At the airport, a civilian passenger plane was preparing to depart.
Inside the cabin, the passengers were already seated. Only a few were still putting away their luggage.
A tall woman with a ponytail had just placed her luggage away when she noticed a small display screen at her seat playing a breaking news report.
["This thing appeared just a few minutes ago."]
["It showed up at the location of the Kryptonian ship incident."]
["Fortunately, today happens to be a holiday in the city center."]
["There are almost no people around right now. What everyone is seeing is that military fighter aircraft and Apache helicopters have just arrived at the scene."]
The woman was drawn in by the news. She sat down and watched the screen intently.
On the screen, in front of a large signboard, stood a humanoid monster.
At that moment, the military helicopters arrived at the scene and began attacking the monster with their airborne cannons.
Streams of blazing fire rained down on the monster standing on the signboard, instantly blasting the sign into pieces.
The monster jumped down and roared at the helicopters in a show of defiance, but what answered it was an even fiercer attack.
Aside from the airborne cannons, the helicopters fired missiles at the monster. Amid the heavy bombardment, the monster's body swayed back and forth from the impacts.
It looked as if it wouldn't be long before it was shot to death.
But just then, a glow appeared inside the monster's chest cavity. It clutched its head with both hands and suddenly threw its head back and let out a roar toward the sky.
At once, it released a shockwave like an electromagnetic pulse.
After the shockwave spread outward, the screen flickered once, and the live footage from the scene suddenly cut out and disappeared.
The broadcast switched back to the television studio.
The host said in a grave tone, ["Our communication with the reporter on site has been unexpectedly interrupted. At the moment, we do not know what is happening there."]
The woman immediately stood up, took her luggage back out, and then walked toward the boarding gate.
At the boarding gate, a flight attendant was preparing drinks. When she saw the woman heading toward the exit, she hurriedly followed her out.
"Sorry, Miss Prince. We're about to depart."
But the woman acted as if she hadn't heard anything and left the plane.
———
[Gotham Harbor District]
The armored Batman was slowly sinking into the pile of stones. The pressure of the rubble squeezing around him made him feel short of breath, his chest tight.
But he was completely unable to change the situation, because Superman was pressing down on his shoulders. The armor on his shoulders had already warped and caved inward. Several sharp edges had pierced into his muscles, and blood was flowing out.
Clark's eyes were bloodshot, his expression twisted.
"Why!"
"Why won't you listen to my explanation!"
"From the very beginning I wanted to tell you this was Lex's scheme!"
"He started all of this. He wanted us to hurt each other!"
"If you had just listened to me for a couple of minutes, Lois wouldn't have died."
"Martha could have been saved too!"
Bruce Wayne's head buzzed.
In a daze, he felt as if he had become that helpless little boy again.
In that cold and damp alley, that merciless pistol spat fire, and blood bloomed right in front of his eyes.
The scene flashed.
He saw a grave covered with dew, white chrysanthemums placed in front of it.
On the gravestone were the words "Martha Wayne."
"What did you say?", Bruce spoke with difficulty.
"Why did you say that name?"
"Who is Martha?"
Clark roared, "She's my mother!"
"She was taken by Lex. Lex wants your head in exchange for her life, understand?"
"She wanted me to become your light!"
"But now it seems she was wrong!"
"People like you don't deserve to be loved at all!"
Superman's eyes began to glow red. Inside them, anger surged like molten lava in a volcano, waiting to erupt.
Bruce's body trembled.
"You said… Martha is your mother?"
He gasped for breath and said, "Clark, listen."
"I never thought things would turn out like this."
"What happened wasn't what I wanted. But at least… at least let me help you."
"I'll find Martha. I'll find your mother."
The red glow in Clark's eyes eased slightly.
Just then, he seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his head toward the direction of the harbor.
Then with a "whoosh!" he flew away.
Batman panted for breath, then pulled himself out of the pile of rubble.
Staggering, he walked over to Lois's body and knelt down.
Looking at the blood on the girl's chest, Batman held his head with one hand.
"No…"
"Oh God, Bruce, look at what you've done!"
At that moment, the voice of his old butler Alfred sounded in his ear.
["Sorry to interrupt you, Master Wayne."]
["But you need to take a look at Metropolis. A monster has appeared there. It came out of the Kryptonian ship."]
———
On the other side—
[Inside a Warehouse near Gotham Harbor]
Clark's adoptive mother, a middle-aged woman, had her mouth covered and was tightly tied to a chair.
A Russian man checked the time, then picked up the flamethrower on the table and slung it over his back.
"Time's up."
"Da witch gets punished now."
Just then, he heard a loud boom from outside.
After that came startled shouts and gunfire.
The dense gunfire almost blended into one continuous roar, startling the Russian.
He made a gesture, and the other two men in the room immediately grabbed their machine guns and went to the door.
Tied to the chair, Martha had her back to the door and didn't know what was happening. She could only hear the screams and gunfire outside continuing nonstop.
The Russian glanced at Martha in the chair and shouted loudly, "Who's there!"
"Leave immediately!"
"Or I'll kill this woman!"
He raised the flamethrower, a tongue of fire flickering at the muzzle.
Martha couldn't help closing her eyes and letting out a muffled sob.
But at that moment, all the sounds suddenly stopped.
She couldn't help opening her eyes.
On the wall of the room, there was a red line slowly fading.
That line ran across the wall and passed through the head of the Russian standing in front of her.
The Russian's eyeballs rolled slightly.
Then his head slowly shifted out of place and slid off. Finally the body and half a head fell to the ground.
Martha began making frightened whimpering sounds.
Then she saw the reflection in the window glass showing the scene behind her.
In the dim room, the door had collapsed. Outside the dark doorway, a figure was faintly outlined.
That tall figure had eyes burning with crimson light. Inside them churned endless hatred and fury, like flames from hell that wanted to turn the entire world into scorched earth.
Martha was terrified.
She watched the figure outside the door walk in, step by step, until it came in front of her.
Then she saw him crouch down.
A familiar face appeared before her eyes. On that face, the red glow of burning rage gradually faded.
Finally, Martha saw the tear-filled eyes of her son.
Clark gently untied the ropes on Martha, then held her hands tightly.
"It's okay now, Mom."
"But Lois is dead."
"My world is dead too."
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