"You stay here and hold down the fort," Robert said, spreading his hands helplessly as he glanced at Diana. "I'll bring Tony and the others back to handle the situation with Darkseid and the Mother Boxes."
He sighed, continuing, "I also have an important issue to deal with in space. If Darkseid himself had landed on Earth, we'd prioritize him. But for now, it's just one of his subordinates, and we don't even know where he's hiding. I need to address this galactic threat first."
"A galactic threat?" Diana's brow furrowed deeply, her expression serious. "We've finally reduced the frequency of extraordinary events on Earth, and now this? What's the threat? If it's not directly tied to Earth, maybe you should stay here instead."
"It's that mad Titan—Thanos," Robert explained. "You know, the one trying to gather the Infinity Stones to wipe out half the universe's population. Four Stones are on Earth now, but who's to say there aren't other treasures in the universe he could exploit? It's better to eliminate him while we have the chance—especially since I've captured one of his subordinates and might uncover his location."
Diana nodded, understanding his reasoning. "You'll need to face Thanos in person to track his energy signature. Go ahead, but be careful."
"I will." Robert smiled faintly, turning to Clarie and Victor Stone. "Hold down the base until we're back."
With that, he vanished in a blur, reappearing in Kamar-Taj to grab Constantine.
"What the—? A new Earth? Without Earth's dimensional energy?" Constantine exclaimed as they appeared on New Earth. He immediately began examining his surroundings, his curiosity piqued.
"Cut it out," Robert interrupted, waving a hand. "Earth's got enough trouble brewing already. Your job is to help get everyone back home and open Baron Mordo's mirror dimension. Once we're done, you can settle here if you like."
"A big problem, huh?" Constantine's face turned serious. If Robert called it a big problem, it undoubtedly was. Though tempted to flee, Constantine quickly complied, opening a portal into the mirror dimension and stepping inside with Robert.
"Why are you here? Did something happen?" Mordo's brows knitted in confusion as Robert and Constantine appeared.
"Hulk, stand down. Let me take it from here," Robert called to the green behemoth, who was pummeling the High Evolutionary into submission. "Earth's in trouble."
Hulk hesitated, caught between satisfaction and frustration. With a reluctant grunt, he threw one final punch, sending the High Evolutionary crashing into a mountain, leaving him battered and coughing.
For the High Evolutionary, defeat was a bitter pill. Other than the scarring inflicted by Rocket, he had never truly been humiliated. Now, Hulk had crushed him completely, leaving him broken and fuming with rage.
At first, the battle had been evenly matched. But as time passed, the High Evolutionary found himself increasingly overpowered. Hulk seemed to grow stronger with each blow, while his own energy attacks became less effective.
The realization gnawed at him. His once-formidable power was useless against this unrelenting beast.
"You monster!" he roared, rage consuming him. His fury reached a boiling point, triggering a violent outburst of energy that caused nearby debris to levitate and even threatened to crack the mirror dimension itself.
Before Mordo could intervene, Robert acted. In an instant, he appeared before the High Evolutionary and delivered a single punch—not as large or brute as Hulk's, but precise and devastating. The punch reverberated through the High Evolutionary's body, neutralizing his energy and leaving him incapacitated.
"How... how are you this strong?" the High Evolutionary stammered, his rage dissipating as shock overtook him. He had underestimated the gap between himself and the Avengers, especially this Saiyan.
Robert didn't respond. A surge of energy flowed from his palm, paralyzing the High Evolutionary's body. As with Supergiant before, the villain lost all control over his physical form. Even his regenerative abilities were suppressed.
Turning to Hulk, Robert warned, "This time, it's fine. But next time, if I tell you to stop and you keep going, I won't give you any more enemies to fight."
Hulk hesitated, then muttered, "Hulk didn't want him to escape…"
Robert sighed. "Let's go."
Mordo dissolved the mirror dimension, and the group returned to normal space. Outside, the battlefield had been cleared. The Guardians of the Galaxy, with help from Tony Stark and the Avengers, had successfully defeated the High Evolutionary's minions.
When Rocket saw the High Evolutionary emerge, his exhaustion vanished. Leaping up, he stormed toward his tormentor, rage burning in his eyes.
"89P13! No! Stay away from me!" the High Evolutionary cried, terror gripping him. Once, he would have welcomed Rocket's approach, eager to dissect him. But now, immobilized and defeated, he saw only his own death in Rocket's vengeful gaze.
"Wait! Don't kill me! If you do, this counter-Earth will explode!" the High Evolutionary pleaded. Rocket paused, glancing at Robert for confirmation.
"It's fine," Robert assured him. "We'll have Martian Manhunter extract his memories back on Earth. Then you can deal with him however you like."
With that, Robert rendered the High Evolutionary unconscious and motioned for Constantine to open a portal. The Avengers and Guardians stepped through, returning to Earth.
Back on Earth, Robert quickly transported Kara and Thor from their battle in space. Despite Thor's dramatic displays of lightning and storms, Kara's superior physical abilities had given her the upper hand.
"Enough!" Robert declared, knocking Thor unconscious with a single chop. "Earth needs us. Let's go."
At the Avengers base, the team learned of Steppenwolf's theft of the Mother Boxes and the looming threat of Darkseid. Their somber expressions betrayed the gravity of the situation.
Martian Manhunter delved into the High Evolutionary's mind, uncovering details of his counter-Earth project and confirming his ability to destroy the planet. However, his life wasn't tied to it, allowing the Avengers to prioritize their own Earth's safety.
Rocket finally had his revenge. Relentlessly torturing and dismantling the High Evolutionary, he unleashed the full extent of his anger and pain. By the time his rage subsided, the High Evolutionary's body, though biologically resilient, had finally given out.
Thus ended the High Evolutionary, his demise a fitting retribution for his countless atrocities.
Meanwhile, Robert turned his focus to space, preparing to confront Thanos. Earth's defenders braced themselves for the inevitable arrival of Darkseid, their resolve unshaken despite the challenges ahead.
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