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84 - Finale

The scene was Apokliptic,

Beneath the sky of Boit, the home planet of the Manhunters, the landscape was a nightmarish expanse of metal and ruin. Towers of cold steel pierced the heavens. rivers of molten metal flowed like blood through the veins of the planet, and the air was thick with the acrid scent of burning circuits.

The ground trembled with the relentless march of thousands of Manhunters, their eyes glowing a malevolent red as they converged on the assembler—a massive structure, the heart of Boit, where the planet's most lethal creations were birthed.

The Manhunters swarmed the assembler like a hive of mechanical wasps, their numbers overwhelming, a ceaseless tide of death and destruction. Their metallic bodies clanged against one another, the noise a deafening roar that filled the air, drowning out any other sound. It was as if the entire planet had come alive, every last one of its mechanical denizens called to this single point, driven by an unyielding command to annihilate the intruders.

Inside the assembler, Batman's voice cut through the chaos, calm and authoritative. "Flash, take us out." His words were followed by a flash of lightning, a brief moment of blinding light, and then he was gone—vanished from the heart of the machine.

Outside, on the planet's surface, Batman reappeared, surrounded by towering spires that jutted from the ground like the teeth of a monstrous beast. The sky above turned sickly shade of red, reflecting the rage of the planet itself. He scanned the area quickly, his sharp eyes catching sight of a display flickering to life, showing the locations of his allies. "Flash, find the others."

In the blink of an eye, Flash was gone again, his speed a streak of lightning against the dark backdrop of Boit. A moment later, he returned, the others in tow, their faces set in grim determination. Above them, the Manhunters floated, their weapons primed, but before they could strike, the ground beneath them shook with a thunderous boom.

Superman burst from the ground, his form a blur of red and blue as he shot skyward, his hand gripping the collar of Highmaster—the leader of the Manhunters. With a snarl, he hurled Highmaster to the ground, the impact shaking the very foundations of Boit.

"Batman!" Superman's voice was a growl of fury and urgency.

Without hesitation, Batman moved, his form a shadow among shadows as he approached the fallen Highmaster. In his hand, the extractor—a device of dark purpose—glinted menacingly. With a swift motion, he plunged it into Highmaster's head, the device humming to life as it began its grim work.

Around him, the others formed a protective circle, their eyes scanning the horizon as the Manhunters closed in. The air crackled with energy as the machines aimed their cannons, the sound of charging weapons rising to a fever pitch.

And then, all at once, the battle began.

The sound of fire filled the air, a symphony of destruction as energy beams and explosive rounds tore through the night, illuminating the battlefield in flashes of blinding light. The heroes moved as one, their actions a blur of precision and power, each strike calculated, each move a step closer to victory—or to oblivion.

As the extractor hummed and whirred, Batman's eyes narrowed in concentration. The data streamed before him, a complex web of information unraveling from Highmaster's mind. But then, something was wrong. The stream halted, and the data flickered—empty.

"There's nothing here…" he muttered, his voice barely audible through the comms. He looked up, his eyes locking onto Highmaster's, who despite his battered form, began to smile—a twisted, knowing grin.

"You're too late, Bat-man," Highmaster sneered, his voice laced with arrogance. "The Codex you seek… it was never here."

Batman's mind raced. If the Codex wasn't with Highmaster, then—

"I've already won," Highmaster continued, his voice rising with a manic glee. "Boit has already begun the final protocol!"

Suddenly, the ground beneath them rumbled violently, the tremors escalating into a full-blown quake. The towers around them swayed ominously, debris cascading from their heights as the planet itself seemed to groan in agony. Batman staggered, barely maintaining his footing as the ground buckled and cracked, splitting apart to reveal a massive chasm.

From the depths of the planet, a colossal hand emerged, its surface a twisted amalgamation of metal and machinery, ancient and yet terrifyingly powerful. The hand gripped the edge of the chasm, pulling up the immense form of a slumbering giant—a titanic war machine, its body covered in obsidiean armour and world ending weapons.

The giant's eyes, twin suns of burning red, opened slowly, casting a malevolent glow over the landscape. Its head turned, the movement slow and deliberate, as if the very act of awakening was a struggle against eons of inactivity. But now, it was awake, and with it came the weight of inevitable destruction.

Highmaster's voice echoed across the battlefield, amplified by the giant's presence. "Behold, the Guardian of Boit! The final protector, the destroyer of worlds. You've lost, heroes. The Guardian will purge this planet of all life, and with it, your precious Earth!"

The Guardian's gaze fixed on the group, its mechanical joints groaning as it began to move, each step a seismic event, the ground cracking and splitting beneath its feet. The very air seemed to hum with the energy it exuded, a power ancient and incomprehensible.

Highmaster, despite his broken form, laughed—a sound that was more mechanical than human. "This is your end, Batman. The end of all who dare oppose us. You will be erased, and the Manhunters will reign supreme!"

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Behind the colossal rose many other, numbering a handful yet not less terrifying.

Batman's mind raced, searching for any possible solution as the Guardian loomed over them, the shadow of the behemoth stretching out like a curtain of doom. The titan if unleashed would decimate Earth in mere days.

Yet his heart wavered not. {Mine}

Because he stood alongside the greatest heroes of Earth, those who would sacrifice everything to defend their world. But even in the face of overwhelming odds, there was a calmness in the air, a quiet resolve that cut through the tension.

"I will take care of this," a voice said, serene yet tinged with a subtle joy.

As if sensing the threat, the Guardian turned its head towards the horizon, its core pulsing with ominous energy. With a quick charge, it unleashed a pulse of devastating power. The blast tore through the crimson sky, its path leaving destruction in its wake, culminating in a massive explosion on the horizon that birthed a mushroom cloud spanning kilometers. The shockwave rippled through the battlefield, nearly knocking Batman off his feet, a stark reminder of the Guardian's destructive potential.

The ground shook again, this time with a rhythmic intensity, like the footsteps of something massive approaching. The Guardian, recognizing the danger, began charging its beam once more, this time with greater intensity. For ten agonizing seconds, the air hummed with the buildup of power, the beam condensing into a focused stream of destruction.

Batman's enhanced vision allowed him to track the unfolding battle even as he fought off the relentless Manhunters. He watched as the colossal beam met its match in a red and white titan, a figure of equal size and power. The titan crossed its arms in front of it, blocking the beam with sheer force. Step by step, the titan advanced, its feet digging into the metallic ground as it pushed forward against the overwhelming energy.

As the titan gained momentum, its movements became a blur, a hum of golden energy flaring against its Crimson armor. Then, with a sudden surge, the titan unleashed a burst of cosmic energy, cleaving through the Guardian's beam and carving a gaping hole in its massive torso. The Guardian, mortally wounded, staggered and collapsed, its towering form brought low by the titan's relentless assault.

But the battle was far from over. More Guardians, each armed with world-ending weapons, advanced from the horizon. The red titan did not hesitate. With twin cosmic blades, it sliced through the first two Guardians in an instant, their formidable armor offering no resistance. The titan's aggression was unrelenting; it leaped to the next Guardian, driving its knee into the machine's face with brutal force.

There was no pause in its onslaught. The titan delivered a cosmic-charged chop that cleaved the Guardian in two, its massive form crumpling under the attack. Even as the broken machine fell, the titan grabbed its corpse and hurled it at the advancing Guardians, using it as a weapon to clear a path.

Without breaking stride, the titan charged another Guardian, its hand plunging into the machine's chest. With a swift motion, it tore out the Guardian's core, the glowing heart of the machine crushed in its grasp.

In the wake of the titan's fury, the battlefield fell into a brief, uneasy silence. The once thought unstoppable machines were reduced to wreckage, their remains scattered across the metallic plains of Boit. But the battle was not yet won—more threats loomed on the horizon. The red and white titan grinned as he charged, his steps making his advance.

His massive body moved in an incomprehensible speed for his size, nearly blurring between moments like a speedster. The titan moved with no hesitation, ripping and tearing the guardians, enjoying the burtality as he ripped them limb from limbs, using their torn arms to break another. Their was no morality in war against an androids, their was no blood to be bathed.

The leagueres watched in awe as the unstoppable machines met and immovable object, one that destroyed them in collision. Batman kept an eye on the titan as he methodically tore the Manhunters down, making sure that they would not regenerate. He analysed the battle, the brute force exerted by the titan, its unusally agile moments, its beginner level martial arts.

"Is the titan?" Flash's voice filled with doubt.

"Its Zion," Batman answered without a change in tone.

He had already expected Zion involvement in this battle. He would not sit back on something he would call "fun".

"But how does this even work? His body mass just...," Flash left it unsaid.

When transforming, the whole mass of the object should be conserved, its the laws of physics. Yet Zion small stature was taking the from of a titan that were more then ten times their height.

"You can run faster than light, I don't thing physics matters much," Superman answered, one who help a broken power. "Its a good thing he is on ourside."

"..." Batman left it unsaid.

On the battle of the Giants, the event was closing in on the climax. The Guardians had fallen, leaving on that stood to the back alive. The guardians had stood still as it observed Way Big rip its brethren out, observing, calculating.

Way Big stood tall, the broken core of a Guardian slipping from his grasp, his imposing figure casting a long shadow over the battlefield. The remnants of fallen machines lay scattered around him, yet his expression was one of calm confidence. "Your move," he mocked, his voice resonating with the thrill of victory.

The Guardian responded with a low, ominous pulse that rippled through the planet's surface. The vibration spread out, awakening the broken Guardians. The battlefield erupted as the broken parts of defeated Guardians rose into the air, swirling in a storm of metal and energy. These fragments fused with the remaining Guardians, enhancing their already formidable power, and their eyes blazed with renewed fury.

Cannons hummed with energy as the Guardians charged their blasters, each weapon pointing directly at Way Big. The air crackled with tension, thick with the anticipation of the impending clash. Despite the overwhelming force gathering against him, Way Big remained unfazed. He crossed his arms before him, cosmic energy pooling and condensing into a brilliant Golden light that began to hum with power.

The two colossals stood locked in a standoff, their beams charging to their fullest potential. The Guardian's blasters pulsed with deadly energy, preparing to unleash devastation. But before the Guardian could fire, Way Big made his move. Without warning, he released his cosmic ray, the beam tearing through the air with unstoppable force. It struck the Guardian with precision, boring a hole through its chest, cutting through its core with such speed that the machine had no time to react.

The impact sent shockwaves rippling across the planet, a dome of energy expanding from the point of contact. The Guardians were obliterated in an instant, their remains vaporized by the sheer force of Way Big's attack. The beam continued its path, carving a deep scar into the horizon before finally dissipating, leaving silence in its wake.

As the dust settled, Way Big walked slowly to the crumbling remains of the final Guardian. With a firm grip, he reached down, grasped the Guardian's head, and, with a single, powerful motion, ripped it away from its body. The once-mighty machine fell lifeless at his feet, its head clutched in his hand as a trophy of his victory.

The battlefield was now a graveyard of metal, the Guardians defeated, their threat extinguished.

"He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire."

Psalm 46:9