The Final Battle (Part 7)
He looked up and gazed deeply into Superman's blue eyes, his voice hoarse as he asked, "Is this the world you wanted, Clark Kent?"
"This is all because of you!" Superman roared in anger. "If it weren't for you—if you had chosen to stand by my side, this planet would have no more wars! It's because of you that it's become like this!"
Batman shouted back, "Because you were wrong from the very beginning. Protecting is never the same as possessing. You can never conquer humanity, Clark Kent!"
"I haven't done anything wrong!!"
Superman's veins bulged, his eyes glowing red with fury.
He gripped Batman's collar tightly, pulling him close until their noses nearly touched.
In a low voice, one only Batman could hear, Superman spoke through clenched teeth.
"Are you still waiting for that so-called weapon of yours to be fired? Bruce Wayne, you think you know me, that you know everyone. But you're wrong. I've only ever tolerated you! You'll never defeat me!"
He let out a quiet, chilling laugh as his gaze shifted past Batman's shoulder toward the central base.
There, in the heart of it all, stood the mounted weapon system—Batman's supposed last-ditch effort.
Under Superman's command, the Injustice Wonder Woman had already broken through the defenses, driving Athena's sword deep into the foundation of the device.
She was about to destroy Batman's final weapon, making it impossible for him to win.
A guttural, beast-like growl rumbled from Batman's throat.
"No… That weapon was never meant to defeat you."
Before Superman could react, Batman's hand moved faster than he could see.
A green Kryptonite ring appeared in Batman's palm, slashing toward Superman—
It was the same Kryptonite ring that Superman had once entrusted to Batman, to be used if he ever lost control.
At that time, Superman had trusted his friend completely, believing that even if the world turned upside down, Batman would stand as the last bastion of unwavering will.
Now, that very ring tore across Superman's neck, causing blood to spurt from the wound.
Just before the Kryptonite could slice through his artery, Superman swung his arm, hurling Batman away with immense force.
Batman crashed into one of the high-rise buildings of the base.
The exoskeleton armor Batman wore absorbed some of the impact, but he still crashed through three or four floors, bringing down a cascade of bricks and rubble around him in a thunderous collapse.
Kal-El pressed his fingers against the wound on his neck, trying to stem the flow of blood.
Slowly, he lowered his hand and gazed at his palm, now slick with crimson.
Suddenly, his head snapped up, his eyes flaring red.
A devastating heat vision erupted from his gaze, tearing through the air toward Batman with catastrophic force.
In that instant, a massive silver sword descended from the heavens, appearing right in front of Batman.
The sword's broad blade, wide enough for two palms, absorbed the full brunt of the heat vision.
Ten golden wings flared out, spreading wide like a radiant shield of gold, covering the area above Batman completely.
The symbol of hope, Angemon, had finally reappeared after a year's absence.
A golden star shone brilliantly on the blue mask of the Magna Angemon.
Batman, lying amidst the rubble and blood pouring from his mouth, pounded the ground with his fists.
He was desperately trying to defy human limits, to stand again even though his spine had been broken.
Angemon descended gently and helped Batman to his feet.
"...Bruce," came Angemon's soft voice.
Batman turned his head slowly, his steely blue eyes locking onto Angemon's.
"You remember now?" Batman asked.
Angemon nodded, his armored gauntlet tightening into a fist.
Once, Angemon had sealed away his memories in a desperate attempt to escape the unbearable pain of losing everything.
He had thought that by locking those memories away, he could avoid reliving the agony of the past.
But he had seen them all—one by one—killed by Superman.
He had watched Clark fall deeper and deeper into destruction.
And his soul, which he had tried to bury, had witnessed every step of Clark's descent into the abyss.
Eventually, his heartbroken soul screamed, slamming its fists against the bars of his prison of memory.
In that moment, everything came flooding back.
Fate, shaped like a spear, pierced through time and space, striking directly into Angemon's heart.
He had howled in anguish under the vigilant gaze of those who had tried to protect him.
No more running away.
Everything—all of it—had to end here.
"Barry is imprisoned by Clark in Jerusalem. Go and repair the Kryptonite weapon system, Bruce," Angemon said softly. "For everyone."
Batman's eyes narrowed warily. "What are you going to do?"
"I can do nothing," Angemon replied, taking slow steps backward, away from Batman. "I cannot beg humanity to forgive Clark, but I only ask you—Bruce, forgive my sins."
"Bruce, please, forgive me," Angemon repeated, his voice filled with quiet desperation.
At the last moment, Angemon turned around and flew toward Superman.
Kal-El hovered silently in the sky, watching as Angemon, with his ten golden wings, grew larger in his view, still carrying the silver sword that had saved Batman's life.
"You're so clever," Superman murmured, his voice laced with a mix of mockery and rage.
He glanced at Angemon, the wound from the Kryptonite slash no longer bleeding, though the blood had stained his once-pristine white uniform.
His expression twisted, torn between self-loathing and fury.
"You're so clever, Soren, deceiving me over and over! You've always chosen Batman, haven't you?! You've always refused to stand by my side!!"
All the tenderness and warmth of the past year—every word of love, every whispered promise, every midnight embrace, every radiant smile, and the irreplaceable bond they shared—all of it had been a trap, woven so meticulously by Angemon to lead Kal-El here.
A perfect lie crafted by the world's most ruthless and heartless deceiver.
Kal-El's gaze grew colder by the second.
"I told you, if you betrayed me again, I would tear those damned wings off."