Gotham.
Inside a detached apartment building on Naihe Island, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Supergirl were seated in the living room.
Batman, clad in his black gear, looked somewhat jarring in the brightly lit room.
"Hey, Batman, you always say you hide in the dark, but we're in the light now, and you look a bit out of place."
Green Lantern Hal continued to tease Batman.
"If you feel out of place, you can choose to turn off the lights. Then you'll be in the dark. And I'll make sure you're the first one to suffer in the dark."
Batman gave him a cold glance.
"I think you need to quiet down, Green Lantern."
Supergirl put down her half-eaten pizza. "You seem a bit over-excited, but…"
Glancing at Batman, Supergirl shrugged and said, "It's all excitement directed at Batman."
"No, this isn't excitement; it's a reasonable question."
Hal firmly denied that he was trying to tease the unseasoned, nascent Batman he saw.
Ignoring Hal's antics, Batman laid out several maps on the long table, unfolding the first one.
"I've fully taken in your information. You say you're from the future. Hmm… an unimaginable travel technology. Assuming you have someone like Doc Brown and a time machine, and ignoring those old paradoxes about grandmothers and Hitler…"
(Doc Brown: The scientist who invented the time machine in 'Back to the Future'.)
Batman's deadpan remark was cut short by Hal. "It's not a time machine, and it's not Doc Brown. We have Flash and a particle accelerator."
"Flash?"
Batman lifted his sculpted chin, looking at Hal.
"A very fast superhero. You'll like him a lot in the future. Never mind…"
Seeing the increasing confusion in Batman's eyes, Hal waved his hand, stopping his explanation. "You can imagine him as a consumable, a consumable time machine."
After a moment of contemplating the issue of "superheroes and consumables," Batman brought his thoughts, which Hal had led astray, back on track and continued:
"Based on your descriptions, the key to resolving the situation is finding an effective way to counter the enemy. In your future, your homeland will fall, and even the entire Earth may not be spared. So we need to find useful clues from this."
Batman displayed the unfolded map to them. "The specific clue you provided is: the thing you are looking for might be located here—in six states in the central United States, including Kansas. If you look closely, you'll notice its center is Kansas, and to be more precise, it's between Blue Valley and Smallville."
Batman pulled out another map. "Blue Valley was built sixty years ago as a military defense center. After being abandoned, it was bought by a large corporation. It's said that Blue Valley has an extensive underground secret tunnel network, which can be used to reach anywhere within those six states."
"I believe…"
Batman stood up, his gaze sweeping over the thoughtful faces of the others. "The key objective of your trip is Blue Valley and Smallville. Considering what you said about a 'person' with a body of steel arriving in the future, then… I would suspect your targets are Eriel Kent and Clark Kent."
After listening to Batman's analysis, Wonder Woman and the others fell silent.
"So the key points are two Supermen? And a small town?"
After a few seconds of silence, Wonder Woman asked Batman with a complicated expression.
"I cannot be certain. The information currently available is too scarce to deduce more, but…"
Batman said, while gathering the map of Blue Valley from the table.
"Your arrival here was not a mistake, but a matter of fate."
"Perhaps."
Green Lantern nodded. Seeing the somewhat somber atmosphere, he proactively brought up a new topic.
"Have you seen the recent newspapers about Metropolis?"
"Any explosive news? Alien invasion or something? I hear that kind of news happens there often."
Supergirl took a bite of pizza and asked him.
"Not an alien invasion, but close enough. Someone robbed a bank and faced the combined firepower of a dozen police officers, but came out unharmed and vanished right before their eyes. A car also caught fire and exploded. I don't believe someone like that is an ordinary person."
Green Lantern shrugged, telling the two.
"Super strength, bulletproof, super speed, and high-energy Heat Vision from their eyes. Are you talking about Eric or Clark?"
Supergirl cupped her chin in one hand, deep in thought.
"Considering Clark's personality, I don't think this would be Clark robbing a bank. Maybe… maybe it's Eric!"
Supergirl clapped her hands, stating with certainty, "It must be him. With his personality, I believe he's capable of such an act. We have to stop him! Eric is currently trending towards becoming a supervillain; we need to correct him."
"We have to stop him?"
Green Lantern felt the situation was a bit difficult. "Even an immature Eric, I don't think he's easy to deal with."
"We have to try. I'm not going to watch my brother go down the wrong path!"
"Batman."
Supergirl turned to Batman and asked, "Can we use your high-tech equipment to track him?"
Batman was silent for a few seconds. "My surveillance only covers Gotham."
"But I'm sure you'll do it, right? I know you're the kind of person who, if you want to find someone, always can."
Supergirl looked at Batman with extreme trust.
Batman, being watched by all of them, thought for a moment before replying, "I'll find a way."
With that, he turned and walked out of the hall. Upon reaching the shadowed area, he spread his Batman wings and instantly vanished from the hall.
"It seems no matter where, Batman can always be trusted, doesn't he?"
After Batman left, Supergirl said to Wonder Woman and Hal.
"You cannot trust Batman too much."
Wonder Woman stood up, looking at his disappearing back. "On the surface, it seems like he's always helping us, but I believe, privately, he's definitely trying to investigate our backgrounds, and even through this recent interaction, constantly probing our weaknesses, attempting to find ways to deal with us."
"He would be like that?"
Supergirl Kara didn't know Batman very well and showed a surprised expression.
"Of course, I estimate he has prepared methods to deal with all the heroes of the Justice League."
Green Lantern put away his previous joking demeanor, saying seriously, "He never trusts anyone, but… he's still a good guy."
…
Metropolis, evening.
After Clark exited a private savings bank, he quickly moved in front of the rushing police officer and grabbed his pistol.
In the officer's terrified gaze, he gently picked him up and casually threw him backward.
Thud!
The police officer was accurately thrown into a trash can.
Clark, wearing a hood and somewhat comically dressed, clapped his hands, activated his super speed, and quickly left the area.
As he moved near an abandoned factory, intending to change, he heard footsteps behind him.
He turned around and saw the people he had met before—Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Supergirl.
"You have nowhere to run, Eric!"
Because Clark's build resembled Eric's, and with the hood only revealing his mouth and eyes, Supergirl mistook him for Eric.
Green Lantern and Wonder Woman, standing nearby, noticed the strangeness but didn't speak, merely watching Clark from a distance with varying expressions.
"You shouldn't be doing such things. If you start down the wrong path, you'll slide into a deeper abyss."
Supergirl stepped forward, speaking to Clark with a serious expression.
"Is that so?"
Clark sneered, taking off his hood to reveal a face that shocked Supergirl.
"You thought I was Eric? Sorry to disappoint you."
"Cl-… Clark?"
Supergirl stammered, looking at Clark standing before her.
"No! Not Clark Kent. My name is Kal-El."
"How could…?! How could you do something like this?"
Supergirl had never imagined that the audacious bank robber would be Clark, that kind and simple big boy! Her kind brother, who in her memories was always eager to help others?
"Why can't I do such things? Because I'm foolish, only able to be subservient, is that why I left you with such an impression? If that's the impression I left, I apologize for disappointing you. The me now is the real me, but it's not too late; you can get to know me again."
Clark shrugged, discarding the hood in his hand.
"Do Jonathan and Martha know what you're doing now? And Eric? They definitely wouldn't approve of you doing something like this!"
Kara glared at Clark.
"That's my business. I can decide my own life; I don't need anyone else's guidance."
Clark replied impatiently.
"I'll tell Eric!"
Kara said, frowning.
"Didn't you just think I was Eric? You're full of prejudice, Kara, my sister. Don't show me your ridiculous parental attitude. I fear no one!"
Bang!
As soon as he finished speaking, Clark launched a sneak attack, transforming into a hurricane and charging towards Kara.
Kara, who was about to reason with him, never expected her brother to become a "little scoundrel" who resorted to sneak attacks!
Caught off guard, Kara was struck by Clark. With a loud bang, her entire body transformed into a streak of light and flew forward with a roar.
Finally, she slammed through a wall, falling to the ground amidst rising dust and flying stones.
Having completed his attack, Clark did not continue the pursuit, but instead coldly watched Kara, who lay amidst the brick wall.
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