AM I SUPERMAN?

In the face of Kaius, ARGUS found themselves in an exceptionally awkward and precarious situation. Based on the limited intelligence they had gathered, they lacked the confidence to subdue him, let alone consider drastic measures like implanting a bomb in his head.

Recognizing the potential threat he posed, Amanda Waller decided to take matters into her own hands. She made her way to the Arrow's base, determined to clarify Kaius's position, even if only through verbal confirmation.

"What else can I do?" Amanda thought to herself. "A direct confrontation is out of the question. If Kaius retaliates, he could level the headquarters of the ARGUS easily. That would be disastrous."

Kaius, sharp as always, easily discerned Amanda's concerns. Smiling, he addressed her with calm confidence:

"Let me tell you something, Amanda. The biggest difference between Oliver Queen and me is simple: Oliver is a hero. He would sacrifice everything for Star City. Me? I'm no hero. I just enjoy punishing bad people."

While heroes were symbols of hope, Kaius viewed himself differently. His purpose was to bring despair to those who thrived on crime and injustice.

Amanda, however, was unimpressed by his rhetoric. Taking a step closer, she firmly said, "Mr. Avengers, I need to know your stance regarding the United States government."

Kaius chuckled, his tone dismissive. "Let's get one thing straight. I don't work for you, and I don't take your salary. What attitude do you expect me to have? As long as you don't bother me, I won't bother with you."

Amanda's expression darkened, but she pressed on. "For now, I'll assume that means you're neutral. But what about the others around you—the lady behind you and that volunteer in Metropolis? Do they share your position?"

"Of course," Kaius replied casually, offering no further explanation.

Amanda shifted gears. "There's one last matter," she said, signaling an agent to step forward with a tablet. Her intent was clear—this was no secret, as everyone around her gathered to see what she was about to reveal. Still, she issued a symbolic warning:

"Take note—what you are about to see is classified as a state secret. Any unauthorized disclosure will result in charges of treason."

Felicity Smoak, as expected, was quick to respond. "No problem! Everyone knows I've got the tightest lips in the room," she quipped.

Sara Lance added with a grin, "Honey Rabbit! Honey Rabbit! My lips are sealed tighter than a bank vault."

Oliver Queen sighed, placing a hand on his forehead. Their assurances only seemed less believable the more they insisted.

Ignoring their antics, Amanda turned her back to enter a password into the tablet. What she didn't realize was that Kaius had already deduced the password with ease.

Once she was done, Amanda turned the tablet to face the group and began her explanation:

"The ARGUS satellite recently captured this—an unidentified spacecraft hovering tens of thousands of meters above geosynchronous orbit."

Displayed on the screen was an image of a dark, ominous spacecraft floating in the void of space. Its design resembled a massive, shadowy jellyfish with a flat, broad head. Below it were three sharp, claw-like appendages, currently folded together.

"Wait... is that... an alien spaceship?" Felicity gasped, her hands trembling slightly. She couldn't resist hacking into the tablet, furiously typing away on her keyboard to copy the data.

Moments later, she exclaimed, "Wow! Based on my calculations, this ship is approximately 400 meters long. Its structure is incredibly bizarre. The data suggests it could be composed of two interconnected parts, or... it might be a living organism."

The revelation left the room in stunned silence, as everyone grappled with the implications of what they had just seen. For Amanda, however, this was only the beginning of the challenge.

It took Amanda a full two seconds to process what had just happened. Her expression darkened as she turned to Felicity, scolding her sharply:

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Did you just hack into my tablet? Felicity Smoak, delete that data immediately, or I'll have you arrested on the spot!"

"Sorry! Sorry!" Felicity stammered, looking thoroughly embarrassed as she hurriedly pressed the delete key.

Meanwhile, Kaius remained focused on the screen. His eyes narrowed as he gazed upward, peering into the sky above Metropolis. Even with his extraordinary vision, all he could make out was a tiny black dot against the vast expanse of space. The ship hovered just outside Earth's geosynchronous orbit, making it nearly impossible to detect with the naked eye.

"How long has that spacecraft been there?" Kaius asked, his tone serious.

Amanda gestured to the tablet, tapping on the screen to bring up a recorded feed. "Three days ago," she replied. "It appeared out of nowhere, as if it tore through space itself. One moment there was nothing, and the next..." She paused, letting the screen illustrate her point.

The footage showed empty space just outside the orbit. Then, in an instant, the area distorted, rippling unnaturally. A shadowy form emerged, first as a blur and then solidified into a spacecraft, trailing a ghostly afterimage before stabilizing into position.

Oliver furrowed his brow, glancing between Amanda and the screen. "If they've been here for three days, why are they just sitting up there? Have you tried contacting them?"

Amanda nodded. "Of course. We've sent multiple communications, but we haven't received any response. President Abraham is already aware and has declared a Level One security alert. We don't know if they're friend or foe, but what's certain is their level of technology far exceeds anything we have." She shifted her gaze toward Kaius, clearly expecting him to weigh in.

Kaius didn't miss the implication in her look. Amanda wasn't privy to any potential connection he might have to this alien craft, but as a government operative, she had to prepare for the worst. Dealing with a technologically superior race wasn't something Earth's armies could handle alone, and Kaius's actions during the Star City crisis had proven his value.

"They're just hovering there," Kaius said, his expression thoughtful. "It's almost like... they're absorbing sunlight."

"Absorbing sunlight?" Amanda and the others exchanged puzzled looks.

Kaius nodded. "Yes. The Earth's yellow sun—it can grant them immense power."

Amanda's eyes widened in alarm. "Mr. Avengers, do you know who they are?"

"Yes," Kaius replied gravely. "If I'm right, this ship belongs to General Zod of Krypton. He's come to Earth to terraform it into a new Krypton."

The room went silent as the implications sank in. Standing off to the side, Diana's eyes lit up with a fiery determination at the mention of Zod's name. Her warrior instincts, dormant for months, flared back to life. She strode forward, her voice charged with excitement:

"It must be Zod! Ares' lackey, the instigator of endless wars! Kaius, let's take him down—together!"

The atmosphere turned awkward immediately.

Oliver groaned, covering his face with his hand in exasperation, while others, like Amanda, stared at Diana in utter confusion. Those who knew the backstory cringed, while those who didn't—Amanda included—could only gape in disbelief.

"Wait a minute," Amanda finally managed to say. "You're telling me aliens weren't enough? Now we're dealing with Ares too? What is this? Are the gods of mythology expanding their business across the galaxy?"

The absurdity of the situation left everyone momentarily stunned, each grappling with the surreal mix of aliens, gods, and Earth's precarious fate.

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This chapter is dedicated to Yennekk and Rowdy_Rich

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