American comics: Starting in Arkham, a system-based Batman

Chapter 131 "I'm going to the restroom!"

Zheng En is unsure how this universe will develop in the future, but based on the example of Batman, the memories of the two Supermen are likely to merge.

Just as the Joker's provocation caused Batman to sever his connection with the cosmos, it took him quite some time to digest and absorb the sudden influx of memories. Batman's universe was special; through those remnants, he could access memories from many universes, making digestion exceptionally difficult.

But what about Superman Injustice?

What impact will this extra several decades of life experience have on him?

The Joker's interference prevented Zheng En from knowing what would happen after Batman and the Chief's memories merged. They were the same person with similar past experiences. The brief encounter in the chaos didn't make Zheng En realize the difference. His intuition told him that the person was the Chief who had been with him for so long, and also Batman who fought alongside him.

But Injustice Superman isn't like that.

His life was violently torn in two by external forces. In the first half, he was an upright and kind-hearted young man from a small town, a bright and promising future. In the second half, he became a tyrant filled with bloodshed and corpses. His companions, to whom he had once entrusted his life, fell at his feet, and the people he had once protected held their breath and dared not mention his name again.

Zheng En couldn't be sure which side's will would dominate when the Superman's memories were merged.

Even the same person may have different thoughts at different times. People cannot truly empathize with others, and may not even understand themselves from just a few minutes ago.

No matter how much a person repents after losing, once they have some capital, they will do anything to win it back. Even if the money is so important that it concerns the lives of their loved ones, there are examples of people who will squander it on the gambling table again.

Jung Eun wasn't a gambler; he didn't dare gamble on what Superman would do after regaining his memories.

Is he a chosen one of tomorrow, untouched by the gloom and aware of his own future mistakes, or a god among men with an extreme attitude and unwavering faith?

He must have the power to defeat Superman before that, not a novice or a seasoned hero skilled in restraint, but a tyrant who is cruel and brutal, capable of killing Green Arrow and suddenly attacking Shazam when he is off guard, burning through his brain.

While the violence against Green Arrow could be explained by Injustice Superman's excessive concern for his parents and his being blinded by rage, Shazam was truly and utterly innocent.

He was one of the first superheroes to respond to Superman's regime and saved Superman several times in battle. In the game, when Lex Luthor donned his armor to fight Injustice Superman and hesitated to launch an attack, it was Shazam, who had already been defeated, who destroyed his armor with lightning.

However, shortly after that same day, Shazam died.

The arrival of the heroes from the main universe shook Injustice Superman's rule, and a wave of rebellion swept through Gotham. Enraged, Injustice Superman decided to blow up Gotham, just like Metropolis.

Shazam cannot accept this.

He started to feel something was wrong when Injustice Superman wanted to execute the main universe's Batman. He had discussed it with The Flash, but he remained hesitant and was unable to truly extricate himself from the unjust regime.

He was the first to object to Injustice Superman's decision, and until his lips and tongue were sealed by the Frozen Breath and his brain was burned through by the Heat Vision, he never imagined that Injustice Superman would kill him.

This makes no sense and came without warning.

Simply raising objections is far from enough to warrant paying with his life; many people were present when Shazam fell.

Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Hawkgirl, Raven, Black Adam, Sinestro—they watched Shazam fall, following Injustice Superman into the afterlife. Only the Flash and Hal Jordan, now a Yellow Lantern, remained. His power source had shifted from the Green Lantern ring, representing willpower, to the Yellow Lantern, manipulating fear.

While wielding the power derived from fear, he too was gripped by fear. He knew Superman had changed, so he stopped the Flash, who, like Shazam, wanted to object.

The plot that he had only seen in the game before appeared before his eyes. Zheng En should not have remembered it so clearly, but the special nature of the original universe allowed him to glimpse fragments of other universes, and even the scene of Shazam's death in the Injustice universe came to life.

Grandi took Shazam's body away to bury it, while Injustice Hal tried hard to convince himself, and the Flash, that Shazam's death was a justifiable sacrifice.

Jung Eun wasn't sure how many of these people genuinely believed that Injustice Superman was right, and how many were just following the other side's lead.

They chose to yield because of the amount of money they received.

But he was convinced that once he could defeat Injustice Superman, these problems would no longer be problems.

Jung Eun had never felt such a thirst for power before, and during his time with Injustice Superman, he gradually came to understand Batman's feelings.

When a powerful and uncontrollable force manifests in someone, it inevitably arouses suspicion. Jung Eun once had a deep trust in Superman because of the original comics, but the appearance of Unjust Superman effectively made up for this.

No one can be trusted forever. Leaving aside universes like Injustice, Lords, and Devastation, even Superman in the main universe can act uncontrollably due to Kryptonite, magic, or other factors. Plans and backup plans are essential, but compared to Batman, Zheng En, with the system as his backing, prefers to focus on becoming stronger himself.

As long as he completes enough tasks, he can possess strength comparable to Superman.

Even if he can't do that, he can still exchange for corresponding items in the shop based on Superman's weaknesses, such as green kryptonite that can weaken the opponent's power, or gold kryptonite that can permanently strip Kryptonians of their abilities.

A dangerous thought flashed through Zheng En's mind, but he didn't dwell on it. There was no need to be overly concerned about the distant future, which was uncertain when it would unfold. The Unjust Superman, with whom he could only communicate, wouldn't have much impact on reality.

Unlike the unified system, Zheng Enlai's unjust universe is similar to a labor dispatch system, where Superman has no authority to use the system's power.

The most important thing now is the unfinished tasks: [Kill the Joker], [The Birth of Metal Man], and [Superheroes and Supervillains (Phase Two)]. Let's leave the first one aside for now, but the latter two can be accomplished simultaneously.

Zheng En had made up her mind; all she needed to do now was wait and see what the metal man would do.

Nearly half a month has passed since the Metal Man first appeared, but the comments about him have not only not subsided, but have intensified, with some even calling him Superman's lifelong enemy.

"You know, since Superman appeared, this is the first time a criminal has been able to fight him on equal terms, and even gain the upper hand!"

There are power struggle enthusiasts everywhere. They can have a great time just fighting electronic crickets in comics and novels, let alone real people in real life.

Clark listened to the casual conversations of his colleagues around him, and while typing on his keyboard, he couldn't help but prick up his ears.

Superman is a big star at the Daily Planet, and whenever someone mentions his other identity, he listens attentively for a few minutes. If someone insults or slanders him, Clark pretends not to hear and focuses on his work. If someone praises or compliments him, he nods silently. Sometimes, when he hears excessive praise, he feels embarrassed and his ears turn red.

Generally speaking, when the Daily Planet colleagues talk about Superman, they only care about his deeds and physique, and few people can be compared to Superman.

Simply put, most criminals wouldn't last a single round against Superman.

Robbery, theft, extortion—since the advent of Superman, these criminal activities have often ended before they even began.

The masked bandit got out of the car with a gun, turned around and met the gaze of Superman, who was hovering right in front of him. He pulled the trigger, and the bullet flew out. The copper bullets clanged as if hitting steel, leaving only a pile of bullet fragments scattered on the ground. Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that the bullet tips were all twisted.

In this situation, who can be compared to Superman?

That's why the appearance of the metal man is so conspicuous.

Like Superman, his title was given by the media. However, unlike Superman, whose title was carefully chosen by Lois Lane, the origin of the title Metal Man was much simpler. His entire body was replaced by metal, leaving only half of his face with a menacing appearance. The media unanimously used the code name Metal Man, but their attitudes were mixed.

Unlike Superman, who has done many good deeds and is handsome, Metal Man is clearly a criminal. He makes an entrance by flipping cars, fighting Superman, and taking a little girl hostage while escaping. Most media outlets look down on him, describing Metal Man as a cyborg who is only slightly better than ordinary criminals.

However, some tabloids did the opposite, focusing their articles on the Metal Man and attracting a lot of attention.

The words Clark had heard earlier were from colleagues who, influenced by him, began discussing the same topic with others.

"Didn't someone film a video from a distance? Although it's blurry, you can see Superman being punched several times by the Metal Man, and even kicked dozens of meters away."

This is true.

Clark, who was typing on the keyboard, awkwardly lowered his head and buried himself in front of the computer desk. Passersby at first glance...

You might think he's very serious, but a closer look reveals that his hands are just resting on the keyboard, and he only presses one letter after a long time.

Unlike his colleagues who were speculating about how good and powerful the Metal Man's performance was, Clark, who had actually fought the Metal Man, clearly realized that something about the Metal Man was suppressing him.

His body felt weak, painful, and uncomfortable—the first time he had experienced these emotions since awakening his abilities. Clark knew he wasn't from Earth; common ailments like colds, fevers, and pollen allergies had never affected him.

He is invulnerable to weapons, has never bled, and exhibits no physiological reactions such as sweating or goosebumps. When necessary, he can also go without sleeping, blinking, or breathing. Many physiological activities that are necessary for humans are merely habits he adopts to disguise himself as a normal person.

However, during the battle with the metal man, Clark was indeed injured.

Even after returning home, when the bruises on his abdomen and back had healed completely under the yellow sun, Clark would never forget the pain he felt back then.

Where did the metal man come from? And what is the origin of the stone that can subdue him?

Clark had no idea. He had tried using X-ray vision to find the Metal Man, but Metropolis was too large, and there were quite a few laboratories containing lead. His appearance seemed to have alerted many people, and the military and some technology companies plating parts of their buildings with lead overnight.

Clark wasn't surprised; he hadn't noticed the patient in the radiation protection vehicle in time. If the military and government were keeping a close eye on him, it was only a matter of time before they discovered it. And just recently, a reporter specializing in Superman had raised this point.

guess.

They investigated the principles of his X-ray vision and used theories of X-ray protection to guard against him. Some may have genuinely grasped his weaknesses, while others preferred to believe it rather than dismiss it.

Even in a metropolis, there are plenty of people who do dirty work. If a superhero suddenly appears who can bring justice and expose their evil deeds, it's hard not to feel uneasy.

Clark disregarded their precautions; he wasn't one to simply take a beating without fighting back. After the metal man appeared, he had considered making time to find him, searching each of the lead-plated laboratories one by one.

Unfortunately, besides being Superman, he was also a junior reporter named Clark.

The event of Superman fighting Metal Man could definitely make headlines if written well, and he was extremely busy with it.

After the first draft was submitted to Perry, it still needed revisions and proofreading. Only after this was completed did Perry generously agree to transfer him from the sports section to the city news department. With more time spent with Louise, he also had more miscellaneous tasks to handle.

This section is the busiest and requires the most travel. When Lois wanted to write an in-depth report about Superman, Clark accompanied her on her travels to interview people who had been saved by Superman or criminals whose crimes had been stopped.

They visited hospitals, schools, prisons, and banks. Returning to those they had helped as a journalist and learning about their current situations was a good thing for Clark.

As for the criminals whose plans were ruined during the interviews? Louise would retort with her sharp words without mercy, making Clark even happier to see her protecting him.

He was immersed in a busy and fulfilling daily life until the metal man reappeared.

After a brief two-week hiatus, the metal man reappeared in the city.

Compared to his previous acts of simply causing a disturbance in the crowd, this time his purpose was much clearer.

As he swaggered into the bank, the person closest to him couldn't help but scream.

"Put all the money in, now, immediately, right now!"

No one dared to look him in the eye with the remaining half of his face. The teller pressed the emergency alarm while filling the money box. Those who couldn't escape crouched in the corner, whispering "Superman."

Clark, sitting in front of the screen, instantly realized something was wrong. Several voices calling his name came from the same direction, and several tense, anxious heartbeats rang in his ears.

"I'm going to the restroom!"

He suddenly stood up from his seat and ran away.

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