The siren pierced the Watchtower, disrupting the peaceful buzz of the preceding training exercise. The Justice League members leapt into action, their expressions changing from tranquil concentration to urgency. I was at the room's center, the tension building within me.
"A full-scale invasion," Batman's tone broke through the din as he addressed the massive screen in the control room. A group of alien vessels floated just beyond Earth's atmosphere, weapons trained on the planet directly. "They're not here for peace."
Superman stood at the window, his face set. "This is not good. We must report to the frontlines."
I stepped forward, my mind already processing the situation. The League had trained, they had prepared but this was different. An alien invasion meant there was no room for doubt. No time for mistakes.
Diana stood by my side, her eyes glowing with determination. "What's the plan?"
I glanced at the screen. "We hit them hard and fast. No holding back."
Green Lantern, who had been a bit more subdued following our previous training session, had a word. "What if they have some sort of weapon to neutralize our powers?"
I looked him straight in the eye. "That's why we have to move together. I'll lead."
I could sense the heaviness of their gaze against me. They had seen what I was, but this was different. This was real. This was war.
---
We gathered in the Watchtower's hangar, dressed and prepared to meet whatever lay ahead. Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Diana, and I were all standing together, each of us prepared to defend the Earth to the best of our ability. The rest of the League had already been sent out, but it was obvious: the lion's share of the fight would be on our shoulders.
As we entered the atmosphere, the alien ships opened fire. Enormous energy blasts cut through the air, shattering the sky with angry explosions. The League was in action right away. Superman blasted off into the fray, his heat vision burning through one of the ships, while Green Lantern formed a shield around Flash, who sliced across the battlefield, disassembling the smaller vessels with precision speed.
Diana plunged ahead with hurricane like strength, bashing her sword into one of the bigger vessels, creating showers of sparks everywhere. She was incredibly strong, but I saw the effort it took her as she strained to break through the hull.
I breathed deeply, my mind already drawing on the full extent of my ability. I extended my senses, finding the largest of the enemy vessels in the distance. Without pause, I launched into the air, a flash of motion. I could feel the wind buffeting me, my muscles tensing with excitement as I climbed higher and higher, faster than ever before.
As soon as I came up to the enemy ship, I halted.
Time crept.
I could feel the frame of the ship trembling beneath my palms as I set my hands against the hull. The metal was ridiculously thick, built to hold off even the most ferocious attacks, but I wasn't going to attack it in the classical sense. I reached into it, warping physics to my command. In a flash of thought, I ripped a gaping hole in the side of the ship, metal screaming and crackling as I tore it to shreds. Inside, the alien warriors stood poised. Weapons lifted.
I smiled.
Big mistake.
It was over before they could react, slamming my fist into the closest soldier, sending him careening through the air like a ragdoll.
My power was like anything they had ever seen like the force of nature itself. The other soldiers hesitated for a moment, and that was all I required. In a single, sweeping movement, I swept the room clean of every single one of them, their bodies careening off the walls with bone-crunching power. Outside, the battle raged on. I could hear the League fighting, the symphony of destruction as they tore through the alien ships.
I needed to be part of it all. I fired back out of the ship, my senses now completely heightened to the mayhem around me. Superman was fighting with one of the alien commanders, their strength almost equal. But the commander lacked the speed and power I had. I landed beside them, grabbing the alien by the arm and twisting it in a single motion, making it scream in pain before I threw it into the atmosphere.
The other enemy ships continued their retreat, but the harm had already been accomplished. The League was forcing them back, and it was certain that the end was within view. But my gaze never turned from the horizon. The danger wasn't at an end not yet.
But for now, we had prevailed.
---
The fight was done in a matter of minutes, but already the aftermath was beginning to form. The League gathered around at the crater site left over from the final fight, the wreckage of the alien forces scattered across the battlefield. Superman swooped down beside me, mopping sweat from his forehead.
"Impressive," he said, his voice full of awe.
I nodded curtly. "It's not just about power. It's about knowing when to use it."
Diana settled down beside me, her expression a combination of fatigue and victory. "You did it. We did it."
I gazed at her, my eyes locking with hers. "We all did."
---
As the League kept up their cleanup and recovery efforts, I couldn't help but feel a sense of purpose building inside me. This was what I was for now to defend Earth, to lead them, and to open the potential within us all. But the fight was only just starting.
The universe had plenty of dangers and I would be prepared for all of them.
---
**End of Chapter 18**