AM I SUPERMAN?

Needless to say, the one who intercepted the fist of Tony Woodward, aka the Metal Man, naturally drew the attention of the crowd—and one particularly observant individual, Kaius, stood silently watching the scene unfold.

Tony Woodward, whose body transforms into living metal, possesses strength that can rival mid-tier meta-humans, granting him a combat level comparable to a blue elite mid-rank. While this level of power makes him more than a match for ordinary strength-enhanced individuals, it was woefully insufficient for someone like Kaius.

"Hey, I'll ask you one more time!" Tony barked, his metallic voice grating as he grew impatient. "Who the hell are you, punk?"

When Kaius ignored his outburst, Tony shoved him hard with both hands, his expression smug—until his triumphant grin froze.

Kaius remained rooted in place, completely unfazed by the shove, while Tony staggered backward from the unexpected recoil.

The scene was so embarrassing that some of the onlookers couldn't contain their laughter. What tension had lingered in the air evaporated as several people whipped out their phones to capture the moment.

"Idiot, don't you even know the Avenger?" one spectator muttered.

"Black suit, black cape, and the capital 'A' on his chest—that's the Avenger!"

"Remember the Battle of Metropolis a few months ago? He fought alongside Superman and Wonder Woman to repel the alien invaders!"

The murmurs reached Tony's ears. His metallic face twisted with a mixture of disbelief and fear as he turned toward Kaius. "You… you're an Avenger?"

Kaius, however, didn't even glance his way. Instead, he turned to the Flash, who stood nearby, his face determined. "Barry, do you need help with this guy, or do you want to handle it yourself?"

"No, I want to rely on my own strength. I've been training hard, and I want to put what you taught me to the test—supersonic boxing," Barry replied, his voice resolute.

Kaius nodded. "Good. At your current speed, you'll need about 5.3 miles to accelerate to Mach 1.1. When you strike, focus all your power on his weakest point. But be careful—if you miscalculate, you could end up hurting yourself. Are you ready?"

Barry nodded firmly. This wasn't just about defeating Tony; it was personal. Tony had been one of the bullies who tormented him as a child, and Barry was determined to overcome him without outside help.

"Don't worry, Kaius. I won't let you down." Lightning crackled in Barry's eyes as he suddenly accelerated, vanishing into the distance to build the necessary momentum.

Tony, still seething from being ignored, glared at Kaius. "What the hell is wrong with you? You'd rather help that weakling than join forces with someone like me? We're practically the same—both of us have steel bodies!"

"You think we're alike?" Kaius raised an eyebrow, his expression one of mild amusement. "You seem pretty confident in your strength."

"Of course I am!" Tony growled, his body shimmering as it fully transformed into living metal. "Why don't we test it out?" With a roar, he lunged forward, his fist aimed directly at Kaius's face.

Kaius didn't move. He stood there, calm and composed, watching Tony with the kind of detached curiosity one might reserve for an insect. To the crowd, Tony's punch looked fast and powerful. To Kaius, however, it was laughably slow—like a snail inching forward.

The crowd, many of whom were only vaguely aware of Kaius's power, held their breath. Most knew of Superman and the Avenger through sanitized news reports—stories about Superman saving planes or the Avenger stopping criminals—but very few understood the true extent of their strength.

Today, they were about to witness it firsthand.

Kaius spent a mere 0.5 seconds scanning the vast crowd, ensuring Barry Allen, the Flash, had reached an appropriate distance. With precision timing, he then spent another 0.1 seconds stepping forward and casually flicked the forehead of Tony Woodward, the Metal Man, with his finger.

Bang!

The sound was like a sledgehammer striking steel. Tony's metallic body, seemingly invincible, was sent hurtling backward by an immense, irresistible force. He smashed into a brick wall, reducing it to rubble, the shockwave silencing the crowd.

Groaning, Tony struggled to rise from the debris. His metal form shimmered as he staggered upright, only to realize there was now a deep, unmistakable fingerprint indented into his forehead—a mark left by Kaius's casual flick.

"Damn it!" Tony cursed under his breath, clutching his head. He was furious and humiliated. Though he wasn't Superman, his steel body was supposed to be nearly unbreakable, capable of withstanding most physical attacks. Yet, he couldn't even withstand a single flick from Kaius.

This was a disgrace of the highest order.

"Avenger, I'll remember this!" Tony snarled, retreating toward his car in an attempt to flee. "You just wait—you'll regret this!"

But before he could escape, Kaius's voice echoed with divine authority, his tone cold and resolute:

"Tony Woodward, you stand guilty of theft, robbery, attempted abduction, and crimes against decency—including being too ugly. You are hereby sentenced to life imprisonment."

As he spoke, an ethereal shackle materialized around Tony, clamping down on his body with an audible clang. This was the power of Kaius, the God of Punishment. His judgment manifested as an invisible force, binding the guilty. The shackle would not disappear until the sentence was carried out—whether imprisonment or execution.

Tony initially dismissed the declaration, scoffing, but the weight of the invisible bind quickly became unbearable. His metallic body groaned under the strain, and even walking became a challenge.

"What's happening to me?" Tony gritted his teeth, his metallic skin gleaming as he struggled to stay upright.

In the distance, a loud sonic boom shattered the tension. Glass windows along the street exploded into shards as a streak of lightning zipped toward the scene. Barry Allen, the Flash, had broken the sound barrier, reaching Mach 1.1. His approach was heralded by a rush of wind and crackling energy.

With precision born of training and determination, Barry unleashed a supersonic punch aimed directly at Tony's chest.

Boom!

The strike was devastating. Already weakened by Kaius's divine shackle, Tony was helpless against Barry's blow. The force sent him flying into another wall, which crumbled beneath the impact, leaving him buried under a pile of rubble.

Barry skidded to a stop, his chest heaving as the adrenaline subsided. His arm throbbed from the exertion, but a triumphant smile spread across his face.

"I did it! I finally beat him!" Barry exclaimed, turning to Kaius with uncontainable excitement. He pressed the communicator in his ear, eager to share the victory with his friends at STAR Labs. "Guys, I did it! Supersonic boxing worked—I took him down!"

Cheers erupted on the other end of the line as Cisco and Caitlin celebrated. "Way to go, Barry!" Cisco said. "I'll admit, I thought you were going to fracture every bone in your arm, but you actually pulled it off—"

The communication suddenly cut off, replaced by static. Barry frowned, tapping the device. "Hello? Cisco? Caitlin? Can you hear me?"

The crowd began murmuring in confusion as their electronic devices malfunctioned one by one—phones, cameras, and even cars. A sudden stillness settled over the street, broken only by Barry's voice.

"Kaius, what's going on?" Barry asked, looking around nervously.

Kaius didn't reply immediately. His gaze was fixed on a wall-mounted TV in a nearby snack bar. The screen flickered to gray static before displaying a haunting image: three interconnected purple circles, forming a distinct V-shaped pattern.

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