At the same time, Peter swung in, shooting webs in an attempt to bind Clark's arms and legs, then looped another web around Clark's neck.
Clark retracted his heat vision, his gaze shifting to Soren.
Suddenly, he let out a low, chilling laugh.
Finally, Clark stopped holding back.
With a single motion, he grabbed both Whitney and Soren, hurling them to the ground with inhuman strength.
Before Soren or Peter could react, Clark, moving faster than the eye could follow, was already upon them, his foot pressing down hard on Whitney's chest.
Clark's strength was vast enough to shift entire planets.
But he had always restrained himself.
On this planet he protected, he hesitated to harm even a blade of grass.
Even when dealing with criminals, he only used his heat vision to vaporize them instantly.
Yet he was still too gentle with them.
Gentle enough for them to mistakenly believe they could challenge his authority.
Gentle enough for them to think they could shoot straight at his heart without consequence.
…And now, he crushed that heart underfoot, smashing it into nothing but blood and pulp.
Warm blood splattered across Superman's body, dripping slowly from his fingers.
"Clark…"
Soren's trembling voice echoed from behind him.
Clark didn't even need to turn around to imagine the look on Soren's face.
He had seen that expression countless times before.
He saw it after he executed the prisoners guilty of murder—on Barry's face.
He saw it after he crushed the rebellion—on the faces of the civilians.
He saw it after he single-handedly obliterated the entire Green Lantern Corps—on Raven's face.
That look of horror, of fear, of sheer dread.
As if they had never seen his hands stained with blood.
As if they believed he would never let himself be tainted by such violence.
They were all afraid of him.
Terrified of his power, dreading his very existence.
They all came to realize, at last, that he was never truly one of them.
—And he never would be.
Now, even Soren would look at him with that same expression.
The same Soren who always smiled at him with eyes curved in joy, the Soren who nestled affectionately in his arms, calling him "Clark."
The Soren who shared his deepest thoughts with him in the dead of night…
—But now, it no longer mattered what expression Soren wore when looking at him.
He only wanted Soren.
He only needed Soren by his side.
Soren could only belong to him, could only stay with him forever.
As long as he was the same soul that had gazed at him, tearfully, under the starry sky of Kansas.
As long as it was that soul...
He would never let him go again.
Soren could have blond hair, black hair, could be beautiful, could be ugly, could be young, old, anyone—Soren could hate him, love him, or distance himself.
It wouldn't matter—he would never let him go.
He had lost him once before.
There wouldn't be a second time.
He would never allow Soren to leave his side again, never allow him to escape to any place.
Not even death would be able to take him away.
All he had to do now was turn around, scoop Soren into his arms, and take him away.
Then, he could possess him forever, until his life and the yellow sun perished together.
He clenched his fists in silence, yet his feet refused to move.
Was he… afraid?
But what could he be afraid of?
Was there anyone left on this planet, in this galaxy, in this universe, who could harm him?
Was there anyone who could defeat him?
Wasn't he the god of this new world?
Was there truly something he desired, but could never have—the one person he loved, but could not possess?
—That was impossible.
He heard Soren's desperate, heart-wrenching cries behind him, the sound of Spider-Man activating his web-shooters, and he could even hear, with perfect clarity, the faint whistling of the high-speed webs slicing through the air toward him.
He turned his head, moving with a speed beyond human comprehension, extending his hand to catch the webbing mid-air.
With a single pull, he dragged Spider-Man toward him.
This young superhero, mutated after a spider bite, still had the audacity to fight back against him—something Clark hadn't anticipated.
But it was pointless
.
He wasn't going to give anyone another chance.
In a matter of seconds, Clark exchanged a hundred blows with Spider-Man.
He crushed the web-shooter in his grip, and just as he had once incinerated Spider-Man's legs with his heat vision, he effortlessly hurled him into the distance, sending him crashing deep into the side of a mountain.
No one could stop him now.
Soren, using every ounce of his strength, tried to resist, even pointing the Excalibur at him, but Clark simply pulled him into his arms.
This time, Clark had learned his lesson—he wouldn't let this defiant angel try to sever his wings and escape again.
He held Soren completely, entirely, trapping him in an unbreakable embrace, preventing him from fleeing anywhere.
Soren's eyes were bloodshot, streaming with unstoppable tears as he clutched at Clark's collar, his voice breaking, "Why, Clark? Why! You hate me? Hate me for betraying you? Then take it out on me! Kill me if you must!"
He sobbed, his face wet with tears, trembling as if he had been battered by a storm, shivering in the dark, rainy night.
Clark looked down at him, and Soren's tears were like molten iron dripping from the forge, scorching deep scars into his heart.
With the back of his fingers, he gently wiped away the tears beneath Soren's eyes, softly murmuring, "How could I ever bear to kill you?"
A deep sigh escaped from his very soul, a sigh of relief that this lost love had finally returned to his arms.
"This is your punishment, Soren," Clark whispered as he kissed Soren's tear-streaked face and furrowed brows.
"Punishment for betraying me… for siding with Batman."