A few minutes later, near General Lane's command vehicle, nearly eighty ninjas surrounded the general and his remaining sixteen soldiers, their gazes cold and unflinching.
General Lane met their stares and pressed his hand firmly against a red button on the compartment wall.
"I don't care who you are," he growled. "Step closer and I'll destroy everything here, leaving nothing behind! Come on, you bastards, show me who dares move again! Damn it, someone behind me must have betrayed me!"
He was ready to press the detonator at any moment. In an instant, the command vehicle and half a block around it would be obliterated.
He didn't fear dying; he had already lost his daughter. What else did he have to lose?
His soldiers exchanged uneasy glances. If someone had betrayed Lane, the traitor might still be among them.
Lane scowled. He knew exactly what they were thinking.
"Stop staring at each other," he barked. "The one who betrayed me knows too many secrets. It's not one of you. It's someone with influence, maybe a political rival or a LexCorp competitor. If things go south, gentlemen, then I'll take all of you down with me."
He tensed his hand on the button, ready to end them all.
Then, a calm voice called out from the ninja ranks.
"Wait!"
Lane exhaled sharply, sensing a chance to negotiate.
A man in a silver-threaded robe stepped forward, moving through the ninjas with effortless grace. He stopped before Lane, observing silently for a few moments, then bowed.
Straightening, he sighed. "I never expected that in the American military, which I've long considered corrupt, there would be a general capable of such resolve. But General Sam Lane, with such determination, do you think your daughter is ready to die for her country?"
At his words, two ninjas stepped forward carrying an unconscious Lois Lane. Lane's eyes widened, his breathing quickened.
He pointed shakily at the silver-robed figure. "Let her go!"
"We can, but first we must talk."
"How do we talk?" Lane demanded.
"A person for a product."
"What product?"
The silver-robed man's tone was calm. "General Lane, I know your command vehicle links to half of America's military network, including the Sky Eye system. I also heard you recently received a shipment of small experimental devices from LexCorp. These are the things we want—they are far more valuable to us than your daughter."
"Impossible," Lane spat, shaking his head. "Even I am not worth that much. You think I would trade my daughter for toys? Your target is LexCorp's cutting-edge tech, isn't it? I haven't even signed a contract on their behalf. If the equipment is lost, it's only a delay in our bidding agreement. I can negotiate on the devices, but the Sky Eye network stays with me. Believe me, even in this situation, the nearest missile system has already locked onto my vehicle. The National Guard will arrive in under five minutes, so don't think you have much time either!"
Lane looked up at the sky, sighing heavily. For his daughter, he was no longer just a general—he was a desperate father.
The silver-robed ninja considered him, frowning. "If not the sub-network, what if we only take the associated code?"
"Still no," Lane shouted. "Sky Eye cannot tolerate mistakes. If you insist, then I'll die with my daughter! And I swear, all of you will go down with me!"
"Fine," the silver-robed man said. He flicked his hand, and the ninjas surged forward. They carefully handed Lois Lane to Lane's soldiers while swiftly moving the LexCorp equipment away.
Lane exhaled, pressing a hand against the vehicle. "I have the trump card to take all of you down. You have the chance to eliminate us completely. But at this point, there's no need to fight to the death, don't you agree?"
"Taking what is owed, we simply honor the terms of the contract," the silver-robed man said calmly, retreating. The ninjas disappeared into the shadows, leaving no trace behind.
South of Smallville, near Champs Park, Ra's al Ghul limped toward the woods, gritting his teeth.
As he neared the path, his brow furrowed sharply. He pushed off his left leg and scrambled three meters just as a car wheel hub slammed down where he had stood, leaving a deep crater.
He froze, staring at the massive pit, swallowing hard. His broken right leg dangled uselessly as he pivoted on his intact left leg. Axel was speeding toward him.
Axel stopped five meters away, a smirk on his face as he studied Ra's al Ghul's crippled leg.
"Old man, I said you might win, but I will never lose. Are you sure now?" Axel taunted, arms crossed over his chest.
Ra's al Ghul inhaled deeply, a weighty expression on his face. "I misjudged you. I was deceived by your earlier speed. I didn't expect your overall strength to increase so rapidly. Such talent… to appear in someone who disrespects strength is a waste of natural resources."
Axel laughed and interrupted. "And what right do you have to feel regret, you damn bastard?"
He stepped forward, sneering. "When you chase power obsessively, believing in it like it's everything, you're not mastering it—you're enslaved by it. I am different. Power is just a bonus of my talent. My true gift is absolute freedom. Absolute freedom comes only from an unshackled will and soul. You, on the other hand, are bound by power, honor, purpose, achievement. They control you, push you, excite you, and in turn, they chain you. The more satisfied you are, the less free you become."
Axel shook his head and suddenly lunged, grabbing Ra's al Ghul's neck with one hand.
Ra's al Ghul thrust his right hand sharply, aiming to pierce Axel's eyes with his sharp fingers. Crack!
Axel merely closed his eyes. The force snapped Ra's al Ghul's fingers and wrist against his own eyelids.
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