[Metropolis]
The beam vanished in a tight flash of blue light right at the center of the city. For half a second, everything went still. Then three figures appeared where the light had been, standing in the middle of a cracked intersection surrounded by flickering streetlights and stalled cars.
People nearby backed away fast, instincts kicking in before logic could catch up. Phones came out. Someone screamed. Someone else ran.
The three newcomers did not react.
Faora-Ul stood at the front in her black armor, eyes sharp as she scanned the city like she was already judging it. Behind her stood Nam-Ek, massive and silent, and he was wearing heavy armor. His presence alone was enough to make the ground feel smaller. Car-Vex was wearing glossy black armor. She moved slightly to the right, alert and focused, watching everything at once.
A sonic boom cracked across the sky.
Then another.
And another.
Four figures dropped in almost instantly, landing hard enough to fracture concrete in a wide circle around the Kryptonians.
Superman stepped forward first, red cape settling behind him as his eyes locked onto Faora. His expression stayed calm, but there was tension in his shoulders.
Hawkman landed just behind him, wings folding slightly as his grip tightened on his mace. His gaze flicked between all three targets, already calculating multiple battle scenarios. He looked grim because he didn't have any data on the enemy and Dr. Fate was out in another dimension. So, if things get chaotic, which they likely will since enemy ships surrounded Earth, they will face a tough situation.
Guy Gardner hovered a few feet above the ground, green energy crackling faintly around his fists as his jaw set in that familiar stubborn line.
Cyclone touched down lightly beside him, wind already beginning to swirl at her feet.
The street fell quiet except for distant sirens.
Hawkman took one step forward. "You picked the wrong planet to make an entrance like that," he said while raising his mace slightly. "Who are you and what do you want on Earth?"
Faora did not answer right away. Her eyes stayed on Superman, studying him in a way that felt far too personal for a first encounter. Then she gave an arrogant smile. "Hand over the codex," she said calmly, like it was not a demand but a simple expectation. "Kal-El. Son of Jor-El." She pointed a finger at Superman.
Superman's eyes widened upon hearing his original name. He instantly scanned their anatomy with his X-ray vision and realized that they were Kryptonians. And this is his first time hearing about this codex. "I've no idea what you are talking about." He glanced toward Hawkman. "Be careful, they are all Kryptonians."
Faora moved.
She vanished from her spot in a blur that shattered the ground beneath her feet. The shockwave hit a split second later, cracking windows along the street.
Superman barely had time to raise his arms before she was already in front of him.
Her fist slammed into his jaw.
Booom!
The impact sounded like a cannon going off.
He flew backward, crashing through a row of parked cars before skidding across the pavement and tearing a deep line through the street.
Cyclone reacted first. "Everyone spread out!" she shouted as wind exploded outward from her position, trying to disrupt the battlefield before it collapsed into chaos.
Nam-Ek did not wait.
He charged straight at Hawkman, each step shaking the ground as his massive frame built momentum. Hawkman took to the air instantly, wings snapping open as he swung his mace down toward the incoming giant.
"Haaaa!!!"
Bang!
The hit connected.
It felt like striking a mountain.
Nam-Ek barely slowed. He grabbed the mace mid-swing, yanked Hawkman forward, and slammed him into the ground with brutal force that sent a shockwave through the street before throwing a heavy smash.
Another shockwave swept through the area, forming a crater around them.
"Gaahh!" Hawkman coughed up blood, and his armor cracked from that single impact.
Guy shot forward with a burst of green light. "Finally, I get to beat up a Kryptonian," he snapped as a construct formed around his fist, expanding into a massive battering ram.
He drove it straight into Nam-Ek's side.
The construct shattered on impact.
Nam-Ek turned his head slowly toward him. It didn't even look like that attack worked at all.
Guy blinked once. "Okay… that's new."
Car-Vex moved next.
She launched herself toward Cyclone, moving fast enough to blur. Cyclone spun on instinct, wind rising around her in a tight spiral that formed a barrier just as Car-Vex crashed into it.
The air twisted violently on impact, pressure pushing outward in all directions.
Cyclone gritted her teeth. "You're not getting through that easily!"
Car-Vex pushed harder, her strength forcing the wind barrier to ripple and strain.
Across the battlefield, Superman pushed himself up from the wreckage, shaking off dust and debris. He rolled his shoulder once, eyes already locking back onto Faora.
She was waiting for him.
"You're slower than I expected," she said, tilting her head slightly.
He took a step forward. "You hit hard; I'll give you that." Looking around, he realized that fighting in the middle of the city was a bad idea. The destruction and chaos would be overwhelming, and innocent civilians could get hurt. So, he shot into the sky and flew toward the desert, where he could fight with his full strength.
Faora followed behind him. Nam-Ek and Car-Vex also shot up in the sky and chased Superman.
"Where the fuck are you freaky giant going?" Guy yelled as he was about to follow them.
"Stop, Guy. We are not their opponent," Hawkman said as he stood up, grabbing his chest. He could feel the intense pain all over his body and a couple of his ribs had shattered from that single slam. "We need to get to the base and call everyone available. God knows how many Kryptonians are on those ships."
Cyclone tapped her earpiece. "Batman, Earth is being invaded by Kryptonians. We need to regroup."
...
[Meanwhile...]
Three sonic booms ripped across the sky as the Kryptonians tore after Superman, their speed shredding clouds into spirals of white vapor. The desert came into view in seconds, endless sand stretching under a blazing sun, far from civilians and fragile cities.
Superman stopped midair, boots digging into nothing as he hovered and turned to face them. His cape snapped sharply behind him, eyes focused, jaw set. He didn't wait this time.
He moved first.
He shot forward at a blinding speed, fist cocked. Faora met him head-on, her own fist colliding with his in a shockwave that blasted sand outward in a massive ring below them.
Boom!
The sand cratered beneath the force.
Faora didn't budge.
She twisted her wrist, redirecting his momentum, and drove her knee into his ribs. The hit landed with a heavy thud that echoed across the desert.
"Too weak," she said calmly, already moving again.
Superman gritted his teeth, absorbing the pain as he spun and fired a burst of heat vision. Twin beams of red energy cut across the air, forcing her to dodge, but Nam-Ek barreled straight through it.
The beams splashed across his armor and skin, leaving glowing streaks but doing little to slow him.
"Yeah… figured," Superman muttered.
Nam-Ek slammed into him like a freight train.
Booom!
They crashed into the sand, carving a deep trench that stretched for hundreds of meters. Superman planted his feet and pushed back, muscles straining as he caught Nam-Ek's next punch mid-swing.
For a moment, they locked.
Raw strength against raw strength.
Superman shifted his weight and drove a headbutt straight into Nam-Ek's face. The impact snapped the giant's head back just enough for Superman to follow up with a rapid series of punches to the chest and jaw.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each hit echoed like artillery fire.
Nam-Ek staggered one step.
Then he grabbed Superman by the shoulders and slammed him down hard.
The desert floor exploded on impact.
Before Superman could recover, Car-Vex dropped from above like a missile. Her heel crashed into his back, driving him deeper into the crater.
"Stay down," she said coldly.
Superman rolled at the last second, sand blasting outward as he escaped the follow-up strike. He sprang back to his feet, breathing heavier now, eyes flicking between all three opponents.
They moved like a unit, and they weren't giving him any space to fight back.
Faora attacked again, faster than before. She blurred in, striking high, then low, forcing Superman to block and shift constantly. Each hit carried precision, not just power. "All this time living among these primitives made you weak," she said while slipping past his guard and striking his side.
Her elbow drove into his spine.
A sharp crack echoed.
Superman winced but caught her wrist on the next strike, twisting and throwing her across the sand. She flipped midair and balanced herself in the air cleanly.
Car-Vex flew in, but this time, Superman landed a clean kick to her stomach, sending her flying miles away.
Nam-Ek charged again.
This time, Superman met him head-on.
He planted his feet and roared as he drove forward, shoulder slamming into Nam-Ek's chest with everything he had.
Boom!
The collision sent both of them skidding, sand erupting in waves around them.
Superman didn't stop.
He grabbed Nam-Ek by the arm, spun, and hurled him upward into the sky. Then he shot up after him, closing the distance in an instant.
High above the desert, he unleashed everything.
Punches came fast, relentless, each one backed by frustration and raw force.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Nam-Ek tried to counter, but this time Superman stayed aggressive, not giving him space to reset. A final uppercut landed clean, snapping Nam-Ek's head back as his body went limp for a split second.
Superman didn't hesitate.
He grabbed him and drove him back down.
The impact when they hit the desert was massive.
Boooom!
A crater formed on impact, sand blasting outward in a towering wave. Nam-Ek lay at the center, unmoving, armor cracked and body partially buried.
Superman hovered above, chest rising and falling.
"One down," he muttered.
---
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