They see the god. He remembers the boy.
Scene 1: Elias's Personal Log – [UNSYNCED SYSTEM RECORDING]
Log Entry #0013
"They think I'll fall.
That I'll wake up one day and become Darkseid in flesh.
That I'll lose the last thread of Elias Black.
But I still remember who I am.
I still remember Mom's chai.
The rust on my dad's old radio.
My little sister calling me 'Loser King.'
I may carry the Omega Force…
But I'm still human.
They just don't trust that anymore."
His hand trembles over the console. The system pulses temptingly.
[SYSTEM: Upgrades Available – Lock Level: GOD-TIER]
[Suggested: Thoughtform Erasure, Omega Compliance, Telepathic Dominion]
He hesitates.
He rejects all three.
Scene 2: On Earth – Elias Visits His Old Neighborhood
Wearing a long coat and hoodie, Elias walks through his childhood block. Cracked basketball court. The old bodega. Burnt lamp post still not fixed.
He hears kids playing.
Kid #1:
"Yo! You look like that Justice League guy!"
Kid #2:
"No, dummy. That's Elias Black! The space god that flipped off Superman!"
Elias (grinning):
"You forgot 'Glitter Batman.' Come on, that was art."
They laugh.
He sits down and watches them.
For a moment, he's not Darkseid's heir. He's just Elias.
Scene 3: The System Pushes Back
That night, in his mindscape, the System speaks directly:
[WARNING: Emotional resonance interfering with Omega Integration.]
[Suggested Path: Purge Sentimental Attachments.]
Elias clenches his fists.
"You want me to erase who I am?
You think I'll ascend if I become a blank god?
No thanks."
He rewrites a line of system code manually:
[Override: "Human Core Lock – TRUE"]
The screen pulses red for a moment… then stabilizes.
Scene 4: The League Watches – Conflicted
Superman (watching satellite feed):
"He still smiles with kids.
Still helps old folks cross the street.
But that power in him… it's waiting."
Wonder Woman:
"He doesn't want to be a god.
But fate rarely cares what we want."
Batman (typing):
"I've updated Protocol: Mirrorfall.
If he flips… it won't be pretty."
Zatanna:
"But what if he never flips?
What if the gods were wrong about him?"
They all go silent.
Scene 5: The Hall of Mirrors – Trial of Humanity
Later that week, Elias's system activates without his consent.
[FORCED SIMULATION: TRIAL OF HUMANITY – Vault of Unbeing]
[Level Unlocked: 100% Darkseid Potential]
He's pulled into a mirror-dimension, facing infinite versions of himself:
• One who rules Earth with fire.
• One who sits coldly beside the Source Wall.
• One who wears the Anti-Life Equation like a smile.
• One… who killed the League already.
They all speak in unison:
"Why do you cling to your weakness?"
Elias (gritting his teeth):
"Because without my humanity, I'm just… another monster.
You're all powerful. But none of you are free."
He punches one. Then another. Then all.
The simulation collapses.
Scene 6: System Confirms
[Core Alignment: HUMANITY: LOCKED IN]
[Darkseid Power: 100%]
[Personality Divergence Confirmed – YOU ARE NOT DARKSEID]
Elias stumbles out of the mindscape, coughing.
He looks into a mirror.
Sees his face—tired, angry, determined.
And smiles.
Final Scene: Message to the League
He sends a short encrypted message to Batman, Superman, Diana, and Cyborg.
"I inherited Darkseid's power.
But I'm still Elias Black.
That's not a threat.
It's a promise.
Sleep well."
The message deletes itself.
Far above Earth, a shooting star cuts across the sky.
Or maybe it was an Omega spark.
Either way… Elias is still holding on.