Cracking and rumbling sounds echoed continuously through Gotham City Hall as the structure groaned under immense destruction.
Rubble and dust poured from the upper levels like a collapsing storm.
The entire building was beginning to give way.
Adrian stood amid the chaos, his gaze shifting toward Clark, who lay on the ground barely conscious and completely drained of strength.
The explosion had happened in an instant, but for beings like Adrian and Clark, perception stretched that instant into something far longer.
Time seemed distorted, as though the world itself had slowed down around them.
Adrian could clearly sense the origin of the blast.
It started from the lower floors and rapidly spread upward, destabilizing the entire structure in seconds.
Then he noticed it.
Green dust.
Fine particles of kryptonite were being carried through the air by the explosion's shockwaves.
Someone had detonated the building with kryptonite dispersed throughout it.
Adrian's expression tightened.
This was deliberate.
The attacker's goal was clear, weaken both him and Clark with kryptonite exposure, trap them inside the collapsing structure, and ensure neither of them survived.
His mind quickly scanned possibilities.
The Green Lantern Corps would never act like this.
Cyborg would not resort to mass destruction of civilians and infrastructure.
The League of Assassins operated with precision, not chaos of this scale.
Even the Owl Council, if still active in Gotham's shadows, preferred control over spectacle.
No.
This level of madness did not fit any of them.
Then the kryptonite effect hit him fully.
A sharp discomfort spread through Adrian's body as the green dust circulated in the air.
It was not enough to take him down, but it was enough to slow him, to irritate his senses.
Clark, however, was suffering far worse.
His body convulsed violently as kryptonite toxicity weakened him rapidly.
Left here, Clark would not survive the collapse.
Adrian stood still for a moment, expression unreadable.
Then he turned away.
If someone had prepared a tomb here, then Clark could remain in it.
That thought passed through his mind with cold logic.
He took a step back.
Another step.
Then a weak voice stopped him.
"Adrian…"
Clark.
Barely conscious, his hand trembled as he reached out.
Adrian paused.
Something inside him shifted.
Clark was not just an obstacle.
He was his brother.
Someone who had grown up beside him on the farm, someone tied to a shared past that could not be erased by ideology or conflict.
Adrian had insulted him countless times, challenged him, even tried to break him.
Yet there was still a line he could not fully cross.
He exhaled slowly.
He knew what the logical choice was.
Eliminate Clark now, and very few beings on Earth could stand in his way afterward.
But at the final moment, hesitation crept in.
"People always think they've secured victory," Adrian muttered quietly. "Until reality proves otherwise."
Without waiting for an answer, he bent down and grabbed Clark by the neck.
In a blur of speed, Adrian activated his enhanced movement and vanished from the collapsing structure.
A split second later.
BOOM.
Gotham City Hall collapsed completely.
The entire structure came down with a deafening roar that shook the surrounding district like an earthquake.
Dust exploded outward in massive waves, swallowing nearby streets.
From a distance, Harvey Bullock stared in shock as debris filled the air.
"Oh my God," he muttered, frozen. His cigar slipped from his fingers without him noticing.
He assumed the building had been destroyed by the sheer intensity of the battle inside.
"This just got a whole lot worse," he said under his breath.
Nearby, Wonder Woman was engaged in combat with Amy.
Amy had already recovered from her earlier injuries and refused to stay down.
She lunged forward again despite exhaustion.
Wonder Woman met her with precise movement, parrying and countering with controlled strength.
Amy dodged and adjusted mid-motion, showing clear improvement from before.
The fight escalated quickly.
Diana disarmed herself, choosing to fight barehanded, meeting Amy blow for blow.
Their fists collided repeatedly, air pressure snapping around them with each impact.
Snap.
Wonder Woman caught Amy's wrist mid-strike.
Amy reacted instantly, aiming another attack, but Diana controlled her movement and lifted her clean off the ground.
Amy was thrown violently across the battlefield.
BOOM.
She hit the ground hard, carving a crater into the surface.
Wonder Woman stood upright, unshaken.
"You've improved," Diana said, studying her. "But not enough. I was trained since childhood by my mother. I was raised as an Amazon warrior. Battle is what I was made for."
Amy forced herself up again.
Her body trembled, but her eyes remained sharp.
"You rely only on instinct," Diana continued. "No refinement, no discipline. Who taught you to fight like this?"
Amy spat blood but did not retreat.
"You talk too much," she said.
Her answer only sharpened Diana's focus.
With a sudden burst of strength, Diana lifted Amy again and threw her down a second time.
BOOM.
Amy crashed hard once more, struggling to recover.
Wonder Woman remained composed, barely breathing heavily.
"Anger won't make you stronger," she said. "Only training will."
Amy slowly pushed herself upright again, shaking but defiant.
"I'm not like you," she said. "You're just a violent barbarian hiding behind strength."
Diana's eyes narrowed.
That word landed sharply.
Without hesitation, she drew her sword.
Her patience snapped.
"I've heard enough."
She swung.
Amy barely dodged, stumbling backward.
Yet she continued speaking even under pressure.
"I know what you're doing," Amy said. "You want control. Order. A world ruled by gods like you."
Diana advanced again, forcing her back.
Amy kept talking through the strain.
"Even if humans are weak, our lives still belong to us. That's what matters."
She threw a punch.
It missed.
Diana countered instantly.
BOOM.
Amy was sent flying, crashing to the ground again, blood spilling from her mouth.
Wonder Woman looked toward Gotham City Hall at that moment.
The building was gone.
Collapsed entirely.
Her attention shifted immediately.
Adrian had entered that building.
And now it was destroyed.
She did not hesitate.
She moved instantly toward the ruins.
Moments later, Adrian appeared from above, carrying Clark.
He landed heavily on the ground.
Wonder Woman arrived immediately.
"Adrian," she said quickly. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Adrian replied, dropping Clark to the ground.
His eyes moved toward the collapsed City Hall.
"Someone rigged the building with explosives," he said. "And dispersed kryptonite inside it. The target was either me or Clark."
Wonder Woman's expression darkened instantly.
"Who did this?"
Her voice carried immediate intensity, far more volatile than Adrian's reaction.