"Damn it! Is this Saiyan really that terrifying?!" Seeing his attack had no effect on Robert, Alfred cursed inwardly. Truth be told, if Batman wasn't in Robert's grasp, Alfred would have preferred not to provoke such a powerful being.
But with Batman in danger, Alfred was willing to risk his life. In his mind, Batman's safety was far more important than his own.
What Alfred didn't realize, however, was that no matter how much effort he put in, the vast difference in power between him and Robert meant that his sacrifice wouldn't change anything. If desperation alone could defeat Doomsday, the Avengers wouldn't have needed to wait for Robert to arrive and save the day…
Alfred, piloting the Hell Demon Mech, charged at Robert. With energy attacks proving useless, Alfred resorted to close combat, a desperate but perhaps his only viable option.
In fact, Alfred had more confidence in close combat than energy attacks. The Hell Demon Mech was the most advanced suit Batman had created. Not only did it have supernatural means from Hell's demons, but it also incorporated the most cutting-edge Earth technology—no, even beyond Earth's current technology!
The Hell Demon Mech was made not only from vibranium but also from various other advanced materials and technological products. It might not have N-metal or the ability to self-repair on a molecular level, but in terms of sheer technology, it was on par with Tony Stark's suits.
Although there was still a noticeable gap in overall combat strength between the two, the Hell Demon Mech excelled in close combat and durability.
Alfred and Batman had thoroughly tested it. The Hell Demon Mech's defense was even stronger than pure vibranium, theoretically capable of withstanding any attack on Earth. Even against a Saiyan, it should at least be able to put up a fight, right?
With a loud "smack," Robert casually blocked the punch from Alfred's mech. Frowning, Robert gripped the mech's fist tightly and exerted force.
Robert had encountered vibranium before when the military used vibranium mechs. He had even kept one at home to see how long it would take for him to crush vibranium with his own strength.
Back then, Robert had been unable to damage vibranium and was far weaker than Clark, who could crush it easily. But now, Robert's power had grown significantly.
"Crack!"
As Robert applied pressure, a crisp cracking sound echoed through the room. The Hell Demon Mech began to break apart, starting from the fist and spreading throughout the entire suit, revealing Alfred inside.
Robert had no intention of killing Alfred. After all, the two had crossed paths a few times, and with this Batman being a fake, Gotham would still need Alfred to manage things once this imposter was dealt with.
"You're wasting your efforts. If this were the real Batman, I'd give him a chance to explain himself, but this isn't him. It's not worth risking your life," Robert said as Alfred crashed to the ground, shaking his head.
"What?! What do you mean?" Alfred, despairing at the sight of his shattered mech, was confused by Robert's words.
"You still won't say anything? Do you really think you can keep hiding your identity?" Robert asked, turning his gaze to the silent Batman.
"A Skrull?" Kara, who had been observing from outside, rushed to Robert's side and began examining Batman.
"Skrull?" Alfred's eyes flashed with confusion. He had no idea what a Skrull was or why his master would be called one.
"Skrulls are an alien race with the ability to shapeshift into others," Robert explained while Batman's expression subtly shifted. "They can completely become someone else, even possessing their memories, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to detect…"
"How could such a terrifying species exist? And how did you realize Master Wayne wasn't who he seemed?" Alfred, who had initially been skeptical, now found himself beginning to believe. The man Robert was holding seemed strangely unfamiliar to him.
"I've encountered a few Skrulls before. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to detect this imposter," Robert replied, his grip tightening on Batman. He channeled his energy into Batman, trying to force him to reveal his true form. Despite the immense pain Robert inflicted, Batman stubbornly refused to show his Skrull identity. If Robert hadn't already sensed Batman's unusual aura, he might have started doubting himself.
"When was Master Wayne replaced? And where is the real him?" Alfred's voice trembled with concern, his emotions sinking as he realized that Batman might be in grave danger.
"I don't know. But the last time I saw Batman, he wasn't a Skrull yet…" Robert answered while continuing to pressure Batman, trying to force him to reveal his true form. However, despite Robert's best efforts, Batman's disguise remained intact. Left with no other option, Robert turned to Diana, who had been observing the situation, and asked, "Diana, do you have a way to make him show his true form?"
"I can try. You know my Lasso of Truth can extract special information…" Diana nodded and pulled out her golden lasso.
"Right!" Robert's eyes lit up as he dropped Batman to the ground.
Batman, now free, immediately tried to escape. But his speed was laughably slow compared to Robert and the others.
With a "whoosh," the Lasso of Truth wrapped around Batman, binding him tightly. As the golden light of the lasso glowed, Batman's body began to tremble violently.
"Humm!" Batman's body started to shift and change, eventually transforming into the familiar face of a Skrull.
For Robert, all Skrulls looked nearly identical. Despite their minor facial differences, he couldn't tell them apart—only their unique energy signatures were distinguishable. But it didn't matter; this Skrull looked just like the others Robert had encountered before.
"It's true! He's not Master Wayne. Master Wayne must be in grave danger! I've failed the Wayne family! I've failed the legacy of my former masters!" Alfred, upon seeing Batman's transformation, collapsed to the floor, consumed by grief.
Both Robert and Kara sighed at the sight of Alfred's despair.
"Malik, Skrull! What is your purpose here on Earth?" Diana, empowered by the Lasso of Truth, immediately learned the Skrull's name and began questioning him.
"Secret invasion of Earth… Replacing key figures… Ruling Earth from the shadows… Targeting the superheroes… Awaiting the arrival of our lords…" Malik stammered under the Lasso's power. Despite the Skrulls' natural resistance and abilities, the Lasso of Truth forced him to reveal the Skrull's hidden plans.
"Wait, ask him about the mastermind behind the Kryptonite and where it came from!" Robert interjected. Malik's revelations hadn't surprised him much, as they matched the Avengers' previous suspicions. But uncovering the origin of the Kryptonite, and the true mastermind behind Doomsday's attack, was crucial.
"Where did you get the Kryptonite? Do you know the identity of the person who gave it to you? What's his name?" Diana asked, following Robert's line of questioning.
"The Kryptonite was given to me by Lex Luthor. He isn't one of us and doesn't know that this Batman is a fake. He was originally trying to manipulate the real Batman because he understood Batman's personality—he knew Batman was wary of Superman. With Kryptonite, Batman would inevitably take action against Superman!" Malik's response came out more smoothly than before.
It seemed that, since Lex Luthor wasn't a Skrull, revealing his name didn't touch on the Skrulls' core secrets. Hence, Malik spoke more freely.
"Not a Skrull? Lex Luthor? Who's that?" Robert's eyes flashed with confusion. Had they really been manipulated by an ordinary person? The idea was even more difficult to accept than being deceived by the Skrulls.
Especially considering Lex Luthor's knowledge of Superman, the Avengers, and even Batman's secrets. He didn't seem like an ordinary guy…
"If he's just a regular person, maybe we should let Tony and the others investigate his background," Kara suggested. "There's a chance he's not a regular person but a hidden superhuman."
"Good idea. J.A.R.V.I.S., start looking into Lex Luthor. The more details, the better," Robert contacted J.A.R.V.I.S. to begin the investigation.
"Lex Luthor? Why him?" Tony Stark was startled by the news. He hadn't expected Robert's investigation to lead to Lex Luthor. While Lex was technically an ordinary human, he was anything but simple.
Lex Luthor, CEO of LexCorp, had an identity similar to Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne. Although LexCorp wasn't quite as large as Stark Industries, it wasn't much smaller than Wayne Enterprises, and it was certainly wealthier than Oscorp.
Unlike Oscorp, LexCorp bore the first name of its founder—Lex Luthor—highlighting his absolute control over the corporation.
Lex Luthor wasn't just an influential businessman; he had even run for the presidency of the United States at one point. Though his campaign failed, his name remained widely known among the general public.
If Lex Luthor had been secretly operating as a superhero, Tony might not have been so surprised. But to hear that Lex Luthor could be the mastermind behind the Doomsday event? That was hard to believe.
Despite his skepticism, Tony instructed J.A.R.V.I.S. to continue the investigation. The AI gathered all publicly available information on LexCorp, including internal documents, but found no signs of anything unusual.
"Is Lex Luthor hiding too well, or did Robert make a mistake?" Tony muttered, puzzled by the clean
reports J.A.R.V.I.S. provided.
As advanced as J.A.R.V.I.S. was, the AI couldn't uncover everything. Some secrets remained hidden, especially those shielded by shadowy organizations, which even the Avengers hadn't fully discovered yet.
"Keep digging. When I'm done here, provide me with Luthor's location. Maybe I'll find the truth myself," Robert responded to Tony's update, not overly disappointed. If they had easily discovered Luthor's secrets, it would've meant he wasn't much of a threat. Being manipulated by an incompetent mastermind would've been even more frustrating.
"Now, tell me, what happens to the people you Skrulls replace? How many have you replaced? Who are they?" Diana continued her interrogation of Malik through the Lasso of Truth.
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