As the sun set, Soren quietly fell asleep in Clark's arms.
Clark held him, as if he could never kiss him enough.
He gently pressed kisses on his brow and eyelids over and over again.
The next morning, Batman sent him a message saying the new gene suppressor had been completed.
Without waking up Soren, Clark brought him back to Metropolis.
He laid him down on the small bed in his apartment and then headed to the Batcave.
Batman who is dressed in his suit, sat in front of the Batcomputer, holding a tablet, deep in thought.
When Clark approached him, Batman glanced up at him and asked calmly, "How's he doing?"
"...The paranoia has gotten quite severe, and he's also developed a psychogenic eating disorder. But I've already administered nutrient fluids to him in the Fortress of Solitude, so his physical condition isn't too bad," Clark replied.
Batman nodded and setting the tablet down, "Bring him over. I'll perform the gene suppressor implantation surgery. He'll recover once the procedure is done."
Clark, with sincerity in his voice, said, "I don't even know how to express my respect for you, Bruce. You're always quietly helping others. Over the years, you've sacrificed so much for the Justice League. I hope you'll always fight alongside me, protecting this planet together."
The Dark Knight let out a low, indistinct grunt, as if mocking Superman's unnecessary sentiment.
He stood up and was about to head toward the medical room, but suddenly paused, turning his gaze toward the ceiling of the Batcave, where only a small circular gap was visible.
At the same time, Clark glanced upward as well.
His Kryptonian blue eyes seemed to be struck by a streak of light, his pupils suddenly dilating.
The two of them stood still, exchanging a heavy look of understanding.
Batman quickly began preparing the necessary equipment for battle, his mind racing.
Based on the anomalies he had just seen on the computer, he had already identified the prime suspect.
He looked back up at the Batcomputer.
—Of course, he knew it.
He hadn't been to the Watchtower for two days straight, and certain individuals were bound to take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble.
Clark stood silently, his ears attuned to the sound that sent a shiver deep into his soul.
Slowly, but with unwavering resolve, he clenched his fist.
The sonic boom echoed through the air.
Bathed in the golden light of the rising sun, he shot out from the Batcave, flying directly toward the source of that ominous sound.
…Back to 41 hours earlier.
Luis Lane, the Daily Planet's top reporter, was striding briskly down the luxurious walnut-wood corridor of Lex Luthor's mansion, carrying her laptop bag.
This time, Lex Luthor had astonishingly agreed to an exclusive interview with the Daily Planet, even going so far as to specifically request Luis Lane for the job.
Perry White had jumped at the opportunity, assigning the task to her without hesitation.
Though a few years ago Luis Lane had exposed Lex Luthor's scandal of defrauding the national research fund, which created a rift between her and LexCorp—resulting in her being barred from entering any LexCorp properties in Metropolis—Luis Lane hadn't backed down.
Instead, she continued her investigations into Lex Luthor with even more determination, gathering more secret intel on him over the years.
Standing before the grand doors of Lex Luthor's towering study, her violet eyes gleamed with steely resolve.
Lex Luthor was seated in a large, dark-red velvet high-backed chair with his legs crossed and holding a sleek silver pen between his fingers.
A perfectly measured smile spread across his face as he looked at Lois, his gaze lowered so only half his eyes were visible, concealing his true thoughts.
"Ah, Miss Lane, our renowned reporter has arrived. Please, have a seat. You have no idea how much I've been looking forward to this."
He picked up an elegant bone china teapot and poured Luis Lane a cup of tea.
Luis Lane sat on the sofa across from him, her professional smile unwavering.
She pulled out a voice recorder, notebook, pen, and laptop from her bag, and then said, "I think we have quite a bit to discuss, Mr. Luthor. Let's start with this: why did the recent LexCorp satellite launch include confiscated items from the Black Zero incident? And what exactly do you intend to do with those secret weapons you've developed, specifically designed to target Superman and other extraterrestrial beings?"
Luthor covered his forehead, his shoulders shaking as he silently laughed.
"You're so clever... so clever. Truly worthy of your reputation, Luis Lane, the Daily Planet's star reporter. It's no wonder you've been linked to Superman in all those rumors."
His tone was icy.
"Thank you for the compliment, but please refrain from commenting on my personal life. I have no relationship with Superman," Luis Lane responded firmly.
Lex Luthor spread his hands and leaned back in his high-backed chair, his gaze drifting toward the large oil painting behind Luis Lane.
The muscles in his face twitched slightly, and the tightening of his orbicularis oculi muscles made him flash a strange, almost otherworldly smile.
"Oh, thanks to a new friend of mine, I'm quite aware of that now..."
Luis Lane frowned, "Your new friend?"
Lex Luthor raised one eyebrow, "Yes, my new friend—my new partner. Thanks to him, I've finally discovered Superman's true weakness."
A madman is far more interesting to collaborate with than just a liar.