The enormous blue planet came to a standstill and then gradually began to disintegrate from the outside. It carried an invincible force, like a painting being washed away by water and gradually melting. Everything appeared weak and fragile under the illumination of that red power.
Darkseid finally showed a hint of fear. He felt that all his efforts were in vain. The power of Scarlet was erasing the existence of the Apocalypse Domain bit by bit, and he was powerless to retaliate.
He turned to look at Batman, only to find that the Primary Universe Batman also wore a deep expression, as if he had no solution. Darkseid cursed internally but also felt a slight sense of despair.
Yes, what else could Batman do? He was merely a man without superpowers. Even a slightly stronger force could crush him to dust. Against such an indescribably powerful being as Scarlet Witch, he probably couldn't even comprehend it, could he? How could someone come up with a specific plan against a power they've never encountered before?
Even though Darkseid gritted his teeth to hold on, the destruction of the Apocalypse Domain was only a matter of time. Once the entire shield was devoured, this place would become a red world where the power of Scarlet was almost everywhere.
"Prepare to relocate," said the Primary Universe Batman. He flicked his cape and turned to walk away, then said, "Everyone withdraw to the Dark Quadrant."
Though they were all unwilling, they had no other choice. All the superheroes received the evacuation order. They pressed their lips tightly together, faces revealing anger and helplessness. The Primary Universe Batman remained inscrutable, and no one could discern what he was thinking.
"Is this the Batman of the Primary Universe?" Night Owl took the opportunity to kick someone while they were down, saying, "He led you through so many battles, only to end up retreating in defeat. Following him was definitely the worst decision you could make."
"At least he showed up," said Batwoman. "So where were you when we were fighting for our lives on the battlefield?"
"I was just injured and arrived a bit late," Night Owl scoffed gently and said, "However, with such a massive setback, the Primary Universe Batman should no longer have the face to continue as leader, right? I'd advise you to consider carefully who to choose as a successor."
"No matter who we choose, it won't be you," said Mechanical Batman coldly. "If we chose you, we'd have been sent packing long ago."
Night Owl glared at her, feeling they were just being stubborn. It seemed even the strongest Primary Universe Batman couldn't lead them to an advantage, so none of the Batmans associated with him were good choices, which meant only he was left, right?
The superheroes boarded the spaceship manifested by Green Lantern, flew out of the Apocalypse Domain, and witnessed from the outside the demise of this enormous planet.
Initially, the entire star system was blue, but the violent red force kept invading inward, compressing the blue into a very small area, consuming it bit by bit. A burst vortex then formed at the center, eventually causing the entire Apocalypse Domain to collapse inward, becoming a massive black hole.
Darkseid did not perish with the Apocalypse Domain. After all, besides being the lord of Apocalypse Star, he was a powerful New God. Even without Apocalypse Star, he could very well survive.
On the other side, Wanda finally found the four children and her father on the other side of Apocalypse Star.
"Oh my God!" she practically screamed. Firstly grabbing her two sons, giving each a smack on the bottom, then glancing at Franklin with disapproval before hurriedly scooping up Little Rogers to comfort him.
"You really stirred up quite some commotion," Erik said. "You shouldn't have been so impulsive, Wanda."
"I just wanted to find the kids," Wanda sighed and said, "Besides, we didn't know you'd been captured here, or I'd have come looking for you sooner. The Professor must be worried sick; let's go back quickly."
Then she paused before continuing: "Actually, I initially didn't intend to make a move, as there wasn't anyone on the opposing side who could match me. If I caused too much of a commotion, the others wouldn't have the opportunity to temper themselves. But this time, I destroyed their base and severely impacted Batman's team, which at least boosted morale. It's not like I was slacking off."
"Severely impacted Batman?" Erik seemed amused and said, "You think you've achieved outstanding results?"
"Not exactly outstanding, but after all, I destroyed the base they've had all along. This should be considered a tough bone for other superheroes, and it's somewhat of a contribution, right?"
"Do you know what the relationship between Darkseid and Batman is?"
"Uh... Should be allies, right? Otherwise, why would Darkseid lend his place to Batman?"
Erik shook his head and said, "Darkseid is an alien, and a powerful one at that. Such a person could never truly be an ally of Batman."
Wanda then realized: "Wait, you mean Batman used me to eliminate his future enemy?!"
Erik nodded slightly, resignedly.
Meanwhile, in the command center, there was a cheer among the members of The Avengers, as they had just learned that the Scarlet Witch had taken out Apocalypse Star. Stark was also a bit excited and said, "Great, we finally knocked out their shell. Now we can drive straight in and threaten their base!"