At this moment, Clark felt a wave of confusion wash over him. He didn't think there was anything wrong with his body, assuming instead that he might be caught in some kind of illusion. After all, in his understanding, his body was strong enough that there shouldn't be any physical flaws. On the contrary, his mental fortitude, despite being developed to some degree, was far weaker than his physical strength. It wasn't impossible that he had fallen victim to some kind of mental trick.
Furthermore, in this universe, although Clark had experienced the Kryptonian invasion of Earth, he had never breathed the atmosphere of his home planet, Krypton. Therefore, he had never felt the loss of his extraordinary powers. The sensation of weakness was completely unfamiliar to him.
Clark believed he was trapped in some illusion, but the onlookers had no idea what he was experiencing. They only saw him scanning his surroundings, his eyes suddenly glowing red as his body began to tremble.
To the onlookers, Clark no longer looked like a god bathed in light. He seemed more like a demon whose powers were spiraling out of control.
At that moment, an explosion erupted, engulfing the entire Capitol building. The flames consumed it in an instant, leaving no time for anyone to react. The Capitol was reduced to rubble.
No one saw how the explosion occurred, but that didn't stop people from jumping to conclusions.
After all, right before the explosion, every live feed had shown Clark acting strangely. Those who already disliked Clark seized the opportunity to stir public sentiment, attacking and smearing him in the media. Even those who had previously supported him found it difficult to defend him, as they had no idea what had transpired before the explosion. Clark's earlier behavior was something no one had ever seen before.
"You're sharp, Superman, I'll give you that. But it's a good thing I had a backup plan. Not only did I plant enough bombs here, but I also buried kryptonite right under where you were standing. Even if you had detected the anomaly and tried to stop the explosion, the kryptonite would have turned you into a normal man. If I could have killed you on the spot, that would've been perfect!" Meanwhile, in an underground base within a skyscraper, Lex Luthor grinned maniacally, his eyes gleaming with madness.
"This was just the first step. If you're dead, the rest of my plan won't be necessary. Then again, there's still that Saiyan to deal with, so the plan must continue. But your death would make things so much easier!"
"You're hailed as a god among men, aren't you? Why don't you grant me this one small favor and just die already?"
Lex's excitement grew as he stood, staring at the screen. He had invested significant effort into this scheme, and he was eager to see the results of his labor.
Lex's screen showed a different view from the public broadcasts. He had access to more detailed information about the Capitol's state. Robots under his control were already scouring the rubble for signs of Clark.
Just then, a piece of debris shattered, and a figure shot skyward. It was none other than Clark, looking battered and confused.
"Shit! Why aren't you dead?!" Lex cursed loudly, his earlier confidence crumbling. His emotions were raw, showing how desperate he had been to kill Clark.
But Lex quickly calmed himself, resuming his usual calculating demeanor as he studied Clark's image on the screen.
"It's clear that Superman isn't unscathed. In fact, this is the worst shape I've ever seen him in," Lex muttered, pulling up various pieces of data and images for analysis. "His behavior in the Capitol also confirms that the kryptonite had an effect, which matches my experiments perfectly."
"If Superman hadn't been affected by kryptonite, he could've used his speed and abilities to at least remove the bombs from the building. He could have prevented the explosion. But he couldn't stop it. His trembling body and glowing red eyes prove he lost control. Kryptonite definitely works. So why didn't he die in the explosion?"
"With his powers weakened by kryptonite, Superman should've been no different from a regular human, incapable of withstanding such a massive blast. So how did he survive? Slow it down, slow it down even more..."
Lex's eyes flickered with realization. He slowed down the footage of Clark emerging from the rubble, frame by frame.
From the moment Clark broke through the debris to when he soared into the sky, only a few seconds had passed. But after slowing it down and enhancing the frames, Lex finally saw what he was looking for.
"Got it!" Lex's eyes lit up with excitement.
As Clark emerged from the rubble, his body was covered in wounds. By the time he flew into the sky, those wounds had fully healed.
With this discovery, Lex quickly calculated and arrived at his conclusion.
"That's it. When Superman first escaped, his powers were far weaker than I'd recorded before. He didn't even break the debris completely," Lex muttered to himself, furrowing his brow. "This means kryptonite really works, weakening Superman into an ordinary man. But here's the problem—if the kryptonite is destroyed, his powers return quickly."
"Before the explosion, the kryptonite weakened him so much that he nearly died in the blast. But the explosion also destroyed the kryptonite. Once it was gone, his powers came back, and the explosion couldn't kill him anymore... What a pity."
"Batman must have noticed this too. I can't send him any more messages without risking my cover. I'll just have to hope he learns from this. Anyway, I still have a special move reserved for him. Batman's part is just the prelude."
"Just wait, Superman. Wait, Saiyan. Your surprises are only beginning!"
While Lex Luthor figured out what had happened to Clark, Clark himself was still struggling to understand his situation. It wasn't until the explosion occurred and death seemed imminent that he realized everything was real, not an illusion.
For the first time in his life, Clark felt utterly powerless, even more so than when he was a child before his powers had awakened.
It was also one of the rare moments when Clark experienced genuine fear, because death was truly closing in on him.
In that moment, Clark's mind raced. He felt guilt for being unable to stop the explosion and save the people around him. He was terrified of dying and felt a deep attachment to life and his loved ones.
As the pain reached its peak and he was on the verge of losing consciousness, Clark felt his powers returning. His recovery wasn't instantaneous, but it didn't take long for him to regain control of his body and escape death.
However, even after narrowly escaping death, Clark couldn't understand why he had suddenly lost his powers. As he floated in the air, lost in thought, he noticed a swarm of military drones and aircraft heading his way.
"Superman! Surrender immediately! You are under arrest!" The voice of the military echoed through the loudspeakers of the approaching jets. The situation had escalated to such a degree that it had shattered the fragile balance.
Earlier, Clark had been blamed for killing civilians in South Asia. But this time, many high-ranking officials from the Capitol had perished, including numerous political and military elites.
What made matters worse was that this incident had been broadcast live globally. If the U.S. government didn't take action, the fallout would only grow.
Even though the authorities knew Clark had the power to level the planet, they were still forced to act. The soldiers flying the jets were visibly tense, and even their commands lacked confidence.
"Are you kidding me? Superman didn't cause that explosion. Why are you arresting him?" A fiery figure appeared beside Clark—Johnny Storm. He angrily confronted the approaching jets.
"The time, the place, all of it was set by you. Even the live broadcast was your doing. How could Superman have had the chance to plant the bomb? It seems more like you planted the explosives yourselves to frame him!"
"Our doing?" The pilot of one of the SHIELD jets responded, his voice filled with disbelief. Director Nick Fury himself appeared on the screen, addressing both Johnny and Clark. "Do you realize a lieutenant general died in that explosion? Do you know how many high-ranking officials perished?"
"Superman, you may be a god among men, but that doesn't give you the right to disregard human life! Even if we assume you didn't cause the explosion, why didn't you save anyone? With your powers, saving people is what you do best, isn't it? Or is it that you simply didn't want to save them?"
Nick Fury's skill in manipulating public sentiment far surpassed that of the military. His words reverberated around the ruins of the Capitol, and soon, most of the onlookers began nodding in agreement.
Clark's previous deeds had been nearly flawless. Before the dark events began, he had always saved everyone he could, whether they were victims of forest fires or hostages in terrorist bombings. Clark had always emerged as the perfect savior.
But this time, Clark hadn't saved a single person. In fact, he hadn't even emerged from the rubble until after the explosion. This stark contrast led people to question everything they thought they knew about him.
Clark had been revered as a god by the people, but now, if they could pull him from his pedestal and trample him underfoot, many would gladly do so.
Some people had even started to believe that Clark's previous heroics were part of a façade, and that his true, sinister nature was only now being revealed.
"No matter what, this is a superhuman issue, and it should be handled by the Avengers. You don't have the ability to det
ain Superman anyway," Captain America, clad in his suit, arrived at Clark's side. He faced Nick Fury's jet and spoke with authority.
"We'll take Superman into custody. We can guarantee that he won't appear in public until the truth is uncovered. Can you make the same promise? Can you ensure there won't be further conflict?"
"That's our business. If Superman is truly innocent, we'll release him and clear his name," Nick Fury responded firmly.
Nick Fury wasn't sure who had orchestrated the explosion, but he saw this as an opportunity—a perfect chance to get closer to Superman.
Even though the Skrulls who had infiltrated Earth couldn't replicate Clark's powers, obtaining some of his genetic material would still be immensely valuable.
After all, Clark was no ordinary Kryptonian. His DNA undoubtedly held far greater secrets. Even a single strand of his hair would be more valuable than the Kryptonian samples Lex Luthor had provided. There was no way Nick Fury would pass up this chance.
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