Chapter 527: Superman's Battle (2)
The Trap is Set
The coordinates led to a desolate area in the central United States.
The terrain here was remote and sparsely populated. There wasn't a soul for a hundred miles, making it ideal for a battle.
Clark arrived with over three minutes left on the clock.
Martha was inside a nearby house, completely wrapped in bombs, her eyes tightly closed, seemingly in a deep sleep. Besides his mother, there were seven others in the room. Six were clad in black battle armor. The last one, wearing a custom suit, didn't have to show his bright bald head; Clark would never forget that face.
"It really is you, Lex Luthor!"
Rage burned in his eyes. His mother was his absolute boundary; he would not allow anyone to harm her.
"No need to be nervous, Kal..." Luthor paused, then abruptly changed his tone. "I should call you Clark, Clark Kent, the farm boy from Smallville, Kansas, and a reporter for the Daily Planet."
"Your mother, Mrs. Kent, isn't under any threat. She's just sleeping and unaware of her surroundings. As for those bombs..." He shrugged.
"They're just toys. I wouldn't be so base as to threaten a son with his mother's life."
Clark scanned the surroundings, trying to use his X-ray vision to peer through the black armor, but he couldn't. The armor worn by the six figures contained lead, blocking his vision.
He instinctively felt something was wrong, a prickling sense of impending crisis.
"You're observing us!"
Luthor smiled eerily. "Don't you feel that something is off? Don't you feel a strange sense of familiarity? They make you uneasy, don't they?"
Clark faintly guessed the truth, and his face turned exceptionally grim.
"Lex Luthor, you are absolutely insane."
"No, I am a genius. Only a genius could conceive of such a great idea. I have you to thank, Clark. You provided me with the key to open a new world."
"Come, meet your fellow brothers."
The black faceplates on the six figures automatically retracted, revealing incredibly familiar faces: Clark Kent. Every one of them was Clark Kent—the exact same face, the exact same body, the exact same hairstyle, like perfect duplicates.
"This is Superman One, this is Superman Two, this is Superman Three, this is Superman Four, this is Superman Five. As for the last one."
Luthor walked up to the first clone on the left.
"He is the Superman Prime."
"You bastard!"
Clark exploded with fury, his reason nearly consumed by anger. The presence of his mother helped him maintain the last sliver of composure: he couldn't fight here, or Martha might die from an accident.
Lex Luthor watched him with interest, his eyes taunting, like a cat playing with its prey.
"Clark, you really are different. Kind, naive, brave, devoted to justice and truth. It's like you live in a fairy tale. No wonder they call you a god among men. Your character is indeed worthy of a deity. Unfortunately, what I hate most are gods."
"Gods are high and mighty. Gods are omnipotent. Ridiculous!"
Luthor suddenly clenched his fist and spoke, every word distinct. "Humans are the greatest species. We will eventually rule the universe, not submit to a god."
Linda Joins the Fray
Before the words fully landed, a deafening roar echoed.
A fierce tiger roared to the sky, its killing intent rushing forward like a tidal wave.
Boom!
The wall shattered. A figure rapidly lunged, aiming directly for Lex Luthor. Superman Two, Three, and Four swiftly stepped forward to block him.
Bang!
A powerful shockwave erupted from the house, instantly ripping the roof off. Clark grabbed his mother and quickly flew out. Superman One and Five also escorted Luthor away.
Dust billowed, taking a long time to settle.
A figure appeared in the moonlight. A form-fitting battle suit outlined her perfectly sculpted body. Her golden hair whipped in the wind, and beneath her locks were blood-red eyes and a face full of fury.
Energy overflowed from her body, transforming into a magnificent, five-meter-tall tiger phantom. The fierce tiger crouched, staring intently ahead, its cruel killing aura sending shivers down the spine.
"Linda Danvers!"
Luthor's eyebrow twitched. He instinctively looked around. "Luke Shaw, where is he?"
"You don't need him. I'm enough to deal with you."
Linda roared and suddenly charged forward. Superman Two intercepted her but was swatted away by the giant tiger's paw.
"Die!"
She suddenly clenched her fist in mid-air, a bright light spreading from her hand. The light burst forth, transforming into a ferocious tiger's head that appeared before Lex Luthor in less than a second. Superman Three quickly rushed up, raising his arm to shield his body.
Bang!
The tiger head struck his body with massive force. The rampaging energy cracked his armor, leaving large fissures. The powerful impact continuously pushed Superman Three back until he could no longer withstand it. He was sent flying, smashing through two hills before collapsing into the ruins.
"Such powerful destructive force!"
Lex Luthor's pupils contracted. He was genuinely terrified. If that punch had hit him, he would have been reduced to a pulp.
Seeing the situation turn dire, Luthor quickly fled under the escort of the Superman "Prime" clone. The other five clones lunged forward, launching a concerted attack against Linda.
These clones were replicated from Clark's genes, and except for the Codex of Life, they were identical in all other aspects. Their strength and speed gave them an advantage, and even with the Tiger-Fiend True Sutra protecting her, Linda gradually began to lose ground.
She could handle one, but not five.
Cracking the Control
After settling his mother in a safe place, Clark rushed back to the battlefield. With his addition, the situation finally began to improve.
The two Kryptonians and the five clones engaged in a massive battle in the desolate desert. The scene was apocalyptic. Countless hills were destroyed, and deep pits appeared in the ground. High-temperature heat vision swept back and forth, slicing rock and burning soil until it glowed like molten lava.
They fought continuously for ten minutes, but no clear winner emerged.
Taking advantage of a momentary lull, Linda retreated to Clark's side and said quickly,
"Have you noticed something strange?"
Clark nodded. "Their movements are odd."
Although the five clones possessed Kryptonian strength and speed, their reaction time was significantly poorer. At times, they seemed to pause, like a video game lagging.
Linda dodged an attack and said, "I suspect these guys are remotely controlled."
"In their heads?"
"There's one way to find out."
With that, Clark suddenly accelerated, rushed up to Superman Two, and locked him down, preventing him from moving. Linda followed suit, clenching her right hand into a fist and landing a heavy punch on the clone's head.
Bang!
Energy dissipated, and the faceplate shattered like fragments, revealing the face beneath.
The brother and sister simultaneously activated their X-ray vision to examine Clone Two's head. Sure enough, his brain structure was different from an ordinary person's. Deep inside, there was something resembling an insect larva or egg.
"That's it."
"The larva must be the device Luthor is using to control the clones."
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