It's not surprising that Batman would mock Clark at this moment. Batman's files are full of videos of Clark in combat, and if you don't slow those videos down with special computers, it's impossible to clearly see Clark's movements.
But now, from the moment Batman saw Clark rushing toward him until he finished mocking him, Clark still hadn't reached Batman. To say he was rushing might be an exaggeration—it was more like Clark was doing his best to run.
So, Batman didn't take Clark's punch seriously at all. Who starts swinging their fists from so far away during a fight?
With a "whoosh," after Batman's mocking, Clark's fist finally reached him. Batman dodged effortlessly, slipping into the inside of Clark's arms, ready to punch Clark in the abdomen. But unexpectedly, a sharp elbow strike hit Batman squarely in the face.
With a "bang," Batman staggered backward. If it weren't for the armor he was wearing, that elbow might not have knocked him out completely, but it would have definitely left him dazed.
Even so, Batman's mind was momentarily blank. He stopped his retreat and looked at Clark in confusion, even speaking out loud without lowering his voice: "Did you not lose your powers?"
"Of course I lost my powers. Otherwise, do you think you'd still be alive after that elbow?" Clark sneered. "It looks like even at my current speed, you can't keep up with my combat pace!"
"Impossible!" Batman shouted as Clark advanced with two quick steps. He threw a punch, which Clark easily dodged, then landed a blow to Batman's side. Batman tried to counter, but once again, Clark dodged skillfully and punched him in the other side of his abdomen.
If it weren't for his protective armor, just from the difference in skill between the two, Batman would have already lost the ability to fight back within a few moves.
Even without his Superman powers, Clark's physical strength wasn't weak. He was a nearly two-meter-tall muscular man who had also learned some combat techniques from Robert, gaining skills that most Kryptonians weren't adept at—fighting techniques and dodging awareness. In the realm of ordinary people, Clark was absolutely top-tier.
If the real Batman were fighting Clark right now, using his own combat skills, he might not be able to guarantee a win, but at least he wouldn't be overpowered in just a few moves.
Unfortunately, the Batman currently being beaten by Clark wasn't the real Batman, nor was he a Super-Skrull. He imitated Batman's body and had Batman's combat memories, but that didn't mean he could perfectly replicate Batman's fighting abilities.
Of course, if this fake Batman were facing an ordinary person—even a Gotham supervillain—he wouldn't have much trouble. With his gear, he could easily suppress such enemies. But now, he was up against Clark, who had top-tier combat skills, and aside from some Kryptonite-based equipment, he didn't have any conventional weapons prepared.
"No! Impossible! A Kryptonian without Superman's powers—how can I not beat him?" As he realized he was no match for Clark, Batman's mindset began to shift. He desperately searched through Batman's memories, trying to come up with a solution.
With a "click," a small cannon popped out of Batman's armor, launching a rocket propelled by green energy straight at Clark.
"Boom!" An explosion rocked the room. Though not especially powerful, the blast was enough to send shards of Kryptonite flying, with some pieces hitting Clark in the back and the impact sending him flying. Areas not protected by his Superman suit were left with cuts, and blood started dripping down.
Yes, both Batman and Lex Luthor had overlooked one thing: Clark's Superman suit wasn't simple. It could block bullets and withstand some explosions. Of course, if the impact was too strong, Clark's body underneath the suit wouldn't be able to endure the damage.
"No further weakening? Kryptonite can't make him any weaker?" Batman frowned as he watched Clark stand up again, though his hand wounds showed no signs of healing. Clark, undeterred, once again charged at him. A thought crossed Batman's mind.
Batman had assumed that since Kryptonite could weaken Clark, perhaps it could make him even more vulnerable. But after seeing Clark reduced to an ordinary person, he realized that wasn't enough. To ensure victory, he'd need Clark to be in a weakened state.
However, Batman hadn't expected that Kryptonite had its limits. If Clark had grown up on Krypton, his combat abilities would be similar to what they were now. Weakening him further was impossible.
As they clashed again, Clark once more gained the upper hand over Batman. But even though Clark dominated, defeating Batman and leaving was also impossible. Without his Superman strength, Clark couldn't break through Batman's armor.
Clark regretted not designing his battle suit with gloves, which would have made dealing with Batman much easier.
Despite his advantage over Batman, Clark's hands were already bloody. Several times he had grabbed Batman but couldn't remove his armor. This was one of the toughest battles Clark had ever fought.
"Interesting. Looks like Batman came prepared. Time for my backup plan…" Meanwhile, in a remote location, Lex Luthor, who had been watching Clark's arrival in Gotham, smirked and initiated his next move.
"Boom!" In a secret underground facility not far from Gotham, a massive nutrient tank was suddenly infused with energy. If the Avengers or General Ross had been there, they would have immediately recognized the energy as gamma radiation.
But the creature inside the massive nutrient tank wasn't a gamma warrior. Even though it resembled Abomination, the Hulk at his angriest only reached about three meters tall, whereas the creature in the tank was at least ten meters high!
Lex Luthor had poured all the technology he knew into this creature, including super soldier serum, demon blood, gamma warrior tech, and most importantly, Kryptonian genes and data on Kryptonian killing machines.
The only reason the creature's genetic structure hadn't collapsed was because Kryptonian genes were inherently powerful, allowing the fusion of Earth's twisted experiments to create an even more terrifying killing machine.
This was also why Lex Luthor wasn't at the facility, choosing instead to control things remotely. Even though he had implanted some basic thoughts into the creature, there was no guarantee it wouldn't go out of control. If that happened, Lex Luthor wouldn't stand a chance.
"Roar!" As Lex Luthor had feared, when the gamma energy was injected into the giant tank, a terrifying roar erupted from the creature, echoing far and wide, reaching the surrounding city.
"Crack!" With a deafening noise, the monster finally broke free. It destroyed everything around it, burst out of the nutrient tank, escaped the secret base, and tore through everything that had confined it.
"What's that?" Clark, locked in battle with Batman, heard the roar. Powerless as he was, he couldn't immediately identify the source, but instinctively sensed something was wrong. He stopped fighting and distanced himself from Batman, saying, "You heard that, didn't you? That sound isn't human. There's another extraordinary event happening on Earth. I need to check it out!"
Batman stayed silent for a moment. As a Skrull, he didn't want to stop fighting, even though he hadn't gained the upper hand. He could see Clark was already starting to tire.
But unfortunately, he wasn't just a Skrull right now—he was Batman. Without being able to kill Clark, he couldn't risk exposing his identity.
"Alfred? What's going on out there?" Batman activated his earpiece and contacted his butler, Alfred.
"Sir, a creature over ten meters tall is wreaking havoc, and it's heading toward Gotham. The authorities have already deployed jets and mechs, but I don't think they'll be enough to stop it," Alfred's voice came through, filled with unease.
"A creature over ten meters tall? Is it a Saiyan transforming into a giant ape?" Batman asked, his expression serious.
"No, it looks a bit like the Abomination we've seen before, but much larger and far more destructive. It's also moving fast. Its target seems to be Gotham…" Alfred quickly explained.
"Lex Luthor! What are you up to this time? Is this another one of your creations? If you had a way to deal with Superman, why did you even need me involved?" Batman fell silent, not understanding Lex Luthor's scheme.
"Of course, to distract Superman and wear him down! How else could I ensure my plan's success?" If Lex Luthor had heard Batman's inner thoughts, he would have answered just that.
"Sir, the authorities' mechs and jets have already been wiped out!" Alfred's voice rang out again, breaking Batman's contemplation.
"So fast?!" Batman's pupils shrank, and he sighed in resignation, pressing a button on his suit.
With a "whoosh," a sudden gust of wind filled the room, sucking in all the Kryptonite gas that had been surrounding them. At that moment, Clark's strength began to return.
With a "bang," Clark vanished in an instant. Ignoring Batman, he smashed through the wall of the building and flew toward the monster's location, scanning the Earth as he went.
Seeing the Avengers rushing to meet him, Clark sighed in relief. But soon, his expression changed, and he urgently sent a telepathic message to the Avengers: "Contact Martian Manhunter and Supergirl, and tell them to rescue Martha and Jonathan. They've been kidnapped!"
Back when Lex Luthor began to release the monster, he had already set two plans in motion simultaneously.
Near the Kent farm, two men dressed as salesmen, carrying gift boxes, knocked on the door. This
caught the attention of Lana Lang, who was already on edge.
"Who's there?" Lana didn't have x-ray vision, so she vanished from the room and flew to the roof, stealthily observing the two salesmen at the door.
"We're from the local Getmore supermarket. We've got some new products for our loyal customers. Can you open the door?" one of the salesmen explained, unaware that Lana was watching from above.
Lana furrowed her brow. She looked toward the town and saw other salesmen making deliveries, which put her slightly at ease.
She returned inside, opened the door, and after some pleasantries, accepted the gift box. Once the salesmen left, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"What is it? Cookies?" Martha asked, eyeing the decorative box with curiosity as she reached out to open it.
"I'll do it," Lana said, suddenly filled with a sense of foreboding. Fearing something might happen to Martha, she hurriedly placed the box in front of herself, carefully opening it while preparing to toss it aside or shield everyone from any potential danger.
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