The Gods Take Notice"
The Universe Reacts to the Fire Shadow
The footage reached the heavens.
Not Earth.
Not the planets of the League's allies.
But the real heavens—
the realms where gods, guardians, and cosmic tyrants rule.
Because a human child just did something impossible:
He unleashed a flame so powerful it temporarily shut down Doomsday's evolution, a biological law believed to be unbreakable.
The universe felt the moment the fire reached the sky.
It wasn't just heat.
It was a new force.
A force the cosmos does not have a name for.
1. The Old Gods — The Forgotten Pantheons Stir
Across mythological realms that humans forgot—
Olympus, Asgard, the Egyptian Duat, and others—
the gods paused.
Zeus
Lightning flickered uncontrollably.
"A mortal child produced fire equal to divine flame…
Impossible. Even our demigods cannot."
Odin
His one eye narrowed.
"This is no magic, no divine blessing.
This is something new."
Ra
His solar ship trembled.
"His fire…
it is older than the sun.
Older than my light."
The Old Gods had seen Kryptonians, New Gods, angels, demons.
But never a human child who could manifest divine-tier fire on instinct.
They reached one conclusion:
"This boy… is a disruption to the cosmic order."
2. The New Gods of New Genesis — Shock and Study
In the shining capital of New Genesis, Highfather viewed the footage.
Around him, scientists and warriors whispered.
"His energy signature is nowhere in our archives—"
"Not Kryptonian…"
"Not Apokoliptian…"
"Not magical…"
"Not Source-based either!"
Highfather raised a hand.
Silence.
"A human boy harmed Doomsday.
This has never happened in any universe."
Mother Box readings came through.
BOOOOM—PING—PING
The box was confused.
"Even the Mother Box cannot classify his power."
Highfather frowned deeply.
"We must determine whether this Fire Shadow is a threat…
or a miracle."
3. The Guardians of the Universe — The Immortal Judges
On Oa, the Green Lantern Corps gathered in the Central Chamber.
Hal Jordan stood before the Guardians, playing the footage Damian's fire pillar.
The tiny blue immortals—cold, ancient, unemotional—
were for the first time in millennia…
visibly startled.
Ganthet leaned forward.
"Replay it."
The fire erupted again on the hologram.
"Pause."
The Guardians studied the energy.
Another spoke:
"This… does not originate from the Emotional Spectrum."
Another:
"It is not Lantern magic."
Another:
"Nor cosmic chi…
nor elemental fire…
nor any categorized power we have ever recorded."
Hal crossed his arms.
"So what are we looking at?"
Ganthet's voice dropped.
"A power mankind should not possess."
Another Guardian corrected him.
"A power NOTHING should possess."
Then Ganthet delivered the line that made every Lantern in the room freeze:
"This boy's fire…
for five minutes… violated the laws of evolution."
The Guardians never panic.
But today—
they were close.
4. Apokolips — The Tyrant Learns the Truth
The flame pillar appeared on monitors across Apokolips.
Parademons screeched.
Generals backed away from the screen.
Because this was the creature Darkseid sent Doomsday to kill:
Kal-El.
But instead, the monster encountered something else.
Something worse.
And then the throne room went dark.
The air grew heavy.
The Omega symbol glowed.
And Darkseid appeared.
Arms behind his back.
Eyes burning with hatred and curiosity.
He watched Damian's flame pillar with no emotion—
until the moment Doomsday's evolution froze.
Darkseid's eyes widened.
Only slightly.
But that slight widening was the equivalent of a human screaming.
"…impossible."
Steppenwolf stepped forward nervously.
"My lord… Doomsday's evolution—"
Darkseid raised a hand.
Silence.
His voice was low and filled with ancient fury.
"That child…
a human child…
halted an absolute biological law."
Desaad stammered, frightened:
"My lord… perhaps the artifact—"
Darkseid crushed the metal arm of his throne.
"Do not insult me, Desaad.
No artifact grants a mortal the strength to touch my domain."
His red eyes dimmed, calculating.
"Flame that interferes with the evolution of Doomsday…
could theoretically interfere with…
my Omega energies."
The entire court trembled in terror.
Darkseid leaned closer to the screen, studying Damian's face.
"The son of the Bat."
"The child of the man who has defied me countless times."
"And now he wields a force I cannot classify."
His voice dropped to a whisper that made even Steppenwolf step back.
"The Kryptonian is no longer the greatest concern."
A beat.
Then:
"Find the boy."
Desaad bowed, trembling.
"To capture, my lord?"
Darkseid's eyes flared with omega flame.
"To understand."
Then, colder:
"And if necessary—
to annihilate."
5. Darkseid's Final Thought — And His Fear
When the footage replayed the moment Damian's fire touches the sky…
the Omega symbol flickered for half a second.
Darkseid noticed.
Only Darkseid.
His voice was a low, rumbling whisper.
"…My connection to the Omega Force flickered."
The entire court fell silent.
Because Darkseid—
the eternal tyrant, the god who fears nothing—
had felt something unfamiliar.
Not defeat.
Not hatred.
Not anger.
But something he hasn't felt since Doomsday first appeared in the universe.
Concern.
"A human child who can wound my power is unacceptable."
His eyes burned brighter.
"This boy is a greater threat than Superman ever was."
Then he declared with divine finality:
"Fire Shadow must be erased…
or controlled."