311 - DC: The Infinite Villain (Patreon)

311 - Big Barda and Superman

Whoosh!

Damon stepped out to find Steppenwolf shouting and swinging his axe at the Parademons closing in around him. They seemed to have sensed his fear. Now they had turned on him.

Nearby, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Red Lantern Mera had stopped fighting and gathered together. Lashina and Bernadeth stood apart from them, equally startled by the reversal. Damon's three orange constructs kept cutting through Parademons until he dismissed them with a thought.

Batman, the Flash, and Green Lantern emerged from the center of the site and joined the others. For a moment, everyone watched in silence.

Boom!

A Boom Tube opened behind Steppenwolf, as though answering his calls for escape. He fought his way toward it.

"Don't just stand there! Help me!" he shouted at the two remaining Furies.

They walked toward the Boom Tube without lifting a hand for him. They had lost the battle, but Steppenwolf's panic plainly disgusted them.

"Are we letting them go?" Wonder Woman asked, displeased.

"Go?"

Damon appeared at her side and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Watch."

Diana turned toward the Boom Tube. A figure was approaching through it.

An armored woman stepped out.

The first thing anyone noticed was her height.

She stood close to six feet tall, perhaps more, taller than either Damon or Diana. Apokoliptian armor covered her body. A yellow anti-gravity disc carried her above the ground, and she held a compact metal rod. The other two Furies lowered their heads as soon as they saw her.

"Commander," they said.

Big Barda. Damon recognized the leader of the Female Furies immediately. Her equipment was distinctive. If she had come for Steppenwolf, she evidently had not yet left Darkseid's service or escaped with Mister Miracle.

He glanced toward Superman.

A disturbing comic-book story came to mind. Sleez, a New God from Apokolips, had used mind control on Superman and Big Barda and tried to film them in a compromising encounter. Mister Miracle had intervened. Damon wondered whether that history had any bearing on the two people in front of him.

Barda took one look at the remaining Furies, said nothing, and lengthened the rod in her hand. She strode toward Steppenwolf.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Each blow crushed a Parademon. She swung with almost casual ease.

That rod was much heavier than it looked.

With Barda clearing a path, Steppenwolf broke free and leaped into the Boom Tube. She turned toward the Furies. They understood and followed him, along with the surviving Parademons. In moments, the battlefield had emptied.

"I thought you said they couldn't leave," Diana said.

"I thought Darkseid had sent her to make them fight to the death after that failure," Damon admitted. "If all he wanted was to bring them home, she didn't need to come herself. No matter. They can run, but Apokolips will still be there. We can settle the score another day."

Snap.

The Boom Tube closed.

Big Barda remained. She surveyed the Justice League, turned, and lifted into the air on her disc. She intended to leave on her own.

"Wait. You can't just--" Superman flew after her. She had brought Steppenwolf's force to safety and then stayed on Earth; he wanted to know why.

Barda spun and brought her Mega-Rod down as he raised an arm to block. The blow struck harder than he expected.

Whoosh!

Superman shot across the sky and vanished from sight.

"Don't make trouble for me. I only want to stay on Earth," Barda said. She flew off.

"Shouldn't we stop her?" the Flash asked quietly.

"You can try," Damon said.

She had not taken over Steppenwolf's mission, and she had not returned to Apokolips. Had Barda used this trip to leave Darkseid behind? Damon watched her go, curious.

"I've done what you asked," he said. "I'm leaving."

"Where are you going?" Diana asked.

"I have something to take care of. I'll find you later."

She said nothing.

Damon opened a shockwave breach and disappeared.

Mera stayed. The battle was over, but the team still had a ruined site to secure and a new arrival on Earth to investigate.

At Talia's villa,

Damon found her resting after a shower, dressed for bed and on the phone about Wayne Enterprises. He showered as well and joined her when she finished the call.

Some time passed.

Talia put down the phone and moved closer. Neither mentioned the bargain Damon had imposed when she needed him to save her life.

They had sex again.

The evening passed.

They fell asleep together after dark.

In the morning, Talia was already out of bed. Damon dressed and went downstairs, where she was finishing another business call.

"I found someone who may know about the Court of Owls," she told him. "Do you want to meet her? She has a connection to Bruce, too."