was larger than any of the debris around them. They crouched behind it as they waited for the parademons to reload.

Then Bruce remembered about the sarcophagus, the key… and the princess.

"Where's Diana?" he suddenly asked out of urgency.

"I think she's still somewhere in the port."

He looked around as the blasts rained on them and recognized the ruins. They were at the other side of the river. In Gotham's decommissioned port.. The place where they had battled with Doomsday. The place where Superman died.

Diana and Lois were still out of sight.

Blasts still rained.

"Lois Lane was with us in the plane." Bruce said, still crouching, "Find her. Get her out of the city as fast as you can. The enemy can't have her."

"But what about you?"

"I'll manage" the Bat said as he produced a couple of supercharged batarangs.

Barry nodded. Then he became a streak. After that Batman waited.

Soon, the parademons stopped firing.

As he held his injured hand closer to his body, Batman ran towards the enemy before they could notice he was going for the offensive. The parademons have already landed by the time he threw the first of the batarangs. It landed on a parademon's chest and caused the alien to get electrocuted. He threw a bola on the next one and proceeded to charge on the parademon. He hit its face with a fist and completed the attack with a powerful side kick.

Before he attacked on the next one, his eyes saw some commotions from afar.

Wielding the alien-made axe, Steppenwolf had already landed with a group of parademons. They circled an object.

It's the sarcophagus.

As he expertly threw batarangs with his good hand and landed kicks as hard as he can, he managed to activate the comm-link.

"Status report! Can anyone hear me?"

It didn't take long before Arthur's voice emerged. (He was tempted to feel disappointed that it wasn't Diana)

"They're not giving up… Hundreds are pouring in"

Bruce heard him heaved and throw a punch,

"… The Kraken is gone. Couldn't control it anymore…"

Then he heard him make a frustrated kick

"… Had to send it away before it causes more trouble…"

Then Arthur growled in pain

"…Only Vic and I are the ones here to fight them off…"

After hearing all that as he fought the winged beings, Bruce felt relieved that Vic wasn't killed as he had feared. Then he sent an S.O.S signal to Alfred through is gauntlet and attached Arthur's coordinates. He ignored the pain on his wrist as he did it.

Since he had told Alfred to contact the military, he should relay those coordinates to them if ever they heeded his message.

"Keep at it. Cavalry's coming" he said hastily.

Then, he continued to fight off the enemy. More landed on his position and things started to get familiar again. The nightmare… him being alone to fight all of them… He shook his head to keep himself confident. As he fought, he ran to a different direction to get to higher ground. He threw smoke bombs and the parademons got disoriented and uttered confusion.

He glanced at the small screen on his gauntlet and almost smiled. He ran out of the way and pushed a button.

Batwing Three emerged from behind the ruins and started firing from the air. It targeted at the parademons that got caught by the smoke bombs.

As it quickly finished, Bruce looked back and saw that the winged beings were all exterminated. Then he ran forward, trying to ignore the fatigue and the pain on his sides.

"Batman!" Barry shouted into his comm-link. "I have Lois with me. They're still everywhere. I don't know if I can get her out of the city. My leg is a little roughed up.

He sent another S.O.S signal to Alfred and attached Barry's coordinates.

"Hold them off as long as you can. Cavalry is coming"

A bad feeling came to him – that maybe the military didn't have any arsenals left. He hoped that Alfred was able to contact the military successfully.

Nevertheless he kept going. He has to stall Steppenwolf. He has to keep him from getting the key and acquiring Superman.

As he ran, he could see Steppenwolf from afar. He had been using his axe to bust open the sarcophagus, hitting it with no restrictions in strength. The parademons around him watched in anticipation. Fortunately, as Jor El had promised, the sarcophagus still hasn't cracked. It was, indeed, indestructible.

Bruce hid behind another large concrete ruin. He pushed a button and the Batwing zoomed in a slope towards the group of aliens.

It fired. They roared in surprise.

However, after the attack, Steppenwolf was able to produce an alien gun and shot at the Batwing. Bruce tried to maneuver it on remote using the controls on his gauntlet, but he could get it out of the way in time. A blast hit the Batwing and it crashed on the ground far away from them.

Bruce kept his head low after that. He was psyching himself to do the inevitable – to attack Steppenwolf himself. It was the only way to continue to delay everything that the enemy was planning. Maybe he gets lucky. Maybe he doesn't. But he'd rather try than sit behind rubble like a coward.

And so he took out his portable, specialized shotgun. It started out as small as his hand and then, with a push of a button, it stretched out from his hand and to its appropriate length. He held it with his good hand and propped it on top of the jagged concrete.

He pointed it to Steppenwolf himself.

He fired.

An electric bomb was released and it exploded when it hit the target.

He saw the largest alien roared in pain as the released charges electrocuted them, and then he saw that the same alien recover from it quickly. By this time his cover was blown. Steppenwolf charged towards him. Batman ran to find another cover. As he escaped, he shot at the alien again. This time the beast bounced it off using his axe. Batman continued to shoot and occasionally throw supercharged batarangs. He zig-zagged around the rubble, baiting on the alien, keeping him busy.

But a cluster of parademons ruined his chance by blocking his way. He tried to fight them again but he was too tired.

Too mortal.

Too human.

And soon they grabbed both of his arms to secure him. Sharp pain shot up from his wrist and he screamed. Steppenwolf laughed. The alien crouched down to face the tiny bat. Bruce resisted their hold but there was nothing he could do.

"It's such a foolish thing to do for an insect" the alien said with his eree voice, "Always too arrogant to see defeat"

Bruce glared at him. "You haven't won yet. Nothing can bust open that sarcophagus"

"Ah yes… the Kryptonian… You see, the mother box knows everything" the alien replied.

Steppenwolf opened his large hand and revealed the mother box hovering on his palm.

"It can see and hear its children, what the humans have used from it. It saw you, the laboratory, the sarcophagus, and the woman with the key"

Bruce said nothing.

"My parademons have captured her. Soon, they'll bring her here."

And as if on cue, he heard Lois scream from above. He looked up and saw two parademons holding her in the air as they flew. The reporter fought within their grasp but, like him, she couldn't do anything about it. They landed her several meters away, where the sarcophagus was laid. They didn't waste time. Immediately, they seem to be forcing her to open it.

For a moment, Bruce feared for the reason why Barry is absent.

Steppenwolf laughed again as he watched the sarcophagus. "She will open it. She will release the son of Krypton. And the mother box will have control over him"

Bruce gritted.

Steppenwolf faced the bat again. "And you will die by my weapon."

The twenty-foot alien, raised his large axe into the air. One of the parademons that held Bruce twisted his wrist to cause more pain. He screamed and collapsed on the ground. They didn't hold him anymore but he couldn't get up because of the pain. Out of disgust, a couple parademons kicked his hides while he still lay on the ground before they finally moved away.

Bruce felt light-headed. He tasted blood in his mouth. He saw the sky, he saw Steppenwolf and his weapon. Then, the alien proceeded to drop the axe on him

Bruce closed his eyes and waited for it to be over.

He remembered that dream he had earlier.

Just open your eyes, Bruce.

Suddenly…

A loud metal clink was heard.

He opened his eyes and saw a woman holding her sword, blocking the large axe. Her Amazonian regalia shined under the sun and her stance was unwaveringly brave.

Diana… she rescued him.

"Over my dead body" she announced.

Steppenwolf roared in anger, the parademons were stunned. The alien general raised the axe to pound it down again, but she had blocked it again, this time, with her shield. She suddenly pushed forward with her enormous strength, making Steppenwolf fall on his back. Then, immediately, she spun with her sword and shield protruding to hit the parademons that surrounded them.

It gave them a window.

She grabbed him in his middle and jumped away from the fray. With him still in her arms, they landed hard on the ground. He was on his back and so was the princess. Her head happened to land on his shoulder.

"What… took you so long?" he asked breathlessly.

"I was busy" she replied as she smiled.

"Next time…" he said as he got up exhaustedly, "… call me first before you have your grand entrance"

She got up as well. Her hand was on his back, helping him straighten up.

"Can you still fight?" she asked.

"Always" he said, trying to look able,

She smiled and shook her head slightly. "I guess I'll have to save your butt more often"

After the dust settled, they could see Steppenwolf charging towards the sarcophagus. Then, Bruce ordered the lenses of his cowl to zoom. He saw Lois still kneeling beside the sarcophagus, still being ordered to obey the alies. The brave woman hasn't opened it… but she can't resist for long.

"Steppenwolf has the mother box. We have to stop him"

Diana nodded and grabbed him by the middle again. Then she jumped into the air. The was silence, the wind favored their propulsion.

They landed just in time to go between Steppenwolf and the sarcophagus. It was just a few meters away from the alien. And like second nature, Bruce threw smoke bombs and fought the parademons that surround Lois. Diana screamed her battle cry and charged on Steppenwolf with her sword and shield.

With some regained strength (or probably just a boost of natural adrenaline) Bruce kicked and punched. He threw his weapons and he attacked with speed. Diana swigged her sword and she pushed her shield. She made the enemy bleed and she made him fall with her lasso.

As the parademons in his proximity dwindled, Bruce shouted at Lois to run. The woman hesitated before she obeyed.

Diana managed to create more distance between the sarcophagus and the alien general, equaling his strength and tenacity. As the immortal warrior dueled with Steppenwolf, Bruce finally defeated the last of the winged beings that crowded him. Like before he had only used his one good arm and abled legs. He kept his left arm folded to his chest. Again he ignored the pain from its injury.

After that he quickly panned his view to Diana. As expected, she was holding up on her own. However, Steppenwolf is not as mindless as the Doomsday creature had been. He's a warrior. He was probably well trained for an opponent like Diana.

And so, Bruce charged towards the duel. He took out his shotgun again and fired at Steppenwolf. The alien roared angrily but before he can throw his axe at the bat, Diana's lasso wrapped around his arm. The princess pulled but the large alien pulled harder. She was thrown in the air and landed near Bruce. As he continued to shoot, she grabbed her arm to help her up.

Meanwhile, Steppenwolf twisted the handle of his axe. It was a switch for something sinister. The blades of the axe glowed. He dropped the axe once again. Diana caught it with her sword, but the blade grew brighter.

It caused an explosion…

Throwing the princess and the bat into the air and landing them roughly on the ground.

Steppenwolf didn't give them room to rest. He brought down the axe. Diana grabbed Bruce and rolled away. Then the axe made contact on the ground. The alien chased them and brought down the axe again. The princess wasn't able to grab her sword or shield from the ground quickly enough, so she had no choice but to use just one of her bracers to block it. The axe came down so hard and so fast that the collision between metals was thundering. Despite that Diana held her pose and her arm was able to block the shear force.

Unfortunately, The axe glowed again.

"Diana!" Bruce shouted to warn her.

But it was too late. There was another explosion. Like second nature, the princess was able scoop the shield with her arm (through the straps) and place it shield behind her to protect him, before she screamed out of pain. They were in the air once more. Then, they landed too roughly this time. When the dust settled, Bruce groaned as he tried to stand up. The pain was back. Despite that, he searched for Diana with his was a few meters away.

Unconscious. Her shield still strapped to her arm.

She was nearest to the blast and she was able to protect him from it.

Despite his legs being so spent, he ran to her and immediately and started to check for vital signs. She still had a pulse and she didn't bled. However, she remained motionless like a pristine sculpture.

"Princess… wake up"

Softly, his hand cupped her cheek.

"Wake up… Come back to me"

He felt heavy saying it.

Then he heard huge stomps. He turned around and saw Steppenwolf. Still holding that infernal axe and wearing a smug look on his face. He was approaching them, feeling confident already.

Diana stirred, but she wasn't recovering fast than usual. The blast was certainly as harmful as he feared. Since she wasn't waking up just in time, he put her arm around his neck and proceeded to carry her. But he was so exhausted that he could only move slowly. He felt pain all over his body. The adrenaline had run its course. Eventually, he dropped down at his knees. With one arm, he gently placed Diana on the ground and took the shield from her arm.

As a last resort to protect her, he strapped it on his injured arm. He gritted his teeth as he put it on. He stayed there, covering Diana, attempting to put himself in harm's way long enough for her to recover.

Steppenwolf smiled. "Your weakness has killed you"

Bruce closed his eyes as the axe went down again.

He wasn't as strong as Diana. His wrist or his arm would probably be more broken after the blow.

He would probably die on the second drop.

Too mortal

Too human.

He hoped that the rest of his team was still alive. He hoped that maybe he'll be alive long enough for her to wake up. He hoped that all his efforts won't be a waste. He hoped that the world hadn't abandoned them.

He closed his eyes once more. Waiting for his life to end. Giving every inch of his human strength to protect her. He didn't want his mind to conjure all the moments he had with her, but it did eventually... seeing her smile... feeling her touch on his skin. That was enough to make him feel more resolved to end it here. And it made him realized that it was what her expression meant when he glanced at her on the plane earlier... when she had seemed so resolved.

She was prepared to die for him as well. But that won't happen today. Not until he has given everything.

He hoped that Diana would forgive him for choosing her instead of himself.

That's all he could do now.

Hope.

Then…

a moment passed.

The axe never came down.

Why?

He opened his eyes and brought the shield down.

He saw a man in a black suit.

Floating above him. Blocking the glowing axe in one hand. His body was straight and resolute. His arms showed all the potential strength that he carried.

There was fear in Steppenwolf's eyes. The alien hadn't paid attention to the sarcophagus. He hadn't paid attention to the woman who was the key.

In an attempt to turn things around, Steppenwolf activated the mother box that he was holding the whole time. There was still chance for the enemy to take control of the son of Krypton, but the flying man had used his heat vision and blasted at the box before it finally exploded in the alien's palm.

Steppenwolf cried out in pain as the destruction mother box created a powerful blast.

Without hesitation. The black-suited man balled a fist and threw a punch that was so strong that the twenty-footer flew into the air.

Bruce could see that Steppenwolf landed on the water, very, very far away from where he stood.

The super-powered man turned around and saw Bruce. The bat looked up at him. He never thought he'd see him alive again.

Clark Kent… Superman… was back, just in time

Bruce was in awe but he didn't show it. Clark, still newly revived, still floating in the air, nodded at him and smiled a little.

Bruce stoically nodded back to say thank you.

"I'll be back" the flying man uttered.

Bruce quickly replied before Superman flew away to fight some more "Be careful. Your full strength hasn't recovered yet. The aliens could still kill you"

Then Superman turned serious. He finally landed on the ground and faced Batman

"I know, Lois told me everything. So I trust that you take care of the rest. I can't fight all of them alone"

Still hiding his amazement, Bruce just nodded again. And so, Superman turned around and propelled himself in the air with an unexplained force. The man charged towards the sky, that was still littered with parademons, and richocheted himself from the air and into the waters.

Steppenwolf was going to face his doom.

Things became silent.

After that, he finally heard Diana standing up, so he turned around to help her. As she gripped his hand, he could tell that her own strength was coming back. She was ready to fight again, despite that close call.

She looked at him curiously and uttered casually. "Interesting turn of events"

Bruce stared back and smirked. "Don't get relaxed yet. We still need to rid this planet with those flying parasites"

Diana chuckled. "You don't need to worry. I know a defeated army when I see one"

And she was right.

Soon, the rest of the team radioed Bruce of their status.

Barry was fine. Somehow, he was able to run fast enough to evade the enemy despite an injured leg. Vic and Arthur were able to defeat the groups that attacked them even though they were trapped in Stryker's Island. And it turned out that Alfred was able to hack his way into the U.S. military systems and send a call for help.

Fighter jets, the ones that survived the first battle came and started gunning down the parademons in the sky. Not risking anymore casualties and somehow, having renewed energy, Bruce, Diana and the others joined them, still not wanting to rest until the last of the enemy is neutralized. Side by side, the princess and the bat fought with more tenacity and skill.

And side by side, they witnessed the resurrected Kryptonian defeat Steppenwolf.

The silence after that lasted.

Finally, the war was won.

…

After an hour, the city was declared safe.

After a day, they began rebuilding.

After another day, the world celebrated - cheering the heroes, calling them a league of justice...

The team celebrated privately in their own way.

The speedster took the cyborg and the king of Atlantis out for drinks.

The son of Krypton had a private dinner with a reporter and his Earthly mother.

The bat and the princess quietly rested in the lake house.

...

At last, the nightmare was over.

Present day…

"What are you smiling about?"

Bruce looked up and saw her sitting in front of him behind the table. The people in the café still held newspapers and they still didn't pay attention to him and to his recently-arrived companion. And the quiet little corner was still safe from eavesdroppers.

"I wasn't smiling"

Diana raised an eye brow.

"OK… maybe a little"

She chuckled. He drank his coffee. She placed her hand bag on the floor under the table and rested her elbows on the table's surface

"How was the interview?" he asked.

"It was fine. Lois asked a LOT of questions but she was still going easy on me…"

She paused, then she spoke again.

"Pretty soon the world is going to know more about us"

"Hopefully not a lot" he countered.

She smiled. "Don't worry about your secret. It's always safe with the team. With me."

They went silent for a while. They stared at each other. She smiled wider.

"After Wonder Woman, I think Lois is going to schedule an interview with the Bat"

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. He shook his head as if every word was ridiculous.

"I don't think so" he said.

"You want the Bat to stay as a myth?"

"Yes. Keeps me at peace when I work. And it's for the team's sake."

Diana said nothing but she stared amusingly. Nevertheless, Bruce continued with the business.

"The world still needs us, no matter how local the bad guys are" he said, "Barry and Vic would handle crime in Central City, I've already sent them the necessary information and tools. Arthur would have to cross continents. I've sent him the assignment. Clark still needs to 'sunbathe' but he's already helping with the clean up in Metropolis."

"So… What about me?" she asked.

Bruce laid down plane tickets on the table.

"Bahamas. Undercover mission. We'll leave tomorrow"

She grinned again. "We? I have feeling that this is a 'social' mission. I hope you have the right reasons to have me with you."

"I always have to right reasons, princess"

She hummed a short note. It was his turn to smile

Then, a rumble in the sky was heard. Droplets of water started to hit the window. Both stared at the gray skies, but this time it didn't bother him.

He stood up and offered a hand to his princess. She took it to stand up as well.

Hand in hand, they exited the café. She pulled out an umbrella and held it up for both of them. He moved closer to her as they walked on, taking his hand off hers and wrapping a whole arm around her waist. She reacted by kissing him on the cheek. He reciprocated by stopping their stride in the middle of the rain and kissing her on the lips.

Then, they walked on again.

Facing the storm.

Bracing themselves together.

The End

Author's note: As per R.B. Uzumaki's question, I added a little dialogue about the 'S' key, to make it clearer