Godfather Owl: Guardian of Batman [189]

The storm clouds Black Adam had summoned still loomed over the sky.

Torrential rain poured down, as if it intended to drown the world itself.

And in that moment, as Bruce’s voice fell, a tide of bat-like shadows surged from behind him like an omen of disaster.

Clark frowned. For the first time, he felt something was off.

Before him stood only a child, yet his presence suddenly expanded, his aura growing so intense that it eclipsed even Black Adam’s.

“Maybe I should do something?” Clark considered.

Perhaps he should stop Bruce before he could transform.

But he dismissed the thought just as quickly. It wasn’t necessary.

If Bruce believed his transformation gave him the right to join this war, then Clark would shatter that illusion, crushing his confidence with the harsh truth of the adult world.

Kids should act like kids.

At that moment, the Hellbat armor—manifested as a swarm of living bats—had begun to bond with Bruce.

The bats’ razor-sharp teeth lightly grazed his skin, sending a surge of electricity coursing through his body.

Bruce felt energy envelop him, pulling him into a void-like darkness that devoured all surrounding light.

Power began to coalesce around him, and the Hellbat armor materialized, encasing his entire form.

When the transformation was complete, a black-armored warrior stood before Clark.

Crimson lines of power, like the flowing fires of Hell, traced over exaggerated muscle contours, exuding a strength that could defy even gods.

Behind Bruce, enormous wings unfurled, releasing streams of scarlet lightning that hissed like the breath of dragons.

At this moment, the black wings and Clark’s red cape stood in opposition, both figures silhouetted against the storm-torn ruins.

“That suit certainly looks impressive.”

Clark smiled faintly. “So, this is your confidence?”

The confidence that gave him the courage to enter this war.

Bruce didn’t reply. The rain pelted against his armor, and the storm’s darkness blanketed the city in an eternal night.

This was the Dark Knight’s domain.

A flash of red lightning gleamed in Bruce’s eyes.

The Speed Force ignited.

To Bruce, the world slowed to a crawl.

In Speed Force Time, the world around him seemed frozen.

The rain stopped mid-fall.

Droplets hung suspended in the air, no longer liquid but countless crystal-like sculptures frozen in motion.

Each droplet captured the path of its descent, like grains of sand in an hourglass turned upside down.

The ruins became a field of glimmering pearls, suspended in the quiet embrace of time.

Bruce moved.

Transformed into a streak of crimson lightning, he streaked through the frozen world, shattering droplets in his wake.

The shattered rain splintered into mist and hung motionless, never falling to the ground.

This was Bruce’s view of the world.

To everyone else, his speed was incomprehensible.

All they could see was a flash of red lightning. In the blink of an eye, Bruce was suddenly in front of Clark.

Bruce’s fist clenched tight, crackling with the combined strength of Queen Maeve’s superhuman might and Starlight’s electric pulse.

No strength is unbreakable. No defense is impenetrable. Speed conquers all.

At this speed and power, Bruce doubted even Superman’s indestructible body could endure.

That was what he thought.

And yet, the unexpected happened.

Despite Bruce’s blinding speed—enhanced by the Speed Force—Clark’s gaze never wavered. His eyes locked onto Bruce the entire time, tracking his every move.

Super speed—

Bruce had heard from Kathoom that Superman’s speed rivaled the Speed Force, but he’d always been skeptical.

And with good reason.

If Superman were as fast as the Flash, then what purpose did the Flash even serve on a team with him?

Wouldn’t Superman render him entirely obsolete?

But now, reality forced Bruce to reconsider.

His punch was already mid-swing when Clark leaned back, effortlessly dodging it in the frozen world of Speed Force Time.

Clark smiled and began to move his lips.

At their current speed, sound was meaningless. They were moving too fast for words, so Clark’s message had to be read from his lips.

Bruce caught the words—

“Not bad.”

And now it was Clark’s turn.

Bruce’s instincts screamed at him. Abandoning any notion of pressing the attack, he withdrew at full speed, narrowly avoiding Clark’s sweeping fist.

The air around Bruce seemed to collapse in on itself, leaving a void where Clark’s punch had been.

BOOM—

Bruce dropped out of Speed Force Time, retreating backward to reestablish distance.

“Are you alright, Wayne?”

Kathoom flapped his wings and flew to his side. Bruce hadn’t fused with the owl during his transformation.

“Superman is incredibly strong!”

Bruce’s voice carried sincere admiration. Kathoom hadn’t exaggerated. Superman’s sheer speed alone was enough to suppress a Speedster.

“Looks like a Speedster’s only real advantage against Superman is the ability to reverse time,” Bruce muttered.

Kathoom hesitated, unsure how to respond.

Technically, Superman could reverse time too—by spinning the Earth backward.

Fortunately, the Red Son version of Clark probably couldn’t manage that.

“Time to get serious.”

Bruce opened his hand, summoning a bolt of lightning from the heavens. Grasping the lightning, he pulled Mjölnir into existence.

The power of Asgard filled his body.

Bruce exhaled deeply, muscles tensing as divine energy coursed through him, gathering at the hammer.

With a deafening roar, Bruce swung Mjölnir, unleashing a torrent of lightning that screamed toward Superman like an arrow splitting the sky.

The lightning carried enough power to split mountains and obliterate all in its path.

Clark, however, did not move.

He extended his right hand, catching the bolt of lightning.

The electric energy danced between his fingers but did nothing to harm him.

“Impressive, little bat.”

Clark said calmly. “But if this is all you’ve got, you can’t win. At the very least, you should take a lesson from Black Adam and hit me with some magical lightning.”

In an instant, Clark vanished and reappeared at Bruce’s side.

Clark stood taller than Bruce, his towering form like a wall of steel.

“Children shouldn’t be part of wars.”

Clark said, his voice gentle. “You should go home. I’m sure your parents are worried about you.”

“I don’t have parents.” Bruce’s voice was cold.

“…I’m sorry.”

The unexpected answer caught Clark off guard, and he offered a genuine apology.

“Was it because of the war?” Clark asked. “I’ll end this war for you. You don’t need to bear this burden.”

“Enough.”

Bruce had no intention of continuing the conversation. He swung Mjölnir toward Clark’s chest.

Clark sighed. It seemed he’d been holding back too much.

Sometimes, children needed a stern lesson before they would listen to adults.

Clark clenched his fist and punched the ground. The earth trembled violently, triggering a localized earthquake to teach Bruce a lesson.

Bruce stumbled briefly but steadied himself, determination flashing in his eyes.

He gripped Mjölnir tighter and raised it high, summoning even greater lightning.

And he wasn’t alone.

Kathoom perched on his shoulder, mimicking Bruce’s motion as it held up a miniature Poseidon’s trident, activating its own weather magic.

The sky darkened further, clouds swirling as a storm of lightning and wind erupted.

Clark remained calm.

He evaded the storm effortlessly, relying on his enhanced senses and foresight.

Using his X-ray vision, he pinpointed Bruce’s position through the storm.

Clark exhaled sharply, releasing a freezing breath that turned the surrounding air into frost, dissipating the storm entirely.

Bruce felt the pressure mounting. Without hesitation, he swung Mjölnir again, unleashing an even more ferocious lightning storm.

Clark countered by running at full speed, his movements channeling the lightning around him. Arcs of electricity wrapped his body, forming a terrifying pulse of energy.

When the lightning reached critical mass, Clark extended his hand and released it, hurling the electric pulse straight toward Bruce.

Bruce’s eyes widened.

“It’s over.”

Kathoom couldn’t help but think, “Superman even mastered Flash’s signature move without anyone teaching him? Barry Allen just got completely outclassed.”

Bruce had no time for such idle thoughts. He entered Speed Force Time once again, narrowly dodging the pulsing arc of electricity hurled by Superman.

Without a moment’s pause, Bruce launched his counterattack.

There was no room left to hold back.

He gathered all his divine energy into Mjölnir, unleashing a strike that shook the heavens.

Superman responded with his heat vision, its crimson beams blazing with enough intensity to end the battle.

The two forces clashed midair, the collision unleashing a deafening explosion. The very space around them trembled violently.

Finally, the energy dissipated, leaving the world momentarily silent.

Bruce staggered backward, his hand trembling as it gripped the hammer. Inside the Hellbat armor, his injuries were beginning to pile up.

Yet thanks to the Speed Force accelerating his metabolism, his wounds rapidly healed, though at a great cost to his stamina.

Despite his battered state, Bruce’s spirit burned brighter than ever.

Because across from him, for the first time, Superman showed weakness.

On Clark’s perfectly sculpted face—a visage like a Greek statue—there now lay a thin, shallow wound.

A single drop of blood trickled down his cheek.

Clark wiped the blood away with his thumb, but it couldn’t erase the fact that it had been there.

“You’re bleeding.”

Bruce said calmly. “It seems you’re not some invincible god after all.”

Clark didn’t reply.

Finally, Bruce thought. This might be Severus Snape’s finest moment.

When Bruce summoned the power of Mjölnir, he had fused the Sectumsempra curse into the storm, a spell invented by the Half-Blood Prince.

After all, Clark himself had suggested using magic to defeat him.

Bruce was simply being accommodating.

But this time, he had powered the curse with Asgardian divine energy.

The result? A spell that managed to cut Superman.

The god had bled.

If he can bleed, Bruce thought, then victory is possible.

Bruce raised Mjölnir again, his other hand gripping the hammer’s head. Lightning crackled wildly along its surface, linking his fingers to the weapon.

“I didn’t want to use this.”

Bruce’s thoughts were clear. “But some things must be done. I have to send you back to your world!”

He thrust Mjölnir skyward. The blue lightning shifted, turning an eerie green.

“Avada Lightning Chain!”

The Killing Curse surged, its energy twisting like a legion of serpents across space and time. The world turned a dreadful shade of green as the spell roared toward Clark.

If it hit, it would reduce Clark to smoke and ashes, just as it had with the Sea Queen.

And yet—for the first time—Clark chose not to meet an attack head-on.

His body vanished in an instant, reappearing high above the storm clouds. Bruce’s lethal spell struck nothing but air.

Superman had dodged.

“Such killing intent.”

Hovering above the clouds, Clark recalled Bruce’s previous attack, a rare flicker of unease crossing his mind.

He could tell—had that spell struck him, it would have caused real harm.

A child so young, wielding a killing blow of such terror… Where did he learn this?

Whatever remnants of condescension Clark had felt toward Bruce vanished completely.

Meanwhile, Bruce’s companion had a far less encouraging reaction.

“Idiot!”

Kathoom stomped its tiny talons on Bruce’s shoulder, livid. “Was that your fault or your aim? How do you miss with Avada Kedavra?”

“Anyone who’s watched even a little Ultraman knows you don’t just throw your biggest move out first!”

The owl grumbled indignantly. “Now Superman knows to watch out for it.”

But Bruce merely shook his head.

“It wouldn’t have worked.”

Bruce replied calmly. “I know now—that spell couldn’t have killed Superman.”

Using the Killing Curse required an unequivocally dark heart and resolute intent to kill.

Bruce realized that, despite himself, his intent had fallen short.

When it came to the Cruciatus Curse, he could cast it instinctively and flawlessly.

But the Killing Curse? It was a different story entirely. He had hesitated.

“Don’t try to spin this.”

Kathoom muttered, though his sharp tone softened.

But then, something else caught his attention.

Bruce closed his eyes, summoning a different power entirely.

Silver light began to radiate from him.

The Hellbat armor started to shift.

Kathoom fell silent, realization dawning.

He knew exactly what Bruce was doing.

Inside Bruce’s Mind Palace—a grand temple floating above the clouds—

Kathoom II lounged carelessly on his throne, fast asleep, surrounded by hazy visions.

Suddenly, a long-dormant figure stirred.

The apparition of Wonder Woman blinked for the first time.

“Someone is calling me.”

Her voice echoed softly.

Bathed in silver light, her figure dissolved, leaving the Mind Palace and entering the real world.

She fused with the Hellbat armor.

At that moment, as the power of Wonder Woman’s guardian spirit manifested, Diana—who had been helping evacuate civilians—paused and looked up.

She turned her gaze instinctively toward Bruce’s location.

Thud—

Suddenly, Diana’s heartbeat aligned with Bruce’s, their rhythms echoing as one.

Bruce had summoned Wonder Woman’s guardian spirit, merging it with his power.

The Hellbat armor began to transform.

The crimson lines that had streaked across its black surface turned a radiant gold. Liquid light streamed outward like molten metal, forming a gilded aura around Bruce, as though he now wore a golden cape.

The pointed ears of the Hellbat helmet melted into the shape of a charred crown.

Bruce swung Mjölnir. The hammer shattered into countless fragments, connected by threads of golden lightning.

“Hellbat: Champion of the Gods Form.”

Bruce whispered, his voice calm and unwavering.

“Or perhaps I should call it… Diana Form.”

—

This is a fan translation of 蝙蝠侠的猫头鹰教父 by 巴巴罗萨光年. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!