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***
There it was, the energy-sparking hall beneath Wayne-tavera itself. Will stepped into the hall, which looked like a platform, with a large computer in the center, surrounded by bulky structures filled with energy. This energy twisted through the thick walls and was carried up through countless branches of the network, rising to the very top of the Wayne-taver. There stood the portal that led Apocalypse into their world.
Will walked quietly, watching as para-demons flew out of various holes, like mosquitoes in the night, like darkness. And they wouldn't stop.
«Eh... it's getting tiresome, to be honest," he grinned.
With a bright flash, Will flew through the crowd of enemies, leaving behind a yellow line that exploded with sparkling lines the next instant. The Para-demons scattered apart, and fell to the floor.
Will ran over to the computer and attached Vanessa Wayne's medium to a large black box; it acted as a system unit. Encrypted images appeared on the huge Apocalypse screens in the form of zigzags and vague symbols. He didn't need to understand them to realize that the Badgirl Drive virus download process had been successful.
At least that's what the extinguishing and flashing mechanisms around him said.
"I think Vanessa warned me that this was a good sign," he thought as he hurriedly turned around to leave.
But they were already waiting for him there.
«So the rumors about some hacker who can break into our technology were true," Steppenwolf said thoughtfully, stopping leisurely in front of Willard Light.
At that moment, a blue flash flashed beneath Will's feet, and a pentagram appeared that cast a blue glow across the room. He knew what that glow meant-the Zatanna trap had been activated.
And Zatanna herself was hovering above his head, magical sweeps finishing the formation of the spell.
«I can see why you risked yourself. Someone from that squad you were so careful to keep my attention away from is the hacker, isn't he? How convenient that you decided to give me so many gifts at once, Willard Light. In a day, I can catch you, that hacker, and the last mage on earth who's kept us from finding the last survivors for so long," the Steppenwolf's lips parted in a grin as he opened his palm victoriously toward Will, as if pointing out his Greatest Miscalculation.
Will only frowned at his remark, swinging his kunai to the sides in a sprawling motion.
«You're rushing things, General.
«You think so? - The Steppenwolf asked with a slight irony, glancing at Zatanna, who had landed beside him, "Show him.
«Yes, sir.
With a wave of her hand, Zatanna created a magic mirror that showed the eastern coast of Gotham against a gray sky. There Vanessa, John Constantine, and the others were surrounded by para-demons, and among them stood a tall, gray-skinned monster in a black hood with an eerie grin. The monster looked like a high-ranking warrior of Apocalypse. The monster was surrounded by an unusual retinue of black cloaks, they had staffs and wielded magic which they hurled at Jon. The magic was hitting the barrier with black flashes, and it seemed that Jon was in a lot of trouble.
"In Willard's memories... is that Desaad? Darkseid's right hand man. But what's he doing here?", Minato thought glumly.
«From the look in your eyes, you've already figured it out. Your friends have fallen into a trap out of sheer ignorance," Steppenwolf grimaced, as if the very thought disgusted him. - I can't hide my disappointment, but the trap was not my doing. If everything had gone according to my plan, perhaps you would have succeeded. But after our skirmish on Nerose Island, my Overlord was disappointed in me, but quite interested in you, Willard Light. So he decided that I alone was not enough to apprehend you, and sent his right hand to help me. Who would have thought Desaad would realize what you were up to?
«Why are you telling me all this?
«Who knows," he said in a rumbling bass, "probably because I want to equalize our chances of winning. In my eyes, you're in a no-win situation now that Desaad has interfered in our little game. If you can get out of here alive and help your friends, you need to defeat me first, Willard Light. Zatanna's magical barrier will prevent you from escaping with the Thunder God's Mark, and even if you do, sooner or later I will find you, because the last mage who has been harboring you all this time will now be caught by Desaad. So, what will you do?
Willard Light bowed his head with a slight chuckle. Behind his back, the symbols on Apocalypse's computer screen had been going off and on all this time, hinting at the lingering introduction of the Badgirl Drive virus into their system. And Steppenwolf, apparently underestimating Vanessa's work, wasn't even paying attention.
But here's Zatanna...
«My Lord! The communications system is out of control, we've lost contact with Desaad's unit.
The steppenwolf hummed.
«All your little antics, Willard Light? Do you really think a few tricks are gonna win you the game?
«No, it probably won't help me win, but now that the source of the interference is blocked, I can send a message to my friends," he said, putting his finger to his ear. - Vanessa! I've hacked the network, go to plan B!
***
East bank of Gotham, near the water.
Her arms and legs were running out of strength, and Vanessa was moving almost by instinct, putting into each successive movement the remnants that had time to appear at the end of each movement. Her muscles felt heavy, and she could barely breathe.
An enemy had suddenly emerged on the coast, before whom their combined forces were useless. Desaad destroyed any magic John Constantine tried to use and cut off any avenues of escape.
Desaad stood on a stone dais and grinned crookedly, directing magical blows at Jon's barrier.
By then, the Para-demons had already accumulated so many that everywhere one looked, there were fangs and eyes blazing with anger.
And so they stood back-to-back as a team.
«Shit, I knew it was a shitty plan, but this bad? Who called that asshole in here anyway? - John growled, fending off Desaad's magic. And as if that wasn't enough, the monster had three minions like him attacking them with magic spells.
If it hadn't been for Jon, the battle would have been over in the first minute. Desaad would have just shackled them and thrown them at his feet, but Jon's barriers and attack magic blocked his ability to reach them, as well as the rest of the Para-demons.
Harley and Beast Boy were fighting off the para-demons adjoining the endless rows of enemies from their last strength, protecting John from non-magical foes, and it was only through teamwork that they had survived so far.
«No word yet from our underwater friends...?! - Harley shouted, doing a somersault and smashing the head of a passing para-demon.
«No... the interference source is too strong. I can't pick up a single signal! - Vanessa shouted, repeatedly turning to the transmitter, which acted as a communication device with the rest of the teams and resistance members.
Desaad chuckled and stepped forward, ordering his mage servants to scatter to the sides with a pathos hand gesture.
«Enough of this pathetic resistance. I've figured out your plan. Now you're just dancing to my tune. Don't think that if you can outwit the Steppenwolf, you can do the same to me.
«Shut the fuck up! - John shouted, clucking unhappily at the end," "Hey, girl, you still haven't heard from Light, have you?
«No...I still haven't gotten any signal.
***
Desaad tilted his head forward glumly, eyeing the surrounded opponents with a subdued gaze. Something had been bothering him all along.
The reports of Willard Light's infiltration of Wayne Taverner have not stopped.
"The punk was supposed to be stopped at the barrier, but he was able to get in even though I had my blueprints in place? Damn you, Steppenwolf, what are you doing up there? Why have I lost contact with Apocalypse?", Desaad thought.
Desaad then noticed Vanessa among the ranks of the enemy freeze and begin to look around. Right away, when the connection to Apocalypse broke. None of her squad realized it as quickly as she did, and Desaad immediately guessed that she was the hacker he had originally hoped to find.
«Okay, so that's what you were planning. Catch the girl at any cost! - Desaad growled, pointing a clawed paw at her.
Among Desaad's calculated remaining threats, the three remaining units were the most dangerous: John Constantine, the only mage who had managed to outwit and escape the clutches of Apocalypse; from the words of Steppenwolf, Willard Light, the only threat that could potentially rival Batman and even Superman in terms of capability;... and the final threat, which Desaad's skeptical and subtle mind considered the greatest and greatest threat to the Great Darkseid - the only mind in the world capable of hacking into Apocalypse's system. The only mind in the world that was capable of bringing back to the world one of Apocalypse's most dangerous enemies, Batman.
"If the girl somehow understands the encrypted message he left behind... Now I understand why the Overlord is so wary of him. This man really deserves respect, to calculate everything so," Desaad's dry, ugly lips contorted into a quivering smirk.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt such awe in front of an opponent he hadn't even seen.
The single four-line encrypted message that Batman managed to leave 0.32 seconds before Darkseid's dimensional trap was locked down posed an unthinkable threat to Apocalypse.
***
Upon receiving the message from Willard, Vanessa immediately alerted the others.
«Communication with the resistance is established! They are approaching us, in three hundred meters their ship will be waiting for us!
«Three hundred meters, damn it? I wish we'd lived to see it," John grinned, grinning, "I haven't sweated like this in a long time. I don't even look like myself, but I guess old age is a dog.
«You don't look so good, Johnny," said Harley, as they ran together along the shore.
«Would you be quiet? It's annoying enough as it is," John said, gesturing with his hand to fend off Desaad's magic as it flew at them.
If possible he could teleport them, but Desaad's constant attacks prevented him from creating high concentration spells, one of which was spatial teleport.
Running to the rendezvous point seemed to be a measly hundred meters away, but a large crowd of enemies appeared ahead, and everyone realized that they couldn't go any further.
Their strength was running out, and everyone realized that this must be the end. Everyone except Vanessa, who threw herself at her enemies, making the others' eyes go wide.
«What's a girl doing? - John grinned, combing back sweaty bangs with his palm.
«We're totally kaput, I guess she decided to take the last one," Harley said, breathing heavily.
«I guess... it's not such a bad plan," John sighed, glancing around.
Desaad and the others surrounded them and stared stupidly, probably realizing by now that there was no chance of escape. None at all. None of them would be able to pull off something so sudden as to get away with it.
But John didn't need to get away with it. He sighed heavily once more and straightened his back, glaring at Desaad with a serious look.
«Hey, you gray face, you hear me? There's nothing we can do now, so why don't you let us surrender? - he shouted.
Desaad contorted his lips in a nasty grin. He ordered his servants to stop and lock the enemies in a ring. When Vanessa saw this, she turned to John in surprise and shouted angrily:
«What are you doing, you bastard?! We have to run away!
"Shut up, my dear, I'm trying for you. Oh, what ungrateful young people are nowadays".
«I see there is still some among you with brains after all," Desaad hummed, "put away your weapons and bend the knee, I will spare anyone who admits defeat and ends this battle.
Of course, there was no lie in his words. He would spare them now, and then turn them into his slaves through brainwashing. Good meat was prized in the Apocalypse, after all.
«Yeah...now, hold on a little longer," John said smiling.
«Hey, are you sure this is a good plan, blondie? - Harley asked, dropping the hammer to the sand.
«Who knows, I sure hope so," John shrugged.
"One more kilometer... damn, it's moving so fast, it's going to be now. How do I not get pumped up for the last one?"
And just as John finished his thought, something rumbled behind Desaad's back, tearing through the walls of the resort lodge and smashing into the leader of the Apocalypse at breakneck speed.
«This is our chance, everyone come to me now! - John shouted, throwing away Desaad's magical-servant magic.
He created a magical portal that vibrated uncertainly in the air. All because he was running out of mana.
«Now, jump in there! It'll take you to the rendezvous point.
«You created a portal? Why? Zatanna will transport us to their lair," Vanessa said.
«If it doesn't, jump into the portal now! - John growled.
There was no time, and they were gradually surrounded by enemies. Everyone but John jumped into the portal, and he was the only one left... Behind John's back, just above the water, there was a huge explosion, and the water that had risen into the air rained down noisily on him.
At Jon's feet fell a blonde woman whose clothes were torn across her chest. It was Pavergirl, who had flown into Desaad earlier, but apparently he had quickly taken her out of the fight.
And John froze, looking at her.
"We have to leave, John Constantine. Your life is far more important than this girl's," he thought, then pressed his lips together.
His memories flashed back to snippets of months past, when just like that, Zatanna lay before him, battered and unconscious. Then he'd had to leave her to deliver a message to Batman's daughter, and now....
«Here we are again, aren't we, John Constantine? I'm surprised you haven't run away yet, though you could have," Desaad attacked John with a wave of his hand, interrupting his teleport spell. - Now you have no magic left in you, you can't escape.
«Come on, I didn't mean to run away. You bastard would have followed us on the trail of my magic. Wasn't that your original plan? - John grinned faintly.
«Oh... you got me. And really, without mana, you can't create a good barrier to keep me from finding you. If you'd gone with them, you'd have just been the beacon that led me straight to my friends. Well, I commend you for being smart, John Constantine. A miserable rat like you would make a fine servant for me.
«Yeah... you're dreaming," John gave him a peck on the cheek.
"I don't know why I did that, but why not?"
John kicked Kara sharply, causing her to awaken.
«Hey, girl, quit laying around. You know what to do, get out while the Great One uses me as bait.
Karen looked at him uncertainly, and looked around-the para-demons had surrounded them. And at their head was Desaad. She might be able to escape alone, but with him... apparently he wasn't lying.
«Don't listen to him, maiden. John Constantine is the only mage not under Apocalypse's control. If you lose him, your hopes of winning will fade forever.
Karen bit her lip.
«He's right, John, I can't leave you.
John shook his head and grinned, casting a cold glance at Desaad.
«Don't be ridiculous, grayface. In your brain, we had no chance of winning in the first place. Stop messing with the girl's head and fuck off. All the more reason... it's an equal exchange, Desaad. There was one miscalculation in your plans.
«A miscalculation? - Desaad arched an eyebrow.
«That's right. Right now, there's a mage near Willard Light who's as good as me in skill, no, I'd say she's much better than me," he smiled proudly, and that smile struck Desaad as odd.
«You're not making any sense.
«Is that so? Let me explain something to you... in front of you right now is the only person who has managed to regain his sanity after your brainwashing.
Desaad lowered his gaze to Karen.
«And that man was brought back to memory by Willard Light.
Desaad's lips trembled.
«Right, I see you've got it all figured out, smartass. Willard Light is now trapped in a spell created by Zatanna. And the only way to escape is to get Zatanna to break the spell. The only way to do that is to get her back to normal," John grinned, "In other words, not only have you left a powerful wizard with the only person who can give her back her mind, but you've conditioned Willard Light to give her back her consciousness," John said firmly, becoming serious.
«Don't tell me you've been in advance...? - A surprised Karen asked.
«You'd better not think about nonsense, girl. It's none of your business," John said calmly, exhaling.
«That your plan will work has a miserable chance," Desaad hissed.
«Yes, I agree, but look at you, Desaad," John grinned, "you, as one of Darkseid's geniuses, his right-hand man, should know that even a ten percent chance is a truly terrifying figure when your own life is on the line.
The enraged Desaad cupped his hands in a powerful magic spell, and threw it at John. At the same time, John shoved Karen in the shoulder and shouted:
«RUN!
***
A few weeks later.
«Willard's clash with Steppenwolf caused us to split up for a while, but it's for the best, because now we know how to win," Vanessa said.
The Royal Hall of Atlantis.
Arthur nodded thoughtfully. Vanessa sat at the table across from him with a grim expression, her chin propped on her palm. It was obvious that she was having doubts.
«So he was able to remove Zatanna's control.
«Yes, but not without the help of John Constantine.
«What about him?
«Karen said he died during the battle with Deesad. Took him with him.
«What a shame, he was a powerful mage.
«No doubt about it, but if he went over to the enemy's side, we'd be in big trouble. Although John Constantine claimed that Zatanna was stronger than him, he was far superior in intelligence and cunning. And for a wizard, those qualities are more important than magical power.
Considering the fact that magic itself was virtually limitless, John Constantine was too dangerous.
Vanessa sighed heavily and got up from her chair. She and Arthur continued their conversation on their way to the balcony. There they had a beautiful view of the underwater city, which was like a work of art. A white circle of buildings and walls encompassed a vast space, towering upward with beautiful structures from ancient antiquity. Everything was here, ancient columns, graceful statues of sea creatures, marvelous gardens, sublime architecture in the manner of an underwater kingdom. Everywhere Vanessa's gaze fell, everything was beautiful.
And yet the sky, or rather the sea surface, was darkened by a shadow looming over the city. There were many of them. The ships of the Apocalypse hovered above the blue dome that sheltered Atlantis from enemy invasion. All the time they had been here, the sounds of thudding blows, explosions, and the restless air shaking inside the sea walls could be heard.
Placing her hand on the balustrade, Vanessa could feel her trembling.
«How much longer can the dome hold? - She asked, eyeing the frightened citizens of Atlantis with a subdued stare. Very young children walked the roads and looked around. Their mothers were with them.
Arthur replied glumly:
«I don't know, I'd like to believe long enough, but I can't promise anything. All we can do is temporarily go into battle with Apocalypse to ease the pressure on the dome, otherwise they can break through faster. Hopefully by then you and Willard will have had time to hack into Wayne-Taver. Where is he now, by the way?
«He's with Zatanna. They're getting ready.
«Are they being groomed?
"Actually... there were more reasons why he shouldn't be here," Vanessa thought as she looked up at Apocalypse's huge black ship.
***
«Just a little while longer and, uh.
"You sure this is going to go smoothly, kid?" - Kurama hummed, eyeing the iron box Willard had set up in the darkened room.
«Yeah, since Zatanna came over to our side, it's been harder to catch me.
Finished installing the device, Will stood up with a sigh and looked around. The reddening walls in the dark bay of the ship that belonged to Apocalypse. All the para-demons were outside, and the ship was mostly controlled from the commander's bridge, and sometimes it was just put on autopilot, entrusting all the work to a highly advanced AI. Apocalypse's advanced technology was their own weak point, of course, solely because Vanessa had quietly studied their devices, hacked into them, and allowed Willard to walk around the enemy ship with no problem. If it weren't for Vanessa, playing with someone else's defenses like that would simply not have been possible.
Even if Will had been spotted, he would have gotten away sooner. Vanessa's virus made it easier to walk around the enemy's base, saving energy and allowing them to attack stealthily and unpredictably.
Will could put a bomb in the NORTH of America and then in the SOUTH, and detonate them in different sequences. For example, detonate the bomb in the SOUTH first and then in the NORTH. The enemy might think that the first bomb was placed in the SOUTH, even though it wasn't. And while they're trying to figure out when their system failed, Will will strike again.
Walking around the compartment, Will inadvertently bumped into a para-demon, and knocked him out with a punch to the chin in a matter of moments.
"I see you've already fully adapted to the ability," Kurama remarked importantly.
«Kind of, after that run-in with Steppenwolf, a lot has changed. Minato and I have combined our minds, and I'm much stronger than I was before," Will said, lightly shaping the unnegan in his hand. An instant later, the orb disappeared. Will disappeared with it.
Then the explosives went off, and Apocalypse's ship was torn from the inside by a massive explosion.
***
A couple seconds after Apocalypse's ship is blown up.
Will emerged in one of the ruined houses, and threw off his outer clothing. He was greeted by dusty air, wallpaper yellowed with dirt, floor holes, and a white blanket that had become absolutely filthy, littered with debris from the ruined walls. Miraculously, this house had somehow survived.
Will walked into the bathroom and turned on the water. Wow, but even it worked. It was nothing short of a miracle!
Will washed his face and sighed, looking at himself through the cracked mirror. Bruises under his eyes, a few scars across his face from battles. Wiped his face with his hand, spitting into the sink. A deep white scar stretched across his neck and just below his collarbones, a scar left by the Steppenwolf in the last battle.
«A lot has changed," he said to himself and walked out of the bathroom.
The transmitter on his cloak vibrated. Will picked it up and accepted the call.
«You did a great job. Seven ships have been destroyed already," Zatanna said. - Will you be there soon?
«Give me a little break," he said, looking at the overturned frames that lay on the surviving part of the floor. Just a couple steps away, a balcony began, which was abruptly cut off by an ugly stump of concrete. It had been blown off by some kind of attack, or maybe it had fallen off in an earthquake, hell knows which way the world was going to hell.
«You should think less of the mundane, Will. We don't have much time left.
«I know.
«Then we'll rest. All of us," she said seriously.
Will squatted silently, touched the cracked frame, and turned it over. There was a picture of them with Kara, and she was smiling there, and so was he, except that part of his face was darkened, slightly burned from the fire.
«We need your help in Gotham. The Beta Squad is in a pincer," Zatanna said.
«Okay, okay, I'm on my way," he cut himself off. - Damn, they don't even let me rest for a second," he muttered, finally standing up.
"Don't be childish, they won't survive without you. You single-handedly cost an entire platoon of the enemy, and there's practically nothing left of these... locals," Kurama said.
«Don't teach the scientist.
Will dressed quickly and threw on his black cloak. A flash of lightning illuminated the gloomy room, and he disappeared, leaving a deep silence and his own memories of bygone days.
***
A sky on fire, endless palming, and houses flying apart in cheeks.
«Ya-hoo!
Harley Quinn jumped from the store onto the crumpled car, and waved her hand at the para-demons chasing her. When they emerged at the edge of the house, the bombs beneath their feet exploded.
«Now that's what I call a kick-ass party! Hey, Rick, how are you doing? - Harley asked, squatting down beside the man who was writhing in pain. The poor guy had been crushed by a car that had been thrown on him by... someone?
Rick choked on his own blood and lay dead on the pavement.
«Mm... I see, you don't have to answer that. I'll take your gun then, if you don't mind.....
Harley pulled a Smith 5906, 9x19 parabellum from the pouch on her chest and twirled it in her hands. She curled her lips at the fact that it belonged to the cops, and immediately fired it at the para-demon flying by. He didn't care, by the way; the bullet just bounced off and fell sadly to the pavement, crumpled like shit.
«That's why cops are assholes! How can they be trusted with the law when their guns can't even penetrate a para-demon!
Meanwhile, the para-demon had already flown into Harley, turning the asphalt beneath his feet into crumbs. But Harley was gone. She was gone.
Not finding a corpse under his paws, the para-demon looked around in surprise, trying to find his prey. But among the ruined streets and fighting people, the weirdo with the painted face wasn't there. He could only see the rest of the humans, some of whom were holding their defenses and shooting back at his fellow humans. But the para-demons were rapidly pushing through the humans, tearing them to pieces.
The para-demon had already forgotten about Harley Quinn, and with a smirk, ran off to kill other humans before others took all the fun away!
***
Harley just slammed her eyes shut, and she was already on the roof of the ruined McDonald's restaurant. Will stood off to the side, putting his foot on the railing, and scowled at the piles of para-demons that were attacking people. From his vantage point, every single one of them was moving slowly, and he could allow for a little chatter.
«I could have done it myself," Harley hummed, hinting at his unnecessary help.
«Yeah, right. Did you find the food yet?
Food is the main problem they've been puzzling over for weeks now.
«No, but there's good news.
«Like what? - Will arched an eyebrow.
«Rick's hoofed off, so we need to look for less food! - Harley smiled at all thirty-two of them and gave a thumbs-up.
Will groaned, and put his palm to his face.
«Hey, they're gonna kill Clara in there!
It was happening at the gas station. A couple of demons were already swinging to blow Clara's head off, and not just one, there were a lot of them all over the street.
They shouldn't have been spotted, but they were, and an innocent foray for food turned into a massacre.
Just as the para-demon's paw touched Clara's hair, Will was engulfed in a yellow glow. Harley blinked, and all the Para-demons fell to the ground with their heads bashed in. Clara's eyes flapped as she fell on her butt next to Harley, having traveled several hundred meters in an instant.
«How did you manage to get caught? - Will exhaled, glancing at Harley.
«Well...you know...someone accidentally shot Peter in the head," Harley said, curving her lips.
«Unintentionally?
«That fuckin' bitch shot him in the head because he accidentally touched her thigh! - Clara shouted, pointing at Harley.
«It was an accident! That son of a bitch decided to harass me at the rotten vegetable counter! I almost threw up! - Harley said, and then leaned over to Will and whispered," He actually pissed me off because he's a fat freak. But if you want, we can have a quiet fuck, because I'm exhausted," Harley whispered, squirming her hips in her tight shorts.
***
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