DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

The mist giant loomed above them, vast and imposing, like a god stretching across half the sky. Its massive form hovered in the air, its upper body manifesting fully as it gazed down at Bardi and Raven with cold, piercing eyes.

To him, they were demons, creatures of darkness disturbing the world's balance.

As a magician, it was his duty to stop such beings from invading reality. To silently maintain order, to protect humanity from the threats lurking beyond.

This was the role of a magician.

And Zatara, for all his arrogance and pride, was no exception.

Though many magicians found his personality intolerable, his egotism, his unyielding authority, he was still one of them. And like them, he stood as a guardian, ensuring demons were cast out of this world.

This was his duty. An unshakable responsibility.

A cold wind swept across the open plains, bending the tall grass in waves beneath the starlit sky.

Bardi's white trench coat and Raven's black cloak billowed in the wind, their figures standing silent and solitary, unyielding against the chill.

A heavy, oppressive malice spread across the island.

A murderous intent rose in the air, surrounding Bardi like an unseen storm. The very atmosphere pulsed with hostility, an ever-present reaction to the magical energy saturating the land.

It was everywhere, in the air, in the earth beneath their feet.

Bardi took a step forward.

His posture remained upright, his presence unwavering as he locked eyes with Zatara's mist giant. The flaring hem of his trench coat only added to the sharp, wind-swept silhouette he cast.

Every step forward was met with resistance.

It felt as though he were walking through water, his every movement met with an invisible force, thick and suffocating. The air itself pressed against him, obstructing his progress.

It was magic.

Yet, even as the unseen weight bore down on him, he kept moving.

His footsteps were steady.

His back remained straight, his figure fearless against the wind.

On the battlefield, he was a mere speck compared to the towering mist giant, a lone figure standing against an overwhelming force.

"I'll handle this," Raven said, hastily shoving the last of her chocolate into her mouth.

Her cheeks puffed slightly as she spoke, her words muffled by the candy. Even with most of her power sealed, she was confident, handling Zatara was hardly a challenge for her.

She knew that Bardi's resistance to magic was weak. Fighting a magician would be an unnecessary risk.

"Eat your chocolate," Bardi said coldly.

His voice, carried by the wind, was calm and absolute.

The wind tousled his hair as he narrowed his eyes at the mist giant.

His pulse pounded like a war drum.

The blood in his veins boiled with defiance, his body burning with an almost unbearable heat.

He reached up and unfastened his white trench coat, retrieving two solar energy capsules from within. He tossed them into his mouth, letting them dissolve against his tongue.

A single capsule was enough to sustain his energy for an entire day.

Hera had collected and compressed solar energy into these capsules, each one containing enough raw power to rival a small nuclear explosion.

Then, without another word, he shrugged off his coat and strode forward.

Now clad in only a white shirt, white trousers, and white leather shoes, his figure stood tall and imposing against the night.

Behind him, the discarded trench coat caught the wind, drifting backward and landed squarely over Raven's face.

The fabric, still warm from Bardi's body heat, draped over her, covering half her figure.

Raven slowly pulled the coat away, resting it on her arm. Her dark purple lips parted slightly as she watched Bardi's back.

A man wading through the unknown, steadfast in his path, ready to crush whatever stood in his way.

Raven suddenly understood.

Bardi wasn't facing this battle out of recklessness or arrogance.

He wasn't fearless.

He simply wanted to know.

He wanted to test himself, to measure his strength against magic, to see how much he could withstand.

Even if magic dealt twice the damage to him.

Even if it meant facing an enemy designed to counter him completely.

She watched as his figure grew smaller in the distance.

Then—

"Haah!"

In an instant, Bardi's walk turned into a sprint.

Beneath the starry sky, he became a streak of white, a blur of motion rushing toward the mist giant.

Adrenaline surged through his veins, igniting every nerve in his body.

His superhuman senses sharpened, his hearing, his vision, his reflexes, all pushed into overdrive.

His heartbeat pounded at a furious rhythm, his mind accelerating, his thoughts calculating at impossible speeds.

Every cell in his body burned with unrestrained energy.

His hair stood on end, every pore tingling as raw power coursed through him. His veins bulged against his pale, jade-like skin, writhing like serpents beneath the surface.

Boom!

A sonic boom erupted in his wake.

His clothes shredded under the force, fabric burning away as he tore through the air like a comet.

A blinding white shockwave trailed behind him, a streak of destruction cutting through the night.

He was a force of nature.

A sculpted form of pure muscle and speed, bathed in the cold silver glow of the moon.

Raven's eyes widened in shock.

For a moment, she was stunned.

She hadn't expected this.

Hadn't expected him to be so... overwhelming.

Then, her gaze dropped, her fingers absentmindedly reaching for another piece of chocolate.

Her thoughts were in disarray.

And without realizing it—

She bit into the foil.

She blinked, momentarily confused, before quickly peeling the wrapper away and stuffing the chocolate into her mouth.

Her gaze flickered toward Bardi's coat, still draped over her arm.

The lingering warmth from his body seemed to seep into her skin, leaving her oddly restless.

Why does he have to rip his clothes every time he fights?

She lowered her head, focusing on the chocolate in her hands.

She didn't dare look at him anymore.

At that moment—

The battle had begun.

Bardi, now moving at supersonic speed, streaked across the grasslands like a white comet, the force of his movement splitting the air in two.

The very atmosphere trembled beneath the pressure, the grass bending violently in his wake. A shockwave of air carved through the plains, cutting a path straight toward the mist giant.

Zatara, hovering above them, had not expected this level of intensity.

He watched as Bardi closed the distance.

Too fast.

Far too fast.

If he made direct contact, even a momentary delay in reinforcing the magical barrier would be disastrous.

Zatara knew Bardi was strong.

But he hadn't expected this.

A fighter who could break the sound barrier with his bare feet.

A human comet, rocketing toward him like an unstoppable force.

Zatara's face, formed from swirling mist, twisted into a grim expression. His pupils contracted, his gaze sharp with unwavering determination.

From above, his voice boomed like rolling thunder—mighty, righteous, and absolute.

"Servant of the Devil!"

A massive hand, forged from the dense fog, extended forward.

More than 20 meters long, it loomed overhead like an unstoppable force. The fine details of the palm, intricate lines and creases were eerily lifelike. Dark energy flickered along its surface, radiating an ominous glow.

As it descended, it tore through the air, sending rippling shockwaves outward. A violent gust of wind erupted from the sheer force, bending the surrounding grass as it howled across the plains.

The colossal hand surged downward, straight toward Bardi, who was charging forward at full speed.

***

Just completed one of the ffs I'm working on, and I want to pick another one.

Is there a fic you saw on MTL that was good but so horrible that you can't read it? Or maybe one you enjoyed reading that was dropped? Comment them (with the raw title or link); I'll check them out.

Please don't recommend brain rot, I'm already suffering enough with some of the fics I'm working on xD.