CHAPTER 135 — THE SPEAR
Superman cut through the night sky like a streak of blue and red, the wind tearing past him as the city burned below. Smoke rose in thick columns from broken streets and shattered buildings. The ground shook with distant impacts
He saw Batman first as a moving shadow between rooftops.
Batman was already in motion, grappling from building to building, his cape snapping hard behind him. He was moving fast, but Superman could see the strain. The man was pushing his body and equipment to the edge.
Superman adjusted his course and dropped down beside him midair.
Batman spotted him. The air shifted as Superman approached. He adjusted his grip, and before the wind could throw him off, Superman reached out, catching him securely around the torso. Batman did not resist. Instead, he shifted slightly, ready to be carried.
"You picked a bad night to take a walk," Superman said, keeping his voice calm.
Batman didn't look at him. His eyes stayed on the battlefield ahead.
"Why are you here?"
Even from kilometers away, he could feel the strong vibrations, the ground shook as if a bomb had exploded. Its impact carried faintly through the city.
Superman let out a short breath. "We need something that can kill it."
Batman didn't hesitate. "Doomsday."
He already suspected that the one they were fighting was Doomsday.
Superman paused. "Then you already know."
Batman gave a single nod.
"What's left of General Zod," Superman said at last. "His body. Whatever they did to him… it turned him into this."
Batman absorbed that without comment.
"That thing isn't just strong," Superman continued. "It's learning. Every hit makes it adjust. We can't keep fighting it like this."
Batman turned his head slightly. "You need a weapon made of kryptonite to kill it."
Superman looked at him. "Yes."
"It's on the Batwing," Batman said. "Along with something else."
Superman didn't waste time asking questions.
He tightened his grip and accelerated.
The city blurred beneath them as Superman pushed harder, flying straight toward the damaged Batwing resting on a distant rooftop. The wind roared around them, but Superman shielded Batman from the worst of it.
They landed hard but controlled beside the aircraft.
The Batwing sat silent, scorched and torn, one wing badly damaged. Batman moved immediately.
He opened a side panel and keyed in a code. The compartment hissed open.
Inside was a reinforced case.
Next to it, a compact grenade launcher was mounted into the rack.
Batman grabbed both.
He flipped the case open.
Inside lay the spear.
The metal shaft looked simple, almost plain, but the moment the seal broke, a soft green glow spilled out. The light reflected against the Batwing's black hull and painted Superman's face in faint emerald hues.
Superman took an involuntary step back.
His eyes dilated for a moment, then narrowed, not in anger, but in instinct.
Batman, holding the Kryptonite spear, said, "This weapon is made of Kryptonite. It should be enough."
Superman nodded slowly, forcing himself to focus.
"It has to be," he said. "There's no other way."
Batman locked the case, then secured the spear in his grip. The green light faded but did not vanish completely.
Superman looked at the weapon again, his expression mixed. Discomfort. Memory. Resolve.
Then he straightened.
"Let's end this," he said.
Superman lifted Batman again, careful despite the urgency. Batman held the spear tightly, bracing himself as they took off.
They returned to the battlefield in seconds.
Below them, Gaius stood like a wall between Doomsday and the ruined city. His armor still shone with golden light, with no visible damage aside from scorch marks. His breathing was heavy, but steady.
Tony Stark hovered nearby, armor flickering with warning lights as systems adjusted on the fly.
Diana stood with them, shield raised, sword ready, eyes locked on the monster.
Doomsday floated above the ground now.
Its body no longer moved like something bound by weight. Energy pulsed through it in uneven waves, lifting it slowly into the air. Its eyes burned bright.
Batman felt it before he saw it.
The attention.
The pressure.
Doomsday noticed them.
So did Gaius.
Gaius turned his head slightly as Superman landed.
Then he saw the spear.
Batman felt the gaze hit him.
Not anger.
Not surprise.
Assessment.
Judgment.
Batman met him without flinching, locking his gaze onto Gaius. His eyes demanded answers, why Gaius' men were conquering the city, killing and capturing officials.
The intensity in his stare was unmistakable, unhidden.
But Batman knew now was not the time.
Gaius stepped forward.
He extended one massive armored hand.
Batman hesitated for half a second, then handed the spear over.
The weapon looked small in Gaius's grip. Almost fragile.
Gaius turned it once, testing its balance.
"Kryptonite," he said flatly, seeking confirmation.
Batman nodded.
Gaius said nothing more.
Above them, Doomsday rose higher.
Its body tensed.
Then its eyes burned white.
Twin beams of energy erupted outward.
Superman reacted instantly.
He flew up, meeting the attack head-on.
Heat vision slammed into heat vision.
The air between them twisted and screamed.
The clash pushed Superman back inches at a time. He strained, muscles locked, teeth clenched.
Diana moved.
She threw the lasso in one smooth motion.
The golden rope wrapped around Doomsday's torso and arms, glowing as it tightened.
With a sharp pull, she yanked downward.
Doomsday roared as the beam cut off.
Its body slammed back toward the ground.
Superman surged forward, blasting again. The energy struck Doomsday's chest, but instead of burning through, it fed the creature.
Its body glowed brighter.
Batman acted.
He raised the grenade launcher and fired.
The round burst near Doomsday, releasing thick green smoke.
Kryptonite.
The effect was immediate.
Doomsday staggered back, its movements slowing. Its roar turned uneven, broken.
Diana held the lasso tight, keeping it inside the green cloud.
Tony didn't hesitate.
Panels opened along his chest.
The tri-beam charged.
Then fired.
The beam punched through the smoke and slammed into Doomsday's torso, piercing clean through weakened flesh.
The monster screamed.
Gaius moved.
His jetpack ignited.
Not upward.
Forward.
He launched himself across the ground, legs driving hard, jetpack adding raw force.
For a brief moment, his speed surpassed even Superman's.
He reached Doomsday in an instant.
The spear struck true.
It pierced straight through the monster's chest.
Doomsday convulsed.
Gaius ripped the spear free and drove it upward again, straight into its head.
Then he let go.
The spear remained embedded.
Gaius pulled back his power fist.
And struck.
Once.
Twice.
Over and over, until the body was thoroughly destroyed, reduced to nothing but minced flesh.
The ground trembled as the remains fell apart.
They were quiet for a moment after Doomsday's death.
Then something else broke it.
A whine.
High above.
A missile streaked toward them.
Tony reacted first. "Damn government," he muttered.
Batman looked up, grim. "Bureaucracy."
Superman did not speak. His eyes followed the missile, disappointment clear, but restrained.
Gaius's gaze hardened, his anger hidden beneath stoic composure.
Diana's expression was one of, "I knew it."
Superman flew up and caught it midair.
He didn't stop it.
He guided it.
Redirected it.
The missile slammed into the sea and detonated harmlessly.
But more appeared.
Dozens.
Moments earlier, at the White House, the room had been loud.
The President and high-ranking officials argued over what to do. One suggested a nuclear strike. Others opposed it, citing the city, economic loss, and the hostages held by the armored invaders.
Then one voice shouted angrily, "Are you trying to kill my brother?"
His family members were among the captives Titus had taken. Though they weren't near Gaius and the others on the battlefield and would be outside the center of the nuclear explosion, he didn't know if they would survive, but his brother certainly wouldn't.
A screen showed the situation from orbit. Doomsday's roars parted the clouds, making the battlefield visible even from space.
The President finally slammed his hands together. "We'll use Missiles. Controlled. No radiation. Range limited. Take down the aliens and the monster without further harm to the city."
They agreed.
Far from the White House, after getting Gaius' permission, Naruto immediately said goodbye to the solemn Saeko, the disappointed Mindy, and to Alfred.
Then he ran. Though his speed was incredible, it would certainly not be enough, by the time he reached Metropolis, the fight might already be over. Before leaving, he created dozens of shadow clones to meditate and prepare for Sage Mode.
As he raced across the sea toward Metropolis, the clones completed their meditation. Naruto released one, entering sage mode successfully. Naruto himself activated sage mode mid-run, enhancing his speed and awareness.
He finally entered the city, immediately encountering Titus, his men, and the Dreadnought.
~~~
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