Ten thousand meters above the ground.
A Boeing 787 airliner was smoothly flying above the clouds. Richard Castle, the wealthy first-class passenger and famous author, was boredly stirring his coffee, trying to plot his new book.
As a classic mystery novelist,
Writer's block was a classic part of Castle's daily life. Just as he was deep in thought with no result, starting to consider whether he should just give up, change his pen name, and start a new series, Castle's eyes were suddenly drawn to something outside the window—it was a glossy black Dodge Hellcat!
Yes!
Castle knew that car because he had bought one himself. But at this moment, he felt like he must have bought a counterfeit, because the Hellcat entering his view was speeding through the clouds at a speed of at least 300 miles per hour!
"Am I still dreaming!?"
The author, Castle, couldn't help but rub his eyes. He wasn't seeing things, there really was a small car flying among the clouds outside the plane. He could even see the two passengers sitting inside.
A boy and a girl, looking even younger than his daughter!
"This..." Castle's eyes widened, unable to utter a word. He tugged at a passing flight attendant, wanting to ask, but was afraid of being labeled a lunatic and ending up on tomorrow's news headlines.
Castle hesitated, forcing a smile, and saw off the flight attendant who had a strange look in her eyes. Then, the famous American author suddenly pressed himself against the window, practically wishing his entire face could squeeze outside.
"I knew Back to the Future was too conservative!!" Castle overcame his initial shock and became incredibly excited, hastily fumbling for his phone.
Due to his carelessness, the phone almost dropped to the floor. After a struggle with the device, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and held onto it tightly.
He was about to compliment himself a bit, but the next moment, Castle remembered why he took out his phone. He immediately snapped his head back to the window, pressed his face against it, and held up his phone.
He was trying to take a picture.
However,
He noticed that the young passengers in the unmanned car seemed to have spotted him. The car immediately accelerated, directly overtaking the plane flying alongside it.
"No!! Fly back! Fly back, please!"
Castle's face was practically glued to the glass. Failing to capture this supernatural experience and turn it into an excuse for a delay, he might not sleep well for a week.
"Quick! Tell the pilot to speed up!"
Castle, always full of ridiculous and fanciful ideas, pressed the call button. In his haste, he no longer worried about being thought of as crazy and began to openly describe what he saw to the flight attendant. The flight attendant just smiled and handed him a glass of red wine: "Sir, long-haul flights often cause hallucinations."
"There are no flying cars in the sky above Metropolis, only flying Superman and the villains he chases—that's common knowledge." The flight attendant's words instantly stunned Castle.
"Is that so... that's common knowledge?"
Castle, a New Yorker, didn't really know much about the customs and traditions of Metropolis.
"Yes, perhaps you could go to the [Superhero Popularity Center] website and read the detailed analysis by the forum big-shot [I'm Really Not Batman] on the matter."
"Oh, and the article by the big-shot [Superman Must Die] is also quite good. The sky above Metropolis is Superman's hegemony. He won't allow anyone else besides him and his little whelps to encroach on it—I'm quoting the original words, but I actually love Superman." The beautiful flight attendant was clearly a seasoned superhero fan.
"Superman has children?"
Castle looked surprised.
"Well, forum big-shots are just keyboard warriors online. What they say isn't always correct. Most people still think Superman can't find a spouse unless that spouse is Superwoman."
The beautiful flight attendant continued to smile.
"Makes sense."
Castle nodded thoughtfully.
The flight attendant he had just called over clearly recognized him.
"Mr. Castle, I remember your new work is about to be released soon, isn't it? Do you actually have time to travel to Metropolis?" The beautiful flight attendant might also enjoy reading the author's books.
"Uh..."
Castle's expression stiffened slightly upon hearing this. Unwilling to reveal the fact that his new book only existed as a folder, he immediately brought his talent into play.
"The new book was actually finished a long time ago, so I wanted to go out and relax and change my mood." Perhaps, being able to lie brazenly was a required course for every author.
Castle's smiling expression showed no sign of guilt.
"I see."
The beautiful flight attendant didn't have any doubts.
"Well, I wish you a pleasant trip in Metropolis."
She offered her blessing.
Seeing this, Castle secretly breathed a sigh of relief and revealed why he chose to travel to Metropolis. "I believe my trip will definitely be enjoyable."
"Because I'm not just traveling, I'm also trying to solve an interesting mystery." With that, Castle lifted his jacket, revealing an envelope tucked into his suit lining.
"A mysterious detective in the Deduction Association seems to know that I'm investigating a book that stole my publicity resources, so he gave me a photo of the city of Metropolis."
Castle put the envelope back inside his coat.
"Something like that? What does he want you to do?"
The beautiful flight attendant looked surprised.
"Something like that did happen, isn't it interesting? I think it's a commission, and that mysterious detective also wants me to know it's a commission."
"Perhaps he needs me to find someone in Metropolis, and that person must be the one who stole my new book's publicity resources." Castle's tone was certain, yet he was still pondering why the mysterious detective wanted him to do this.
Beat the person up?
Or for some other reason?
"It can't be that he hopes I'd go and teach this well-connected person how to write, can it?" Castle fell into a state of potential immediate brainstorm.
Seeing this, the flight attendant didn't want to bother him.
"If you need some other ideas and inspiration, I think I'll definitely be free after work tonight." The flight attendant said, slipping her phone number to Castle.
She hadn't been chatting with Castle for so long because she was truly idle.
Castle was a famous multi-millionaire.
And handsome.
Which flight attendant wouldn't want to have a story with a man like that?
"Oh, is that so? I think I'll definitely need some inspiration." Castle, whose thoughts were temporarily interrupted, quickly gave the beautiful flight attendant a definite and gentlemanly response with a smile.
Such things happened often. Castle naturally knew what the other party wanted—a few babies, or luxury goods and sports cars. As long as it wasn't the former, he could afford everything. Everyone getting what they wanted was what truly made people happy.
"See you later."
The beautiful flight attendant walked away with an overly affected sway.
It took Castle a long time to look away.
"That car! Where can I buy that car!" The author's mind was truly jumpy. After a series of interruptions, he was still obsessed with the flying car he saw.
Castle pressed his face hard against the window, looking out.
But,
The flying Hellcat was nowhere to be seen.
"Did the kid inside spot me trying to take a picture?" Castle was frustrated and couldn't help but suspect that the Hellcat's passenger had superpowers and could sense when others were watching.
However,
Was that really the case?
"Damn it! Boeing! Bad luck!" Ian hadn't actually sensed anything. He just accidentally glimpsed the large plane's production identifier, and out of emergency avoidance, he made the Hellcat accelerate frantically.
"Stay away from these kinds of planes in the future. Don't let them try to scam us... they crash without warning." Ian imparted his life experience to the young car.
"Honk honk~"
The car responded with its horn.
"Ian! Close your window quickly! My Dior sunglasses are going to fly out..." Madison's long hair was floating wildly like a female ghost because of the car's sudden acceleration.
"It already flew out."
Madison failed to grab her sunglasses.
"It's alright. I'll go to a magical place tonight and 'acquire' a new pair for you."
Ian was a very frugal person.
He could take as much luxury goods as he wanted in the Marvel world without paying a cent.
"I don't use knockoffs."
Madison's eyes were filled with suspicion.
"Knockoffs? Ian, your master, doesn't have time to look for knockoffs! Don't you know my time is precious?" Ian immediately revealed his stingy, wealthy face.
"Oh~ I understand. I was wondering how Superman could afford to maintain justice every day. He must take things when he's out doing his hero work... otherwise, he wouldn't have money to buy food when he gets home!"
Madison's imagination was always peculiar.
"Bring back more for me. If a thief stole it, then you taking it back is also a righteous act. I'll pay for it." She pulled out her wallet, only to find a few small bills left inside.
So,
This girl, whose moral bottom line was perhaps even lower than Ian's, quickly started to defend her financial situation.
"I have four thousand five hundred US dollars in my bedside drawer. It was supposed to be my travel fund for when I went out on vacation next week." Madison was always afraid of others thinking she was poor.
However,
For Ian, he certainly wouldn't look down on his deskmate—four thousand, five thousand, or six thousand, it made no difference. To Ian, who had huge tips lying in his account, they were all poor. Of course, no matter how small, a mosquito is still meat. Ian claimed he wasn't interested in money, but he wouldn't let go of a chance to earn some.
Capitalists love to haggle.
Ian merely kept this in mind.
"Give me the money on Monday, and I'll bring you the goods. Then, don't go out next Saturday and Sunday. I'll tell everyone I meet that you went on a trip to the Hamptons."
Not only could Ian achieve a win-win for himself, but he could also offer advice to others so they could have a win-win life too. Madison only paused for five seconds after hearing this.
"Great idea!"
She clapped her hands, happily finalizing the plan. Madison also had her own way of thinking. Others could tell if a luxury item was fake or not, but who could check whether she had actually gone to the Hamptons?
This was too cost-effective!
Madison felt her way of thinking and her horizons broaden. The growth of a green tea girl was like this; she would always meet people on the path of life who would lead her to become more 'green tea-flavored'.
"Good, I'll drop you home first, then I have serious business to attend to."
Ian liked playing with people like Madison. Normal people couldn't understand his wisdom or wouldn't acknowledge it, but his good deskmate knew how smart he was.
"Hiss~ the speed is picking up again!"
Madison had just adapted to the previous speed, but as soon as Ian finished speaking, the car beneath her butt accelerated again. The surrounding clouds seemed to be flying backward rapidly.
"If we crash going this fast, the airbag probably won't save us, will it?" She still had such concerns, which only goes to show that her scores in nature and science classes were slightly too high.
"Don't worry, we'll be at your place soon."
As soon as Ian's voice fell, the Hellcat began its rapid descent from above the clouds. Madison, whose lips were trembling, finally saw her luxurious residential community.
"There! Over there!"
Madison raised her finger, trying to navigate.
"I remember where your house is. You don't need to guide me." Ian pulled the girl, who was leaning against the window and almost fell out, back into the relatively safe car.
"Huh? I don't remember you ever visiting..."
Madison was a little surprised.
"Of course you wouldn't remember. It was the first day of school. I investigated everyone who seemed like they might be a school bully—and by the way, your mother must truly love your father."
"She didn't even let me in your house to have an orange." Ian couldn't help but sigh with heartfelt emotion. Madison frowned, completely failing to understand what he meant.
"Vroom vroom~"
The engine was making a sound.
The Hellcat hovered a dozen meters above the ground.
"I've read a few books about driving. Starting and stopping is when you consume the most gas... so let's get off here." Ian finished speaking and immediately grabbed Madison.
He leaped down.
Scaring Madison quite a bit.
"Don't grab my neck and collar! This shirt is expensive! Just grab my hair! My hair is very resilient from all the fights I've been in!"
Madison yelled while speaking.
"Your clothes were already torn up a moment ago. Don't think that just because your Master Ian is rich now, you can casually extort me." Ian landed steadily with Madison.
There were no accidents.
He gently put Madison down.
"Before, it was the decay-style torn. Now, it's the forceful-explosion-style torn. Is that the same thing?" Madison tidied her clothes speechlessly, then blew the golden hair that covered her face like a chicken nest.
"Also, a normal person wouldn't put someone down on a mailbox when they land from flying, right? I might not have much common sense about life, but I'm very clear on this point!"
With that,
Madison heavily patted the mailbox she was sitting on.
The mailbox made a *dong dong* metal sound.
"Hmm? If I didn't find something for your butt to sit on, your trembling legs would keep squeezing my waist—sure enough, you little hooligan, you're quite scheming."
"You finally found a chance to take advantage of me."
Ian showed a look of disdain.
"..."
Madison rolled her eyes wildly.
"Am I supposed to thank you for not running off to tell your little simp, Emily?" The green tea girl gritted her teeth. She finally understood how difficult a boy could be when he played mind games.
"Yes, so what do you need to say to me?"
Ian cocked his ear, listening.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
Madison gritted her teeth and said it three times in a row.
She was taking a deep breath.
And Ian felt instantly satisfied.
"Such a virtuous little hooligan. I have things to do. See you next week—oh, and don't try to steal my mother's cat." Ian nodded contentedly, then reached out and grabbed the ginger cat from Madison's stomach.
"Damn it!"
Madison was a little unwilling.
"Then at least let me keep that toad!"
Her fallback suggestion also received no response from Ian.
Jumping up like a spring, directly back into the Hellcat, which was still suspended in the air. The Hellcat's engine roared, its exhaust pipe spewed a string of purple flames, and the car whooshed toward the clouds.
Watching Ian and his battle car fly away.
"So that's how Superman flies? Purely by jumping?" Madison, who had been sulking, was stunned. She felt she had discovered a fact that no one else in Metropolis had noticed all these years.
Her anger was gone.
This little hooligan now had her mind entirely focused on whether Ian had two super rabbit legs hidden in his pants.
"This is big news! It turns out there are no Superman who can fly in the world at all!"
Madison, who felt her imagination running wild, jumped off the mailbox and pushed open the front door of her villa. Her mother, who was once a third-rate Hollywood actress, rushed toward her with a face full of excitement.
"I knew it! I knew it! My darling daughter must be more capable than me! I only hooked up with your rich dad, but you actually managed to hook up with such a handsome alien!"
Linda, who had a bit of a socialite aura, spoke excitedly, grabbing her daughter's shoulders and shaking her hard. The expression on her face was one of even greater delight than winning the lottery.
Madison was shaken dizzy.
"What alien? Mom, what weird TV show are you watching again?" Her mind was already a mess because of today's events, and now being shaken had made it completely blank.
"Don't pretend! I saw it! The alien sent you home in a KFO!"
Linda had a look that said she saw through everything. "When I starred in Mars Princess Versus the Lizardmen, I knew that aliens love blonde beauties!!"
Her tone was full of wisdom.
Madison didn't dare to ask.
She was afraid she would hear that the movie was restricted.
"That's a UFO, not a KFO. Wait, Ian wasn't driving a UFO either..." Madison was getting confused herself, and she grabbed her hair again in a state of near collapse.
"I finally understand why Ian always says my IQ is running on empty... The root cause is you!" Having only discovered this fact after living for so many years, Madison once again felt that Ian's big principles might actually be right.
"Silly child, come give Mommy a hug. Girls should be a little stupid, it makes it easier to get lucky." Linda, still attractive and quite beautiful, beamed happily.
She was also very proud.
Madison had a blank expression, pressed against her mother's ample bosom. She rolled her eyes, feeling utterly hopeless. She didn't believe a single punctuation mark of what her mother was saying anymore.
Perhaps her mother saying she was suitable for Hollywood was also a lie? At this moment, Madison had an epiphany. She believed she had found the reason why she kept failing auditions.
Sure enough,
Ian said that breathing the air he breathed could infect one with his intelligence.
It was true!
...
Twilight descended.
A glossy black Dodge Hellcat streaked across the sky, soaring through the clouds. Ian followed the direction of the pointer, trying to locate the place that the Lady Death wished him to find.
It wasn't too difficult.
Soon, the Hellcat arrived above an ancient monastery-style building. The pointer in his hand twisted directly downwards, this was clearly the clue Lady Death had guided him with.
The building was surrounded by lush trees, making it look exceptionally hidden and mysterious. Perhaps, this was also the headquarters of the Witch Coven that Madison had mentioned earlier?
After some thought,
Ian ultimately patted the Hellcat, signaling it to retreat first, choosing not to act rashly—mainly because he didn't quite understand the level of the so-called Supreme Witch.
"Lady Death's tier is too high. Any dungeon involving her must be difficult, not a place I can solo." Ian believed that as long as he wasn't in a hurry, someone else would be.
Information gathering was crucial.
So, if Ian wasn't in a hurry,
Lady Death might jump out and provide the information herself, saving Ian the trouble of collecting the information—after all, starting up the Batman search engine was also quite troublesome.
"Yes, that's what I'll do!"
Ian's super brain once again told him to use his super advantage. The Hellcat carried him back toward the clouds, speeding past the city's noise and glamour toward home.
"The number you have dialed has completely blocked you. Please dial this number again when you encounter difficulties. Thank you for your cooperation." Ian had wanted to take advantage of his free time to maintain his relationship with Batman.
He didn't expect to only hear a heartless electronic synthetic voice.
"How could he do this!"
Ian was heartbroken.
He hadn't even received a Lantern Ring yet.
"Sigh, I'll go back and rethink my strategy."
Ian's Hellcat drove very fast and quickly arrived at the location of his house.
This was a community where elite families lived.
Although they were still detached houses, there were still a few neighbors nearby. There was no need for any special caution. Ian had the Hellcat slowly descend under the cover of the night.
Someone was watching behind the cover of curtains, but there was no need to panic or take photos. After all, a few of the surrounding neighbors had pretty sharp ears and, coincidentally, were all professional agents from the same department.
After so many years,
Superman's identity was, after all, known to a very small number of officials. The car screeched to a stop on the lawn of his small yard, just three inches away from Lois's most cherished rose bushes.
"Jesus couldn't even save you now." Ian patted the Hellcat, giving his new partner a warning. As soon as he picked up his backpack and opened the car door, he felt a shadow cast over him.
It was his adoptive father, Clark Kent.
The invincible Superman was standing in front of Ian, blocking his path with his arms crossed.
"Where did you get this car?"
Clark's voice was mixed with a frustration he was almost used to. He truly couldn't understand why Ian always managed to pick up some strange new item every time he went out.
"A special fate allowed me and it to meet? I love it, it loves me... we're sweet together?" Ian was a bit embarrassed to say that he used super negotiation skills to get someone else to pay him and give him the car.
He gave a reply, but it felt like he hadn't fully replied.
No choice.
Ian dared not say that his beloved car occasionally killed its owner. Even if he tried to portray himself as sacrificing himself for the greater good, the Hellcat would probably be sent directly to be scrapped.
"You're sweet together?"
Clark, who had been watching Ian land the entire time, now only had a slight twitch at his temple. The father circled the black muscle car, which was emitting a faint smell of sulfur.
"Don't tell me this is car maintenance product?" Clark pinched a piece of dark red tissue from the trunk lid. The sticky substance glistened with an eerie light under the setting sun.
"From a biological perspective, this should be flesh and blood tissue, but it shouldn't be on the protected list." Ian answered honestly, secretly observing his adoptive father's reaction.
"I'm asking you where the flesh and blood came from..."
The father, who rarely tried to be humorous, sighed helplessly. His non-strict attitude was actually because his super sense of smell had already told him the answer.
Superman really did have a super sense of smell. The good news was that he knew this wasn't the flesh of his own kind. The bad news was that he didn't realize what Ian had done after leaving the group of smugglers.
"Is it love? Love made my little car grow flesh and blood." Ian seemed to be joking, but in reality, he was also testing whether his father truly knew what had happened on that street.
"..."
Looking at the corners of Clark's eyes, which twitched a few times, the father might genuinely not have noticed the abnormality on that street—Ian touched the spellbook hidden on his stomach thoughtfully.
A respectable father.
He didn't even use his x-ray vision to check him.
"How about we go home first?" Ian wanted to talk to Clark about the Supreme Witch and the new mission from the female boss. He hoped Clark could use his super connections to find a super mage to act as a power-leveler for him.
"Uh..."
Clark, who was about to ask Ian a few questions, showed a change in expression. Ian took a step, but found his father still standing in place.
The setting sun stretched Clark's shadow long.
"What's wrong, Dad?"
Ian felt Clark was hesitating.
He noticed the unnatural expression on Clark's face.
"Did Mom kick you out?"
Ian guessed.
"..."
Clark shook his head speechlessly. To prevent Ian from making even more ridiculous guesses, he pondered for a moment and slowly spoke. "I talked to Jordan about his powers."
"He is currently in the stage of power awakening... well, just like you were before, but Jordan's awakening is a bit later, and your powers might be different because of this." Clark spoke solemnly. He still didn't know that Ian had already figured out he was adopted, so he deliberately emphasized that their powers would be different for Ian.
He was trying to fool Ian, who didn't know Krypton.
Ian pretended to believe him.
"And then?" Ian guessed that his father might have talked to Jordan, and perhaps the conversation wasn't pleasant. The classic drama of miscommunication between father and son leading to escalating conflict always played out in many American families.
Clark grabbed his hair in annoyance: "I let slip a few things. So, Jordan, combining the fact that you've been acting a little strange recently, guessed that your awakening happened earlier than his."
This was genuine annoyance.
A few strands of Kryptonian hair had even been pulled out.
"It doesn't matter. I like showing off anyway, not playing the pig to eat the tiger." Ian's completely honest reply made Clark unsure how to respond for a moment.
"I'm glad you think so. Sigh, if only you had come home earlier." Clark's voice lowered, with a hint of melancholy.
"What does that mean?"
Ian blinked.
He didn't understand his father's expression.
"It's nothing. Forget it. You go home first... give me the manuscript you wrote. They're urging me to send it over for you." Clark didn't give Ian a detailed explanation.
He seemed to have temporarily put his worries aside, looking at Ian's miraculous Hellcat. "I'll go now. We can't break our promise to others."
Clark probably communicated with Batman from time to time.
He even knew to urge him for the manuscript for Batman.
"Here."
Ian opened the Hellcat and took out a small part of the manuscript he had written in his spare time during the flight. Looking at his father, who soared into the sky, rushing to deliver a package to Gotham late at night.
"No wonder my upbringing is so good! Family influence is truly important!" Ian couldn't help but exclaim, giving his father a thumbs-up. His father was truly the most perfect man on Earth.
His personal integrity was impeccable.
"I can probably learn to fly by tomorrow at the latest." Withdrawing his gaze, which had only been able to see his father for a moment, Ian turned around and pulled the already bloated demon's head from the trunk.
"You didn't eat cleanly!"
Ian was still a little bothered by his father's earlier question.
The demon's head blinked its cloudy eyes in grievance. It really couldn't do anything about the demon flesh and blood that Clark had discovered. "I can't lick things outside the car from inside the car!"
Makes sense.
But not entirely.
"You've eaten so many demons and haven't evolved a void tongue yet? Forget it, forget it. Hold this for me first." Ian took the magic toad out of his pocket and stuffed it into the demon's head's mouth.
It went straight for the stomach.
The demon's oral cavity, which was only a head, did seem to contain another space.
"If you can't spit it out when I need it, don't blame me for being ruthless." Ian threatened. He did this entirely to mitigate the risk of his family being poisoned by the toad.
No choice.
He had too little magic knowledge.
Ian felt he needed a magic teacher who didn't lie—he thought of the purple girl he had met briefly before. He wondered how he could trick her into coming home to be his tutor.
Humming a little tune, he walked toward the house.
Pushing open the front door, the warm light and the sound of the TV immediately enveloped Ian. In the living room, his older brother Jonathan and his second brother Jordan were sitting on the sofa watching the news.
On the screen, the chaotic scenes of Gotham City were being broadcast live, and Batman's figure flashed across the screen. The news said Batman had lost something, and Ian probably knew what Batman had lost.
No wonder he was asked to send the rest of the manuscript over quickly.
It seemed the plan to fish for the Joker had failed.
"The Joker is too crazy, using thirty incidents at the same time to attract Batman's attention." Ian couldn't help but sigh while watching the news on the TV.
And just at that moment,
"Batman didn't stay in Metropolis. My entire night's worth of manuscript was written in vain, completely worthless." Lois's voice came from the kitchen, clearly disgruntled.
Ian's scalp prickled. He quickly held up the cat gift box, using the fawning tone he had learned from TV dramas. "Dearest Mom, your favorite son has brought you a gift!"
Hearing this,
Lois peeked out from the kitchen. Her eyes clearly lit up when she saw the kitten. She quickly walked out, taking the kitten and gently holding the well-behaved ginger cat.
This cat really didn't have any overly stressed reaction.
Instead, it looked around curiously.
"Cats of this quality are usually expensive, right?" Lois stroked the cat's chin, her tone already softened. Naturally, no matter how great her resentment was, it vanished after receiving a gift from her son.
Even an ace reporter
Couldn't resist the temptation of fluffiness.
"Not expensive, not expensive. I completely skipped the middleman and even the producer, so it's a great deal." Ian spoke a polished version of the truth with a serious face.
The kitten in Lois's arms stared at him several times.
He stared back.
"Did you steal it from the mother cat?"
Lois tried to logically process Ian's statement.
"No, the mother cat deliberately abandoned it, and deliberately let me find it—she must have prayed to God, knowing that I would give this cat to my most gentle mother."
Ian was a master of flattery.
Lois immediately beamed with delight.
"What's wrong with Jordan?"
Ian asked at the right time.
He had noticed Jordan peeking over here since he walked in, or more accurately, looking at Lois. Jordan only reluctantly turned his head when Lois glared back.
"Nothing. Since you're so free... why don't you come help me with dinner?" Lois pulled Ian into the kitchen. Still worried, she checked the living room again before coming back.
"Your older brother is the oldest, but he hasn't awakened his powers yet. To prevent him from feeling psychologically unbalanced, don't let him know about your and Jordan's situation for now."
It must be said,
This was absolutely the most classic "protection" mindset in American families. Ian felt this wasn't right, but he didn't dare to contradict the most powerful person in the family at this time. Yes, there were indeed four superhumans in this family. Even if Jonathan hadn't awakened yet, only Lois was considered a normal person.
But this ordinary person was the one with the most power in the family.
"Alright."
Ian nodded.
Lois smiled contentedly, continually teasing the kitten in her arms. Ian, seeing the refrigerator, felt very hungry and walked over to take out milk and bread to tide himself over.
"Oh, right." Lois saw Ian eating haphazardly, as if she suddenly remembered something. While looking down and playing with the cat, she asked seemingly casually.
"Jordan said he glimpsed a comic you drew and said you knew too much about Superman's powers, which isn't normal. He was just asking me if you also awakened heat vision and a steel body?"
The question was whispered.
It didn't carry any particular emotion.
"What!?" Ian's mind instantly cleared. His hand, gripping the milk, froze in mid-air. He slowly turned his head and saw his mother's slightly deliberate actions of playing with the cat.
At this moment,
Ian thought he knew why his father didn't dare to come in earlier. Perhaps Superman's morality and personal integrity weren't so perfect, and the father also liked to lie to and deceive his children sometimes.
What about keeping promises?
He was probably out avoiding disaster!
And looking for his external brain to figure out how to handle the family crisis?
"Cunning, evil father!"
Ian felt profoundly shocked internally.
He felt he had suffered indelible childhood trauma.
"Hmm? So it's true?"
Lois saw Ian not responding for a long time and murmured softly with some confusion—immediately after, she saw Ian close the refrigerator door and toss the empty milk bottle in his hand.
"A-ba, a-ba, a-ba~"
Ian walked out as if he had become mute, his mouth moving wordlessly.
"?????"
Lois was dumbfounded.
"A-ba, a-ba, a-ba~!"
Ian walked all the way to the living room, squeezing between his two brothers, and only then did he stop his performance—of course, he could explain himself clearly, but he wasn't planning to explain right now.
After all, his father could have helped him explain, but Clark had still abandoned the poor little boy, leaving the poor little boy to face this situation alone while he went to find his external brain.
Why shouldn't he be a villain for a bit?
With a cunning, evil father, there must be a cunning, evil child!
"What's wrong? Did you choke on your food?" Jonathan truly didn't know anything yet. He rubbed Ian's head hard, very surprised by Ian's strange behavior just now.
"No, it's..."
Ian was about to speak, continuing to dig a hole for his father, but Jordan, who kept looking back at the kitchen, grabbed him. Under Jonathan's peculiar gaze, Jordan dragged Ian all the way to the second floor.
*Click*
After locking his room, Jordan went to close the curtains. Ian stood in the center of the room. The strange, mixed smell in the unventilated bedroom made him regret having an extraordinary sense of smell.
"Jordan, in your bedroom, I smell the aura of billions of trillions of fallen lives." Ian couldn't help but speak. He estimated that there wasn't a more sinful place on Earth than this.
"Heh heh." Jordan ignored his brother's teasing. He even placed sound-absorbing foam beneath the door, moving so quickly that it left after-images in the eyes of a normal person.
How to put it?
Super speed.
That was truly not surprising at all. After cleverly, but not too cleverly, implementing anti-eavesdropping measures, Jordan turned around. His blue eyes, identical to Clark's, stared intently at Ian.
"You've awakened, too. I know it."
Jordan's tone was certain, his voice extremely low, as if discussing a national secret.
"Huh? Oh, yes." Ian blinked. He admitted it readily this time, mainly because he was genuinely curious about what Jordan's mysterious stance was leading up to.
Upon receiving the affirmative answer, Jordan's eyes lit up.
"Listen, I've analyzed this for a long time."
Jordan licked his lips, his voice sounding quite confident. "Dad is Superman, you are Superman, I am Superman, and Jonathan is an unawakened Superman, so..."
He paused briefly.
And immediately came up with a bombshell answer.
"Mom must be Superwoman, who has been active these past few years!" Yes, this was the conclusion that Jordan's underdeveloped super brain reached based on logic.
Ian's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
Jordan seemed to take this as agreement and continued to talk incessantly: "But I've asked Mom several times, and she won't admit it. She even slapped me once, right here."
He showed his back, where Lois had slapped him, which was completely unharmed.
"I feel like she must be pretending, trying to make Jonathan feel better since he hasn't awakened yet." This "shocking yet reasonable" hypothesis made Ian unable to resist praising him.
"Jordan, your talent surpasses mine!"
This was a heartfelt sentiment.
Jordan took this as encouragement and excitedly rushed to his computer. After a 300-second boot-up with the CPU fan running wildly, he immediately logged into a forum called [Superhero Popularity Center].
"See, it says here that only Superwoman can live with Superman." Ian leaned in to look. The post's title read, *Superman and His Planetary-Destruction Level Fertility*.
The author was [Superman Must Die].
Before Ian could even tell Jordan to click on the author's other posts,
"And these old news articles." Jordan immediately switched the website information. He had collected dozens of articles from netizens, many of which were about Lois's near-death experiences when she was younger.
"Mom manages to escape danger every time she encounters it. She wasn't even with Dad back then. Is this normal?" Jordan's forceful condemnation was well-reasoned.
"..."
Ian didn't want to hang out with his second brother, who had never been in love.
He turned to leave.
"Ian, you have to help me find the answer. Maybe we can come up with a plan to force Mom to reveal her true form." Jordan grabbed Ian's arm.
Ian shook off his second brother's hand.
"If you really make a plan, I feel like all it will do is make us get beaten and reveal our true forms..." Seeing that Jordan was still obstinate, Ian quickly chose to escape.
"Damn it! I can make a good plan on my own! Ian! You'll see that I'm smart too!" In the bedroom, Jordan was clearly planning to activate his super brain.
Ian, knowing his second brother's superpower characteristics, thoughtfully closed the door for him.
...
Meanwhile.
Gotham.
The Batcave.
"Motherfucker!"
Bruce Wayne tore off his headphones.
As if they were some kind of toxic item. On the monitor screen in front of him, the audio waveform was still violently jumping, accompanied by sounds unsuitable for public broadcast.
Alfred walked in with a tea tray. Seeing his master, rarely so flustered, he raised an eyebrow. "Did the younger Kent son do something outrageous again?"
He clearly knew what Bruce was monitoring.
"It's the Kent family's second son's adolescent restlessness." Bruce rubbed his temples. He felt this was Ian's way of retaliating against him because he had blocked Ian.
He had actually thrown his phone under Jordan's bed.
"That shouldn't be cause for such alarm, should it?"
The butler was slightly confused.
After a moment of silence, Bruce used Batman's deep voice.
"I heard the roaring of the beast~" He rubbed his temples again, using very literary language, as Master Wayne still needed to maintain some personal integrity.
"?????"
Alfred's smile froze on his face.
"That's truly..."
The butler couldn't find a way to comment either.
"Alfred, please help me bring Damian back." After a period of contemplation, Bruce seemed to have made a decision. This decision surprised Alfred greatly.
"Didn't you say you wanted to temper the Young Master?"
The old butler's tone was extremely surprised.
"Look at the Kent family... I suddenly realized that Damian can actually be a good child—I can't be too harsh on him." Bruce immediately shut down the monitoring function on Ian's phone.
Hearing this,
Alfred's eyes widened slightly.
This was probably the warmest thing he had heard Bruce say in decades.
"I'll arrange a flight right away."
The old butler nodded discreetly and turned to leave. Bruce resumed his work, his fingers rapidly switching between multiple keyboards. The dozens of feint riots that occurred today made him feel slightly tired.
However,
With over a dozen screens running simultaneously,
Bruce was still methodical. Suddenly, his movements stopped because he saw the reflection of a tall figure behind him in the computer screen, which had briefly gone black.
"Where's the manuscript?"
Bruce didn't turn around.
Clark emerged from the shadows and placed a few pages of paper on the table.
"How long have you been here?"
Bruce asked.
"I've been here the whole time."
Clark's voice carried a hint of annoyance.
"..."
Bruce, whose expression remained unchanged, had a slight stutter in his keyboard strokes. A subtle awkwardness filled the air. It seemed like the only sound in the entire Batcave was the whirring of machinery.
Quiet.
Still quiet.
Bruce felt he needed to break the atmosphere.
"I have to say, your speed of getting stronger has exceeded my estimation, and not by just a little bit... Based on my current assessment, you have at least doubled your strength."
With that,
He presented Clark with a chart showing an abnormal curve.
This successfully changed the subject.
"Your judgment is correct, as precise as ever... Since that incident, I've noticed a power growing inside me. It belongs to me, yet it doesn't."
Clark raised his arm, which had long since healed.
His eyes were confused.
"I remember that Ian and Kara helped you together that time." Bruce didn't need to check his files, as this had only happened a few days ago.
As long as it hadn't been more than twenty years,
All the event details he could find afterward would be in his head.
They hadn't been temporarily removed.
"Uh, I guess they both helped?" Clark's tone suddenly became uncertain. He seemed to recall the scene of Ian holding Kara, looking like he was about to duel with an evil creature.
Bruce didn't pursue the question. He just gave Clark a deep look and then brought up a satellite video.
"Clark, we need to be frank."
With that,
He played the satellite video. In the footage, Madison was running in the street with Ian. Then, the scene where Ian stopped, closing his eyes as if praying, appeared.
*Static noise*
The video suddenly cut off.
Showing a static screen.
"This..."
Clark realized that the scene presented in this video was perhaps the only time he hadn't noticed the demon-related incident after Ian left home today.
"What happened?"
He looked at his all-knowing external brain.
"My satellite was instantly turned to ash. That is not the power of your Kryptonian people." Bruce's voice was low. He switched the computer screen to another image.
It was a picture taken by another satellite.
It had captured the satellite used to film Ian. In the single frame available, it was clearly visible that the satellite filming Ian was instantly disintegrated by some invisible force.
There was no process of collapse.
The satellite instantly became cosmic dust.
"What do you mean? What are you trying to say?" Clark's pupils slightly contracted. He knew how high the frame rate of Bruce's video was, yet he still couldn't capture the process of the satellite's destruction.
This was truly unbelievable.
"Naturally, I hope you can be more honest with me about that baby from back then, Ian Kent." Bruce stood up, facing Clark, who was slightly taller than him.
The two men stood opposite each other, eyes meeting.
The lights of the Batcave cast long shadows between them.
"What exactly is he?"
After a slight pause,
Bruce asked the question without hesitation.
"Are you sure he was found in a spaceship and not some evil magic ritual?" Asking this question proved that Bruce didn't believe Ian was brought by a spaceship either.
In fact,
That was indeed a lie.
Clark's expression became complicated.
"That is something I cannot tell you."
He spoke in a deep voice, his demeanor weakening slightly.
"Why?"
Bruce continued his aggressive questioning.
Clark opened his mouth.
But ultimately just shook his head.
"This is a secret that cannot be mentioned... and I need to protect my child." Clark's voice suddenly became distant, as if coming from far away.
"Secret?"
Bruce's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You know I'll find out, right?"
He spoke solemnly.
"You can try, but I think you'll taste failure again."
Clark was certain. He didn't even plan to let Bruce offer any more advice, turning and leaving directly. His figure quickly vanished into the Batcave.
Looking at Superman's retreating back,
Bruce looked away after a long time.
He turned and walked toward the depths of the Batcave. The cold light of the Batcave reflected blue shadows on the metal walls. Finally, the man's footsteps stopped in front of a giant sealed chamber.
The mechanical sound of unlocking was particularly clear in the silence.
The door slid open, revealing a transparent container preserved at a constant temperature—a jar of flowing golden energy, like imprisoned lightning, restlessly surging within the glass.
It was the Speed Force!
"I need to see that day."
Bruce weighed the pros and cons, murmuring softly. And just at that moment, in the Batcave, which was supposed to be just an underground laboratory, a pale lightning bolt exploded out of nowhere and struck the jar in Bruce's hand.
The container shattered into fine powder.
The Speed Force completely escaped.
Bruce, startled and uncertain, retreated a few steps. His ultra-alloy armor immediately covered his entire body. He looked at the spot where the lightning had struck, and on the scorched ground, a line of words burning with holy flame was left behind.
"This is a warning."
The writing was clear.
The edges even glowed with a faint, unearthly light.
As his pupils violently contracted,
Batman's deep, husky voice softly read the words on the ground.
***
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