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*****
"To LexCorp!"
After learning the truth from the congresswoman, Superman didn't hesitate for a second. He and George shot into the sky, streaking toward Luthor's headquarters.
For Clark, whether it was punishing villains or saving the innocent, he acted according to his own moral compass rather than human regulations. He knew that if he followed human laws to the letter, he would cease to be Superman and instead become a mere weapon of the government and military.
"He's likely long gone," George remarked as they flew. He knew this trip wouldn't yield much. With Luthor's high IQ, he wasn't the type to sit in his office waiting for the hammer to fall.
Sure enough, they found no sign of Lex Luthor—only a lone smartphone left behind, active with a video call.
On the screen, Luthor's face appeared, arrogant and cold. He began reciting his twisted philosophy before issuing a direct order: Superman was to go to Gotham City and kill Batman.
"Take this phone and go to Gotham with your cat right now. Call out the Bat," Luthor sneered. "If Batman doesn't show, you don't leave. If I find that you've left the airspace above Gotham, I will immediately kill your mother and your girlfriend."
The camera panned, revealing a live feed of Martha Kent and Lois Lane bound and gagged. Two mercenaries stood behind them, cold steel barrels pressed against their heads.
"You..."
Seeing the two women he loved most in peril, Superman's face contorted with fury, but he was ultimately forced to stand down.
In his heart, the Earth was important, and protecting humanity was the shared dream of both his biological and adoptive fathers. However, none of that outweighed the lives of his mother and Lois. He couldn't refuse Luthor and watch them die. He decided to play along, hoping that once Batman appeared, he could find a way to communicate and coordinate a rescue.
Everyone has a weakness, and Superman is no exception, George thought, sensing Clark's inner turmoil.
Batman and Superman were both symbols of justice, yet their ideologies were worlds apart. Both were willing to sacrifice themselves to save the world, but Batman's inherent lack of trust led him to believe he had to preemptively kill a god-like threat to ensure humanity's survival.
Superman, conversely, chose to believe in everyone. His heart was pure, filled with hope for the future. Character-wise, he was just a bright, optimistic "big boy." But he was also prone to extremes; if those he loved were taken from him, the descent into darkness could be instantaneous.
"Don't worry, I have a way," George's voice rang out in Superman's mind via telepathy.
Superman instantly steadied himself. In the time he had known George, he had learned that the cat was incredibly reliable and possessed strength far exceeding his own. If George said there was a way, there was a way.
George closed his eyes. His Cosmo surged, expanding instantly to shroud the entire planet. He began scanning for the unique life signatures of Lois and Martha.
In this world, George's "surface-level" power was already at the Multiversal peak. Covering the Earth was child's play; he could have scanned the entire universe if he felt like it.
"Found them!"
George's eyes snapped open, and in a flicker of movement, he vanished from LexCorp.
Back on the video feed, Superman watched in stunned silence as a black cat suddenly materialized behind his mother and Lois. It was George.
Thwack! Thwack!
With a casual flick of his black tail, George sent the two mercenaries flying. They slammed into the walls, coughing up blood, their guns clattering to the floor.
"Dammit!"
Luthor's expression twisted as he saw George's sudden appearance. This was a variable he hadn't fully accounted for. However, he quickly regained his composure and slammed a button on a remote in his pocket.
"I intended to save this for last, but since you're here, I'll deal with you first!"
The ceiling of the room suddenly hissed, releasing a thick cloud of green gas as several automated turrets emerged from the walls.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
A hail of glowing green bullets swept toward George like a violent storm.
"Once I take you out, Superman won't be able to escape me," Luthor muttered. The green mist obscured his vision, but he felt confident. He had allowed Batman to "steal" the Kryptonite precisely because he kept a secret stash for himself.
Luthor knew that if it were just Superman, his plan was flawless. Even if Batman failed, his Kryptonian cyborg would finish the job. But he was also dealing with the Super Cat—the creature that had single-handedly defeated General Zod's vanguard.
He had built this trap-laden room specifically for this scenario. The green gas was aerosolized Kryptonite, designed to strip a Kryptonian of their power and turn them into a mundane human—or a mundane cat. Then, the Kryptonite bullets would finish the job.
"How... how is this possible?!"
As the smoke cleared, Luthor's jaw dropped.
George was sitting elegantly on the floor, licking a paw. Scattered all around him were the crushed remains of the Kryptonite bullets. He didn't have a single scratch on him.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not actually from Krypton," George said, looking directly into the camera lens. With a swift claw, he shredded the ropes binding Lois and Martha. "So, this green stuff? Totally useless against me."
Luthor's pupils shrunk to pinpricks.
"What? You're not Kryptonian? And... you can talk?!"
He realized he had made two fatal mistakes, but it was too late. Because George had appeared alongside Superman and fought the same enemies, the world—and Luthor—had naturally assumed they shared the same origin and the same weaknesses.
Not only was the Kryptonite a joke to George, but Luthor realized the "dumb pet" act had been a total facade. George had been playing them all along.
(End of Chapter)