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"Get up, stop sitting on the ground."
Clark was shocked to see the same vision he had before he traveled through time. Lex Luthor had already walked over and was extending a hand to the kneeling Kryptonian.
"I have to admit, you've given me a lot of shocks today. But tell me honestly, are you Kryptonians really afraid of Kryptonite?"
On this day, the importance of Kryptonite had been greatly diminished. In the past, whenever Luthor lost to Superman, he could blame it on Superman being too strong, and that even with Kryptonite's weakening effects, he was still no match.
But this time, Clark's performance was truly unexpected.
"For now... it's still effective," Clark replied, unsure himself. He just felt a sudden surge of power, and in the next moment, he had broken free from Luthor's restraints and flown away.
"Well, whether it works or not, I don't have any other choice," Luthor said, pulling Clark up. Together, they looked at Superman, who was now surrounded by a crowd of people.
"The day is finally over, but the Martian Manhunter..."
Luthor began to think about the threat the Martian Manhunter posed. While the Martian Manhunter couldn't teleport large groups of infected people like Eve, and most of the powerful infected had been defeated, he was still a significant danger.
"We're going to make it, aren't we?" Clark asked, his tone full of hope. Despite knowing that he might one day leave this world, he had put that worry aside. He believed that the world would eventually return to peace.
Looking at Superman, who was being cared for by everyone, Clark's belief solidified.
The next day, under the escort of the heroes, all the infected people were sent to Gotham City. There, Clark saw Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, who now ruled Gotham's vast forests.
"Oh? This kid... I don't remember Superman having a second child?" Poison Ivy noted.
Clark's suit clearly showed his Kryptonian identity, but everyone on Earth, both heroes and villains, knew that Superman was the only Kryptonian. Kara, in this universe, had not yet arrived, and Supergirl had powers but was not Kryptonian.
"Actually, I'm also Kal-El, just from another universe," Clark explained.
Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn exchanged a look, surprise in their eyes, but they didn't press the matter. It was meaningless to them. The world was in such a state that where this other Kryptonian came from no longer mattered.
With a wave of their hands, they signaled that Clark and the other heroes could leave. They were just in a cooperative relationship, and staying together would only lead to conflicts.
Superman and Wonder Woman immediately returned to the Fortress of Solitude, while Damian went back to Wayne Manor. With some free time, he could finally reclaim Batman's inheritance and properly bury Batman, Nightwing, and Tim at the Gotham Cemetery, right next to Batman's parents.
Clark also planned to return to the Fortress of Solitude. Things were less hectic now, but he wanted to see if there was anything he could do to help.
But just after Clark left Poison Ivy's plant fortress, Luthor, who had been waiting for a long time, approached him.
"Finally, you came out. I've been waiting for you."
"Mr. Luthor? Didn't you go back to the Fortress of Solitude with Superman and the others?"
The Fortress of Solitude was now completely dependent on Cyborg and Luthor for its operations. Logically, Luthor should have been too busy to find him.
"Why go back? The closed-circuit communication system I designed will be safe as long as the Fortress exists. As for information processing, Cyborg's computer brain is far better than mine, so he doesn't need my help at all," Luthor said, waving his hand dismissively.
"Besides, you know that the exposure of my plan has caused a lot of heroes to be unhappy. They know that fighting the infected will require sacrifices, but they don't agree with my strategy of making the fewest sacrifices for the best results. They're a bunch of hypocrites. Going back would only mean arguing with them, and that's useless."
Clark didn't refute Luthor, but he didn't agree either. He believed that the heroes were doing their best to protect ordinary people and shouldn't be spoken of that way. However, Clark, who still had the mindset of a regular person rather than a hero, also understood that Luthor's point wasn't entirely wrong.
In battles, especially wars, leaders always try to achieve the greatest gains with the fewest losses. This is why it was said in ancient times that a kind person cannot command an army. But heroes are different. The heroes leading this world are all kind people. They would rather die themselves than sacrifice others for victory. This was especially clear under Superman's leadership.
"Come on, come with me somewhere. I have something I need to give you."
"What is it?"
While Clark was still wondering, Luthor had already started his jet boots and was flying into the air. Seeing that Luthor didn't explain further, Clark didn't ask again and simply followed.
This time, they arrived at the ruins of Metropolis.
"What are we doing here? Hasn't Metropolis been completely destroyed?"
Clark had seen the towering buildings of Metropolis with his own eyes, a city that was a symbol of modern human civilization. Now, looking at the endless wasteland, a feeling of sadness welled up within him.
"Humans are best at rebuilding the future from ruins. You're still a Kryptonian, after all. You have all that power, yet you feel sad about something like this," Luthor said, his cold words cutting through Clark's sorrow.
"As a human, do you truly have no emotions at all?" Clark asked.
Luthor, who was digging through the rubble, paused for a moment before recovering. "That's right. I won't be sad about something like this. It's already happened, so I will just solve the problems I face now. Being sad is a waste of time."
Luthor said this, but Clark's super senses picked up on the physiological changes in his body—a clear sign of sadness. Yes, Luthor might be arrogant, conceited, and a human supremacist, but he was also a human being, and Metropolis was his home. How could he have no reaction to its destruction?
But Luthor knew he couldn't afford to be sad. With 99% of humanity dead, as the smartest person left, he had to remain absolutely calm to get through this difficult time.
"Found it," Luthor said, and the last bit of Clark's resistance toward him vanished. The preconceived notions from the comics had been replaced by the real Luthor standing before him.
Looking at a metal door on the ground, Luthor smiled. "If you've read the comics, you should know that supervillains always leave solid underground bases in various places. And this is mine."