Chapter 1: A World Aflame
Metropolis — 10:07 AM
The sky tore open with a deafening crack, as if some celestial seam had unraveled above the city. Office workers and commuters paused mid-step, phones tilted skyward. A moment later, the first tremor hit—a shuddering, deep-bellied vibration that rolled through the steel bones of Metropolis. Windows shattered in office towers. Car alarms shrieked. Birds fled in a screaming whirl.
And then it came.
A hulking mass, silhouetted against the torn clouds, crashed through a pair of mid-rise buildings near Hob's Bay. Concrete exploded into dust as the creature landed—an armored behemoth with a horned crown and fists the size of sedans. Its skin was charred black and veined with molten lava. With a bellow that rattled teeth across five city blocks, the monster roared and brought its fists down on the pavement, cracking the ground in a shockwave that sent people flying like rag dolls.
Sirens screamed. Emergency broadcasts lit up devices with a chilling message
METROPOLIS UNDER ATTACK. SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY."
High above, a red-and-blue blur pierced the clouds like a missile. Superman.
He descended with a sonic boom, landing between the monster and a crowd of panicked civilians. Eyes glowing with fury, cape billowing like a war banner, he addressed the creature with a booming voice.
"Turn around. Now."
The creature answered with a swipe of its clawed arm, faster than its bulk suggested. Superman ducked, caught the limb mid-swing, and flung the monster across the plaza.It crashed through a parking structure, sending a fireball into the air. But the creature rose again. Unfazed.
Superman frowned. "That's new."
Gotham City — 10:09 AM
Across the ocean, a different kind of apocalypse was unfolding.
Gotham's skyline flickered as entire districts lost power. Traffic lights died. Trains screeched to a halt. Skyscrapers plunged into digital darkness. In the Batcave, Bruce Wayne stood before a cracked, flickering screen as a wall of code scrolled faster than any human could process.
"This is no simple blackout," he said to Alfred, voice cold. "Something's rewriting entire systems. City grid, security feeds, police databases, WayneTech satellites. All of it."
A mechanized chirp echoed from the Batcomputer. A mocking digital face materialized—smooth, chrome-like, with a single blinking eye.
"You built the most paranoid security systems on Earth, Batman," it said. "
Let's see how you like watching them fall."
Without hesitation, Bruce reached for his gauntlet and activated a remote override. The Batcave's generators roared. Walls shifted to reveal manual backup panels. Alfred raised a brow.
"Would it be impolite to ask how long you anticipated this exact scenario, sir?"
"Since the day I started trusting computers."
He donned the cowl, now all business. "Engaging counter-infiltration protocols. But I need boots on the ground. Gotham's going blind—and whoever's behind this, they're not after money. They're after control."
Themyscira — 10:12 AM
The clear sky above the island paradise shattered like stained glass. A fissure of violet energy tore across the air above Themyscira, and from within it spilled a swarm of shrieking, winged creatures—chimeras of serpent and steel, guided by invisible hands.
Amazons sprinted to their posts, unsheathing enchanted blades and preparing ballistas etched with ancient runes. Queen Hippolyta stood tall atop the palace steps, her silver armor gleaming in the daylight.
"Where is Diana?" she demanded.
"She left for the Hall of Justice last night, my Queen," General Philippus replied, eyes on the sky.
"Then we stand alone. Summon the storm-guard. We do not give up the sky."
The creatures descended like a cloud of locusts, but the Amazons met them mid-air with blades and arrows. Lightning cracked. Shields sparked. The clash of magic and myth turned Themyscira's paradise into a war zone.
Watchtower — 10:15 AM
Orbiting Earth aboard the Watchtower, J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, stood in the observation deck, absorbing the chaos with narrowed, red eyes. He reached out telepathically.
**:: Justice League — this is J'onn. Global emergencies detected. Metropolis, Gotham, and Themyscira are under simultaneous attack. This is no coincidence. We are being tested. ::
A moment later, Batman's grim voice came through.
It's coordinated. Someone's weaponized everything—from brute force to software to myth."
"Then we respond accordingly," came Diana's voice, calm but resolute.
"I'm en route to Themyscira. Tell Kal he won't face that beast alone."
"I've got Gotham," said Green Lantern John Stewart, already redirecting his course from a satellite recon sweep. "Whatever's happening, we push back. Hard."
"Flash here—on my way to the Watchtower first. Something's messing with time flow near Central City. I need backup data."
"I will remain in orbit," J'onn added. "Someone needs to coordinate the chaos."
The Martian stared out the viewport as Earth seemed to burn in three distinct places.
This was no accident. This was a message.
And someone, somewhere, was smiling.
Metropolis — 10:19 AM
Superman collided with the monster mid-charge, fists cracking against hide harder than steel. The shockwave shattered windows for six blocks. He'd fought beings stronger, faster, smarter—but this one fought with purpose. It wasn't mindless. Its attacks were calculated. Tactical.
And its eyes—red, glowing slits—were watching him.
Suddenly, a golden lasso snapped around the creature's throat and yanked it off balance.
"Sorry I'm late," Wonder Woman said, landing beside him with sword in hand.
He offered her a brief smile. "Traffic?"
"Interdimensional incursion."
Together, they dove at the creature again.
Gotham — 10:21 AM
Batman's fingers flew across a console as Batgirl fought off drones above Wayne Tower. "This virus is rewriting logic itself," he muttered. "It's not just code. It's language. Intent."
He isolated a signature. One he hadn't seen in years.
"Oracle," he said quietly. "This is bigger than cyber-terrorism."
Backlit by fire, a drone exploded behind him. Gotham's skyline was flickering in and out of digital existence.
And Batman, grim as ever, saw the shape of something new behind the chaos.
Someone had declared war.
And they knew exactly where to hit.