"Why did you say that name?!"
Batman, who had been about to drive the kryptonite spear straight through Superman's chest, suddenly froze.
Martha—that was his mother's name!
Why would Superman mention his mother's name?
"Talk! Why did you say that name?!"
Batman glared at the Superman pinned beneath his boot, shouting furiously.
"That's because his mother's name is Martha too."
A voice suddenly rang out.
"Homelander!"
Batman turned toward the sound, and his expression instantly changed.
The person who had arrived was precisely the one he least wanted to see.
But—
Superman's mother was also named Martha?
Batman looked down at the Superman beneath his feet, his mind in a daze.
This guy's mother… had the same name as his own mother?
Was all of this somehow… fate?
"Batman, please!"
Lois Lane, who had rushed over just in time, threw herself beside Superman and pleaded with Batman.
Batman's expression shifted several times. In the end, he clenched his teeth and threw the kryptonite spear aside.
Clang!
Without the kryptonite spear pressed to his face, Superman immediately began to recover his strength.
With Lois Lane's help, he stood back up.
"Homelander."
Superman first greeted Alex. There was no time for catching up with an old friend, so he immediately turned to explain to Batman.
"He took Martha. He wants me to trade your head for her."
Batman was stunned.
He had thought Superman came to deal with him—
But he hadn't expected such a misunderstanding behind it all.
And because of that, Batman's view of Superman changed significantly.
This man—
Even with his mother's life threatened—still refused to kill him.
Had his earlier worries been overthinking things?
How could someone this kind possibly be humanity's enemy?
"Clark, Martha is safe now."
Alex's voice sounded at that moment, cutting in calmly.
Alex had originally been waiting to see if the system would issue a mission, but even at the last second there had been no response.
So he stopped waiting and acted decisively, rescuing Martha instantly.
"You saved my mother? That's great!"
Relief flooded Superman's face.
Lois Lane also let out a long breath.
"Homelander, why are you here?"
Batman turned his complicated gaze toward Alex.
Compared to Superman, who had virtually no "black marks," the Homelander was practically notorious.
Just in Gotham alone—how many people had he killed back then?
Over the years, Batman had never stopped investigating Alex, trying to uncover his weaknesses.
Trying to find a way to defeat him.
But—
Alex was flawless.
After all that time, Batman still hadn't found a single weakness.
"Bruce."
Alex smiled, completely unconcerned.
"We weren't friends back in Gotham. How is it that after all these years, we seem even more familiar?"
"That scout ship… it seems to be absorbing the city's electricity!"
Lois Lane interrupted them, pointing toward a research facility in the heart of the city.
That facility had been built around Superman's spacecraft—
In other words, it was a Kryptonian ship research base.
And it was secretly under Lex Luthor's control.
"It must be Luthor!"
Superman immediately made the judgment—and the decision.
"I have to stop him!"
Boom!
After giving Lois Lane and Alex a quick nod, Superman took off in an explosive burst, flying straight toward the facility.
"Homelander, thank goodness you were here."
Lois Lane said gratefully to Alex.
"Even if I hadn't come, Martha would've been fine. I just added a bit of insurance."
Alex spread his hands, speaking honestly.
Lois Lane thought Alex was hinting that Superman would have saved Martha anyway.
She had no idea Alex was actually referring to Batman.
"This isn't over yet. I should go too."
Boom!
After nodding to Lois Lane, Alex vanished in a blur.
Where was he going?
Obviously—
To deal with Doomsday.
If it were any ordinary villain, Alex wouldn't bother.
Superman could handle it perfectly well.
But Doomsday was different.
That thing was a monster capable of beating Superman senseless.
Given Alex's current relationship with Superman, ignoring it wasn't an option.
Now that he had encountered it, he naturally couldn't sit by and watch.
[New mission detected!]
Alex hadn't expected that just as he moved out, the system notification would suddenly sound in his mind.
He'd waited forever with no response—
And now the mission finally appeared.
The mission objective was obvious: eliminate Doomsday.
Which happened to align perfectly with Alex's intentions.
Boom!
Before Alex even reached Superman's ship, a massive explosion echoed out.
Superman's body was blasted straight out of the facility like a cannonball.
Whoosh!
Alex flashed to Superman's side in an instant, casually waving his hand as a vast surge of telekinetic power erupted.
Superman's body froze in midair right in front of Alex.
Boom!
Another thunderous crash followed.
A grotesque, terrifying giant smashed through the facility and leapt out.
There was no doubt about it—
Doomsday.
"ROAR!"
Doomsday threw back its head and let out a deafening roar toward Superman, shaking all of Metropolis.
"Homelander, this is a monster from my home world."
"It's incredibly powerful. Its strength already surpasses mine."
Superman stared solemnly at the massive creature, speaking gravely to Alex.
"Is that so?"
Alex raised an eyebrow, curiosity flashing across his face.
"Then I really want to see what it can do."
Whoooosh!
Accompanied by a heavy tearing sound through the air, the massive figure rapidly enlarged in their vision.
Doomsday locked onto Superman, leapt hundreds of meters in a single bound, and smashed down like a meteor.
Flash!
But in the very next instant—
Doomsday's body suddenly froze.
Like someone had pressed a pause button.
It stopped dead in midair, right in front of Superman.
Because Alex had simply extended one hand—
And used his overwhelming telekinesis to completely restrain Doomsday.
"ROAR!"
"ROOOAR!"
Doomsday thrashed and roared within Alex's telekinetic barrier, struggling violently—
Yet no matter how hard it fought, it couldn't break free.
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