Fortress of Solitude

He saw even more clearly than Amanda Waller did.

In space, several satellites LexCorp had launched just days ago extended their lenses, recording everything happening in Gotham in real time.

Lex Luthor rubbed his brow wearily. Watching Superman being carried away by Shimizu on the screen, he silently turned to look at the Kryptonite armor parked beside him.

Drawing inspiration from Atlantis technology, he had greatly accelerated his research into Kryptonite.

Not only had he created artificially synthesized Kryptonite, but he had also invented a technique for using the radiation of natural Kryptonite to create miniature nuclear reactors, producing this suit of armor specifically designed to counter Kryptonians.

"Nanobots… What a shame. After this, Wade will definitely guard against that trick. Hmm… I need to take precautions too."

Lex tapped on the desk, his thoughts racing.

Natural Kryptonite was difficult to obtain. Most places where he had found traces of Kryptonite had already been visited by some pervert who liked wearing a black skintight suit. What he had collected, added to his current stockpile, was nowhere near enough to create the mech army he had envisioned.

However, assembling a special mech task force with fewer than ten members would not be a problem.

"I wonder what Batman’s robots use as an energy source. Too bad it’s too difficult to get that technology from him. Otherwise, I could try mass-producing those black robots. Pair them with Artificial Kryptonite, and I could build a perfect army."

Lex rose from his desk with some regret.

He looked out the window.

LexCorp had only just gotten back on track. If he wanted to surpass Wade and Amanda over the coming year, he had plenty to do.

A few minutes later.

A rocket carrying Batman, Wonder Woman, and Fault Insurance launched into the sky, heading for the Space Watchtower the Justice League had built in geostationary orbit.

Shimizu also brought Superman to the Arctic.

"Is this the place?"

Shimizu set Superman down and scanned a radius of over a thousand meters with Transparent World. Finding nothing unusual, he suddenly paused.

His Shadow Clone had vanished.

Before the rocket could reach the Watchtower, Fault Insurance had blown his Shadow Clone apart.

"It needs a key to open."

Superman took out a pure, translucent yellow crystal from his body and tossed it onto the ground.

"Shit, your suit actually has pockets? Why can’t even I sense them?"

"Kryptonian technology. My suit is made from special materials and has invisible pockets. To be honest, even my own X-ray vision can’t see through them."

Superman dug around at the edge of his muscular pectorals, which were at least a C-cup, and pulled out a mass of viscous liquid. He wrapped the yellow crystal in it, took it back out, then threw the crystal into the air.

Shimizu looked up.

As though answering some summons, the yellow crystal vanished directly into the air.

Then the ground trembled. Countless white, translucent crystals rose from the ice sheet out of thin air, slowly extending until they formed a massive palace.

This was…

Spatial concealment technology?

Still, Krypton could even open the Phantom Zone. Having this kind of spatial technology was not all that surprising.

"I’m mostly better now. You can put me down, Wade."

Shimizu released his arms, and Superman slowly floated up. He led Shimizu to the metal gates of the Fortress of Solitude and placed a hand against them.

The gates opened smoothly, revealing a vast hall connected to countless corridors.

A middle-aged man dressed in Kryptonian-style clothing stood there with his hands folded over his abdomen, watching Superman with a gentle gaze.

Transparent World swept over him, yet there was still nothing there.

"My friend, I am merely a holographic projection composed of light particles. Like a ghost, I am not a real person. My main body is deeper within the Fortress of Solitude, in the computational sector."

The middle-aged man—or rather, the Fortress of Solitude—seemed to possess equipment capable of sensing Mental Power. The instant Shimizu activated Transparent World, it noticed.

"Wade, this is the Fortress intelligence formed from the memories of my biological father, Jor-El. Father, this is my friend, Wade."

Superman introduced them to each other.

"Mr. Jor-El."

Shimizu gave a slight nod.

"Father, grant Wade Level Two access. Please show him around briefly. I need to head to the medical ward first. Also, prepare an anti-Kryptonite suit for me."

After saying that, Superman flew without delay toward one of the corridors.

The effects Kryptonite had inflicted on him had not fully faded. He needed to use the medical technology here in the Fortress of Solitude to recover to peak condition as quickly as possible.

"Mr. Jor-El, I’ll have to trouble you to introduce this place to me."

Shimizu said to Jor-El.

"At your service, Carl’s friend."

Jor-El snapped his fingers, and white crystal tubes immediately emerged from the floor, forming a table with a cup of steaming, unknown green liquid on top.

"This is a Kryptonian beverage, much like the tea and coffee you use here to entertain guests. Although some of the ingredients cannot be found on Earth, we have still recreated ninety percent of its texture and flavor."

Shimizu picked it up and took a sip, then drained it in one go.

It tasted pretty good, a little like mint.

"Carl’s treatment will take approximately ten minutes. During that time, please allow me to briefly introduce some areas of the Fortress.

"That is the information storage and data processing center. It contains most of Krypton’s historical, cultural, and technological records. Level Two access cannot explore the deeper sections.

"This is the medical sector where Carl is being treated. The area next to it is the training and recreation sector, followed by the living quarters…"

Shimizu followed Jor-El around for a look.

The place was enormous. He could only get a rough overview.

Shimizu discovered that Superman seemed to really enjoy making statues and memorial halls.

At the front of the hall stood statues of Superman’s biological parents, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, as well as a model statue of Krypton.

There was also a life-sized statue of Lois Lane. According to Jor-El’s introduction, Shimizu also saw statues of Superman’s first love, Lana Lang; his college girlfriend, Lori Lemaris; and the actress Lyra Lerrol, whom he had admired in his youth…

Well, all of these statues were life-sized. They were not stone carvings, and they looked exactly like real people.

Worried about being disrespectful, Shimizu did not dare touch them, nor did he dare ask how Superman used these statues.

If those statues could be used, and Superman did use them.

"This is the Kryptonian artifact storage vault. Please be extremely careful during the rest of the tour. Do not touch anything, as it may be a weapon created by ancient Kryptonian technology."

As Kal-El spoke before a crystal door, he suddenly stopped and looked upward.

"Other friends have arrived as well."