Cyborg's sudden betrayal caused heavy losses to Cadmus, but it also forced the American government to take action.
Initially, American officials were skeptical about the so-called alien invasion. If it weren't for Batman's credibility, no one would have believed such a claim. Even after the Kryptonian spacecraft's attack, which had given Earth its first real encounter with an alien civilization, skepticism still lingered. Before that invasion, even if Superman had personally come to warn them, they probably would have dismissed him.
However, Cyborg's abrupt hostility—nearly killing Batman and The Flash—had been caught on video, and the footage made it evident that Cyborg was under external control.
No one on Earth had the ability to crack the Mother Box technology from Apokolips. To put it bluntly, Cyborg himself represented the pinnacle of Earth's electronic advancements. It was impossible for any Earthling to take control of him.
Since Earth lacked that level of technology, there was only one explanation—aliens. The Mother Box had always been alien in origin, and if an external force had manipulated it, then the invaders must have already arrived.
Politicians may have made foolish decisions in the past, but that was often because their interests dictated their actions. When it came to a world-ending crisis, they weren't stupid.
Once they realized that the alien invasion was real, and after speaking with Batman and others, they understood the severity of the situation. These weren't just ordinary aliens—they were genocidal conquerors. The bureaucrats panicked. Immediately, all of America's manpower and resources were mobilized to hunt down Cyborg.
However, Cyborg's abilities made him a natural counter to all technological systems, rendering the government's efforts largely ineffective. Even after a month-long search, they failed to locate him.
At Batman's suggestion, the Justice League was officially established. Meanwhile, Shin had been secretly collecting information from Cadmus, gradually gaining a deeper understanding of this world.
Aside from the Justice League members, a few other heroes were still active. Green Arrow patrolled Star City, and Green Lantern had long since left Earth, likely undergoing training at Planet Oa where the Green Lantern Corps headquarters reside.
However, Green Arrow was just an ordinary human—less skilled than Batman in nearly every aspect. His presence wasn't essential, so Batman hadn't bothered to invite him.
Shin had a cynical thought: perhaps Batman found Green Arrow too clever. If he joined, he might expose Batman's tactics, making it harder to manipulate Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash.
As for Green Lantern, his absence meant that the new Justice League had only six members. Shin was reluctant about being a superhero, but with his track record—saving Wonder Woman twice, killing Doomsday, and rescuing The Flash—his absence would have weakened morale.
With the Justice League formed, Superman and Batman devised a new strategy: using the Fortress of Solitude to monitor America and track Cyborg's whereabouts.
However, before they could act, a new threat appeared.
This time, a horde of parademons invaded Metropolis, far surpassing previous incursions. In just a short period, the city was thrown into chaos.
In addition to the regular parademons, there were taller, enhanced variants—ones that looked like commanders.
These parademons were not mere cannon fodder. On Apokolips, captives were forcibly transformed into them, and their combat ability depended on the original host's strength. Even a powerful being like Superman could be converted, which meant that specially enhanced parademons were among the strongest warriors Apokolips had to offer.
While none of these new parademons matched that level, their sheer numbers were overwhelming. Metropolis, still recovering from the Doomsday disaster, was once again reduced to rubble.
When Superman, Shin, and the others arrived, they saw that the entire city was covered in a swarm of parademons.
Without hesitation, Superman activated his super-speed, clearing out half the sky in seconds. However, his rampage was short-lived.
A group of parademons, glowing with a green aura, suddenly intercepted him.
"Is that... Kryptonite!?" Wonder Woman exclaimed, her expression darkening.
Shin quickly pieced it together. "It must be from the U.S. government's stockpile. As Cadmus's secret weapon, Cyborg had access to all their data. Finding Kryptonite reserves wouldn't be hard for him."
The U.S. government definitely had Kryptonite. This was as obvious as whether a country under nuclear threat would develop nuclear weapons or whether a nuclear-armed country would create a missile defense system.
Shin had said it before—those who actively want to fight Superman are troublemakers, but those who prepare for the possibility are just cautious politicians.
It was similar to what had happened with Batman. His secret plans to neutralize Justice League members had been stored in his computer—until they were stolen and used against them.
Now, the U.S. government's Kryptonite reserves had fallen into the wrong hands, and the parademons were using it to kill Superman.
"Goddamn politicians!" Wonder Woman snapped. Having lived through World War II, she was painfully familiar with how the American government operated, and the situation enraged her.
Meanwhile, in the sky, a sickening thud echoed as Superman was sent crashing to the ground. Several massive parademons, infused with Kryptonite, surrounded him and pummeled him relentlessly.
Shin teleported beside him and unleashed an Almighty Push (Shinra Tensei), sending the demons flying.
"Can't you fight them like you did Doomsday?" Shin asked, sighing. "If you did, these parademons would be vaporized before they even got close to you."
Superman got up, blood trickling from his mouth, his face bruised, and his ribs likely fractured. He wiped his lip and let out a wry chuckle.
"If I do that, Metropolis will need to be rebuilt from scratch."
Shin glanced around. "Yeah... judging by the destruction, you might have to rebuild it anyway."
As more and more parademons flooded the sky, Metropolis was swallowed in darkness.
Fortunately, the Flash had already evacuated the city's civilians in record time.
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