Chapter Text
This wasn't a simple accident.
Bruce immediately pulled up more footage, but it was moving too fast — the Watchtower's cameras only captured some afterimages, and the circular ring that looked like a possible portal had also disappeared.
A regular meteor couldn't achieve such speed unless there was additional force driving it forward.
Could it have been thrown?
Bruce wanted to ask Clark for specific details, but since he might be in space, he might not receive a signal.
However, he still pressed the League members' internal line.
Fortunately, the call connected quickly.
Clark was safe for now. Bruce finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Bruce, that's not a meteor!" Clark's voice was urgent. "It's alive — it's Doomsday!"
The moment Bruce heard that name, he froze.
Doomsday? How could that be... Luthor had no chance to access Kryptonian technology, and Zod's corpse was securely stored in the Fortress of Solitude. How was it created? And it suddenly appeared near Earth, crashing into the space station?
Moreover, how was Clark certain it was Doomsday? He'd never seen that creature.
What on earth was going on?
He had too many questions, but the situation was urgent — this was clearly not the time for a chat.
But Clark seemed to know what he was thinking and succinctly explained, "After you told me about Doomsday, I asked Jor-El about its origins. It's a failed product of Kryptonian scientists — a mindless killing machine without a name. Luthor's Doomsday was just a crude imitation. Previously, it was sealed within Krypton; perhaps the planet's destruction didn't kill it but released it instead. I don't know why it's appeared on Earth — it could be related to Zod or maybe the singularity we created earlier... I'm not sure. I just rescued the astronauts and am now heading to the Atlantic Ocean where it landed."
As Clark spoke, the scene of Superman perishing alongside Doomsday that night replayed in Bruce's mind. He seemed to hear once again the terrifying sound of the bone spur piercing into Clark's chest inch by inch and the god on earth's dying scream...
Doomsday wasn't just his nightmare; it was more like a curse — a curse he could never escape.
No matter how much effort he put in, it was all in vain. Events still dramatically returned to square one, whether it was the stronger Zod or the unavoidable Doomsday.
The timeline seemed to mock him as mercilessly as the words sprayed on Robin's suit—
"You're a joke, Batman."
In the restaurant, lights and shadows intertwined. Diners chatted and shared their joys and sorrows, delighted by life's little things and troubled by daily trifles.
They were oblivious to the impending apocalypse; they didn't know that on the other side of the ocean, the Kryptonian son they revered as a "god" was protecting the peace and tranquillity they currently enjoyed.
The sunset's afterglow bathed the dining table in crimson. Bruce held his phone, sitting alone in a corner, as if the surrounding bustle had nothing to do with him.
He lowered his gaze and noticed that his fingertips were trembling slightly.
He took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and tried to speak, but his throat tightened severely. It took a long time before he could utter a complete syllable.
"Ka... Kal..."
Clark keenly sensed Bruce's distress and asked, "Yes, I'm here, Bruce. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Bruce steadied his emotions, his voice returning to its usual calm. "Listen, Kal, I'll notify Arthur and Diana. You take me back to Gotham to get the Kryptonite equipment. This isn't just your battle. It's the entire Justice League's. We're a team."
Clark hesitated for a moment and said, "Alright."
Superman's sudden appearance caused a stir among the crowd. Onlookers began taking photos with their phones, and some boldly asked if they could take a picture with him. He walked straight toward Bruce, who was standing by the roadside, and effortlessly picked him up, turning to decline, "Sorry, I'm a bit busy right now."
Some pedestrians recognized Bruce and exclaimed, "That's Bruce Wayne!"
The crowd instantly erupted.
"Mr. Wayne, where are you going?"
"Can you tell us how you know each other, Mr. Superman?"
"Are you two a couple?"
"Oh my God, I wish Superman would hold me like that..."
"Mr. Wayne, do you often fly like this?"
As if he hadn't heard the comments, Clark silently rose into the air with Bruce in his arms and whispered, "Hold on tight, Bruce."
Then came the sonic boom from accelerating, and they instantly vanished from the crowd's sight.
Without a word, Bruce changed into his Batsuit as quickly as possible and grabbed the newly made Kryptonite gun and bullets, as well as the tightly wrapped Kryptonite spear.
He tossed a two-inch-wide circular device to Clark.
"Anti-Kryptonite device," Bruce said, pointing to his own utility belt. "Attach it here. There's an activation button on top. It will neutralize Kryptonite radiation, but it only lasts for half a minute. I tried modifying your Kryptonian suit directly, but it's as indestructible as you are — at least, my equipment can't manage it. And traditional physical armour would restrict your movements... If I had more time..."
"It's already enough, Bruce. You've done an amazing job; you did great." Clark stopped his self-blame. Although Bruce didn't say it, Clark could imagine how difficult it was to develop this device with Earth's current technology.
Clark attached the device to the centre of his belt. Bruce was about to board the Batplane, but halfway there, he turned back.
Clark asked, "What's wrong, Bru—mmph..."
Bruce grabbed the back of his neck and kissed him forcefully.
He rarely took the initiative like this, especially not while wearing the Batsuit — it was a first.
Clark responded passionately, fully immersing himself in the deep kiss. Their lips and tongues entwined, reluctant to part.
When the kiss ended, Bruce was breathing heavily. He held Clark's handsome face and commanded unequivocally, "You'd better come back alive, Kal-El!"
Through the mask, Clark saw the flush on his face from lack of oxygen. He held Bruce's hand, kissed his palm, nodded solemnly, and said, "I will."
---
This Doomsday was entirely different from the one in Bruce's memory.
It was even larger than the Doomsday created by Luthor. Its black-grey skin was covered in bone spurs, like wearing a hard armour. Its eyes glowed with the red of heat vision, terrifying like a demon crawling out of hell.
Arthur had already lured it from the seabed to the shore. With a fierce shout, Diana stepped onto a reef, leapt high, and charged with her shield!
Clark carried the Batplane, slowly releasing it. He flew ahead of Bruce, turning back to meet his gaze.
Bruce extended his index finger, pointing upward. Clark nodded knowingly and joined the battle directly.
Arthur barely dodged the overwhelming heat vision. Doomsday's head was kicked to the side by Diana. She swung her sword down, but Doomsday, having recovered, easily evaded it.
"Boom!" This time, Arthur wielded his trident and smashed it into the back of Doomsday's head with all his might. Doomsday staggered and crashed headfirst into a nearby reef.
It shook its head, and small bone spurs sprouted from the injured area. Clenching its fists, it roared like a beast and angrily fired its heat vision at Arthur again.
Arthur scrambled to dodge, cursing loudly as he did, "Damn alien bastard, I'm going to gouge out those headlights of yours!"
Diana knelt on one knee, set her shield on the sand, and slammed her wrist onto it. Instantly, beams of golden light struck Doomsday.
It raised its hand to block, seemingly completely enraged. It emitted massive heat vision from its eyes, mouth, and nose to counter.
Diana was blown back several meters, falling to the ground. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, grabbed the sword lying nearby, and was about to get up when, in the next moment, two slender beams of heat vision shot out from behind her, directly hitting the monster!
It was Clark.
"Boom!" Before the afterimage of the heat vision faded from the retina, the sonic boom from Clark's punch erupted.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Clark showed no signs of stopping. Each punch unleashed visible waves of energy around him.
However, his fists didn't cause any substantial damage to Doomsday. The monster roared again, releasing all the absorbed energy in a massive blast!
Caught off guard, Clark was blown into the air, and was momentarily dizzy. He shook his head vigorously, quickly recovered, and flew straight back toward it. Unwilling to be outdone, Doomsday roared and charged forward, seemingly intent on confronting Clark head-on.
Suddenly, a golden lasso extended from behind, tightly binding it. The immense inertia pulled it backward. Arthur planted his trident into the ground and leapt up, delivering a flying kick to its jaw. Struggling, Doomsday fell backward.
At that moment, Clark descended from the sky, punching its abdomen and pushing it directly onto the sea's surface.
Then, with a loud "Boom!", Clark kicked it into the air.
Diana crossed her arms and unleashed divine power aimed at Doomsday.
Bruce focused on the monster directly ahead, held his breath, and pressed the launch button.
The Kryptonite bomb exploded on Doomsday's back, instantly enveloping it in green smoke. The tireless monster was suddenly plunged into immense pain. It clawed at its throat as its veins bulged beneath its skin, and it fell toward the sea.
It's working; the Kryptonite was effective. Bruce suppressed his excitement and aimed at Doomsday once more.
This time, he was firing not a smoke bomb but a Kryptonite bullet.
"Whoosh—"
However, Doomsday, having escaped the green smoke, healed itself at an incredible speed. It sidestepped, and the Kryptonite bullet grazed its shoulder blade, carving a deep wound on its black-grey skin. Bone spurs grew out, filling the new wound.
Not good. Bruce hurriedly pulled up the Batplane to escape.
Doomsday glared angrily at the plane, roaring as it fired heat vision toward it.