145 Not the End, but The Beginning

(~˘▾˘)~~(˘▾˘~)

=======

Injured, Clark watched the two engage in a fierce battle on the ground, his heart filled with tension and sweat forming on his forehead.

It's not an exaggeration to say that the fate of not just the metropolis but the entire Earth hung in the balance of this fight.

In the beginning, when David and Brainiac were evenly matched, Clark couldn't help but worry. He knew that David didn't possess the strong regenerative abilities that Brainiac had, and injuries would accumulate.

Continuing like this, the victory scale might tip in favor of Brainiac.

But he didn't expect David to become stronger as the battle progressed, completely overpowering Brainiac.

Blood rained from the sky, Brainiac's chest collapsed, and his towering body was sent flying as David radiated a purple light, like a god born from the heart of a star, his momentum astonishing.

"On this technologically barren planet, there exists someone like you."

Spitting blood, Brainiac, under David's scorching gaze, was constantly forced back, the burning pain in his arms making his brows twitch.

"I hate accidents, but this time is an exception."

Arms burning, skin cracking, and a smell of burnt flesh filled the air.

David raised his fist, a punch that came down like a substantial wave, accompanied by a powerful gust of wind, breaking Brainiac's defense and shattering his arms.

He was about to attack again.

Brainiac's eyes narrowed, and his formidable psychic power surged into David's mind. David seemed to be struck by an invisible force, his head lifted, a buzzing sound echoing in his brain, freezing his movements.

Swiftly retreating, Brainiac seized the opportunity to catch his breath. New skin covered the wounds, broken bones reconnected, and the injuries rapidly healed as if time were flowing backward.

"An impeccable body," he said, gazing at David hungrily.

Many physically robust cosmic races did not excel in the mental arena, but David didn't have this problem. His strong psychic power was like crashing against an immovable dam.

A few splashes crossed the dam, but they caused no substantial harm.

"I really want to ask you a question. 

How do you maintain such a lofty demeanor even when falling into a disadvantageous position in battle?"

Shaking his head, David sneered coldly, approaching like a comet. His fists, as fast as light, pierced through Brainiac's defense, and the earth-shattering force brutally struck Brainiac's head, accompanied by a crisp sound of bones cracking.

Brainiac, like an ordinary person struck hard on the head with a baseball bat, had blood splattering from his head in an instant, and his brain experienced a violent shock.

However, he didn't lose consciousness due to his unique physiological structure. Even if he lost his head, he could still think and control his body through his spine.

"You stupid creature!"

Wiping the blood off his face, Brainiac, fully aware of his current disheveled appearance, shouted in rage.

"Do you think you can defeat me? This is just one of my inconspicuous biological shells."

Since his birth, no one had put him in such a miserable state. He was considered a terrifying nightmare by many life-born planets in the universe. He had destroyed countless worlds, eliminating countless lives from this garden called the universe!

And now, a guy who only knows how to throw punches, with not even a single knowledge of the galaxy in his brain, had him covered in blood.

"An artificial intelligence is furious. 

What a rare sight!"

David swiftly charged in, powerful punches breaking down Brainiac's attempts to defend, and he strangled Brainiac's neck firmly.

"You fool, do you want to suffocate me?"

Stupid mortal, he didn't require the need to breathe like a lower life form, Brainiac's face twisted. He struggled to taunt David, summoning all his strength to throw a punch at David's chest but was caught.

Bang! 

The collision of their fists and feet created concentric circles of shockwaves.

"Seems I forgot about this."

David twisted forcefully.

Pain surged through Brainiac's entire body. His body was contorted, joints immobilized, rendering him temporarily unable to move.

"But your body hasn't exceeded the scope of biological knowledge I learned in high school."

When Brainiac's consciousness descended over Earth, he probably digested everything on the Earth's network in an instant, and David believed he understood the concept of high school.

"All your efforts are in vain."

Brainiac, still held by David, wore an angry expression. Even at this moment, he didn't abandon the condescending attitude of a higher being facing ants.

"I possess endless knowledge. Power can never surpass wisdom."

"And what's the situation now?" 

David asked lightly, as if unaware of the current situation.

"Everything is still under my control. You have caught my interest. 

After today, it is not the end but a beginning!"

Brainiac's eyes flashed with greed and murderous intent. He glared and shouted with anger.

"I will descend upon this primitive and backward planet again someday. By then, flames will burn away this barren world. You will accept your fate and become the material on my experiment table. The entire mystery of your genes will be laid bare to me!"

After saying this, his eyes rolled back, and a burnt smell emanated from his head and spine, and he actually destroyed his own body.

Brainiac had calculated his chances of victory. After pushing David to reveal his full potential and witnessing the rise in his power, Brainiac's probability of winning was now less than 5 percent.

Being a cold and rational being, he wouldn't gamble on a slim chance of success, risking further embarrassment and humiliation. He decisively abandoned this biological shell.

David furrowed his brow, not expecting Brainiac to be so decisive. He released his grip, allowing the lifeless body to fall, coincidentally catching the gaze of the mechanical superhero.

The mechanical superhero opened his mouth in surprise, looking at the lifeless body of his creator. It was as if a computer had encountered an insoluble problem and crashed.

He knew this was just a temporary vessel for his creator.

But his creator had actually been defeated on this primitive and backward planet. This was simply an impossible scenario!

Bang!

The mechanical superhero was knocked unconscious, and at Jor-El's signal, Clark moved forward, holding his painful chest, and staggered over. After basking in the light of the yellow sun for a while, his injuries improved significantly.

"Will he come back?"

Standing by Brainiac's lifeless body, Clark's face looked grim. In fact, he knew the answer to this question without a doubt – undoubtedly, he would come back.

But he hoped for a glimmer of good news.

"Brainiac is unkillable," Jor-El said in a solemn tone.

"In the universe, countless people have encountered Brainiac's biological shell, but no one has ever seen his true self. No one knows where his core lies."

After saying this, he looked up at David in the sky, his eyes revealing a hint of astonishment.

The robots designed by Brainiac to collect samples and subjugate civilizations sometimes encountered powerful enemies that needed Brainiac to intervene personally with shells, but not once had the robots failed in achieving Brainiac's purpose.

But now, someone not only thwarted Brainiac's goals but also killed one of his biological shells.

Like Brainiac, Jor-El couldn't believe that his son Clark's brother, born on this seemingly insignificant planet, could be such a powerful life form.

Originally, he sent Clark to Earth to ensure his safety, thinking he would become a god on Earth. Unexpectedly, the Earth family that adopted Clark had another human with potential even greater than Clark's.

"Don't worry too much."

David overheard their conversation and landed beside them, comforting Clark, who looked concerned and had a furrowed brow.

"Perhaps the next time Brainiac comes, the biological shell he uses will be more powerful than this time, but it will still have its limits."

He admitted that Brainiac was like a cosmic nightmare cockroach that could never be killed.

Brainiac was like a universal version of Ultron. Trying to kill an intelligent life like Ultron in a world filled with the internet, let alone one connected to the entire universal network like Brainiac, was incredibly challenging.

'That's almost impossible. But Brainiac's power is about this level.'

David's eyes flickered.

Stronger than the average Kryptonian but not excessively so. He looked towards the sky above Earth and quickly flew towards the spaceship.

"Oh, by the way, Metropolis, the hour is almost up!"

Clark finally snapped out of the melancholy of having vanquished a formidable enemy but learning that he might return. He quickly joined David as they swiftly ascended to the Earth's orbit on the spaceship.

Entering the control room, they observed cities from destroyed extraterrestrial civilizations encased in glass domes, displayed like collectibles on clean and well-lit counters.

Following Jor-El's guidance, they located Metropolis. Utilizing the spaceship's size-reduction technology and reversing the process just before the one-hour permanent shrinkage limit, they restored Metropolis to its original state.

Metropolis was shrunk and then enlarged again. Infrastructure such as power lines and drainage channels below the city suffered damage, requiring significant time and effort for reconstruction.

"Thanks to the Beyonder and Superman. 

Although I was startled when they appeared in front of the glass domes like towering giants, their enormous faces, saved my family's lives. 

Thanks to them, they saved the city!" 

-A random grateful citizen.

However, the excitement of surviving and returning to feel the Earth's sunlight and air outweighed living permanently as tiny beings inside glass domes, being a collection and plaything of extraterrestrial beings.

The gratitude towards David and Clark was immeasurable.

Mayor Max Mino delivered a passionate speech on the central square of Metropolis, expressing gratitude to the Beyonder and Superman, as the city gathered.

When Metropolis reappeared at its original location, Clark felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief. While Brainiac was almost his doing, he was grateful that the city had been saved in the end.

"Metropolis is going to award us for our actions in saving the city. David, won't you come with me?"

After the events, in the barn, Clark, dressed in his blue and red suit, looked at David with anticipation.

"Actually, you're the hero who saved the city. You defeated Brainiac."

"Not interested."

Through the window of the house, the parents in the living room watched the news reporting the events and expressing gratefulness to the two Metropolis Superheroes, wearing smiles of relief and pride, just like the first time Clark and David received scholarships at school.

David withdrew his gaze, arms crossed, looking into the distance.

"I didn't save them for their gratitude."

"Don't expect too much from the public. 

Right now, they're just overwhelmed with joy from being rescued, raising you up high. 

When you are questioned, you'll see the surge of malicious intent from people again."

He glanced at the excited Clark and offered a reminder.

"I know."

Clark nodded thoughtfully, a hint of serious contemplation on his face.

"I just feel like it's time. The outside world and the citizens don't understand us. There's too much suspicion and caution. 

I think this is an opportunity to show them that we're just ordinary people with emotions, like them."

The outside world had too many questions about them, such as their alien identities, when they arrived on Earth, and whether they had any special intentions for the planet. This event was a good opportunity to provide answers and reassure everyone.

"Besides, you're not like me. You're not an alien, and that's been a constant misunderstanding."

"The ceremony is at eight o'clock. You might be late if you don't leave soon."

With those words, David smiled.

"It wouldn't be good to be late for the first interview in front of the public."

Upon hearing this, Clark's mood lifted. He knew that David's words were a subtle support of his decision. Excitedly, he clenched his fist and flew into the sky, breaking the sound barrier as he headed toward the center of Metropolis.

Not long after Clark left, the ring on David's hand, serving as a communication device in the absence of phones, flashed twice. He looked at the ring with a puzzled expression.

'Mera is contacting me?'

He remembered before leaving Atlantis, he mentioned not to disturb him unless it was absolutely urgent. Just as David was about to answer the call and inquire about the matter:

'Could it be that someone has finally stirred up a rebellion in Atlantis?'

At that moment, his ring lit up again.

It was an urgent communication from Themyscira...

...

At the award ceremony, when Clark, dressed in red and blue attire, descended, countless camera flashes continuously blinked toward him. Mayor Mino, eagerly waiting, approached the hero who saved the city. His face turned red, and he shook Clark's hand with excitement.

"Superman, I know you're busy saving people in danger. I appreciate you taking the time to come to the ceremony."

This was Superman's first public appearance for an interview. He maintained a perfect eight-tooth smile, shaking hands with Mayor Mino while facing the barrage of cameras and photographers.

Mayor Max Mino couldn't contain his excitement at the thought that his name would likely spread worldwide. 

Unfortunately, the Beyonder, who contributed the most to saving Metropolis, didn't make an appearance. Otherwise, the news coverage would have soared even higher.

'I didn't know that there is also something like a Key of the City.'

Clark received the key-shaped trophy from the mayor. His expression was strange as he held two large brass keys, each around a mete long, making him look somewhat awkward.

One was his, and the other one was David's.

"Originally, the highest honor for citizens of Metropolis was Metropolis Man. But considering the not-so-great outcome of the last Metropolis Man."

Facing the person who personally sent the previous Metropolis Man, along with the mayor, to prison, Max Mino, who had recently taken office, awkwardly smiled.

"So, it has been changed to the Key to the City. This represents the city's highest commendation and unlimited trust in your kindness, integrity, and bravery. It signifies that you can legally open the doors to any family."

Of course, this was symbolic, and Clark smiled as he accepted the two trophies.

After the awards were presented, the mayor timely stepped down, leaving Clark alone on the interview stage to face the eager media rushing forward. Countless questions were thrown at him.

"Superman, at today's award ceremony, do you know why the Beyonder didn't come?"

"What fabric is your costume made of?"

"Are both you and the Beyonder aliens?"

"Some say the Beyonder is more powerful than you. Do you agree with that statement?"

"Can you talk about how you and the Beyonder met?"

"..."

Behind the podium, Clark was momentarily stunned and had a weird face, hearing that almost all the questions were related to David.

========

(~˘▾˘)~I am a bit busy with some projects and assignments these days due to nearing the end of semester, so the updates should be irregular for some time~(˘▾˘~)

(~˘▾˘)~Don't forget to send your power-stones!~(˘▾˘~)