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At the airport, a commercial passenger plane was preparing for takeoff.
Inside the cabin, most passengers were already seated, with only a few still arranging their luggage.
A tall woman with a high ponytail had just placed her suitcase in the overhead compartment when her attention was drawn to the screen on the back of the seat in front of her.
Breaking news was being broadcast:
"This unidentified entity appeared just minutes ago."
"It emerged at the site of the Kryptonian ship incident."
"Fortunately, today is a public holiday in the city center."
"Very few people were present at the scene. As you can see, military Apache helicopters have just arrived on-site."
The woman sat down, her eyes locked on the screen.
The footage showed a humanoid monster standing in front of a large signboard.
Military helicopters began their assault, unleashing a barrage of gunfire from their mounted cannons. Streams of fiery tracer rounds reduced the signboard to shreds, forcing the monster to leap down to the ground.
In response, it let out a menacing roar toward the helicopters, but this only prompted an even more intense assault. Missiles were fired, detonating with deafening explosions. The creature staggered under the relentless barrage, seemingly on the verge of collapse.
But then, its chest began to glow ominously.
With a deafening roar, the monster unleashed a shockwave resembling an electromagnetic pulse.
The shockwave spread out, and the screen flickered briefly before cutting out entirely. The broadcast returned to the newsroom.
The anchor, with a grave expression, announced, "We have lost contact with our on-site reporter. The current situation at the scene is unclear."
The woman immediately stood up, retrieved her luggage, and walked toward the boarding gate.
At the gate, a flight attendant preparing drinks noticed her leaving and hurried after her.
"Excuse me, Miss Prince. We're about to take off."
But the woman, Diana Prince, didn't respond. She left the plane without a word.
---
Gotham Dockyards
Batman, clad in his armored suit, was pinned beneath a pile of rubble. The crushing weight pressed against his chest, leaving him breathless.
He was powerless to resist, as Superman had him pinned by the shoulders. The armor plating on Batman's shoulders was bent inward, sharp edges digging into his flesh and drawing blood.
Clark Kent's eyes burned a fiery red, his face twisted in anguish.
"Why?!" Clark roared.
"Why wouldn't you listen to me?!"
"I tried to tell you from the beginning—this is Lex's plan!"
"He orchestrated all of this! He wanted us to destroy each other!"
"If you had just listened to me for a moment, Lois would still be alive. Martha would be safe!"
Bruce Wayne's mind buzzed.
In his dazed state, he was once again that helpless little boy standing in a cold, damp alley.
The muzzle flash from a gun lit up the darkness, and blood bloomed before his eyes.
The scene shifted.
A dewy grave came into focus, white chrysanthemums laid before it.
The name engraved on the tombstone read: Martha Wayne.
"What… did you say?" Bruce managed to croak.
"Why… why are you saying that name?"
"Martha?" Clark bellowed. "She's my mother!"
"Lex has her! He's going to trade her life for your head—do you understand?!"
"She always believed I could be a beacon of hope for you all!"
"But now… now I see she was wrong."
"You people don't deserve love!"
Clark's eyes blazed brighter, the fury within them threatening to explode like molten lava.
Bruce's body trembled. "Martha… is your mother?" he muttered.
He gasped for air and said hoarsely, "Clark, listen to me."
"I never wanted it to come to this."
"This isn'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 dimmed slightly. But just as he began to process Bruce's words, his head snapped toward the docks, sensing something.
With a sharp whoosh, he vanished into the rain-soaked night.
Batman, panting heavily, managed to free himself from the rubble. He stumbled toward Lois's lifeless body, now drenched in rain.
He knelt beside her, staring at the blood staining her chest. One hand cradled his head in despair.
"No… no… oh, God, Bruce. Look at what you've done."
Through his earpiece, Alfred's voice broke through the somber silence.
"Apologies for interrupting, Master Wayne."
"But you'll want to see this—something monstrous has emerged in Metropolis. It came from the Kryptonian ship."
---
A Warehouse Near Gotham Dockyards
In a dimly lit room, Clark's adoptive mother, Martha, was tied to a chair, her mouth gagged.
An armed Russian man glanced at his watch. Slinging a flamethrower over his shoulder, he declared, "Time's up."
"The witch burns now."
As he spoke, a loud boom echoed from outside. Shouts and gunfire erupted.
The barrage of gunfire was so intense it formed a near-constant roar, startling the Russian. He signaled to his men, who grabbed their weapons and approached the door.
Martha, unable to see what was happening behind her, could only hear the chaos outside—the screams, the gunfire, the violence.
The Russian glanced nervously at Martha before yelling, "Whoever's out there, leave now!"
"Or I'll kill this woman!"
He ignited the flamethrower, its nozzle spitting a small but menacing flame.
Martha closed her eyes, letting out a muffled sob.
Then, silence fell.
Hesitantly, she opened her eyes.
She saw a faint red line glowing on the wall—a line that bisected the head of the Russian standing in front of her.
His eyes rolled back as his head slid off his neck and thudded to the ground alongside his lifeless body.
Terrified, Martha whimpered.
In the reflection of a window, she caught sight of a shadowy figure standing at the doorway.
The silhouette, wreathed in darkness, slowly stepped into the room. Its eyes glowed with a searing crimson light, brimming with hatred and fury—rage so potent it felt as though it could scorch the earth.
Martha's fear peaked as the figure drew closer, step by deliberate step, until it crouched before her.
Recognition dawned as she looked into her son's tear-filled eyes.
Clark gently untied her bindings and grasped her trembling hands.
"It's okay, Mom," he whispered. "You're safe now."
But then his voice cracked. "Lois is dead."
"And with her… my world is dead too."
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