"What happened?" General Swanwick asked as he strode into the Pentagon's command center, his voice firm and urgent.
One of the technicians turned toward him quickly.
"General Zod's spacecraft split into two sections. One is moving east, the other south."
"Speed?"
"Nearly Mach 24. Based on the trajectory, both objects are likely heading toward the South Indian Ocean."
Far away, on Praslin Island in the Seychelles, dusk had already settled over the water.
Several fishermen were working near the coast when one of them suddenly pointed at the sky.
A blazing object tore across the horizon, leaving behind a long trail of fire. The burning craft streaked through the darkening sky before plunging violently into the ocean.
Boom!
The moment the ship struck the water, a massive explosion of steam and debris erupted from the surface.
Moments later, the sea began to rise.
A wall of water surged outward from the impact site, growing larger and larger as it rushed toward the coast.
The fishermen stared in terror.
"Move! Move!" one of them shouted as they struggled to steer their small boats away.
But the wave was too powerful.
The towering surge slammed into their vessels, flipping them violently and throwing men and equipment into the sea.
Back inside the Pentagon command center, tension was rising rapidly.
"The second craft is about to land!" a technician shouted.
General Swanwick walked quickly to the console.
"Where?"
The female technician marked the location on the large screen. At the same time, the structural outline of the alien craft appeared in digital form.
The moment she saw the incoming data, her eyes widened in shock.
"Oh my God..."
Boom!
The alien spacecraft descended into the plaza directly in front of Metropolis City Hall.
As it landed, several long mechanical arms unfolded from its body, spreading outward like the limbs of a giant metallic octopus. The arms pressed firmly into the ground, stabilizing the enormous structure.
The impact echoed throughout the city.
Dust and smoke surged outward from the landing point, spreading across the surrounding streets where crowds had gathered during the chaos.
Nearby skyscrapers trembled.
In a high rise marked with the name Wayne Enterprises, employees gathered by the windows and watched in stunned silence as the alien ship descended from the sky.
Across the harbor, dock workers froze mid task, staring in disbelief as the enormous machine settled into the heart of Metropolis.
Throughout the city, the ground shook beneath people's feet.
In the Pentagon, General Swanwick watched the live feed carefully.
"What are they planning?" he muttered.
Before anyone could respond, the screen flickered violently.
Static spread across the monitors.
Green digital blocks appeared suddenly, forming jagged lines across the display. Within seconds the pattern expanded rapidly, covering the entire screen.
"What is that?"
A technician's voice trembled as he answered.
"A virus. It breached our firewall and internal network security. It's spreading through the system."
"Stop it," Swanwick ordered sharply.
"I don't believe the Department of Defense network can be compromised this easily."
"We're trying, sir. But the program is spreading faster than expected."
"Contact the Information Security Department immediately. Get the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the line."
Swanwick stood before the screen, his expression grim.
He had a growing sense that General Zod's final move had begun.
Meanwhile, in the center of Metropolis, the alien craft changed again.
Supported by its mechanical arms, the ship slowly lifted itself above the ground.
Inside the vessel, General Zod stood at the observation deck, his eyes fixed on the human city below.
"General," one of the Kryptonian soldiers reported. "The World Engine has established contact with the surface."
Zod nodded.
"Excellent. Activate it."
He turned and walked away from the observation platform.
At that moment, a brilliant white beam erupted from the center of the ship.
Boom!
The beam struck the ground beneath the craft.
A violent tremor spread across Metropolis.
The earth shook with increasing intensity as shockwaves rippled outward from City Hall. Pavement cracked apart and buildings began to collapse.
The ground itself seemed to rise and twist.
Streets buckled upward as though something enormous was pushing from below. Cars lifted from the pavement before slamming back down violently.
Objects scattered through the air.
People who had not managed to escape were thrown from their feet by the abnormal gravity fluctuations, only to crash back onto the ground moments later.
Dust clouds spread rapidly outward from the city center.
With every passing second, the destruction intensified.
People ran through the streets screaming in terror.
But the disaster spread faster than they could flee.
Black smoke and collapsing structures swallowed entire blocks as the shockwaves continued outward, leaving devastation behind.
At the Pentagon, the network systems had been completely compromised.
General Swanwick now relied on secure satellite communicators to receive reports from Metropolis.
"The Kryptonians launched some kind of device into the ground!" a field operative reported through the communicator, his voice filled with panic. "The city is collapsing!"
A scientist studying the incoming data spoke up.
"It appears to be a gravity manipulation device. It's synchronized with their ship."
Fax machines began printing incoming data and images from Metropolis.
A white bearded scientist studied the information carefully before speaking.
"This technology increases Earth's gravitational mass locally while releasing atmospheric particulates. They are attempting to terraform the planet."
A female technician looked at him anxiously.
"If they succeed, what happens to us?"
The scientist shook his head slowly.
"If they succeed, there will be no us."
In an alley within Metropolis, Batman grabbed a looter by the shoulder and twisted his arm sharply.
With a heavy thud, the man slammed onto the ground.
Batman drove his knee into the man's chest and struck him once across the jaw.
Thud.
The looter immediately lost consciousness.
Batman stood up, catching his breath.
Then he saw something that froze him in place.
The night sky was suddenly illuminated.
A powerful white light spread across the horizon like a second sunrise.
The brightness expanded across the city, pushing away the darkness of night.
Light poured into the alley and washed across Batman's suit.
He slowly raised his head.
The source was the alien ship above City Hall.
The massive beam pouring from the vessel had turned night into day across Metropolis.
Batman watched the destruction spreading from the epicenter.
Immediately, one thought struck him.
Wayne Enterprises.
The branch office near City Hall was still full of employees. They had remained at work under his earlier instructions.
If the collapsing ground reached the building, the casualties would be catastrophic.
Without hesitation, Batman fired his grappling gun.
The cable shot upward and pulled him onto a nearby rooftop.
He launched himself forward, swinging rapidly across the city as he raced toward Wayne Enterprises.
Elsewhere, Adrian was still engaged in battle with the Kryptonian warriors.
The moment the ground trembled violently, he sensed the disturbance.
He struck Fiora with a powerful punch, sending her flying backward.
Then Adrian turned his gaze toward Metropolis City Hall.
The alien ship had begun its operation.
A serious expression crossed Adrian's face.
Fiora staggered to her feet, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth. She glared at him with pure hatred.
"You cannot stop us," she said coldly.
"The World Engine has begun. Once it reaches full power, nothing on this planet will stop it."
She clutched her chest as she continued.
"This world will become Krypton. Everything you care about will disappear."
Adrian ignored her words.
His eyes glowed red.
A burst of Heat Vision shot from his eyes and struck Fiora, blasting her backward again.
Without wasting another second, Adrian bent his legs and launched himself into the air.
Boom.
He accelerated instantly, flying toward Metropolis at supersonic speed.
Far away in Smallville, another battle had just ended.
Clark stood over Lex Luthor, who lay unconscious on the ground.
Clark exhaled slowly and looked down at him.
Then he heard a distant sonic boom echo through the sky.
Clark raised his head.
Using his enhanced vision, he looked toward Metropolis.
From across the distance, he saw the alien ship hovering above the city.
Concern flashed across his face.
But instead of flying toward Metropolis, Clark changed direction.
He shot northward across the sky toward the Arctic.
There were questions he needed answered first.
Moments later, Clark entered the Fortress of Solitude.
"Jor El," Clark called out. "I need your help."
The artificial intelligence responded instantly.
"Lex Luthor, or General Zod?"
Clark frowned slightly.
"Both. The Kryptonians altered Lex's body. He's dangerous now, and he's no longer himself. How can I bring him back?"
"You cannot, Kal," Jor El replied.
"His body has been taken over. His consciousness no longer belongs to him. If you wish to free him completely, you must kill him."
As the words echoed through the chamber, a brilliant light radiated from the crystal structures of the fortress.
A sharp blade of ice formed and floated gently toward Clark.
The weapon settled into his hand.
"Sometimes," Jor El continued, "you must make decisions that bring pain. Responsibility requires sacrifice."
Clark stared down at the blade.
His expression filled with hesitation.
"I..."
The words never left his mouth.
After a long moment, he looked up again.
"Zod's ship has begun terraforming the planet. What can I do?"
"The master key," Jor El said.
"Within the scout ship that brought you to Earth lies a key. When combined with the key Adrian possesses, it can deactivate the World Engine."
Clark's eyes widened slightly.
He suddenly remembered the small elongated object he had seen long ago.
A Kryptonian key bearing the symbol of the House of El.
===
Sorry for the late update.
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