DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

Located in a geosynchronous orbit 22,300 km above Earth.

Inside the Watchtower.

The steel body gleamed brightly, showing off the texture of metal. His eyes were closed, while the red electronic eye on the other side kept flashing. He was training, practicing control over himself.

He had once been an outstanding American football star. Seriously injured in the accidental explosion of the Apokoliptian Mother Box, he was on the brink of death. But in that very moment, he fused with the molecules of the Mother Box. To save his life, his scientist father, Silas S. Tong, brought him to the "Red Room Laboratory," a U.S. government facility that collected various alien technologies. During the rescue process, under the influence of the Mother Box molecules, Victor absorbed all the high-tech data in the Red Room and ultimately became a half-human, half-mechanical cyborg.

Becoming a cyborg was not something that brought him joy. On the contrary, it was a source of deep pain.

The boundless flood of network data felt like a constant saw, grinding away at his mind, chaotic and painful. Yet he remained awake, sustained by the tenacious nature of the Mother Box and the fusion of numerous high-tech components.

It was a silent torment, enough to drive someone mad.

Fortunately, he had finally found his place—a mission worth pursuing. With a resolute will and trusted companions who had fought alongside him, he helped form the Justice League, working to maintain peace across the world.

And now, today.

He was the one on duty in the Watchtower.

The main function of the Watchtower was to monitor the entire planet. It watched for alien intrusions that could threaten Earth and monitored for environmental destruction or sources of life-threatening events.

It also served as a communications hub, relaying commands and information, assisting Justice League allies, and supporting teams like the Titans, Teen Titans, Birds of Prey, Justice Society of America, Green Lantern Corps, Outsiders, Doom Patrol, Super Hero Corps, Counter Strikers, Stormwatch, The Seven Soldiers of Victory, Metal Men, Young Justice, S.T.A.R. Labs, Ten Heroes, All-Star Squadron, and the Justice League Community, to accomplish their shared mission of protecting Earth.

Cyborg often used the Watchtower's technology to assist himself, helping him manage the chaotic flood of data within his body.

Suddenly.

Cyborg's expression changed as he meditated, one eye closed while practicing control over the network information. His open eye was filled with shock, while the electronic eye flashed a piercing red, like a warning alarm.

At that moment, a dark figure approached from behind.

Batman stepped into the silent control room of the Watchtower with decisive steps. Beneath the mask, his face was more serious than ever. He walked up to Cyborg.

"Batman... something's wrong. Someone just exposed the identities of all superheroes and uploaded them across the global internet."

"I know. It was Lois Lane. She even published a book called Superhero Identities, now being sold at every major bookstore and newsstand around the world. Every single one of our identities has been exposed."

"Superman's girlfriend?! How is that possible?"

"Doesn't matter now. Cyborg, erase the data from the internet immediately. Notify all superheroes and get their families to safety."

"Understood... Damn it! What kind of code is this? It's too complex, way beyond anything I've ever encountered. It's hard to crack."

"Do your best."

Batman's expression turned grim. He sat beside the console and began quickly notifying every superhero on record.

They had to evacuate all their families before the villains, governments, and criminal organizations could react.

He suspected the information had been stolen.

Worse still, this could be a sweeping operation to take down all superheroes, enabling world governments to target them and restrict their existence.

He hit the communicator.

"Superman, relocate your family to the safe house in Detroit."

"Flash, get your family to a secure location, then destroy every copy of Superhero Identities you can find in bookstores around the world. Eliminate as many as possible, then report to the Watchtower in 50 seconds."

"Green Lantern..."

"Shazam..."

"Wonder Woman..."

"Titans..."

After Batman finished notifying everyone.

Wonder Woman was the first to arrive at the Watchtower. Her family lived on Themyscira, a place inaccessible to mortals, so she was less affected.

She appeared in full armor, her beautiful face filled with shock. Holding a copy of Superhero Identities, she entered and asked, "Where's Superman? Where's Lois? My mother was Zeus's lover? I'm Zeus's daughter? Is this true? Hera help me... it's unbelievable!"

She was stunned. Even she hadn't known this. How did Lois find out?

The book also contained records of Superman's father, events from Krypton, the death of Batman's father, and even that the Flash's father was killed by Reverse-Flash.

What was going on?

Was Lois a prophet? Could she see the past?

Then Green Lantern, Superman, and The Flash arrived one after another.

Even with the Flash's speed, it was impossible to destroy every book in 50 seconds. The book had already been out for half a day, and with the internet amplifying the news, the entire Earth had been engulfed by a frenzy of superhero identity leaks. Over 100 million copies had already entered circulation from around the world—it was virtually impossible to contain.

Lois Lane's name and photo were on the cover. Her identity as the journalist who exposed the secrets of the world's superheroes was now known to everyone on Earth.

The Flash rushed in, visibly shaken. Seeing Superman, he immediately asked, "Superman, is it true? Was my father really killed by Reverse-Flash? Is this report accurate?"

In the Justice League council chamber, all members wore grave expressions.

Superman shook his head in a daze. "I don't know. I don't understand why Lois would do this. I don't know what's happened to her. She... she's just..."

"A different person," Batman said flatly.

This book contained details about their lives that even Batman didn't know, which was deeply unsettling.

He had investigated his allies' families, done psychological assessments, and conducted behavioral analyses.

There was no reason Lois should know all of this. Even as a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, she didn't have this kind of direct access to so many superheroes' deepest secrets.

And Lois was not an unprincipled person.

"We need to find her."

Batman stood up.

"Something must have happened to her to make her act like a different person."

The others nodded in agreement. They tried scanning all available data from Earth using the Watchtower but found nothing on Lois.

Batman and Superman set off for Lois's apartment.

(To be continued.)