The winds whistle loudly and the lights of the city are far, far below. A hand stretches out and covers the city, hiding it from sight, and then it clenches into a fist.

There is a boom and the night sky is empty.

Eyes closed, his hair damp and clinging to his forehead, Lex turns his head to his right, smiles, and then, with his eyes still closed, he tilts his head down. A shadow passes over his face and the upside-down triangle of lights flashes.

'Lex,' asks OB-AP, its voice wavering in pitch like a pubescent male's, 'are you pleased?'

Lex's smile widens and he opens his eyes and brushes his hair back. 'Very. This… it exceeds my expectations.'

'That is good.'

Lex touches his forehead and says, 'The Interactive Interface you've helped us to develop…' his voice drifts as he loses himself in his thoughts.

'It has numerous limitations, Lex. Although it allows you to control the Kryptonian-designate such control is rudimentary and limited.'

'But I can fly and see-'

'Yet your reactions are human. Your senses are human. What you see and hear is what you see and hear as a human.'

Pacing, frustrated, Lex asks, 'Its brain is still healing, isn't it?'

'It is, and the Interface will allow you to access more of the Kryptonian-designate's functions and, in time, memories.'

'The memories are key,' growls Lex through grit teeth. He walks over to the chamber and, slumped in front of him, 'shackled' and asleep, his head bowed, is 'Superman'. The bodysuit is similar in colour to Superman's only of a plainer, rather than armoured-looking, fabric. The dark hair is slicked back and the figure looks almost resigned to its position.

'Memories are knowledge,' says OB-AP, somewhat softly. Lex nods and reaches out to the un-named Kryptonian, his hand hovering just above his head.

'Why did you come here?' whispers Lex.

'You know why I'm here, Lex,' says OB-AP.

Lex smiles and shakes his head. 'Not you, my friend. This one. Eighteen thousand years and it's only now that his people have started to reveal themselves.'

'We'll have that answer soon. Have patience.'

'But you're certain that we still have time?'

'There is time. Although neither of us were aware of any Kryptonian presence, the timeline remains as it was.'

Lex exhales deeply and smiles. 'That's reassuring. With everything going on out there, and with what you told me of Them, I-'

'One of Them, at least, is here.'

Alarmed at OB-AP's words, Lex doesn't notice the un-named Kryptonian's head snap up from its bowed position. He hurries over to a console and brings up various holo-displays. 'Who? When?' Behind him, the un-named Kryptonian's head slowly lowers again.

'I'm not yet sure. The recent uploads you have provided… the unrest across the world that seems so prevalent… the data would indicate that The Persuasive One is here. I know you are not yet ready to disable this 'Faraday Cage'-'

'In due time,' says Lex, a little dismissively. 'You know how voracious your data assimilation is and we have to be certain before we start the next stages.'

'Of course.'

Lex pushes out with his hands and more than a dozen small screens hover in front of him, each one displaying someone speaking and, among them, are G Gordon Godfrey and Pastor Papp.

'Run an assessment on the current prognosis while I look at these. We'll need to act soon.'

'Very well.'

GBS News

'"Months after The Batman's apparent return, and a massive drop in the city's crime rate, rumours are spreading that he has left Gotham once again.

"There have been no confirmed sightings for over a week. Now, this may be because of an easing up on the earlier prolific activity but there is speculation that, perhaps, the Batman has concluded that he is no longer up to the task.

"Here's what some Gothamites have to say on the matter:

"'Batman's old, yo. Twenty years of this [bleep] is a long time and people ain't like what they used to be. We ain't as scared as they useda be.

"'I heard Superman done him for the branding [bleep]. Ain't no man got a right to brand someone. We ain't animals.'

"'Odds are, the freak's lying in some ditch somewhere, dead.'

"'Look, he did what he had to do. Gotham was crazy, with the refugees, the trafficking, all that stuff. He came in and cleaned a lot of things up and now the police can carry on. He's not here to hold our hand, he just came to clear a path for us to walk on.'

"'They shine his light in the sky but there's no need any more. We don't have any killer clowns running around or anything. More than before, we know enough now to look out for each other. I'm not saying we didn't need him when he came back, Lord knows that we did, but he was basically a shepherd and his work is done.'

"'You know why he's gone? Due. Process. He knows that the [bleep] he pulled all dem years back don't fly no more. Kick a guy's teeth out and [bleep] gonna sue. Simple as. And all that bulletproof [bleep], breds out dere got stuff that can cut through him.'

"'If he didn't stop now he would have had to stop soon. Look, five years ago we found out that he was just a guy. 'Kay, sure, some are saying there were at least a dozen guys or something, but everyone has their limits. Officers retire. Heck, CEOs retire.'

'"Night after night, the Bat-signal lights up part of Gotham's sky, but there's nothing for the Batman to answer, and that's a good thing."'

LexCorp Labs, Metropolis

Lex hurries up to the podium as those gathered clap. Behind the podium, covering most of the stage's wall, is a massive screen. On the far right of the stage is something massive draped in purple cloth hemmed with green. Standing at the podium, Lex nods at the attendees, smiles, and adjusts one of the microphones.

'Ladies and Gentlemen, we are in a new age… and we have to catch up. Some of the words I am about to share with you have been spoken before, by someone much better than I can ever claim to be, but they are no less valid now as they were all those years ago when he first said them.

'We are in an age of both knowledge and ignorance. We have been for a long time, it's true, but it's all the more apparent now. The greater our knowledge increases the greater our ignorance unfolds.

'No man can fully grasp how far and how fast we have come, and I won't ask you to condense man's recorded history but I will ask you to look at the last couple of decades. I'll ask you to look at how information has been compressed and packaged and shared; how whole libraries can fit in the palm of our hand.

'It's been said that all great and honourable actions are accompanied with great difficulties, and both must be enterprised and overcome with answerable courage. Here, at LexCorp, and, by extension, the various firms and corporations that make up S.T.A.R. Labs, we are stepping forward to tackle those difficulties and be courageous.

'We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. The numerous technologies and sciences that have been developed over the years – nuclear, space, industrial and so on –

'We have felt the ground shake and the air shattered, not by our technology or weapons but by those of others beyond us… and by… and by single beings.

'Within these last two years the world has seen tens of thousands of people displaced, islands appear where there once were none, sea-life wiped out… and thousands of people killed within a matter of hours.

'We were powerless, and it was not because of something we had failed to do or even because of our own actions. It was not because we…

'We were not responsible, but we have a duty to do whatever we can to stop something like that from happening again. We have a responsibility to look out for ourselves, for humankind, and to do so… and to do so without relying on…

'I know many of you here hold Superman in high regard and, truthfully, I am grateful for what he has done for us all in such a short space of time, but we have to stand on our own two feet. We have to progress. We have to keep moving forward. What I am saying is… what I am saying is that I am not against Superman, none of us here are, but we are… desirous of urging and leading humankind to the next stages through our own abilities and achievements.

'There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict because of someone like Superman. Yet. The hazards that would result are hostile to us all. Going forward with… metahumans deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again.

'Our efforts are in their infancy, I'm not going to deny that, but these efforts have to be continued and nurtured and encouraged.

'I noticed some of you sit a little straighter when I said a certain word, and that word is why you're all here today. No, not 'Superman'. Metahuman.

'Some have taken to calling this emerging era 'the dawn of the superhuman' and, with it, a sense of inevitably being left behind. That's not going to happen. Decades ago we reached for the moon and we achieved it. We reached out to explore and we have achieved and learned so much. We are not going to stop now.

'The dawn of the superhuman will be led by us. The dawn of the superhuman is us. To that end:'

Lex steps to the side and gestures at the large screen behind him. It's segmented into various smaller screens, each displaying someone doing something physically astonishing: swimming, running, leaping, lifting. Some are athletes, others are 'regular' people, all are doing things beyond even an athletic 'norm'.

'For centuries, across the globe and across civilizations, we've tried to find ways to enhance our own innate strengths and limit our weaknesses. Genetic modification… genetic modification is not something we're ready to do yet, but it is inevitable. I'm not talking about designer babies or anything so crude as that but, rather, ways of taking the skills and abilities… the innate skills and abilities of a person and enhancing them to something more. Intelligence, stamina, strength, and so on.

'So, really, more… genetic enhancement.

'Those days are not here. Yet.

'Someday.

'For now, we still have to rely on external technology:'

The purple cloth falls away to reveal display cabinet around seven feet in height and, inside, is the bodysuit Lex showed to Bruce, suspended and rotating. The displays on the screen now show test subjects in variations of the suit doing similar feats as those displayed in the previous videos.

'Some of our collaborators are against designing and developing weaponry, and I understand that, I do. What we have here, however, is an aid for rescuers in hazardous environments, police, firemen – and women – and, yes, soldiers, but I assure you that is not our aim. I see some of the disapproving looks, and I do understand them, but the world has changed.'

He steps away from the podium and walks over to the display cabinet. He pats the glass and looks at the gathered investors, reporters, and potentially interested parties.

'A bio-suit enhancing the wearer's strength and durability. There are some speed enhancements but these continue to be limited to the wearer's 'conscious reaction time', so while, as you can see, the wearer can run at almost 70 miles an hour, they cannot, yet, catch a bullet.

'Ladies and Gentlemen, the Lexor-One.'

A.R.G.U.S. containment facility

Amanda Waller steps through a body scanner and over towards a retinal scanner. Behind her stand Diana, Steve, and three armed guards. The guards move over to a large vertical bar and ready themselves to pull on it.

'You've made your reluctance very clear, Your Highness,' she says as she inserts her arm into another scanning device, 'but you know that you don't need your lasso to tell you that I mean it when I say that this facility is one of the most secure in the world.'

'It certainly looks like that, Director Waller,' says Diana as she gestures for the guards to move away from the bar. There's a beep from the scanner and Diana places one hand on the bar and tugs, opening a massive metal door three feet thick and twenty feet high.

Beyond the door is a massive research floor, segmented into various areas representing different parts of the world.

'Man's World has a lot of secrets, doesn't it?'

Waller shakes her head and walks through the doorway. 'I'm sure your Themyscira has its fair share of them, too. Secrets keep people safe,' she takes hold of a man by his arm and pulls him over to Diana and Steve, 'there are things people just don't need to know.'

'Truth is easier.'

'Not always, Ms Prince. Not always. Anyway,' she gestures at the man, 'this is David Clinton, one of our researchers and someone with quite the interest in Time.'

David smiles and says, 'Any time you want access to the Scythe just let me know. Any time.'

'And we will, of course, share our findings with you,' says Waller as she steps back through the door to leave. 'Trust us, Your Highness, we're all in this together.'

Gotham PD - Central

The Bat-emblem in the sky flickers and then disappears. On the roof of the building, Harvey takes in a long drag of his stodgy cigar before putting it out on the side of the large spotlight directed upwards. He exhales slowly and then looks at a shadowy corner and shakes his head.

ML News 1

G. Gordon Godfrey sits behind a large wooden desk and, behind him, is the brightly-lit sky of Washington, D.C.. As the camera slowly zooms into him he brushes his hands over the top of the desk, spreading his arms wide, and then brings his hands together again, clasping them and leaning forward a little.

'A couple of years ago I was basically a nobody. I'm not shy about that and I've made a secret of it. We all start somewhere, but I wish my beginning hadn't been because of the deaths of thousands of citizens of the world, and I wish my… platform wasn't because of a being who considers himself to be above us.

'I wish it was hyperbole on my part, I really do, but the facts speak for themselves: the alien has no regard for our sovereignty. There's a document that people across the world and across nations have, that comes in different colours but allows the same thing, and he doesn't have one.

'A passport.

'You might think it funny, but it's actually terrifying. He's set himself up here, in America, and seems to have made Metropolis his favourite haunting ground – he's got to keep an eye on everything he's torn down, right? – but the thing is global.

'Fires in Mexico, floods in Pakistan, earthquake in Nepal. He pops up everywhere before anyone else can. Oh, sure, I know you're thinking that that's a good thing, that he's out there 'saving lives', but you should wonder. You really should.

'The other day I had people calling in telling me – telling us – that it was the 'End of Days', that the Omega was coming and the Alpha would end. I'm not a religious man, far from it, but there have been moments ever since his arrival when I wondered: what if they're right?

'Across mythologies and religions the gods cast out the devils and fallen ones and send them here, to Earth, and they sometimes ravage us. Maybe that's him – a avage.

'Regardless, the fact remains: the alien has no respect for authority and we have to be wary of this. Even if he doesn't do anything, with the very vocal protestations from the governments of places like China and Russia, chances are that they will do something about it… and hold us to account.

'So I say this, right here and now: Superman… stand down. If your help is needed then we, the people, will ask.'

A.R.G.U.S. research and storage facility

David Clinton looks over his notes as he walks towards a secure area. Distracted, he lifts his glasses and leans towards the retina scan. The door beeps and, pushing it open, he snaps his fingers and writes, while saying aloud, 'They say time knows no master – but I'm going to change all that.'

Lights flicker on and there's a soft hum in the small room. The walls are lined with storage boxes and looks much like a bank's safety deposit room. He walks over to one of the boxes, keys in a code, and then presses his thumb and little finger on a scanner. The box clicks open and he pulls out a small drawer, smiling as he looks inside.

His smile vanishes.

The box is empty.

David Clinton swears.

The office Lex Luthor, LexCorp Headquarters, Metropolis

Lex sits slightly slouched in his chair, his head rests against his right hand - his thumb against his jaw, three fingers slightly curled just below his nose, and his index finger taps against his temple. On the holo-screen in front of him is an empty display cabinet. He waves his left hand and the footage rewinds. The bio-suit is inside the cabinet, rotating in place, and the screen turns black. It flickers and the bio-suit is gone. Lex waves his hand again and replays the footage one more time before tutting and getting up.

'All he had to do was ask,' he mutters, 'I thought I made that clear.' He walks over to the window and looks out over the city.

There's a knock on the door and Mercy enters with Senator Finch and Diana.

'Ah, Senator Finch and Ms Prince,' he says cheerily. 'This is an interesting surprise. Why would Gerard Shugel's curator want to meet with me? And accompanied by yourself, no less.'

Senator Finch holds up a file and says, 'We've been going through the auction and found a few interesting… curiosities.'

'Oh?'

'A large number of items in the collection were acquired by various companies and other holdings, each with a tentative link to you.'

'Tentative?'

'We haven't found anything definitive, yet, but it's only a matter of time.'

'So this is a courtesy call?'

'You could call it that.'

'And Ms Prince?'

'As you said, I was curator.'

Lex shakes his head. 'No, why are you really here? I've made no secret of Mr Shugel being my mentor.' He chuckles and says, 'It's actually been held against me from time to time.'

'I'm here for the truth, Mr Luthor.'

'Lex, please. And what 'truth' is it that you're looking for?'

'Why you were buying up all those artefacts-'

'Through various companies, etcetera, etcetera? Simple – there were limits placed on what one person or corporation could acquire or even donate, and, well, I wanted to be able give as much as I could to the Foundation.'

'A noble intention, I'm sure.'

'It is. Truly. The Foundation can do a lot of good. I can do a lot of good, but both it and I are shackled in various ways. It was, to be frank, a way around some of those limitations.'

'What do you know about the Scythe of Kronos?'

Lex shrugs. 'Mythical artefact. What else is there to know?'

'It was in the auction.'

'You mean something that was supposedly the Scythe was in the auction. I remember the listing, but it wasn't of any interest to me.'

'It wasn't?'

'No, Ms Prince.'

Diana turns away slightly, frustrated, and looks out the window.

'They're not the answers you're looking for, are they?'

'No.'

'Then maybe your questions are wrong.'

'Perhaps.' Her hand hovers by her hip and she looks over at Senator Finch.

Lex notices, smiles and points at the far wall of his office, turning on a large screen. 'So the rumours are true. Colonel Trevor's friend is something else.' Displayed are images and footage of Diana, Steve, Amanda and others, as well as extracts from transcripts.

'The truth is always best, is it not?'

Diana flicks her hand and the room is bathed in a golden glow. In her hand is a Golden Lasso.

Mercy steps in front of Lex, shielding him.

'It's okay, Mercy, let's let the Islander do what she has to.'

'This Lasso will compel you to tell the truth.'

Lex spreads his arms wide. 'Truth will out.'

'Resisting the Lasso is not advised, Mr Luthor.'

'Of course, of course. Please.' He holds out his arm and waits for Diana to wrap one end of the Lasso around it. The Lasso glows brighter and Lex closes his eyes.

'What are you not telling us?'

Lex takes in a deep breath.

In the lab, tucked away in the Rockies, the prone 'Superman''s eyes open.

Lex opens his eyes.

'There is a Code, tucked away in every code since just after the birth of the internet. It's there, not as a conspiracy, but to warn and to help. It doesn't matter how new a programme is, how stripped down a code is, how 'fresh' it is, the Code is there.

'I had always been fascinated by what might be out there – the wonders and the terrors, and then I found something. It was just a pattern at first – totally invisible until it wasn't. It was a symbol. It was Hope.

'People think the Question was answered when the aliens revealed themselves. No, the Answer came before. Many times. But, more importantly, in 1977, before I was even born, when the Preserver reached out, and no one realised.

'But I did. Years later when I tried to find answers. When I was old enough. I realised and I searched and I found It and I learned. Genesis and Apokolips. The Collector of Worlds. Life and Anti-Life.'

Diana tugs on the Lasso, releasing Lex from its hold, but he continues talking:

'And the Red Capes.

'And you, Amazon, you don't understand. Mankind needs me. The Red Capes are coming. The Red Capes are coming.'

LexCorp's Rockies facility

Evacuation alarms blare throughout the facility and, in one section, each floor is littered with torn metals, concrete and rock, all around a hole the size of a small couch that seems to have been punched through.

Doctor Sydney Happersen stabs away at dozens of keys on a console and, around him, scientists, technicians, and security personnel rush around trying to figure what has happened and what is happening. Robots of all sorts of sizes barrel into people and fall through the large hole, while other robots suddenly stop and hum. Tablets and holo-screens display lines of code and error messages and then flashes of broadcasts and schematics and voice prints.

A hotel in Metropolis

Diana opens the door to her suite and slides the card into the slot on the wall. The lights turn on and she closes the door behind her. A frown creases her brow when she notices that the lights around the window have not come on.

'I appreciate that you feel that the shadows are your home, but I warn you: I am only your enemy if you treat me as such.'

Batman steps forward, away from the shadows, and Diana stands a little taller.

'You have quite the story, Ms Prince,' he growls.

She smiles, 'Says the man pretending to be a demon-bat.' She drapes her coat over the back of the desk chair and reaches for the remote control. She turns on the television and changes the channel to the exhibition football match between Gotham and Metropolis, and puts the remote back on the desk. The light from the screen makes shadows dance over Batman's face and Diana plucks a couple of grapes from the fruit bowl on the table between them and leans against the desk and starts to eat one.

Batman's cape shifts a little and he raises his hand to show her a leather bundle. 'You took Kronos' Scythe-'

'How did-?'

'That doesn't matter. What matters is that A.R.G.U.S. had it. Why?'

Diana shrugs, 'For study.'

'You know how dangerous this is.'

'Potentially. For now, it is… inert.'

'"Inert"?'

'The Scythe has various… attributes. One is a gift of showing what may come, but the Scythe's owner,' Diana shrugs again, 'is known to like playing games and telling riddles.'

'So the future it shows-'

'Is layered. It's not meant for…' She suddenly stands upright and walks straight over to Batman. 'It worked for you, didn't it? What did you see?'

Batman ignores her question and lowers his arm, hiding the bundle under his cape. 'You met with Lex. Why?'

'Why does that matter? It's you and Bruce Wayne who have the answers I need.'

'Bruce Wayne?'

'He saw something, too, when he held the Scythe, but he's been a difficult man to get hold of.'

'Then I'll ask him.' He moves past her and over to the desk. 'Why did you go to see Lex with Senator Finch?'

'For answers, but he knew nothing about the Scythe. He spoke of a code hidden in computer code. Neither I nor Senator Finch understood what he was talking about.'

'I need to know exactly what he said. I need-'

The Batman falls silent and stares at the television screen.

Beams of fire tear through the sky and bombard the football stadium. Chunks of the pitch leap into the air and explode. The beams move along the length of the pitch and then turn into the stands, melting metal and plastic and setting wood on fire. Spectators rush on to the pitch while others try to push their way through the stands. There is a stampede and the screen goes blank.

Batman's fingers dance over the keys on inside of his left gauntlet, instructing WayneTech drones as they whizz through the air over the stadium. On the television screen are four feeds from the four drones. In the Cave, Alfred hurriedly instructs the systems to process the incoming data as the drones scan the melted metal. When the results are displayed, he shakes his head with disbelief.

Cross-check: match to the effects of 'heat vision'

Batman taps the side of his cowl and says, 'It's started.'

'I don't believe it,' says Alfred over the comm-link. 'You said you saw, at Lexcorp-'

'Their weapons couldn't do this. Not like this.'

'That you know of.'

'Look at these readings! Everything matches what we know he can do. Everything matches what we've studied. What S.T.A.R. has studied.'

'I…I cannot believe it. I refuse to.'

'What's wrong with you?' he roars, ignoring Diana as she turns away from the screen to look at him.

'It doesn't make any sense,' says Alfred, firmly. 'You know it doesn't.'

Images from the vision bombard Bruce's mind and he grabs onto the desk to support himself.

'It does make sense, Alfred. I've seen it. It's happening.'

Diana grabs Batman's shoulder and pulls him round to face her. 'I need to know what you saw. Now.'

'Let go,' he growls, moving to get past her, and she pushes him across the room and slams him into the wall, pinning him with her left hand.

Through grit teeth she asks, 'What did Kronos show you?'

Batman thrusts his arm up into Diana's in order to break her hold and grunts when she doesn't move.

'We don't have time,' she says, and presses him a little harder. 'Tell me.'

'The end of the world.'

S.T.A.R. Labs, outskirts of Metropolis

Superman lands gently but firmly and walks through the main door. Alarms begin blaring and units of armed security rush into the lobby and surround him. There are a series of hums as the security personnel raise their weapons and ready the. Superman stands and waits and then looks up to the balcony where a group of scientists and technicians have gathered.

'I'm here to prove that whatever happened at the stadium was not because of me.'

'Of course it was because of you,' shouts one of the scientists. 'You're here to prove you didn't do it but that doesn't mean it wasn't because of you.' He gestures for Superman to be allowed through and gasps when Superman appears beside him.

'We've studied the effects of your heat vision, Superman' says another of the scientists, and they all walk to a presentation room where several others are waiting for them. 'You know that and we made no secret of it.'

Superman shakes his head and says, 'Professor Hamilton conducted the tests when this group was first set up but you let him go-'

'He didn't fit the needs of S.T.A.R.,' says the first scientist, dismissively.

'We've send out our drones and technicians are on site, but their first priority is recovery,' says a third.

'The emergency services wouldn't let me help when I arrived.'

'Can you blame them?' The screens in the room display news footage, drone footage, and streams of data being transmitted back to the facility. 'They saw fire come down from the sky. They saw people burn and turn to ash, and others fall and be crushed. We've only just started but every test, every type of analysis we've run on the stadium so far matches what we know. Everything.'

'I was on the other side of the world when it happened. I was just leaving Indonesia.'

'No, not quite,' says one of the technicians. She brings up satellite data and points at some of the figures and a series of maps. 'You disappeared for five minutes. Every satellite observing or transmitting across this region, across your projected flightpath, went blank, and it was in those five minutes that the attack happened.'

The first scientist turns to Superman and, crossing his arms, says, 'The only other time satellites were taken over in such a way-'

'Was when Zod revealed himself,' says Superman, finishing the thought.

'With Kryptonian technology. Technology you have.'

'That was the Black Zero, Doctor, not the other craft.'

'So you say.'

'You've never allowed us to examine it. You've never let us take a look.'

Superman's jaw clenches but then he says, slowly, 'It wasn't me.'

Superman: Murderer

The words are displayed behind Godfrey. There's no question mark on the sign. It's as if it is a statement of fact.

He looks sad as he sits in his chair – there's no desk, no barrier between him and the viewer, and he looks around himself, a little uncomfortable.

'Earlier this evening, fire rained down from the sky. An action many of us around the world, myself included, have had nightmares about for almost two years, happened. When beams of fire, when 'heat vision' tore through buildings in the Metropolis Incident, he said it wasn't him, and we had cause to doubt – he seemed to be stopping beings just like him from taking over our world, from killing us, so we believed him.

'When people were found dead in remote parts of Africa, we were assured by our soldiers that it wasn't him.

'When it was disclosed that the severed heads found in Mexico City had been separated from their respective bodies by burning we were, again, told that it wasn't him.'

'The accusations have been made before, but there were always excuses. Always convenience. Not anymore. Not even with S.T.A.R. Labs saying it's unclear.

'No excuses.

'I advise viewers not to allow their children to see this – it reveals the truth of the Kryptonian, yes, but it shows actions so heinous that we truly struggled with ever showing it to you.'

LexCorp's Rockies facility

Dr Happersen walks alongside Lex and Mercy as they make their way through the now abandoned facility.

'All of our data is intact, sir,' says Happersen, 'and we're still trying to determine what blocked our signals, but the AI you mentioned…'

'Faraday Cages are never absolute, Happersen.'

'Indeed, sir, but the missing robots are concern, surely?'

'They're a curiosity, but not a concern. Right now my main interest is the Kryptonian-designate.'

'It returned shortly after the incident and has remained in its chambers. I've looked over the readings and… something triggered it, somehow. Made it break its way out and hover over us for several minutes-'

'Before heading to the stadium.'

'The only communication we've found was…'

'Me. The headpiece.'

Happersen doesn't say anything but steps aside as they enter the room containing the Kryptonian.

Mercy looks up from the tablet she had been working on and says, 'The bio-suit hasn't been found yet, either,' and Lex nods knowingly.

Gotham PD – Central Precinct

One week later

The streets of Gotham have been empty ever since the beam of fire tore through the sky and laid waste to the stadium. Criminal activity has dropped significantly but police officers man the streets in large numbers, wary of a rumoured uprising.

Harvey Bullock closes his office door quietly and stares at the ceiling.

'Harvey,' growls Batman. He stands besides Harvey's desk and places several files on it.

'About time!' says Harvey, hurrying forward. 'What the hell's been going on? Gotham and Metropolis are on shut down. The President's banned Superman from American soil and everyone's just… just waiting for him to take over.'

'I need your help.'

'My-'

'I need you to clear the island and I need that.' He points towards the ceiling.

'You've got a plan?' Harvey separates the files, glancing over the titles. 'To stop him?'

'I do.'

'I'll get it done.'

'And Harvey, thank you.' He holds out his hand.

Harvey gapes, stunned by Batman's words and action, but he realises what they mean and takes Batman's hand in his. They're silent for a few seconds and then Batman nods at him, and Harvey swears under his breath as Batman steps through the door and out onto the main floor. Silence falls across the room and envelops him as the detectives and officers watch him walk among them.

First Church of Superman

'When I first heard… when I first saw… Brothers and Sisters, I must confess, I lost faith. I was confused. It didn't make sense. Brothers and Sisters, I fell to my knees and I wept.

'I'm sure almost all of us did.

'As I wept, I prayed, and as I prayed… as I prayed, I understood.

'There is always a cleansing. There is always a test.

'The test we had was one of humanity, and we failed. Repeatedly.

'Ever since his arrival… ever since he began to walk among us, he has shown us that we have to step forward… that we have to come forward… that we have to step up and help.

'The punishment is confusing and I weep for the lives lost but we have to open our eyes, my Brothers and Sisters. We have to see that our apathy was smothering us. We have to see that our faith compels us to help those around us, even when they want to tear us down or hurl stones or even shoot us.

'For two years we were apathetic while our Lord placed himself across the world, helping even those who shunned him. He didn't care about their hatred, and we weren't supposed to, either. But we failed.

'We failed and punishment was meted out.

'Brothers and Sisters, we must take heed of the warning and put ourselves forward. We must help those around us. Not in believing in Him and His goodness but in being human and holding each other upright.

'I know this is a confusing time for all of us. I know some of you have lost loved ones in The Fire, but I promise you that all is not lost.

'Hope lives.

'Kal-El lives.'

Thunder rumbles through the air as the police helicopter flies away from the rooftop. The buildings on the island are silent and dark but the street lights remain on. Several years ago, the island had been devastated by an earthquake. In recent months, in a bid to bring the refugees out of Robinson Park, efforts had been made to rebuild parts of the island and reconnect it to Gotham proper.

'I'm begging you to reconsider. That bio-suit has never been tested for something like this.'

'Lex was confident enough to reveal it, and the data holds. We tested it.'

'The data does not show how it would fare against… against a fist through your chest.'

Batman closes his eyes as he lowers the helmet over his head. The vision bombards his senses and he grits his teeth and waits for it to pass.

'That's what the armour we made is for. Besides, if you're right about him then that will never happen, will it?'

'I know I'm right. You'll see.'

Batman doesn't say anything as he remembers his last meeting with Superman. He remembers the Man of Steel's words before he flew away and left him with the wrecked Batmobile: "Next time they shine your light in the sky, don't go to it. The Bat is dead. Buried."

He remembers the vision and the scorched earth.

He remembers the stadium and the screams recorded on footage that has never been broadcast.

He turns on the signal and looks upwards as his symbol lights up a part of the sky.

'Well,' he says, his arms wide as rain begins to fall, 'here I am.'