Taking it more towards "Established Universe"

××××××××××××

"Kevin finally showed up!" Superman heard in his earpiece. He grinned.

His fight with Darkseid was over one second later. Superman loved not having to hold himself back, especially in this world as fragile as cardboard to him.

"Good work," Batman could be heard on the secure frequencies. "See if Kevin needs your help, otherwise you may return," this was said to him specifically.

"Sure thing!" replied Clark Kent.

He approached the somewhat secluded rooftop.

"Thank you for helping out today!"

"Uhh... It's fine," was Kevin's reply.

"Where is Brainwave?" Superman felt the need to ask. Usually they were inseparable.

"Indisposed," was Kevin's monotone reply.

Something about how he said it didn't sit right with Superman. The increase in Kevin's heartrate was another indication something weird was going on.

"Something you would like to share?" Clark asked with as little suspicion as he could.

Unfortunately, he was never known for his subtlety.

"What is collateral?" Kevin asked him instead.

Superman was back to being confused. "Are you worried about a loan? Justice League helps one of their own, worry not!"

"It is my superpower, you know? Stopping all collateral damage." Kevin continued as if he hadn't said a word. "But who defines what is collateral? What was intended?"

"I remember reading about how Brainwave was helping you attune your mind to react quickly..." Clark lead him on. Already his comms were on, and Batman was listening to every word and doing whatever trickery he did to them.

"Yeah, he helped me a lot, thanks for that, really." Kevin spoke with a finality that Clark didn't like, not at all. "He helped me understand what is or isn't collateral. For that I will forever be thankful to him." There was a smile on Kevin's face.

"Brainwave's comms are offline," came the voice of Batman.

"Whatever he did to my daughter... None of it was collateral. I checked many, many times. It was exactly what he had intended. He made sure I knew."

"Detain him Superman, we can question him from the safety of a secure prison."

"He made sure to let me know, all damage done by you superheroes was collateral, except the one inflicted on the villain. Except the ones you had intended."

Superman was already accelerating, his hands around Kevin's neck so he wouldn't die off a whiplash, his feet ready to jump away, but... he couldn't.

"You are a superhero, and I am a mere bystander. I am no villain, Superman," Kevin said with a sad smile.

Clark increased his force. The concrete under his feet cracked and repaired itself, as did Kevin's clothes under his wrists.

And he remained unmoved.

"If Brainwave was a superhero, even after everything he did... There are no villains on this world, Superman."

And to his growing horror, he realised Darkseid was forming again, his bits and pieces slowly coming together.

"I have a simple task, Superman, and I have come to see it finished. I will see Earth free from all its collateral damage."

And then Superman felt the sun slip away from his skin.

"You don't need all that heat damaging your skin, now, do you?"