AM I SUPERMAN?

Alfred watched silently as Bruce Wayne donned his Kryptonian-alloy armor, meticulously equipping himself with weapons laced with kryptonite, the only known material capable of weakening Superman and other Kryptonians. Bruce's movements were calculated, his expression unreadable beneath the cowl, but Alfred could sense the storm brewing within him.

With a heavy sigh, Alfred finally spoke. "Master Wayne, do you really intend to go through with this? Are you truly preparing for war?"

Bruce paused, turning his masked face toward Alfred. His eyes, sharp and intense, burned with conviction. "They brought this war to us, Alfred. Look at Metropolis. Thousands of innocent lives lost. What happens next? Millions more?"

His voice grew darker as he continued. "They have the power to destroy humanity. Even if there's only a one-percent chance that they will become our enemies, we have to treat it as an absolute certainty."

Alfred recoiled slightly, shocked by Bruce's ferocity. Bruce noticed and sighed, calming himself. He turned back to his weaponry, his voice softer but no less resolute. "I will exploit their weaknesses. If they pose a threat, I'll ensure they can never harm us."

Bruce's knowledge of Superman and Kaius came primarily from the encrypted files left behind by Lex Luthor, whose obsession with Kryptonians led to extensive research. However, with Lex gone and his database incomplete, Bruce had mistakenly assumed Kaius to be another Kryptonian. Kaius's incredible abilities bore a striking resemblance to Superman's, solidifying Bruce's misjudgment.

Alfred shook his head, his voice heavy with disappointment. "Master Wayne, this isn't like you. I don't believe they're our enemies."

Bruce stepped into the Batmobile, his voice distorted through the modulator. "They're not our enemies… yet."

Before Alfred could respond, the Batmobile roared to life, speeding out of the Batcave toward Wayne Manor.

The storm over Gotham poured relentlessly, shrouding the city in darkness. The Batmobile tore through the rain-soaked streets, its tires slicing through puddles. Within minutes, Bruce arrived at Wayne Manor, stepping out of the vehicle with a specialized weapon in hand.

Above him, Kaius, Fiora, and Diana descended gracefully from the stormy sky, landing just a few meters away.

Bruce stiffened at the sight of Kaius. His voice was sharp, tinged with hostility. "It's you… Avenger!"

Fiora's eyes narrowed, her voice cutting through the rain. "You will address him as General Avenger!"

Kaius's face contorted into a mix of confusion and exasperation. He leaned toward Fiora, whispering, "Didn't I tell you to stop calling me 'General'?"

Fiora hesitated, then turned to Bruce with renewed determination. "You will address him as… Master Avenger!"

An awkward silence fell over the group.

Kaius groaned, dragging his hand down his face. "Fiora, stand down. Now."

Reluctantly, Fiora stepped back, her expression stern. Kaius turned his attention back to Bruce. "Bruce, I'm not here to fight you. We've come because we've learned Bane has acquired a nuclear bomb in Gotham."

But Bruce's anger boiled over. He raised his weapon slightly, his voice harsh and accusatory. "I won't believe anything you say. You brought the Kryptonians here. You brought this destruction to Earth!"

Kaius recognized Bruce's mistrust; it was the same paranoia that had fueled his hatred of Superman. Now, it was directed at him. Rather than argue, Kaius uttered a single word.

"Martha."

"My mother's name was Martha Jennifer Rogers," Kaius began, his voice calm but firm. "Seventeen years ago, I was born at Smallville General Hospital. Eleven years ago, a meteorite shower made me an orphan. That same meteorite shower—does it sound familiar, Bruce?"

Kaius's piercing gaze locked onto Bruce Wayne's, and in that moment, his sheer intensity overwhelmed the Dark Knight. Bruce faltered slightly under the weight of Kaius's words.

Bruce knew exactly what Kaius was referring to. His extensive research on the Kryptonian arrival had led him to the meteorite shower in Smallville. It wasn't just an astronomical phenomenon; it had marked the arrival of Kal-El, the one the world would later call Superman.

Kaius took another step forward, his tone sharpening. "I am human, Bruce. My mother, Martha, was human too. She died during the chaos of that meteorite shower—the same one that brought Superman to Earth. If anyone has a reason to hate Superman, it's me."

He leaned closer, his words cutting deeper. "But I chose to accept him. And you? Have you ever experienced the pain of losing someone you love? Have you truly suffered, Bruce Wayne?"

Bruce closed his eyes, Kaius's question piercing him like a blade. The dark recesses of his mind replayed the night that defined his life.

He was just a boy, holding his parents' hands as they left the theater after watching The Mark of Zorro. A shadow emerged from the alley—a mugger demanding money and pearls.

The screams of his mother echoed in his ears, followed by the deafening crack of gunfire. His father fell first, his protective arms shielding Bruce. Then his mother, collapsing beside him, her blood staining her pearls and his young face. Her dying gaze was full of love and regret, as if to comfort him even in her final moments.

That night, Bruce Wayne died too. The boy faded, replaced by the man who would become Batman.

"I've experienced it," Bruce said quietly, his voice barely audible. His eyes opened, filled with a haunted emptiness. Then they narrowed, suspicion creeping in. "Wait… how do you know my name?"

Kaius smirked slightly. "Oh, come on, Bruce. I have x-ray vision. Your mask doesn't hide much."

Bruce froze. The idea of someone so casually knowing his identity rattled him. His instincts screamed that this wasn't human behavior. He quickly reloaded the specialized kryptonite grenade launcher, pointing it squarely at Kaius.

"X-ray vision? No human has x-ray vision," Bruce growled. He pulled the trigger.

The grenade hit its mark, exploding on impact and enveloping Kaius in a thick cloud of glowing green kryptonite gas.

Fiora instinctively stepped back, her Kryptonian biology reacting to the toxic substance. Diana raised her Vulcan Sword, ready to intervene.

But Kaius stood unmoved in the center of the gas cloud, his silhouette visible through the haze. He took a deep breath, inhaling the kryptonite-laced smoke into his lungs. The glow of the gas dissipated as he exhaled sharply.

"Not bad," Kaius said, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "It's almost… refreshing."

Bruce's jaw dropped in disbelief. "What…?"

Kaius emerged from the dissipating smoke, completely unaffected. His grin widened. "Oh, did I forget to mention? I'm not a Kryptonian. The kryptonite? It doesn't work on me."

Bruce's mind raced. This defied everything he knew. Kryptonite had been his trump card, the ultimate equalizer against Superman and anyone like him. Yet here stood Kaius, breathing it in like it was air.

"You… you're not affected?" Bruce stammered, his grip tightening on the launcher.

"Not in the slightest," Kaius replied, taking a step closer. "And for the record, Bruce, if I were a Kryptonian, this little trick of yours might've worked. But I'm not. I'm just… built differently."

Bruce's hands trembled, the realization shaking his resolve. His plans had relied on kryptonite as a fail-safe against alien threats. If it failed against Kaius, what else had he misunderstood?

"You're wrong about me, Bruce," Kaius said, his tone softening. "I'm not your enemy. Superman isn't your enemy. The real enemy is out there, plotting while we waste time fighting each other."

Bruce's breathing slowed, his mind weighing Kaius's words. Slowly, he lowered the launcher, though his expression remained tense.

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