Chapter 4: A Battle For The Crystal
The museum became a whirlwind of combat. Superman, high above the debris riddled floor, grappled with Ivy's monstrous plants. Giant, thorny rose bushes sprouted from the ground, their blossoms firing razor-sharp petals like a hail of deadly darts. He weaved through the projectiles, using his heat vision to incinerate the incoming thorns, but more kept coming. The air itself seemed to thicken with pollen and spores, making it difficult to breathe.
"You cannot defeat nature, Superman!" Ivy taunted, her voice amplified by the crystal's power, echoing through the hall. "You are an alien, an intruder in my world!"
Below, Batman continued his fierce struggle with Metallo. The cyborg lunged, his metal fists a blur of deadly force. Batman, relying on his agility and combat skills, dodged and weaved, using the environment to his advantage. He vaulted over toppled display cases, using them as shields against Metallo's kryptonite blasts. He struck back with well-aimed punches and kicks, aiming for weak points in the cyborg's armor, trying to disrupt his internal mechanisms.
But Metallo was relentless. He grabbed a massive chunk of fallen masonry and hurled it at Batman, who barely managed to roll out of the way. The impact shattered a nearby dinosaur skeleton, sending bone fragments flying.
Suddenly, Metallo's sensors locked onto the emerald glow emanating from Ivy. "That's mine!" he roared, abandoning his fight with Batman and took a powerful jump up towards Ivy, who was still locked in aerial combat with Superman.
"Out of my way, you grubby weed!" he bellowed, his metallic claws pulling himself closer to the crystal embedded in the giant flower stalk.
Batman, seeing Metallo's change in target, realized the danger to Superman. He leaped across the debris-strewn floor, desperately trying to intercept the cyborg. "Metallo, no!"
But it was too late. Metallo's fist connected with the crystal, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through the hall. The crystal, unable to withstand the blow, cracked down the middle, splitting in two. One half remained embedded in the plant, while the other flew through the air, landing near Batman's feet. With lightning reflexes, Batman scooped up the crystal fragment and secreted it away in a hidden compartment of his utility belt.
A wave of disappointment washed over Superman. He'd hoped to retrieve the crystal intact, to study its properties and perhaps unlock the secrets of its connection to Krypton. Now, it was damaged, its potential knowledge perhaps lost forever.