If the remote island were completely safe, Clark would have sent the Kent family there during this critical time. But the problem was that Clark no longer had the same confidence in the island's security. While Jor-El's modifications made it theoretically impossible for outsiders to enter, there were always technological solutions to overcome such defenses. If the mastermind had a way to infiltrate the island, what then?
Clark couldn't just hide on the island himself. How would he know when his enemy would make their next move?
After brief consideration, Clark decided to keep the Kent family at the farm. He could at least monitor them more closely that way, giving him some peace of mind.
Kara didn't object to Clark's decision. In fact, learning about Clark's weakness put more pressure on her. She began to question whether increasing her own strength was truly useful—if even someone as powerful as Clark could be neutralized, would her efforts to grow stronger make a difference?
However, Kara quickly reaffirmed her resolve. After all, what if the means of neutralizing Clark were unique to him? With Clark temporarily sidelined, Kara felt she had to grow stronger to fill the gap in Earth's defenses.
Thus, Kara resumed her pursuit of solar energy. Despite all the extraordinary methods she had encountered, nothing worked faster than absorbing sunlight. After two days of slow progress, Kara decided to push herself further. Like the Kryptonians before her, she flew closer to the sun, allowing her genes to absorb solar energy directly and reach their maximum potential as quickly as possible.
While this method would prevent further growth for a while, it would grant her a temporary surge in power. Although she still wouldn't match Clark, she would at least become a formidable force to help protect Earth.
Meanwhile, in Gotham, Lex Luthor had been monitoring both Kara's actions and Batman's movements from afar. A satisfied smile crept across his face as he realized the pieces were falling into place.
"Excellent timing," Lex muttered. "Once Batman makes his move, it'll be my cue… No, it'll be the moment I awaken you, the most powerful monster in history—destined to slay gods!"
Unbeknownst to Batman, Lex Luthor continued to watch him. Batman, meanwhile, was finalizing his preparations and reached out to Clark.
"I need you to come to Gotham. There's something important I need to discuss with you," Batman said.
As one of the few who knew both Clark's and Robert's identities, Batman had their direct contact information. However, because of certain logistical challenges, he preferred not to leave Gotham himself.
"Something important?" Clark was initially puzzled when he received Batman's message, but he quickly remembered Batman's true identity. As a powerful figure unconnected to the Avengers, Batman might have access to information the Avengers couldn't obtain.
Clark didn't doubt Batman's motives. Though their methods often differed, and Batman's approach sometimes clashed with the Avengers', Clark had worked with him and Robert before. He didn't consider Batman a bad person. In Clark's eyes, Batman was a principled hero, someone who adhered to the law even when he had the power to ignore it.
Clark respected Batman's commitment to his no-kill rule, despite it sometimes allowing villains to survive. Batman used every legal means at his disposal to punish evildoers.
"I'll head over. It shouldn't take too long. Kara's not here, but Lana's around, so everything should be fine…" After scanning the area around the Kent farm and finding nothing unusual, Clark reassured himself. He saw Lana Lang chatting with Martha while Jonathan relaxed on a lawn chair. Without drawing much attention, Clark informed Lana and then vanished in a flash.
"Clark's gone?" Lana Lang grew nervous, recalling Clark's earlier warnings. If he left, it would be up to her to protect the Kent and Danvers families.
Although this had happened before, back then Clark had never been in danger, and Lana had always had unwavering confidence in his invincibility. But now things were different. Knowing Clark had a weakness, Lana felt the weight of responsibility.
"What's wrong, Lana? You seem off," Martha asked, noticing Lana's unease.
"Oh, nothing. It's just been a while since I've seen Kara, and I'm not sure what she's been up to…" Lana quickly brushed it off, not wanting to worry Martha.
"You and Kara have grown close, haven't you? That's good—after all, you're family," Martha smiled warmly.
With Martha reassured, Clark arrived in Gotham in the blink of an eye. He spotted the bat signal in the night sky and raised an eyebrow. A moment later, he appeared on a rooftop.
"What's so urgent that you had to contact me in the middle of the night? Do you have new intel on the Capitol explosion?" Clark asked as he saw Batman, fully suited and waiting on the rooftop.
"It's somewhat related…" Batman nodded, then shook his head. His glowing eyes met Clark's as he asked, "But before we get to that, I need you to explain why you killed so many civilians."
"Huh?" Clark immediately sensed something was off. He activated his X-ray vision, scanning Batman.
Even though Clark sensed something was wrong, he didn't question Batman's identity—he only doubted whether this was truly the real Batman standing before him.
"Lead?!" Clark's pupils contracted as he realized that portions of Batman's armor and familiar face were visible to his X-ray vision, but there were also significant blind spots where his vision couldn't penetrate. This meant Batman knew Clark's weakness!
Batman might even have a way to neutralize Clark!
Suddenly, Clark's ears rang, and his vision blurred as a wave of dizziness overtook him. The weakness he had felt before once again swept over his body.
This was no illusion. Batman had designed the entire building to trap Clark. The moment the kryptonite gas was released, the rooftop collapsed, dropping them to a lower floor. The ceiling immediately resealed with a lead-lined barrier.
With a thud, Clark collapsed to the ground, disoriented and weak. Batman, however, stood calmly, watching over him.
"Now, will you tell me why you killed those civilians? Did their lives mean nothing to you? Or have you truly started seeing yourself as a god above them all?" Batman's deep, oppressive voice brought Clark back to his senses.
"The explosion… it was your plan?" Clark asked, frowning as he faced the green-tinged air around Batman. He couldn't believe the Batman he trusted had set him up. This was clearly a long-planned trap!
"No, it wasn't me. The green gas that's making you feel weak is kryptonite dust, given to me by someone else," Batman replied, pointing at the glowing green vapor around them. "And the one responsible for killing those civilians in the explosion? I won't let him get away either. If I'm right, he's the one who gave me the kryptonite. I'll track him down."
"So, you're only targeting me because of those civilians' deaths? No, that's not it—you've always been wary of me, but you didn't have a way to deal with me before. Now that you have kryptonite, you've decided to act, right?" Clark said calmly, regaining some composure.
If Batman was determined to pursue the real culprit behind the explosion, it at least meant this was still the same Batman he knew. That meant Batman wouldn't kill him. At most, Batman would imprison him, leaving Clark powerless.
Batman might even forge kryptonite shackles to keep Clark subdued while he faced legal consequences. In the worst case, Clark could end up in a specialized prison, isolated from others to prevent his escape in case the kryptonite bindings were ever broken.
"That's right. I was always concerned about you losing control and wanted a contingency plan. But I never expected you to actually kill civilians. Then, I received this kryptonite. Even though I know this is a trap, I have no choice but to deal with you before I find out who's behind it," Batman admitted, his tone steady.
Clark couldn't see the subtle changes occurring beneath Batman's mask, or he would have noticed the slight alterations in Batman's appearance.
The Skrull impersonating Batman was struggling internally, causing the transformation to falter. On one hand, the Skrull was tempted to break Batman's no-kill rule. On the other, he felt the urge to take on Clark's form.
The Skrull was curious—if he could become Clark, would he also gain the same superhuman abilities once the kryptonite influence was gone?
If transforming into Clark could grant him Superman's powers, it would be a monumental leap for this Skrull, elevating him from an ordinary Skrull to a Super-Skrull! Clark's strength was unparalleled, even among Super-Skrulls. The Skrull had never seen anyone stronger, not even the figures they emulated.
"Those civilians weren't killed by me. They died because of the god they worshipped—a being called Ya Ji. The images in the sky were his doing…" Clark explained, unaware of the Skrull's internal struggle. He wanted to clarify the situation quickly, not only to avoid captivity but also because the mastermind behind the explosion might have other plans involving kryptonite.
"Do you have any proof?" Batman asked, his body trembling slightly as he regained control of his appearance.
"I don't have evidence here, but if you head to South Asia, you'll find everything you need. Many of the believers experienced it firsthand, and I've spoken with them. You'll find the truth if you investigate," Clark insisted.
"Fine, then surrender. Once I verify your story, I'll release you," Batman said after a brief pause.
"I can't. The mastermind gave you kryptonite—
he might have other traps in place. I need to leave now," Clark shook his head, sighing.
"Then you leave me no choice… Hm? I've never seen you throw a punch so slow…" Batman taunted as Clark charged at him with surprising sluggishness, weakened by the kryptonite.
"You really are just like an ordinary man now!"
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