章 170: The Fall of the Dark Knight

Batman could no longer use any method to stop him.

…He was Superman, and what he set his mind on, he would see through to the end.

"Citizens, just as I was about to reveal Batman's true identity to you, he attacked us once again," Superman's severe and cold expression stared directly into the camera, casting deep shadows beneath his brow.

"He has used his technology, and the wealth society has provided him, to erode our world. I can no longer tolerate his actions. I must take from him the one thing he values most: his secret identity."

"—Batman is Bruce Wayne."

Superman's revelation instantly set off a tidal wave of public uproar across the world.

Everyone watching the broadcast reacted in shock: "Bruce Wayne?"

"Bruce Wayne is Batman?"

"Oh my God, Bruce Wayne has been Batman this whole time? How did he hide it for so long?"

"That's impossible… How could Bruce Wayne be Batman?!"

Billions of people, in countless languages, expressed their astonishment.

Billions were stunned by the truth—no one had ever imagined that the most mysterious superhero, the Dark Knight who never fell, was in fact the flamboyant billionaire, Bruce Wayne.

After dropping this bombshell, Superman fell silent for a moment.

It seemed like he was weighing an important decision.

With a mind capable of thinking a billion times faster than a human's, his Kryptonian brain entered a deep contemplation.

After what felt like an eternity, he slowly raised his gaze and spoke, his voice heavy:

"I will not forgive any traitor. From today onward, the Justice League will issue the highest-level global arrest warrant for Batman and his accomplices. Anyone with information can report them to the ruling government. A significant bounty will be offered for any useful intel."

Soren stood frozen in front of the screen, as though plunged into a cold abyss.

He already knew what Clark intended to do, but he was powerless to stop it.

"Clark," Soren whispered, knowing full well Clark couldn't hear him.

But still, it was as if he were speaking directly to him.

His lips barely moved. "You've made a terrible mistake…"

On the screen behind Superman, two images appeared—one of Batman, a rare capture taken in the shadows of the night, and the other of Soren, seen through the surveillance cameras of the Justice League headquarters.

Superman's fingers formed a sharp, pointed pyramid as they pressed against his chin. "If anyone has information on their whereabouts, contact the Justice League."

The global broadcast ended there.

Cyborg shut down the camera for Superman, but he remained seated in his high-backed metal chair, holding the same posture for a long time.

Eventually, he stirred.

Slowly, Superman stepped out of the shadows, walking one deliberate step after another out of the Justice League hall.

At the top of the stairs outside, a slim figure sat, knees drawn up to his chest.

He heard Superman's footsteps and turned around excitedly, revealing a flawless, delicate face.

Long, thick lashes fluttered over baby-blue eyes like silk threads.

He patted his knees, inching closer to the god among men, his rose-petal lips parting slightly, "Superman…"

But before he could say more, Superman's hand suddenly gripped his shoulder.

Silus's body went rigid, his eyes locking onto Superman's, puzzled. "Superman… what's wrong?"

Superman gazed down at him, his eyes dark and unreadable.

His stare swept over Silus's face, pausing for a long moment on the smooth, flawless skin of his forehead.

—A searing scarlet heat vision shot through that delicate skin, piercing the skull beneath and reaching the very depths of Silus's brain!

"Ah—!!"

Silus's scream ripped through the air, his eyes widening to the point of almost bursting from their sockets.

His entire body trembled violently, like a tattered leaf caught in Superman's firm grip.

Yet, despite the beam that had bored through his skull, Silas wasn't dead.

He was still alive, still breathing, gasping in shock, sobbing in terror.

Superman retracted his heat vision and loosened his grip.

Silsu collapsed onto the ground, sprawled at Superman's feet.

Two bloody wounds gaped open on his forehead, dark red blood slowly dripping down.

He trembled uncontrollably, his pale fingertips brushing against the wounds on his forehead, coming away stained with blood.

His eyes filled with tears, and he immediately began to sob, "Superman, are… are you going to remove my prefrontal cortex? Do you think I'm a criminal too?"

Superman stood still, towering over the fragile, slender boy beneath him.

"I used my heat vision to destroy the neural controller embedded in your brain. Hydra had implanted it to control their assets," his deep voice rumbled, though it seemed he hadn't planned to explain himself, "You're free to go."

"M-me?" Silus stammered in shock, looking up at Superman in confusion, "They put a controller in my brain? So now I'm—"

"This is your reward. Many wish for this freedom, but you are the only one who gets to have it."

After delivering those words, Superman cast a cold glance down at him before walking toward the stairs.

"Don't ever let me see that face again."

That was the last thing Superman said to Silus before leaving.

...

Northwest Alaska, underground base.

After spending a day in the infirmary, Soren adamantly refused to stay any longer.

He'd come to realize how rare it was for someone to have their own room in the resource-scarce base, and he was anxious to free it up for someone in greater need.

"I'm really fine. My healing abilities are fast," he blinked at Steve, trying to convince him, "The other injured soldiers need the infirmary more than I do. I'm already up and moving around. There's nothing wrong with me."

Steve, however, looked at him seriously, "You still need surgery to repair your vocal cords."

Soren paused, his expression becoming slightly awkward.

He rubbed the back of his neck and averted his gaze, embarrassed. "I, uh, don't think that's necessary. It's really no big deal. Unless… you guys think my voice is that unpleasant?"