245. The Green Lantern Burns Bright!
The Super-Skrull made his move.
In the instant Superman took action, he was immediately locked down by a force field originating from the Invisible Woman—one of the Fantastic Four's powers that the Super-Skrull had absorbed.
As a race capable of changing their appearance at will and even copying memories for perfect disguise, the Skrulls had an inherent genetic advantage that gave them tremendous potential for growth.
Among them, the elite, known as "Super-Skrulls," could not only mimic their targets' appearance but also replicate their superpowers, drastically enhancing their combat strength.
During the major event of the Secret Invasion, the Skrull forces, armed with this terrifying ability, once suppressed the heroes. If it weren't for the heroes' timely response, Earth would have long been turned into their base of operations.
Now, this Super-Skrull, one of Red Skull's trump cards, had fully mastered Mister Fantastic's elasticity, the Invisible Woman's force field, the Human Torch's flame body, and the Thing's rocky skin.
In essence, Superman was not just facing an ordinary alien at this moment. In a way, he was confronting the entire Fantastic Four. The Skrull pinned Superman firmly to the ground, and, seizing the moment before Superman could react, raised his rocky arm high and smashed it down toward Superman's head with full force.
The immense power kicked up a cloud of dust, and even the ground trembled. The punch, infused with the Super-Skrull's full strength, seemed to land not just on the battlefield but in the hearts of everyone watching, causing them to shudder.
"Capture them alive."
Red Skull didn't even glance at the battle happening on the Super-Skrull's side. His eyes were fixed on the remaining members of the Justice League. After finally encountering so many visitors from another world, he wasn't about to let any of them escape.
"Prepare for battle!"
As Batman's words fell, he immediately threw a few smoke bombs, vanishing into the mist. Even Hydra's optical sensors couldn't penetrate the fog to determine what was happening inside.
"Flash, take care of those soldiers. Don't let them form a tactical formation to surround us. Aquaman, you handle that sand creature. Cyborg, take control of the airspace—I need you to distract those things in the sky."
After a pause, Batman's voice came again. "There's also someone on the other side with divine powers. I can't determine which god they belong to, but it should be from the Egyptian pantheon. Wonder Woman, he's all yours."
"I've got it." Wonder Woman smiled. Nothing fueled her Amazonian battle spirit more than a battle among gods.
"Finally, Green Lantern, cover me while I head to the execution platform. Let's move—"
With Batman's gravelly voice giving the command, the Justice League members, though outnumbered, seemed to have found their backbone. They charged out of the smoke at lightning speed, each accurately locating their designated opponent.
In an instant, the full-scale battle between the Justice League and Hydra erupted in front of the eyes of the world. Facing the advancing Hydra elites who were gradually forming a disciplined formation, the Flash, cloaked in lightning, dived into the sea of soldiers.
By now, he was no longer the inexperienced young hero lacking combat knowledge. With every move, he managed to disrupt Hydra's soldiers' formation while dodging laser fire, ensuring they couldn't form an encircling perimeter.
Though Hydra's members had drilled countless times, and their strategists had accounted for every known superpower, they still underestimated these heroes from another world.
Cyborg shot into the sky, instantly becoming the target for all armed aircraft and surface-to-air missiles. But he wasn't afraid in the least, as his electronic eye had long since scanned the trajectories of every bullet and missile.
Without waiting for Red Skull's command, Shadow Knight, Batroc the Leaper, and Sandman Marko had already made their moves. They weren't here just to bolster Red Skull's numbers.
Each of them knew that if they wanted Red Skull's favor in the future, they had to prove their worth. Especially now, with Bullseye and the Winter Soldier gone, whoever wanted to rise to the top had to show their strength in this battle.
"I've seen you before in videos—a demigod from Olympus. Like you, I too am a demigod blessed by the gods."
Shadow Knight drew his crescent-shaped blade, his eyes filled with cruelty as he stared at Wonder Woman.
"I don't care."
Wonder Woman wasted no time with words, striking directly with her sword.
Even though Hydra had sent out their best, they were still struggling against the Justice League's seven members, especially considering some of Hydra's forces were far from peak condition.
Wonder Woman easily fought off both Shadow Knight and Batroc the Leaper, even holding the upper hand. However, Aquaman wasn't so fortunate.
Sandman Marko, transformed into a massive dust giant, unleashed power comparable to his prime. In his human form, Aquaman couldn't suppress him and was knocked to the ground by Sandman's powerful punch. Fortunately, Aquaman's body was extremely resilient, so the blow didn't cause him any significant damage.
"Aquaman, control the water! This sand monster shouldn't be able to stand up to you," Cyborg shouted from the sky while dodging incoming missiles and keeping an eye on the battlefield.
"You think I don't want to?" Aquaman shattered an incoming sandstorm with his trident, then extended his hand toward the sewers beneath the city.
But in the next moment, he shook his head helplessly.
"No good. The waters of this world don't answer to me."
Boom!
A sandstorm followed immediately, and Aquaman was swept high into the air, carried by the swirling sand. Along with him was a terrifying giant made of countless sand particles, slowly stretching out its massive hands, which then slammed down toward Aquaman.
The air was thick with the acrid smell of sand and dust. Half of New Era Square was engulfed by the sandstorm kicked up by Sandman Marko. The entire battlefield was clouded in a haze as the heavy yellow sand swept across, turning the scene into a desert-like wasteland.
Aquaman squinted, struggling to break free from the vortex created by the sandstorm. But he was too slow. Before he could escape, two truck-sized hands closed in from both sides, smashing together with tremendous force.
Enveloped by the swirling sands, Aquaman was instantly trapped within the giant sand hands. Though the sand couldn't cause him any real damage, it could invade his body through his nose and mouth, making it difficult for him to breathe.
"Damn it!"
Cyborg saw this and immediately activated his weapon systems, preparing to intercept the incoming missiles while creating an opening to rescue Aquaman. But someone was faster than him.
"In brightest day, in blackest night—"
From within the gaps of the swirling sand, a green light suddenly burst forth, like a sharp sword piercing through the sand-made hands and cutting through the thick yellow dust, illuminating the ground below.
"No evil shall escape my sight."
It was a light no one could ignore. Despite the sandstorm's oppressive hold, this brilliant green light, full of hope and eternity, fought back, breaking through the sandstorm and shining brightly in the yellow-tinted world.
"Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power—"
"How is this possible?"
Sandman Marko's massive form clenched his hands tighter, but the light emerging from within was so blinding that he instinctively tried to shield his eyes from it.
"Green Lantern's light!"
In the shocked eyes of everyone watching, the moment the final words of the Green Lantern oath were uttered, the massive hands Sandman had formed exploded into a shower of sand, blasted apart by the green light.
A gust of wind swept through, scattering the yellow sand across the battlefield. Even Sandman Marko's enormous body was shaken by the impact, forcing him to stagger. The sand that made up his body continued to fall under the force of gravity but quickly floated back up and reformed under his control, rapidly filling in the cracks and repairing his shattered hands.
Marko roared and raised his enormous head, glaring at the source of the green light. He wanted to see who had injured him, and there, floating in mid-air, was Green Lantern, his fingers glowing with green energy as he stared coldly back at Sandman.
Beside Green Lantern, Aquaman had broken free and now clutched his trident tightly. His expression toward Sandman was dark, clearly enraged after being bested by him earlier.
"Come on, round two. I'll be your opponent."
Green Lantern smirked confidently before raising his arm.
In an instant, the green light shot up into the sky, illuminating the entire New Era Square. Even in the bright morning, the light was unusually dazzling. The life-filled glow was so intense that it could be seen from the White House, despite the distance separating it from New Babylon.
Drawn by the brilliant light, Ashley and Black Canary, who had secretly infiltrated the area, couldn't help but turn their heads to gaze at the far-off city district.
"The battle has started."
Ashley, clad in her Venom suit, muttered to herself.
"Too bad I'm not there."
Beside her, Black Canary stared at the familiar green glow with a complicated expression. After a moment, she took a deep breath and smiled softly as she spoke into her earpiece.
"I never thought I'd live to see the light of the Green Lantern Corps again."
On the outskirts of New Babylon, hidden deep underground in a wine cellar, Alex sat cross-legged, suspended in mid-air. He was held aloft by an invisible force, and as his hands moved in intricate gestures, a colorful swirl of magical energy gathered and twisted around him.
Strong currents of air danced through the room, gradually forming a scene as beautiful as a galaxy under Alex's control. Among the stars, seven distinct lights of various colors, brimming with vitality, shone the brightest.
Hearing Black Canary's voice, Alex slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was deep and piercing, as if it could see through the entire universe.
"I have to thank you. If it weren't for the memories in your mind, I wouldn't have been able to use abstract magic to successfully manifest them in this world."
..............
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246. What Makes a Hero.
247. Hawkeye Joins the Battle!
248. Batman's Combat Power!
249. Unparalleled Art of War!
250. Defeating the Super-Skrull!