Max's House – Night
Thena woke in the dead of night. She slowly reached under her bed and carefully pulled out a scroll, making sure not to wake the sleeping Nina. Holding her breath, she slipped quietly out of the room and into the living room.
Once there, she opened the scroll and channeled a bit of chakra into it. With a puff of smoke, an assortment of weapons and combat outfits appeared on the floor. She quickly removed her gown and sleepwear and slipped into a tight-fitting black combat suit, fastening a dark chest plate over it.
She picked up black fingerless gloves with metal plates on the backs of the palms and slid them on, followed by metallic bracers and shin guards. A sword scabbard was attached to the hooks on her chest plate, and she drew a tanto from the assortment of weapons and slid it into the scabbard. Once everything was in place, she sealed the remaining contents back into the scroll and tucked it under the couch.
Thena moved to the door and slowly opened it, stepping out into the night. She crouched low and leapt to the top of a nearby street pole, her shadow stretching long in the moonlight. Reaching behind her, she pulled out a plain white mask and studied it.
Gloomy… but it will have to do, she thought, shrugging as she fixed it over her face. She exhaled softly.
"Dad's going to kill me if he finds out about this… but what better time than now, while he's away? I need to see where I stand out there," she muttered.
With a swirl of leaves, she vanished from the pole, blending into the night.
Unbeknownst to Thena, the Nina she had left at the house was only a shadow clone. A few hundred meters away, the real Nina had been watching, having expected something like this. Now that it had happened, she had to follow Thena—close enough to observe, but far enough to stay out of her sister's sensory range.
She understood that growth required pressure, experience, and above all, danger,something she could never simulate for Thena herself.
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One Month Later
A month had passed since the massacre.
A month since Joker had laid waste to an entire city.
In that time, through the combined efforts of the government, the heroes, and Luthor Corporation, the city had been fully rehabilitated. Radiation had been cleared, emergency shelters dismantled, and rebuilding efforts were already underway. But no amount of reconstruction could erase what had happened.
No one had forgotten.
And today was the day of his trial.
Those who could not attend in person had their eyes glued to their screens as the hearing was broadcast live across the world.
International Court – Central Metropolis
Date: August 17
Time: 09:00 AM
The camera focused on the defendant's stand.
Joker stood there in heavy restraints, his posture relaxed, a crooked grin tugging at his lips as if he were attending a comedy show instead of his own sentencing.
The courtroom doors opened.
The judge entered.
Everyone rose to their feet as the judge took his seat, adjusted his glasses, and fixed his gaze on the clown-faced criminal.
"Authee Fleck," the judge began, his voice echoing through the silent chamber, "you have been found guilty on all counts brought before this court."
He paused, letting the weight of the words settle.
"You stand convicted of mass murder, crimes against humanity, acts of domestic terrorism, the use of prohibited chemical and biological agents, and the deliberate extermination of civilian populations. You are a repeat offender in most of these charges."
The judge's voice hardened.
"The evidence presented has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that you orchestrated and executed the systematic slaughter of over three million civilians and the destruction of entire neighborhoods through your actions."
Joker's grin twitched slightly.
"You showed no remorse and displayed a blatant disregard for human life," the judge continued. "This court recognizes your crimes as among the worst atrocities committed in modern history."
He straightened in his chair.
"By the authority vested in this court, and in accordance with international criminal law and national statutes regarding crimes of extreme magnitude…"
The entire courtroom held its breath.
"…you are hereby sentenced to death."
A murmur rippled through the audience. Some gasped. Others closed their eyes in relief. A few silently wept.
"The method of execution shall be lethal injection, to be carried out in three days," the judge continued. "Until that time, you will be held in maximum-security isolation, without the possibility of parole, appeal, sentence reduction, or clemency."
He raised his gavel.
"May this sentence serve as justice for the millions of voices silenced by your hand."
BANG.
The gavel slammed down.
Case closed.
Terra switched off the TV as the courtroom feed faded to black.
"Serves him right," she muttered. "Bastard almost killed us."
Thena shuffled out of her room, rubbing one eye and stifling a yawn, her hair a mess from sleep.
"What were you watching?" she asked groggily.
"Nothing important," Terra replied. "Just Joker finally getting what he deserves."
Thena paused, waking up a little more. "Oh. What was the verdict?"
"They're putting him down. Three days from now."
Thena exhaled slowly. "Can't say he doesn't deserve it. He's done a lot "
"Yeah," Terra cut in, "and honestly? This is mercy compared to all the crazy shit he's done."
"Yikes," Thena said with a crooked smile. "Dark… but true."
Terra turned on the couch to face her properly. "Call it what you want, but there's something else that's been bothering me."
Thena stiffened slightly.
"You sleeping in every morning makes it painfully obvious that while we're passed out at night… you're not."
Thena hesitated. "Is it really that obvious?"
"If I figured it out," Terra said flatly, "Aunt Nina definitely has. You were acting weird that night too. And you're a terrible liar."
Thena sighed.
"She's probably just waiting for you to come clean," Terra added.
"…Yeah," Thena said quietly. "I think it's about time I do."
"That would be smart," Terra said. "Because when Dad gets back and finds out,and he will she's the only one who might be able to save you from getting grounded into the next dimension."
Thena snorted softly.
After a moment, Terra spoke again. "So… have you met the Titans yet?"
"Nope," Thena replied casually. "Just random crooks and underground arms dealers. Haven't even found a real challenge. It's always guns, missiles, bombs… and then some sad excuse for hand-to-hand combat when that fails."
Terra raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. I'm definitely not joining you anytime soon."
"Fair enough," Thena shrugged. "Imma headout to train then"
Apokolips
The colossal chamber pulsed with dark energy.
At its center stood the Genesis Chamber a towering structure of l metal and crackling g energy, its surface veined with molten-orange light. Inside floated Darkseid's massive form, suspended in liquid stasis, his body slowly regenerating and evolving as the machine amplified his power.
Cables thicker than warships fed into his armored frame. Monitors flickered with alien runes, tracking every fluctuation in his godly vitals.
Standing before the console was DeSaad.
His thin lips curled into a cruel smile as his clawed fingers danced across holographic controls.
"Your ascension nears, my lord," he whispered reverently. "Soon, the universe will tremble once more."
Darkseid remained silent, slumbering inside.
With his master temporarily out of commission, DeSaad had been entrusted with command. And he had no intention of wasting this opportunity.
He turned toward another massive platform where containment pods lined the walls like coffins.
Inside them… monsters stirred.
Creatures forged from Kryptonian DNA samples harvested from Superman during his capture. Twisted, weaponized replicas of superman's DNA, engineered for pure destruction. Their bodies were jagged with bone protrusions and pale grey skin.
"Six will suffice," DeSaad muttered.
They would not be enough to kill the human known as Max,the anomaly who wielded power capable of defying gods themselves.
But that was not their true purpose.
"These beasts need only weaken him," DeSaad continued, his eyes narrowing. "And exterminate the Kryptonian defending that pathetic world."
His fingers tightened into a fist.
Superman and his team of warriors.
The greatest obstacles to Darkseid's dominion over Earth.
"Cripple their forces," he hissed. "Break their champions. Spread fear and chaos."
DeSaad turned back toward the Genesis Chamber, gazing upon Darkseid's sleeping form with fanatic devotion.
"And when you awaken with your newfound strength, my lord… You will descend upon the remains."
His smile widened.
"To sweep away the stragglers."
End of Chapter.
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