The world around Arthur darkened further, but not by his own power.
The bruised sky that had hung over the dead Earth for two years seemed to fold, reality itself was being rewritten, compressed by something ancient and terrible. The shadows that had been his domain, his comfort, his weapon, began to twist and writhe as if they were no longer his to command. Arthur's eyes blazed violet.
A presence began to shape itself into being.
It emerged from the darkness like a nightmare, a horror of pure darkness, its form shifting and writhing until two eyes glowed from within it. A voice emerged. "Monarch of the dead..."
"Empty Hand." Arthur said as he floated in the darkness, his abyssal shadow armor gleaming with violet light.
The figure's form solidified, its presence pressing against the very fabric of reality. His voice was full of confidence and arrogance, he was a being who had watched countless challengers rise and fall.
"You meddle once again in business that isn't yours."
Arthur's smile was thin. "I believe it is my business." He paused, his eyes blazing brighter. "We are both beings of the Great Darkness, are we not?"
The Empty Hand's laughter was a rumbling sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of the dead world.
"We are not the same. You are merely a being that borrowed a bit of the Great Darkness's power." It paused, its eyes burning brighter. "While I am its right hand."
Arthur's eyes narrowed, "And yet you appear before me after I got rid of your little creatures... why not aid them if you have the power to stop me?"
The Empty Hand's voice meant that he was a being who was utterly confident in its superiority. "They fulfilled their task. Their failure in killing you is accepted by me." It paused, "And as for your strength... it is no issue for me. I have nothing to fear from you, for I am the one who will write the last chapter of your story."
Arthur smiled. "That is a bold statement, from a being that requires a weapon."
"You are severely mistaken, Monarch of the Dead." The Empty Hand said. its eyes burning brighter."This is no weapon for myself. The Darkness Machine is for the Great One."
Arthur's eyes widened, the realization hit him like a physical blow. The machine was not a weapon for the Empty Hand. It was a weapon he was trying to unleash, for the Great Darkness itself, the primordial entity that had been absent since the Presence created all life. Beings like Arthur, the Empty Hand, Darkseid's true form... they were all mere aspects of it, fragments of its true power, echoes of its ancient might.
Arthur's voice was barely a whisper, "Are you out of your mind?! You might think yourself the right hand of the Great Darkness, but releasing that primordial entity means the end of all!"
"And that is my only purpose. One I will not let the like of you interfere with." The Empty Hand said with absolute certainty."The machine is set in motion."He added.
Arthur's eyes widened. Through the darkness around them, beyond the Empty Hand's power, he could see Earth, and something strange was happening. The planet was changing further, its surface writhing with dark energy, its core completely curropt with the power of the Gentry and Empty Hand.
"I will erase you just like your little pets!" Arthur said.
The Empty Hand smiled. "You cannot. I have already said that your strength is meaningless before me. You have nothing that can surprise me."
Power gathered around the Empty Hand, its form growing more solid, its voice rose.
"The Great Darkness will unleash once again."
"Empty is my hand!"
Arthur's shadow armor wrapped around him, his appearance shifting, transforming. His form became that of an Outer God, his eyes blazing with violet fire, his presence radiating power that seemed to bend the very fabric of reality as well.
"Not on my watch!"
They clashed, and the detonation of darkness erupted in all directions, a shockwave of pure annihilation that seemed to shake the very foundations of the dead universe. The Empty Hand's power pressed against Arthur's, ancient and absolute, it seemed to crush him from all sides.
The Empty Hand's voice carried a tone of amusement."What can a being of darkness and no hold over the concept of death do to me? You are not even whole yet!"
Arthur said as his armor was cracking under the cosmic pressure, his power straining against the Empty Hand's might. "So are you.. Which is why you want to unleash your master!" His eyes blazed brighter. "You are nothing but a cosmic parasite that was left by it!"
The Empty Hand's power pressed harder, "You cannot stop me! You cannot even slow me down! The machine will complete its purpose, and the Great Darkness will rise."
Arthur's armor continued to crack, his power straining against the Empty Hand's powerful might. But he did not yield, he could not yield.
.
.
.
.
The Fortress of Solitude -
The weight of everything that was happening was too much for Korin Zor-El to handle. Raven stood near the central console, her eyes fixed on the displays that showed the surface of Earth-7. Her face was pale, her hands trembling, "The Gentry are gone," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "But something else has appeared. Something far more dark.. Arthur is clashing with it as we speak."
Korin stood beside her, his eyes fixed on the holographic display of Earth-7. His expression was very grim, his voice was quiet, almost to himself.
"I fear that there is no turning back now..."
Raven turned to him filled with concern. "What do you mean?"
Korin's eyes met hers, "My planet is dead. I have to accept this. My people are gone. Everyone." He paused, his voice dropping to a whisper. "There is no reversing what happened, not with what is happening to it."
He gestured at the holographic display, showing the machine that spanned the entire planet.
"The machine itself is the planet.. This much is confirmed. While I have no clue what it is going to do, it is clearly not going to be something small." He paused, his eyes meeting hers. "There is only one way to destroy the machine."
Raven's eyes widened, "You can't mean it..."
Korin already had made peace with his fate. "It is the only way. The planet must be destroyed in order to stop all of this."
Raven's voice rose, "But this kills all hope and chances to reverse everything! To return everyone! There must be another way!"
Korin shook his head slowly, "Come on. I am sure you have seen everything already. We have reached the point of no return." He paused, his eyes distant. "I clung to hope that one day I might defeat the Gentry and find a way to restore everything. But it is clearly not that simple."
His voice hardened, "I knew that there was a possibility like this. Arthur defeated the Gentry, and now something else has appeared. It is operating the entire planet now. This must be done." He paused, his eyes meeting hers. "And it needs to be done now.. I can do it."
"What about you? You can't stay here. You can't.." Raven said.
"As for you two, you need to leave this universe. Return home." He paused. "The threat of the Gentry is no more, and hopefully, this new threat will be gone with the planet as well." Korin said calmly.
Raven's voice rose, due to a mix of everything she felt. "Are you saying that you are staying behind?! You know we cannot do that. We are not leaving you behind.." She stepped closer, "You might belong to this universe, but there is a place for you back in our home."
Korin's smile was sad, he said in gentle refusal. "I cannot. I must remain behind. Operate the Fortress and turn it into a weapon that will destroy the planet from its core."
He paused, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Besides, I appreciate the kind words and what you did for me here. But I have no place in any other universe. This is my home, and I will go down with it...I know it is a sad thing to say, but I don't wish to survive as long as I fulfill this task."
Raven was silent, then she spoke, her voice cracked. "Maybe Arthur will find a better way."
Korin shook his head. "This is the only way." He paused, his eyes meeting hers. "Now please contact Arthur. Both of you need to leave, and fast."
Raven's hand trembled as she looked at Arthur's Shadow Marshals next to her, "He already heard everything.."
/-\
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