The world was blur and static, like an old screen flickering in and out of sync. Elias's breath came in short, ragged bursts as he reappeared on the rooftop of a ruined building overlooking Gotham Narrows. His knees buckled. He dropped.
His skin steamed in the rain.
[SYSTEM WARNING]
Power Surge Detected
Energy Threshold Exceeded
34% Cellular Instability Present
[Quest: Survive the Awakening – 22 Hours Remaining]
He grunted, crawling toward cover as sirens began to echo in the distance. Behind his eyelids, images still flickered. A throne. A lash of light. The feeling of being torn into a thousand particles and remade — stronger, but not whole.
"Too much," Elias coughed. "What the hell did I do?"
You did not choose. You were chosen.
Omega Integration: 4%
Next Power Node: "Omega Eyes – Unlocked at Level 3"
Recommendation: Begin Combat Calibration
And then came the sound — a sonic boom, followed by a burst of red lightning across the sky.
"You've got company," the System whispered.
Elias turned. Red lightning blurred again — fast, impossibly fast.
A gust of wind. Then a blur stopped — and Barry Allen, the Flash, stood in front of him, breathing heavy, suit glowing.
"Okay," Barry said, holding up his hands, "you're the guy with the creepy glowy chest and the weird dimension-hopping signature, right? Batman says you're important."
"I'm not in the mood," Elias muttered.
"Oh, me neither. I was halfway through a burrito."
Another shape landed hard behind him, shaking the rooftop. A faint whirr of tech, a glow of red inside sleek black armor.
Cyborg.
"Vic," Elias muttered, recognition flickering. "You're the guy who talked to the Box."
"And you're the one playing with fire," Cyborg replied. His arm shifted into a cannon.
[Hostile Intent Detected]
[COMBAT ENGAGEMENT: INITIATED]
Mission: Survive Without Killing
Bonus Objective: First Blood – Disable Target
Elias grinned. "You wanna test me? Let's test."
Flash moved first.
Red bolts zigzagged toward Elias like lightning given shape — but time slowed in Elias's eyes. The Omega System bloomed within him, and suddenly Barry's speed looked sluggish. Movements he shouldn't be able to follow now danced like echoes in water.
[Skill Activated: Omega Perception Tier 1 – 6 seconds of slow-time vision]
He ducked. Twisted. His knee caught Barry in the chest — not hard, but enough to launch the speedster into a metal vent.
"Whoa!" Barry groaned. "Okay, this guy hits like a mother—"
BOOM.
Cyborg fired a plasma blast. Elias leapt — but the system was lagging.
[WARNING: Kinetic Threshold Reached – Adrenal Surge Required]
He took the hit. It sent him flying through a wall.
He landed hard on a stairwell.
Bones cracked.
He coughed blood.
But the Omega mark on his chest glowed brighter.
Level Up Available.
Level 2 Reached.
New Passive: Omega Surge (brief regenerative burst upon critical damage)
New Quest: "Learn Control – Deflect a Meta-Human Assault"
Elias pushed himself up, blood dripping from his nose.
"Not gonna lie," he said to no one. "This hurts like hell."
Then Cyborg crashed through the wall.
"Stand down, kid."
Elias raised his hand — and the air around it shimmered.
A pulse. A distortion. A ripple of raw force.
The Omega Effect.
It slammed into Cyborg's chest, sending him backward through two walls and onto the street below. Alarms screamed. People ran. Smoke rose.
Elias looked down at his glowing hand, stunned.
Omega Pulse – unlocked.
Cooldown: 10 minutes
Power Source: 7% drained
He smiled.
"Now we're talking."
Flash returned, serious now.
"Okay. You might have the power. But you're not trained. You're not stable."
"And you're still slow."
"Let me take you in."
"No."
A second passed. Then they both moved.
This time, Elias was ready.
They fought across rooftops — red streak vs. red eyes, until Elias grabbed a live power line and channeled it through his arm. The Omega System absorbed it like candy, humming with pleasure.
Flash misstepped. Elias threw a charged punch.
Flash vanished in a blink — stumbling away at hyper-speed to avoid permanent damage.
Silence.
Elias stood on the edge of the rooftop, heart pounding. The city burned behind him. The Omega System buzzed inside him like a living storm.
[Quest Complete: First Engagement]
[Level 3 Achieved]
Skill Unlocked: Omega Eyes
You may now glimpse multiple time paths for 3 seconds.
Caution: May induce paranoia or disassociation.
"Perfect," he muttered. "I always wanted to go insane."
And then… a boom tube opened.
But not like Steppenwolf's. Not mechanical. Not clean.
This one oozed darkness. Reality bent inward.
And from it, a voice spoke.
"He is not worthy."
Elias turned, squinting.
A figure emerged.
Granny Goodness. And behind her, a massive war beast dragging a torn banner of Apokolips.
Granny Goodness is here to claim Elias for Darkseid — or destroy him before he becomes a threat.
The Justice League must choose: contain Elias, or protect him from what's coming