Marvel 1919 : Rise of an Empire

Observing Steppenwolf and the numerous Parademons in the chamber below, Diana quickly formulated a tactical approach. "We flank them from the opposite side, establish a perimeter, then launch a coordinated surprise attack," she whispered to the team.

At that moment, Steppenwolf examined the memory projections extracted from his captive and growled with satisfaction, "You have been in proximity to a Mother Box. Its energy signature clings to you like a stench."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the terrified man struggled to respond through his fear.

"Where is it?" Steppenwolf tightened his grip, and the man's pained gasps echoed through the chamber.

"Release him! He doesn't know anything!" Dr. Silas Stone, Cyborg's father, shouted desperately from across the room.

Dr. Stone now understood with crushing clarity that the Mother Box these nightmarish aliens sought was precisely the artifact he had been secretly researching in his laboratory. Seeing innocent people suffer for his work filled him with overwhelming guilt, compelling him to intervene despite the obvious danger.

Steppenwolf's predatory attention immediately shifted to this new voice. He carelessly hurled his current victim aside, the man's body slamming against the concrete wall with a sickening impact.

The alien general bent down and seized Dr. Stone from the floor, inhaling deeply as he analyzed the energy traces surrounding the scientist.

"You also carry its scent," Steppenwolf observed with growing interest, "and yours is much stronger."

"I'd rather die than tell you anything!" Dr. Stone declared, meeting Steppenwolf's gaze with unwavering resolve.

"If you refuse to cooperate, death is precisely what you'll receive," Steppenwolf replied softly, as if discussing something as mundane as the weather. He raised his massive free hand, positioning it to deliver what would undoubtedly be a crushing blow to the scientist's skull.

If Steppenwolf had followed through with that strike, it would have required less effort than a normal person crushing a watermelon.

Cyborg, who had been monitoring the situation with growing desperation, finally reached his breaking point. Unable to watch his father face execution, he tore the metal railing from the observation platform.

His left arm unconsciously transformed into a plasma cannon, mechanical components shifting and reconfiguring with fluid precision.

Without hesitation, Cyborg raised his weaponized arm and fired two concentrated energy blasts at Steppenwolf. The second shot found its mark, striking the alien general squarely in the torso and causing him to reflexively loosen his grip on Dr. Stone.

Moving with enhanced cybernetic speed, Cyborg swooped down and extracted his father from Steppenwolf's grasp while simultaneously clearing away the spider like memory parasites that had been attached to the older man's head.

Dr. Stone looked up at his transformed son, the boy who had just saved his life, and whispered with profound emotion, "Victor..."

Just as a Parademon prepared to ambush Cyborg from behind, Diana abandoned all pretense of stealth. She burst from cover, her ancient sword piercing the creature's chest in a single, fluid motion that spoke of millennia of combat experience.

Steppenwolf, witnessing the sudden appearance of this new warrior, immediately recognized her heritage. "An Amazon," he said with grudging respect, "but unlike your sisters, you possess true power."

His gaze shifted to his electro axe lying several feet away. Diana clearly noticed Steppenwolf's intention to retrieve his primary weapon, and in that instant, the battle erupted in earnest.

Diana launched herself at the alien general, her momentum carrying both of them into the concrete wall with enough force to leave a crater like impression. Despite the devastating impact, Steppenwolf emerged without so much as a scratch, and the collision had positioned him perfectly to reclaim his weapon.

Immediately, numerous Parademons began their assault, filling the air with a barrage of energy blasts from their weapons. Although Diana successfully deflected every shot with her indestructible shield, the constant defense slowed her offensive capabilities considerably.

Steppenwolf, suspended momentarily against the damaged wall, realized he hadn't encountered a truly worthy opponent since arriving on this primitive world. Seeing Diana's exceptional skill ignited his warrior's instincts. He wanted to claim this hunt for himself.

"Amazon!" Steppenwolf launched himself from the wall with explosive force, closing the distance to Diana in a single bound. The two exchanged a lightning fast series of strikes before separating, each taking the measure of their opponent.

The surrounding Parademons, seeing their commander engaged in single combat, moved to surround Diana with their weapons ready.

"Back!" Steppenwolf commanded the aerial Parademons preparing to overwhelm his adversary. "This prey belongs to me!"

The flying creatures, possessing no authority to disobey their general's direct orders, reluctantly dispersed to engage other targets.

"I belong to no one!" Diana shouted back with fierce pride, her voice carrying the righteous anger of her warrior heritage.

The two titans clashed again, the electrical energy crackling from their weapons creating a barrier that prevented the lesser Parademons from approaching. Sparks flew with each impact, and their battle became a spectacular display of superhuman combat.

Meanwhile, Batman and Flash abandoned their observation post and leaped down from the upper level to engage the remaining Parademons in their own battles.

Seeing the enthusiasm his teammates displayed for direct confrontation, George decided not to be a spoilsport. Instead, he moved toward the group of kidnapped civilians.

With a practiced gesture, he conjured a mystical portal wreathed in golden sparks. It was a dimensional gateway leading directly to safety outside Stryker's Island.

Barry, even while engaged in combat, found time to dash to George's side and observe the magical phenomenon. "That's incredibly cool!" he exclaimed with genuine admiration.

CRASH!

Another Parademon went flying courtesy of Flash's instantaneous acceleration, the creature's body impacting the wall with bone crushing force before sliding motionless to the floor.

George was too preoccupied to engage with Barry's chatty personality at the moment. Instead, he called out to Cyborg, "Get them through quickly!"

Cyborg immediately lifted the man who had been injured when Steppenwolf threw him against the wall earlier, then shouted to his father and the other civilians, "Move! Now!"

When some of the rescued individuals hesitated to approach the otherworldly portal, Cyborg demonstrated its safety by stepping through first, leading by example.

Dr. Stone, seeing his son had already crossed to safety, abandoned any lingering hesitation and quickly followed.

George gestured urgently with both hands, maintaining the portal's stability while appearing appropriately busy. "Everyone through! Quickly now!"

BANG! CRASH!

George couldn't help but steal a glance at Batman, who was being systematically overpowered by a particularly aggressive Parademon. Truly a concerning sight.

Of course, it wasn't that Bruce was deliberately restraining himself. The Parademon's full body armor rendered most of Batman's martial arts techniques ineffective.

Moreover, Bruce, possessing only peak human physique, was equipped with his standard patrol suit rather than his heavy combat armor, leaving him at a significant disadvantage in terms of raw strength.

Under these circumstances, it wasn't surprising that he found himself outmatched by the alien warrior.

Although this rescue operation took considerable time to describe, in reality all the kidnapped civilians passed through the dimensional gateway in mere seconds. These people were so desperate to escape their nightmare that they wished they possessed additional legs to run even faster.

After ensuring the civilians were safe, Cyborg returned through the portal and shared a meaningful look with his father on the other side. Neither spoke, but both nodded in acknowledgment of their mutual understanding.

George, having little patience for emotional family moments during active combat, closed the spatial gateway with a dismissive wave.

"Go assist Bruce," George instructed Cyborg.

At that moment, Bruce had managed to eliminate the Parademon that had been overwhelming him. Hearing George's suggestion, he replied without turning around, "Not necessary."

It seemed Bruce's traditional no kill rule didn't extend to hostile alien invaders.

Countless Parademons launched another coordinated assault on the team, their energy weapons creating such a dense barrage that conventional evasion became virtually impossible.

Naturally, when facing such overwhelming firepower, only Bruce struggled with mobility and defense.

Cyborg simply activated his flight systems and took to the air, avoiding the ground based attack entirely. Flash darted to a secure corner with superhuman speed, easily outpacing the energy blasts.

George's solution was characteristically efficient. With a casual gesture, he manifested a shimmering blue protective barrier around himself.

Any energy that struck his mystical shield was simply absorbed and converted. Although each individual blast provided almost imperceptibly small amounts of usable energy, George subscribed to the philosophy that every little bit counts, and he never refused free power.

Bruce, meanwhile, found himself considerably busier, constantly utilizing his upgraded gauntlets to absorb and redirect the energy blasts he couldn't physically avoid.

Of course, the three enhanced members of the team had no intention of watching their ally struggle alone. They swiftly coordinated to eliminate an entire squadron of aerial Parademons, providing Bruce with much needed breathing room.

"Those gauntlets are quite impressive," George commented while maintaining his protective shield and hurling fireballs at advancing Parademons, his tone carrying just a hint of teasing.

Bruce rolled his eyes but didn't dignify the comment with a verbal response. Instead, he activated his communication system to contact Alfred, who had been maintaining tactical silence.

"Alfred, I need the Nightcrawler deployed immediately."

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