"Superman?"
As soon as the words were spoken, silence fell over the audience.
A few seconds later, the atmosphere erupted, and every member of the Justice League reacted in shock.
"Superman? For real?"
"If he exists, why have we never heard of him before?"
"The so-called 'god' of the world… is he really that strong?"
"Wait, Batman expects Superman to take on the entire Skrull clone army alone? That's insane!"
Across the crowd, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and others exchanged bewildered remarks.
"Superman isn't on Earth," Eddie interjected, cutting through the chaotic chatter. "Apparently, he left a long time ago—he's out in space."
Hearing this, Spider-Man nearly jumped out of his suit.
"So… Superman is coming back?"
"Superman's return… wait, isn't this playing out exactly like in the movies?"
"I knew it! The movie plots are basically real-life allegories!"
Excitement buzzed through the group, momentarily overshadowing the dire crisis at hand.
Despite the lively discussion, their focus never strayed too far from the threat looming overhead—the massive spaceship and the Skrull invaders poised above New York.
Even so, the overwhelming sense of dread that had gripped them earlier began to fade.
Batman had said everything was under control. They just needed to watch the show.
And if the day ever came when even Batman couldn't be trusted… then Earth was truly doomed.
Super Skrull Carter hovered above the battlefield, his expression cold and unreadable.
Transformed into the likeness of Captain Marvel, his confidence was unshakable.
Even if the real Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers, stood before him right now, he wouldn't be afraid—let alone these so-called 'superheroes' of Earth.
After all, from what he had observed, none of Earth's current superpowered beings could match Carol Danvers' strength.
And with his fellow Super Skrulls at his side, their overwhelming firepower was no joke.
This wasn't a battle. This was an invasion.
And Earth was about to be claimed.
Carter had made up his mind.
It was time.
Time for the Skrulls to establish a new home.
His gaze swept over the city below, where the Justice League superheroes had assembled.
His expression remained neutral.
They were insignificant.
His companions could handle them with ease.
Only one person gave him pause—one persistent obstacle that had stood in his way for far too long.
Batman.
The Dark Knight had orchestrated this situation, forcing him into the open. That could only mean one thing—Batman had a plan.
Carter was curious.
What trick could Batman possibly have up his sleeve this time?
Hovering high above the city, Carter sneered.
"Batman…"
His voice carried across the city as he observed the silent battlefield below.
"You orchestrated all of this. Stirred up the Skrulls. Created panic. Forced me to reveal myself."
"And now what?"
"Now that you realize you can't win… you're too scared to show up?"
Contempt dripped from his voice, his taunt echoing across New York.
On the ground, people held their breath, their faces tight with fear.
If Batman wasn't coming…
If even he had no answer…
Then who could stop this invasion?
As Carter's voice boomed through the city, New Yorkers finally succumbed to panic.
The Super Skrulls hovering in midair, including Carter, scanned the city below like searchlights.
On the ground, the Justice League members were standing by.
Although Batman had instructed them not to act, they couldn't help but feel uneasy.
What was Batman waiting for?
How was he planning to turn the tide when he hadn't even shown himself yet?
Was he relying on Superman?
Where was Superman?
Why wasn't he here yet?
Anton stood silently, his gaze sweeping over the city, mirroring Carter's watchful stance high above.
A faint smile played on his lips.
It's almost time.
Superman would appear.
And when he did, Carter and the Super Skrulls were done for.
But first, the tension needed to reach its peak—the city had to be pushed to the brink of despair.
Only then would the people truly witness and appreciate Superman's power.
Only then would his legend grow.
And when the moment came, the fanbase that followed Superman's return would be massive.
Looking at New York now, it was nearly there—the same overwhelming dread from the last New York War had returned.
Just a little longer.
"Is he really not coming out?"
Carter frowned slightly.
This wasn't right.
He had expected Batman to retaliate aggressively, rallying every superhero on Earth to fight back.
Even with his confidence in the Skrulls' power, he knew that if the entire planet fought back with everything they had, victory wouldn't be guaranteed.
But things had not played out as expected.
Batman was silent.
He had forced Carter into the open—yet now, he refused to show himself.
Why?
Had he given up and left Earth to the Skrulls?
No.
That wasn't Batman's style.
The uncertainty irritated Carter. His fist clenched.
"Enough of this!"
His voice turned cold and commanding.
"Everyone—occupy New York. Make it our base and declare the beginning of a new era!"
His eyes glowed with conviction.
"Spread the word to all Skrulls hidden across Earth—war is coming!"
"This is the war between humans and Skrulls!"
"Understood!"
His fellow Super Skrulls responded in unison.
And then—
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
They scattered in all directions, streaking toward different parts of the city.
Below, the Justice League and New York's citizens braced themselves.
Tension gripped them.
And then—
The instant the Super Skrulls moved, something hit them.
From seemingly every direction, an unseen force sent them hurtling back.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Under everyone's stunned gazes, the Super Skrulls—disguised as Earth's superheroes—were blasted backward, one by one, slamming into their own mothership.
"What—?"
Carter's eyes went wide with shock.
His mind raced.
His reflexes and vision were exceptional—and yet, he hadn't even seen what hit them.
Only a faint blur of red and blue had flickered past.
BOOM!
The force of the impact dented the ship's outer hull.
Small chunks of metal broke off, tumbling downward toward the city.
Reacting instantly, Spider-Man and the others leaped into action.
They raced into the air, intercepting the falling debris—making sure no one below was harmed.
But even as they did, their minds echoed the same thought:
Superman was here.
However, no one paid attention to Spider-Man and the others.
Even they—Spider-Man and his allies—had their eyes locked onto the spaceship above.
Beside Carter, the leader of the Super Skrulls, a figure had appeared without a sound.
A tall, imposing man.
His black hair was neatly styled, with a signature curl resting on his forehead. His piercing blue eyes held unwavering resolve.
A blue bodysuit stretched across his powerful frame, a red cape billowing behind him.
And on his chest—
A red and gold, diamond-shaped S emblem.
A symbol known across the world.
A symbol of hope.
Superman. He was here.
For a moment, the city was silent.
Then—
"It's really Superman!"
"Superman is back… Superman exists!"
"This time, Batman didn't come alone—he called his greatest ally!"
"I get it now… It was all part of Batman's plan…"
"The movie!"
Gasps of realization spread through the crowd like wildfire.
"Batman v Superman just came out… The death of Superman… his return…"
"That movie was a warning—Batman was preparing us for this!"
"He knew about the Super Skrulls all along!"
In an instant, the hopeless despair that had gripped New York was erased.
The people cheered.
Their faith in Batman and Superman reignited like a flame in the darkness.
New York, the stronghold of the Justice League, was filled with die-hard DC fans.
They had all watched the movie, every household contributing a ticket sale to Batman's cause.
And now—fiction had become reality.
It all made sense.
Batman had orchestrated everything.
He had forced the Super Skrulls into the open.
So that Superman could take them down.
News feeds from New York broadcast the unfolding battle to every corner of the world.
Governments. Intelligence agencies. Secret organizations.
All eyes were on the man in the sky.
And when they saw him—
A collective sigh of relief spread across the globe.
It was still under control.
Just as Batman had promised.
At a military command center, U.S. Secretary of Defense John Keller sat frozen, his gaze locked onto the screen.
His breath hitched.
Anton's unshakable confidence… Batman's secretive maneuvers…
It all led to this moment.
His fingers curled into a tight fist.
"Don't let me down…" he muttered under his breath.
"Superman?"
Carter's eyes narrowed.
For a brief moment, his Captain Marvel-shaped form froze in place, his mind racing.
The name stirred buried knowledge in his memory.
An alien.
A survivor of the destroyed planet Krypton.
A planet the Skrulls had never encountered during their travels through the stars.
And yet—
The Kryptonians looked exactly like humans.
The odds of two species developing identical physiology were nearly impossible.
Even in the vast expanse of the universe—this was beyond coincidence.
Carter had gathered plenty of intel on Batman.
And during his research, he had come across mentions of Superman.
But—
He never watched the latest movie.
"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."
Not only had it been released too recently, but he had never even considered the possibility of Superman showing up.
His entire plan had been built on the assumption that—
Superman was dead.
Now, face-to-face with the Man of Steel, realization dawned.
"So this… this was Batman's trump card."
Carter's expression hardened.
His gaze locked onto Superman's.
The tension between them was palpable—two forces of nature, standing at equal height, staring each other down.
And Carter understood— This battle had just begun.
"You used everything just to draw me out… but now, you don't even have the courage to face me?"
Carter's voice was laced with mockery.
"Does Batman actually think you can kill me?"
He paused, watching Superman carefully, searching for a reaction.
"But Batman certainly didn't expect that I still have so many Super Skrulls by my side…"
His words were slow, deliberate—testing Superman.
"Enough."
Carter's taunts were abruptly cut off.
Superman's voice was calm, but it carried an unmistakable weight.
"To deal with you? Batman isn't needed.
I'm enough."
A collective gasp swept through the battlefield.
The Justice League.
The New Yorkers watching below.
The entire world, watching through their screens.
Was he really that confident?
Even Spider-Man and the others exchanged glances, momentarily caught off guard.
Superman was undoubtedly strong—but this level of dismissive arrogance was beyond anything they expected.
And yet…
It was exactly what they expected.
Because he was Superman.
A man who had the power to look down on any enemy with unshaken confidence.
Carter's expression darkened.
Superman's response wasn't just arrogance—it was humiliation.
Behind him, his army of Super Skrulls, each one transformed into an Earth superhero, glared at Superman with murderous intent.
All eyes were locked on him.
"You're done."
Carter's voice dripped with rage.
"No one has ever dared speak to me like that. I'll make you regret it."
His fist clenched as he raised his voice for the entire world to hear.
"I will kill you first—right here, in front of everyone!"
"And I will make the world see how wrong Batman was to bet everything on you!"
He swung his arm forward.
"Kill him! Let Superman be the first casualty in Earth's downfall!"
The command was given.
WHOOSH!
In perfect formation, the Super Skrulls launched their attack.
Clad in high-tech suits with specialized flight gear, they rushed toward Superman at blinding speed.
The sky lit up with chaotic energy beams.
One of the Spider-Man clones shot out a web of sticky, ultra-tough silk, aiming to trap Superman.
A Venom replica snarled, lunging forward.
A Tony Stark copy raised his repulsors, firing at full blast.
The Green Goblin.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The Fantastic Four.
A swarm of super-powered warriors, converging on one man.
The city held its breath.
Would Superman really be okay?
But among all the tension— The Justice League members remained calm.
Their confidence?
It didn't come from Superman.
It came from Batman.
Even now, in the face of this imminent danger, Batman hadn't stepped in.
Which meant one thing—
Batman was never worried.
And if Batman believed in Superman—so should they.
On a rooftop, Spider-Man's eyes widened.
"Wait… if Superman gets tangled in my web, he could be in trouble—"
The thought had barely formed when—
BOOM!
Superman's expression didn't change.
His eyes glowed a blazing red.
Then—
Two beams of scorching-hot energy blasted forth.
HEAT VISION.
Beams powerful enough to melt steel and vaporize anything in their path.
Carter's smirk vanished.
The Spider-Man clone never stood a chance.
The moment his webs touched the heat vision, they disintegrated instantly—evaporated into nothing.
Before he could even react, the burning beams engulfed him whole.
SHHHH!
In seconds, he was gone.
Not a scream. Not a struggle. Just… dust.
The battlefield fell silent.
On a rooftop below, the real Spider-Man shuddered. His face went pale as he watched what had just happened.
His spider-sense screamed at him. His hands trembled.
"M-My webs… didn't even slow him down?"
He swallowed hard.
"If that were me up there, I'd be—"
He couldn't even finish the sentence.
Instead, he whispered:
"Oh, man… I'm so dead."
…
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