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*****
"What did you do? This is impossible!"
Finding itself suddenly severed from its connection to fear energy, Parallax let out a howl of pure disbelief.
"Seal!"
Within the sanctum of the Tenbu Horin, George's cat paw traced a sigil in the air. Manifestations of golden Buddhas appeared one by one, their divine pressure grinding Parallax down until the entity was compressed into a dense, yellow orb.
With a casual yawn, George swallowed the orb whole, beginning the internal process of analyzing the power of the Yellow Lantern.
"Where is Parallax?"
Hal Jordan caught up just in time to see George and the monster vanish, only for George to reappear alone moments later. He rushed forward, voice urgent.
"Dealt with. I'm heading out—remember to show up at headquarters tomorrow for the meeting," George replied nonchalantly.
Before Hal could respond, George vanished in a blur of teleportation, leaving the Green Lantern stunned. It was inconceivable. Parallax, a cosmic threat the entire Green Lantern Corps couldn't handle, had been extinguished by George in a single move.
The implication was staggering: George's individual power far exceeded the combined might of the Green Lantern Corps. It meant that while the Justice League was an Earth-based organization, it was already more formidable than the greatest peacekeepers in the universe.
"I think I've joined something truly terrifying," Hal muttered to the empty air.
Two years later, the Batcave.
A diverse group of superheroes sat around a long, obsidian conference table. Over the past twenty-four months, thanks to George's deliberate recruitment efforts, the ranks of the Justice League had swelled significantly.
Beyond the founding members—Batman, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and George—the roster now included Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Atom, Hawkman, Black Canary, Elongated Man, Red Tornado, Shazam, and Black Adam.
The invitation of Black Adam had caused quite a stir; the volatile ruler of Kahndaq hadn't been keen on joining. Given that his raw power was second only to Superman's, his refusal was a problem. However, George eventually "persuaded him with virtue"—a process involving enough physical dominance to leave Black Adam thoroughly convinced and ready to sign on.
In two short years, the Justice League had become a household name globally. Even world governments were forced to acknowledge them. Denial was futile when a single member like Superman could theoretically dismantle a nation's entire military.
Of course, Superman's temperament would never allow for that. But not everyone in the League shared his patience—like Black Adam. This was exactly why George had pushed for Adam's inclusion. For certain "annoyances" and bureaucratic roadblocks, a man of Adam's temperament was often the most efficient solution.
Furthermore, Martian Manhunter's civilian identity as a high-ranking military official allowed for smooth, behind-the-scenes mediation with the authorities.
"Wayne, you called us here in a hurry. What's the situation?"
George, sitting at one head of the long table, broke the silence. Batman sat at the opposite end. George was the undisputed muscle of the League, the one even Superman and Black Adam deferred to. Batman was the intellect, the strategist who ensured the gears of the organization kept turning.
"The Mother Boxes are stirring. We received an emergency dispatch from Themyscira."
Batman's expression was grim as he turned toward Wonder Woman. Two years prior, after Diana had successfully convinced Cyborg to join, they had gained custody of the Mother Box that had facilitated Victor Stone's mechanical resurrection. At the time, through Diana, they had learned the origins of the boxes, but they hadn't been overly concerned.
The boxes had been guarded by the three races for millennia without incident; there was no logical reason to think they would fail now. However, logic rarely dictates the course of fate.
A few days ago, the Mother Boxes began to resonate. Even with the League's advanced technology, they couldn't decipher the cause—until the Queen of the Amazons sent word.
"Yesterday, the Mother Box on Paradise Island spontaneously opened a portal," Diana explained, her voice heavy. "Steppenwolf, a lieutenant of Darkseid, arrived on the island with a legion of Parademons. He took the Box by force."
She paused, looking around the room. "I suspect Steppenwolf intends to unite the three Mother Boxes to open a permanent Boom Tube, allowing Darkseid and the armies of Apokolips to descend upon Earth."
The members nodded. Between Diana's lore and Cyborg's inherent connection to the technology, they knew that the unity of the three boxes would create the "Unity," a terraforming event and a gateway for invasion. The ancient pact to separate them had been designed specifically to prevent this.
"So, if we take out Steppenwolf, we stop the invasion before it starts," Hal Jordan said, rubbing his chin. He didn't seem particularly worried. He wasn't the same man he was two years ago; his power had grown exponentially, to the point where even Thaal Sinestro was no longer his match. "Leave it to me. I'm on vacation anyway, I could use the exercise."
"Hal, do not be reckless," Diana warned. "Steppenwolf is far stronger than you imagine. He is not easily defeated."
The Amazonian warriors possessed strength far beyond the human limit, yet they had been helpless against him. Steppenwolf had torn his way through their defenses with terrifying ease. Diana knew that even she might struggle to face him alone.
"Diana is right. We cannot afford mistakes," Batman added, agreeing with her caution.
In truth, Batman wasn't afraid of Steppenwolf himself. The League was teeming with talent and anchored by a powerhouse like George. His real concern was the New Gods of Apokolips and Darkseid.
Thirty thousand years ago, it took the combined forces of the three races and the Old Gods to barely repel the invasion. Today, the technology and strength of Apokolips were likely far greater. If a full-scale invasion occurred, Earth might be reduced to a wasteland even if they eventually won.
"Here is the plan," George said, taking charge of the strategy. "Clark, Hal, Adam, Shazam, and Arthur—you five head to the location of the Mother Box guarded by the Atlanteans. If Steppenwolf shows up to claim it, capture him alive. As for the Box held here... I will guard it personally."
To George, neither Steppenwolf nor Darkseid posed a real threat. He was actually looking forward to the encounter as a legitimate excuse to draw out and study the power of the Anti-Life Equation.
He knew Darkseid didn't just want the boxes back or a new planet to occupy; with fifty thousand worlds already under his boot, Earth was a backwater. Darkseid's obsession stemmed from his previous defeat here—and the fact that the Anti-Life Equation was hidden somewhere on this very planet.
(End of Chapter)