Superman hovered above the battlefield, his cape billowing, his presence undeniable. The burning wreckage of the Kryptonian warship crackled behind him, casting flickering shadows over the Hall of Justice ruins. The rebels stood frozen, caught between defiance and terror.
Batman did not move. His stance remained unshaken, but even he could not ignore the overwhelming force before them.
Superman's voice boomed across the battlefield, a declaration that silenced the chaos.
"This is your last chance."
His gaze swept over the gathered rebels—men and women he once called friends. Green Arrow. Black Canary. Cyborg. Flash. John Constantine. Even Bruce.
"I have given this world peace." His tone was not angry, but measured. Unwavering.
"I have ended war, suffering, and chaos. I have done what no government, no hero, no ideology ever could."
His eyes glowed faintly, not in anger—but warning.
"Yet, you resist me."
The tension was suffocating. Captain Atom, still recovering from his battle with Cyborg, clenched his fists. Barry's hands trembled at his sides.
Superman took a step forward in the air, his boots barely a breath above the rubble.
"Surrender. Now. Lay down your weapons, and I will forgive this."
The rebels stole glances at each other. Was this a trick? A trap? Or… was there still a sliver of the man they once knew inside the God-King?
Batman was the first to speak.
"Forgive us?" His voice was laced with disdain. "For daring to fight for freedom?"
Superman's jaw tightened.
"I gave you the chance to build a better world beside me." His voice dropped lower. "Instead, you try to burn it down."
Batman took a step forward. "You rule through fear, Clark. The moment people stop agreeing with you, they disappear. The world isn't free—it's afraid of you."
Superman's expression darkened. "The world is safer than it has ever been."
Black Canary's voice rang out. "At what cost?"
Superman turned his gaze toward her. "A world without cost is a world without pain. Without suffering. I have taken that burden from humanity."
The silence stretched.
Then, Flash spoke.
"…And what if we say no?"
Superman exhaled. It was not the breath of a man giving up. It was the breath of a king making a decision.
He floated higher, looking down at them—not in arrogance, but finality.
"Then you leave me no choice."
The ground trembled.
The air crackled with energy.
And in that moment, the war truly began.
To Be Continued…