Just as Superman was about to fall into the purple sea and turn into a Fish-Man, obeying alien orders, Barry burst out from within the Flood Demon.
Using the Divine Speed to move in the seawater was a first. Fortunately, the enemy was liquid, so breaking out of its body wasn't too difficult.
He caught Superman before his face touched the sea.
"Barry, how are things on your end?"
Everything happened so fast that even Batman couldn't see clearly. He could only inquire through Megan's Mind Link with Barry.
"I caught him, but he's in bad shape."
Barry closed one eye; in actuality, he wasn't doing well either.
He had come into contact with seawater just now, and he was using the Static Force to lock it inside his body to prevent it from spreading.
But as he kept running, the Divine Speed would cause the seawater to start flowing within him, and before long, he would turn into a fish.
But he didn't tell Batman about this. He wanted to find a safe place for Superman first.
Batman knew that if Superman and Barry couldn't defeat the enemy, then the plan to turn off the faucet was doomed.
His plan had failed.
Moreover, with the Teen Titans, Batman knew their initial target was wrong, and when they modified the Blast Transmission Pod, they didn't detect the locator Batman had placed in its construction.
The location the Titans reached was incorrect.
Now, the Justice League was facing a total defeat.
However, Batman wouldn't tell Barry: "We have no choice but to retreat for now; we'll find a way."
Barry didn't respond. He had to concentrate, using both the Static Force and Divine Speed. It was like trying to combine water and fire, and a voice echoing in his mind offered no help.
"The Science Squad has evacuated, Batman, and now only we are left in the Hall of Justice. Let's leave quickly."
Seeing that they couldn't do anything, Megan urged Batman to leave with her. There was a backup Blast Pod in the command room, and they could use it to escape.
"The Blast Pod seems to have a problem; go inspect the interior." Batman ordered without turning his head.
Megan, hearing this, flew anxiously into the Blast Pod. How could it malfunction at such a critical moment? It had been working fine sending the Science Squad just now; it had to be fixed quickly.
As soon as she flew in, Batman remotely closed the pod's door.
The Blast Pod was in perfect condition with no issues. He had tricked Megan.
Megan heard the door close behind her and immediately realized she had been tricked. If it were anywhere else, she could phase through, but the pod's walls were made of an alloy of N Metal and Promethium and were impenetrable.
So, she kept knocking on the pod door, afraid to use too much force for fear of damaging it.
"Batman, what are you doing? The Hall of Justice is already underwater; it's not safe here."
"I know, but the Totality needs to be protected." Batman began operating the console, his armor gleaming coldly as he spoke in an unchanging tone: "I'll teleport you to the Titans. Your mission is to help them survive. That's an order."
"Let me out!" Megan kept pounding on the door: "You can't do this!"
"Of course I can." Batman pressed a few buttons, then the Justice League's teleporter sent Megan into a spaceship: "Listen, stay on high ground and survive."
The hall returned to silence, and under the red emergency lights, Batman was the only one left in the Hall of Justice.
Above him were alien rocks and metal structures, and above those, millions of tons of seawater.
As time went by, the pressure from the depths of the sea would destroy everything, and Batman would perish in an instant.
But only here could he see the situation globally. The backup technology for Sound Transmission was online, but only here could provide a global view.
As long as there was a hero on Earth saving lives or fighting the enemy, Batman would be with them, ready to answer any questions.
As if nothing had happened, he continued watching the monitors, setting up a new communication system.
"League, anyone, can anyone hear me?"
Only static and interference replied.
Batman patiently kept adjusting the equipment's parameters, constantly trying other means: "Can Luo, can you help me contact anyone?"
The sea star in the glass jar in his hand answered him with Spiritual Power.
Besides the mindless and crazed Fish-Men wandering outside the hall in the seawater, it couldn't connect with anyone normal.
Batman paused for a moment, the surrounding stillness felt slightly cold to him, and he activated the main computer's recording function.
"This is Batman. An alien fleet has invaded Earth, blocking all channels for external assistance... The Justice League has obtained a powerful piece of the Origin Wall, called the Totality. It is temporarily safe, but the Hall of Justice can't hold on much longer... Remember not to touch the seawater, or you'll turn into aquatic monsters. Don't believe any rumors about destruction..."
"ZZZ... Batman? Are you there?"
Batman initially recorded his final message just in case, but his hands adjusting the communication equipment never ceased effort.
Just then, Barry re-established contact.
"Barry, do you have a way to drive that thing back?" Batman turned off the recording function and refocused on the task at hand.
If Barry could run a little faster and create a significant Speed Force storm, it might be enough to counter that enormous sea monster.
However, in reality, Barry had no chance. Superman was barely alive, and Barry had no way to run at full speed.
"What about the others? Surely there are others nearby who can help, right?"
"Actually... they are right here with me." Barry glanced behind him, seeing countless heroes transformed into Fish-Men each showing their supernatural skills and pursuing him and Superman: "They want to turn us into fish, that's the awkward part."
Superman's cape had been modified by Batman; when electrified, it could harden. Barry happened to have electricity, and now Superman lay on it as Barry pushed like he was sledding at high speed.
Superman was still conscious but had lost his superpowers, and one eye was blind due to being filled with dirty water. He added a few things through the intercom that Barry hadn't mentioned.
"Bruce, an alien sea god calling himself Zhen Hai has done something to my cells, and Barry, who has come into contact with the sea water all over his body, is using Speed Force to halt the mutation spread."
Barry's mouth twitched slightly; Static Force wasn't Speed Force, but Superman didn't understand this. But why bother telling Batman?
"Bruce, everyone else has been turned into aquatic monsters controlled by the alien sea god."
With a casual swipe, Superman sent Adam Hero, who was catching up, flying. He couldn't absorb sunlight, but the energy that had previously existed within him remained. Although it wasn't enough to counter the sea god and sea monster, it was sufficient for dealing with the other mutated heroes.
He simply flicked his hand, and Adam Hero disappeared into the horizon like a meteor: "We're surrounded by vast oceans with no land, not even a small patch of green in sight!"
As if on cue, a Swamp Monster emerged from the sea ahead of them. It had been transformed into a half-plant, half-octopus form, and like Zatanna, it had unknowingly been tainted by the water.
No choice; after all, he was a 'Swamp' Monster. If he were a Desert Monster, he'd surely find the water strange and on high alert, right?
He extended his green tentacles, grabbing Superman and Barry and dragging them toward the water.
"The Swamp Monster's tentacles have been enhanced by magic, I can't break free... lightning..."
Barry was caught in another tentacle, unable even to move his feet: "I'm caught too! How do I handle a magic elemental creature that suddenly appeared?!"
"He's a tree, so you can chop him!"
Just as they were about to fall into the water, Mera suddenly emerged from the sea, cutting off the Swamp Monster's tentacles with her sword made of hard water magic and rescuing Superman and Barry.
Using hard water to protect them, she escaped through the water, outpacing the octopus.
"Mera, thank goodness, the Justice League can't hold on any longer. Can Atlantis provide reinforcements?" Superman was finally a bit relieved; it was nice to see a normal person.
Mera cast him a cold glance: "Didn't Batman tell you? Atlantis has sunk. My country, my fleet, all gone."
Barry swallowed hard. Although he didn't know why, he could sense Mera seemed to have quite an opinion about Batman.
Of course, back then, when Mera asked Bruce if there was a way to help Atlantis, Batman told her that all the Justice League heroes were too busy rescuing people to spare any help.
In Batman's mind, human society's safety outweighed the safety of the sea race. Earth has a population of seven billion, while the six nations of the sea race at most have 30 million people. Before humans are all saved, there's simply no manpower available.
Paradise Island was different. The whole island had just about a thousand people. Although Amazon warriors are very strong, their numbers aren't threatening, and rescuing them in passing wouldn't delay too much time.
Mera, who usually didn't interact much with humans, was a stereotypical Atlantean, thinking Atlantis was great and didn't need anything from the land people.
Fish and water, that's enough.
However, when major problems arose, and she wanted to seek help from the land people, Arthur was not there, and she realized she wasn't familiar with anyone...
Now, it was clear Superman wasn't aware that Atlantis had sought aid. Batman hadn't even asked them about it.
Mera couldn't possibly be in a good mood.
However, with pursuers behind them, she had no mood to say much to Superman and Barry. She raised the Divine Horn hanging from her neck, with a fine chain just right to serve as a necklace.
The pendant was just a bit too large.
As she raised the horn, it emitted a bright azure light. As she channeled energy into it, the Divine Horn pointed them in a direction.
"What's that?" Superman asked, knowing nothing about magic.
"You must follow me. This is our only way out." Mera didn't explain but instead had Superman and Barry follow her obediently.
Barry blew a string of bubbles. Another queen, and evidently more difficult to deal with than Diana, what a pain.
..............
Having just witnessed Zhen Hai beating Superman, Megan found herself transported onto an alien spaceship, only to see Zhen Hai there too, chasing the Titan Squad.
This wasn't good news.
There was often a consensus among heroes: if even Superman couldn't defeat an enemy head-on, then others should do their best to avoid them initially.
Unless you're wearing an all-black suit with pointy ears on your head, and you just happen to have a plan, or your belt contains items that just happen to restrain the opponent...