Darkseid looked up, his gaze piercing into the endless deep space.
"That Earthling who killed the Kryptonian..." Darkseid gave a cruel smile, "Don't let him die too quickly. I want to crush his hope with my own hands and let him experience what true despair is."
"Your will is the end of the Universe." Desaad knelt on the ground.
...
Shifting focus back to Earth, Metropolis Plaza.
Cyborg Victor was covered in white smoke as he pulled out the data probes, staggered back a few steps, and slumped onto the ground.
"I... I've disconnected," Cyborg said weakly. "Next... it's up to it."
Everyone's eyes were focused on Ego's massive blue brain.
Ego's divine power tentacles had completely fused with the three mother boxes.
The three mother boxes, which had been emitting an ominous red light, were now gradually calming down, their surfaces flowing with a soft, pale blue halo.
"Complete."
With Ego's announcement, the dozens of blue tentacles slowly withdrew from the mother boxes.
"What... what did you do?" Barry Allen leaned in a bit closer, cautiously looking at the boxes that had changed color.
"I removed Apokolips' scorched-Earth environmental terraforming protocols and imported the most suitable ecological parameters for carbon-based life."
Hearing this, everyone's eyes were filled with undisguised astonishment.
Those were mother boxes! Cosmic artifacts that even Superman and Cyborg could barely separate with all their might were actually completely rewritten in minutes by this brain-flower that appeared out of nowhere?
Batman Bruce stepped forward; he didn't ask what kind of creature Ego was. At this critical juncture, investigating an ally's background was the most foolish thing to do.
"How much of a commotion will terraforming Earth cause?" Bruce asked the most pressing question. "How much impact will an energy release of this scale have on the surface? Do we need to immediately evacuate civilians worldwide? Their bodies are very weak right now and cannot withstand any violent geological changes."
"Evacuate?" Ego let out a distinct chuckle. "mortals, your thinking is too narrow."
"I have been terraforming Planets for millions of years; please do not question my professionalism."
"Every inch of soil's rhythm, every plant's breath, every drop of Water's cycle is within my precise calculations."
"In the vast Universe, no one knows better than I how to shape a Planet!"
"I will control the energy fluctuations at the most perfect threshold. It won't trigger earthquakes or cause tsunamis. It will merely brush across the entire World like a spring breeze."
As his voice fell, the crowd was shocked once again.
"What... what exactly are you? You've lived for millions of years?" Barry's eyes widened as he exclaimed.
long-lived species like Mera and the Amazons looked at Ego with a touch more reverence.
Atlantis' history was ancient enough, but before this being who claimed to have lived for millions of years, it was as immature as a single-celled organism.
"Whoa, whoa! Millions of years!"
Harley Quinn jumped out from behind Homelander. She wasn't afraid at all; instead, she was bursting with curiosity. She leaned in front of Ego, even reaching out a finger to try and feel Ego's texture.
"Mr. Milk Candy! Where did you kidnap such an antique from? Who exactly is this big jelly head? He sounds so impressive!"
Everyone else pricked up their ears, their gazes shifting in unison toward Homelander. They desperately wanted to know the origins of this mysterious brain and how Homelander had tamed such a being.
Homelander smiled casually and reached out to lightly pat Ego's cerebral cortex, as if patting a docile hound.
"Him? His name is Ego."
"Originally, he was an ancient God from the depths of the Universe. Because he lived too long, something went wrong with his head, and he liked to sow seeds all over the Universe, attempting to assimilate the entire Universe into a part of himself."
"Then one day, he came to my territory to do bad things and I caught him..."
Homelander shrugged, his tone as flat and rippleless as could be.
"I just beat him up in passing. Beat him until only this brain was left, and then he behaved and became my subordinate."
"..."
The wind blew across the ruins of the plaza, kicking up a cloud of dust.
No one spoke.
Homelander had said these words with incredible ease.
But those present felt as if their hearts had been struck by a heavy sledgehammer.
What do you mean, beating a God until only a brain is left?!
That was a God who had lived for millions of years and could terraform Planets at will!
In this Homelander's mouth, how did it sound as easy as teaching a street thug a lesson in passing?
Barry Allen felt like he was suffocating. The way he looked at Homelander had changed from seeing a powerful ally to seeing an unspeakable cosmic monster.
Everyone's scalps felt a bit numb.
They previously thought Homelander being able to solo Superman was already ridiculous enough. But now it seemed they had still far underestimated the strength of this man draped in the stars and stripes.
"Pfft!!"
An abrupt burst of laughter broke the suffocating atmosphere.
"Hahaha! Mr. Milk Candy, you're too good at bragging!" Harley patted Homelander's shoulder, laughing so hard she was doubled over. "Look at them, it's like they actually believe it? Like total idiots."
Harley's laughter seemed to give everyone a way out.
The Flash, Barry, followed with a couple of dry laughs, "Haha... yeah, Mr. Homelander is quite the humorist. A real pro at lightening the mood."
Yes, it was too absurd.
How could anyone possibly beat that level of being into this state at will? Homelander must be joking—a bit of American humor to relieve the pre-battle tension.
However, Homelander had no intention of explaining further.
Summer insects cannot speak of ice; explaining the weight of a God to these natives who hadn't even left the solar system was a complete waste of breath.
Bruce Wayne shook his head slightly; he didn't laugh.
As the World's greatest detective, he observed Ego's soul-deep obedience to Homelander and the heartfelt confidence in Homelander's eyes.
A voice deep inside told him: he wasn't joking.
But since this man was on humanity's side, whether it was true or false didn't matter anymore.
"Alright, big hero. Your sense of humor is unique." Bruce brought the topic back on track. "Since it's safe, let's begin. This World is already riddled with holes and can't wait any longer."
Hearing Batman's words, Homelander nodded slightly and said, "Though Ego guarantees the terraforming process will be very gentle, Bruce, your concern just now was correct."
"This is a cataclysmic change concerning the fate of all humanity. Even if there's no harm, suddenly changing the World will cause massive panic."
"Humans have just experienced the end of the World; their nerves are frayed to the limit. They need to know what's happening; they need to be prepared."
Bruce nodded in agreement, "Then what do you plan to do?"
"Harley!" Homelander turned his head and snapped his fingers.
"Roger! Officer!"