Amanda Waller POV
I walked down the corridor toward the briefing room, heels striking the floor like a countdown clock.
Every damn month it's something. An alien invasion. A rogue meta. A god with an ego problem.
Why do they keep coming here?
I shoved the doors open without slowing down.
"Any sign of Superman yet?"
I didn't wait for answers before taking my seat.
"No, ma'am," Emil Hamilton replied, adjusting his glasses. "We haven't had visual confirmation of him anywhere."
Of course we haven't.
"Well, we're not waiting for him to decide to show up," I said flatly. "That alien is standing in the middle of Metropolis issuing execution threats. We move now."
General Eiling leaned forward immediately.
"I say we activate Galatea. She can handle that thing. And while we're at it, deploy the Ultimen. With their combined strength, we can remove the alien from our planet."
Emil shook his head. "Galatea isn't ready. And the Ultimen are still unstable. I recommend we deploy Amazo."
"No," Eiling snapped. "Amazo stays off the board. It's a contingency against the heroes. If we reveal it now, we lose strategic advantage."
Strategic advantage.
Always thinking about the next chess move while the city burns.
"Emil," Eiling pressed. "When is she going to be ready, Doctor? Or are you too attached to your clone to treat her like what she is?"
Emil's jaw tightened.
"She is a weapon of the United States," Eiling continued. "Nothing more. Nothing less. If she can't defeat that alien, then she's a failure. And if she dies trying, then she was simply a waste of resources."
The room went cold.
"She is not a failure," Emil said quietly, controlled but furious. "And she is not expendable. When she's ready, she will exceed your expectations."
Eiling scoffed.
"The only reason I can imagine you're so eager to send her out unprepared," Emil continued, "is because you want her to fail. So you can justify pouring more funding into your obsolete super-soldier program."
The air between them crackled.
I folded my hands on the table.
Children, Franklin and Leota is more mature than these two idiots.
"Enough," I said.
Both men went silent.
"We are not sacrificing assets recklessly. But we are not sitting idle either." I leaned forward slightly. "Metropolis is watching. The world is watching. If Superman doesn't show up, we need a response that shows strength."
I paused.
"Prepare Galatea for potential deployment."
Emil stiffened.
"Prepare," I repeated. "Not deploy."
Then I looked at Eiling.
"And General… if you ever refer to one of my assets as a 'waste' again, I will reassign you to a post so remote you'll be saluting penguins."
Silence.
Good.
"Now," I said calmly, "let's decide how we handle a gladiator who collects heads."
Franklin POV
I stepped out of a portal and into the middle of Metropolis.
The air was tense.
Police barricades blocked off the streets. Reporters crowded behind them, cameras raised, voices overlapping in chaotic waves. In the center of the city stood the alien warlord, massive, unmoving, patient.
He wasn't attacking.
He was waiting.
And to their credit, the police were smart enough not to test him.
I started walking toward him.
While I was doing that, reporters was asking me questions.
"Omni! Do you know where Superman is? Why hasn't he arrived?"
"Omni! What makes you think you can handle this alien?"
"Omni! Shouldn't you wait for the real heroes? You're just a newbie!"
Okay.I kind of wanted to flip that last reporter off.
I've saved the Multiverse three times. I'm pretty sure I can handle one alien warlord.
I stopped a few feet in front of him.
He looked down at me with three burning eyes.
Then he spoke, in his own language.
"So. You are my first challenger. I had hoped for the Last Son of Krypton… but I suppose a warm-up will suffice. You do not look like much."
His golden robot companion moved to translate, but I spoke first.
"I'm more than I look, Despero."
The warlord's third eye narrowed slightly.
"You speak Kalanorian?"
"I wouldn't say I speak it," I replied. "But I understand it. And I can make you understand me too. Perks of being me."
"Interesting," Despero said. "That ability would be useful. Join me. I will spare your life."
"No thanks," I said. "I'm not really into serving intergalactic head collectors."
His lips curled.
"Then you are a fool who has come to die."
I rolled my shoulders.
"It's kind of funny you think I'm going to lose."
I raised my wrist.
The Omnitrix lit up.
"I've been wanting to test this form anyway."
Green light exploded around me.
My body stretched taller. Broader. Muscles tightened and hardened like forged steel. My senses sharpened instantly, I could hear heartbeats blocks away, feel the air shift with microscopic changes in pressure.
The world slowed.
I clenched my fist and felt power surge through every fiber of my body.
"Invincible."
My Viltrumite form.
And judging by the flicker in Despero's eyes, this might actually be fun.
"You are a shapeshifter?"
"I'm… something like that," I said with a small smirk. "Hope that's not a problem."
"None at all," he replied calmly. "I have slaughtered many of your kind."
Before I could answer, L-Ron shot into the air.
"The challenge has begun!"
A massive energy barrier erupted around us, slamming into place like a glowing dome. It expanded outward, carving out a battlefield in the middle of Metropolis, large enough for us to move freely, but sealed tight to keep civilians and heroes out.
"Let the cage match commence!" L-Ron declared.
Despero and I didn't waste another second.
We charged.
The ground cracked beneath our feet as we launched forward. He drew back his fist, so did I.
We swung at the exact same time.
Our punches collided midair.
The impact detonated like a bomb.
A massive shockwave tore outward, rattling the barrier and shattering every window within a mile. The pavement beneath us cratered instantly, spiderweb fractures racing across the street.
For a split second, neither of us moved.
Then I felt it, pressure strength.
He was actually pushing back.
Despero grinned.
"Excellent."
And just like that the real fight began.
Third Person POV
"You guys think Franklin will be okay?" Kamala asked quietly, eyes locked on the massive screen still broadcasting the fight.
The entire group was gathered in Overwatch, watching Omni trade blows with Despero in the middle of Metropolis.
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Ned said confidently. "He fought a literal robot god yesterday. I think he can handle one alien warlord."
"And he said he saved the Multiverse three times," MJ2 added casually, while eating popcorn.
No one knew when she made it.
"Even if that's true," Betty said thoughtfully, "he wasn't alone during those events. This might be the first time he's facing something this big completely on his own."
"So?" Ned shrugged. "He's got this."
Franklin suddenly took a brutal combination, left hook, right cross, uppercut.
The impact snapped his head back and sent him sliding across broken pavement.
"Ooooh," Mike winced. "That's gonna hurt in the morning."
Everyone jumped.
"Mike?!" Ava spun around. "When did you get here?"
"I've been here since school ended," Mike said, stepping forward. "I was in the workshop working on my mech suit. Franklin gave me some blueprints. My dad said if I build it myself, he'll let me start training to be a hero."
He hesitated slightly.
"And, uh… I know you and Yolanda still have issues with Courtney and Cindy. I'm cool though, right?"
Yolanda nodded. "You're cool, Mike. We don't have any problems with you. Or Jennie."
Mike visibly relaxed. "Okay, good. Just making sure."
BOOM.
Everyone snapped their attention back.
Franklin drove a massive gut punch into Despero's abdomen, lifting the giant warlord completely off his feet. The shockwave rippled across the energy barrier.
"That," Franklin's voice echoed through the broadcast, "was for the combo, jackass!"
Ned pumped his fist. "THAT'S MY BOY!"
Despero skidded across the street, carving a trench through asphalt.
And for the first time, the alien warlord looked genuinely impressed.
Avengers Tower
Every screen in the main briefing room was locked onto the same live broadcast from Metropolis.
The Avengers stood together, alongside the children from the alternate universe, watching Omni clash with Despero inside the glowing energy dome.
"Shouldn't you go help your companion?" Torunn asked, arms crossed as she studied the screen.
Tony didn't even look worried.
"Are you kidding?" he said. "You seen only in action. I'm pretty sure he can handle one alien warlord."
"Maybe," Steve replied calmly, "but we should still be ready. Just in case."
CRASH.
Despero ripped a car off the street and slammed it into Omni.
Once.Twice.Again.And again.
Metal crumpled like paper until the vehicle was nothing more than twisted scrap.
When the dust cleared, Omni was still on the ground.
Unharmed.
He just lay there, staring up at Despero.
"That's going to cost you a rib," Omni said casually.
Then he vanished.
In a blink, he rocketed upward, grabbed Despero by the torso, and drove him straight into the pavement. The street exploded on impact.
Omni mounted him and started throwing punches so fast they blurred on camera.
The shockwaves rattled the barrier.
"He's throwing at least a hundred punches every couple seconds!" Pym Jr. shouted.
"That's probably an exaggeration," Azari said calmly, while eating popcorn. "But it's definitely fast."
Francis blinked. "When did you even have time to make popcorn?"
Before Azari could answer ascream cut through the room.
It came from the broadcast.
Omni.
Despero had caught one of his fists mid-swing.
The alien's grip tightened, there was a sickening crack.
Omni's arm bent at a wrong angle.
Then Despero drove a brutal punch into Omni's chest, launching him across the barrier like a missile.
The entire dome shook.
Silence fell over the room.
Steve stepped forward.
"Avengers… assemble."
His voice was calm.
But urgent.
"Omni's going to need our help on this one."
The Watchtower
Inside the main meeting chamber of the Justice League, dozens of heroes stood watching the live broadcast from Metropolis.
At the front of the room, the League's core members stood together, calm on the outside, calculating on the inside.
"I am going to put my foot so far up your butt you're going to taste gravel!" Omni shouted.
The Flash blinked.
"I'm honestly impressed he's keeping it PG," he said casually, while eating popcorn. "So… who is Despero anyway?"
"Despero," said John Stewart, arms folded. "A powerful and extremely dangerous warlord. Some Green Lanterns I know have crossed paths with him."
He gestured to the screen.
"His strength is nearly on par with Superman. And that third eye grants him formidable telepathic abilities."
"Okay," Black Canary said sharply, "so why are we standing here watching like this is pay-per-view? We should be helping him."
BOOM. BOOM.
Omni was unleashing a flurry of punches at Despero. The alien tried to counter, swinging wide, brutal strikes, but Omni's movements blurred.
He dodged left.Twisted right.Accelerated midair.
Each counterattack missed by inches.
"Okay…" Flash leaned forward slightly. "Does he actually need our help?"
Despero's third eye began to glow faintly.
John Stewart narrowed his eyes.
"Let's not assume this fight is over."
The room grew quiet.
Because they all knew, Despero hadn't used his most dangerous weapon yet.
Franklin POV
I was breathing hard.
Across from me, Despero was doing the same.
He might've broken my left arm, but I definitely cracked a few of his ribs.
"You are strong, human," he said, rolling his shoulders. "Stronger than many of my past opponents."
"Thanks," I replied. "I'd say the same, but I've fought stronger."
His third eye narrowed slightly.
"This?" I gestured at my Viltrumite body. "This is me testing a form. It's not even my strongest alien. Don't get me wrong, it's powerful. I can feel every one of your punches. And yeah… your strength's close to Superman's. Maybe equal."
I tilted my head.
"But I've got a feeling you've been holding back."
Despero laughed, deep and booming.
"Only because I sensed you were doing the same. When I fight, I do not tolerate doubt. I will not question whether my victory was earned. If I win, it will be because I crushed you at your full power."
I smiled.
"Okay. Fair enough."
I raised my hand to the Omnitrix.
"No more holding back. Let's go all out."
I slammed the symbol on my chest.
Green light swallowed me.
My Viltrumite frame dissolved and reformed, leaner, sharper, wrapped in Kryptonian power.
"Val-Or."
Despero's eyes widened slightly.
"You can transform into a Kryptonian?"
"Yeah," I said calmly. "But that's not the best part."
I slammed the Omnitrix again.
The light this time was brighter. Denser. More violent.
My body shifted again, energy radiating off me in waves. My broken arm snapped back into place instantly, bones knitting, muscles repairing. My strength skyrocketed.
The air itself felt heavier.
"Ultimate Val-Or."
For the first time since this fight started, Despero looked genuinely shocked.
"You wished to battle a Kryptonian," I said, my voice deeper now, resonating with power. "Well… now you're fighting the strongest one in this galaxy."
Despero's twisted smile slowly returned.
"Is that so?" he said. "Then killing you will make my triumph all the more satisfying."
We stood across from each other.
The barrier crackled violently from the pressure alone.
Round one had been a warm-up.
Round two?
This was the real fight.
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AN: Hello everyone I'm back to writing again I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Side note: Do anyone know any good Game of Thrones fanfiction I got really into them.