***
---Fortress of doom---
Date: January 4th, 2204
Barnes Blazkowicz carefully picked up his helmet, gently brushing off the dust before securing it on his head. The heads-up display (HUD) flickered to life, displaying vital diagnostics and information.
He couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. The armor he wore was the one his father wore when he first woke up on mars, but he longed to wear something different. Unfortunately, it was the only remaining armor left to him after his father, the legendary Doom Slayer, had sacrificed himself in the battle against Davoth eighteen years ago. That battle had marked the end of the dark lord and the realm of Hell itself. However, it had also released primordial energies beyond the concepts of space and time, giving rise to new universes and restoring those consumed by the dark realm.
Barnes adjusted the coordinates on the keyboard, setting them for a new multiverse that existed outside his current reality. It was a world shaped by the aftermath of his father's final battle.
Surveying the arsenal laid out on the table, he felt a surge of memories floods back. Each weapon held a storied history, having been wielded by his father before his demise.
Opening his warp pack, Barnes meticulously placed each weapon he intended to bring, leaving only the iconic super shotgun behind. He picked up the shotgun and deftly cracked it open, causing two shells to pop out. With swift precision, he retrieved two more shells and effortlessly slid them into place. Attaching the super shotgun to his utility belt, he flicked a switch, activating the teleportation sequence.
He takes a pill that was left on the table and swallows it "This will come handy later..." He says to himself
Taking one last look around the familiar surroundings of the Fortress of Doom, Barnes couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. "I'm going to miss this place," he muttered softly to himself.
As a brilliant white circle formed at his feet, he braced himself. The circle expanded, engulfing him in a blinding flash. With closed eyes, he experienced weightlessness, and when he finally reopened them, he found himself standing in what appeared to be a dimly lit sewer. The air was heavy with a damp, musty smell, signaling the beginning of his new journey.
***
---Keystone City---
Year: 2023
The Flash raced through Keystone City, his speed reaching nearly five times the speed of sound, accompanied by Superman and Batman in their search for Grodd.
One major challenge they faced was Grodd's choice of lead-lined armor, rendering him invisible to Superman's X-ray vision. However, Superman's super-hearing allowed him to detect the subtle differences in a gorilla's heartbeat compared to that of a human.
Dividing the city into sectors, each of them patrolled a designated area, maximizing their chances of locating Grodd.
"Clark, can you pinpoint his heartbeat?" Batman's voice crackled through the communication devices as he maneuvered the Batmobile, his riot suppressor primed and ready to neutralize Grodd upon visual contact.
"I can hear at least three gorilla heartbeats. It seems Grodd has deployed speakers emitting gorilla-like heartbeats to confuse us. I can hear one coming from the Flash Museum, one from City Hall, and one from the sewers," Clark informed the Justice League, providing the locations of the gorilla heartbeats.
"I'll handle the one at City Hall. Flash, head to the museum, and Superman, take the sewers," Batman directed, assigning each of them to the origin points of the heartbeats. He engaged the Batmobile's self-drive mode, launching himself into the air to glide swiftly toward City Hall.
Superman scanned his surroundings, locating a sewer entrance. With a graceful motion, he veered to the right, slowing his speed to hover above the ground. Maintaining a keen focus, he honed in on the specific heartbeat he was after. However, to his surprise, he detected another heartbeat in the vicinity, distinctly human but pulsating at an accelerated rate beyond normal limits.
---
Doomguy surveyed his surroundings, glancing down to notice the murky sewage water he was standing in. He promptly requested his onboard AI for the blueprints of the city and the sewage system to determine his location.
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With caution, he began to run, clutching his super shotgun tightly in case he encountered any danger in the sewers. His heads-up display (HUD) revealed two contacts closing in on his position. Doomguy advanced, focusing on the contact nearest to him.
His enhanced hearing detected the sound of footsteps growing louder and closer. Glancing at his radar, he confirmed that the closest contact was the source of the reverberating noise.
In preparation for the impending encounter, Doomguy aimed his combat shotgun. As his HUD zoomed in, he was taken aback by what he saw... a gorilla?
"Gorrila in a sewer, don't see that everyday," Barnes muttered to himself. He swiftly retrieved his super shotgun and fired the meat hook, pulling the gorilla towards him. To his surprise, the gorilla was clad in metal armor.
"Let me go, you human filth!" the gorilla spoke defiantly, while Barnes pinned it down. This unexpected interaction left Barnes momentarily stunned. However, before he could utter a word, he felt a sharp pain in his mind, as if a sword were piercing his thoughts. In those fleeting moments, the gorilla broke free. But just as it attempted to flee, Barnes regained control of himself and swiftly fired his super shotgun, obliterating the gorilla's head.
At that moment, a man hovered above the water, clad in blue tights, red boots, and a cape featuring a large S symbol on his chest. The man looked at Barnes with disgust before flying straight into him, propelling himself upward and bursting out of the ground with incredible force. Reacting swiftly, Barnes fired his super shotgun point-blank at Superman's face.
Superman retaliated by hurling Barnes away, using the sheer strength of his heat vision blast to narrowly avoid being hit. As Barnes got back on his feet, he wiped the blood he drew when he shot Superman.
Clark examined his hand, seeing the blood oozing from his forehead. He pondered how this new enemy had managed to make him bleed without the use of kryptonite.
Barnes fired a shot from his ballista, propelling Superman across the street and crashing into a nearby building.
"Clark, what's happening?" Batman's voice boomed over the communication channel.
Superman rose to his feet, spotting the green-armored man across the way. Before he could relay his situation through the comms, he responded to Batman's inquiry. "Grodd's dead, butchered by a man in green armor," Superman replied, still catching his breath from the point-blank shot he had taken.
Summoning his resolve, Superman charged at Barnes while emitting a furious scream.
"Ah, shit," Barnes muttered as he opened a portal behind him, causing Superman to unwittingly push him through it.
The two invincible beings emerged from the portal into a desolate desert, immediately engaging in a fierce battle. They relentlessly attacked each other, attempting to gain the upper hand. In the midst of their clash, Doomguy skidded across the sand, propelled by the force of Superman's heat vision.
"Activate energy absorption!" he commanded his AI.
Soon, the heat vision ceased pushing him as the Praetor suit began absorbing the energy. Barnes rose to his feet, ballista in hand, and unleashed a fully powered blast at Superman. The blast sent Superman hurtling through the air and forced him to stop firing his heat vision.
Superman accelerated toward the green-armored stranger, determined to deliver a devastating blow and end the fight. As he closed in, his opponent holstered his blaster and unleashed a punch the moment Superman was within striking distance.
The collision of their punches unleashed massive shockwaves across the desert, flattening sand dunes in their wake. In a fleeting moment, the two equals stood in their respective positions, realizing the equality of their strength.
"Another Kryptonian?" Superman wondered aloud.
In a swift motion, Barnes turned around and attempted to deliver a powerful kick to Superman's head. However, his kick was swiftly caught by Superman's free hand. The Man of Steel proceeded to slam Barnes onto the sand, attempting to dislodge pieces of his seemingly impenetrable armor.
Undeterred, Barnes fired his heavy cannon and launched micro missiles, which rained upon Superman, tearing his tights and cape. In an effort to stop the micro-missile assault, Superman released his grip on Barnes, enduring the excruciating pain that flooded his body.
Exhausted, both combatants collapsed onto the ground. Barnes's helmet popped off, revealing his face.
"I specifically brought us out here to avoid civilian casualties, and I hope you've noticed the blue tights," Barnes mockingly commented on Superman's outfit as he sat down to catch his breath.
"I'm sorry for killing your gorilla 'friend' back there, and all I'm asking for is forgiveness," Barnes expressed with genuine regret.
Superman scoffed at the notion that Grodd was considered a friend, realizing that the stranger knew very little about Earth, let alone the Justice League. He noticed the stranger's youthful appearance, estimating him to be no older than eighteen. The stranger had a sharp face with blue eyes and the center where instead of it being black, is a glowing red along brown hair styled similarly to a demon-slaying swordsman from a manga from the 90s
Suddenly, a boom tube materialized, and Wonder Woman, Shazam, Martian Manhunter, and Green Lantern emerged from it.
"Supes, what the hell happened to you? And why are you sitting with Master Chief?" Shazam inquired, genuinely concerned for his friend.
Diana looked at Shazam with disappointment before shifting her gaze to Clark, who bore injuries all over his body. She also noticed the green-armored stranger, responsible for Grodd's demise. With purpose, she approached the stranger until they were within striking distance.
Barnes picked up his helmet, towering over her at a height of six foot and seven inches while in armor Diana as he put it back on.
"Whoever you are, you are now under surveillance, and there will be an inquiry. Follow me," Diana commanded him.
Barnes complied, following Diana through the portal that they had opened.
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