Lex Williams' confidence wasn't baseless. Bruce Wayne had already made his position clear the night before—General Zod had to be stopped first. Superman, even as a zombie, was still unpredictable but not actively pursuing global annihilation. Zod, on the other hand, was already moving.
The difference in threat level was obvious.
Coulson folded his arms, studying Lex carefully. "Then we need to act quickly. Zod won't stay in one place for long."
Lex nodded. "He won't. And that transport plane proves something else."
"What?" Melinda asked.
"Zod is still working with humans," Lex said. "Or at least tolerating them. That means he still needs logistics, supplies, or information. That's a weakness."
Lex Luthor, now fully re-equipped in his kryptonite-powered exoskeleton, stepped forward. "He also has another weakness."
Everyone looked at him.
"Pride," Luthor said flatly. "Zod believes himself to be a superior being. He won't retreat from a direct challenge, especially from someone he considers inferior."
Barney crossed his arms. "So we bait him."
"Yes," Lex said. "But not with civilians, and not blindly."
Coulson nodded slowly. "We'll need a battlefield."
"Already thought of that," Lex Williams said. "An industrial zone near the river. Minimal survivors, wide open terrain, and enough reinforced structures to use as cover."
Melinda brought up a map on her tablet, quickly cross-referencing the location. "There's an abandoned shipyard here. Heavy cranes, steel yards, dry docks."
"Perfect," Lex said.
Luthor gave a thin smile. "A fitting arena."
The planning session lasted nearly two hours. Roles were assigned, fallback positions established, and communication protocols agreed upon. SHIELD would deploy drones and surveillance. The Expendables would handle ground support and heavy weapons. Luthor would engage using kryptonite-based weaponry. And Batman—if he arrived—would coordinate tactical execution.
When it was over, the group dispersed to prepare.
That night, Lex Williams stood alone again, this time inside the shelter's dim corridor, staring at a small device in his hand.
A secure communicator.
He pressed the activation switch.
After a few seconds, a familiar voice answered.
"I was expecting your call," Bruce Wayne said.
"We're moving against Zod," Lex said simply. "Shipyard on the east river. Soon."
There was a pause on the line.
"Understood," Bruce said. "I'll be there."
The transmission ended.
Lex slipped the communicator into his pocket and exhaled slowly.
Everything was beginning to converge.
—
The next afternoon, activity filled the abandoned shipyard. SHIELD drones buzzed overhead, mapping the area and establishing sensor grids. Barney and Gunnar supervised the placement of heavy weapons—missile launchers, machine gun nests, and a pair of modified railguns Luthor had insisted on bringing.
Christmas leaned against a crane, sharpening his knife out of habit more than necessity.
"You really think this will work?" he asked as Lex approached.
"It has to," Lex replied.
"That's not what I asked."
Lex met his eyes. "No. I don't know if it will work."
Christmas nodded once, satisfied with the honesty.
A low hum echoed overhead.
Everyone looked up as a dark aircraft descended silently from the clouds and settled onto the far end of the yard.
The ramp lowered.
A tall figure stepped out, cape settling behind him like a shadow.
Batman had arrived.
No one spoke for a moment as he walked forward, his presence commanding the space without effort. He stopped beside Lex Williams and gave a slight nod.
"You've grown stronger," Bruce said quietly.
Lex smiled faintly. "I've had a productive few days."
Bruce's gaze moved across the assembled forces—SHIELD agents, mercenaries, armored vehicles, Luthor's machines. "And you've assembled an army."
"Not an army," Lex said. "A solution."
Bruce studied the tactical displays and maps for several minutes, asking precise, efficient questions. When he finished, he looked at Lex Luthor.
"I assume you'll handle kryptonite deployment."
Luthor smirked. "Leave the science to me, detective."
Bruce turned back to Lex Williams. "And you?"
"I'll keep Zod occupied," Lex said. "As long as necessary."
Bruce's expression hardened slightly. "That may be longer than you expect."
"I know."
For a moment, neither man spoke. Then Bruce extended a hand.
Lex clasped it firmly.
No more words were needed.
—
The sun was setting when the first sonic boom echoed across the river.
Everyone froze.
A streak tore through the sky—black armor, crimson cape, eyes glowing faintly even at a distance.
General Zod had arrived.
He hovered above the shipyard, looking down at the assembled forces with open contempt.
"So," Zod's voice carried effortlessly across the air, "the insects gather."
Missile locks activated. Targeting systems aligned. Dozens of weapons tracked him simultaneously.
Zod didn't even glance at them.
His gaze fixed on one figure stepping forward into the open.
Lex Williams looked up at him, expression calm.
"General Zod," he called. "We've been waiting."
Zod's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You," he said. "I remember you."
"I'm sure you do."
A faint smile touched Lex's lips as the wind stirred his coat and the mechanical tentacles of the Black Dragon armor unfolded behind him.
"Let's finish this."
....
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