"Zod hasn't arrived on Earth yet. He sent two of his subordinates here to locate you and uncover the so-called secrets of life..."
Kaius quickly explained the arrival of Faora-Ul and Jor-Lar on Earth, recounting how he had accidentally crashed on Paradise Island while chasing Faora's spacecraft and encountered Diana there.
Clark listened intently, nodding as Kaius spoke. His gaze shifted to Jor-Lar the Destroyer, whose bone spurs now jutted out menacingly.
"He's starting to resemble Doomsday more and more," Clark said gravely. "I should explain—Doomsday was a failed creation by Krypton's scientists, designed to be the ultimate killing machine. It's said that no matter how badly it's injured, its cells regenerate rapidly, and it becomes even stronger after each attack."
Kaius shrugged. "This guy might not be as powerful as the real Doomsday, but his nearly limitless stamina and destructive power make him a serious threat. That's why I called him the Destroyer."
Diana frowned, her brow furrowing in concern. "No wonder he's so much stronger than when the fight started! Damn it, is there no way to kill this monster?"
"There is." Kaius answered confidently. "Kryptonite."
Clark nodded in agreement. "Yes, kryptonite can kill Doomsday. And this creature, while far from being the real Doomsday, can likely be killed with a sufficient amount of it."
Diana glanced between them, realization dawning in her eyes. "Wait. Superman, aren't you Kryptonian as well? If kryptonite can kill the Destroyer, wouldn't it also harm you?"
Clark's expression turned solemn as he nodded. Before he could speak, Kaius clapped him on the shoulder.
"Relax, Clark. Diana, you two hold off Jor-Lar while I retrieve the kryptonite."
Clark frowned. "But won't kryptonite weaken you too?"
Kaius smirked and waved him off. "Come on, do I look like someone who gets affected by a little kryptonite? I've got this!"
In reality, Kaius had a plan: once he located the kryptonite, he would switch the Wonder Woman mission card from the secondary slot to the main slot, rendering the kryptonite's effects negligible while maintaining a significant boost to his power.
Clark and Diana exchanged a glance and nodded. "Alright," they said in unison.
"Thanks for having my back," Kaius said with a grin. "Take care of each other. I'll be back soon."
Clark gave a reassuring thumbs-up before launching forward to join Diana in the battle against Jor-Lar.
Meanwhile, on the streets of Metropolis, a commercial van bearing the LexCorp logo sped through traffic.
"Mr. Luthor," reported the mercenary in the passenger seat, "our intel indicates that the Destroyer has moved to the suburbs. The Avengers, including one of the individuals who appeared during the town incident, are currently engaged in battle with him."
Lex Luthor, lounging in the back seat with his legs crossed, thoughtfully stroked his chin. "What's the likelihood that the Avengers are the same type of beings as the subject?"
"The tech department estimates a probability of over 90%, sir," the mercenary replied. "They've analyzed the subject's fatal wound, which was inflicted by the Avenger using kryptonite. According to the data, the Avenger only needed one strike to kill the subject, but he delivered thirty-six blows in total. This suggests..."
"That kryptonite weakens the Avenger as well," Lex interrupted with a sly grin. "Go on."
"Correct, sir. The data indicates that kryptonite could reduce the Avengers' abilities to the level of an ordinary human."
Lex's grin widened. "Now that is excellent news."
At that moment, the driver let out a startled exclamation. "Mr. Luthor! Look in the sky—could that be the Avenger?"
Everyone in the van turned their attention skyward. A figure clad in black tights with the letter "A" emblazoned on his chest soared through the air, rapidly closing the distance.
Lex's eyes narrowed, a glint of excitement in his gaze. "Yes, that's him. Tate, ready the kryptonite bazooka. Let's see what it can do against our flying friend."
The mercenary hesitated. "But Mr. Luthor, this Avenger seems to be on humanity's side. When the subject attacked the town, he fought to stop it."
Lex chuckled coldly. "Perhaps. But today, we test his limits. Prepare the weapon."
Lex sneered, "On humanity's side? Tate, haven't you heard the saying: 'Non-ethnic people are inherently disloyal.' The Avengers might help humanity today, but can you guarantee he won't fly into the White House tomorrow and snap the president's neck?"
Mercenary Tate's face darkened at Lex's words.
As a hardened soldier who revered strength, Tate understood better than most the truth of the saying: "Whoever has the biggest fist, makes the rules."
Some might believe such notions were outdated in the modern world. But that was only because no single individual had possessed the strength to challenge the entire planet—until now.
The Avengers, Superman, and even Jor-Lar the Destroyer had changed that equation. Each of them had the power to topple governments or reshape the world single-handedly.
If any of them decided to seize control of this country—or worse, the world—the consequences would be catastrophic.
"You're right, Mr. Lex!" Tate finally said, determination flickering in his eyes.
He signaled to the mercenaries in the van, who climbed out and unloaded a cache of specialized weapons from the trunk. Among them was a rocket launcher made entirely from kryptonite.
The bazooka stood out, gleaming menacingly in the sunlight.
"Get ready! Let me take the shot!" Tate ordered.
A mercenary crouched and mounted the rocket launcher on his shoulder. Tate adjusted its trajectory, factoring in Kaius's speed, the wind direction, and other variables.
"Fire!"
With a deafening whoosh, the kryptonite rocket launched, streaking through the air toward its target.
Mid-Air
Kaius was flying toward the town when his enhanced hearing picked up an unusual sound. He turned his head just in time to see the missile racing toward him.
"What the heck?"
He instinctively tried to dodge, but as the rocket neared, a sudden, all-too-familiar sensation washed over him—his strength drained away.
Kryptonite!
"Damn it! Which rat is pulling tricks behind the scenes?"
Weakened and disoriented, Kaius lost control of his flight. The next moment, the rocket struck him head-on.
Boom!
The explosion wasn't physically devastating, but the payload's real effect quickly became apparent. The impact released a dense green gas that permeated the air around Kaius.
"Powdered kryptonite," he muttered, coughing. His body felt sluggish, his powers further diminished by the toxic cloud.
In the distance, Lex watched the scene unfold, a twisted smile curling his lips. "Perfect. Let's see how well the Avenger fights now."