The world was burning . Skyscrapers in Metropolis, once monuments of human ambition, were reduced to molten spires under Ultraman's heat vision. His laughter echoed above the ruins, cruel and proud, as he hovered over a shattered Daily Planet globe. Across the oceans, Johnny Quick and Power Ring tore through military fleets trying to stop them, broadcasting the slaughter to every channel on Earth. Governments fell into chaos. Satellites went offline one by one. The Crime Syndicate had arrived, and within hours, the Earth had fallen. Now, it has been nearly 3 days since they arrived and the Justice League apparently vanished after their identity was revealed. Without their protectors, the nations gave up hope. Only Amanda Waller stood resisting. She was gathering all meta humans to defend against the threat. Even the criminals locked at Belle Rive prison was released in a desperate attempt for a last stand. Only two nations stood untouched in all this: Eternia and Vonarland. Their skies were quiet. Their cities shimmered like islands of order amid madness. The Syndicate's sensors avoided those lands entirely, as if an invisible hand warned them away. Even Ultraman didn't risk it. Rumors spread that the "God-King" of those nations had returned, and even devils feared his name. But elsewhere, chaos was complete. In Washington, remnants of the U.S. government hid beneath the Capitol's ruins. "Minutemen", the Syndicate's soldiers, enforced martial law in their name, rounding up metahumans, killing anyone who resisted. Europe split in two as French Parliament declared allegiance to "President Owlman." While Britain had gathered all the mages of the Clocktower to put up a barrier to resist. The Crime Syndicate attacked them in response, But Superwoman was unable to break through their defenses. Owlman was analyzing the magic of this world for counter measures, but he couldn't find any. It was too different and complex from any other magic. Asia fell into panic when LexCorp's satellites broadcast footage of the Syndicate executing the Justice League. It wasn't true, but fear didn't care about truth anymore. In the Syndicate's Fortress — Parallel to the ruins of Metropolis Owlman sat before a massive screen, scrolling through endless streams of data. The room was dark, lit only by the flicker of red code. Every heartbeat in the city above pulsed through his monitors. He wasn't smiling. Behind him, Superwoman walked in and wrapped her arms around him, her tone casual yet sensual."You look tired, darling," she said, tracing a finger along his armored shoulder. "Too much work for one man, even one as obsessed as you." She was in a relationship with Ultraman, but she was cheating on him with Owlman. She even had an affair with Lex.For her, it was all about doing whatever she wanted. And she felt a twisted pleasure in this. But for some reason, Owlman's nihilistic tendencies drew her in. Owlman's eyes didn't leave the screen. "Obsession is what separates us from them. Without control, this world will eat itself faster than we ever could." "Control?" she laughed softly, sliding her hand around his throat. "You want control, but all you've done is replace chaos with your own brand of madness." Owlman shrugged. " I believe Conquest and power are all pointless. All our powers and riches don't mean anything in the grand scheme." Superwoman chuckled. " Darling, how is that pointless? We are conquerors. We rule entire worlds. We are rich enough to live as we please. Isn't this the perfect life?" Owlman pointed at the screen that showed different earths. " And here on this earth, we're poor. There, we were never born. In here, we probably were just another ordinary human. Our strength and riches don't mean anything if the universe itself is flawed." He turned slightly, his expression unreadable. "You mistake purpose for madness. The difference between me and Ultraman is that I understand the multiverse. He's content being a tyrant here. I want to end the cycle." Her eyes narrowed. "End it how?" Owlman zoomed in on the digital map — billions of universes spiraling across the void."Every universe follows the same flawed pattern. Good rises, evil challenges it, balance returns, until entropy wins. But if I destroy the root," He pointed at the center, a glowing axis labeled Prime Earth."All others collapse with it." Superwoman leaned in closer, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "And then what? You become God?" "No," he replied coldly. "I become the last man standing. Of course, like all beings, I'll need a partner to stand beside me. The drawback of being human. " Her hand slipped from his neck to his chest. "Mmm, sounds romantic. And if Ultraman finds out?" "He won't," Owlman said simply. "He's too busy playing king."He paused, meeting her gaze. "And you, you'll keep that mouth of yours shut, won't you, Lois?" She smirked, pressing her lips to his cheek. "Only if you keep things… interesting." Outside, thunder cracked — not from storms, but from the sound of Ultraman throwing another aircraft through a skyscraper. Owlman didn't flinch. He only whispered, almost to himself: "Let him burn it all. The more chaos there is, the easier it'll be to erase everything." Gotham had become a war zone. Fires lined the horizon. Abandoned GCPD cruisers lay overturned, bullet holes marking their last stand. Even the criminals plaguing Gotham for years stood beside the cops against the new overlords, but their weapons didn't help against them. But within the city's heart, one house still stood untouched. An old greek style mansion cloaked by wards invisible to the naked eye. Inside, the Justice League gathered. bruised, battered, but alive. Diana leaned against the wall, her armor scorched from battle. Flash sat on the couch, hands shaking from exhaustion. Arthur nursed a cracked rib. Hank was in his human form, lounging on the sofa, the only hero not injured. Clark's cape was torn nearly in half, his face marked with bruises that refused to heal, a rare sight. Faora was applying human medicine on them, making him chuckle . Lex Luthor from Earth-3 was sitting tensely, thinking about possible countermeasures to take. He was losing hope. Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩 Green Lantern went to OA to ask for reinforcement and explain the situation. Shazam was out, searching for Cyborg's location. The Hawk duo decided to go on their own and fight. And then there was Bruce, standing near the window, mask still on, his silhouette calm despite the chaos outside. Across from him sat professor Athena Pallas of Gotham university, or rather, the Greek goddess of wisdom and war, Athena., dressed in plain human clothes, sipping tea like the world wasn't ending. Diana recognized her immediately and asked Bruce why did he bring them here, and did he know about her true identity. He assured them that she can be trusted. Athena also spoke to Diana privately telling her that she was done being a goddess, she just wanted to live peacefully without worries. "Feels strange," Flash muttered. "The world falling apart, and Batman's hosting a tea party. And why are we even here?" Athena smirked faintly. "When the storm rages, calm minds prevail. Would you prefer screaming in panic like the mortals outside?" "Touché," Barry muttered. Bruce finally turned from the window, voice low but steady."We can't stay hidden for long. They're moving fast. Power Ring's drones already swept Blüdhaven and Keystone. Gotham's next. It's only standing because they didn't think we would stay right where we fought." Superman frowned. "We can't take them head-on. Not after what happened in Metropolis." "They're not gods, Clark," Bruce replied. "They're predators. Predictable, but lethal. They are what we could have become if we lost our conscience. We just need the right leverage." "Leverage?" Arthur scoffed. "Against people who can crush tanks with their fists?" "Exactly," Bruce said, tone unshaken. "Which is why we stop playing heroes and start thinking like them. But we won't stoop to their level. We will beat them." Athena chuckled softly. "You've learned well from him, beloved." Diana froze mid-step. "Beloved?" The room went silent. Bruce turned slightly, his jaw tightening. Athena smiled faintly, as if savoring the moment. He sighed seeing her teasing look, as if waiting to see him refute it. "Wait," Barry blinked, looking between them. "You two are?" Athena raised a brow. "Yes. Lovers. Companions. Call it what you wish." Clark blinked. "Bruce… you and a literal goddess?" Bruce exhaled quietly. "It's a long story." Diana stared between them, conflicted. She knew Athena was punished by her father, then set free. She didn't think a goddess would change so much. Finally, she spoke calmly. "How long?" "A few years," Athena replied before Bruce could. "He found me when I was wandering. Living as a mortal in this city. He saved me, in more ways than one. And I saw through his loneliness and decided to fill that void." Barry let out a whistle. "Well, that's one hell of a power couple." Bruce glared at him, pulling off his cowl. His face was tired, human, vulnerable."No more masks," he said simply. "Not between us. The world's ending again, and secrets won't save it this time. Since we all know our identities already, it's fair that you know mine." Barry splurted out his drink, "Hang on, Bruce Wayne?! You're Batman! " Arthur chuckled. " A billionaire playboy dressing up as a bat to fight crime. Can't make that up." Luthor smirked. "It doesn't matter much to me. But I appreciate the gesture." Clark and Hank already knew his identity, as did Diana. Clark nodded slowly. "Then let's start rebuilding trust." Bruce gestured toward the table, where holograms flickered to life, scans of the Syndicate, maps of global chaos, and missing locations."The Watchtower's gone," he said. "Not destroyed, gone. Someone took it." Arthur frowned. "Ultraman?" "No. This wasn't brute force," Bruce replied. "This was precision. Like it was pulled out of existence." Athena leaned back, crossing her arms. "Perhaps it was your father, Diana." Diana's expression hardened instantly. "Don't start." Athena smirked. "You underestimate him. He's probably watching all this, sipping wine, wondering whether to interfere. He does have a fondness for humanity." Clark looked between them. "Your father?" Diana sighed. "I suppose I should tell you. It's just I didn't want you to see me differently , or as someone's daughter. I always wanted to be treated as myself. " She took a deep breath, then spoke. " My true Name is Diana Elric. I am the daughter of Edward Elric, the great hero of mankind and occasionally worshipped as a divine being." Barry blinked. "Holy Shit! That's your dad? The one who took down Olympus and vanished for centuries? The Guy who single handedly stopped the world war? The guy who literally has a shrine in my house?!" Diana sighed. " I knew you might react like that. Yes, the same man is my father. And if Athena is right… he's probably already aware of what's happening. But he didn't intervene either because he didn't want us to rely on him and grow , or he's otherwise occupied. " Athena's smirk softened slightly. "I don't mock him, child. I respect him. He freed me when I'd long given up on redemption. If he chooses to act, the Syndicate won't last a day." Arthur shook his head. " If he can restore a destroyed world, destroying a few villains won't be a problem for him." Hank nodded. "As per the records, he seems to have several forms. I saw him during the Darkseid invasion. He stopped Darkseid's daughter with.... Some unconventional methods." Diana groaned. " Yes. Among other things, he has a knack for making different women fall for him." She didn't mention that he was married literally to Death herself. Clark asked curiously. " Then why doesn't he stop all this? If he's such a great hero, why not stop it before happening?" Diana clenched her fist. " That's exactly why. Everyone took him for granted, just like us. He didn't have to do anything for humans, yet he kept on saving them, guiding them. Even when they weren't worthy. Even when the very humans he saved raised their weapons against him, he didn't raze their countries to the ground. But he also understood if he kept guiding them, humans will see it as if he was controlling them, even if it was for their good. They might even think there's a hidden purpose behind his kindness. So he wanted to walk away and let you grow and develop on your own, make your own choices, while he protects you from unknown threats. " Bruce tapped the table. "Then the world war happened." Diana nodded solemnly. " Yes. He decided that it was enough, and he can't keep playing babysitter anymore. So he undid the damage, and left. He had sacrificed thousands of years for them, staying away from his family despite wanting to find peace." She looked down . "Do you know how it feels when your father, the person you love and want to spend time with, stays away for decades helping humans all across the world? He of course spent time with me whenever he could. He never made an excuse. He only tried his best for both his family and the humans. I became a hero so that I could lessen his burden, so he could spend more time with my siblings without worrying about the world falling apart in his absence. But it always end up being his job to save everyone." She sighed. Athena also sighed. " Despite him and me not agreeing on certain matters, I respect him. It takes resolve to do what he does." Bruce nodded. " It's not fair to rely on one man forever to solve everything. We must be strong enough to protect ourselves. And as the latest events have shown, human greed is something beyond control. " Diana replied with anger. " That's why I feel father was too kind. Humans will always forget, most of them anyway. Look at us, they wanted to make us their servants, leashed like a dog." Hank spoke softly. " You're not wrong to be angry Diana. Bu5 don't blame the innocent for a few people's actions. The governments and politicians might have acted against us and manipulated news to turn people against us, many still supported the league." Clark also agreed. " The people at the top often don't represent what the common people thinks. After we fix this, we can deal with it." Bruce nodded. "Yes. First we have to save the world." The meeting stretched deep into the night. The League argued strategy, resources, and survival. Bruce listened to everyone, his mind already ten steps ahead. Athena watched him quietly — her immortal eyes full of pride. Finally, Diana spoke, her voice breaking the murmurs. "Then it's settled. We fight. Not as symbols — but as people. We take back our world." Clark nodded. "Together." Bruce looked around the room. "Then let's remind the Syndicate what happens when you underestimate humanity." The lights flickered as thunder cracked outside; unnatural, powerful. Athena rose from her seat, eyes narrowing. "Something's happening," she murmured. "What ?" Bruce asked. She shook her head. " I can't sense it. But we are running out of time." In Moscow, power plants exploded as Minutemen seized control of energy grids. In Tokyo, Power Ring's corrupted constructs destroyed entire police forces. America's skies turned red under Ultraman's heat. Panic ruled everything. Eternia's skies stayed clear, protected by unseen wards. Vonarland's rune-barriers shimmered quietly, repelling every attempt at invasion. Other nations were trying to seek refuge there, but they were refused. They only gave one answer. " We didn't drive away your protectors. You did. Now you can oy hope the Eternal one might take pity on you again. Newscasters whispered the same question through trembling voices: "Why hasn't the Great Hero Edward intervened?" "Is he watching? Is he still alive?" "Will he save us again?" The cameras caught glimpses of strange auroras near the upper atmosphere, cracks of divine energy, as if the world itself waited for a forgotten hero to return. And somewhere, in Avalon's endless skies, Edward sat quietly, watching it all unfold. He didn't feel it was fun to see the suffering. But just swooping down and saving people doesn't solve the problems." He could end it in an instant. But as he once told his wives- sometimes, the world had to learn to face its monsters without him.