Hello, again!

Now we'll be focusing on Apocalypse for the most part, partly so that I don't do anything like I did with Kara going to Themyscira (*grumbles* still have no idea how that disappeared). Also, lemons will be off the menu for the duration, thanks to this among other things: The two connected to Diana I mentioned showing up on Apokolips, were put there by Gwendolyn.

Also, sorry about the delay. I claim writer's block combined with personal things.

Don't own Harry Potter or anything from DC Comics/Studios. Or anywhere else for that matter.

Darkseid of rancid stupidity

Themyscira.

Paradise Island.

Home of the Amazons...who are normally Man's dream come true and worst nightmare in female form combined. Key being 'normally.'

Ever since Morgana had returned and helped them with Steppenwolf, a select number of men generally stuck around, but not even close to how the natives expected.

For the most part led by Bill and Charlie Weasley, they were quite genuine in their questions about the island, the culture, and the local wild/plantlife.

Though what truly got acceptance from Hippolyta was when the brothers found knowledge in the Amazon library pertaining to their respective fields, instantly becoming like kids at Christmas that tossed one of their group into the ocean for 'dissing such a great find.'

Didn't hurt when they discovered the brothers' respective fiances were Fleur Delacour, a Veela, and Norberta, a former dragon turned dragon-girl by Morgana when she first heard about it, and generally with them at the same time. (Quickened maturity to match Charlie)

The pair of women had explained that the two men could care less about who's around, just so long as they didn't mess with the two women, wards (Bill), or dragons (Charlie).

Granted, there were a few that thought otherwise, but most of the Amazons were actually warming up to Morgana's selections.

But let's get back to the main point of being here now: Kara, who had just got her ass kicked yet again, forcing her to the ground.

Superman, Batman, and Lily were looking on, with various reactions. Lily looked on with a critical look, while Batman was his normal blank. As for Superman... "I thought this was to train Kara in control and precision, not make her more likely to level the entire island."

"The method is more Amazonian, but not everyone really takes to certain lessons the same way." Lily replied. "Though I will admit, Artemis could lighten up a little bit. It isn't like less time recovering is gonna hurt."

Batman cracked a smile when Diana, who was nearby, leveled a narrow stare at Lily, who merely raised an eyebrow in response, as if saying "What? You know I'm right."

Just then, Superman disappeared and reappeared between the two combatants, holding them at bay. "Okay, that's enough of that. Kara, go and cool off. I'll handle this."

Lily gave a Kara a parting comment before she let the girl go off with a newly arrived Lyla. "While she was needlessly provoking, you do tend to get riled up a bit easier than most. You are not the first to go through something like this, and you most certainly will not be the last."

Artemis, in the meantime, wasn't too happy about Superman's interference, and neither was Diana. "She chose our help."

"Training her and provoking her are two separate things, Artemis." Lily replied. "You forget, even though her current situation isn't ideal, she did not grow up here. She's still trying to fit in out there, and combined with common teenage problems enhanced by alien powers, she doesn't need a bully of a 'trainer' to go along with it. Honestly, from what I remember, Mad-Eye Moody could teach her better, and he's even more paranoid than Batman."

Though he didn't show it, even Batman couldn't help but be curious about her statement, though it was Superman who actually asked, "How could he be that p-"

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Lily suddenly shouted, making even Batman jump from the sudden volume. "You have no idea how many times in simple training James had to deal with Moody jump scaring him with either that or a mock-ambush during the first war against Voldemort. And that was while he has a fake eye and leg to boot."

"Damn. Even I'm not that far gone." Batman said, both impressed, awed, and somewhat unnerved.

Lily then turned the subject back to the main topic. "Any news from the visions?"

"Considering something your team helped uncover in the archives," Diana responded. "it happens today."

Both Superman's and Lily's eyes widened at that.

XXXXX

"And just why are not trying to search for Lyla and Kara currently?" Superman asked, getting annoyed and impatient.

"We don't know enough to just go straight to them, Clark." Diana responded. "And the island is too big to spread the Amazons out without needlessly sacrificing lives. But once we get word, we can easily deploy as needed."

"You mean like here and now?" Lily pointed down the path they were currently on, where a loud boom sounded followed by a rather familiar flash of blue light...that surprisingly took the shape of a portal this time. "Seems like they upgraded since the last time."

"That's not the only thing that's changed." Batman remarked just as Doomsday jumped out of the portal, getting Lily to groan out "Again? I know Doomsday is powerful and all, but seriously, this is the second time someone-"

"I don't think this is it." Batman cut her off. "The portal. It isn't closing."

The answer for that came just a couple of moments later, when more Doomsdays came out en mass, totaling about 100 including the original one that showed up.

"Apokolips must've replicated the monster as a distraction." Lily realized, then quickly shouted to Superman, "Let Batman go for Kara, Kal. You're needed here if we are to truly stand a chance."

"Which we will." Diana declared, determined as Batman ran off through a crowd of incoming Amazons, led by Hippolyta and Artemis.

Superman wasn't too happy about that, but let it go, knowing it was the truth. Batman and Kara can take care of themselves. Still...

He nonetheless prepared for battle.

A few moments of stare down later, Lily finally had enough. Concentrating on her fists, she jumped forward and slammed them down in front of the horde as she cried "BOMBARDA!"

The resulting explosion made the front liners stumbled back, only to be thrown away when Superman took the opportunity to add to it by slamming his foot down right afterwards.

The fight was on...and it was loud.

XXXXX

Both Weasleys easily heard what was going on, diverting their attention from the books they were reading. Bill called out "Oi, what's going on out there?"

One of the others of their team responded. "Accordin' ter the Amazons, they're fightin' a whole slew of Doomsdays."

"WHAT?!" The brothers jumped to their feet in shock.

"Yep, but Mistr'ss, the Amazons, and Superman are handlin' them eas'ly. No worries."

Charlie instantly moved and struck the guy's head. "That's not the point! The fact someone managed to make an army of them is like a Dark Lord managing to cross breed a Basilisk with a Hungarian Horntail and made an army of them without anyone or anything noticing!"

"Don't forget using magic to make it so that only something on a similar level could even hope to defeat it." Bill added. "As Mistress had shown, a single Doomsday is easily that powerful without magic. So..."

The team paled white at the implications.

"Yeah." Bill put away his and Charlie's books, drew out his wand, and told them. "Look, I'm not about to think that they can't hold the line, but we can't automatically assume that they're the only ones that'll be fighting. The archives can wait."

Charlie, followed by the others, were right behind him.

Only to stop at the building entrance to find a barrier in their way, getting Bill to groan. "Great. A ward set that'll take forever to get through with just us."

"That bad, brother?" Charlie asked, only for Bill to nod. "Well, at least Fleur and Norberta are back at the Menagerie instead of here with us. Less things to worry about."

"But what about if they try and check in on us like they occasionally do?" Bill couldn't help but ask, only for Charlie to smack him across the head with a deadpanned expression. "Oi!"

"I'm trying to be optimistic here."

XXXXX

Lily grunted as she broke another Doomsday. "For a distraction, they sure are taking a lot of our time. Diana, fall back! Kal, fry 'em and end this!"

"Took the words right out of my mouth." He replied as Lily, Diana, and the remaining Amazons retreated a ways while he flew up and let loose with his heat vision, widening the beam enough to encompass all the remaining Doomsdays.

Not even ash survived.

However, it wasn't quite over. "Get over here. Now."

Batman's voice was clear to Superman, Diana, and Lily, who quickly made their way to Batman, only to stop upon seeing him holding up Lyla as they stared down at a familiar body. "Bakura!"

"A second tube opened here." Batman explained, handing Lyla off to Diana. "There were four, maybe five."

"Five." Lyla corrected, nodding out to sea. "Bakura managed to launch it into the ocean, but not before..."

Morgana's not gonna like this. Lily then asked "And what of Kara?"

"She's most likely on Apokolips now." Lyla told her. "The ruler himself took her."

"What is his name? Morgana's gonna want to know."

"He said two, actually." Lyla recalled, albeit a bit slowly to make sure she remembered. "He called himself Darkseid, and said something about a woman named bar-"

"Barda." Lily suddenly said, just as Bill and Charlie finally showed up.

"Sorry we're late-" Bill started.

"We have more important things to think about, you two." Lily gently picked up Bakura's body and showed it to them, getting the pair to gasp. "We need to prepare Bakura's funeral, and let Morgana know of what happened. Thankfully, we do have an unexpected lead."

"We do?" Charlie asked, curious.

"Barda, the woman who showed up out of seemingly nowhere." Lily explained. "She's from..."

XXXXX

"APOKOLIPS!" Morgana shouted in rage as she trashed the training room she was currently in, getting everyone looking in on her to wince. Especially Professor McGonagall.

"Does she normally react like this?" Said woman asked Lily.

"Let's put it this way." Lily replied just as the place shook again. "The closest to her were us and Bakura, and that's without taking into account that we have no idea just what could be happening to Kara right now."

Another shake. "Understandable."

One last shake a few moments later, then Morgana walked our with her face shadowed by her hair.

"At least by the time we get there, Barda should be ready for transport." Lily told her, immediately guessing just what Morgana was about to say.

"Good." Morgana lifted her face into view, revealing glowing eyes and lightly waving hair. "Because we're going to Apokolips."

The last part in particular is where the chapter title comes from, not because Darkseid an idiot, but because he pissed off the wrong person (you don't necessarily have to destroy energy in order to destroy an energy-based life form like True Darkseid). Hence, 'dark side of rancid stupidity.'

As for the bit with Bill and Charlie, that was more for fun and variety, plus it wasn't entirely like they wouldn't have been on the island with what I had set up anyways.

Until next time. Please let me know what you think.