In the living room, the TV news was broadcasting an urgent update.
"...As you can all see, two unidentified flying objects arrived over New York five minutes ago. Their size... is immeasurable, almost covering the sky over both southern and northern Manhattan."
The anchorwoman's voice trembled uncontrollably, and the screen showed shaky footage from a camera.
A dark, oppressive shadow enveloped the entire city; two large sections of the sky seemed to have been carved out and filled with this metal.
On the streets, cars were piled up, people screamed and fled in all directions, and the entire world descended into chaos.
"Oh my Deleted..." Martha covered her mouth, her face full of worry.
Lois's journalistic instincts were immediately ignited. She pulled out her phone, her fingers rapidly swiping across it, her brow tightly furrowed.
"One in the north, one in the south, perfectly symmetrical. Motionless, no attempts at communication."
She murmured the information she had just received, her tone serious.
Kara's gaze was fixed on the spaceship to the north on the screen.
The ship's lines, its material, and its wild yet aggressive design style filled her with a sense of familiarity and disgust that came from her very bones.
"Tel..."
Kara's voice was a bit tight.
Tel-Rol even forgot to eat his apple pie. He dropped his fork, stood up, walked to the window, looked up at the sky, and locked onto a direction.
"I smell it."
He grinned, and a spark of excitement ignited in his blue pupils.
"Very familiar."
Just then, the TV screen switched again.
A hatch opened at the bottom of the southern ship, which had been silent, and a much smaller shuttle flew out, arcing high into the sky in one direction.
"It moved!" the news anchor exclaimed.
Kara watched the direction the small ship flew, her heart sinking. She abruptly turned to look at Clark.
Clark was also looking at her, his expression incredibly solemn.
At the same time, Tel-Rol also turned his head, looking in another direction.
His smile grew wider.
He turned around, cocked his chin at Clark, his tone as casual as if he were inviting someone to play basketball.
"Want to fight?"
New York.
That's right, it was that ill-fated New York again.
Wade Wilson, also known as Deadpool, was leisurely sitting on the edge of the tallest building in Times Square, his legs dangling in the air.
He lifted a corner of his mask, ready to stuff the last bite of his burrito into his mouth.
Then, the sky went dark.
He looked up and saw two ridiculously huge metal lumps, one to the south and one to the north, completely blocking the sunlight above his head.
"What the hell?"
He shoved the burrito into his mouth, mumbling a complaint.
"Again? New York again? Do the writers only know how to copy and paste? Can't they ruin another city? Like neighboring New Jersey? I heard their donuts are good."
He stood up, brushed the dust off his butt, and stood with his hands on his hips, like a general reviewing his troops.
"Let me see... Whoa! These two styles don't match! One is the dark style from DC, and the other looks like a mass-produced grunt ship from our Marvel side. What is this? A cross-server event, an online team-building exercise?"
"Or is it... this year's KPI is too heavy, and both companies are out to boost their performance?"
He stroked his chin, analyzing seriously.
"This is going to be lively. I wonder if this time's bento will be delicious."
S.H.I.E.L.D., Trident Headquarters.
Alarms blared throughout the entire Helicarrier.
Agents ran back and forth, reports echoing one after another.
Nick Fury stood in front of the giant command screen, one hand behind his back, his face grim.
"Report, sir, the scan results for the northern ship are in. No matching information in the database. It should be its first time here."
"What about the southern one?" Fury asked without turning his head.
"The southern one... Sir, its structure and energy fluctuations match the interstellar battleship model in our database with 92% accuracy."
Fury's single eye narrowed.
"Again? That guy isn't even on Earth, so why do his enemies always come here?"
He was silent for a few seconds.
"One is unknown, the other is an old enemy, and they're blocking our doorstep without a word. What do they want? A show of force?"
He picked up the encrypted phone on the table and dialed a number directly.
The phone rang once and was answered.
"Stark, got a moment to look out the window? We've got two uninvited big guys."
Tony Stark's lazy voice came from the other end of the line.
"Don't even start, Fury. One ruined my morning sunbath, and the other is blocking my view of the Hudson River. j.a.r.v.i.s. is analyzing it. Honestly, aliens these days have no taste."
"Stop joking." Fury's tone grew cold. "The southern one is an old friend."
There was a second of silence on the other end of the line.
"Oh, ho." Tony's voice also became serious. "Well, this isn't just a regular neighborhood dispute then."
A.R.G.U.S., Underground Headquarters.
Amanda Waller sat at the head of the table, expressionlessly looking at the report her subordinate presented.
The atmosphere in her office was colder than the Arctic ice fields outside.
"So, we know nothing about the origin of one ship, and the other has sent out a small spacecraft, whose destination is unknown?"
"Yes, ma'am. We've lost track of that small spacecraft."
Waller's fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a rhythmic "tap, tap" sound.
"Activate Task Force X," she said coldly.
"Ma'am?" The assistant beside her hesitated. "Use them now? We still don't know the enemy's intentions."
Waller glanced at him.
"I need some expendables to scout ahead. They're perfect for it."
"Also, notify the Justice Society to enter Level One combat readiness."
"Yes, ma'am!"
After arranging everything, Waller picked up another phone and dialed Bruce Wayne.
"Batman, have you seen the news? I'm guessing you won't like their style."
Kansas, Kent Farm.
The atmosphere in the wooden house was a little tense.
Tel-Rol's question, "Want to fight?" made the air begin to heat up.
Clark didn't answer. He just looked out the window, his eyes complex.
He had to protect this planet and also protect his family in front of him.
Every battle, for him, was a heavy choice.
"That small one... it's coming for us."
Kara suddenly spoke, her voice very soft.
She closed her eyes, her powerful hearing capturing the unique frequency of the ship's engine in the atmosphere; it was constantly approaching.
Lois's face changed slightly, and she subconsciously protected her abdomen.
Martha, meanwhile, walked over and took her hand, offering silent comfort.
After hearing Kara's words, Tel-Rol's smile became even more like a beast that had found its prey.
"Hey! Just what I needed."
He walked up to Clark and nudged his arm with his elbow.
"cousin, don't be like a girl, moping around here."
"They've already come to our doorstep, and you're still contemplating life?"
Tel-Rol extended his finger and poked Clark's chest.
"You, me, and her." He then pointed at Kara.
"Three of us. One small one on the other side. Do we even need to think about this?"
His voice was full of impatience and a self-righteous arrogance.
"Just do it!"
Clark took a deep breath. He turned his head and looked at Lois and his mother, Martha, behind him. Their faces were filled with worry, but their eyes held even more trust.
He then looked at Kara; his cousin's eyes held only the steadfast determination to protect Earth.
Finally, his gaze returned to Tel-Rol.
His nominal cousin, who acted solely on his whims, utterly lawless, yet always, at the most crucial moments, awakened him in the most direct way.
Yes, why think so much?
Protect family, protect home.
Isn't the principle that simple?
He slowly nodded at Tel-Rol.
"Alright."