"Lost your powers? What kind of loss are we talking about?" Tony Stark's expression changed sharply as he quickly looked at Clark and asked, "Was it weakness or a complete loss of abilities? Do you think it's similar to Martian Manhunter's reaction to fire?"
"Now that you mention it, it does seem similar to Martian Manhunter's situation!" Clark thought back briefly after hearing Tony's words, and his eyes lit up.
Previously, Clark had been pondering why he lost his powers but couldn't find an answer. With Tony's suggestion, Clark realized that his body must have some unknown weakness, similar to Martian Manhunter's vulnerability to fire. Whenever he encounters that weakness, he loses his powers.
"But what could that thing be?" Clark began to contemplate again. "I found the bombs, but before I could react, my body became weak. Then, the explosion happened. At that moment, I felt death approaching…"
"However, just when I was about to die, my powers returned. I don't know what happened exactly, but it seems that whatever was suppressing me might have been destroyed in the explosion."
"I've already sent out robots to try and gather more information. But we're not the only ones with machines on the scene. If the person who set this trap was prepared, the clues might already be destroyed," Tony Stark said with a sigh.
"There's nothing we can do about that. I never expected someone to be watching me so closely and knowing me so well. I guess Robert was right all along…" Clark chuckled self-deprecatingly and spoke with a sigh.
Clark had once dismissed Robert's caution, especially after Robert gained the power to destroy Earth. Clark felt there was no need to be overly cautious since, if he wanted, very little on Earth could be hidden from him.
Robert had once told Clark to never underestimate anyone, especially in a world where extraordinary encounters could happen at any time. Who knew what kind of powerful figures could emerge?
Moreover, Robert genuinely didn't want to see strange creations like Saiyan androids or Clark clones. It wasn't that he couldn't defeat them, but the very idea disturbed him. That's why Robert remained cautious.
Now, Clark had to admit Robert's caution was justified. Someone had been watching him for a long time, and Clark had been completely unaware. It was a sign that Clark had been a bit too arrogant, not taking ordinary people seriously.
"For now, it's best to keep a low profile and avoid any further actions…" Steve said, looking at Clark as he reflected.
"With one frame-up attempt, there's bound to be another. You didn't notice anything unusual the first time, so there's a chance you might miss something again. If the mastermind sets another trap, it could be dangerous."
"Even if you come out unharmed, with more and more people dying around you, the public opinion against you will intensify. And this time, unlike before, even the people you save might not be grateful. Some might even turn against you."
"Perhaps it's time I took a break." Clark fell silent for a moment before nodding. "Since I became Superman, I've only had a few days off each year to spend with my family. It's time I gave them more of my time."
Clark felt a pang of guilt as he spoke. He rarely had time to spend with his family, so the Kent family often stayed on a remote island, isolated from the world. Though the environment on the island was excellent, the lack of human connection made it a lonely place.
Now that Clark was being targeted, it seemed like a good opportunity for Superman to take a temporary step back and enjoy the simple life of a small-town farmer.
"It's a shame we couldn't completely knock you off your pedestal, but at least SHIELD didn't manage to take you away. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how Batman could challenge you…" On the other side, Lex Luthor shook his head with some regret. In his secret base, tiny robots scurried around, each containing a fragment of kryptonite.
Yes, after sending the miniature robots to investigate Clark's condition, Lex Luthor ordered them to recover all the kryptonite fragments.
Kryptonite was something only Lex Luthor, Batman, and Alfred knew about. Although Clark was aware of some unknown weakness in his body, he didn't know kryptonite existed. In this situation, Lex Luthor couldn't allow any information about kryptonite to leak.
Lex knew he was smart, but the Avengers also had their share of geniuses. If they got their hands on kryptonite, they might develop some device to help Clark neutralize its effects, which would severely disrupt Lex's plans.
"After this incident, you must be mentally affected, right? I've noticed that even though you still shine, that invincible aura is gone. You must be feeling some doubt…" Lex muttered to himself as he tapped on the keyboard. His computer displayed a live feed of Gotham, but suddenly the signal cut off, and the screen turned to static.
"Too bad. I wonder how Batman's preparations are coming along. He probably knows by now why Superman didn't stop the explosion. Looks like I've made it onto Batman's blacklist as well. Should I deal with him while I'm at it?"
"Hmmm... better hold off. It's not wise to get distracted before my plan succeeds. Once it's in place, dealing with him will be easy enough…"
"Kryptonite can turn Superman into an ordinary man, but once it's destroyed, he regains his powers. It seems I need to find a way to keep kryptonite in his body permanently…" Meanwhile, in the Batcave, Batman analyzed video footage on his computer. Just then, he heard an alert.
"Sir, we've intercepted a signal from a small device trying to spy on us. I've already cut the connection…" Alfred entered, holding a tiny robot, and informed Batman.
"It seems our kryptonite supplier is getting impatient," Batman said, his eyes narrowing at the miniature robot.
"Sir, that man isn't any better than the Joker. We need to be careful. He's willing to kill countless people just to take down Superman. There were plenty of civilians in the Capitol…" Alfred warned Batman, frowning. To him, while Clark showed signs of losing control, Lex Luthor was just as dangerous as the Joker, if not more.
"You're right. He's no hero. He's simply using me to take down Superman," Batman replied, his voice heavy. "His plan to kill Superman failed, and now he wants to know what I've prepared. But someone who treats human lives as mere tools needs to face justice. Arkham Asylum would be a fitting place for him."
"Since the Avengers took the second Joker away, Arkham has been pretty quiet. It looks like things are about to get busy again…" Alfred sighed in relief. He had worried that Batman's mindset might spiral out of control due to the situations with Clark and Lex Luthor, but for now, Batman seemed to be in control.
The Capitol explosion wasn't over. The source of the explosion had been confirmed and made public by the government, but there was no way to determine who smuggled the bombs inside.
After all, everyone in the Capitol had died, and Lex Luthor certainly wasn't going to admit to orchestrating the whole thing. So, the investigation hit a dead end.
Public opinion on the explosion had split into two camps. Those who sided with Clark believed it was all part of a government conspiracy, claiming the authorities didn't value human life and were willing to use any means necessary to frame Superman.
Meanwhile, Clark's detractors brought up his previous killings of civilians. They argued that while Clark denied causing the explosion, he hadn't explained those deaths, giving them ammunition to continue attacking him.
This group also began questioning Clark's abilities and his motivations for saving people. They claimed he didn't deserve the title of a god among men, calling it all part of a fabricated persona.
Clark ignored all of this. He focused his senses on the area around the Kent farm, merely keeping an eye out for anyone watching him or his family. As for the public's opinions, he paid them no mind.
This period was a rare moment of relaxation for Clark, especially after the mental toll of suddenly losing his powers. Now, he felt that living as an ordinary farmer wasn't a bad option.
"Shouldn't we inform Robert?" Kara asked, worried as she watched Clark tend to the fields without using any powers or machines.
"What's the point? He can't turn back time to see what really happened…" Clark smiled and shook his head. "If something serious comes up, we can contact him. After all, the things that can neutralize me don't work on him."
"For a long time, I thought my body was flawless. The Kryptonian genes are perfect under the sun's rays. But now I see that even though Robert hasn't grown as fast as me, he's more well-rounded…"
"That's because Robert intentionally chose to be. He once said that if he focused solely on increasing his combat power, he'd have a good chance of surpassing your current strength quickly…" Kara recalled Robert's words and explained quietly.
"But Robert didn't do that because, while pure combat power can solve most problems, in this complex world, it's necessary to have a wide range of skills to handle various crises."
"If he focused solely on combat power, he might encounter an ability he didn't understand and couldn't counter. In such a case, even with immense strength, he'd struggle to fight back."
"He's right. Look at me now, being targeted," Clark sighed helplessly, then turned to Kara with a serious expression. "Kara, you need to be careful too. If they've been watching me for so long, they might have observed you
as well. We don't know if this method to neutralize me works only on me or on all Kryptonians."
"Do you think it could be related to that missing Kryptonian corpse? Could someone have studied the body and found a genetic flaw?" Kara speculated, her expression turning serious.
"Is it possible that this neutralizing ability has something to do with the sun? After all, our powers come from the sun, and other Kryptonians didn't have superpowers before arriving on Earth…"
"I don't know. We have too few clues right now, but I suspect they won't give up easily. If they have a way to suppress me, they won't stop at just one attempt," Clark replied, shaking his head slowly.
"So, should we move them to the island?" Kara hesitated as she glanced toward the Kent couple.
"Not for now. I've come home; I can't just hide away," Clark said as he scanned the area, detecting no abnormalities. He continued, "There's no such thing as perfect security. And if they know more about us than we think, the island may not be safe either, even with Jor-El there. After all, Jor-El is just an AI…"
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