American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

55. Batman’s Vigilance.

Eventually, after a long silence, Kara gradually calmed down.

She quietly walked to a corner and sat down, like a discarded doll. It was hard to imagine that this was the same girl who had just released enough pressure to suppress everyone present. Kara lowered her head, deep in thought.

Alex glanced at Kara, who had hidden herself in the shadows, then quickly looked away.

Alex didn't intend to comfort or help her, not because he was heartless, but because he understood that Kara's issues were psychological and couldn't be cured with a few words. Besides, he wasn't capable of that.

There are many types of psychological issues, but they broadly fall into two categories. One involves having unresolved issues that need understanding, reassurance, extensive talking, and medication. The other is a pure illness that cannot be assisted through communication and can only be treated with medication.

Kara belonged to the latter category. Unfortunately, Earth didn't have any medication that could treat Kryptonians, so the only way for her to heal was to reconcile with herself and come out of her inner turmoil. For now, it was best to let her be. As for what comes next, they would deal with it after handling General Zod.

After a pause, Alex took out a backpack containing alien stones similar in function to Kryptonite. Seeing the puzzled looks from the others, Alex explained.

"Kryptonians' physiology is different from humans'. Our weapons can't effectively harm them. To take them down, we need to use their weapons or these—minerals carrying red solar radiation."

The others gathered around to examine these seemingly ordinary stones.

Old Bruce Wayne, a master of weaponry, quickly understood their purpose from Alex's words. He picked up one stone and scrutinized it, finding it visually ordinary with nothing special, though further tests would be needed to determine its true properties.

"These look like ordinary rocks," young Barry Allen remarked after a long inspection.

"The stones are ordinary, but the radiation they carry is the key," old Batman replied. "I don't know what red solar radiation is, but if its radiation can affect Kryptonians, I might be able to make some useful gadgets."

"Oh, I get it. So these stones are like 'silver bullets' for Kryptonians, right? Just make bullets from these stones, or engrave them on bullets, and they can harm Kryptonians," young Barry said.

"You could put it that way, but their uses go beyond that."

Alex smiled at young Barry and then looked at old Bruce Wayne. "Bruce, Kryptonians are very powerful and fast. Bullets would be hard to hit them. If we can't hit them, these stones are useless."

Bruce Wayne, one of the peak humans, skilled in dealing with all sorts of enemies, quickly grasped Alex's meaning. He glanced at the black umbrella behind Alex and smiled. "You mean to integrate these stone fragments into fear toxin gas, using the gas to limit Kryptonians' abilities."

"Exactly. I just conducted a small experiment with Kara. The results show that these stones' radiation significantly weakens Kryptonians' physical attributes, including strength, speed, and reflexes. Though it won't make them ordinary humans, they won't be invulnerable."

"How many of these stones are there?" old Bruce Wayne asked.

"As many as you need," Alex replied casually.

Hearing this, Batman immediately looked up, eyes locked onto Alex, who calmly met his gaze.

Though Bruce Wayne had come to trust Alex and his group, he remained highly vigilant. As Gotham's guardian and currently the only superhero in this world, Batman had no habit of teaming up and had never faced such a large-scale situation.

Previously, his adversaries were mostly lunatics, even those beyond normal human capabilities, but he could still deal with them. However, upon encountering people like Alex who could traverse time and the multiverse, old Batman felt a considerable amount of pressure.

Alex and his team currently stood with Earth's side, but the world was vast and the multiverse endless. What if some maniacs also possessed these abilities? Could he still protect this world?

So, upon Alex and his group's entry into Wayne Manor, Bruce conducted various covert surveillance, psychological assessments, and contingency plans.

Young Barry Allen, trusting Batman implicitly, cooperated smoothly. Through tests on the two Barry Allens, Bruce had a basic understanding of the speed force.

But testing Alex's abilities and Pietro's was a challenge. Pietro claimed his powers came from a mutant gene, humans gaining abilities through mutation—something Batman had never heard of.

After several failed attempts to get Pietro to agree to a physical exam, Bruce gave up on analyzing his blood cells, he was more wary of Alex.

The only reason he didn't take action because Alex was currently an ally. If they realized his intentions, it might cause unnecessary conflict.

Moreover, Alex and Pietro's backgrounds were highly mysterious. Pietro mentioned a universe filled with despair, but nothing concrete about Alex's origin. Even Pietro couldn't clarify it. It seemed like Pietro was merely a companion Alex brought from another universe, which made old Batman even more cautious of Alex.

Alex noticed Bruce Wayne's vigilance, which was understandable since Batman trusted no one.

In the comics, because of the immense power of Justice League members, Batman feared they might one day threaten human safety. He recorded the weaknesses of all superheroes, except Green Arrow, to ensure he could control them if necessary.

Sighing helplessly, Alex hadn't expected his first issue working with these "superheroes" to be a trust issue. With arms crossed, Alex addressed old Bruce Wayne.

...….

20 advanced chapters on p@treaon
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56. The Beginning of War.
57. Heading to the Battlefield.
58. Kara's Wrath.
59. Striking Back.
60. Poison Gas.