"No."
Hearing Black Canary's words, Jason rejected the idea without a second thought.
"We can't leave you here alone. It's too dangerous."
Although Jason was eager to confront Batman—a moment he'd anticipated for years—he couldn't bring himself to leave Black Canary alone to face these cybernetic monsters.
Black Canary swung her hand, deflecting Wonder Woman's sword. In the next moment, her hammer erupted with massive arcs of lightning, sending Wonder Woman flying backward.
Wonder Woman's heels left visible marks on the ground as she tried to resist the lightning; her body was wrapped in writhing electric currents, snaking through her mechanical circuitry.
While unleashing continuous lightning bolts, Black Canary turned her head and said, "Jason, you're right to be concerned. If we give Batman time to prepare, all our plans will be ruined. Now, go!"
"But…" Jason wanted to say more.
"No 'buts.' I was your instructor back when you were Robin, so now, follow orders!" Black Canary commanded firmly, giving him a slight smile. "And don't underestimate me!"
Wonder Woman might indeed be a demigod of Olympus, but Black Canary had inherited the power of the Norse gods. With Odin's blessing, the power of Thor coursed through her blood, and at this moment, Diana was not Black Canary's equal in pure divine strength.
"There's no time to hesitate, Jason!" Dick said, knowing that Jason, despite his brash exterior, had a soft and conflicted heart. He made the decision for him. Meanwhile, Clark and Damian disengaged from their fights and regrouped with Dick on the edge of the battlefield.
As Martian Manhunter and Mera prepared to pursue, Black Canary leaped high into the air, summoning a blast of lightning that forced them all back.
"Now, go!"
"Got it. Be careful. We'll disable the central control console and free them as soon as possible."
With a heavy sigh, Jason turned and followed Dick and the others, heading toward the central tower.
As Darkseid's stronghold, Apokolips was treacherous, with deadly traps at every turn. Even though most of the parademon forces were gone and Darkseid himself was absent, Clark remained vigilant, fully focused on his surroundings to avoid any potential ambush.
The group soon arrived at a large, ominous building. Dick glanced at the display on his wrist and said, "It's just ahead. According to the map structure Lex provided, this should be Apokolips' main power station. If we can destroy it, we can cut off the energy supply to the entire planet."
"There might be an ambush inside," Jason reminded them.
"No, there's nobody… wait, something's wrong." As Clark used his X-ray vision to scan the building's interior, he froze in shock.
"What's going on in there?" Jason asked, noticing Clark's expression.
Clark didn't answer. Instead, he surged forward, punching open the door to the building and rocketing into the Apokolips power station.
As the main energy supply for the entire planet, this station should have been filled with immense power sources. But as Superman entered, he found himself in a vast, empty hall.
Without looking away, Clark's gaze remained fixed on the center of the hall.
In the empty energy hall, a massive energy collector made up of four large metal rings was continuously rotating. Countless chaotic lightning bolts flashed, emitting blinding light, but before they could leave the area, they were absorbed back into the machinery on the rings.
At the center of the rings, a cosmic treadmill floated in midair. Even from afar, Clark could see a red figure running on it, releasing immense energy.
"Oh, my God…"
Jason and the others, who had just caught up with Clark, stood frozen. "This is Apokolips' power station? He's using Flash to power the entire planet!"
Clark couldn't hold back any longer. In an instant, he vanished from his spot and dashed toward the rings, tearing off the mind-control device attached to Flash's head and freeing him.
He gently laid Flash on the ground. Barry Allen looked nothing like his former heroic self—his face was pale and gaunt, his body had shrunk significantly, and even his suit was now loose on him.
Seeing Flash's weakened state, Clark turned around and unleashed a blast of heat vision, obliterating the cosmic treadmill into pieces. The loud explosion jolted the weakened Flash awake, and he opened his eyes slowly, body twitching.
"...Clark?"
"It's me, Barry. How are you? Are you okay?" Clark held Barry, helping him to lie down more comfortably.
"You… came to save me…" Barry barely had the energy to complete a sentence.
"Barry, how did this happen to you?" Clark clenched his fists in anger.
"...In our last battle… Apokolips' central reactor was destroyed… Darkseid turned me into its replacement," Barry said, his body twitching uncontrollably, the spasms intensifying.
"Please… you have to stop me… please…"
Long-term mind control and muscle memory had left Barry unable to control himself. Although he was free from the treadmill, his body continued to move mechanically.
Clark sighed, closing his eyes in pain. He desperately wanted to help Barry, but he had no solution. If only Alex were here, maybe he'd know what to do.
At that moment, Jason quietly walked over. With a swift "thud," Clark opened his eyes to find Barry had been knocked out cold by a blow from Jason's staff.
"What are you…"
"I'm helping him 'stop.'"
Jason replied casually, and, as if to prove his point, Barry's twitching subsided noticeably. Though he still trembled slightly, the movement had reduced significantly.
"Barry needs rest. We can't leave him here alone," Clark said.
"Oh, so you're planning to carry him into battle?" Jason crossed his arms.
"Someone needs to stay and watch over Barry. If something were to happen to him while he's unconscious, it'd be disastrous," Clark said, concerned.
"Forget it," Jason shook his head. "There's no one here. As long as we complete the plan, Flash's safety will be guaranteed."
"But…"
Clark wanted to argue, but Jason had already turned and headed deeper into the facility.
Damian and Dick exchanged a look, then followed Jason in silence, their actions clearly expressing their stance. Seeing this, Clark could only sigh. He placed Barry in a relatively safe spot, then turned and ran after Jason.
.....
📢30 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
For advance chapters: p@treon.com/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
346. Ruthless Actions.
347. Batman's Fury Against Everyone.
348. Darkseid's Arrives!!!
349. Battle with Darkseid!!
350. Bollocks!!!