Dual-Track Strategy and Speed Force Reinforcements

Global panic erupted like a tsunami the instant General Zod's declaration ended. Yet deep within the Batcave, time seemed to have been slowed down. The noise and chaos outside could not shake the absolute silence here, much less affect the thoughts of the man standing at the heart of the shadows.

Behind Bruce's mask, there was not a trace of panic in those deep eyes—only cold rationality operating at the speed of a supercomputer. Zod's arrival had been within his expectations. It could even be said that this was the "change" he had been waiting for.

Barry Allen was still stunned by the surreal scene before him. Watching the panicked crowds scattering through the streets on the screens and feeling the despair pouring in from all over the world, he was overwhelmed by a deep sense of helplessness. "What... what do we do, Bruce? He wants us to hand over that... Kal-El, but we don't even know who he is!"

"I know who he is." Bruce's voice was terrifyingly calm. He turned around, his gaze falling on Barry, and that steady presence instantly helped the young speedster calm down a little.

Bruce did not waste any time on passive observation or intelligence gathering. Before absolute power, any hesitation was fatal. Sit back and watch the tigers fight, wait for Superman to make his own choice, then assess the situation? No, that was not his style. Leaving Earth's fate entirely in someone else's hands was an act of foolishness he could never tolerate.

He would take the initiative and firmly seize control of the situation from the very beginning.

"Now it's our turn." Bruce's voice was cold and resolute as he walked to a massive weapons display case. Inside, the three chunks of high-purity Kryptonite stolen from LexCorp gave off a dim, ominous green glow, like the eyes of demons.

"I believe in Clark Kent... in Superman's goodness. But I never believe in absolute power." Bruce's fingers lightly brushed the cold glass of the display case, his voice carrying unquestionable resolve. "I have to prepare for the worst. If he loses control, if he chooses to cooperate with Zod, or even... if he is controlled by the enemy in battle, I need to be capable of ending him myself."

He paused, then turned around. His deep gaze seemed to pierce through time and space as it met Barry's slightly widened eyes. "But before that, now is the best time to show him our 'sincerity' and pull him completely into our camp."

Bruce raised a hand and lightly tapped the air. A system interface visible only to him unfolded.

[System Space: Fenrir Armor, Status: Standby.]

This ultimate weapon, capable of slaying gods, could cover his entire body in an instant with a single thought. This was his greatest trump card for daring to face a Kryptonian. With it, Bruce possessed the physical power to confront Zod head-on. And that was precisely what qualified him to speak to a "god" as an equal.

"Barry," Bruce said, looking at The Flash, who had recovered from his initial shock and whose eyes were now full of fighting spirit, "can your Speed Force carry someone at high speed?"

"Yes!" Barry answered immediately, a hint of pride appearing on his face. "I only mastered that technique recently! Carrying someone uses more energy, and I'll be a little slower, but crossing more than half of America would still take only an instant!"

"Good." Bruce nodded. The answer was exactly what he had expected.

He quickly pulled up an encrypted phone number from the Batcomputer database. After his last contact with Clark in Metropolis, he had analyzed Clark's routines and social network, then used Wayne Enterprises' vast resources and the League of Assassins' infiltration capabilities to identify this private number belonging to Clark Kent.

Without the slightest hesitation, Bruce dialed. Before Clark could be swallowed by despair and confusion, he intended to point him toward the only correct path.

Meanwhile, in Smallville, Kansas, at Kent Farm.

Clark Kent stood on his family farm, his face full of pain and struggle. Zod's global broadcast had struck him like a bolt from the blue. The secret he had worked so hard to hide had been exposed in the worst and most devastating way possible.

He saw the terrified faces on television and heard despairing cries over the radio. He knew all of this had happened because of him. His adoptive mother, Martha Kent, watched him with worry. Her aged face was covered in wrinkles, but her eyes were still full of love and reluctance.

"What should I do... Mom?" Clark's voice was hoarse and lost. "If I turn myself in, will they spare Earth? If I don't go, Earth will be destroyed because of me..."

Martha walked over and gently took his hand, a hand strong enough to crush steel, enclosing it in her weathered yet warm palms. "Child, no matter what you decide, you will always be my pride. But remember, this world needs you not because of who you are, but because of what you choose to do."

Just as he was trapped in an impossible dilemma, the phone in his pocket suddenly began to vibrate.

It was an unfamiliar number from Gotham City.

Clark hesitated, but answered it anyway. He assumed it was a government agency calling to persuade him to surrender.

"Hello?"

A voice came from the other end of the line. It was somewhat familiar to him, yet also felt utterly unfamiliar. It was low, calm, and carried an unquestionable air of control.

"Clark. This is Bruce Wayne."

Clark froze. Bruce Wayne? The billionaire who had spoken with him so deeply at the gala? The man who had asked him the piercing question of whether gods needed judges too? Why was he calling now?

"At the same time," the voice on the other end paused, then continued in an entirely different tone—cold, hoarse, and seeming to rise from the abyss—"I am Batman."

Boom!

Clark's mind was struck as though by lightning! Bruce Wayne... was Batman?! The shock of that revelation was no less overwhelming than Zod's arrival! At last, he understood what Bruce's gaze, which had seemed able to see through everything at that gala, had meant. The Dark Knight who had established order in Gotham through bloody methods was actually the elegant billionaire from the daytime!

"...You..." Clark could not speak for a moment. Countless thoughts collided and exploded in his mind.

"I don't have time to explain." Bruce's voice allowed him no room to think as it went straight to the point. "Zod is here. I know you're confused right now and don't know whom to trust. But you must understand this: surrendering to him is absolutely not an option. You cannot gamble Earth's fate on a madman's mercy."

Bruce's words were like a sharp blade, precisely piercing the most naive fantasy in Clark's heart.

"I'm on my way to Metropolis. I need to speak with you face-to-face. I can provide you with WayneTech protection and the highest level of strategic support. Together, we can discuss how to deal with Zod."

"How... how can I trust you?" Clark asked instinctively. He had long heard of Batman's bloody methods in Gotham. He could not tell whether this man was friend or foe. Was he another Lex Luthor?

"You have no other choice, Clark." Bruce's voice was cold and realistic, dissecting Clark's current predicament like a scalpel. "Human governments will only think about handing you over to save themselves. Ambitious men like Lex Luthor would love nothing more than to see you both destroy each other, so they can reap the rewards. And I am the only person who knows both of your identities and has the ability to help you."

"I'll be waiting for you at the top of Wayne Tower in Metropolis. Whether you come or not is your choice. But remember, you only have twenty-four hours. Every second of hesitation will place more innocent people in danger."

With that, Bruce hung up without giving Clark any chance to argue. What he wanted was not persuasion, but to provide a clear direction. Amid the fog of chaos, a clear signpost was far more powerful than ten thousand words of comfort.

Inside the Batcave, Bruce set down the communications device and looked at Barry.

"Ready, Barry?" His voice returned to Batman's coldness. "We're going to Metropolis."

"Ready anytime!" Barry nodded, his eyes firm. Although he was nervous about what was about to happen, fighting alongside the legendary Dark Knight filled him with unprecedented excitement. He stepped beside Bruce and took a running stance.

"Hold on to me," Barry said.

Bruce did not hesitate. He extended his right hand, covered by a Kevlar tactical glove, and firmly placed it on Barry's somewhat slender shoulder.

The next second, dazzling golden lightning erupted from Barry's body! Countless tiny arcs of electricity danced and spiraled around him like living creatures, crackling as they lit every corner of the Batcave in flickering flashes. The air filled with a strong scent of ozone, as though the air itself had been ignited by that immense energy.

"Let's go!"

With Barry's low shout, golden lightning instantly enveloped them both!

Boom!

It was as though space had been torn apart and time frozen! In Bruce's perception, everything around him turned into abstract, radiant streaks. The jagged stone walls of the Batcave, Gotham City's iconic Gothic buildings, the dark forests beyond the city, the rolling interstate highways... everything stretched and twisted in an instant, then became brilliant bands of light racing backward.

He could feel an immense acceleration pulling at his body as if an invisible giant hand were dragging him along. Yet thanks to his superhuman physical conditioning and the armor's cushioning systems, he felt no discomfort. He merely observed this marvelous sight that defied the laws of classical physics. He could even clearly make out the outlines of cities, rivers, and mountains flashing through the bands of light, as though he were watching a documentary sped up billions of times.

This was the Speed Force—a nearly divine power capable of warping time and space itself.

Almost the instant that thought formed in Bruce's mind, the surrounding bands of light suddenly contracted! The blinding radiance faded, and the immense pulling force vanished with it.

When Bruce's feet touched solid ground again, they were already standing on the glass rooftop of a skyscraper. Below them was Metropolis at night, ablaze with lights and flowing with traffic. Unlike Gotham's gloomy darkness, the lights here were brighter, and its architecture was more modern and open. In the distance, the enormous globe atop the Daily Planet building slowly rotated, symbolizing the city's international character and inclusiveness. The cold night wind swept across the heights, lifting the heavy cape behind him like the wings of night.

The hundreds of kilometers between Gotham and Metropolis had vanished in the blink of an eye.

Barry braced his hands on his knees and panted lightly, with stray golden arcs still flickering across his body. Carrying someone over such a vast distance at extreme speed was no small burden even for him. The Speed Force expenditure far exceeded normal levels.

"We... we're here." He raised his head and looked at the thriving city before him, far more prosperous than Gotham, his eyes full of curiosity.

Bruce had already walked to the edge of the rooftop. His eyes behind white lenses swept over the city like a hawk's. He was not admiring the view. In his mind, he was rapidly constructing a three-dimensional tactical map of the city, marking every potential battlefield, every critical evacuation route, and every strategic point Zod might exploit.

He knew Clark Kent would come.

Because he had no other choice. Bruce had forced him into a position where trusting him was the only option.

Now, all he needed to do was wait.

Wait for the man carrying the hopes of an entire civilization to make the most important decision of his life.