Darkseid stared fixedly at Homelander, his mind racing.
The Dark Fortress was damaged; he didn't know what method this man had used, but he indeed had the means to harm the Dark Fortress.
No matter what, he had to return and stop him.
The safety of Apokolips was above all else.
However, this foolish Earthling actually dared to choose to fight him on Apokolips.
There, Darkseid was omniscient and omnipotent! With the enhancement of his home Planet, no creature could defeat him there.
Moreover, this man was Earth's last hope.
As long as he killed him, Earth's will to resist would crumble, and the Anti-Life Equation could swallow this Planet without hindrance, including that crazy woman in his hand who had caused him so much trouble.
This was a battle he could not refuse and would never lose.
All the above weighing of pros and cons happened in just an instant.
"As you wish."
Darkseid released his grip.
Harley fell heavily to the ground, slipping into unconsciousness.
Batman immediately rushed forward, shielding her behind him.
Darkseid didn't spare them another glance, flying straight toward the massive Boom Tube.
"You will pay for your foolishness today, Earthling. I will nail you above the fire pits of Apokolips and let you spend Eternity in wailing."
As Darkseid crossed the spatial boundary, the Boom Tube above Metropolis twisted and quickly closed, vanishing into the night sky.
With Darkseid's departure, the battle for Earth had come to a temporary conclusion.
The Amazon Warriors lowered their blood-stained shields, leaning on each other as they gasped for breath.
The Resistance soldiers put down their scalding rifles and slumped onto the shell-casing-strewn streets.
Metropolis returned to silence; the night wind blew, swirling clouds of gunpowder smoke.
But the heavy boulder weighing on everyone's hearts had not yet been lifted.
No one cheered, and no one celebrated.
Because they knew that the true final battle—the ultimate showdown that would decide the fate and future of all humanity—had already begun in another corner of the starry sky, countless light-years away.
If Homelander lost, Darkseid would still return.
Earth would still turn into hell.
Bruce knelt down to check Harley's injuries.
He checked her carotid artery, and after confirming that Harley's heartbeat was still strong, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"She's still alive," Bruce said to Cyborg, who had just arrived.
Cyborg nodded, working with Bruce to quickly treat Harley's wounds.
"He really lured Darkseid back..."
"But that's Apokolips," Barry said, his face full of worry. One of his legs and one arm were fractured, but the Speed Force accelerated his healing, and he could now barely stand.
"Fighting on Darkseid's home turf... can Homelander really win?"
"He is a true warrior. Regardless of the outcome, he has done his best for Earth." General Philippus's voice was also heavy, her tone far from optimistic.
It wasn't just the heroes in the plaza.
Nearly a billion survivors worldwide were sitting in front of their screens at this moment, silent.
They had seen everything that had just happened clearly through the broadcast.
Homelander was now alone on that hellish Planet, facing the cosmic tyrant they had exhausted all means to defeat but still found invincible.
A sense of tragic heroism spread through the hearts of all humanity.
The hope that had just been ignited in people became precarious once again in the face of this unknown outcome.
But then, a voice broke the silence.
"Cough, cough... cough, cough, cough..."
Harley Quinn was awake.
"Harley, are you okay?"
"...Can't die yet, Batsy." Harley pushed away Bruce's supporting hand and stood up shakily.
The pure white wedding dress she wore had become dingy and gray, the hem torn, and the gorgeous lace was covered in dirt and blood.
She looked wretched to the extreme.
But when she turned around, a powerful aura that could not be ignored emanated from this seemingly crazed woman.
Bruce stared at her back, stunned, as if he were meeting her for the first time.
Harley walked somewhat haltingly to a camera and used the reflection of the lens to tidy her hair.
Then, she detached the microphone, held it in her hand, and cleared her throat.
"Cough, cough... mic check. Can everyone hear me?"
Harley's voice still carried that characteristic exaggerated tone, but now it possessed a power that pierced through people's hearts.
"Hey! You cowards on Earth! What are you doing?"
Harley pointed at the camera and shouted loudly.
"I see you trembling behind your screens! I can even smell the stench of you pissing your pants!"
"Take back those tears of yours!"
Harley straightened her back and looked around at all the eyes fixed on her.
"I know what you're afraid of. Afraid that moldy Stone Monster will fall from the sky again?"
"But have you forgotten something?"
"Forgotten who beat Superman into a dead dog?"
"Forgotten who cleared the world of monsters and liberated Earth in just a few hours!"
Harley suddenly raised her voice, her tone filled with unshakable certainty and pride!
"It's Homelander!"
"It's my man!!"
"You think he'll lose? Don't make me laugh!"
"He will never lose! Not in the past, not now, and not in the future!"
Holding her tattered hem with one hand, Harley paced back and forth across the ruins, her voice growing more high-pitched and infectious.
"So, don't just sit here moping; it's an insult to him!"
"Hold your heads high! Chests out!"
"We just won a war that was impossible to win!"
"So what we need to do isn't pray, and it's not fear."
"It's to start rebuilding the cities, clearing the rubble, and cleaning the streets!"
"Get the best champagne ready and turn the music up to the max!"
"When he wins that battle and returns to Earth with Darkseid's head in his hand..."
"I want him to see that we are worthy of his protection!"
"Now, everyone! Get moving!! For humanity! For Homelander!!"
Following Harley's final roar.
In Metropolis Plaza, the Amazon Warriors were the first to strike their shields with their swords, letting out a thunderous response.
"For humanity! For Homelander!"
Bruce Wayne looked at the impassioned woman before him, extreme shock flashing in his eyes.
He had always thought Harley was an uncontrollable psychopath.
But at this moment, he actually felt a hint of true leadership quality in this crazy woman.
It wasn't just Bruce.
Survivors all over the world were moved by the Harley before them.
The haze in their hearts was dispelled by this blazing passion.
"She's right!"
A soldier hiding in a bunker suddenly stood up and grabbed a shovel.
"We can't just wait! Get out there and work!"
"Prepare for the hero's triumphant return!"
In this moment.
In everyone's hearts, they miraculously came to recognize this crazy woman's status.
Harley Quinn.
The First Lady of the Human Federation of Earth.
"Yes, First Lady," Bruce Wayne whispered.