An Uninvited Guest

On the screen appeared high-definition satellite images of Superman rescuing people in Metropolis. He hovered in midair, radiant light stretching behind him like a god. Next came blurry black-and-white footage from a World War I battlefield: a woman in classical armor effortlessly deflected a barrage of heavy machine-gun bullets with her bracelets. Then there was a sonar analysis chart from a deep-sea probe. A massive, unidentifiable energy signal was moving through the depths of the Mariana Trench at speeds far beyond any submarine. Beside the sonar chart was a rubbing of an ancient mural depicting a trident.

"This world is becoming more and more dangerous." Bruce's voice carried the cold foresight of a warning from the future. "Aliens, ancient evil gods, invaders from other dimensions... These threats have already surpassed what any one nation—or even any single superhero—can handle."

His gaze swept over the files, his eyes becoming unfathomably deep, as though he had already seen a future of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

"That alien in Metropolis, Clark Kent, is powerful, but he is too naive. Bound by human morality and easily swayed by emotion, he could become a weakness at a critical moment. The Amazon princess of Paradise Island possesses the strength of a god, but she knows nothing about the human world and has been isolated from it for too long. The king of Atlantis beneath the sea is proud and solitary. He only cares about his underwater kingdom and is hostile toward the surface."

"And you, Barry Allen." Bruce turned around and looked directly at Barry with an unprecedented gaze, one filled with scrutiny and expectation. "You possess the power to alter time and cross dimensions. Your very existence is a strategic weapon—a key capable of reversing defeat."

"We need an alliance. An alliance formed by Earth's most powerful guardians. We must be prepared before the crisis arrives. When darkness shrouds the world, we need a light that can pierce it, a sword that can sever fate itself. And I will be the one who wields that sword."

Every word Bruce spoke struck Barry's heart like a heavy hammer, stirring towering waves within him. He had never considered anything so grand, so distant. He had always thought that as long as he protected Central City, caught the superpowered criminals born from the particle accelerator explosion, and kept his family and friends safe, that would be enough.

But Bruce's words opened an entirely new door for him. A door leading to a broader and far more dangerous world. He felt like a child who had only just learned to walk, only to be told he was about to enter a cosmic marathon.

"I... I'm just a forensic scientist..." Barry opened his mouth, not knowing what to say for a moment. The proposal was far too significant, filling him with unprecedented pressure and a trace of... excitement.

Then, without warning, something changed!

"Warning! Warning! Unknown protocol intrusion! Firewall bypassed! System control is being lost!"

A shrill, highest-level alarm tore through the silence of the Batcave like razor-sharp claws! All the data streams and classified files on the Batcomputer's main screen vanished instantly, replaced by a rotating black emblem with an eerie geometric beauty. It resembled an eye from the abyss, coldly watching this world.

"The system has been breached!" Bruce's expression darkened, and his eyes instantly sharpened like blades. The Batcave's firewall was the most advanced defensive system on the planet, built from Wayne Enterprises technology, military technology, and even fragments of alien technology. It was almost impossible to breach from the outside! Unless... the other side possessed technology completely beyond the scope of current scientific understanding!

The next second, every television, radio, network, mobile phone... every electronic device capable of receiving a signal across the globe was forcibly taken over by an irresistible, overwhelmingly domineering force!

The massive billboards in Times Square, the intersection in Shibuya, Tokyo, the pigeons in Trafalgar Square, London, and television screens in countless homes all instantly turned into black-and-white static. After the piercing noise, a figure clad in black heavy armor covered in runes appeared before all seven billion people on Earth. His expression was cold, and his eyes brimmed with contempt and arrogance toward lesser civilizations.

"You are not alone."

His voice came in an unknown language, yet through the signal itself, every human on Earth automatically understood it in their own native tongue. It rang clearly in everyone's mind, carrying the lofty tone of a god making a proclamation to insects.

"My name is General Zod. I come from a distant planet that has long since been destroyed—Krypton."

"I crossed the endless sea of stars to come here in search of one of my people. He has disguised himself as one of you and lived among you."

General Zod's gaze seemed to pierce through the screen, sweeping across every person on Earth. That tangible sense of oppression made countless people feel as though they could not breathe.

"He must answer for his actions. Hand him over. Among your governments is one of my people, someone who has been secretly protecting his identity. He knows where to find him."

"Kal-El, listen carefully." General Zod's voice grew even colder. "For the sake of this planet you cherish, surrender to your own people. If you do not appear within twenty-four hours, this world will pay the price for your choice."

With that, the signal cut off.

The entire world fell into deathly silence.

Then came an unprecedented wave of panic that swept across the globe! Cries, screams, and the sounds of cars crashing rang out simultaneously in every corner of the world!

Inside the Batcave, Barry stared dumbfoundedly at the vanished figure on the screen. His body trembled slightly from shock as he muttered, "Oh... oh my God... Kryptonians... Aliens really came... Is... is this real?"

Bruce, meanwhile, stared fixedly at the final Kryptonian emblem frozen on the screen—the symbol of hope, which now represented destruction. Beneath his mask, his eyes were cold enough to chill to the bone, yet there was even more of that calm certainty of just as I expected.

He knew that the plot of Man of Steel had begun earlier than he expected, and in an even more forceful manner.

And he had long been prepared for it.