Homelander: New Legacy

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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.

The loss of Ultron's body didn't concern Roger. Without the Infinity Stones, Ultron's power was negligible, likely weaker than Cyborg's. But Superman was another matter entirely.

Roger knew without a doubt that if he left Superman's body here, Darkseid would use a Mother Box to resurrect him. That couldn't happen. Superman's body had to be taken away to prevent his revival.

Thanks to the Space Stone's locator, Roger quickly found Mera, still hiding underwater.

The moment Mera was teleported away earlier, she knew things had taken a bad turn.

Perhaps they had triggered some of Darkseid's traps in the ocean depths, or maybe Darkseid's forces had always been monitoring them.

Either way, Superman's arrival with the Parademons spelled trouble. While Roger had the Kryptonite, there was no guarantee Superman would engage him directly. Mera had been anxiously worrying if Roger was in danger.

Yet she couldn't act recklessly. After expending her water manipulation abilities earlier, Mera was physically drained. Just concealing her presence had left her utterly exhausted, leaving her incapable of aiding Roger.

And in her current state, attempting to help would only hand Superman an easy victory.

"I hope he's okay…"

Mera's brow furrowed in deep concern.

She feared for Roger's safety, knowing that if anything happened to him, Earth's remaining resistance forces would lose their last hope.

"Who's in trouble?"

A voice interrupted her thoughts as Roger descended from the surface, effortlessly locating Mera's hiding spot.

Startled, Mera turned, her eyes widening in disbelief as she saw the corpse Roger was carrying.

"You… you killed him?"

"No choice. The Kryptonite weakened him but not enough. If I'd let him retreat and regroup, the Kryptonite would lose its effectiveness. So… anyway, Superman's died before. Once we drive Darkseid away, you can revive him."

Roger spoke nonchalantly.

Superman had a history of resurrection, so killing him felt less significant to Roger, even if he had hesitated briefly.

"No, that's not what I meant…" Mera wasn't concerned about Superman's death. She wasn't particularly close to him. What shocked her was Roger's ability to kill Superman.

Even if Roger had used Kryptonite to weaken him, it still showcased Roger's extraordinary power.

Looking at Roger, Mera felt, for the first time, that victory was within reach.

"That's not it? Fine, whatever it is, we need to head back now."

Roger dismissed her concerns, gripping Superman's corpse with one hand and taking Mera's arm with the other.

"Batman and the others must be waiting… though the Kryptonite's not much use anymore."

The entire point of their two-pronged mission had been to find the Kryptonite as a weapon against Superman. Now that Superman was dead, the Kryptonite's importance had diminished. Despite some complications, the mission's outcome was favorable, and Roger was sure Batman and the others would be thrilled to hear the news.

"Are we taking the same method back?" Mera asked curiously. "Can't you use that teleportation power you used on me earlier?"

"If I could, I would've already done so. That ability requires energy buildup. The energy I used earlier was only enough for one short-range teleport. Now it's depleted, so we'll have to take the long way back."

Roger explained seriously.

Mera believed him without hesitation. After all, no one would willingly face Superman and his Parademon army alone unless absolutely necessary.

Since teleportation wasn't an option, the two retraced their steps.

Before leaving, Roger made sure to fill half his spatial bracelet with seawater for Mera.

While Mera's power was water manipulation, she couldn't generate water from nothing. In the past, she had to carry two barrels of water with her when working with Batman.

Now, with Roger's spatial bracelet, Mera no longer needed to lug water around. If necessary, Roger could release all the stored seawater to create a small lake, allowing Mera to unleash her full potential.

Though Superman was dead, Roger and Mera still remained vigilant as they traveled. However, their return journey was faster than their cautious approach earlier, and they soon caught up with the main group heading toward Gotham.

Roger's and Mera's return—with Superman's corpse in tow—left Batman and the others stunned.

What surprised Roger, though, was the presence of two new faces: Joker and Deathstroke.

"…Batman, what's their deal?"

Roger asked, his tone laced with suspicion.

In the original storyline, Joker and Deathstroke had been part of Batman's team. But since Roger had never seen them before, their sudden appearance felt jarring.

"I asked Deathstroke to track down Joker. The task is now complete."

Batman explained calmly.

Roger frowned. "I don't recall hearing that Joker was part of our team."

"Tut-tut-tut, the great Batman has no obligation to tell you everything, dear Superman from another universe."

Joker chimed in, his tone mocking and theatrical.

Batman ignored Joker entirely and addressed Roger. "I didn't have a reason to tell you all my plans. Besides… do you dislike Joker? Have you met a Joker in your world?"

"Oh? A Joker from another universe? Sounds intriguing. I bet that world's me caused quite the chaos, huh?"

Joker laughed maniacally.

Roger ignored him, too, and replied to Batman, "I just think it's dangerous to keep a lunatic like him around. You, of all people, should know how insane Joker can be."

Roger's knowledge of Joker was limited to films, as he hadn't read DC comics. But based on what his superhero-obsessed friend had told him, Joker was a source of chaos who thrived on anarchy, caring nothing for his own life.

Nobody knew Joker's true identity or backstory. Every story he told about his past—whether it involved an abusive father, a loving mother, or some other tale—was fabricated.

From his friend's descriptions, Roger understood Joker as a walking disaster, a wildcard that could upend any situation.

Even without powers, Joker made Roger uneasy.

"Don't worry. At least for now, we share the same goal."

Batman reassured Roger.

Roger, however, remained wary.

Batman's inherent distrust was unsurprising, but it was Joker who truly unsettled Roger. Even without any superpowers, Joker's presence demanded vigilance.

"Pffft—"

Seeing Roger's wary gaze, Joker burst into laughter.

Perhaps to diffuse the tension, Barry Allen nervously gestured toward Superman's body and asked, "Roger... did you actually…?"

"Yes."

Roger confirmed flatly, placing Superman's body on the ground.

Though he could've stored it in his spatial bracelet, Roger chose not to. No matter what, Superman had once been Earth's symbol of hope and a great superhero. Killing him was one thing, but his body deserved respect.

Cyborg analyzed the corpse, pausing at Superman's neck before commenting, "A clean kill. It seems you found the Kryptonite."

"Yeah, but it's not much use now. What's the plan for his body?"

Roger asked.

Batman replied, "I hear you have a spatial storage device. Keep Superman with you. And the Kryptonite—it's not done being useful."

"It's still useful?"

"Potentially."

Batman's cryptic response came with an explanation: "Doomsday's body has likely fallen into Darkseid's hands."

"…That's bad news."

Roger immediately understood.

During the events of Batman v Superman, Superman had killed Doomsday, but the creature's body wasn't destroyed. Instead, it was confiscated by the government.

Now, with human governments in ruins, Doomsday's corpse had likely ended up with Darkseid.

If the Mother Box could revive a pierced Superman, it could undoubtedly resurrect a Kryptonite-impaled Doomsday.

Killing Superman wasn't the end. By the time they reached Gotham, Roger might have to face Doomsday.

"Well, at least Superman's death is a win, right?"

Oliver Queen chimed in, trying to lighten the mood.

Roger sighed. "It's a win, though not as comforting as it should be."

"Alright, let's move. No more wasting time."

Batman, unwilling to linger on the topic, decisively ended the conversation.

With Joker and Deathstroke now part of the group, the team resumed their journey.

What awaited them at the end of this path, however, remained uncertain—victory's hope or despair's abyss?

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