For some reason, when Verman saw the dazzling light ahead, a sense of unease crept into his heart. However, since sound couldn't travel through the vacuum of space, he couldn't immediately discern what was happening.
"Where exactly have I flown to? I don't remember any bright quasars in this region of space," Verman thought, slowing down his pace. He was on high alert, ready to turn and flee at the first sign of danger.
Just as Verman slowed to assess the situation, the blinding light ahead suddenly vanished. The abrupt transition from brightness to darkness left his eyes struggling to adjust, as if the only source of light in the universe had been extinguished.
"What's going on? A supernova explosion? But I didn't feel any energy fluctuations," Verman wondered, turning to flee in the opposite direction.
"Whoosh!" Before Verman could get far, he suddenly found himself immobilized, as if an invisible force had bound him. This power was far beyond anything he could resist.
"What is this?" Panic surged through Verman as he realized he couldn't move. He couldn't believe his luck—he had just escaped one perilous situation only to fall into another.
"Verman? Why are you here?" Just as Verman's mind raced with fear and confusion, a familiar yet weary voice echoed in his consciousness. A hand then rested on his shoulder, causing him to shudder.
"Darkseid!" Verman's panic deepened as he recognized the voice. It was none other than Darkseid himself!
The problem was, Verman had encountered Darkseid while fleeing. If Darkseid discovered he had deserted, Verman's death would be anything but quick and painless.
If he had known this would happen, Verman thought it would have been better to stay on the battlefield. Even if he couldn't change his ultimate fate, at least he wouldn't have struggled in vain.
Moreover, in order to escape, Verman had repeatedly been sent flying by Hal, leaving him feeling utterly humiliated. If he had stayed on the battlefield, even if Apokolips didn't win, he could have at least killed Hal to vent his frustration.
Instead, Verman had endured the beatings, expended his energy, and experienced emotional turmoil, only to face certain death and Darkseid's wrath. This was completely unacceptable to him.
"You deserted?" Darkseid, with his keen insight, had already deduced Verman's thoughts and the reason for his presence. His voice was icy as he asked, "How many others like you fled?"
Having conquered the universe for thousands of years, Darkseid had seen it all. He saw through Verman immediately but wanted to know the specifics of the situation on Apokolips' side, as his own battle was far from over.
Yes, the battle between Darkseid and Robert had only been paused, not concluded.
This pause was due to Verman's sudden appearance, which drew the attention of both Darkseid and Robert, prompting them to check on the other battlefield.
However, Robert remained calm. He could sense the familiar auras of the Avengers in the distance, confirming that they were indeed dominating the fight.
This was to be expected. While Apokolips' forces were formidable, their greatest strength lay in Darkseid, who was nearly invincible. With Darkseid absent, there was no one else to lead the charge.
Apokolips' second greatest strength was their seemingly endless Parademon army, which could overwhelm weaker civilizations and exhaust even stronger ones through sheer numbers.
Unfortunately for Apokolips, the Avengers' firepower was more than sufficient. Having endured numerous supernatural events and battles that lasted even longer, the Avengers, as Steve Rogers put it, could hold out against Apokolips for an entire day!
Another key factor in the Avengers' success was the involvement of Sentry, Silver Surfer, and Galacta.
While Silver Surfer and Galacta were holding back, they had managed to restrain Darkseid's two most powerful subordinates, allowing Sentry to focus on taking down one strong opponent after another.
It was these variables that enabled the Avengers to achieve such remarkable results. Otherwise, even if they had won, they would have paid a much heavier price.
"Not many. Those who fled earlier were killed by the enemy's countermeasures. I'm probably the only one who escaped. As for whether others fled after me, I don't know," Verman answered Darkseid's question honestly, without any attempt to hide the truth.
Verman didn't bother fabricating excuses, like claiming he had escaped to inform Darkseid. Such lies wouldn't fool Darkseid and would only deepen his anger, leading to even worse consequences for Verman.
It was better to be straightforward and hope for a quick death.
"Useless!" As expected, Darkseid cursed upon hearing Verman's words. A surge of Omega energy then flowed into Verman's body, and in an instant, it was as if Verman had been sent to another layer of space, gradually disappearing from sight.
"Huh?" Seeing this, Robert raised an eyebrow in surprise. The Omega energy Darkseid had just used was different from before, as it hadn't previously had such an effect.
Robert could also tell that Darkseid hadn't intended to send Verman away. Instead, he had been unable to contain his anger, choosing to blast Verman through layer after layer of space and barriers, subjecting him to unbearable pain until both his body and soul were utterly destroyed.
While Robert had many methods of tormenting others, the effectiveness of Darkseid's Omega energy was unparalleled. The pain it inflicted had reached the limits of what Verman could endure.
"Whoosh!" As Robert was still processing this, a portal suddenly appeared in front of Darkseid. With lightning speed, Darkseid attempted to pass through it.
However, Robert, though impressed by Darkseid's use of Omega energy, hadn't let his guard down. In an instant, Robert teleported between Darkseid and the portal, punching both Darkseid and the portal's energy core.
"Boom!"
As Darkseid was sent flying, the portal was destroyed. But another portal appeared where Darkseid landed, as he still sought to escape.
"Heh, the mighty Darkseid, running away? How cowardly. Didn't you just kill a deserter? Are you planning to desert too? Or is it that the leader sets the example, and that's why your subordinate fled in the first place?" Robert once again appeared between Darkseid and the portal, repeating his earlier actions while taunting Darkseid.
Robert knew that Darkseid wasn't trying to flee. The portal didn't lead to some unknown region of space but to the battlefield where the Avengers and Apokolips' forces were clashing.
Yes, Darkseid wasn't running away; he was trying to shift the battlefield there. As the Dark Lord, he couldn't accept his forces' crushing defeat. Even if they were to lose, he wanted to take the Avengers and the invaded planet down with them!
Once there, Darkseid wouldn't even need to directly attack the Avengers. The residual energy from his battle with Robert would be enough to annihilate them, just as it had destroyed entire star systems in their previous clashes.
But the problem was, Robert wasn't giving Darkseid the chance to go there. Darkseid had encountered many spatial abilities before, including his own portal creation, but Robert's instantaneous teleportation, which seemed to have no limitations, was something he had never seen.
Previously, Darkseid had faced beings capable of teleporting within their perception range, but their abilities were susceptible to spatial interference and couldn't place them directly between Darkseid and a portal. Robert, however, faced no such restrictions.
This left Darkseid at a standstill, with no way to deal with Robert.
As for continuing to fight Robert, Darkseid wanted to, but he hadn't gained any advantage in their previous clashes. Initially, Robert had only slightly suppressed him, but as time passed, Robert's combat power grew stronger, and his attacks became more ferocious.
Being a seasoned warrior himself, Darkseid recognized that Robert possessed a unique combat talent that allowed him to grow stronger during battle. This ability had increasingly pressured Darkseid, forcing him to seek a way to turn the tide.
However, after Verman's appearance, Darkseid realized that he likely wouldn't find a solution. So, he decided to go all out. Even if he were to lose today, he would make sure Robert didn't walk away unscathed!
If he couldn't kill or severely injure Robert, he would at least ensure the Avengers were wiped out!
But unfortunately, Robert still wasn't giving Darkseid the chance. As Robert repeatedly destroyed the portals, Darkseid was forced to re-engage in combat with him.
Each time Robert destroyed a portal, he also dealt significant damage to Darkseid. If Darkseid continued to suffer such heavy blows, even his formidable physique wouldn't prevent a decline in his combat power.
With Robert growing stronger and Darkseid weakening, it would spell disaster for the Dark Lord, leaving him with no chance of turning the tables…
"My current strength isn't enough! Damn it, if I had known such a powerful being would emerge thousands of years later, I should have returned to Earth after recovering from my injuries!" Darkseid was forced to fight Robert again, his mind racing with thoughts.
After being wounded by the combined forces of Ares and the gods and retreating from Earth, Darkseid could have returned once he had healed.
But he had to admit, that axe strike had left a psychological scar. After all, Darkseid had only been an eight-year-old child at the time. Taking such a brutal hit… it was only natural for him to develop a fear.
So, Darkseid had decided to grow stronger before returning to Earth to search for the Anti-Life Equation. But this "growth" had taken thousands of years, and it wasn't until Steppenwolf's mission to Earth that Darkseid's desire to find the Equation was reignited.
Of course, this was also related to Darkseid's experiences over the millennia. Aside from his defeat on Earth, Darkseid's rise had been smooth, and his power had grown immensely.
Even the Celestials, who roamed the universe and shaped countless civilizations, were no match for Darkseid. With no real threats, his desire for the Anti-Life Equation had waned.
But now, facing the immense pressure from Robert, Darkseid's longing for the Anti-Life Equation burned brighter than ever. He was desperate to obtain it, to use its power to defeat—or even kill—Robert!
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/INNIT
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.