(General P.O.V)

An entire cluster of universes, all delicately interconnected through a singular being.

Dr.Manhattan had failed to save his universe. Maybe by understanding this Enigma more...he could learn where things went wrong so drastically.

And so he descended on the Earth where the deciding battle was about to reach its unexpected climax.

But kept himself hidden.

(Elsewhere)

(Davian's P.O.V)

One swift attack.

That's what I owe him.

No talking. I can't keep wasting my time on this.

Darkseid was going down.

Now.

With the ship destroyed, the only way out of the planet was through the Mother boxes.

But I was going to get him before he could think of using it to leave.

Reikaku allowed me to tag everyone present. One wide scan and I knew everyone's relative position.

Darkseid stood with his hands clasped behind his back in the middle of the entire battlefield.

And behind him...

Were his generals. A white haired New God, Grayven, a silver armored Steppenwolfe, a savage looking Kalibak and Granny Goodness with an evil glint in her eyes; behind her were the furies.

They each had a league member captive before them.

A larger scan showed Chase, Powergirl and Constantine trying to save people from a collapsed building.

Strange that Kara wouldn't be all over Darkseid's ugly mug. But that was good. This way, there was less chance of friendly fire.

"Now to end this."

Chesha Neko formed into it's bow form, the purple light it gave off a beacon in the gray sky.

Darkseid and his generals finally spotted me.

And with an order, the rest of the Para-demon army left alive rose up like a storm, headed towards me.

And was it just me or were they faster than usual? Oh well...it didn't matter.

All around my body, more threads extended out, creating bows and arrows that hang in the air, all within my control.

I pulled back the string, an arrow made up of twisting energy forming in between my fingers. The move was repeated on all my other constructs.

I met Darkseid's eyes.

He looked up at me with shock in his face.

"It's too late to beg for mercy." I told him, seeing his death so clearly.

"Fusion attack: Respira shower."

I let it fly.

One single arrow started it all, leading an onslaught that was going to ensure this entire thing ended.

The arrows tore through the rest of the Para-demons easily. However, Darkseid and his generals was a different matter altogether.

They tried to avoid the Respira Shower by hiding behind objects and the rubble lying around, but the arrows curved corners just to get at them.

Some tried to block the arrows but they tore through any shields or barriers easily.

They even withstood Darkseid's Omega Beams, plunging through the God of Evil's torso before coming out of the other side.

Dead Para-demons fell from the skies, their bodies never hit the ground as Respira disintegrated them to nothing before that.

Following the end of the abominable creatures, Darkseid's generals followed. Few could survive an arrow through vital organs.

But while the New Gods could claim such a feat, only the Black Racer had resisted the full effects of Respira.

Darkseid finally fell, landing onto the ground in one knee, holding his chest in pain.

I floated down to his position, watching as souls left the dissipating bodies of my enemies.

One thing that made it strange was the color of their souls...

Most of them were pure white. How? This makes no sense. Yet I could detect nothing wrong through Reikaku.

Infact, Chase and Constantine were quickly coming to my aid from the city, my Zanpakuto no doubt having sensed my presence; not that I needed any aid whatsoever.

I mean, I fought the entire Emotional Spectrum and won. Then I went onto defeat Darkseid and his underlings in a single move.

"It's over."

I told the God of Evil.

"Your tyranny."

"Wh-why do this...?"

He stammered, the edges of his wounds dissolving into black smoke.

I frowned.

"You're really asking me that? You invaded the planet. I would have let it slide, I'm not even from this Earth after all. But unfortunately for you, there is someone I care about in this planet."

"Someone I seek to protect no matter what. It's just bad luck on your part."

I completed my statement, feet touching the ground right before his kneeling form.

A cold breeze that carried the scent of the sea blew in from around us.

"Wh-what..."

He stuttered.

"What- are you talking..."

Before he could complete the statement, the Respira finally caught up to him.

His upper torso went up in a plume of black energy that disappeared into the air.

Silence reigned.

All around me, I was surrounded by souls hovering in the air.

"It's finally over."

I breathed out a sigh of relief, unravelling the string armor around me before strapping the weapon at my back, attaching it to the fabric of my haori.

I turned around to walk away just as News-choppers and the military finally arrived.

Without the threat of the Para-demons...they could move in and reclaim the zone they had conceded to the invading force.

Meanwhile I was running a full scan on where Raven and the others were. The fact that Chase was around ensured that he had more than likely saved them.

Huh...how long has it been since I left my Universe? It was supposed to be a two month training trip and...

fuck, it's already been 2 weeks.

Time moves differently in the Phantom Zone otherwise it would have even been longer than that.

I looked at my wrist, at the butterfly tattoo Shiva had placed there using Rama Kushna's abilities. I wonder how she's doing as the goddess of Karma's champion.

Not only her but Jade, Deadman and the Park Row Ties. Danny should have already carried out the first part of the plan needed to get back at Batman.

Oh I hadn't forgotten that...

Revenge is a dish best served cold...and unexpected.

He wouldn't know what was-

A bullet pinged off my eye, flattening against my pupil before falling to the ground. Huh?

I plucked it off the air and held it up in the light.

"A sniper bullet?"

I questioned.

Another bullet landed on the ground between my feet, digging into the tarmac.

I looked up with a blank expression.

The soldiers...they were all staring at me strangely. Mot that I was unused to seeing terror on the faces of my enemies but I thought they knew I was on their side.

"What is the meaning of this?"

I asked, holding up the flattened piece of metal.

"Stand down you monster! or we will put you down!"

The words were transmitted through a megaphone, gripped by an officer standing at the back of a jeep.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Monster? Were they talking to me? I took another step forward and that seemed to be the cue.

They opened fire.

Through my Reikaku, I felt hundreds, then thousands of bullets, leave barrels from machine guns and automatic rifles, the trajectory aimed at my position.

What the fuck were they thinking?!!

I clenched my jaw, Reiatsu pouring out of me. The bullets moving at supersonic speeds were slowed down by the heavy spirit pressure before finally stopping before me.

The soldiers stopped shooting upon witnessing the unexpected scene. Most of them backed away in fear.

"I don't know what's the meaning of this. but I don't care, you tried to kill me...I won't forgive that."

My words while intimidating wasn't what sent them into a fresh wave of terror.

The savage smile on my face did.

I pulled on the soul of air using Fullbring; with my sheath so close to me, it was easy.

Then I promptly returned the bullets to the owners.

"Take these back...I don't want them!"

My fist extended to my front, before I stretched the fingers out.

The air answered me, repelling all the bullets into the barrels they'd left.

The wind screamed as it was torn apart.

The guns in their hands promptly blew up, throwing the soldiers away with broken and shattered limbs.

Explosions rang out across the ranks of the military, the vehicles going up in flames. They were lucky I didn't indirectly kill anyone.

I waved a hand and used Energy Transfer, absorbing the flames through my hand.

"Davian!"

A voice called out from behind the destroyed ranks of soldiers.

My Zanpakuto spirit. A smile stretched across my lips as I spotted his blue coat glowing with an ethereal moonlight.

He was in his giant form, lumbering towards the disarrayed military in a path headed straight for me.

He jumped over the soldiers and even I, landing at my back with a deafening roar leaving his ferocious mouth.

Shadows bloomed at my back. A beam of grey energy bursting out through Chase's back.

Agony rippled through my Saketsu. It felt like my soul had been stabbed by a red hot rod.

I gasped in surprise and shock, taking a few unsteady steps forward while watching Chase body tremble before teetering.

Time stopped. Chase...he'd saved me.

But...

He's hurt. I could feel it through our link. He was hurt pretty bad.

I slipped into a clean Shunpo, appearing infront of him just as another grey beam was about to pierce through his body.

I didn't have time to counterattack.

My hand reached out, focusing Spirit energy on the center of the palm then releasing it. A purple barrier appeared around us.

Whoosh!

Bang!

Krakoom!

What!? The barrier broke apart, dissolving as if acid had been poured all over it. That was Reiryoku. One of the most potent energies in all reality.

I shoved more power into the barrier using both of my hands, only for the gray beam to pierce through the construct without delay.

Inches away from face,

A green energy filled my vision, belonging to a resilient emerald barrier elected to my front.

And the barrier itself was a result of my other power. A power I hadn't realized I'd missed.

My Fullbring floated in the air before me, blocking the gray beam easily.

"Good you got here right on time."

I said, addressing the magician behind me.

Constantine had held my sheath in his possession since we left the Phantom Zone.

I felt him run over to check on Chase, who had changed from his giant form to his normal form to conserve strength.

My teeth ground upon each other. It was taking everything in my power not to...

Focus. There's another attack.

Using the full extent of my Fullbring to connect to space, I teleported the attack away. The gray beam disappeared and I stumbled a step back, one hand on my Saketsu.

How is he?"

I asked, my breath coming out harshly.

"He's...not looking good mate."

Constantine answered.

"And neither do you... your hair, it's turning gray."

I could see the loose strands hanging over the side of my head. He was right.

"Mmmh. The sheath can heal us so- so we'll be fine. But- I cannot let this insult go unpunished."

I looked up with furious eyes.

"Whoever you are...show yourself."

I announced, using Reikaku to try and pin point the one responsible's location.

The dust finally settled...

My eyes widened.

"No- this is... impossible."

I was shell-shocked.

In the place of Darkseid's dead generals were...

The Justice League.

Batman's cape waved in the air, attached to a half dissolved body wearing his costume.

Wonder Woman was tied up by her lasso on a street-light.

The dark aura of Respira having torn a hole through her chest and was now fighting against the divine energy in the lasso, which was half disintegrated already.

Shazam lay in the middle of a crater, just blackened bones inside the red and white suit.

His body seemed to have valiantly fought against the effects of my attacks, but ultimately...all fall to time.

The Flash was nowhere to be seen, though I felt a soul with lingering effects of the Speed force hovering about.

The rest of the League had met the same fate.

All killed by my attack. An arrow to the heart.

"No- this is all wrong."

I tightened hand on the handle of my sword.

"It wasn't them I killed. It can't be them..."

Reikaku hadn't lied to me when I had tagged each of them. Their presence, their auras...they were all New Gods! I didn't make a mistake.

The worst part were the Para-demons I thought I had killed. While there was some truth to that... another group had been caught in the fight.

6 souls...

All young...

The Titans.

No.

I sank to my knees in despair, surrounded by ruins and the remains of this Earth's heroes. Shrouds appeared from the afterlife, aiming to take them to the next phase of existence.

The loose fabric on their ghostly frames waved in the air, a silent soliloquy for the dead.

"Begone."

I muttered.

The Reapers paused, shivering in place at my order, before they disappeared back into the spirit world.

"It's what I wanted to tell you..."

Chase' voice reached me. He sounded weak.

"All this...none of what you saw was true. It was all an- an illusion."

I blinked, eyes cast down towards the ground. My fingers dug into the concrete, tearing through the cement as I battled with my rage. An Illusion?

What kind of illusion was powerful enough to deceive Reikaku?

"I only have two questions. The first... where is Rachel? I don't sense her soul among the-"

I swallowed the bitterness.

"Among the dead."

This time I didn't receive an answer from Chase.

"Let me answer that..."

My shadow extended out from beneath my feet. It flowed through the torn concrete ground like thick oil, stopping a few paces to my front.

The shadow's oily form expanded, growing bigger before reforming into a monster.

"Darkseid."

The name left my lips with as much hatred as I could inject.

Bursting with huge muscles on his grey physique, the god of Apokalips seemed to be completely new being.

Smaller than before, his muscle mass seemed to have been compressed to become denser. His eyes were no longer glowing scarlet. They were black...

Devoid of any light. Infact they seemed like the very anti-thesis of it.

And on his chest, was the symbol of a hollow circle.

At my words, he threw back his head and laughed.

"Darkseid? How wrong you are. I am not the god of Apokalips you once knew, little Godling. I am... something else entirely. And...here, I'll prove it to you."

He chuckled sinisterly, holding something up.

The hatred burning within me reached a boiling point when he revealed what he had clutched in his grip.

A torn purple cape, scratches all over her ruffled costume and a red welt on the side of her cheek.

Darkseid 2.0 had her by the hair.

Rachel.

"You would have saved her already if I were the God of Apokalips. You more than have the speed for it clearly."

The oily looking bastard saying, his lower body changing into goop as he swayed around eccentrically.

"But! You can feel it, don't you little Chosen one?! One wrong step and she is dead! Hahahaha!!"

"Let her go you sick bastard! Let her go or I'll kill you."

Constantine said, flicking the cigarette butt in his fingers away as he walked forward.

I stretched out the hand holding Chesha Neko.

Constantine looked down at his chest. Chesha Neko's blade blocked his way.

"Stay out of this...Trigon."

I bit out, flexing my Reiatsu to suppress the consciousness of the Inter-dimensional Demon.

Constantine groaned as he bowed down.

"But m- my daughter..."

I ignored the two of them, instead turning around and walking towards Chase. I could feel both of their eyes following me.

"Stop."

Darkseid 2.0's voice rumbled out like thunder. My pace didn't slow, nor did my gait falter.

"Stop or I break her ne-"

He begun to threaten but I cut him.

"Shut up. So impatient. Can't you wait? I'll be there to kill you in a few seconds."

I replied in annoyance.

The gravel under my feet was disturbed as I bent down to pick up Chase's hurt form. The light of the Sheath washing down his entire body.

The wound on his chest, It wasn't healing. Something was actively stopping it from closing up.

"Hey...Davi..."

He called out.

"Save your strength. I'll send you to the inner world to recuperate. Once I'm done Killing, resurrecting and then killing this fucker over and over again, I'll fix my mistake and then be there."

I promised.

His breathing evened out. His torquoise eyes staring up at me knowingly.

"Don't...beat yourself up. Everyone slips up."

I said nothing, my loose hair casting a shadow across my face.

"One last thing."

He spoke up.

"This new enemy...he is right. He's not infact Darkseid. The latter tried to do something drastic and monumentally stupid after you defeated the Racer. We all felt it. Like a shockwave across time and space. And then...it happened."

Foreign memories poured in from Chase.

It started with Powergirl attacking and seemingly Killing Darkseid.

But then the remains of his body had turned into a dark sludge that sank through the cracks on the ground.

Thats when a grey gas, with the same energy signature contained within the beam that had hurt my Zanpakuto spirit, started rising off the ground.

The soldiers trying to break through the ranks of the Para-demons were pulled back from that section of the city.

The Titans, after escaping Desaad had decided to aid Power-girl in rescuing the League, most of whom had already been taken out; the news shocking everyone across the entire world.

The gray gas started affecting them, causing them to cough and begin suffocating seconds before I had arrived.

"It was a trap. The gray energy...it seems to pull people into unbreakable illusions and that's without including the suffocation gas."

Chase continued,

"Constantine and I thought we were saving people from the collapsed buildings- but we were actually fighting against the soldiers, halting their advance. Be careful, don't trust your senses. They will lie to you."

And with that final word, Chase turned into his spirit form and left for my inner world.

I stood up, staring at the gloomy sky.

"I understand now. The entire fight with the Black Racer...you were stalling weren't you?"

"As we were fighting, you were extending your influence through out the rest of the Lantern Corps, not just the Green."

I mused,

"And one by one you used your fake Anti-life equation to infect them. Twist them into a version you wanted. A Lantern corp that is powerful enough to mess with the perception of anyone. Achieving true control over anything with life and emotions."

Silence reigned among the three of us. Then...

"Hahahahahaha!!! Exactly! You're right! I am the Death of the Emotional Spectrum! The Absence of Light! The void within each mortal heart. The corruption of color and vibrance. I am no longer Darkseid...call me Obsidian! The Gray Lantern!"

Darkse- Obsidian declared proudly.

"I have heard enough of your meaningless prattle! Give me back my daughter New God!!"

Trigon's voice escaped Constantine, the trenchcoat he wore bursting apart as his frame increased in size.

The Demon immediately flew up, long white hair with streaks of blonde waving behind his head.

Obsidian started to laugh.

"Yes! Yes! Come and fight me little Demon! Come and let me extinguish the flames of your anger!!"

Shadows rose up from every nook and cranny to block Trigon's path.

Chesha Neko left it's sheath for a single nano-second before it was back in my hip.

"Oi, I wasn't done talking."

The shadows were slashed apart and forcefully scattered. Trigon stopped in midair, head turning to stare at me in caution.

I established eye contact with him.

"Don't pretend to care about Rachel now, you asshole."

He blinked. Anger flashed across Constantine's features before it was gone just as quickly.

"Save her."

Trigon said as he descended, body changing back to the sorcerer.

Constantine stumbled next to me, hands shaking as he reached for his shredded coat pocket.

"Bloody hell mate, never let a demon take the reigns. My body feels like shite."

"Tend to the others. I'll handle him."

I ordered, eyes jumping to Obsidian.

Chesha Neko left it's sheath mid-stride as I approached him.

"Good luck."

Constantine threw from my back.

I wasn't going to need it.

Obsidian watched me curiously.

"What do you hope to accomplish by fighting anymore? I have won. I can control what you see, hear, smell, think and feel. How will you defeat me. Let alone save her?"

He held out his hand, showing me Rachel's passed out form.

"I'm not entirely convinced by something." I spoke up in a skeptical tone.

"You claim to not be Darkseid but you were him once correct?"

Obsidian narrowed his dark eyes.

"Correct."

"Then tell me this...how do you go from being an asshole albeit a powerful one, to this downgraded evil laugh gimmicky type of villain?"

I questioned.

"What?"

Obsidian's voice rumbled with anger.

"Do you have any idea what-"

"See I have a theory. I think Darkseid did infact corrupt the Emotional Spectrum. But by doing so, he also inadvertently corrupted the Emotional Entities. He probably tried to leash them...but failed. All that power? The emotions of an entire universe?"

I shook my head.

"Too great for any one to bear. He failed, didn't he?"

Obsidian said nothing.

"And the result of that failure...is you. A remnant of what a New God is. You called yourself the Gray Lantern?... don't be stupid, this is not a fanfic. There are no Gray Lanterns..."

I tore into him, denying his power.

Nick's memories told me there were infact Grey Lanterns in DC. Grey not Gray and they pulled their abilities from absolute apathy. They simply... didn't give a fuck. In comparison, Obsidian was like a child in a sugar rush throwing a tantrum.

"Damn you!!!"

And sure enough, he roared in fury, sending thousands of shadows creeping toward me.

"I haven't done this for a while."

I said, mostly to myself, lifting up my sword.

"And frankly I don't think you're worthy of this but you played with me and mine. Such a thing is unacceptable."

Reiryoku poured in from my left hand. Tairyoku poured in from my right.

Push

Pull.

"Ban-kai."