Homelander: New Legacy

[162] : Defeating Superman!

~ Support & Read 15 Advanced Chapters on My Patreon!

<><><><>

The situation reversed instantly. Though the Kryptonite Roger had was indeed very small, it was still Kryptonite—enough to weaken a Kryptonian.

At a distance, Superman might not feel its effects, but once close, Kryptonite's radiation would drastically weaken his abilities.

While it wouldn't completely negate them—Superman had once carried a Kryptonite-laced spear to stab Doomsday in the movie, and even then, he managed some low-altitude flight—it was enough to turn the tide.

The piece Roger held was less than a tenth of the size of the one in the original story. At best, it weakened Superman's powers but didn't nullify them entirely.

However, against an opponent with the same abilities and equivalent strength, any weakening of Superman's powers was enough to determine the battle's outcome.

Superman stood no chance against Roger.

Roger wasn't about to give Superman the opportunity to recover or escape. His hand never left Superman's shoulder, gripping it tightly to prevent him from pulling away.

Roger knew that if Superman managed to put some distance between them—even a short one that took him out of Kryptonite's range—he would likely resort to long-range attacks, such as ice breath or heat vision, to stall for time until Darkseid's reinforcements arrived.

Roger couldn't let that happen. He had to finish Superman off while he was weakened.

"Sorry, Clark."

Grabbing Superman's neck with his right hand, Roger tightened his grip. The Kryptonite radiation rendered Superman unable to break free from Roger's iron hold.

Roger hesitated for a moment.

Superman, though now corrupted, wasn't acting out of his own volition. Even if Lois Lane's death broke him, Superman would never willingly ally with evil. At worst, he might have become the Injustice Superman, abandoning his no-kill rule and dealing harsher punishment to criminals.

Superman's current state was due to the Anti-Life Equation. If its effects could be undone, Superman would likely still harbor resentment toward Bruce Wayne but would also oppose Darkseid.

It was this realization that made Roger pause. After all, Superman was one of the heroes he admired. Killing him felt personal.

"...Although, it's not like this is my first time doing something like this."

Roger recalled his first venture into the zombie Marvel universe, where he personally killed zombified versions of Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and others.

With that thought, any lingering guilt seemed to dissipate.

Sighing, Roger glanced at the approaching army of Parademons in the sky and addressed Superman one last time:

"I really didn't want to kill you. You were one of my favorite superheroes. But... we don't have the time to free you from the Anti-Life Equation's control. So..."

Crack.

The sound of vertebrae shattering echoed as Roger effortlessly snapped Superman's neck.

Superman's limbs went limp, and his life force faded.

"Sorry."

Roger murmured a brief apology before hoisting Superman's lifeless body onto his shoulder and flying toward Mera to regroup.