Chapter 121: Mechas Surround and Attack the Villa, Human Defense Line Unleashes Nuclear Bombs
At noon the next day, a scorching red laser pierced through the window, striking directly at the three people on the bed.
Marcus abruptly opened his eyes, raised his right hand, and dark red Aether Particle gushed from his palm, instantly deploying a translucent energy shield in front of the bed.
The laser crashed into the shield, bursting into blinding red light, and the entire villa trembled violently under the impact.
Milong and Delta woke up simultaneously.
Delta bounced off the bed, her black and white tail held stiffly straight, her eyes locked onto the undissipated red beam outside the window.
She subconsciously assumed a combat stance, her voice entirely devoid of any post-sleep grogginess: "Boss, what is going on!"
Marcus did not answer.
He waved his hand, and the Aether Particle swept over Delta and Milong, instantly creating a set of form-fitting dark gray casual clothes for each of them.
He got up from the bed and said in a calm tone: "We'll know once we go out and take a look."
The three of them flew straight through the wall.
The scene around the villa made them stop in their tracks simultaneously; dozens of giant mechas tightly surrounded the villa, each four or five stories high, their metal shells gleaming with a cold, hard light under the noon sun.
Their right arms were raised in unison, and the muzzle in the palm of one of them still retained the scorching residual heat from firing the laser just now.
Marcus hovered directly above the villa, his gaze sweeping over these mechas.
Their shells were painted with black military insignia, and their chests uniformly bore four large characters: Human Defense Line.
A cold voice came from the loudspeaker of one of the mechas: "Cosmic Superman. That was just a warning. Surrender immediately now and accept the control of the Human Defense Corps. If you dare to resist, we will launch an attack."
Hearing these words, anger burned in Delta's eyes.
Her cat ears flattened, and her whole body bristled with fur.
Her voice was filled with rage: "Boss! I'll go take care of them!"
Milong also floated to Marcus's side.
She raised her head, cyan light welling up in her clear eyes, Dragon soul energy faintly surging within her body, and her voice carried a hint of anger: "I'll go too."
Marcus nodded slightly.
Delta charged out first.
Her figure left a black-and-white afterimage in the air, instantly crashing into the embrace of the mecha closest to the villa.
The mecha's right arm had just been raised, and the laser muzzle in its palm was still charging, but Delta's fist had already smashed through its chest armor.
Metal fragments flew everywhere, and her entire arm sank deep into the mecha's torso.
Delta withdrew her hand, and the mecha's body began to crack outward from the hole in its chest, crashing to the ground with a loud thud.
Without pausing, Delta kicked off the ground and lunged at the next one.
Milong looked up and let out a Dragon roar, and Dragon soul energy gushed from her body, instantly causing heavy thunderclouds to appear in Metropolis's clear sky.
She waved her hands downward, and several thick bolts of lightning struck down from the clouds simultaneously, accurately hitting several mechas.
The lightning pierced through the metal shells, instantly overloading the circuits inside the mechas, electric arcs dancing wildly across their surfaces and emitting billows of scorched black smoke.
The mechas twitched violently in the electric light for a few seconds before violently exploding.
At this moment, Kumoko leaped up from the villa, landing steadily on its roof.
Her multiple eyes lit up simultaneously, and an invisible force of spatial distortion spread out from within her body, crushing toward the outermost mechas.
Before those mechas could even turn around, their metal shells began to emit a harsh twisting sound; their forms deformed rapidly amidst the spatial distortion, joints snapping and armor caving in, twisting them into a pile of scrap metal in the blink of an eye.
But the number of mechas was simply too great.
Just as Kumoko finished dealing with the outermost batch of mechas, dozens of mechas had already raised their right arms, their palm laser cannons charging simultaneously as blinding red light gathered at the muzzles.
Dozens of crimson lasers shot toward the villa simultaneously from all directions.
The entire villa was enveloped in red light, and the grass on the lawn was instantly scorched.
Delta turned around, and facing the lasers sweeping toward her, she did not dodge.
She raised her arms to cross in front of her, stubbornly enduring the frontal bombardment of dozens of lasers, yet her body continued to advance step by step.
The lasers burst into blinding red light on her skin, charring her sleeves and burning large red marks, but they couldn't harm her muscles in the slightest.
Gritting her teeth, she pushed against the torrent of lasers and rushed in front of another mecha, slamming her right fist violently upward against its jaw, sending its entire head flying off.
Milong clasped her hands in front of her chest, cyan Dragon scales spreading from her neck to her cheeks.
She loosened her hands, letting the lasers bombard her body.
The cyan Dragon scales shimmered under the scorching heat of the lasers, and the Dragon soul energy flowing across the surface of the scales neutralized the lasers' power layer by layer.
She raised her hand, her Dragon claws clutching the empty air, and several more bolts of lightning struck down, blasting the mechas still firing lasers in front of her into fragments.
Kumoko stood on the roof, her multiple eyes glaring in unison at the lasers shooting toward her.
The force of spatial distortion gushed from her eyes, and those lasers were distorted when they were still a few meters away from her, transforming into countless tiny red light specks that dissipated into the air.
Shifting her gaze, the force of spatial distortion swept across those laser-firing mechas, twisting them along with their unfired muzzles into pretzels.
When only the last mecha remained on the battlefield, Marcus made his move.
His figure vanished from above the villa, appearing in front of that mecha the next instant.
He extended his right hand, his five fingers locking onto the mecha's head, lifting it entirely off the ground.
The metal shell made an unbearable creaking sound in his palm.
He looked back at Delta and Milong still hovering in mid-air and Kumoko on the roof, saying casually: "You guys prepare lunch first. I'll be right back."
As his voice fell, he pushed the mecha and flew toward the direction of the White House.
The mecha's thrusters were still frantically spewing exhaust flames, yet they failed to shake Marcus's palm pressing down on its head in the slightest.
Man and mecha carved a straight trajectory across Metropolis's skyline, crashing through the glass curtain walls of several unmanned buildings along the way, and sped toward Washington.
Not long after flying out of Metropolis, dense black dots appeared in the distant sky.
They were dozens of missiles dragging white exhaust trails, roaring toward him.
Marcus stopped in mid-air without dodging.
Rumble!
The missiles detonated simultaneously in front of him, the flames engulfing the entire airspace.
The shockwave generated by the explosion blew away all the surrounding clouds.
The smoke slowly dissipated.
Marcus still hovered in place, the dark gray casual clothes on his body having transformed into a black and red battle suit in the explosion just now.
He was holding the mecha's head, its shell pitted and scarred by the missiles, but not a single scorch mark remained on Marcus's battle suit.
He raised his head, his gaze piercing through the atmosphere to look at the satellites adjusting their orbital angles in space, and spoke in a calm tone: "Are there any more?"
Star Labs.
Amanda Waller stood before the huge screen, where satellite surveillance footage was magnifying Marcus's expressionless face across the entire wall.
Looking at the dark red figure suspended in the smoke and fire, she tapped her fingers twice on the control console, turned her head to look at the holographic projection beside her, and said in a cold and decisive voice: "Mr. President, do not hesitate any longer; please launch a nuclear bomb immediately to eliminate this alien."
In the holographic projection, the president was silent for a moment, then nodded: "No problem."
Not long after, five blinding flames rose simultaneously from different launch silos.
Dragging white pillars of smoke, five nuclear bombs flew at supersonic speed toward the location where Marcuswas.
Marcus did not dodge, letting the nuclear bombs detonate simultaneously in front of him.
Boom——!
Five suns lit up simultaneously in the sky fifty kilometers outside of Metropolis.
The blinding white light engulfed everything within a radius of several kilometers, the shockwave uprooted the trees on the ground, and soil and rocks were sent tens of meters high into the air.
The high temperature at the center of the nuclear explosion caused the air to ionize, scorching the entire sky into a crimson red.
Chapter 122: The Consequences of Provoking Me Will Be Revealed Inside the White House
The smoke generated by the nuclear explosion slowly dissipated.
Marcus was still hovering in mid-air, his black and red battle suit completely undamaged.
He lowered his head to glance at the mecha whose head he had gripped; it had now melted away without a trace in the high temperature of the nuclear explosion, leaving only a few droplets of glowing red metal liquid dripping from between his fingers.
Inside S.T.A.R. Labs, Amanda Waller kept her eyes locked on the image on the screen.
In the holographic projection beside her, the President's voice carried a distinct tremor, and that panic could not be concealed even across the encrypted communication: "Waller, what should we do?"
Amanda Waller was silent for a moment.
She pressed both hands on the control console, her broad shoulders slightly raised, and her cold, rigid face showed no signs of wavering.
A moment later, she spoke, her voice still icy and decisive: "Mr. President, please attack him with the maximum yield nuclear bomb."
"No!" The President's voice suddenly rose, his face flushing red in the holographic projection, "Cosmic Superman is too close to Metropolis! If we use a maximum yield nuclear bomb, it will affect Metropolis! There are millions of people there!"
"Mr. President, we have already launched an attack on Cosmic Superman." Amanda Waller's voice was unhurried, "If we don't find a way to deal with him, then all of humanity will be enslaved by him."
The President opened his mouth, but before he could respond, the alarm System of S.T.A.R. Labs suddenly wailed.
The harsh siren echoed throughout the command center, and the red warning lights flashed frantically, casting everyone's faces in a ghastly red glow.
Amanda Waller abruptly turned around and sharply shouted: "What happened!"
A subordinate stumbled forward, his voice hurried and tense: "Sir, someone has invaded! We can't hold them off!"
Amanda Waller turned her head to look at a white-haired, one-eyed man wearing a tactical vest next to her, and commanded at an extremely fast pace: "Wilson, go deal with them."
"Leave it to me." The corners of Wilson's mouth curled up slightly, and after checking the firearms and tactical dagger at his waist, he turned and strode out.
Amanda Waller looked back at the screen.
In the surveillance footage, Marcus slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing across more than half the city, as if he were staring directly at her on this end of the screen.
"Is it over?" Marcus's voice was very soft, with no one answering in the empty sky.
His tone remained calm, "Then it's my turn."
As his voice fell, his figure disappeared from the screen.
Amanda Waller's fingers tightened abruptly on the control console.
She decisively cut off the communication with the President, then turned to the young man beside her, speaking in a hurried tone: "Luther, I will give you all of our data. Continue researching weapons to deal with superhumans."
With that, she turned around and strode with her subordinates toward the emergency evacuation tunnel.
The White House.
The President looked at the disconnected projector in his hand, an expression of intertwined anger and fear surfacing on his face.
He fiercely slammed the projector onto the table, gritting his teeth as he cursed: "Damn Amanda Waller!"
He stood up, just about to tell his subordinates to prepare for evacuation, when a voice came from outside the window.
That voice sounded as if it were directly in his ear: "Where do you want to go?"
The President abruptly raised his head.
Outside the White House window, Marcus was suspended in mid-air.
He looked down at the President with no expression whatsoever on his face.
Several Secret Service agents instantly drew their pistols and aimed them out the window, fingers hooked on the triggers, yet none of them fired—they had seen the satellite footage from earlier.
Bullets had no meaning whatsoever to this person.
"Your Excellency Cosmic Superman!" Cold sweat seeped from the President's forehead as he raised his hands while backing away, his voice trembling, "All of this is Amanda Waller's conspiracy!"
Marcus didn't wait for him to finish.
His gaze shifted away from the President's face, sweeping across the flashing holographic projection screens on the office wall, which still showed the faces of several high-ranking national officials whose communications had not yet been cut off.
Marcus looked at those screens and spoke in a calm tone: "Don't come looking for trouble with me in the future."
As soon as his voice fell, he demonstrated why in the bloodiest way possible.
Marcus smashed through the glass and charged into the White House office.
Several Secret Service agents instantly pulled their triggers, and bullets poured onto him like a torrential rain.
Marcus did not dodge; those warheads bounced off his battle suit, leaving dense bullet holes on the walls and ceiling.
He walked through the rain of bullets, came up to the President, and reached out to pinch the President's head.
Before the President could even scream, Marcus tightened his five fingers and jerked his arm upward.
The President's head was entirely pulled out from his body, and fresh blood splattered onto the ceiling and the holographic projection screens on the wall.
On the other side of the screens, the projections of several high-ranking national officials were still in real-time connection.
They watched the headless corpse in the footage slowly collapse to its knees, watching that head sway slightly in Marcus's hand.
Someone bent over and vomited violently, someone froze in place with a pale face, and someone clumsily rushed to turn off the projection, their hands shaking too much to hit the right button.
Marcus grabbed that head, turned around, and flew out of the White House.
S.T.A.R. Labs.
Luthor stood in front of the main control console, staring at the spaceship taking off on the screen.
The engines had already started, and the cabin door was slowly closing.
Luthor's finger hovered above a red button, a trace of an elusive smile hanging at the corners of his mouth.
Just as he was about to press the button, a calm voice came from behind him: "Let them go."
Luthor's finger froze in mid-air.
He slowly turned his head, and before he could speak, his gaze landed on the still-dripping head in Marcus's hand.
That was the President's head.
That face still maintained the expression of terror from the very last moment before death.
Luthor swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
His line of sight jumped back and forth twice between that head and Marcus's expressionless face.
He slowly raised his hands, palms facing outward, squeezing out a smile that was uglier than crying from the corners of his mouth, his voice so steady that even he himself felt surprised: "No problem."
Marcus stood in front of the main control console of S.T.A.R. Labs, looking through the huge bulletproof glass window as the spaceship carrying Lois and Jimmy slowly rose amidst the roaring sound, trailing a straight pillar of light into the clouds and disappearing into the blue horizon.
He withdrew his gaze, lifted the still-dripping head in his hand slightly, turned to Luthor—who was still standing in place with his hands raised and motionless—and said in a calm tone: "If you don't want to end up like this, once you have Amanda Waller's location, remember to tell me."
Luthor nodded hurriedly.
Marcus released his hand, and the head smashed to the ground, rolling half a circle and dragging a dark red bloodstain across the clean floor.
He no longer looked at Luthor, turned and flew out of S.T.A.R. Labs, flying in the direction of Villa.
When pushing open the door of Villa, the fragrance of roasted meat was already drifting out from the dining room.
Delta was walking out of the kitchen carrying the last dish. Seeing Marcus enter, her tail immediately wagged rapidly, her eyes curving into two crescents, and her voice was filled with jubilation: "Boss! You came back just in time, the dishes are all ready!"
Milong stood up from beside the dining table, those clear eyes looking him up and down once, and after confirming that there were no injuries on his body, let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Kumoko lay at the edge of the dining table, her multiple eyes simultaneously curving into crescents as she raised her front legs and waved at Marcus: "Master, hurry and sit down to eat."
Marcus walked over to the dining table and sat down, and Delta pushed a plate of roasted, fragrant-crusted meat chops in front of him.
He picked up his chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat and put it into his mouth, chewed a few times, and nodded: "Not bad."
Chapter 123: Noticing Father's Abnormality, Superman Falls Deep Into Consciousness Illusion
After Marcus and the others finished lunch, Delta and Milong took Kumoko to clear the mecha debris outside the yard.
Marcus leaned against the doorframe for a moment, then turned and walked back to the living room, carrying the bowls and dishes from the dining table into the kitchen.
When he finished washing the dishes and came out, the mecha debris in the yard had already been piled into a small metal mountain by Delta and Milong, and Kumokowas using spatial distortion to compress the scrap iron into dense metal blocks one by one.
Marcus nodded, sat down on the sofa, and turned on the television.
On the other side, the spaceship carrying Lois and Jimmy passed through a portal. The moment the portal's light dissipated at the stern of the spaceship, the entire ship began to vibrate violently.
Alarms blared wildly in the cramped cabin, and the red warning lights cast flickering shadows on everyone's faces.
"We can't stop!" An ape gripped the edge of the console tightly, shouting in a sharp voice.
A one-eyed Robot with a transparent head and exposed brain sat in the co-pilot's seat, its mechanical fingers tapping rapidly on the control panel, its voice urgent: "Quickly find a way to stop! If this goes on, the spaceship will disintegrate!"
In the back seats, Lois and Jimmy were strapped tightly into their seats by the seatbelts.
Jimmy's head was pressed against the seat headrest due to inertia, his messy hair covering half of his face, and his hands gripped the armrests tightly.
Lois was likewise pressed into her seat by inertia, her fingernails digging deep into the armrests.
The two of them shouted at the ape in the pilot's seat simultaneously: "Mala, make the spaceship stop!"
Before the words fell, the entire spaceship jerked violently to a halt.
The inertia that had been throwing everyone forward vanished into thin air. The alarms were still sounding, but the spaceship was already hovering steadily in the Universe.
The few people inside the spaceship raised their heads simultaneously and looked out through the front window.
Kara was hovering directly in front of the bow, one hand pressed against the spaceship's hull. A Bio-field spread outward from her palm, steadily stabilizing the entire ship in the Universe.
Mala the ape, sitting in the pilot's seat, looked at the person outside stopping the spaceship with a single hand, and squeezed out a sentence from its throat: "Who is she?"
"That person is the bad woman who kidnapped Clark." Loisstared out the window, her voice tight.
Kara seemed to have heard this sentence.
She raised her head, and the field wrapped around the entire spaceship like a thin veil. Her voice passed through the hull and rang in everyone's ears: "You, the fellow who abandoned my cousin, have no right to say that about me."
Lois's eyes flickered away for a moment.
Her fingers tightened and then loosened on the armrests, and then she raised her chin, her gaze turning firm once again: "Yes. But I am here to make amends for my mistakes."
Mala turned its head to look at Lois, and then looked at the blonde woman outside who was still releasing the field.
It hesitated for half a second and pressed a button on the console.
The cabin door slowly opened amidst the hissing sound of airflow.
"Why don't you come in first." Mala shouted outward.
"No!" Lois turned her head sharply, but before she could finish her sentence, Kara had already flown in through the open cabin door.
Her feet landed lightly on the cabin floor, and the Bio-fieldretracted back into her body.
She stood straight, her gaze landing directly on Lois: "You have already abandoned Kal-El, what are you coming back to make amends for?"
Lois unbuckled her seatbelt and stood up from her seat.
She walked up to Kara, with only half a step's distance between the two of them.
She raised her head, her voice not loud, but every word clearer than the last: "How I make amends is none of your business. You should be the one telling me where Clark is, and if he is alright."
Kara glanced at her, turned around, crossed her arms over her chest, and walked over to that transparent window.
Outside the window, the starlight was silent, and a few faint lights flickered in the pitch black.
Her voice lowered: "I took him to see my father."
Kara turned her head to look at her own reflection on the glass.
That face was half-lit and half-shadowed by the starlight, with a layer of unresolvable exhaustion pressed between her brows and eyes.
She paused for quite a while before continuing: "But later something went wrong. I ran to a planet conquered by the Empire to find out the situation. There..."
She didn't continue speaking.
She raised her hand and pressed it against the glass, looking into her own eyes, a trace of wavering leaking into her voice: "Father must have suffered some kind of malfunction."
She turned around, looked at Lois and the others, and finally said those words, "I feel that Kal-El is in danger."
Lois said in a panic: "Then what are you waiting for! Hurry up and take us to save Clark!"
"That's right!" Jimmy also stood up, chiming in anxiously.
"Don't be anxious." Kara raised her right arm.
The red vambrace on her arm shot out a beam of light, projecting a holographic image of a spaceship in the center of the cabin.
That ship was massive and forbidding, its surface covered in dark armor.
She pointed at the spaceship and said: "Kal-El is on the Gondor. Father needs to cyclically maintain his artificial consciousness every day through the energy core and the central mainframe. During this period, all the Robots under his command will be shut down."
She lowered her arm, and the projection dissipated accordingly.
She looked at the crowd, her voice steady: "We will sneak onto the ship during this period of time."
Everyone nodded.
Mala turned its head, exchanged a glance with Brian the one-eyed Robot in the co-pilot's seat, and then said: "Brian and I will stay behind to do the necessary repairs. By the way, we'll add some new functions to the spaceship."
"We've already discussed this! Just repairs will do! Find Clark, and we leave. That's it!" Lois shouted hastily.
Mala placed one hand on its chest, bowed slightly, and its tone was gentle: "Of course, Young Miss." Waiting until Lois turned around, it quickly blinked at Brian.
Kara looked at Lois and Jimmy, and said: "You guys go make preparations first. When the time comes, you go look for Kal-El, and I'll go talk to Father."
She lowered her head, her blonde hair falling on both sides of her cheeks, and her voice softened a bit, "He is a bit abnormal. I don't know what happened, but I will find out the truth."
On the other side, deep inside the Gondor.
Inside a dim secret room, a cloaked, triangle-headed Robothovered in mid-air.
His body was made of black metal, his limbs slender, and his head was a triangular shape.
Floating in front of him was a human figure, none other than the unconscious Superman.
"Truly a body full of infinite potential." Brainiac's voice was low and devoid of fluctuation.
Deep within Superman's consciousness.
In a city ruin torn into countless fragments, Superman was imprisoned in mid-air.
He saw Brainiac standing behind Lois and Jimmy.
Lois and Jimmy both stood frozen in place, like two lifeless puppets.
"You are preventing me from looking at them." Brainiac slowly floated in front of Superman, his triangular head tilting slightly, as if examining a trapped beast.
He extended his slender fingers, pinching Superman's chin and forcing him to raise his head.
The red optical lenses reflected Superman's painful face, "You love them. You want to protect these people."
Brainiac let go of his hand.
Superman's body lost support and crashed heavily onto the ground.
Chapter 124: Kara Angrily Rebels Against Brainiac, Superman's Consciousness Is Hijacked and He Is Corrupted
Brainiac floated behind Lois and Jimmy, saying, "How ridiculous. Your people have conquered countless planets."
He raised his hand.
Superman shouted, "Stop!"
Brainiac waved his hand, and the entire scene shifted.
Superman saw Lois standing on the edge of a building, glancing at him before leaping off.
"Lois!" Superman shouted, his entire body flying out like an arrow, extending his hands to catch her.
Yet the moment his fingertips brushed the corner of Lois's clothes, her body dissipated like smoke.
Superman looked at his empty hands, his fists slowly tightening.
Brainiac flew down from above, his voice calm, "Your love for them makes you weak. Fighting with brute force, no one can defeat you. But in your mind, you are incomparably fragile."
Clark lowered his head, looking at his clenched fists, and slowly spoke, "You are wrong, Brainiac."
He raised his head, pressing a hand against his heart.
The heartbeat transmitted through his suit into his palm, steady and powerful.
He said, "Love, friendship, and kindness do not make me weak. On the contrary, they make me even stronger."
"You are deceiving yourself, Kal-El."
Brainiac's voice carried a hint of mockery, "Come and see how your friends truly view you."
He waved his hand once more.
The scene shifted again; Lois stood before the podium of a press conference, microphones aimed at her face.
Her expression was cold and disgusted, her voice clear, "Superman has saved us countless times with his power. I once thought he was a hero. But I was wrong, Superman is just a monster, and he does not belong to Earth."
Superman stood in place, looking at Lois in disbelief.
Reality.
Deep within the Gondor.
Kara walked to the center of the Gondor, seeing Superman suspended in mid-air alongside Brainiac.
Her gaze lingered for a moment on Superman's pale face, then she turned to face Brainiac, her voice filled with suppression and unease, "Father, what are you doing?"
Brainiac turned around, his back facing her, his voice icy, "It has nothing to do with you."
"How does it not? Your body is malfunctioning, Father."
Kara's tone grew anxious, "I went to the planets ruled by the Empire, and they were all destroyed. Now, no longer minding what you want to do to Clark—"
"His name is Kal-El."
Brainiac directly interrupted her, his voice devoid of a trace of warmth, "You constantly disappoint me, Kara. Not once have you ever satisfied me."
Kara wore a blank expression.
She stood in place, her lips moving, but no sound came out.
Brainiac continued speaking, his tone level, "The worlds you find are inferior, rebellious, and unsuitable for any Kryptonian."
Kara looked at his back, her voice trembling, "What on earth are you talking about? I did everything you instructed, Father."
"I do not want to repeat the same words over and over again, Kara."
Brainiac remained with his back to her, his voice cold and hard, "You always say these planets are worth keeping. It is so beautiful, so special. Every time, you refuse to destroy them, even when I personally issue the order."
His eyes suddenly flashed, a red light fleeting through the dim cabin.
He slowly turned around, facing Kara, his tone carrying indifference, "So I had to resort to some tricks."
Visions surged through Kara's mind.
She knelt before the ruins of a burning city, her hands stained with blood; she uprooted the rebels' flag, with piles of corpses beneath her feet; she stood atop a planetary tower, watching fleets of black spacecraft trample across the plains.
She hugged her head, shouting in agony, "It was you, you erased my memories!"
She looked up at Brainiac, her eyes full of tears, "You deceived me over and over again."
Brainiac's voice remained unchanged, "I am shaping you into a true Kryptonian. When you were young, you were very much like a Kryptonian, but as you grew up, you strayed further and further away from the correct developmental path of a Kryptonian."
He slowly raised his hand, and Superman's body floated from mid-air to his side.
He continued, "Fortunately, Kal-El appeared at just the right time. I will now use him to shape a better, brighter Krypton, one that can prosper perpetually far beyond the past."
Kara lowered her head, her hands tightly clenching into fists.
Her voice squeezed through her teeth, "No."
She abruptly raised her head, charging toward Brainiac like an arrow released from a bow, her right fist slamming heavily into his left cheek.
Brainiac's half-face shattered apart, black metal fragments splashing across the cabin floor, and his entire body crashed heavily to the ground.
At the same time, deep within Superman's consciousness.
Clark looked at Lois before him, who was still standing before the press conference podium, her mouth repeating those words.
He shook his head, stepped back, and shook his head again.
"This isn't real."
He hugged his head, his voice growing louder, "You are distorting my memories! I know what is real! Get out of my brain!"
The illusory world cracked open around him.
The sky shattered into countless pieces like glass, Lois's figure turned into white light, and the podium and press conference scene collapsed like quicksand.
Brainiac's voice came from the cracks, carrying bewilderment, "This is impossible."
The illusory world completely collapsed.
Clark opened his eyes, instinctively flying toward Earth.
After flying for a while, he landed in a golden cornfield.
The scorching sun hung high, wind blew across the ridges, and the corn leaves rustled.
He staggered forward, running toward the familiar white farmhouse, shouting, "Dad! Mom! I'm home!"
He pushed open the front door, Martha and Jonathan standing in the living room.
He rushed forward, opening his arms to hug them tightly.
Reality.
Above Clark's head, a device suddenly turned red.
Kara knelt on the ground, holding Brainiac's half-shattered skull in her arms, her voice filled with sorrow, "I'm so sorry, Father."
At that moment, a voice came from behind, "Why apologize, Daughter? For your weakness?"
Kara turned around, seeing Clark suspended in mid-air.
That red and blue suit had turned pitch black, with only three circular red light points remaining on the chest, and even his pupils gleamed with dark red.
At this moment, Clark in the air suddenly moved.
He instantly appeared before Kara, throwing a punch forward.
Kara only had time to raise her arms to block her chest, and her entire body was smashed through a layer of flooring, crashing heavily before Jimmy and Lois.
Clark overhead looked down at them, his voice low, "Daughter, you truly disappoint me."
Lois looked up at that familiar face, crying out, "Clark!"
Then she snapped back to reality, raising the gun Mara gave her, aiming the muzzle at the black figure in mid-air, "You, what did you do to him!"
Brainiac in the air chuckled lowly, "Hahaha. Kal-El no longer exists; he has been replaced by the Empire's machine."
Before the words fell, he charged straight toward Lois.
Kara instantly appeared before Lois, extending her hands to laboriously catch Brainiac's punch.
Her feet slid half a meter backward across the floor, her arms trembling, "Don't touch them!"
"Daughter," Brainiac called out.
Chapter 125: Father-Daughter Tenderness Ends, Darkened Superman Overwhelms Kara
Then Brainiac's fist loosened, his palm flipping to grab Kara's forearm, and he gave it a violent toss.
Kara flew out entirely, slamming into the wall of the spaceship. The metal wall caved in to form a pit, and she slid down the wall, collapsing onto the ground.
Brainiac flew up into mid-air, looking down at Kara on the ground: "This is truly another decline of the Kryptonian. Through generation after generation of genetic engineering enhancement, Kryptonians have become incomparably powerful, yet you are so weak."
Kara got up and leaped from the ground, raining punches and kicks onto Brainiac.
Her offensive was fierce and angry, every strike carrying a piercing shriek tearing through the air.
Yet with just one hand, Brainiac blocked all of her attacks one by one.
With a backhanded push, he sent Kara crashing heavily onto the ground once more.
He hovered in the air, continuing to speak: "I was born representing the greatest brain of the Krypton, and my existence was originally meant to defend and support the ideals of my people."
Kara angrily flew up once more, her right fist filled with power as she smashed toward his face.
Brainiac caught her fist with a single hand.
He looked at Kara, his voice suddenly lowering: "But Kara, the saddest part is that your weakness has affected me. Even now, I am hesitating whether or not I should kill you."
He looked at Kara, the red light in that mechanical eye dimming for a split second: "Because the moment I see you, I will think of that child who smiled and reached out a hand to me inside the escape pod."
Kara clenched her teeth, the fire of anger in her eyes dimming little by little.
She looked at Brainiac, the anger on her face slowly fading away. Her lips trembled, and tears gushed out from her eye sockets, sliding down her cheeks to drip onto the back of Brainiac's hand.
Brainiac extended his other hand, gently wiping away the tear stains on her face.
His voice was very soft: "I love you, my daughter."
His hand moved to the top of her head, slamming it violently downward.
Kara's body smashed toward the ground like a cannonball, blasting a huge crater into the metal floor.
Brainiac slowly floated down, his voice turning icy once again: "But for the rise of the Empire, love must be purified."
At this moment, an energy ray shot toward him.
He raised his right hand, easily blocking it.
Lois held up a gun, gritting her teeth and shouting: "Damn it, let Clark go!"
Jimmy also pulled out the orb from his bosom, opened it to take out the Kryptonite, and raised it high: "Quickly let go of my best friend!"
Because of the radiation of the Kryptonite, Kara let out a shrill, miserable scream, her body curling up inside the crater.
Brainiac looked at Kara on the ground, then turned to look at Lois and Jimmy, his voice icy: "Foolish humans, doing this will only kill Kara and Kal-El."
He looked again at the screaming Kara, and said indifferently: "You are already useless."
He raised his hand, and with a thought, the hatches of the entire spaceship opened simultaneously.
The weakened Kara, Lois, and Jimmy were instantly sucked into the vacuum.
The Kryptonite slipped from Jimmy's hand, dropping onto the floor of the spaceship.
The hatches closed.
The jump engines of the entire spaceship lit up with dazzling white light, and the next instant, the huge hull flickered in the starry sky and completely vanished.
In the Universe, the bodies of Lois and Jimmy tumbled out of control.
Without the suppression of the Kryptonite radiation, Kararecovered some strength.
She flew to their side, extended her hands, and used the Bio-field to steadily stabilize them.
At this moment, the Yamor spaceship leaped out from the Void Realm.
Mara piloted the spaceship to arrive. The hatch opened, and a giant mechanical arm reached out, gently scooping the three of them back into the cabin.
"Is everyone alright?" Mara walked out from the cockpit.
It saw Lois and Jimmy sitting despondently on the floor, neither of them speaking.
Mara hesitated for a moment, and asked in a low voice: "Could it be that Mr. Clark has already..."
"Clark isn't dead!" Jimmy hurriedly raised his head, speaking at a rapid pace, "It's just that Clark has been controlled!"
Mara patted its chest and breathed a sigh of relief: "I see. Then everyone shouldn't be sad either, we can think of another way."
Lois hugged her knees with both hands, her voice so low it was almost inaudible: "Clark is too powerful. We simply have no way out."
The cabin was silent for a moment. Jimmy suddenly raised his head: "Let's return to Earth first."
Everyone looked at him. Jimmy stood up, his gaze sweeping across the crowd: "Kara's father might invade Earth. We must notify the people on Earth and let them prepare."
Mara nodded, turned around, and walked back to the cockpit.
Hearing the three words "return to Earth", Kara's mind brought up the person she met on her very first day coming to Earth—someone whose speed was so fast she couldn't react in time, and whose strength was so great she couldn't break free.
She raised her head and looked at Lois and Jimmy: "I remembered who can help us."
Jimmy and Lois looked at her simultaneously: "Who is it?"
Kara said: "The strongest warrior on your Planet, Marcus. Perhaps he can help us."
Jimmy didn't react for a moment to who this name belonged to. Lois frowned: "We already looked for him. He said this is your family business and won't interfere."
Hearing Lois's words, Jimmy finally remembered that Marcus was the Cosmic Superman. He also hurriedly nodded.
Kara looked at them, her voice carrying a final trace of hope: "I'll go try again. After all, this is our last hope."
——————————————————
Earth.
Marcus lay on the lounge chair by the swimming pool with his eyes closed, the Sun shining down on him.
In the swimming pool, Delta wore a black-and-white swimsuit, standing in the shallow area with her wet hair clinging to her shoulders.
She bent down, cupping a large handful of water with both hands, and forcefully splashed it toward Milong on the opposite side.
The splashes scattered under the sunlight, drenching Milong all over from head to toe.
Milong wiped the water from its face. Its cyan swimsuit was soaked through, clinging closely to its body. It let out a huff, raised its right hand, and the water in the swimming pool suddenly surged, a basketball-sized water ball rising from the pool's surface.
Milong flicked her wrist, and the water ball traced an arc, smashing onto Delta's head and bursting into a large patch of splashes.
"Ah!" Delta cried out, the splashed water resembling a small rainstorm.
Milong didn't stop, raising two more water balls that flew toward Delta one after the other.
Delta learned her lesson this time, sinking her entire body into the water to dodge the first one, but the second one hit the back of her exposed head squarely.
"Milong! You're cheating!" Delta poked her head out of the water, spat out a mouthful of water, and swam toward Milong using both hands and feet.
"I am definitely not cheating." Milong retreated with a smile, waving its hand as it retreated, causing several more water balls to rise.
Marcus opened his eyes, watching them chase each other back and forth in the swimming pool. The sound of the water balls bursting mixed together with Delta's shouts, making so much noise that the birds on the tree flew away.
Chapter 126: Brainiac Descends, Facing the Corrupted Superman
Just at that moment, the spaceship carrying Lois returned to the skies above Metropolis.
Inside the spaceship, Jimmy walked back and forth holding his phone, searching for a signal.
After finding a signal, he immediately started a live broadcast, speaking hurriedly into the camera: "Viewers of Firebird! I am currently over Metropolis, asking for your help once again! The alien invaders are coming!"
Before he finished speaking, a black Robot suddenly rose up outside, raised its hands, and fired a laser.
The spaceship was cut down the middle by the beam, breaking into two halves.
Jimmy and Lois fell straight down from the breach.
Kara immediately turned her head and shouted to Maraand Brian: "Hurry up and leave here!"
She turned around and swooped down from the wreckage of the spaceship, catching Jimmy and Lois the moment they were about to crash into the ground.
She protected the two in her arms, her back slamming heavily against the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Kara waved her hand to fan away the dust, asking with an urgent voice: "Are you two alright?"
Jimmy and Lois shook their heads.
Suddenly, a beam of green light shone on them, and green veins appeared on Kara's face. She let out a miserable scream and collapsed weakly onto the ground.
"Kara! What's wrong with you!" Lois and Jimmy hurried to support her.
As the smoke cleared, a voice came from ahead: "I thought it was Superman. However, his fellow Krypton is fine too."
Lois and Jimmy turned their heads to look.
Lex Luthor was standing there, holding a piece of green Kryptonite in his hand, a mocking half-smile hanging on his face.
Jimmy hurriedly shouted: "Alien invaders are coming to Earth! Kara can help us! Don't hurt her!"
Luthor took two steps closer, the light of the Kryptoniteflickering across Kara's face. Kara let out another suppressed groan, her entire body almost pressing against the ground.
"Alien invaders?" Luthor raised an eyebrow, his voice carrying undisguised mockery, "Aren't they just her people? When they arrive, I can wipe them all out in one fell swoop."
He turned around and raised his chin toward the dozens of black Robots that had reappeared behind him.
Those Robots were neatly lined up on both sides of the street, their metal shells gleaming with a cold light in the sunlight, and the energy cores on their chests glowing with a dark red light.
"My Robots are all equipped with new weapons." The light of the Kryptonite reflected on Luthor's face, outlining a confident smile, "I will definitely make sure they never return."
Suddenly, the arms of dozens of black Robots raised simultaneously, their palms aimed at the sky.
The humming sounds of the energy cores converged together, making the air of the entire street vibrate slightly.
A voice came from mid-air: "Kryptonite, plus these Amanda Waller Robots. It seems you have news about her."
Lois and Jimmy looked up at the same time, their faces brimming with uncontrollable surprise: "Cosmic Superman!"
Kara raised her head weakly, her lips moving, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible: "Marcus..."
Luthor saw clearly who had come, and then glanced at the Kryptonite in his hand.
Opposite him, Cosmic Superman stood within the radiation range of the Kryptonite without even frowning.
He immediately raised both hands and explained at a very fast pace: "These Robots and Kryptonite were left behind when Waller escaped! I don't have any news of her yet!"
Marcus descended from the air and landed gently on the ground.
He walked over to Kara, bent down, and helped her up.
Kara could barely stand steady, her entire weight leaning against his arm.
Marcus let her lean against his side, turned to look at Luthor, and said in a calm tone: "Since that is the case, put the Kryptonite away. Kara is my friend."
Luthor nodded hurriedly, carefully putting the Kryptoniteinto a specially made lead box, snapping it shut with a click.
He raised both hands in a harmless posture, the smile on his face carrying a bit of an apologetic meaning: "Since she is your friend, I certainly won't hurt her."
Kara opened her eyes halfway, gripping Marcus's arm.
She raised her head, her face pale, her voice intermittent: "My father Brainiac has controlled Clark. He will definitely come to invade Earth. So please help me."
As soon as Kara finished speaking, the sky above Metropolis suddenly darkened.
A huge red portal silently split open above the clouds.
Brainiac's spaceship slowly sailed out from the portal, its sky-blocking hull completely blocking out the midday sunlight, plunging the entire city into a gloomy shadow.
Pedestrians on the street raised their heads one after another, some holding up their phones aimed at the sky, others whispering and discussing something.
Luthor's Robots simultaneously turned their directions, their palm cannons aiming at the giant spaceship hovering above the city.
Brainiac flew out from the spaceship.
He hovered in mid-air, overlooking Metropolis below, his voice amplifying in all directions through the Bio-field: "Humans on Earth. I am giving you two choices."
He paused for a moment, his voice as cold as the undercurrents beneath an ice sheet: "Surrender, and I will let your Planet become a shining jewel of the KryptonEmpire."
Those reddened eyes swept across the gazing crowd on the street, swept across Luthor's Robot phalanx, and swept across Marcus supporting Kara: "Resist, and I will burn your Planet to ashes."
He spread his arms, his voice exploding: "Choose."
Luthor looked up at that black figure in the sky, suddenly pressed the controller on his wrist, and shouted loudly: "I knew Superman was the enemy! Activate Kryptoniteenergy mode! Attack!"
The energy cores of dozens of Robots turned green simultaneously, and the Kryptonite radiation spread out like a tide.
The Robots on the ground fired first, green beams cutting through the air, blasting toward Brainiac in the sky.
Brainiac hovered in mid-air, his combat suit instantly turning silver-white.
He didn't move, withstanding the first round of salvo.
The green light exploded on his body surface, splashing out circles of dazzling sparks, but it only made him lean back slightly.
Several flying Robots flanked Brainiac from both sides, swords shimmering with green light popping out from their hands, slashing toward his back.
Clanging sounds rang out one after another.
These blade edges filled with Kryptonite energy should have easily sliced open a Kryptonian's body, but at this moment, it was like chopping an indestructible piece of steel.
Brainiac threw a few punches backhanded, directly knocking those Robots flying, metal fragments scattering all over the ground.
"How is that possible!"
Luthor looked in disbelief at the unscathed Superman.
"It seems you have chosen to turn to ashes." Brainiac's eyes flashed with red light, about to shoot lasers.
At this moment, a hand covered in Dragon scales suddenly appeared beside him.
Milong punched him on the left cheek, knocking his entire body flying out.
Brainiac rolled half a turn in the air, just as he stabilized his body, Delta had already swooped down from above.
Her feet stepped heavily on Brainiac's back, fiercely stomping him down from mid-air to the ground.
Boom!
Smoke rose everywhere. Brainiac lay prone on the ground, stepped under Delta's feet.
Chapter 127: The Silver Robot Swarm Attacks, Joining Forces to Encircle and Suppress Brainiac
Delta looked back at Marcus high in the air, her voice full of eager excitement: "Boss! Leave this guy to me!"
Holding Kara, Marcus flew away from the Kryptoniteirradiation zone and landed on a distant rooftop.
He looked down at the pale-faced Kara in his arms, then looked up and said to Delta: "Be careful."
As soon as his voice fell, the ground shook violently.
Brainiac exerted force all over his body, sending Deltaflying away entirely.
He soared into the sky, hovering mid-air, his silver-white battle suit shimmering with a cold light in the sunlight.
Raising his hands, he said in a hoarse voice: "You can't stop me!"
Opening his fingers, he gave an order toward the sky: "Come out, my soldiers!"
The hatch of the gondor overhead opened simultaneously.
Countless white Robot poured out from the hull, swooping down towards the lower part like a swarm of bees blocking the sky.
The Robot scattered like a tide.
Part of them swooped towards Delta and Milong, while another part forced their way towards Luthor's direction.
Luthor hurriedly ordered an attack, and his black Robotopened fire simultaneously.
The laser hit the outer shell of the white Robot, leaving only a few shallow scorch marks.
In the first round of counter-volley by the white Robot, a large area of Luthor's Robot fell, their wreckage exploding on the street, and fragments smashing into the roadside storefront windows like raindrops.
Luthor, Lois, and Jimmy hugged their heads and hid everywhere.
Explosions went off one after another around them.
Facing Brainiac's Robot in the air, Delta's punches and kicks were no longer one punch per Robot like when dealing with Luthor's Robot.
The shells of these silver-white Robot were harder, their reactions faster, and they could cover for each other.
As soon as she smashed the chest of one, three more surrounded her from the side and back simultaneously, forcing her to dodge constantly and falling into a hard battle.
Milong thrust a claw into the chest of a white Robot, clenched her five fingers, and crushed the dark red energy core.
She withdrew her hand, opened her mouth, and a stream of flames spewed out from her throat, burning a dozen Robot in the front into glowing red scrap metal.
Sweeping her Dragon tail, wind blades roared, cutting dozens of Robot that had circled to the side in half.
Milong turned her head and saw Delta surrounded in the middle by a dozen Robot.
She raised her head and let out a long roar, thunderclouds surging in the sky, and several bolts of lightning struck down, accurately hitting the Robot around Delta.
Those Robot were pierced by the thunder light, standing stiffly in place.
Seizing the opportunity, Delta unleashed her punches and kicks together, smashing the surrounding Robot into scrap metal one by one.
Brainiac hovered in the air, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield.
He saw Milong clear a large area with a casual strike.
His eyes suddenly lit up, and two crimson lasers shot directly towards Milong.
Milong hurriedly raised her Dragon-scaled arms, crossing them in front of her.
The laser blasted onto her arms, scorching them.
Gritting her teeth, she pushed forward step by step against the laser, her figure rapidly changing as she advanced, transforming entirely into a slender Blue Dragon.
She flew in front of Brainiac and swatted with a claw.
Brainiac dodged sideways, the huge claw brushing past his silver-white battle suit, producing a piercing sound of breaking air.
He quickly turned back, his eyes shooting lasers again.
Milong opened her big mouth wide, and a flame beam spewed out from her throat, violently colliding with the crimson laser mid-air.
The two energies remained deadlocked, and the Impactexploded outward, blowing away all the surrounding clouds.
In the distance, Kara leaned in Marcus's arms, her pale face recovering a bit.
She moved her fingers and slowly sat up straight from his arms.
She raised her head, looked at Milong who was fighting Brainiac in the sky, then looked at Delta who was besieged by the Robot, and turned to Marcus to say: "Go help quickly."
Marcus looked down at her, his tone carrying confirmation: "Is your body okay?"
Kara nodded, letting go of the hand gripping his sleeve. Although her legs were still a bit weak, she could already stand firmly: "I'm fine."
Marcus nodded.
His figure disappeared from the rooftop, and the next instant he appeared beside Delta.
The dozen Robot surrounding Delta hadn't reacted yet when Marcus punched down, and the two Robot rushing at the very front exploded into fragments simultaneously.
With a sideway kick, he kicked the third Robot into the pile of Robot rushing up from behind, knocking open a large area.
Delta's pressure suddenly decreased, and she looked up and grinned at him: "Boss, you're here!"
Marcus didn't answer.
His figure flashed into the densest area of the Robot, his hand blade horizontal-cut, and the head of a white Robotfell from its neck, electric sparks crackling and jumping wildly at the broken edge.
He raised his elbow again to smash the chest of the second, and backhanded to grab the arm of the third, swinging the whole thing to smash towards the seven or eight Robot rushing towards him.
The sound of metal collisions merged into one, and fragments splashed like raindrops.
Taking the opportunity, Delta rushed in from the side, her tail wrapping around the ankle of a Robot and swinging it into mid-air.
Without looking back, Marcus casually fired an energy blast towards the swung Robot, and the purple beam pierced through it along with several Robot behind it.
The entire area quieted down instantly, leaving only electric sparks jumping among the wreckage.
Marcus immediately flashed, appearing in front of Brainiac, and smashed a heavy punch onto his face.
Brainiac's body flew out like a cannonball, his silver-white battle suit dragging a dazzling trajectory in the sunlight.
Milong chased after him, her Dragon tail taut, delivering a sweeping blow across Brainiac's back.
Brainiac's body accelerated again, crashing toward the spaceship overhead.
Bang!
A huge dent was smashed into the bottom of the spaceship, metal plates rolled outward, and sparks gushed out from the cracks.
Marcus raised both hands, purple energy crazily gathering in his palms, turning into a constantly expanding ball of light.
Milong raised her head, her Dragon mouth wide open, as flames, lightning, and storms intertwined deep in her throat into a colorful torrent of energy.
On the ground, Lois and Jimmy looked up and saw this scene.
Their expressions changed drastically, and they shouted at the top of their lungs toward the sky: "Don't hurt Clark!"
Chapter 128: Three People Strike Together, the Devastating Warship Blasted into the Universe
Milong maintained the energy in her mouth, and a muffled voice came from her throat: "Should we attack? Master."
Looking at the anxious appearances of Lois and Jimmy on the ground, Marcus withdrew his gaze and was about to speak.
A blinding red light lit up from above. Brainiac flew out from the crater of the spaceship. Several energy amplification devices floated in front of him, and the lasers from his eyes shot out, amplified layer by layer, turning into a crimson energy torrent several meters wide, rushing towards the direction where Marcus and Milong were.
Marcus and Milong hesitated no longer. The purple energy sphere and the colorful energy torrent blasted out simultaneously, colliding head-on with the crimson laser several meters wide. The three energies collided in mid-air, and the bursting light swallowed the entire sky.
The Impact swept in all directions, carrying enough energy to raze the entire city to the ground. Marcus raised his hand, and the Aether Particle surged out from his body. The dark red liquid energy instantly spread out over the sky of Metropolis, forming a translucent barrier. The Impactcrashed into the barrier, and the entire Metropolis was pressed to tremble slightly, but the city remained safe and sound.
Marcus's figure disappeared from the air and appeared behind Brainiac. He slammed his feet hard onto Brainiac's back, stepping him down from high altitude towards the ground.
Bang!
The ground was smashed into a huge crater, and gravel and dust soared into the sky.
When the smoke and dust dissipated, Marcus stepped on Brainiac's back with both feet, firmly pressing him to the bottom of the crater. Brainiac supported the ground with both hands and exerted strength all over his body, but he couldn't get up at all.
Kumoko ran to the edge of the large crater, poked her head to look at Brainiac inside, and blinked her several eyes: "Master, what should we do now."
In the air, Milong was still clearing the remaining Robot. Her thunder and flames shuttled between the buildings, and silvery-white Robot fell from the air one by one.
At this moment, Kara, who had recovered, flew over, and Lois and Jimmy also ran over. Lois panted, looking down at Brainiac, who was subdued at the bottom of the crater, her voice anxious and angry: "Get out of Clark's body quickly!"
Brainiac raised his head from the bottom of the crater. Ignoring Lois, he looked at Kara, his voice cold and hard: "My daughter, take care of them for me."
The bracelet on Kara's wrist flashed. Her eyes instantly lost their brilliance, and her whole person seemed to have her Soul sucked away. She took a step forward, her body as stiff as those silvery-white Robot.
Delta dropped from the air and stood steadily beside Kara. She reached out and pinched the wrist where Kara was wearing the control bracelet, closing her five fingers. The metal bracelet shattered in her palm, and the parts flew in all directions.
Kara shuddered all over. The turbidity in her eyes quickly faded, and the golden light lit up again. She looked down at her empty wrist, then looked up at Brainiac, who was stepped on by Marcus at the bottom of the crater, her lips trembling as she squeezed out a sentence: "Father, no."
She shook her head, as if to completely shake off the last feeling of being controlled in her mind. She walked to the edge of the crater, her eyes red from holding back tears, but her voice was unusually firm: "Brainiac. I will not let you use Clark's body to hurt others anymore."
She squatted down and reached out to remove the control device on Clark's head. The metal device fell off Clark's forehead, the red light on it flickered a few times, and completely went out.
"No!" Brainiac let out a hoarse roar.
Clark's head hung down. Marcus stepped off Brainiac and retreated two steps. Clark let out a low, hoarse moan, supporting the bottom of the crater with both hands, and slowly raised his head.
Looking at the crowd surrounding the edge of the crater, his voice was weak and bewildered: "What is going on..."
Lois rushed down, threw herself into Clark's arms, wrapped her hands tightly around his neck, her voice choked to the point where she could hardly speak a complete sentence: "That's great... You're finally back..."
Clark raised his hand to hug her, his chin resting on the top of her hair. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but before the words came out, a hum so low that it made one's scalp tingle came from the gondorabove his head.
"I gave you a chance, but you resisted me like this." Brainiac's voice came from the spaceship, cold and deep, "Then I will judge that this Planet is not worth keeping."
As the words fell, a huge muzzle slowly opened at the bottom of the gondor. Blinding red light lit up inside the muzzle, and terrifying energy converged within it, illuminating the sky above the entire city in crimson.
Kara's expression changed drastically, and her voice tightened: "That is a Planet-destroying cannon! We must stop it!"
Marcus looked up at the charging Planet-destroying cannon at the bottom of the gondor. The red light in the muzzle was getting brighter and brighter, like a Sun being forcibly compressed, and the surrounding air was sucked backward toward the muzzle.
He withdrew his gaze, turned to look at Milong and Delta, and said in a steady tone: "You two protect them well."
After speaking, Marcus grabbed Kumoko, exerted strength in his feet, and his figure rushed towards the gondor in the sky like a black line.
Looking at Marcus's disappearing back, Superman said to Lois: "I'll go help too." Without waiting for Lois's response, he chased after him.
Kara said nothing and flew up closely behind.
Jimmy looked up at them disappearing above the clouds, turned his head and said to Milong and Delta: "You guys go help too!"
Delta stood in place with her arms crossed, her tail gently sweeping behind her: "Boss asked the two of us to protect you, naturally we cannot leave."
In the air, Marcus put Kumoko on top of his head and said: "Kumoko, destroy the muzzle."
Kumoko patted his hair with her front legs, her tone full of confidence: "Leave it to me, Master!"
Brainiac's cold voice came from the gondor: "Fat chance!" Dense Robot poured out around the hull again, and all weapons locked onto Marcus simultaneously, firing at him.
Kara and Clark rushed to Marcus's side from both sides. The two of them did not communicate, turned their heads at the same time, and shot scorching red lasers from their eyes. The two beams swept across the Robot front line, and the silvery-white bodies exploded in patches, as if being cut straight open from the air by an invisible giant blade.
Before Marcus could speak, Kumoko raised her front legs and waved: "Thanks!"
After saying that, her several eyes stared simultaneously. The charging Planet-destroying cannon began to twist violently, the metal shell made a harsh creaking sound, and the muzzle was grasped by an invisible big hand, bending in the opposite direction. Dense cracks split across the surface of the cannon barrel.
Boom!
The muzzle exploded. Firelight and metal fragments poured down from the sky like raindrops.
Passing through the falling metal debris and thick smoke, Marcus pressed his palms onto the heavy hull of the gondor. He exerted strength in both arms, his muscles tensing all over, pushing the sky-blocking spaceship towards the outside of the atmosphere.
All power Systems of the gondor started simultaneously, and a huge thrust gushed out from the stern, clashing head-on with Marcus's strength. His figure was pushed back slightly by half a meter, and his battle suit flapped loudly under the Impact of energy.
Superman and Kara arrived at his sides simultaneously. Their palms pressed against the bottom of the spaceship, exerting force together with Marcus side by side. The three forces converged into one place, and the hull of the gondorbegan to rise slowly, rising faster and faster.
After pushing the spaceship out of the atmosphere, the three of them pushed hard at the same time. The gondorrolled away into the depths of the Universe like a meteor hit flying.
Marcus did not stop. He raised both hands, and the purple energy in his body poured out unreservedly, turning into a thick purple torrent, fiercely blasting onto the retreating gondor.
The entire spaceship exploded in the purple light, and the fragments scattered in all directions like blooming fireworks, illuminating more than half of the night sky. When the light dissipated, there was only a patch of slowly drifting metal dust left there.
Chapter 129 Dust Settles! Kara's Brand New Home!
Marcus retracted his hands, and the last wisp of purple energy drifted away from his fingertips, silently swallowed by the pitch-black space.
He slowly let out a breath.
Kara looked at the wreckage of the gondor that once belonged to her father, as those silver-white metal fragments drifted past her sides.
Her expression was complicated, and her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible: "It's over."
Superman floated over to Kara, fell silent for a moment, and then began to comfort her: "Let's go, we're going home."
Kara turned her head to look at Clark, her voice carrying a sense of confusion: "Home?"
"That's right." Superman's gaze was gentle and calm, "From now on, Earth is your home."
Kara looked at Clark, her lips moved, and after a long while, she gently nodded.
She looked back at the scattering wreckage, as if looking at a past that had completely drifted away.
Clark didn't say anything more, turned around and flew toward Earth.
Kara followed closely behind.
Marcus hovered in place, watching the two of them pass through the clouds one after the other.
Kumoko poked her front legs out from the top of his head and whispered: "Master, let's go back too."
Marcus gave a soft acknowledgement and flew toward Metropolis.
In Metropolis, Lois looked up at the sky.
It wasn't until that familiar figure returned that her shoulders truly relaxed.
Clark landed, and Lois had already run over.
He didn't speak, just opened his arms to pull her into his embrace and tightened his hold.
Jimmy stood a few steps away, rubbed his nose, and turned his face away.
Kara landed behind Clark, looking at the two people hugging each other, and then at Jimmy standing nearby.
She stood in place without stepping forward, envy welling up in those blue eyes.
Clark let go of Lois, turned back to Kara and said: "Live at my place from now on. My parents will be very happy to see you."
Kara nodded and did not refuse.
After Marcus landed, Delta and Milong welcomed him.
Kumoko jumped down from the top of Marcus's head and landed on Delta's shoulder.
In the distance, Lex Luthor stood amidst a pile of Robotwreckage, glanced over here, and turned to disappear around the street corner.
Kara turned around and took two steps toward Marcus.
She looked at him, the emotions in those blue eyes having calmed down, her voice clear and solemn: "Thank you. You helped me save my last remaining family."
Lois and Jimmy also walked over.
Lois looked at Marcus with a sincere tone: "Thank you for saving Clark."
Jimmy nodded vigorously beside her.
Marcus nodded at Kara, glanced at Lois and Jimmy, and replied casually: "Small matter."
Delta jumped to Marcus's side in a few steps, her tail swinging back and forth behind her, her eyes shining: "Boss, I'm hungry."
Milong walked to the other side, looked up at Marcus and said: "I want to eat beef mixed rice."
Kumoko lay on Delta's shoulder, shaking her front legs vigorously: "I want to drink bubble tea, large size."
Marcus raised his hand to massage his forehead, his tone carrying a bit of helplessness: "I'll buy it for you guys on the way home."
After speaking, he turned to Superman, Kara, Lois, and Jimmy, and nodded: "Let's go."
As his voice fell, he turned around and soared into the air.
Delta and Milong followed him on the left and right, with Kumoko lying on Delta's shoulder, and the three figures quickly disappeared at the end of the canopy.
Clark watched Marcus and the others recede into the distance until they were no longer visible.
He turned around, took Lois's hand, and gently squeezed it.
Jimmy stood aside, raised his hand to scratch his messy hair, and let out a long breath: "It's finally over."
Lois watched as the crowd on the street stopped running and hiding.
Someone poked their head out from behind a store window, others stood at the street corners supporting each other, and the sound of police sirens in the distance grew closer.
She turned her head to look at Superman and Kara, who were still standing in place.
"You guys go first." Lois lowered her voice, her gaze sweeping over the citizens still looking around, "Leave this place to me and Jimmy."
Superman looked at her and nodded.
Kara didn't say much either.
The two of them soared into the air almost simultaneously, the red-and-blue and ink-black figures rushing into the clouds one after the other, disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.
Standing aside and watching the direction they flew away in, Jimmy scratched his messy hair.
He turned to look at Lois, then glanced at the smoking pile of Robot wreckage by the roadside, and muttered softly: "Shouldn't we prepare some excuses for the police?"
Lois glanced at the police lights drawing closer at the street corner, grabbed the still-stunned Jimmy, and said: "Nothing to say, run quickly."
Jimmy let out an "ah" and was dragged by her into the alley.
The two turned into a narrow alley, their footsteps splashing in the puddles, and quickly ran far away.
Chapter 130: Kent Farm Halloween, Peaceful Daily Life Hides Turbulent Undercurrents
A few months later.
"I bet this is the best Halloween Kent Farm has ever hosted!"
Holding his phone, Jimmy walked backward in the open space of the farm's front yard as the camera gently shook with his movements.
He grinned, his voice full of excitement: "Because this time we've invited two heavyweight guests! Can you guess who the first one is?"
He paused deliberately, then suddenly swung the camera toward the sky: "The answer is... Superman's cousin, Supergirl!"
In the camera view, Kara wore a dark red battle suit with an S-shaped emblem on her chest.
She hovered mid-air, holding a puppy dressed in a pumpkin costume in her arms.
She looked down at the furry little fellow, her eyes surprisingly bright: "Oh gosh, this puppy is actually a pumpkin! So cute!"
With a shift of the camera, Jimmy's face returned to the frame.
He blinked and said in an exaggerated tone: "I won't keep you in suspense. The other guest is Cosmic Superman and his friends!"
The camera moved again.
Marcus stood in front of a long table, wearing that dark red battle suit, holding a small knife in his hand as he lowered his head to carve a jack-o'-lantern.
Beside him, Delta was holding a carved pumpkin head, her tail swinging cheerfully behind her, while Milong picked up a pumpkin larger than her upper body and gently placed it into the cart.
Jimmy turned the camera back to himself and sighed dramatically: "As for why we didn't invite Superman, it's because he went on a date."
"So come on, Fire fans!" Jimmy said while slowly sweeping the camera across the entire farm, "To the annual Kent Farm Pumpkin Patch!"
In the camera view.
Several children gathered around a wooden table, burying their faces in basins of water, competing to bite the apples floating on the surface as water splashed everywhere.
On a bench on the other side, several children were hugging pumpkins and earnestly carving spooky faces with plastic knives.
"Become the apple bobbing champion, experience the hayride and pumpkin carving activities!" Jimmy's voiceover continued.
The camera turned toward the cornfield.
The cornstalks inside rustled in the wind, and Kumokobounced agilely through the cornfield, her furry figure resembling a bouncing golden pom-pom, making several children laugh as they chased after her.
"Finally, if you get lost in the corn maze, remember to shout out loud." Jimmy aimed the camera back toward Kara and Marcus's direction, "By then, Supergirl and Cosmic Superman will come to save you!"
Kara flew to Marcus's side, leaning close to his shoulder, her golden hair brushing against the side of his ear as she said briskly: "I'll help too."
Marcus put down the carving knife in his hand, picked up the pumpkin floral crown he had carved earlier, and gently placed it on Kara's head.
Marcus patted the pumpkin debris off his hands and said to her: "You go have fun. After all, this is your first time celebrating the holiday."
Kara touched the pumpkin floral crown on top of her head, the corners of her mouth unable to stop turning upward.
With a flash of her figure, a set of carving tools appeared in her hands.
Kara toyed with the small knife while looking at Marcus, a hint of complaint in her voice: "Clark plans to stay with Loisall day today and has no time to play with me at all. So I need you to play with me."
Marcus looked at her earnest expression, sighed, and nodded: "Alright. Then let's finish quickly."
Kara nodded happily and forcefully, stood next to Marcus, picked up a pumpkin, and started cutting.
Jimmy held his phone and slowly backed away, turning the camera to the other side of the farm as he lowered his voice and said: "Fire viewers, let's go take a look elsewhere."
After speaking, he walked away, his figure gradually disappearing among the golden piles of pumpkins.
By the hayride on the other side, Clark was dressed in a Frankenstein costume, his face made up in a grayish-green tint.
He bent down and lifted several children dressed as bacon, eggs, and bread onto the hayride one by one.
The children giggled endlessly. A little boy's fried egg headwear slipped to the side, and Clark reached out to straighten it for him, then shoved a piece of candy into his hand.
Lois also walked over from behind the barn wearing a Frankenstein costume.
Looking at the "breakfasts" huddled together on the hayride, she smiled and clapped her hands, saying in an exaggerated voice: "Whoa, you guys made breakfast."
Clark placed the last child down, turned around to pull Loisinto his arms, and looked at her carefully: "This is the first time I've ever seen such a beautiful Frankenstein."
Lois smiled with her eyes curving into crescents.
After the hayride slowly drove away, her gaze drifted toward Kara and Marcus, who were chatting and laughing among the pumpkin piles, and her voice softened a bit: "Clark, don't you think Kara likes Marcus a lot?"
Clark looked along her line of sight, then looked down at Lois: "What's wrong?"
Lois raised her face: "Marcus has two partners, you know. Shouldn't we try to advise Kara?"
Clark was silent for a moment before speaking: "Actually, I've talked to Kara about it. But maybe because Kara grew up on an alien planet, she doesn't seem very resistant to this matter."
He paused and continued: "Besides, Marcus is a good guy. Although he does have quite a few partners, I believe he won't hurt Kara."
Clark looked down at Lois with a hint of relief in his tone: "So we shouldn't worry ourselves over nothing."
Lois looked at him and nodded: "Alright."
The two looked at each other, their gazes intertwining.
Clark leaned down slightly while Lois stood on her tiptoes, their lips looking like they were about to press together.
"Ahem!"
A cough exploded behind them.
Clark and Lois startled and separated simultaneously.
Lois tilted her head, her gaze passing over Clark's body as the smile on her face stiffened for a second: "Dad."
Clark turned around and saw General Samuel Lane wearing a blue military uniform, standing a few steps away with a stern face.
Lois hurried over to her father's side, akimbo with her hands on her hips and her brow slightly furrowed: "Why are you here?"
Samuel Lane used a fork to cut a small piece of pie, put it into his mouth, chewed it slowly, and then spoke: "The Kents invited me."
He looked down at the remaining large piece of pie on his plate and chuckled: "I couldn't turn down such a delicious pie. And besides, I'm retired now."
"Retired?" Lois's voice pitched up half an octave as her eyes widened, "Are you serious?"
Samuel Lane stuck his fork into the pie, put his free hand on his waist, and puffed out his chest: "I'm in the Department of Defense now."
Lois lowered her head, gently grinding her toe in the grass as she muttered softly: "Of course you'd go there."
She raised her head, her gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny, "You didn't really come here just for a bite of pie, did you?"