Superman vs. S.H.I.E.L.D.

Outside, Black Widow and Agent Hill exchanged bewildered glances.

"What's this? He just admitted it? That's way too casual, isn't it?"

"Too calm... Could Entity X have some hidden card we don't know about?" Agent Melinda couldn't help but say as she observed everything in real time through the video feed.

Hill's expression was grim. "Regardless, since the words are out in the open, we need to be even more careful."

"I don't know if you noticed," Black Widow dropped a bombshell, "but he seemed to glance at us earlier! Like he already knew we were lying in ambush all around!"

Inside the room, Stark and Rogers, maintaining a unified comms link through their micro-earpieces, both froze, their gazes shifting to Aeo sitting on the sofa.

Nick Fury's face darkened as he said, "Alright, then let me ask you—do you think we're enemies, our extraterrestrial guest?"

"Calm down! Gentlemen, please calm down!" Bruce said anxiously, trying to mediate between both sides. "I don't know where you got your information—Zod might indeed be an alien visitor, from a place we don't know about—but..."

"He's under my supervision (protection) right now!"

Bruce's sharp eyes swept fiercely over Iron Man, who was reaching for his suitcase, and Captain America, who had picked up his shield.

"In my home, you need to show a certain level of respect for the host, for me. I said, put down your weapons!"

"..."

Rogers, Nick Fury, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. soldiers outside all faltered.

Tony Stark's face was stern. "No, Bruce, you don't understand. The one in front of you... this 'person' you call a guest—he's an incredibly dangerous existence. He's powerful..."

"No, you're wrong, Tony." Bruce shook his head, looking at the teenager sitting calmly on the sofa, his gaze cold and steady. "I know better than any of you how powerful and dangerous our guest is..."

"But I also know that if we want to gain an enemy, then we'll get an enemy!" Bruce said earnestly.

Aeo's expression shifted slightly.

"Listen, Captain Rogers, Director Fury, and all the S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel who might be outside..." Bruce glanced at him, unusually composed as he tried to persuade the others. "Maybe this kid's abilities are indeed a bit too dangerous, but before he's actually posed a threat to us, to the Federation, we shouldn't push a potential ally into becoming an enemy. Remember, as they say, enemies are the ones we choose ourselves!"

"Especially when he's that powerful! Tony, Captain Rogers." Bruce looked sincerely at Iron Man and Captain America. "You're no match for him. Don't let things get out of hand."

Leaving aside how those two felt hearing that, Nick Fury wasn't so easily swayed. "But in our Federation, such power needs to be watched. Listen, I don't care where you came from or what you're here for. As long as you remain on Earth, you must accept our supervision and restrictions. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise what? Arrest me? Dissect me?"

"No, Zod, listen to me..." Bruce was getting anxious. He didn't know what Nick and the others were planning; he just wanted peaceful communication, maybe an alliance, or at the very least, for them not to become enemies...

"We won't—"

But Aeo had no desire to hear them out any longer. Their relationship had plummeted to freezing point thanks to Nick Fury's near-warlike declaration. The moment the spymaster's threatening words left his mouth, Black Widow and the S.H.I.E.L.D. forces under her command swiftly and efficiently began surrounding the manor! And what disappointed Aeo was that Tony Stark had also donned his famous armor, while Steven Rogers nervously hefted his shield.

"You never learn to show respect or awe toward foreign lifeforms, powerful alien species, do you?" Aeo's eyes glinted dangerously, a hint of irritation creeping in.

"Hey, shouldn't we all calm down a bit? Yes, I'm talking to you, Mr. Alien... or should I say kid? Because you look... not that old." If not courting death, was he even Iron Man? In the midst of everyone's tension, he still had the nerve to joke.

"Kid?" Aeo laughed. It wasn't so much disappointment as exhaustion and impatience with humanity's habit of always trying to control what they don't understand. "This 'kid' can put every single one of you on the ground!" His tone turned icy.

"Then try it!" With the armor on, Stark was always brimming with confidence.

The scene went quiet for a moment. Nick and the others' faces changed. "No—"

Bam!

Before Iron Man could even react, the Son of Krypton lunged and punched him flying with a single blow. The immense kinetic energy sent him hurtling out of Wayne Manor. If not for the steel armor protecting him and Aeo pulling his punch, Iron Man would likely be a corpse by now.

"What the..." Stark stared dumbfounded as countless red warnings flashed before his eyes.

"Warning! Warning!" J.A.R.V.I.S. alerted. "Armor has sustained unprecedented impact. Defense weakened. Power systems damaged..."

"..."

Shock and reaction came simultaneously. The others were momentarily stunned by the teenager's sudden aggression. Since talks had broken down, Steven Rogers couldn't hold back either. "Listen, we're not—" He hurled his shield forward.

Clang. Aeo caught the Star-Spangled Shield with one hand, his face expressionless.

"..."

"Attack! Attack!" Nick Fury shouted into his wrist-mounted communicator while opening fire directly.

Bang, bang, bang. The bullets had no effect on the teenager's body. Nick and Captain America stared in shock.

"No!" Bruce's eyes were bloodshot. "This is my home... Watch out!" Batman rolled sideways, shielding the old butler, who had been frozen in place by the chaos, with his own body.

"Alfred, get out of here! It's not safe!" The words had barely left his mouth when an RPG came flying in.

Boom!

Smoke and flames instantly filled the entire space.

"Your choice!"

An icy voice rang out. Before Captain America could react, a figure shot toward him with lightning speed and sent Rogers, who had dodged to the side to avoid the RPG, flying with a heavy punch.

"Captain, are you okay?"

"Stark, are you alright?"

In an instant, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s comms system was flooded with anxious, fearful shouts.

"Attack! Attack now!" Agent Hill commanded.

"Cough." Captain America, knocked into a corner, climbed back up, coughing lightly. Hearing the relentless gunfire and explosions, his face twisted in alarm. "No, stop firing! You're no match for him—"

But it was already too late.

Aeo, now genuinely enraged, said, "...Since you have chosen hostility, then..." He flew up amidst the stunned gazes of everyone present.

"No!"

Boom!