…There, embedded within, was a Kryptonite reactor, specially crafted by Tony Stark himself.
They had ultimately decided to imprison Superman using this reactor.
If there was even the slightest sign that Superman was reverting to his old ways, the Kryptonite reactor would detonate his heart in an instant.
Clark spoke softly, "…I know, Bruce. If I ever harm this world again, you can end my life whenever you need to."
Batman responded, "This is already the most merciful way we could deal with you."
"Yes, I understand," Clark lowered his gaze. "I'll spend the rest of my life making up for what I've done."
Batman glanced at him, but in the end, said nothing more.
They stared at each other in silence for a while, both seeing the unyielding resolve in the other's eyes.
They had once been the world's finest duo, standing on opposite ends of light and darkness, but working together like hand and glove—trusted comrades and friends.
However, what had happened, the events that truly unfolded in the previous timeline, had irreparably changed their relationship.
Now, one was a prisoner, and the other, the keeper of the keys to his cage.
Jason rode his massive motorcycle, dropping Soren off at the Metropolis train station.
They sped down the congested overpass in Metropolis, overtaking countless slow-moving, gas-guzzling cars crawling along like turtles.
The roaring exhaust left behind a trail of smoke, drawing envious glances from several drivers.
Soren, who had spent the entire ride getting blasted by the cold wind, was still cheering, more excited than he had been in a long time.
He shouted over the roar of the engine from the back seat, "I'm getting one of these when I get back!"
Jason abruptly braked as they took a sharp turn. "You need this?"
"What's wrong?" Soren asked, confused by Jason's reaction.
Jason replied, "Can't you—aren't you supposed to fly?"
"What?! I can fly?!" Soren exclaimed, both shocked and delighted. "I used to fly? Am I a mutant? Or some kind of flying soldier like Falcon?!"
Then, realizing something didn't quite add up, he asked, "If I could fly, wouldn't that make me some kind of super criminal?!"
"—How many times do I have to tell you, no!!" Jason shouted back.
He glanced over his shoulder at Soren, then leaned the bike sharply to dodge a roaring truck, slipping between two compact cars in front of them and darting past, overtaking three more vehicles in quick succession.
However, they were going so fast that neither of them noticed a hidden roadside laser speed camera flash as they sped by.
The surveillance system immediately captured their image and sent it to the traffic control center.
A police officer on duty glanced at the screen and quickly picked up his radio, informing the officers on patrol, "Vehicle speeding on Route 12, east sector. A male driver and a male passenger were carrying an unidentified package. Stop and check the vehicle immediately!"
Upon receiving the alert, the MCPD command center promptly dispatched officers.
Several patrol cars were sent racing toward the east sector to intercept and inspect the vehicle.
Meanwhile, Soren and Jason, now transitioning from the outskirts into the bustling city center of Metropolis, suddenly heard the unmistakable sound of police sirens wailing behind them.
Soren glanced over his shoulder and shouted, "There's a police car behind us! Are they chasing you?!"
Jason's heart skipped a beat.
He turned around to look, and sure enough, three or four police cars were tailing them, sirens blaring nonstop.
The faint "MCPD" lettering on the vehicles was just visible.
—Did Gotham PD notify the Metropolis police to investigate him?
That meant there was no way he could let them catch up!
He had a reputation as a big shot in Gotham's underworld.
If he got arrested by these pampered Metropolis cops, how would he ever show his face back in Gotham?
"Hold on tight, I'm speeding up." Jason frowned, gripping the throttle harder.
His right wrist twisted, and the motorcycle roared to life, the engine revving as it unleashed more power.
The bike shot forward like a meteor streaking across the road.
Soren, even more excited now, shouted, "They're really after you! You'd better be careful not to get caught! What do we do, what do we do? Should we turn back toward Gotham?!"
"…Put your helmet on and shut up, OK?" Jason grumbled, half-smirking.
Their speed continued to climb.
This bike had been heavily modified by Jason himself, and its top speed reached nearly 220 miles per hour.
At full throttle, the engine howled, and the sheer force of the wind almost seemed to lift the bike off the ground, making it feel like they were flying through the air.
The MCPD patrol cars behind them were shocked to see the motorcycle accelerating even faster.
The bike's speed quickly outpaced what the police cars could handle.
Before the officers even had time to pick up the radio to give a warning, the bike had already vanished from their view, shooting far ahead into the distance.
The officers exchanged uneasy glances. One younger cop, clearly anxious, asked, "What should we do? They're definitely up to something—could they be super-criminals? Should we notify the Justice League?"
The seasoned officer sitting in the passenger seat beside the young cop took a deep breath.
Having been through countless chases and manhunts, he was finally reminded of his earlier years tracking down criminals.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the radio: "Calling command center, command center—target moving too fast. We need helicopter support."
Upon receiving the request, the command center quickly dispatched a helicopter to the east sector, joining the rare high-speed chase unfolding in the Metropolis.
—How strange. It's 2021, and people still think they can pull off a car chase in a city protected by Superman. What are these two thinking?
The helicopter soon arrived at the scene, its blades slicing through the air, casting a cone of bright light down on the speeding motorcycle below, illuminating a conspicuous circular area on the road.