Boom—!
The once-calm ocean surface erupted in thunderous explosions.
Within the formation of the American Navy's Atlantic Second Fleet, the most massive and conspicuous vessel—the symbol of American naval power and pride, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Chester Nimitz—was under relentless assault.
Energy cannon beams fired from the depths of the sea had riddled its hull with countless holes. Internal explosions erupted one after another.
Over three hundred meters long, more than seventy meters wide, with a displacement exceeding one hundred thousand tons, the colossal warship had begun to sink.
Thousands of sailors desperately tried to save the vessel they had served aboard for years—but it was utterly futile.
Inside the carrier's command center, piercing alarms screamed nonstop.
"Commander! Structural damage to the hull has exceeded fifty percent!"
Fleet commander Colonel Gary stood frozen, his face drained of all color.
He knew all too well that twenty percent damage already counted as a severe hit.
At thirty percent, unless immediately towed, a carrier lost all combat capability.
At fifty percent, stranded at sea with no rescue vessels—
There was only one possible outcome.
Once an invincible fortress ruling the seas, the Nimitz was now on the brink of collapse.
Summoning his last shred of military pride, Colonel Gary forced himself upright despite the pain.
Bang!
His fist slammed into the command table, the deafening impact snapping stunned officers back to reality.
"We are soldiers!" he roared into the command microphone.
"Even if we die, we die standing!"
"All units, unlock free fire authorization! Remember this—
even if we die, tear a chunk of flesh off them first!"
Before his words had fully faded, another barrage of energy beams surged up from the depths.
The already-ravaged Nimitz was struck again, reduced to a perforated wreck.
The command center was instantly vaporized by concentrated energy fire.
Every officer inside was killed on the spot.
Moments later, the reactor core was engulfed as well—silently, without even an explosion.
The aircraft carrier lost every last shred of combat capability.
Boom!
Amid successive detonations, the Nimitz plunged beneath the waves.
Nearby, over one hundred escort ships—frigates, air-defense vessels, cruisers, destroyers, and missile destroyers—were simultaneously struck by pre-locked energy barrages.
Secondary explosions from onboard ammunition and missiles tore them apart.
In the blink of an eye, the entire Second Fleet vanished beneath the sea.
Gigantic whirlpools formed as the wreckage sank, dragging sailors who had jumped overboard into the depths—none survived.
The only mercy was that the carrier's aircraft had already taken off at the start of the engagement, narrowly avoiding the annihilation.
Deep underwater, eight nuclear-powered attack submarines attempted to flee at maximum speed, escaping the low-pressure zones created by the sinking vessels.
But before they could retreat—
They were surrounded.
Manta-ray-like underwater craft closed in from all directions.
Before any torpedoes could be launched, energy beams pierced straight through the submarine hulls.
One by one, they exploded and sank into the abyss.
---
Final tally:
128 surface warships
105 carrier-based aircraft and helicopters
8 nuclear submarines
36,000 naval personnel
Total losses: 100%.
---
White House — Supreme Command Center
The sight unfolding on the massive screen crushed the air from everyone's lungs.
It felt as though an invisible hand was squeezing their hearts.
Faces were ashen.
President Ellis's expression twitched uncontrollably.
The annihilation of the Second Fleet meant only one thing:
If he failed to achieve decisive results in this war, a court-martial awaited him.
This disaster rivaled—perhaps even surpassed—the naval losses suffered during the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor.
Beside him, Ross's eyes flickered with intense thought.
"What are the ground forces doing?!" Ellis roared.
"Commander-in-Chief," a staff officer replied,
"Ground units engaged immediately—but they report they are unable to inflict casualties."
Ellis sucked in a sharp breath.
Naval defeat was one thing—but being outclassed on land as well?
Was this really the world's strongest military?
---
On the Ground
As Atlantean forces advanced, their dominance was absolute.
Tanks and armored vehicles along defensive lines were prioritized targets.
Plasma beams and energy cannons struck with pinpoint accuracy, obliterating them one by one.
Even vehicles concealed behind cover were effortlessly melted through and destroyed.
Rifles, sniper rounds, grenades, RPGs—
every conventional weapon failed to penetrate Atlantean armor.
The American defensive line began retreating continuously, unable to mount meaningful resistance.
---
Gotham — Rooftop
Batman stood at the edge of a skyscraper, clad in black Kevlar armor, watching in grim silence.
He had witnessed the entire battle.
Even anti-materiel sniper rounds failed to breach Atlantean infantry armor.
He understood now—his individual strength was meaningless here.
To stop this army required either overwhelming superhuman force
or energy-grade weaponry of equal level.
Bruce Wayne let out a quiet sigh.
This was not the Batman who fought alongside gods in the Justice League.
Reluctantly, he turned and left.
Even though Gotham was his city.
---
White House — Command Center
The oppressive silence was broken by a single voice.
"Commander-in-Chief, I recommend an immediate withdrawal of all ground forces from Gotham City."
The strategist continued:
"Allow the enemy to fully occupy the city."
"Their large-scale defensive towers cannot be fully deployed in urban terrain—this is our opportunity."
"We can deploy naval and air forces to saturate their air defenses using missiles and decoys."
"Once their anti-air capability drops, we can initiate concentrated bombardment using naval artillery and long-range missile units."
Ellis frowned deeply.
"Mr. President," Ross added,
"Given the current battlefield situation, I believe this is a viable plan."
---
The room fell silent once more.
The fate of an entire city—and perhaps the war itself—hung in the balance.
_____
T/N:
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