Chapter Eighteen: The End

Superman Drones began to move in, but Superman stopped them. He wanted to finally silence the Flash himself.

"Scared… West?" He asked.

"Terrified." Flash nodded with a grin, despite the situation. "So are we gonna do this or not?"

In a blur, Superman flew toward Flash. But Flash's eyesight works at super speed too, and he was able to see the man of steel coming. Flash dodged the oncoming attack spun as fast as he could, pulling Superman into a cyclone and throwing him into a nearby vehicle. "Well, we're off to a good start." Flash muttered.

Superman had already risen. Flash raced toward him. Superman released a wave of freeze breathe, icing over the street and causing Flash to slide around violently. He slid directly into Superman's fast, and on impact Flash doubled over into the air, clutching his stomach. At the speed Flash had been traveling, the punch had been the equivalent of being struck by a smile meteor. He fell to the ground, coughing. "And my luck is gone." He sighed. Superman prepared to stomp on Flash's skull, and the hero rolled out of the way at the last second. In a blur Flash was to his feet, and then was gone.

"Coward." Superman chuckled, preparing looking toward LexCorp Towers ready to finish the job. But then he was struck in the face with a powerful impact. Superman tumbled several feet, his cheek swelling. Then he was struck again, then again, then again. Soon he was bouncing back and forth between impacts. Flash was moving at such a great speed that he was harming Superman! Superman shot heat vision and melted the ice he had created on the street. Then he could see Flash's footprints in the water. Superman grabbed Flash by the arm and began to squeeze, causing Flash to scream painfully. Then Superman flew Flash through a store window. The scarlet speedster stood up behind a wall, holding the hand he had been using to punch Superman.

"Damn… feels like I stuck my hand underneath a steam roller!" He glanced out the window and saw Superman stumbling. "I hurt him though. And I need to keep that up." Then heat vision blasted through the wall, burrowing into Flash's back! Flash managed to move out of the way before any serious damage was done, but it hurt like hell and smoke was billowing off of his costume. Superman punched through the wall angrily.

"You can't run forever Wally!" He screamed, still spraying heat vision. This started a fire, which in turn caused the sprinklers in the building to turn on. Flash spun his arms and created a cyclone, sending a hail of water toward the man of steel like bullets. The impact actually knocked Superman over, and flash began vibrating in the pooling water, sending a small but powerful wave toward the killer. Superman was blasted outside, and Flash zoomed in, grasped Superman by the shoulders, and vibrated as fast as he could, driving Superman deep into the concrete like a jackhammer!

Superman flew up and grabbed the scarlet speedster, pulling him high into the atmosphere. He then threw him downward with a mighty thrust. In an effort to save himself, he began patting his feet fruitlessly against a large brick building. But his momentum was far too great for him to turn around. Then he came to a window on the side of the building. He threw himself back and smashed through the window, tumbling into the abandoned building. He only slowed down, but never ceased moving. He swiftly went back out and ran up the side of the building, flying off at almost a million miles an hour. With Superman on target, he curled up like a cannonball and began vibrating violently. He struck Superman and there was a thunderous blast, and they both went crashing into the ground, Superman hacking up blood! He stood slowly, and was immediately pelted by a barrage of superfast fists!

"Hold still damn you!" Superman shrieked, swinging punches. But he was unable to hit the scarlet speedster. He fired off more punches and kicks and beams of heat vision, but was never able to even come close to hitting The Flash. Then Flash literally phased through Superman's body! He did not mean to do it, it just sort of happened when he picked up too much speed. Superman dropped to the ground, vomiting blood now, shivering. Flash had messed up his insides with the vibration. Now was the scarlet speedster's chance.

Flash vibrated his hand as fast as he could manage, extending it toward Superman's throat. In an instant, he could kill Superman. It would be a swift death; Flash would simply remove his throat and finish it. He reached closer, but then hesitated. After several moments, he pulled his hand back and sighed, stopping the vibration. "I can't do it. I guess I don't have that killer instinct."

"Funny-… I do!" Superman exclaimed, punching Flash in the neck! Flash went spiraling and on impact, caved in a wall and disappeared into the rubble. "You – are – dead!" Superman walked toward the rubble, looking to finish the job.

Meanwhile, in that general area…

The Justice Lord's Batman crawled slowly toward the smoldering body of Metallo. The other Justice Lords had all fallen in battle… but the alternate Batman was about to put an end to all of it. Then he heard a chillingly familiar voice. "It's time." Said Ultraman's voice! The Lord's Batman turned his head in shock, to see Ultraman alive, and lumbering toward him.

"You're alive?" The evil Batman was surprised.

"Yeah… there's been a change in plans though. Jonny!" He called. Suddenly, a bloodied and battered Jonny Quick zoomed over.

"Where are the others?" He asked.

"We're all that's left of the Justice Lords. The rest fell." The alternate Batman said.

"So what now?" Quick asked.

"The League thinks all of us are dead. That will prove quite an advantage in the future… let's get out of here. Quickly." Ultraman said.

"Just a minute. There's something I need to do first…" The Batman said, glancing back at the corpse of Metallo.

Meanwhile, Back in the Fight…

Superman raised his hand to crush the rubble, when a golden lasso wrapped around his arm and pulled him onto his back. Wonder Woman. The woman pulled Superman into the range of her battle ax, where she swung down at him. But he killer of steel quickly raised his hands and clasped them around the blade, pitting his strength against hers. He released a breath of freeze breath, freezing the metal of the ax, allowing him to shatter it. He grabbed the lasso and jerked, flinging Wonder Woman into a wall, then pulling her back and punching in the face. She kicked up and struck him in the chin, causing him to bite through his tongue! She then punched him in the nose, bloodying it. Superman spun around and swung out his arm, sending her flying across the concrete. Then a series of baterangs stuck into his back! He whipped around to see both Batman and Dick coming at him. He shot heat vision at their feet, sending them falling toward him. He grabbed their throats and smashed their heads together. Then he threw Dick off to the side, and ripped off Batman's utility belt.

"You know what Bruce… I – am sick – of you!" He jammed Bruce hard into the ground. Green Arrow prepared to take a shot, but in a flash his arrow as broken and he was well acquainted with Superman's fist! He called in more Superman Drones to aid him, but then there was a sharp pain in his skull, and all of the drones deactivated.

"No! No, no, no!" He barked, looking to Galatea. She stumbled out; degeneration had taken more of her arm now. All of the billions of drones fell to the ground, inactive. The machine that was producing them shut down. It was over. But then Superman smiled and levitated into the air, then broke out laughing. His hair, usually so nicely combed, now hung shagged over his eyes. His costume was in tatters and he was covered in bruises and cuts. But his laughter was still loud and triumphant.

"You- You still can't defeat me! In case you haven't noticed, you're the only ones left! No one else stands to oppose me! Bruce, you're hurt and out of weapons. Dick, well you weren't too much of a problem in the first place! Galatea's rotting, Diana's injured, Wally is out cold, and Ollie is even more pathetic than Dick! I can still kill every last one of you!" He laughed in a manner similar to that of the Joker. "Diana, I might keep you… I'll have lots of fun with you!" He said wickedly and lustfully. "Bruce, maybe I'll keep you alive for a little while too… I'll make you watch what I do to her!" He continued laughing. "I'll make you watch so long that the image will be burned on your eyes!"

Lex Luthor, injured and shaking, raised the gun with the kryptonite bullets. But before he could fire, Superman flashed down and crushed Lex's hand! "You… I still can't decide if I should torture you, or just kill you on the spot. Considering you brought this out in me… I guess I'll do you a favor and just kill you now!" Superman raised his fist and prepared to kill Luthor with one last punch.

Then Metallo, his body melted and damaged, shouted out to the man of steel. "Hey Superman!" Superman looked over. Metallo's right arm had been reconfigured into some sort of gun. He reached into his chest with his left arm, grasping the rest of his kryptonite core.

"From me… to you… bitch." Metallo then ripped out the kryptonite core and loaded it into the gun, firing it off at Superman. Then he went offline. His eyes went dark, and his head dropped lifelessly to the ground. The kryptonite shard sailed toward Superman, but he managed to dodge it. But Galatea shot it with heat vision, blasting it into the air above Superman!

Batman leapt up into the air after it. Superman prepared to move, but then Wonder Woman's lasso wrapped around his body, holding him in place. Green Arrow threw his bow up to Batman, and Dick threw his escrima stick. Batman caught both objects, and worked the kryptonite into the escrima stick, turning it into a makeshift kryptonite arrow. He then used the bow, and with pinpoint accuracy, fired. The kryptonite sank into the lower region of Superman's neck! He was immediately weakened as the kryptonite entered his bloodstream through the wound.

Lex then clenched his fist and punched Superman in the face! Superman fell backward, unconscious.

"Hah hah! I did it! I just beat Superman!" Lex screamed, raising his arms into the air joyously. But his happiness only lasted for only a brief moment, because Batman kicked him in the head on his way down, knocking Luthor out.

Batman looked over to Superman, who was squirming half-consciously. "It's over." Batman smiled widely, as if he had just woken up from the worst nightmare of his life.

"Are we gonna let him die? Personally, I would have nothing against it." Green Arrow said.

Batman was quiet for a long moment. Then he reached down and cautiously pulled the kryptonite out of Superman's neck.

"Figures you wouldn't let me die… you're weak." Superman muttered.

"No Kal. I'm just stronger than you are." He kicked Superman in the head too, knocking him out as well.

"What are we going to do with him then?" Diana asked. "Honestly, I don't think prison is a good enough punishment for him."

"No, it isn't. I completely agree. I have my own ideas for him, I promise." Batman told her. "But right now there are more important matters…" He turned around and pulled Diana into a deep kiss. After several minutes, they pulled away. She was grinning from ear to ear.

"Where did that come from?" She asked.

"There was a time during all of this mess when… when I thought you were dead. And I realized I'd never have a chance to tell you how I feel. I don't ever want to feel like that again." He said, and then they met in a warm embrace. Batman saw that Dick was looking off into the sun, a distant look in his eyes. "One minute…" He said, walking over to his adopted son.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"Galatea… she's gone." Dick said, glancing to where she had been standing. He was right, she had run off during the excitement.

"We'll find her one day, Dick." Batman assured him. "She'll find a way to survive."

"Yeah but… but what happens when we do find her? She betrayed us Bruce, she would have killed me. Not that I don't understand her reasoning, but still… what am I supposed to do?"

"That's one choice that I can't make for you, Dick. But whatever you do decide… I promise you that I'll stand by the decision."

"Thanks Bruce. Now… how long do you think you're going to stay this nice?"

"It won't last long. I'm just happy this is over with."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Yeah, it's creepy when you're actually nice to people! I'm kind of missing the dark, broody Bruce Wayne."

Suddenly there was a rustling over in the debris from the battle. The Flash came stumbling out, walking near-drunkenly and confused toward the group. "Did I beat him?" He asked in a quivery voice.

"Yeah Wally, you did." Diana laughed.

"Cool." Then Flash fell face first onto the ground and was out cold. The whole group laughed.

Within the next ten minutes, the police had arrived and picked up Lex Luthor, arresting the president!

"It'll be nice to have Luthor locked up for a while." Dick said.

"It won't last long. He'll pull strings and get out." Batman sighed.

"Ah, there's the cynic we all know and love!" Dick chuckled.

Batman explained his ideas for Superman. They would have him cryogenically frozen, but first Batman would modify the chip in his brain, implementing technology similar to what was used in the Justice League combat simulators. Superman's would be frozen in a permanent sleep, to never wake up, and his mind would spend the rest of eternity locked in combat with Doomsday! Superman would subconsciously be killed, over and over again, only for the fight to start over again. It was fair punishment, as far as everyone else was concerned.

"Hey guys! Get over here!" Green Arrow yelled urgently. The group walked over to where the archer was standing. In the crater where Ultraman had been, there was now nothing. The crater was empty.

"Wait, you mean…" Dick began.

"Ultraman got away." Batman nodded.

"He's loose in this universe somewhere. That can't be good." Diana shook her head.

"I'm sure we'll be seeing him real soon." Green Arrow sighed. Then his eyes widened. "What about Kara?" He shouted. Everyone gasped and ran over to where the dying Kryptonian girl had been. But when they arrived, they found her sitting against the wall with Green Lantern, J'onn and Hawkgirl. And she seemed ok.

"We took care of Kara." J'onn said.

"She's really tired, and there's no telling if she'll ever be able to walk again… it's kind of hard to say right now, but hopefully with time she'll recover." Hawkgirl nodded.

"I think we should get home. I don't know about you guys, but I am tired as hell." Green Lantern yawned. Everyone agreed, and headed off.

The next day, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Hawkgirl, J'onn, and Green Lantern met in the JLA Council Room. They voted that for the time being, the Justice League would disband. Perhaps they would reform later, but for now they had no desire to continue as a team. The recent events had shaken all of them up. Bruce and Diana would still be seeing much more of each other, however. They had formed quite a strong relationship.

The nightmare had finally come to an end. Superman was defeated. The drones were deactivated. Luthor was in jail. Things were looking up. All of the deactivated Superman Drones were gathered up and launched into the void of space, never to be seen on Earth again.

A new, brighter day was dawning now. No one knew exactly what the future would hold, but they had a feeling that it would be something better.

Later, in the deep in outer space…

The spaceship belonging to the Challenger's of the Unknown drifted through space, headed back to Earth. Their patient in the infirmary, Hank Henshaw, was making a decent recovery considering the shape he had been in when they found him. Rocky looked out the window, and saw something new drifting through space near the ship.

"Hey doc, what's that?" He asked. Doc looked out the window and saw a damaged heap of metal, with the Superman insignia on it!

"Interesting… it appears to be some sort of, destroyed Superman robot! Bring it aboard." Doc said. Red and Rocky soon retrieved the robot, and brought it in. They put in the infirmary, where Doc could examine it. In fact, this drone was right next to the recovering Hank Henshaw.

Hank looked over in his bed and saw that hated Superman symbol glowing. "Su – per- man! Die! Die!" He groaned, reaching over.

"Whoa, Hank, calm down!" Doc yelled. Hank fell out of his bed and reached over to the robot.

The metal began to bubble strangely, almost as if the robot was… healing!

"What the devil…?" Doc was mystified.

"Die!" Hank groaned, reaching into the morphing, recovering organic metal of the robot. His hand was suddenly enveloped in the steel. Suddenly, the drone began to warp around his body, merging with him!

"What- what's going on?" He screamed as his body was consumed by the metal. Once it was done, there were not two beings, but one. The robot and Hank Henshaw had been merged into one.

"What the… Mr. Henshaw? Are you alright?" Doc began to reach out toward. Suddenly, Henshaw clasped Doc's hand, crushing it painfully. Henshaw now resembled a monstrous, near-demonic human skeleton! A warped version of the Superman symbol was incased in his chest.

"Alright? Alright!" He shrieked, lifting Doc into the air. "I've never been better!" He then literally ripped Doc in half! Blood bathed the room. Red and Rocky ran in.

"Hey Doc, what's goin' on-" Red began, before he was suddenly struck down by Henshaw's new heat vision!

"Red!" Rocky screamed, swinging a punch at Henshaw. His fist rested firmly on Henshaw's face, doing no damage at all. Henshaw froze Rocky solid with ice breathe, and then crushed him with a powerful punch, literally shattering him! Henshaw ripped open the door into the cockpit, and grabbed Ace, throwing him through the windshield of the spacecraft and into the void of space! Henshaw then fired heat vision into the fuel tank, blowing up the spacecraft. He flew several miles in a matter of seconds, and rested on a small moon. He looked in the distance with his super-vision, and saw planet Earth!

"Earth…" He laughed maniacally. "Good. Time for revenge!" He began flying off. "Time to die… Superman!"

The End

Really strange ending, I know! Pretty soon, I'll begin work on the sequel. That's right, there's going to be a sequel everybody! The title will be Superman: Redemption, look out for it within the next couple weeks, and no, it's not what you think. What I have planned for the sequel will blow your mind!

I'd like to give out a thanks to all of my great reviewers, with special thanks to LordFrieza, who provided a lot of great ideas throughout the writing of this story. Hope you enjoyed the story everyone!