Seeing that the Doomsday Virus had fallen for her trap, Ririko said delightedly, "Were you looking for me?"
She had devoured all the Tomie Organization's power within Deathstroke, then peeled herself away cleanly with all that energy in the instant before the Doomsday Virus invaded his body.
What she left for the virus was an empty shell of flesh and blood, with no capacity for infinite proliferation.
Then her body began to fall.
Countless pale, slender arms grew out of the surrounding bone spikes, supporting her like a white tide.
She sat on the throne formed by those arms, her feet dangling, like a queen from hell as she looked at the virus-possessed Deathstroke before her.
"Too bad you're already too late." Ririko chuckled.
The Doomsday Virus let out a furious roar.
Dark patterns began to churn violently across Deathstroke's skin, and the bone spikes cracked and fell off one after another.
It tried to escape that shell and return to Superman's body.
But Clark had already regained consciousness.
The dark, hardened growths on his body had completely receded, and clarity had returned to his blue eyes.
Floating in midair, he saw the Doomsday Virus struggling frantically inside Deathstroke's body, then spotted Ririko waving to him from below.
Clark's face flushed bright red. Ririko was completely naked, and he dared not look her way again. He abruptly turned his head and said, "Leave it to me."
The kryptonite energy field abruptly shut down.
The crisscrossing energy beams suddenly dissipated. Once the blue-white light faded, the densely packed bone spikes cracked and flaked away, scattering gray-white fragments over the ruins.
Bruce still held the Kryptonite Gun in firing position as he asked Cyborg, "Why did you stop?"
Cyborg's voice came through his earpiece. "Superman has regained his senses, and... Ririko