"I lost."
After a grueling battle that had lasted two full days and one night, the exhausted female warrior finally succumbed. As dusk fell again, she sank to her knees, signaling the end of the fight.
Across from her, Clark, dressed in rough, simple clothes, stood as the victor. His Superman uniform, a gift from young Jonathan, was now in tatters, covered in the marks of a sword. Yet, he was the one left standing.
"Then… you must fulfill your promise."
Clark walked toward her, carrying a shield on his back, and offered a hand to help the warrior to her feet. With a smile, she announced her name to Clark and the crowd of Amazons who had gathered to watch.
"Shyvana… My name is Shyvana! An Amazon warrior!"
With that, Shyvana fainted from pure exhaustion. Clark held her hand high for all to see.
"Please remember Shyvana, my respected teacher, a proud Amazon warrior!"
"Shyvana!"
"Shyvana!"
"Shyvana!"
The Amazons, captivated by the spectacle, echoed Clark's shouts, cheering her name and celebrating both warriors.
On the highest platform, Diana smiled as she watched Queen Hippolyta, who had arrived to observe the duel.
"Queen, what do you think of this young man?"
Hippolyta shot her daughter a glare but still offered her judgment. "What a pity. Such a remarkable young man. Why isn't he an Amazon?"
Clark had proven himself excellent in fighting skills, strength, and willpower. As the Queen of Themyscira, Hippolyta couldn't help but regret that he was merely a Kryptonian.
"It seems we share the same thoughts," Diana said.
With that, Wonder Woman leaped from the platform, landing directly in front of Clark, which startled him.
"Ms. Diana, I didn't expect you to be here."
Though Diana had taken him under her wing for a while, Clark had spent most of that time basking in the sun to enhance his powers, so they hadn't interacted much. He was a little reserved.
"You were quite the hero when you raised Shyvana's hand just now. I almost thought we had found a male among our Amazonian tribe."
Hearing the teasing in Diana's voice, Clark grew even more flustered and lowered his head.
"Alright, no more jokes."
The light-hearted moment passed quickly. Diana hadn't returned to Themyscira just to visit or watch a fight.
"Leave Shyvana to the others. She needs rest. As for you, I have something important to tell you."
As Shyvana was carried away by other Amazons, Diana and Clark left the arena and went to the beach. There, they found Mera, the Queen of Atlantis, waiting for them.
Mera was rarely seen outside of Atlantis since she was a key figure in fighting the ecological disaster. Even though the Atlanteans had allied with the heroes for a long time, Clark had barely spoken to her. Seeing her there, however, Clark immediately understood what was happening.
"Is the Ark ready?"
Diana looked surprised for a moment before her expression softened. "I'd forgotten you've been living in Luthor and Cyborg's lab. You would know the progress better than anyone. You're right. With Barry and Wally working day and night, the Ark is complete. Now we just need to gather enough supplies to move most of the population to another world."
Unlike the other Amazons, Diana, as one of the central heroes, was set to accompany the colonists to a new planet, taking Superman's place.
"All the heroes must go to the Fortress of Solitude for a final discussion. Since you're a hero now, I planned to take you with me."
"I don't think I'll be going," Mera suddenly interjected. "Even though Atlantis was destroyed by Arthur, all Atlanteans, including me, will not abandon Earth. We will stay here and help the remaining survivors."
The Atlanteans had chosen the same path as the Amazons. Diana nodded, not commenting much on Mera's choice. "Your decision is your own, of course, but it's best to attend. The more we discuss now, the better you'll be prepared once most of humanity leaves Earth."
With that, Mera had no reason to refuse. She joined Diana and Clark on the journey to the Fortress of Solitude.
By the time the three of them arrived, all the world's remaining heroes had gathered. Some, like the younger generation such as Damian and Jonathan, would be traveling to other planets to help the human colonists build new lives. A small number of heroes, led by Superman, would remain on Earth to continue fighting the virus and protecting those who chose to stay behind.
"It seems everyone is here."
With the exception of Superman, everyone looked relieved and happy. Not all heroes had the resolve of Superman; most were exhausted by the constant pressure. Immigrating to another planet seemed like the best option for them.
"There's really nothing left to say, is there, Superman?" Lex Luthor stood up. As the mastermind behind the Ark project, he had led the entire plan. "The candidates have been decided.
Those who leave will carry the hopes of those who stay and start a new life on a safe, uninfected planet. They will also search for a cure for this virus. As for those of us who stay, we will do our best to protect our people and ensure they leave safely."
Luthor made everything sound so simple. He had arranged every detail. If everyone just followed the plan, they would successfully land on the second Earth they had already located.
But Clark noticed a strange expression on Luthor's face. Having spent a few days together, Clark had gotten to know Luthor better. Combined with their previous mind link, he was sure that Luthor was planning something that no one else knew about—something very dangerous.
Thinking this, Clark began to observe the man more closely and realized something was wrong with the whole atmosphere. Compared to their initial unity and determination in facing the virus, the heroes today seemed far too relaxed, almost complacent.