Cyborg's words hung heavy in the air, creating an awkward silence among the heroes. Only Damian and young Jonathan seemed unaffected; everyone else had been there, yet no one had noticed Cyborg's disappearance during that fierce battle.
Even after realizing Darkseid had captured him, only Superman and Batman had taken action. Green Arrow and Green Lantern, meanwhile, had continued their global camping trip, seemingly unconcerned.
But Cyborg wasn't there to scold them. He calmly recounted his terrifying experience after being taken to Apokolips.
Captured by Darkseid
Darkseid and his forces had thoroughly examined Cyborg, confirming that his body truly held the other half of the Anti-Life Equation. There had been some unsettling moments during their research; at one point, Darkseid even ripped out Cyborg's tongue to prevent him from using his persuasive words.
Then came the real challenge: integrating the Anti-Life Equation. Darkseid ran into a problem. Cyborg and the other half of the Equation had become one; it was impossible to separate the Equation from him. The fusion had to happen inside Cyborg's own body.
Darkseid used the power of a Mother Box to merge the two parts of the Anti-Life Equation within Cyborg. But this created a new, critical issue. The Anti-Life Equation was designed to kill all life.
Even with it inside him, Cyborg wasn't immune to its power. If the fusion succeeded, Cyborg would almost certainly die, and with his death, the Equation within him would vanish completely.
To ensure Cyborg survived the fusion, Darkseid chose a brutal solution: he would also integrate death itself. Darkseid summoned Black Racer, the embodiment of death, and forced him into Cyborg's body.
For a horrifying moment, Cyborg's form contained the Mother Box, the complete Anti-Life Equation, and the death energy of Black Racer.
This achieved Darkseid's goal. Cyborg survived, and the Equation didn't disappear with his death. However, something unexpected happened. The combination of these powerful forces caused the Anti-Life Equation to change. It was no longer its original form; instead, it became a special virus that existed in every part of Cyborg.
The Outbreak
The first person infected by this new virus was Darkseid himself. Realizing the gravity of the situation, and before his mind was completely corrupted, Darkseid ordered Cyborg to be sent back to Earth. The moment Cyborg returned to Earth, Darkseid, the mighty god, exploded. His body disintegrated, and the incredible force completely destroyed Apokolips.
The metallic shell that was Cyborg connected to Earth's network the instant it arrived. As mentioned, everything within Cyborg had turned into a virus: his blood, his cells, even the data on the internet now carried the Anti-Life Equation virus.
So, in a flash, the virus spread through Earth's vast and interconnected internet, infecting everyone around the world who was looking at an electronic device connected to the internet at that exact moment.
Disaster struck.
Aftermath and New Threats
A long silence filled the room. No one blamed Cyborg. Any of them, if they had fallen into Darkseid's hands alone, would have faced a terrible end. This situation wasn't Cyborg's fault. Still, no one spoke. Finally, Green Arrow broke the quiet with a grim joke.
"The good news is... Darkseid, the enemy who always threatened Earth, is likely destroyed along with Apokolips... and the bad news..."
"The bad news is that we'll probably follow Apokolips's fate," Wonder Woman finished, adding to the somber mood.
"We won't fail," Superman declared, his voice firm. "By combining everyone's strength, we'll definitely get through this disaster!" He was still Superman, bringing hope even when morale was at its lowest.
Just then, Wonder Woman's exclusive pager buzzed. After nodding to everyone, she stepped aside to answer the message from Washington, D.C. Her expression quickly worsened. When the call ended, Wonder Woman approached Superman, delivering more grim news.
"Superman, in Washington, D.C., the infected Atom has taken over Captain Atom's body and destroyed his heart cells. Now, Captain Atom is about to self-destruct!"
"What!" Superman exclaimed. Without another word, he and Wonder Woman flew off toward Washington, D.C.
Washington's Sacrifice
At this moment, Cyborg also approached Clark. "Superman told me you're the eight-year-old from another world, right?"
Clark, feeling a blank surprise, nodded. After all, from the conversation, he knew Cyborg was essentially the source of the virus. Who wouldn't be scared? However, Cyborg smiled, satisfied with Clark's caution. "Good. Stay alert if you don't want to bring this horrible virus back to your own world."
Meanwhile, Superman and Wonder Woman had reached Washington, D.C., from Metropolis. They found Captain Atom hovering above the White House, on the verge of exploding.
When the disaster hit, the U.S. government had immediately used Captain Atom's power to fight the virus. But no one expected that with Atom infected, Captain Atom wouldn't become a hero saving people, but a super nuclear bomb threatening several cities.
"Diana! Let's do this together!" Superman shouted.
"Okay!" Wonder Woman agreed. They both flew toward Captain Atom, lifted him, and soared higher into the sky.
Captain Atom's self-destruction would only take tens of seconds. In that short time, Washington D.C. had informed Diana, and the two heroes had flown from Metropolis to Washington and then carried Captain Atom upwards. But this was their limit.
Before Superman could take him any higher, Captain Atom's body exploded. The Atom inside him was, naturally, the first to perish.
Immediately after, the three cities of Washington, Baltimore, and Metropolis, along with all their survivors, were wiped off the map. Clark saw only a blinding white light, followed by a terrifying shockwave from Washington. Even without trying, Clark knew he couldn't block such immense energy with his current body.
Just as Clark thought he was about to die, Black Canary used a green light to create a protective shield, saving the Daily Planet building and the few remaining survivors inside. Everywhere else in the three cities was completely leveled. This was the full, devastating power of Captain Atom's self-destruction.