PFC Chapter 4400 Project Farstar (8)
Chapter 4400 Project Farstar (8)
Chapter 4400 Project Far Star (18)
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The fact that such a powerful enemy could be injured greatly encouraged them. The group exchanged glances and pressed on, using their excellent teamwork to continuously inflict wounds on the Steppenwolf.
Steppenwolf had long lost his previous arrogance. He tried to pick them off one by one as before, but his opponents were much better coordinated than before. They would retreat swiftly whenever they were injured, with the others quickly following. Not only did he fail to harm them, but he himself was also exploited.
He tried to overwhelm them with brute force, but he was no longer strong enough. The battles across Metropolis, the Amazon, and Atlantis had depleted most of his stored energy, and he couldn't replenish it through photosynthesis. The others, though knocked down by the power of fear, could use this time to recover some strength. In terms of raw power, he was no longer at a disadvantage.
Finally, as the Vulcan Sword pierced his chest, Steppenwolf could no longer endure it. He let out a long howl. Suddenly, a shadow fell over the sky above Metropolis. A massive, red, shuttle-shaped spaceship appeared above the east coast.
Countless Parademons rained down. The Justice League members' faces immediately darkened. Damn it, they'd forgotten he had an army!
The others gritted their teeth, preparing for the final battle. Only Diana, sensing something, looked towards Metropolis. She knew Batman was coming soon.
In Wayne Manor, Bruce, shirtless, picked up a golden apple and put it in his mouth. As a faint light flashed in his eyes, his figure began to change: the wrinkles on his face gradually disappeared, his eyebrows became sharper, and his eyes became more piercing.
More importantly, the layers of scars on his upper body are gradually fading. His skin is regaining its elasticity, his muscle lines are becoming smoother, but his imposing presence remains undiminished.
As the last white hair turned black, a younger and stronger Bruce Wayne appeared in the glass reflection. He narrowed his eyes slightly and turned to walk towards the suit of armor gleaming with a blood-red light behind him.
After donning the armor, he didn't activate it immediately. Instead, he inserted a needle into his arm and then connected it to the built-in drug injection system, which contained the concentrated Golden Apple solution he had just placed inside.
Without magical power to drive it, the Hellbat Armor can only consume the user's life force, while the Golden Apple can replenish a human's life force.
In other words, as long as there are enough Golden Apples, the Hellbat Armor can be used without limit. And this is Bruce's plan.
The armor's power is beyond anyone's imagination; after all, it's one of Batman's trump cards in the main universe. After gaining magical energy, he further enhanced its power. Now, Batman, wearing the armor, can even withstand multiverse catastrophes with his bare hands. In this state, no one can still call Batman a physically weak ordinary person.
Unfortunately, the output generated by actively drawing life force is not as good as forcibly infusing a large amount of magical energy. Bruce couldn't unleash the armor's full potential, but even 70% would be enough for a planetary crisis.
By this time, the battle on the beach had become incredibly fierce. Both sides were already on the verge of collapse, but the sudden arrival of the Parademon army had almost exhausted all of the Justice League's strength.
The Vulcan Sword struck the wing of a demonoid, but it didn't completely sever it. This wasn't because the sword wasn't sharp enough, but because the hand holding it was trembling too violently.
Diana's arms seemed to have lost their grip; she could barely lift them. In that instant of drawing her sword and turning around, Steppenwolf's claws scuttled straight down her back.
Diana was knocked down, and as she rolled over, she felt a sharp pain in her back. She used her last strength to try to get up, but more Parademons simply overwhelmed her.
The same was true for the others. Arthur was fighting the Parademons in the sea, and although he had mastered the ocean's greatest power, he was not a perpetual motion machine. He had dealt with the largest number of Parademons, but both he and the Golden Trident were at their limit.
Ron has even lost his ability to use his intangibility. He's now relying on his Martian body to tough it out, and he has countless wounds on his body. He still needs Hal to help him defend himself.
Although Hal had gained a lot of energy earlier, as the battle became increasingly unfavorable, he had to devote a significant amount of his energy to healing his comrades, even using most of his power on this. He simply didn't want to see Victor's miserable state again.
But the struggle was futile. Steppenwolf was exhausted, but the Parademons' army was endless. They fell one after another, either trampled onto the beach or sunk into the deep sea. Steppenwolf, kneeling on the ground, let out a low laugh.
"Hahaha... The Justice League is nothing special! I told you, no one can stop Darkseid..."
Suddenly, his smile froze on his face. Because a crimson hue spread across the metropolis's skyline, staining half the sky red.
Before Steppenwolf could even see the figure clearly, he was already flying away—not just off the beach, but off the Earth.
The journey from the ground to near-Earth orbit was too brief, lasting less than two seconds. In an instant, the azure planet appeared beneath their feet. And the figure emerging from the arc of light on the surface seemed shrouded in the darkness of the entire universe. The crimson light emanating from the profound darkness, like a sharp blade, pierced the eyes of everyone present.
Steppenwolf's eyes widened. His instincts told him that the being before him was incredibly powerful. He immediately turned to run, but the other's speed was still too fast for him to react.
A meteor streaked across the sky. The descent from near-Earth orbit was so fast that it ignited flames on the two figures. With a deafening roar, a mushroom cloud of water rose from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Tens of thousands of square meters of seawater were hurled into the sky by the impact, and the surrounding waters were completely cleared.
At the same moment, a massive fissure appeared in the Earth's crust beneath the ocean. The fissure stretched across the entire Atlantic Ocean. This powerful blow, penetrating the Earth's crust, added another enormous scar to the planet.
The Steppenwolf, crushed in the middle of the massive trench, had all his bones shattered. Then, he was grabbed by the terrifying figure. The two of them rose from the sea, and to the horror of the onlookers, a blood-red light gradually enveloped the Steppenwolf's entire body.
Large patches of skin peeled away, chunks of muscle fell into the water, and bones dissipated like dust. In just a few seconds, this powerful monster that had once defeated the entire Justice League was reduced to nothing but a head.
But Steppenwolf's vitality was incredibly strong; even so, he wasn't dead yet. And this played right into their hands—the figure carried Steppenwolf directly to the airspace above the massive spaceship.
Another punch, and the spaceship was pierced through. He landed in the control room. The communication device was activated, and a projection of a tall figure with a Titan-like face appeared in the center of the circular platform.
With a "bang," Steppenwolf's head was thrown in front of Darkseid.
Darkseid's pupils contracted the instant he saw Batman. The multiverse-universe Darkseid recognized that this was the Hellbat armor of the main universe's Batman, but he also recognized that the one driving this armor was not the main universe's Batman.
"Are you the source of the dark forces?" Bruce asked.
“I am Darkseid, the Dark Lord.” It was an answer, yet also a silence. Darkseid paused, then said, “You should know better than I do that you are the source of darkness in the universe, Batman.”
“You know that’s not what I’m talking about.” Bruce knew he couldn’t get any more information from Darkseid, so he turned and left with the words, “A dark catastrophe is coming to the multiverse, Darkseid. Your good days are coming to an end.”
Bruce, clad in armor, flew out of the spaceship. Crimson light emanated from him, and countless Parademons screamed as they turned into skeletons, then into ashen dust, adding another layer of sand to the coast.
The Justice League members' jaws nearly dropped. Seeing Bruce approaching, they all took a few steps back.
"You, you, you... don't come any closer!" Hal shouted in terror.
They weren't unaware that the armor's design resembled Batman's. The question is, is this the level of power Batman should possess? Isn't Batman just an ordinary person?!
Aside from Diana and Ron, the rest of the Justice League members completely missed Batman's prime. By the time they became superhumans, Batman had already retired.
Even though Batman organized them this time, in their eyes, Bruce Wayne is still greater than Batman. They even believe that Wayne is a fanatical superhero enthusiast, which is why he wears a bodysuit and pretends to be a superhero, and why he tries to form a superpowered alliance whenever he gets the chance.
They only saw Bruce Wayne as their financial backer and logistical manager. No one expected Batman to fight for them. So even when they were in dire straits, they were still thinking about how to save themselves, and never considered asking Batman for help.
They even lacked a proper understanding of Batman's logistical capabilities. Even after Bruce told them he could provide all the financial and logistical support they needed, they still didn't consider asking Batman for help when they encountered difficulties setting up their shelter.
The main reason is that no one in the Justice League stands on the same level as Batman or Wayne. In terms of superpowers, they lack understanding of the multiverse and are unaware that Batman has become the leader of the multiverse front; in terms of secular society, even Hal, who enjoys the best living conditions, is far inferior to a tycoon like Wayne. They cannot fathom the true power of the Wayne Enterprises.
When building the shelter, the various obstacles and difficulties they encountered could have been resolved by Wayne Enterprises, but they never considered asking Bruce for help. As for fighting Parallax and Steppenwolf, even without the Hellbat armor, the cunning Batman had countless ways to defeat these monsters.
This battle finally made the Justice League members realize that their strongest member was actually the previously overlooked "logistics officer," Batman. And he was exceptionally strong.
The power at the multiverse level was completely beyond their comprehension. Even Diana, who was mentally prepared, had an expression that said, "I don't understand, but I'm deeply shocked."
With a click, the Hellbat armor's visor opened, revealing young Bruce's face. Everyone froze again. Diana was the first to react: "The Golden Apple!"
“Yes, thank you, Diana,” Bruce said sincerely. “Without you, I wouldn’t have regained my powers. I’m sorry I’m late. Are you all alright?”
"Oh my god!" Diana dropped her weapon, went over and gave Bruce a bear hug, then said, "You came just in time!"
Everyone relaxed. Although it felt unbelievable, it was clearly good news. Having such a strong teammate gave them a sense of security, and they began discussing Bruce's performance.
The battle was over, and the group packed up to leave. But Bruce stopped them and said, "Wait, let's get the spoils first."
"Spoils?" They looked around—there was nothing left on the beach but sand.
Upon seeing Bruce's actions, everyone looked up at the massive spaceship that Steppenwolf had summoned, still hovering quietly above the east coast.
Honestly, young Ben Affleck wasn't as good-looking as he is in the movies; middle-aged Ben Affleck is just perfect.