When Homelander saw the demon-like creatures being completely annihilated by Robert's energy wave, he realized that the energy wave aimed at him earlier had been insignificant in comparison.
If Robert had truly intended to kill him, he wouldn't have been able to free himself from the mountain, let alone return to Vought International and hide in the lab.
Ashley, of course, couldn't disclose Homelander's current state to anyone. After seeing the footage of the energy wave destroying the demon-like creatures, even the Boys were showing signs of fear. If they learned that their seemingly invincible leader, Homelander, had been frightened out of his wits, the Boys would undoubtedly lose the will to oppose the Avengers entirely.
As for Homelander's psychological counseling, that wasn't Ashley's concern. After all, brainwashing techniques weren't exclusive to Hydra, which had infiltrated Vought International. From the moment the Boys were created, every member had undergone brainwashing, though Vought's other factions wouldn't openly admit their Hydra ties.
The Avengers were unaware of the fear they had instilled in the Boys. After eliminating the demon-like creatures, the Avengers began searching for Steppenwolf. Even Diana, who had gone to Themyscira, returned to join the search. At the same time, the Atlanteans from the underwater kingdom of Atlantis also mobilized.
"So, what's the deal with that Maeve woman? Is she really an Amazon warrior from Themyscira?" Kara's curious voice echoed in Diana's mind as they searched for Steppenwolf. She was eager to hear the results of Diana's investigation.
"She does have some connection to Themyscira. According to our records, there were Amazon warriors who left the island long ago. However, they didn't possess divine power. By comparison, while they were stronger than super-soldiers, they were nowhere near as powerful as Maeve is now," Diana explained.
"In truth, it's similar to how Homelander isn't a pure Kryptonian. The Boys are more like artificially enhanced beings created by stacking multiple abilities. They may appear to resemble some of us, but they can't fully replicate our powers."
"Exactly. I watched a video of Homelander rescuing someone. He doesn't have a bio-electric aura," Kara agreed, her tone contemplative. "I wonder if he's vulnerable to kryptonite. He probably isn't, since his Kryptonian genes seem limited. Maybe Vought avoided using too much Kryptonian DNA because they knew about the kryptonite weakness. Do you think they might have kryptonite in their possession?"
"They likely do. Once kryptonite appears, it can always show up again. You should be cautious," Diana advised.
"Don't worry, I've prepared for that. Kryptonite isn't an absolute weakness for Kryptonians. If Clark had had more time to adapt to its energy, he wouldn't have died to Doomsday," Kara said, her tone tinged with regret.
Robert understood the concept of species-specific weaknesses. Saiyans, for instance, once had their tails as a vulnerability, but strong Saiyans were able to overcome this weakness through training.
If Robert had known earlier about the kryptonite weakness of the seemingly perfect Kryptonians, he would have urged Clark and Kara to train to overcome it. By now, Kara wasn't completely immune to kryptonite, but its effects were greatly diminished. At most, it reduced her strength by 20%. Even then, she remained a powerful being on par with an Elder God-level entity.
"Found him!" Tony Stark's voice came through the team's comms as Kara and Diana continued their mental conversation. Using the Space Stone's power and the combined efforts of JARVIS, Tony Stark, Reed Richards, and Rocket Raccoon, they pinpointed Steppenwolf's location. He was hiding on a secluded island in the Gulf of Alaska—a newly formed island that wasn't even on maps.
Without delay, the Avengers opened a portal and gathered in the skies above the island. As JARVIS analyzed the island's structures, it quickly identified the place as recently constructed. Residual energy on the island was interfering with signals, likely a result of Steppenwolf's tactics.
"The Saiyan isn't back yet. Should we call him?" Pietro asked hesitantly as he eyed the island below.
"Steppenwolf is in the underground area of the island. He's merging the Mother Boxes!" Kara said, her X-ray vision revealing the situation below. Without waiting, she vanished and sped toward the island.
"Stop him first! If Darkseid appears, then we'll call Robert back. Robert might have found valuable clues; otherwise, he'd already be back…" Diana said as she followed Kara, addressing the rest of the Avengers.
"Let's take down Steppenwolf and the Mother Boxes first!" Steve Rogers and Tony Stark exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. Since Darkseid hadn't shown up yet, and Robert was potentially uncovering more demon-like planets, there was no immediate need to call him back. Steppenwolf alone wasn't a match for the Avengers.
With a loud crash, Kara struck Steppenwolf before the others even landed on the island. Her punch sent him flying away from the Mother Boxes, slamming him into a dirt wall.
"Damn it! How did they get here so quickly?" If Steppenwolf had been fully alert, he might not have been so easily sent flying. But his thoughts had been scattered.
He was already aware that the demon-like creatures outside had been annihilated, and the closing of the spatial portals confirmed that Robert had found the demon-like planets and destroyed them. Otherwise, the attacks wouldn't have stopped so abruptly.
Steppenwolf wasn't worried about Robert finding Apokolips, as those planets held no clues to its location. In fact, if Robert did find Apokolips, Steppenwolf would almost welcome it. He was confident in Darkseid's superiority, believing Robert couldn't possibly surpass him.
The problem, however, was that while Darkseid was immensely powerful, the loss of so many demon-like creatures and planets represented a significant blow. Even for Darkseid, creating these resources wasn't without cost. Losing one planet was manageable, but if Robert destroyed multiple demon-like planets, it would be a considerable setback. These planets were treasures accumulated over years of conquest.
If Darkseid learned of this destruction, even if the Mother Boxes merged and the Final Gate opened to bring Darkseid to Earth, Steppenwolf's efforts would only barely offset his failures. He would have no chance of regaining his place in Darkseid's inner circle, rendering his years of work meaningless.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Steppenwolf was jolted back to reality by Kara's punch.
"Stop the Mother Boxes first!" Diana's voice interrupted Kara as she prepared to strike Steppenwolf again. Realizing the priority, Kara redirected her focus. While Steppenwolf was formidable, the Mother Boxes posed a far greater threat. Kara sped toward them and delivered a powerful punch to one of the boxes.
A booming shockwave erupted from the impact, throwing Kara backward. Even Diana, mid-flight, was briefly halted by the force. To their shock, the Mother Boxes remained intact and showed no signs of separating.
"Hahaha! It's useless! The merging of the Mother Boxes is inevitable. No one can stop this process!" Steppenwolf, struggling out of the dirt wall, laughed triumphantly at Kara and Diana.
"Hulk smash!" Steppenwolf's gloating was cut short as the Hulk leaped onto his head, slamming his fists down. But this time, Steppenwolf was prepared. His body's metallic armor bristled like spikes, absorbing the impact and protecting him.
With a loud crash, Steppenwolf was still sent crashing into the ground. However, Hulk's fists were left bloodied with numerous small cuts. Of course, such injuries only fueled Hulk's rage. As his body grew larger and his wounds healed instantly, Hulk roared and launched another furious attack, ignoring the spiked armor.
Meanwhile, the clash between Hulk and Steppenwolf diverted the latter's attention away from the Mother Boxes.
"I refuse to believe these can't be separated!" Kara glared at the merging boxes, her eyes glowing red as she unleashed her heat vision. The beams struck the Mother Boxes but dissipated without effect, as if absorbed by an endless void.
"Let me try!" Diana said, drawing her Godkiller sword and leaping toward the boxes. Divine light and fury gleamed on the blade as she slashed down.
With a deafening clang, the sword struck the Mother Boxes, releasing another shockwave that pushed the Avengers back. Even Diana was forced to retreat, her hands trembling from the impact.
"No wonder the gods couldn't destroy the Mother Boxes back then. They're unbelievably tough. It's like trying to budge Robert when he activates his berserker mode…" Diana thought as she realized just how formidable the boxes were.
"Let me have a go! Are three metal boxes really that tough?" Thor's voice echoed as he descended into the underground chamber. Lightning illuminated the room as he swung Mjolnir at the Mother Boxes.
Another earth-shattering boom followed, accompanied by waves of energy and lightning. Thor was thrown back, crashing into a wall. The collision bruised his pride more than his body, especially since Kara, Diana, and now Thor himself had all failed. It made Thor seem like the weakest among them.
"I don't believe this!" Thor growled as he pulled himself from the wall. Mjolnir split into countless fragments, which wedged themselves into the gaps between the boxes to prevent them from merging further.
For a moment, Thor's strategy seemed to work. The fragments effectively stalled the process. But then Thor's expression shifted as he heard Mjolnir's anguished hum
.
With a resounding hum, the Mother Boxes unleashed a terrifying burst of energy, scattering the fragments of Mjolnir. Thor quickly reassembled the hammer to prevent the fragments from causing further harm to the Avengers.
"Brute force isn't enough to separate the boxes…" Kara observed as she steadied herself. Before she could finish speaking, Victor Stone (Cyborg) flew past the Avengers and placed his hands on the outer edges of the boxes. His body sprouted additional appendages, connecting directly to the boxes as if forming a link. To everyone's surprise, the merging process slowed.
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