After Clark had finished shopping, he didn't immediately return to Lois Lane's side. Instead, he went to find Colin first.
When Colin saw Clark standing at his door, hands full of groceries, his expression twisted into something between amusement and disbelief.
"At this hour, you're planning to cook at my place?"
It was late at night, and Clark looked like he'd come prepared for hot pot—bags of meat, vegetables, and condiments dangling from his hands. This guy… did he really just treat Colin's house as his own?
Clark lifted the bags with a smile. "Come on. Let's go have a meal."
Late-night hot pot? Outdoors, no less? Colin had never tried that before, but… it didn't sound bad. After a moment's thought, he nodded and grabbed a few bottles of liquor.
Once everything was ready, the two were about to head out—until Colin noticed Batman squatting outside a prison wall, clearly waiting for someone to attempt a jailbreak.
Wouldn't it be fun to invite him along?
Colin turned to Clark. "You go on ahead."
Clark didn't think much of it. He assumed Colin had something to finish up and left first—after all, with Colin's speed, he'd catch up in no time.
Clark soon returned to Lois Lane, setting the groceries down. Everything was prepped—just toss it in the pot, and dinner would be ready.
"I invited Superman Colin," Clark said. "He'll be here soon."
Lois nodded slightly. This would actually be her first time eating with "Superman Colin."
In her mind, Colin the Billionaire and Colin the Superman were two entirely separate people—she'd never connected them as one and the same.
Tonight, she thought, might be the right time to apologize to him. Her attitude toward him in the past had been… less than kind. But after thinking things through lately, she realized that at the very least, Colin wasn't the kind of man who'd harm his own child.
Meanwhile
Colin silently appeared behind Batman.
"Brother, you up for a few drinks?"
Batman instantly spun around, stunned to find Superman Colin standing there. Why isn't this guy asleep yet? And did he just say—drinks?
Before Batman could process the situation, Colin had already grabbed him by the arm. The next second, the world blurred
When his surroundings came back into focus, Batman found himself staring at Colin, who was walking toward two very familiar faces—Lois Lane and Clark Kent.
Wait. The two reporters?
Clark and Lois were equally dumbfounded. They hadn't expected Colin to bring Batman, fully suited up, to dinner.
Lois suddenly realized something: she was probably the safest woman on Earth right now. Two Supermen and one Batman—how could anything possibly go wrong?
For a fleeting moment, she was tempted to pull off Batman's mask just to see who he really was. But since Colin hadn't done so, she figured there was no need—and clearly, Batman had no intention of revealing himself.
Colin smiled. "I brought a friend along."
Batman felt an unexpected pang of guilt. He'd spent so long worrying that Colin might go rogue—that this overpowered Superman could one day destroy the world—yet here he was, calling him a friend.
Still, why hot pot with two journalists? There had to be some hidden meaning behind it, right? Batman's mind went into overdrive, trying to read between the lines of a casual dinner invitation.
Clark and Lois, on the other hand, were simply welcoming.
Soon, the four of them sat around the bubbling pot, eating and drinking together.
Batman took a sip of the liquor and blinked in surprise. It was incredible—smooth, rich, and unlike anything he'd tasted before. Even Lois and Clark were amazed; it was easily the best drink they'd ever had.
As they talked and laughed, Batman suddenly felt something sting behind his eyes. How long had it been since he'd sat down like this—with friends, eating, drinking, simply existing?
For a man used to the shadows, this warmth was almost unbearable. He found himself oddly grateful that Colin had brought him here.
Later that night
After a few drinks, Lois retired to bed, while Colin and Clark continued drinking. As for Batman… he was absolutely wasted.
His words came out in tangled fragments—one moment he was bragging about his popularity in grade school, the next he was tearfully calling for his parents.
He looked so pitiful that Colin didn't even have the heart to tease him.
Then, out of nowhere, Batman muttered, "Y'know… Harley Quinn's got a great body. Ivy too…"
Colin: "…"
Honestly, he couldn't disagree. Both women were… well, objectively impressive.
"I'll take him home," Colin sighed, lifting Batman by the collar and vanishing into the night. He dropped him gently on the rooftop of Wayne Manor—Alfred would probably handle the rest.
Then Colin returned home, only to find Monica still awake, prepping ingredients for the next morning.
She looked exhausted. Maybe it was time to hire more help.
Appearing silently behind her, Colin said, "I should hire a few more people."
"Ah!!!" Monica nearly jumped out of her skin. When she turned and saw it was Colin, she exhaled in relief.
"Sorry for scaring you," Colin said softly.
"It's fine," Monica replied with a nervous smile. "Do you have any preferences for the people we hire?"
Colin thought for a moment. "As long as they don't bother me, it's fine."
Monica nodded. Then, hesitating a little, she said, "Would it be alright if I recommended my sister or my younger siblings? If they don't perform well, you can dismiss them anytime."
Monica had one slightly older sister and two teenage twin sisters—both around eighteen.
"That's fine," Colin agreed. He already knew of them. Her older sister was a shut-in, while the twins were lively and energetic—the complete opposite ends of the spectrum.