DC: Justice league dark Apokolips war

The Bat Family was spread out across the Gotham streets when the Paradooms poured in from every alley and rooftop. Claws scraped concrete and those heavy bodies smashed through cars like they were nothing.

Tim Drake kept moving, staff spinning as he cracked one across the jaw. “We can’t let them reach the civilians!” A bigger Paradoom lunged from the side, grabbed his head in both hands, and ripped it clean off. The body dropped and got stomped flat under heavy feet a second later.

Jason Todd saw it happen and charged in with both guns blazing. “Tim! No!” He emptied a full clip into the creature’s chest, but another one came up behind him and drove a long blade straight through his back and out his front. Jason looked down at the metal sticking out of him, tried to say something, then dropped hard.

Stephanie Brown got knocked flat on her back as a Paradoom raised both fists to crush her. Duke Thomas slammed into it from the side and shoved her clear. “Steph, move!” The creature turned on him instead. Duke kept fighting, fists and light constructs flashing, buying her those extra seconds until the Paradooms piled on and tore him apart right there in the street.

Barbara Gordon and Batwoman were fighting back to back near a smashed storefront. Barbara fired round after round. “Kate, left side!” Batwoman’s blade cut through two of them, but more kept coming. The swarm closed in from every direction. Claws and teeth dragged both of them down. Their screams cut off fast as the Paradooms ripped into them and left nothing but blood and torn fabric on the pavement.

That left Cassandra Cain, Stephanie, and you.

Cass stood in a low stance, eyes locked on the remaining pack, not saying a word but ready. Stephanie wiped blood off her face and pulled herself up, voice shaking but still hard. “We don’t stop. Not now.” The Paradooms turned toward the three of you and rushed forward all at once.

The ruins of London were quiet in the worst way. Most buildings were half-collapsed, streets cracked open from the Reapers, but somehow this one broken-down bar still had bottles left on the shelves.

Etrigan sat slumped at a corner table, big demon form looking smaller than usual. His head hung low, claws wrapped around an empty glass. “The rhymes are done,” he muttered. “Just ash and quiet long since begun.”

John Constantine was at the bar itself, already deep into a bottle. He poured another shot, knocked it back, and stared at nothing. “mate, how are you rhyming still then?” he said under his breath.

The door creaked open. Superman stepped in first, gaunt and hollow-eyed, the liquid Kryptonite tattoos glowing faint green under his torn shirt in the shape of the S. Raven followed close behind him, looking pale and exhausted, one hand pressed to the gem on her forehead like it was the only thing keeping Trigon locked away. You came in with them.

Constantine turned, recognized the Man of Steel, and the bottle hit the counter hard. “You’ve got some nerve showing your face here.”

He stood up fast, crossed the room in three steps, and punched Superman clean across the jaw. Superman didn’t block it. He just took the hit and staggered back a step.

“You deserved that,” Constantine spat. “All of it. Your brilliant plan got everyone killed. Zatanna. Half the League. The Titans. And now you walk in like you’ve got any right to ask me for anything. Get lost. All of you.”

Superman stayed quiet, eyes on the floor, the weight of every name written across his face.

Raven stepped forward, voice low but sharp. “We need a locator spell. Damian Wayne survived. He’s leading the League of Assassins now. We find him, he helps us break Batman free of that chair, then we hit LexCorp, open a Boom Tube, and take the fight back to Apokolips before those Reapers finish draining the core.”

Constantine laughed once, bitter. “And I’m supposed to care? Look at you. Powerless. Broken. And you,” he pointed at Raven, “barely holding that demon in your head. I’m not dying for another one of his suicide runs.”

Raven’s eyes flashed. “You’re a coward.”

That landed. Constantine’s jaw tightened. He looked away, fingers twitching like he could still feel Zatanna’s hand in his. The guilt sat heavy on him, same as it had for two years.

Etrigan lifted his head just enough to watch.

Constantine exhaled hard through his nose, grabbed the bottle again, then set it down. “Fine. One spell. That’s it.” He glanced at Superman one more time as he rhymed.“And if this gets us all killed, your skin will be lit.”

Raven was still leaning against Damian when Superman stepped closer, voice low and rough.

“Here’s the plan. We need you to help free your father from that chair. Once Batman’s back we hit LexCorp, open a Boom Tube, and take the fight straight to Apokolips. We stop those Reapers before they finish draining the core. That’s it. All or nothing.”

Constantine nodded once, cigarette dangling from his lips. “Locator spell already got us this far. Rest is just not dying.”

Damian listened without interrupting. When Superman finished he looked at each of them in turn.

“You’re missing someone. {{user}}. {{poss}} skills are the only reason this has any real shot. We need {{obj}}.”

Superman’s head snapped up. “{{user}}? They died in the first wave. Everyone said so.”

Raven’s eyes widened. “I saw the Paradooms hit {{poss}} position and an explosion. No one walked away from that.”

Constantine stared. “You’re telling me that stubborn bastard’s still breathing?”

Etrigan let out a short, surprised grunt as he rhymed. “Hah. The dead keep standing in this age, very surprising in this time that {{sub}} did not fade.”

Damian’s expression didn’t change. “{{sub}}’s alive. Have been the whole time. Remote island out in the ocean. No one else knows. {{sub}} kept it that way.”

He turned and started walking toward the lower tunnels. “transport is already. We leave now.”

The others followed without another word, still processing it. They reached the hidden cove where a battered cargo boat waited. Damian took the wheel. The crossing was long and silent except for the waves. (Don’t question the geographical inaccuracy) When the dark shape of the island finally rose out of the water he cut the engine and let the hull scrape onto the narrow beach.

One by one they climbed down onto the wet sand. Damian looked inland toward the thick trees.

“This is it. {{user}}’s been here since the world fell.”

After Nanda Parbat the group didn’t waste time. Raven forced another teleport even though it left her shaking. They landed hard on Stryker’s Island.

Lois Lane was already waiting with the Suicide Squad behind her. Harley Quinn stood at the front of them now, bat over her shoulder, after Waller had gone from the cancer. Lois looked them over once and nodded.

“We’re set. LexCorp Tower. Boom Tube’s ready. We hit Apokolips tonight.”

They moved straight to the tower. Lex Luthor met them in the main hall with a cold stare and a squad of armed men.

“You’re not taking another step,” he said. Damian stepped forward. “Move.”

Luthor didn’t. He slammed a shock baton into Damian’s side hard enough to drop him to one knee. Raven’s eyes went black. The gem on her forehead flared and Trigon’s power ripped outward. She floated up, voice layered and wrong.

“You hurt him.”

Superman got in front of her fast. “Raven. Look at me. Not him. Me. You’re still in control. Push him back.”

It took a few long seconds. Raven’s feet touched the floor again. The black faded from her eyes. She was breathing hard. Luthor lowered the baton and actually smiled.

“Good. You still have some restraint. I’ve been working with Lois the whole time. Mole in Darkseid’s operation. Here.” He waved his men forward. They rolled out cases of Kryptonite weapons. One big case held a full battle suit laced with the green rock. “For you, Kent. It’ll hurt like hell but it’ll let you hit back... this is for the paradooms, they have kryptonian DNA.”

Superman put the suit on without a word. The rest of the team took the weapons they could use.

Lois spoke up. “Me, Lex, and the Squad stay here. We hold the Boom Tube no matter what comes through. The rest of you go.”

Superman, Raven, Damian, Constantine, Etrigan and stepped onto the platform. The Boom Tube tore open. They went through.

Apokolips hit them like a furnace. The ground was black rock and fire. The Furies were already waiting.

Wonder Woman came first. Left arm, lower body, both forearms, part of her face and upper torso all machine now. One eye glowed Apokoliptian red. Darkseid’s mark was burned into her tiara. She still looked the least changed of the five.

Mera followed. Half her face was gone, replaced by a metal jaw and plate. Her legs were a long cybernetic snake tail. Arms partially robotic. She spun a trident in one hand.

Hawkman was next. Wings gone. Only the helmet and upper torso looked like him. Everything else was a mess of mechanical limbs and bird-like machine parts.

Starfire came after. She had been ripped in half by Paradooms and rebuilt. Upper body and face still hers. The rest was cybernetic fill-in work.

Martian Manhunter brought up the rear. Burned and rebuilt into something arachnid. Lower body replaced with multiple mechanical spider legs. He looked less like J’onn than a mockery of him.

Wonder Woman’s remaining human eye locked onto the group. She raised her sword and stepped straight toward you.

“You... Stand down at will of Darkseid.”

(Free scenario)