Amanda suddenly felt dizzy. She couldn't keep her balance anymore and stumbled to the phone. As soon as she picked it up, she heard Superman's frantic voice: "Amanda Waller! That guy Lex Luther kidnapped my mom!! I can't find her!!! I've looked everywhere, but she's nowhere!!!"
Amanda took a deep breath and said to the person on the other end of the line, "Calm down. We'll help you find her right away…"
"He wants me to kill you!" Superman's voice rang out again, "He said to exchange hostages; if I bring you over, he'll release my mom. You…"
With a "pop," the phone was hung up. Clark chuckled like a golden retriever who had just finished tearing up the house, patting the control panel of the spaceship with satisfaction. The more he thought about it, the more pleased he felt with his tactic.
Yes, his final plan was to fight poison with poison. Anyway, Luther was already down to nothing. The group was gone, his reputation was gone, and the worst outcome was going to jail. So why not take a cue from the veterans in Gotham? Make a big enough fuss, and everyone will have a headache over you.
Clark couldn't directly break into prison because not only would it be illegal, but it would also turn them into fugitives. But if he was forced, if he was threatened, then there was no choice.
Luther indeed left no backup plan, but it didn't prevent him from creating one on the spot. Anyway, he had already manipulated that kidnapping gang to kidnap his mom at Kent's Farm. This proved that he could do such a thing, and he was the type of person who would do it.
So, he decided to act out a deception and make it seem like Lex Luther had laid a trap. Pretending he had long planned for a group to kidnap Superman's family, forcing Superman to break him out of prison.
Indeed, this morning, Superman swaggered into the police station, then got "taken hostage" by Luther, and the two left together. To ensure wide coverage, Clark had notified his boss, the editor-in-chief of The Daily Planet, to wait early at the police station's entrance. Now, the news of Superman being held hostage by Luther should already be on the front pages of major newspapers.
With Superman being held hostage, they, of course, could leave the police station smoothly, since the police wouldn't be so foolish. If it was only Luther, they would definitely stop him, but he had Superman in his hands. Even if he used Superman as a shield, the police wouldn't dare to shoot recklessly, as the bullets would ricochet back at them. Hence, they just followed with guns drawn, providing escort without daring to get too close.
Thus, the two swaggered out of the police station. Then, Superman was "forced" to fly away, taking Luther out of the surveillance of the military and police. Ultimately, he transported him to the laboratory where the expert was located.
Of course, the expert was also compelled. Luther forced Superman, and Superman forced the expert, leaving no choice but to let Luther stay there to conduct experiments. However, neither the military nor police were aware of this; they were still conducting a thorough search in Metropolis.
Everyone thought Luther would stay to protect Luther Group, given the vast enterprise one doesn't simply abandon. But unexpectedly, Luther really did leave it behind.
Although Lex Luther was somewhat naive in certain ways, he remained consistently arrogant. His belief was that Luther Group stood atop the world due to his presence. If he left, it would be a pile of scrap metal, and anytime he wished, he could rise again with his technology. So, he wouldn't stay for the Luther Group.
Lex managed to slip away, but it wasn't over. As he couldn't remain a fugitive for life, he needed to do something to turn the current situation around.
Clark was willing to give him this chance because, counting on his fingers, those harmed by Lex's foolish actions were just two: himself and Zod. Actually, truly harmed would be just Zod. Since Zod isn't human, Luther didn't technically commit a crime. Why not give him a chance to counterattack, while showing Amanda what's what.
The entire kidnapping incident was for making a justified excuse to give Amanda a beating. After all, he was coerced by Luther, and his mom was in their hands. If they demanded him to target someone, he could only obey. Although it was painful, there was no other option.
Clark even thought he was somewhat despicable. But he had to admit, using someone else's method against them felt really satisfying.
The A.R.G.U.S. base wasn't like a military base, situated on the outskirts of Metropolis but was located west of the city center. It was a building with 12 stories above ground and four below. The 12 stories were mainly office areas for regular employees, while the four underground floors were secure facilities.
Thanks to Amanda bringing him here before, Clark precisely found the building. Then, under everyone's gaze, he lifted the building directly.
At this time, Amanda had just run to the first floor. After a gust of strong wind, the blinding sunlight came straight in. She watched wide-eyed as the surrounding walls lifted smoothly into the sky. A tall figure stood with his back to the morning light, his cape fluttering like a flag.
Numerous helicopters circled overhead. Police surged from the sides of the street. But no one dared to come close. They all knew one thing very clearly: Superman was an enemy they absolutely couldn't oppose. His stance and unprecedented violent behavior indicated that this incredibly powerful God was furious.
The building slowly ascended, while the ordinary people inside didn't even feel a tremor. They all rushed to the windows, watching themselves rise further from the ground. Some exclaimed, others pulled out their phones to take pictures. Until Superman landed in a park and set them down, flying around the building twice. After leaving countless images of his imposing figure, he returned to the base.
He descended slowly from the sky, releasing all the accumulated anger in his heart at once. He hadn't realized how terrifying he looked when he was angry.
Not everyone is Batman. To ordinary people, an angry Superman is truly terrifying. A monster that can shift mountains and fill seas in an instant descends, full of wrath like a god, as if the next apocalypse is imminent. Most people are too scared to even run.
It wasn't until he heard crying that Clark sobered a bit. But he didn't stop his actions; instead, he slowly landed in front of Amanda. He looked down at her and asked in a deep voice, "Why did Luther make me come find you?"
The interrogative tone was obvious enough, and Amanda was more than guilty. She knew exactly why Luther sent Superman to her. Because she had pushed him too hard. This madman would even coerce Superman just to have her buried here.
She had indeed sent people to investigate Kent's Farm before, but the place was protected by locals. The people she sent couldn't easily approach it. Yet that damned bald head managed to breach the defenses and directly kidnap Superman's mother. That damned bastard!!!
Amanda was burning with rage. Instead of answering, she turned to the police beside her and yelled, "Why the hell aren't you firing?! You should be repelling this monster!!! Fire!! Fire!!"
The old policeman in front quickly gestured to his companions not to shoot. However, every group has a few hotheads. They couldn't tell who was good or bad; they only knew Superman had torn down the building. Their long-standing instinctive reaction made them raise their guns and shoot.
Bang! Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang!
Countless bullets rushed towards Superman. But half a meter away from his body, time and space seemed to freeze. Everything slammed to a halt here. Bullet after bullet was suspended in mid-air.
Then all the bullets floated in front of Superman. He extended one hand, and the bullet heads were continuously compressed. After he held them, they emitted a sound that was like fingernails scraping a chalkboard. Smoke drifted from between his fingers, as if endless explosions were occurring at his fingertips. But when he opened his hand again, the metal had vanished. A remarkably tiny yet terrifying sphere appeared in his hand.
After extreme compression, the electrons outside the atomic nuclei were pressed into the nucleus, maintaining the verge of neutron collapse. The field of metalworking no longer has the terminologies to describe this process, but in astronomy, such celestial bodies are usually called a "neutron star."
Even if those present couldn't understand the process, the whirlwind stirred from thin air and the tornado column being formed were enough for them to know that something extraordinary had happened.
Bruce, who was standing inside the Batcave watching the surveillance screen, directly saw from the perspective of the outer space monitor that a perfect circular vortex cloud had formed over the East Coast of the United States on the surface of the Earth. He looked up and took two steps back, then quickly headed towards the door.
Clark was certain he saw fear in Amanda's eyes. Yet at this moment, he didn't feel satisfied, only sad. Did these people never consider that by forcing such a powerful person, they were inevitably leading to this day?
Clark didn't consider himself very smart, but sometimes the stupidity of certain humans still surprised him. He couldn't dare to imagine, if Bruce hadn't saved his mother that day, and Martha had really died in the hands of the kidnappers, what would Earth have become?
He dreaded contemplating this. Precisely because he understood the outcome wouldn't be good. He had felt it before, but at this moment, he truly realized he wasn't the type to take a beating without fighting back.
Compared to the approving gazes when doing good deeds, he still preferred seeing those reckless fools and vicious criminals, when facing their deserved punishment, exhibit terrified gazes.
"Superman, stop!" A low voice came from mid-air.
Clark closed his eyes and took a deep breath. With a "whoosh," the object in his hand completely turned into a wisp of smoke. As the gale calmed, the condensed water in the clouds was squeezed out, transforming into a torrential downpour.
Drenched by the rain, the color of his cape and uniform became darker. The tall figure turned around, looking back at the black silhouette standing atop the high building.
"Batman…"
"It's Batman!"
"Batman is here!"
Amidst the crowd's cries, Superman leaped into the sky, slowly halting across from Batman, peering through the heavy rain and dark mask into those eyes that were unfamiliar yet familiar.
The unavoidable question silently echoed between the two amid the rain—if Martha had really died and Superman chose not to forgive, facing the God of the World unleashing storms on Earth, what would Batman do?