"I'm sorry."
Under everyone's gaze, Bruce barely hesitated before giving his answer.
"I have no interest in letting a creature that once tried to harm the people most important to me become my subordinate."
The moment he finished speaking, many Green Lanterns let out a quiet breath of relief.
Then they realized this was only a shift from a catastrophic outcome to a slightly less catastrophic one.
At the very least, Parallax-the being responsible for countless deaths-would be destroyed.
As for Bruce...
The Lanterns instinctively stopped thinking further.
With Morin around, worrying was pointless. If he ever turned against them, resistance would be meaningless. And they couldn't turn an ally into an enemy based on suspicion alone-especially one they had no hope of defeating.
"Curse you!" Parallax roared.
"You will regret this! After absorbing my fear, this human will surely fall! He cannot control such power! Even if you destroy me, you will only give birth to a greater enemy!"
Seeing no way out, Parallax intensified its struggle, desperately trying to sow discord.
If this had happened earlier-if it had gone all out from the start-it might have broken through, suffering heavy losses but escaping to recover.
But now?
This wasn't heavy losses.
This was being skinned alive.
After Bruce absorbed part of its power, even a full-force struggle wouldn't allow Parallax to break free from the Lanterns' encirclement.
"There is no evil power," Bruce said calmly.
"Only those who fail to control it."
"I am fear."
"How could fear corrupt me?"
A familiar voice echoed directly into everyone's minds.
"Looks like things are almost wrapped up here too."
The Lanterns shuddered.
They knew this voice.
Too well.
The memory of utter helplessness mixed with pure fury surged back-an experience no one wanted to repeat.
Parallax froze.
It heard the voice.
It also sensed the overwhelming fear radiating from the Lanterns.
But it couldn't absorb any of it.
It was already fighting just to exist.
Even so, a doubt surfaced.
Why would these Lanterns fear a mere voice?
Parallax had devoured civilizations and killed Lanterns.
Morin had crushed the entire Corps head-on.
An enemy whose limits couldn't be seen.
Fear was inevitable.
Morin and Diana arrived swiftly, stopping beside Abin Sur and Bruce.
"You're finished over there?" Bruce asked, controlling the growing swarm of bats that devoured Parallax's struggling form.
"Of course," Morin nodded.
"A complete victory. Though technically, it's a win-win."
"They're Clark's last kin. And they haven't harmed Earth yet."
"So Clark chose to let Zod and the others continue through natural birth."
"Zod agreed?" Bruce frowned slightly.
Based on what he'd heard, Zod didn't strike him as someone easily persuaded.
"Otherwise," Morin replied, "why do you think I came here?"
"And why do you think I brought Diana and left Clark behind?"
Bruce paused, then laughed softly.
"When it comes to schemes, you're still the best."
"You planned to give them a choice," Diana said, catching on.
"And deal with them if they rejected it?"
"It's not a trap," Morin smiled.
"It's a chance."
"Their fate is their own. Since it involves Clark's family, he deserves the final say."
"With their strength," Bruce said, "if they went on a rampage, the casualties would be unimaginable."
"I've prepared for that," Morin waved a hand.
"If they choose invasion, I'll make sure they understand how terrible that choice is."
That was enough.
Diana and Bruce didn't question further.
Morin had never failed to back his words.
...
"General."
Aboard the Kryptonian ship, Faora stood helmeted, unreadable.
"Faora," Zod replied, also donning his helmet. The Kryptonian air had been vented, and power was returning to his body.
He stared at the distant sun, conflicted.
"Why?" he murmured.
"Why is it like this?"
"I don't know," Faora said quietly.
"Everything that nurtured Krypton-the soil, the air..." Zod lowered his head.
"...was actually suppressing us?"
"This doesn't feel natural."
"All of Krypton feels like a cage."
"You're only realizing that now?" Jor-El's projection appeared.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Zod snapped.
"If you'd explained this, we could've worked together!"
"I couldn't," Jor-El replied.
"I discovered it long ago."
"If Krypton is a cage, then ask yourself-who built it?"
Zod's eyes sharpened.
"Who?"
"I don't know," Jor-El said.
"I searched everywhere. Found nothing."
"But I didn't dare gamble."
"My instinct told me this was a conspiracy against our entire race."
"So I had to change our future."
"I had to leave hope."
"You let me kill you," Zod said slowly, stunned.
"So I'd be imprisoned... and Krypton's destruction avoided?"
"Of course not!" Jor-El snapped.
"I was about to explain everything-and you stabbed me!"
"..."
Silence fell.
Zod was speechless.
"Then why didn't you say it earlier?" he finally asked.
"Would you have believed me?" Jor-El countered.
Zod: "..."
No.
He wouldn't have.
At that time, all he saw was rebellion.
"So I sent Clark to Earth," Jor-El said.
"You surviving was... unexpected."
"Good people die young. Scoundrels last forever."
He still held a grudge.
Zod said nothing.
Apologize?
Never.
"Clark is Krypton's last hope," Jor-El said firmly.
"All our genes are within him."
"He has infinite time. Infinite paths."
"He can become a god."
"Only a god can uncover the truth."
"Who do you think could suppress Krypton so completely?"
"Dru-Zod."
"If you want to charge toward death, do it alone."
"Do not involve Clark."
The projection vanished.
Zod stared at the sun.
Fearless?
No.
He was afraid.
Not of death.
Of the unknown.
The door opened.
Clark entered, escorted by soldiers.
"How was the tour?" Zod asked calmly.
"I'll honor the bet."
He had decided.
Once, Jor-El had been right.
This time-
He would trust him again.
...
In space.
Parallax had shrunk to half its size.
It was out of options.
Lies. Threats. Temptation.
All useless.
Bruce stood there.
Morin stood there.
Against them, fear was meaningless.
"I curse you!" Parallax roared as its body compressed violently.
Bruce frowned.
"It's collapsing inward... pure compression."
"Turning itself into a fear bomb," Morin nodded.
"Can you stop it?"
"Of course," Bruce said.
"I can't."
Morin stared.
"How can a man say that so casually?"
"Knowing limits is a virtue," Bruce replied.
"That explosion would contaminate a massive area."
"Five star systems," Abin Sur said grimly.
"If it detonates, those regions become lost forever."
"And Parallax could eventually resurrect."
"There's no time to evacuate!" Hal said urgently.
Morin raised a hand.
"Enough."
"Step back."
"Let me handle it."
"Don't overdo it," Bruce warned.
Morin looked at Diana.
"I remember you wanted to know how strong I really am."
Yes.
"Then watch carefully," Morin smiled.
"You're about to see one quarter of my full power."
Everyone: "???"
Morin spread his hands.
Power surged.
Electromagnetism.
A fundamental force.
The foundation of reality.
With mastery-
Anything could be controlled.
Including emotion.
Parallax continued compressing, desperate.
Perfect.
With a thought, massive planetary magnetic fields twisted, linked, and stacked.
Space warped.
Countless magnetic forces surged inward.
Electromagnetic Ultimate Art-
Planetary Cage!
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