Crimson Tears in the Snow

Clark's fingers pierced his own steel chest.

His two fingers sank deep into his right lung, tearing a hole in his otherwise invincible body.

Slowly, he extracted the small, specialized Kryptonite bullet lodged inside.

The bloodied Kryptonite bullet rolled into the palm of his hand.

That tiny green bullet, no more than nine millimeters wide, smaller than a gummy bear.

And yet, it had penetrated the most indestructible body on Earth, embedding itself deep within the heart of a god.

But the pain in his heart was far greater than any Kryptonite could ever inflict.

Clark looked at the bullet in his hand and smiled faintly, "My blood is red, too, Soren."

Soren's face went pale, and silent tears streamed down his cheeks, falling into Clark's palm.

His tears mixed with the blood on the Kryptonite bullet, like crimson flowers blooming in the snow.

Clark's eyes drooped slightly.

The Kryptonite had weakened him.

He had just taken a direct hit from Zeus' thunder, followed by the Kryptonite bullet lodged in his body.

Now, holding that Kryptonite bullet in his hand, his body wavered, unsteady.

He took a step back, releasing Soren, and tossed the Kryptonite bullet into the air.

His eyes gleamed red as he unleashed his heat vision, vaporizing the bullet instantly.

Soren collapsed to the ground, his upper body trembling.

He shut his eyes tightly, biting down on his hand—only that could keep him from breaking into uncontrollable sobs.

His head buzzed, as if a drill were boring deep into his skull.

He didn't even know where the pain was worse.

It was as if his very soul writhed in agony, screaming inside his body.

No sight could ever be more horrific than this—everything before him felt like a sudden, overwhelming nightmare, one that left him shattered, devastated beyond repair.

Clark...

Clark...

How had it come to this? How had they come to this?

Shaking uncontrollably, he turned his head to look at Batman, who lay motionless in the snow.

"B..." The faintest sound escaped his lips, a broken whisper.

His face was drenched in tears as he struggled to move his arms toward him.

But before he could reach, Clark's black boot landed in the snow beside Soren's face.

Soren squeezed his eyes shut in despair.

Bang—!

Just as Clark was about to grab Soren by the neck, a blast from a pulse electromagnetic cannon hit Clark from behind.

The sheer force sent him flying dozens of meters, slamming into a distant iceberg.

The explosive shockwave ripped through the storm like a jet stream bursting from the clouds, tearing apart the blizzard as it shot across the Arctic ice fields.

A massive gold and red mech stepped through the sonic boom portal, each heavy footfall kicking up sprays of snow.

"Huh, I didn't expect that the pulse electromagnetic cannon could send Superman flying that far," remarked Tony Stark from within the armor, glancing at the distant figure of Superman now embedded in an iceberg.

The armor is larger than the Hulk, and it was entirely plated in vibranium, with a red and gold color.

It had been co-designed by Tony Stark and Batman, and the cost of its construction had surpassed the military budgets of over 60% of the world's nations.

They named it—the Anti-Superman Armor.

Following Tony out of the portal was Captain America with the shield in his hand.

Steve Rogers, pressing a hand to his communication earpiece, sprinted forward, quickly pulling Soren from the snow and gripping Batman's gauntleted hand.

Just from a quick glance, Steve know that Batman was gravely injured.

He spoke urgently into his communication earpiece, "Batman needs immediate surgery. We need to finish this quickly."

Steve Roger carefully held Soren in his arms, he wiped away the snow clinging to his face and softly asked Batman, "Can you hold on?"

"I'm not dead yet," Batman replied, breathing heavily.

Soren leaned against Steve's shoulder, his voice hoarse as he said urgently, "Steve, Clark... he broke Bruce's spine. Please, save him first, I beg you..."

Before Soren could finish, a violent coughing fit overtook him from the harsh, cold wind he had inhaled.

Steve, taking note of Soren's condition, was careful not to move Batman too much.

He was deeply impressed that Bruce could remain conscious despite such severe injuries.

He pressed his communication earpiece again, "Tony, keep the sonic boom portal open. We need medical reinforcements."

"What? Are you insane? You do realize every extra person we bring in could be another casualty, right?" Tony responded sharply, all while moving the Anti-Superman Armor toward Superman's position.

Steve glanced down at Batman, explaining to Tony, "Batman's spine is injured. I can't move him carelessly—we need a stretcher."

Batman who is overhearing their conversation, gritted his teeth and growled, "No!"

He closed his eyes, his right hand clenching into a fist as he grabbed Steve's arm, "...No need for more people. Just... pull me up."

Steve solemnly refused, "That could further damage your spinal cord."

"I said I'm fine—" Batman insisted, still forcing himself to endure.

Despite his broken spine, he somehow managed to bend his arm, attempting to push himself upright purely through his sheer willpower.

Terrified that Batman might injure himself even more, Steve quickly moved to support him.

Meanwhile, Superman, who had been struck by the pulse electromagnetic cannon, emerged from the ice.

He hovered a few feet above the ground, glaring at the massive figure before him.

The armor is layered in vibranium and lined with lead in every nook, preventing Superman from using his X-ray vision to see through it.

But even without that ability, he knew exactly who was piloting the mech.

"Tony Stark," Superman said coldly, looking down at Iron Man from midair, "Are you hoping I rip out your arc reactor?"

Inside the armor, Tony raised an eyebrow and spoke to his AI, "Seems like this Kryptonian's gotten better at talking trash lately."

"But—"

The electromagnetic cannons on the mech's arms spun, reconfiguring into massive mini missile launchers. "He's still gonna get the beating of his life."