The Flash vanished from sight, reappearing instantly in front of the control panel. His fingers flew across the keys, pulling up a live feed.
A car was speeding down the highway, but what caught his attention was the convoy of other vehicles chasing after it.
Without wasting a second, Flash sprinted to the teleporter. He was the first to arrive, inputting coordinates as the platform lit up around him. In a burst of energy, he vanished.
Seconds later, he was on Earth, bolting toward the scene at full speed. He was the fastest man alive, easily faster than the speed of sound, the world a blur around him. And then he saw it.
A wrecked stretch of road, chaos everywhere. Omen was crouched behind a flipped vehicle, shielding two terrified children. And from the look of it… He was protecting them.
Seeing the scene unfold, Flash didn't hesitate.
Twelve cars had been tailing Omen, but to him, they may as well have been standing still. In a blur of red lightning, he dismantled the vehicles one by one, disabling engines, ripping out tires, and pulling the armed men from inside before any of them could react.
It was over in seconds.
"Fast…" Omen muttered, eyes narrowing as he watched the blur tear through the convoy. Then Flash appeared in front of him, the children now safely out of harm's way.
Omen didn't react—not right away. He had planned to make the children suffer before their grandparents. But now? He saw a better use for them.
"Are you guys alright?" The Flash asked, appearing in front of the children and quickly checking over them.
Her eyes widened, and they were hurt. They were covered in bruises and were bleeding. She reached out to help…
Crack!
A sudden kick slammed into her leg, the bone snapping with a sickening crunch.
"You were distracted," Omen said calmly, pulling out a pistol.
Before Flash could react, he opened fire—rounds tearing into her legs. She screamed, collapsing to the ground as pain wracked her body. Omen closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the sound of her agony like it was music.
"W-What are you doing?" Flash gasped, struggling to speak through the pain.
Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the smile on Omen's face. Without hesitation, he shot her arms next, rendering them limp and useless.
Then, slowly, he knelt beside her, reaching up to remove her mask. He wanted to see who was underneath.
"I'll make sure to remember that face," Omen said softly, his voice almost tender. "I'll find you… And then we'll have some alone time. Just you and me. So I can hear you scream in peace."
The Flash's pupils trembled in pure horror. Before she could speak, Omen suddenly turned—just in time to see Wonder Man flying toward him with a devastating punch.
He reacted instantly. Faster than either hero expected, Omen moved, grabbing the Flash and using her as a shield. The punch connected.
Flash was sent flying from Omen's grasp, crashing across the pavement. Wonder Man, enraged, turned his glare on Omen—ready to strike again. But then he froze. Omen was holding the child by the neck, both arms extended casually, his smile never fading.
"I can react to bullets," Omen said with a calm grin. "So even if you move at super speed, I can crush their necks before you get close. And if you try to push it, the sonic boom alone might kill them."
He tilted his head slightly. "So… what are you going to do?"
Wonder Man froze. His fists clenched, but slowly… he raised his hands in surrender.
"Really? That's all?" Omen's smile widened. "How about this—pull that sword of yours and cut off the Flash's leg. For every second you hesitate…"
He lifted the two children higher by their necks, their feet kicking desperately as they struggled for air.
"…I tighten my grip." The children looked at Wonder Man, their eyes full of tears and terror. And each second that passed, their pain cut deeper into him.
Wonder Woman stepped back slowly, drawing her sword as she moved toward the injured Flash. Her eyes stayed locked on Omen, though they briefly flicked to Superwoman, who was behind Omen, who stood frozen, unsure of what to do.
Omen sighed, annoyed.
"Never mind. You're taking too long," he said, tightening his grip on the children's necks. "I'd rather crush their throats and let you live the rest of your life haunted by the image of their lifeless bodies—telling yourself I got what I deserved or whatever helps you sleep."
He laughed—cold, cruel, delighted. Wonder Woman flinched, turning her head as if unable to watch what came next.
Then, suddenly, she moved. The motion was so quick, so fluid, Omen never saw it coming. Her sword left her hand like a bolt of divine judgment, slicing through the air at a speed no human eye could track.
By the time Omen noticed… It was too late. The blade pierced through his skull, pinning him to the side of a car in a single, silent instant.
"Wonder Man…" Superwoman said softly, flying over in shock, eyes wide with disbelief.
"I did what had to be done," Wonder Man replied, his voice steady but heavy. He gently cradled the two children in his arms as they sobbed uncontrollably, burying their faces into his chest.
Superwoman hovered nearby, her expression conflicted. They were heroes. Their mission had always been clear: capture the criminal, lock them up, and protect the innocent. Not to take lives. That was never supposed to be their call.
Criminals breaking out of prison—was that their fault? No. It was the system's. They did their part. They protected the world. But the system? It failed them. Over and over. It made their job harder than it had to be. Yet, fools blamed them.
"Still…" Superwoman murmured, unable to say more. Deep down, she knew—if she had been in Wonder Man's place… she might've made the same call.
"A little help?" Flash called out weakly. Superwoman shook off her thoughts and flew over to assist her. As she did, she noticed something overhead—the Batjet cutting through the sky.
Her brow furrowed. 'Why is the Batjet here?'
Before it could land, Batwoman leapt from it, hitting the ground in a smooth roll before breaking into a full sprint. Toward Omen.
"What have you done… Quickly, bind his body!" Batwoman snapped, eyes locking onto Wonder Man with sharp urgency.
Wonder Man scowled, irritated by her tone—but before he could speak, the sharp clang of metal hitting the ground cut through the air.
Everyone turned. The sword lay on the pavement. And above it, Omen floated, slowly rising from where he had been pinned, suspended just above the ground.
That same evil, twisted smile stretched across his face.
"Oh, look who finally decided to show up," Omen said, his voice dripping with mockery as Batwoman slowly turned to face him.
"They lied to me," she said quietly. "Tricked me with a look-alike. By the time I realized you were missing… it was too late."
She met his gaze, guilt heavy in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I broke my promise to you."
Omen gave a casual shrug. "It's alright, Batwoman. I find it hard to stay mad at you."
He tilted his head slightly, smiling with that same calm, unsettling ease. And Batwoman's heart sank. Because in that moment… she knew. The person she had once reached? Was gone.
"Omen, don't do this…" Batwoman said, stepping forward. She didn't care that he could kill her with a single blow.
Omen just shrugged, floating upward, ready to leave—until he suddenly paused. A ripple of mental energy swept through the air as the Martian Womanhunter appeared behind him.
Without warning, Omen's mind was hit by a powerful psychic assault. But to her shock, he didn't flinch. He moved straight toward her, unaffected… or so it seemed.
Thinking he was immune, the Martian channeled everything she had into one final strike. A devastating mental blast. Omen froze midair—then collapsed, falling towards the ground below as his mind shattered from within.
"Omen!" Batwoman caught him as he fell, her eyes wide with shock.
"He… he wanted me to destroy his mind?" Martian Womanhunter said quietly, her voice unsteady. The others turned to her, confused.
She looked around, lost—her composure crumbling. She had just taken a life, or something close to it, and the weight of it was already pressing down on her.
"You're back again?" a familiar voice said. Nobody stood in the darkness, staring at Omen, who had just appeared once more.
"Yes," Omen said quietly. "This time, I met someone who could destroy my mind. Hopefully… that'll keep me dead. In a way, that's a kind of death. And I'm okay with it."
Nobody shook his head slowly. "You're disappearing," he said.
Omen cursed under his breath, frustration flashing across his face. He sighed, the weight of disappointment settling in his chest. Nobody just watched, a faint smile on his face.