"Submit?" Wonder Woman began, incredulous.
Scarlet Witch smirked. "He doesn't seem to be joking, but I suggest he see a psychiatrist."
Batman interjected seriously, "Hi, I know a very famous psychiatrist. Shall I introduce him to you?"
Superman shook his head. "I don't think we need to waste time. Just hit him on the head twice; he'll be fine."
Li Jie chuckled. "I wholeheartedly agree."
The Hulk responded by hurling two Parademons into the air, one in each hand. The superheroes' teasing had completely enraged Steppenwolf. Despite his countless victories across the universe, the general of Apokolips had never been insulted like this before.
"That's incredibly disrespectful to an Apokolips general!" he roared, waving his hand and bellowing, "It seems you've made the wrong decision and missed your chance to submit to Apokolips! Parademons, charge! Smash them!"
Though the Parademons were stronger than ordinary humans, their strength was limited. A dozen could be handled by Batman bare-handed, and against the superheroes, they were weak individually. Their power lay in numbers, which was how the Parademon army usually overwhelmed enemies.
At Steppenwolf's command, countless Parademons pounced. The battle became a contest of who could clear the enemy faster. The Hulk moved like a tank, crushing Parademons beneath him, while Batman's mech, armed with machine guns, tore through dozens more. Superman spun through the air, creating a whirlwind that tossed hundreds of enemies skyward. Wonder Woman's bracelets slammed down with lethal precision, felling many at once. Scarlet Witch unleashed a barrage of magic orbs, shattering any Parademon that remained.
Yet, the most impressive of all was Li Jie. With his ability to control objects, which he had gained after defeating an Alice clone, he sent countless Parademons flying into the air before slamming them down onto the deck. Steppenwolf's face darkened. He had faced formidable opponents throughout his conquests, but never had such a small group managed to decimate his army so completely.
"Shame," he growled. "An absolute disgrace."
He realized that leaving Earth in such humiliation would bring dishonor to Apokolips itself—and Darkseid would execute him for it. "Bastards, you will all die here today!" Steppenwolf roared, charging forward with his battle axe. Though he had been pinned and beaten by the Hulk, he remained uninjured. His superhuman strength, speed, durability, and immortality made him nearly invincible. Unlike Apocalypse, whose longevity depended on draining others, Steppenwolf's immortality was innate.
"When—" Wonder Woman blocked his axe with her shield, her knees buckling under the immense pressure. Batman flew toward him, but Steppenwolf's axe smashed against his armor. Scarlet Witch hurled a magic sphere, only for him to slice it in two. Superman's punch was caught effortlessly in Steppenwolf's fist. The once-underestimated warlord now radiated an aura of invincibility.
"Who else?" Steppenwolf bellowed arrogantly, assuming these superheroes could only handle crowds, not him. He believed even their combined efforts would fail.
Hulk's fist brought him back to reality with a solid punch. Steppenwolf rose, pointing at the green giant. "Besides that green guy, who else dares oppose me?"
"I," Li Jie said, stepping forward.
"You?" Steppenwolf sneered, swinging his axe.
"Smack!" Li Jie grabbed the weapon with one hand and punched Steppenwolf with the other. The general instinctively blocked, but Li Jie's strike shattered his arm with a force even stronger than the Hulk's.
Li Jie then swung the axe, sending Steppenwolf crashing into the deck, punching a hole through the thick metal. The Parademon army, arriving too late, inadvertently saved him from further damage. Climbing from the hole, Steppenwolf raised his arm, smirking. "Kid, I am immortal. Your physical attacks can't hurt me!"
"What if that's the case?" Li Jie said, summoning a phoenix from his palm. The fiery creature struck Steppenwolf, incinerating Parademons in its path. Steppenwolf screamed as his flesh burned away, yet he reformed immediately.
"Tsk tsk," he laughed. "I told you—I'm immortal. Your attacks are useless."
Li Jie unleashed an even more powerful Phoenix Force. Flesh, then bone, disintegrated completely, leaving nothing behind. Even immortality could not save Steppenwolf without a body. The Phoenix Force merged with Li Jie, granting him a portion of Steppenwolf's powers. With the general dead, the Parademons froze, awaiting new commands.
A voice suddenly echoed in Li Jie's mind. The ship's captain, coerced by Steppenwolf, begged for release now that the tyrant was gone.
Li Jie agreed, on the condition that the captain assist with one of his operations. An airship landed at Blackgate Prison, releasing hundreds of Parademons to attack the prisoners. Bane pried open a cell and smashed a Parademon to the ground. The Joker snapped another's neck with ease. "Go release the others," he ordered Scarecrow, who opened all the cells.
Gotham's criminals fought fiercely, clearing Blackgate of Parademons. They watched the spaceship above vanish into thin air, cheering the superheroes' victory. Experiencing the "battle to protect Earth" firsthand changed their attitude toward heroes.
"Wayne, now it's your turn," Li Jie said, patting Batman on the shoulder. Instead of overseeing the criminals, he led the other heroes out of Gotham. Superman returned to Metropolis, while Scarlet Witch's whereabouts were unknown. Wonder Woman requested leave to visit her parents, and Dr. Banner returned to New York with Li Jie, who alone could safely control the Hulk.
"Jack, Jack!" Coulson burst into the New York shelter, frustrated. "You led the superheroes against aliens and won?"
Li Jie joked, "Coulson, it's a shame you're not a paparazzi."
Coulson pressed, "Why didn't you inform S.H.I.E.L.D.? We could have joined the fight!"
Li Jie smiled. "Why are you so concerned? They were keeping an eye on the alien ship anyway."
Coulson glanced around, bewildered. "Jack, why did you pull me into Mirror Space?"
Li Jie laughed. "You know many magicians, but you've never been here. That's how you know."
Corlin appeared, transforming into Loki with a scepter. "When did you realize it was me?" he asked.
"From the moment you barged in," Li Jie replied. "Tell me, what brings you here?"
"If I said I came to be your friend, would you believe me?" Loki asked.
Li Jie shook his head. "No one believes Loki."
Loki laughed. "Whether you believe it or not, I brought a sincere gift."
"Oh? I'm interested. The scepter with the Soul Gem?" Li Jie joked.
Loki shook his head, revealing a glowing box. "The Cosmic Cube!"
Li Jie's eyes widened. The Cube could open portals, transporting people or weapons across planets. Like the Tesseract and Eye of Agamotto, it was a container, and the Space Stone inside made it far more useful than the scepter. Without hesitation, Li Jie reached out, grasping the Cosmic Cube, ready to explore its spatial powers.
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