'W' Plan
Somewhere in the Lighthouse County
In a dim underground basement, two American cockroaches were breeding on the damp ground. Suddenly, a hungry gray rat pounced on them and devoured both roaches.
The floor was covered with old and decaying wooden boards, which looked like they could break with a single step.
In this basement filled with a strong sense of history, there was a metallic chamber about two meters high.
Hiss.
Steam emanated from the metallic chamber, and then, the hatch was opened, revealing a silver-colored Metallo stepping out.
He angrily stomped on the rat that had just finished its dinner and muttered, "Damn Ultraman, ruining my fun!"
Bang!
Metallo then punched a nearby wooden wall, venting his frustration, and prepared to return to Metropolis to continue his revenge plan.
Although his consciousness upload was incomplete, Metallo would never forget his ultimate goal: revenge against Superman.
"You failed."
At this moment, a line of text appeared in front of Metallo. Simultaneously, Metallo seemed to freeze in place as if he had been turned off. Faced with this question that transcended the endless galaxies, Metallo could only reply silently.
"Next time, I will succeed. I will bring warriors for you."
"Remember to keep the agreement, Metallo."
Another line of text appeared in front of Metallo, and then he regained his ability to move.
Metallo felt an indescribable sense of frustration deep within him, but he couldn't do anything about it. He could only reply to Metropolis and continue his "revenge plan."
At night, in the LexCorp Tower in Metropolis, Lex Luthor was examining a battle report.
"Quite impressive weaponry," Lex praised Jero's weapons. As he flipped through the pages, he saw three blurry photos.
Although the photos were blurry, Lex could still make out three different sets of enhanced armor.
While he didn't want to admit it, Lex thought that Jero's technological advancement was remarkable. He set the report down and looked at Mercy, who was standing in front of him.
"Did you find any traces of Kryptonite left by Metallo at the scene?"
"We didn't find any trace of Kryptonite. The Eye of the Sky and the military didn't have a chance to take away that Kryptonite either. The most suspicious target is still Ultraman," Mercy calmly reported.
"Oh?"
Hearing this news, Lex became interested. A smile appeared on his face, "It seems our young friend also has some ambition. He deserves praise."
Mercy handed another report to Lex and said, "In addition, Mr. Lex, the laboratory has collected the unknown particles. Combining the readings from last time, the laboratory found that although the composition of these particles is the same, the strength and quantity of this batch are far superior to the previous one."
"It seems he's getting stronger," Lex took the report and looked at the data. Then, he looked up at Mercy and said, "Let's initiate a new project, codenamed 'Project W.' Also, accelerate the progress of the 'Cadmus' project. Check if there are any buyers for B0 specimens recently. We can conduct an experiment on their combat capabilities."
"Understood."
After receiving the orders, Mercy promptly left Lex's office. Lex leaned back in his chair, crossing his hands, and started speaking to himself.
"I'm looking forward to what you can achieve, Ultraman. But... who exactly modified Metallo? They dared to launch an attack while Lena was present. Even if you stay in the sky, I'll find a way to blow your head off!"
As Lex was about to investigate which force had dared to attack his press conference, especially in the presence of his sister, the communicator hidden in his desk drawer suddenly rang.
Lex suppressed his anger and retrieved the communicator, engaging in a conversation with the person on the other end.
"Your mood must be quite unpleasant, Lex," a deep voice came through the communicator.
Lex, with a dark expression, replied, "Lately, there have been some clueless individuals challenging my limits. But since you've called, you must know something."
"I've identified the technology used on Metallo. It belongs to an 'old friend' of mine who excels in this type of modification technology."
"This 'old friend' of yours?" Lex pondered the words.
"That guy has only one hobby, much like the ancient Roman nobility," the deep voice calmly explained. "Based on my dealings with him, he seems to have targeted either Superman or Ultraman."
"A lowly hobby," Lex didn't hold back his contempt.
"If you don't want life to become too dull in the near future, Lex, you better pay attention," the man reminded him.
"I understand."
Lex ended the call and turned to look out the window. Above the brightly lit Metropolis, the night sky was pitch black, devoid of any stars. One figure stood out prominently against this dark backdrop. Lex smirked and, skillfully deactivating the security systems, opened the window for the red-clad figure.
"You should know something, Lex. Tell me," Clark, dressed like a junior reporter, descended slowly into Lex's office. Lex's office had special systems that negated super-sensory abilities.
"It seems you're not here as Superman but as that farm boy," Lex said to himself, sitting down in his chair. He couldn't resist a jab at Clark, "You better watch out with your little sidekick. An extraterrestrial Roman aristocrat seems to have taken an interest in both of you."
"Extraterrestrial Roman aristocrat?" Clark furrowed his brow. "What else do you know, Lex? Tell me."
Lex played with the swivel chair, making a hushing gesture. It was clear he had no intention of revealing what he knew.
"Well, I know you won't talk," Clark said as he prepared to leave. But before leaving, he gave Lex a warning, "Just don't lay a hand on him, Lex."
"Don't worry, I won't involve innocent people in our struggle," Lex replied, a playful expression in his eyes. "And I've discovered something about him that I quite admire. Really, every time I think about it, I can't help but smile."
"..." Clark didn't know what Lex was talking about. He furrowed his brow, then left LexCorp Tower under the cover of night.
(End of this chapter)