Chapter 199: Ian’s Taking The Blame Log
The Metropolis Plaza in the night.
The shadow cast by the Superman statue seemed to carry a hint of helplessness.
Enveloping the two people looking at each other.
Sam Winchester, only fourteen or fifteen years old, though accustomed to life fighting supernatural creatures, felt an unprecedented confusion at this moment.
He looked at the tall, thin boy in front of him who claimed to be “Ian Kent” but whom any fool knew was Jordan Kent, and didn’t know how to retort.
Thinking about it now, that bastard Ian only gave copies! And only ten of them! How many times did he intend to boss around his own brother with such a small amount of material?!
“But this is too bad, he really is the acknowledged bad boy at school,” Sam couldn’t help but sigh. Compared to this, he suddenly felt that although he was always tricked by Dean, he at most just stole Dean’s beer and occasionally broke his precious Impala’s windshield wipers, and could definitely be considered a super-good younger brother!
“Let’s go, what are you still standing there for?” Jordan saw Sam hadn’t moved for a long time, just looking at him with complex eyes, and couldn’t help but urge him again, his voice weak.
Despite maintaining his cool facade, he was actually so anxious that his toes were about to dig a three-bedroom apartment into his shoes.
It couldn’t be helped.
Ian had asked him for help.
“Yes, okay.” Sam took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
Given the situation, what else could he do? He couldn’t count on the real Ian for help, so he had to accept the arrangements of that middleman Ian.
“Alright… ‘Ian’…”
Sam deliberately emphasized the name, and Jordan’s face faltered again.
“It’s over four thousand kilometers from here to Seattle, so the fastest way is to take an airplane. Let me check the nearest flights and fares…”
This was Sam’s first time planning a trip on his own. He took out his mobile phone and started searching, his brow furrowing. Airplane tickets were not a small sum to him, as hunter life was always meager, and he and Dean’s wallets were often cleaner than their faces. If it weren’t for his dad’s forged credit card, he wouldn’t have been able to make this trip.
Although he wasn’t using his own money, Sam was still young, so a slight hesitation was understandable. Just then, as soon as Jordan heard the word “money,” his eyes brightened slightly. It was a strange, ancestral gleam from the Kent family that Ian would have when talking about money.
“Perhaps…” Jordan pushed up his ill-fitting glasses, his voice gaining a little confidence, “I can save you half the airfare.”
Sam looked up in surprise.
“Save half? Does your family have an airline’s super VIP discount?” He imagined if the Kent family had some kind of ultimate VIP card for frequent flyers.
Jordan shook his head and mysteriously extended his hand, “No, you’ll know when you give me the money. Cash, no credit card, please.”
Hearing this, Sam was skeptical, but with a “what the heck” attitude, he took out the cash from his not-so-full wallet, equivalent to the price of an economy class ticket, and handed it to Jordan.
This was Dean’s secret stash to prevent unwanted pregnancies with his various flings.
“Good, good, this money looks quite new. I can deposit it directly at the ATM.” Jordan took the money, quickly counted it, and put it in his pocket with satisfaction. He then looked around, confirmed no one was paying attention, and said to Sam, “Wait here for a moment, I’ll go prepare the transportation.”
Jordan’s words startled Sam.
He found it hard to believe. Did the Kent family have their own private jet? Was the rumor at school about Ian winning the 500 billion lottery true?
Under Sam’s gaze.
Jordan turned and ran towards a large recycling bin in the corner of the plaza.
He seemed to be looking for something but couldn’t find it.
“???????”
Confused, Sam was pulled into an alley by Jordan. A few minutes later, Jordan returned carrying a huge, seemingly just unpacked corrugated cardboard box.
The box was also printed with the logo of a washing machine brand.
“Alright! Get in!”
Jordan patted the cardboard box, his tone even carrying a hint of… pride?
Sam looked at the cardboard box, then at Jordan, and felt like he had gone mad: “Get… get in? Get in where? This cardboard box?”
“Yes!” Jordan said with a look of “that’s obvious.” “This is our ‘airplane’! Hurry up and get in, don’t waste time!” Without another word, he lifted the lid of the cardboard box and gestured for Sam to get in.
“????????”
Sam’s inner world collapsed. He felt that entrusting his hope to someone from the Kent family might have been the most foolish decision of his demon-hunting career, even more foolish than trying to bathe a vampire with holy water. This family, including their parents, likely had no normal people!
But the money had already been given… and he truly had no better option.
“Are you going to make me ride in the cargo hold of a plane?” Sam gritted his teeth, with a feeling of going to his execution, and humiliatingly crawled into the corrugated cardboard box that still smelled faintly of paper pulp.
The space was cramped, and he could only sit curled up. Jordan closed the lid, leaving only a narrow gap for ventilation. Then Sam felt the cardboard box suddenly lighten.
He began to ascend rapidly!
“Damn it! What’s going on!”
He poked his head out and saw Jordan holding him up as he flew.
“Whoosh—!!”
A strong sense of weightlessness struck him, and the cold wind instantly poured in through the gap, making Sam shiver. He looked out through the gap and saw the lights on the ground rapidly getting smaller.
The surrounding clouds whizzed by quickly.
“What the hell!”
Sam was about to faint from fear.
He… he was actually flying in a cardboard box!
He got on the plane.
But it was a paper airplane!
Who could stand this!
Sam shivered.
And the “pilot,” Jordan, was holding the bottom of the cardboard box with both hands, flying in the air in a seemingly leisurely and aerodynamically unsound posture.
Frost had even formed on the lenses of his glasses.
The temperature at high altitude was extremely low, and the cold wind was piercing. Sam shivered uncontrollably in the cardboard box, his teeth chattering. He no longer bothered with Jordan’s superpower and roared unbearably.
“Are all of you vampires like this? You scammed me out of the airfare! What kind of transportation is this?!” Sam never dreamed that Ian’s second brother could fly.
And not play fair, making a profit from this superpower.
Jordan’s voice came intermittently from outside, distorted by the wind.
“What’s the difference between flying and flying… I… didn’t I also prepare a ‘flight meal’ for you… this… this is first-class treatment…”
Jordan said it righteously.
Flight meal? Sam was taken aback, and only then did he notice that there was indeed a small paper bag with a fast-food logo tucked in the corner of the cardboard box. His trembling hand opened it. Inside was a cold, dry-looking hamburger and a small bag of french fries, a typical “ghetto meal” worth no more than ten dollars.
“Dad, Dad, where did you go! This world is so dangerous!” Sam looked at the “first-class flight meal,” felt the wind whistling through the leaky, ready-to-disintegrate “paper airplane,” and the “pilot” outside whose flying skills seemed worse than Dean’s driving.
He was on the verge of tears.
It couldn’t be helped. The demon-hunting teenager, about ten years old, could only try to comfort himself: at least… at least Jordan wasn’t an ordinary person, he could fly… which was faster than a long-distance bus, right?
Moreover.
Beings who could fly in Metropolis might be related to Superman. Thinking this way, and relying on Superman’s reputation in Metropolis, Sam was somewhat able to calm down.
However, he couldn’t understand, he truly couldn’t understand. The Ian family looked like a standard middle-class family living on a farm with a barn, and Jordan himself was a superhuman with such incredible strength, why was he so obsessed with money? “Greedy” wasn’t a strong enough word!
Amidst the howling wind, Sam couldn’t help but shout, “Damn it, you went to all this trouble to scam me out of money, is your family… using all the money to support the youngest brother?”
Since the other party was impersonating Ian, Sam did not mention Ian’s name.
Jordan outside was silent for a few seconds, as if gathering strength to resist the wind resistance, and then replied, panting, “Quite the opposite… we all owe my younger brother money… ever since Dad’s secret stash was, was blown away by an accident, he also owed Ian a lot of money to buy the latest farm equipment.”
“Although family loans don’t have interest, I still have to save money to pay him back.” Jordan’s voice was filled with endless bitterness, as he truly owed Ian a large sum of money.
“You seem to be a high school student, do you need so much money?” Sam was even more confused, he couldn’t imagine a high school student having such huge expenses.
Could his superpower require microtransactions?
Jordan, outside the cardboard box, let out a meaningful, world-weary chuckle, his tone carrying a critique of the declining social morals of the current era.
“What do you know, you’re just a child? You have no idea how much money it costs to support a wife, at least… it starts from 648… and there’s no guarantee you’ll get them…”
Jordan’s voice carried a heavy sigh, as if bearing the weight of the world, and drifted into the cardboard box. Sam, who didn’t play gacha games, was utterly bewildered.
The only thing he could think of was that Jordan used 648 to find those paid girlfriends. Sam, still naive, didn’t know yet that Jordan’s love life had already transcended reality.
“648? Get what?”
Sam didn’t understand at all. What was this all about?
But Jordan seemed to be lost in a sad memory and no longer replied, just flew on silently, his flight path crooked and wobbly, as if his heart was bleeding.
Sam pulled his thin jacket tighter, shivering in the cold cardboard box, his mind filled with countless questions about the mysterious Kent family.
This journey, from the very beginning, was filled with absurdity and… the scent of poverty. After several hours of being frozen at high altitude and enduring a bumpy, nauseating “paper airplane” ride, the corrugated cardboard box finally began to descend slowly. When Jordan pulled the almost frozen Sam out of the box, they were already standing in a damp, dark alley on the outskirts of Seattle.
“I, I’m actually alive?” Sam’s face was pale, his lips were purple, and he stomped his feet constantly, hugging his arms to warm himself, feeling like his blood had almost frozen.
“Your physical quality isn’t as good as Ian’s when he was little. I remember when I was twelve and we were racing, my head almost came off and Ian was still bouncing around.”
Jordan dropped the act and laid it all out. He had provided the service and no longer needed to pretend to be Ian as per Ian’s request. He didn’t believe Ian’s super hearing could reach here.
“…”
Sam’s teeth chattered, unwilling to dwell on what was wrong with this family. He looked at the unfamiliar surroundings and tried to orient himself, “According to the last information… the last place my dad and they appeared was a deserted church called 【St. Caesar】 nearby.”
Jordan carefully folded the slightly deformed corrugated cardboard box and put it into the trash can next to him. He then adjusted his glasses, a hint of eagerness on his face.
“So… where do we look for clues now?” As a superhero making his debut, he was not familiar with the process and was a bit like a clueless Superman for a moment.
Sam rubbed his hands and blew on them, trying to warm his body.
“In a place like this… it’s a mix of people, and the most informed places are usually nearby bars or motels. Let’s find a bar first to ask around.”
After all, he had participated in quite a few demon-hunting operations with his father and brother, so he had a deep impression of similar procedures. He also felt that his father and brother must have been to similar places.
The two walked out of the alley and soon found a bar that looked quite old, dimly lit, with missing letters on its signboard – “The Lost Angel’s Home” （The Lost Angel’s Home）.
Roadside bars these days liked to have such gimmicks. Most of them were opened by former teenage delinquents from biker gangs. Inside, there was the sound of noisy music and muffled conversations.
Sam tidied his clothes, trying to look more mature, though he still looked like a child among adults. However, children didn’t see it that way.
“You… wait for me outside. I’ll go in and ask. You look… not suitable for this kind of place.” Sam was afraid Jordan would do something strange if he went inside.
He really couldn’t imagine what it would be like for someone with Jordan’s aura to enter such a bar.
“Alright, I don’t like crowded places either.” Jordan seemed relieved and nodded quickly, leaning against a streetlight pole not far away, pretending to look at the scenery.
Sam took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy, oil-stained wooden door.
Inside the bar, smoke swirled, the air was thick, and it was filled with a mixture of alcohol, sweat, and cheap perfume. Various shady-looking people were gathered there: burly men with tattoos covering their bodies, mysterious figures whispering in low voices, and several scantily clad, heavily made-up women weaving through the crowd.
Sam’s heart began to race, but he forced himself to calm down and walked to the bar, speaking to the burly, fierce-looking bartender who was wiping glasses.
“One Cuba Libre, no rum, just coke, and put a fan on top, slice the lemon thinly.” Sam tried his best to comb his hair to look like an adult.
The bartender glanced at him, said nothing, and handed him a bottle of cola.
Sam paid, took a sip, and then pretended to be casual as he asked in a low voice.
“Excuse me, I’d like to ask about something. I heard there’s an old church nearby called St. Caesar. Have any strange things happened there recently? Or… have two men from out of town come through? One older, very serious, and one taller than me, who likes to wear a denim jacket…”
This seemed to be a taboo in the town.
The bartender paused his glass-wiping.
His cloudy eyes sharply scanned Sam, and his voice was low and threatening, “Kid, don’t ask what you shouldn’t. Finish your drink and get out.”
Sam’s heart tightened, knowing he had found the right place, but the other party was clearly unwilling to say more. Unwilling to give up, he probed further, saying he heard the place was haunted.
It was this sentence that completely enraged the bartender.
Who would want someone to declare such things about their hometown?
It was clear that Sam’s questioning technique was rather clumsy.
“Clang!”
The bartender slammed the glass in his hand on the bar counter with a loud noise. The entire bar fell silent instantly, and all eyes focused on Sam.
“I’ll say it one last time, kid,” the bartender’s voice was icy cold, “Get out. Or I’ll throw you out.”
Several burly men had already stood up from their seats and were menacingly closing in.
Sam’s heart leaped into his throat. He stealthily reached for the dagger at his lower back, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. He realized he might have been too hasty and had gotten into trouble.
Just at this tense moment—
“S-sorry! Brothers, uncles, aunts! Sorry!” A figure rushed in frantically, it was Jordan!
He had clearly heard the commotion outside, and his face was filled with apology as he bowed repeatedly to everyone around him.
He grabbed Sam’s arm and repeatedly apologized to the bartender and the approaching people, “Sorry! Really sorry! My brother… he has some issues here!”
Jordan pointed to his head and made a “you know” gesture.
“He watches too many movies and fantasizes about being a demon hunter all day! Sorry for the trouble! We’re leaving now! Leaving now!” Saying this, he forcefully dragged the stunned Sam out of the bar without another word. As soon as they stepped out of the bar, the cold air hit them, and Sam suddenly came to his senses, filled with lingering fear.
“I’m sorry, I was too hasty. I just… I just really want to find them.” Sam also realized he had been too impulsive and his tone was filled with annoyance.
Jordan looked at Sam’s face, a mixture of anxiety, fear, and stubbornness. He suddenly sighed, his tone softening, even carrying a hint of… resignation?
“It’s okay, I’ve been saying these lines for years. They just come out. Compared to Ian, you’re not that much of a problem.” Jordan pushed up his crooked glasses, his gaze fixed on the distant dark street, as if recalling some unpleasant memory. His tone carried a profound sense of weariness that only those who had truly weathered storms could understand.
The storms here specifically referred to Ian-brand storms.
“I understand, I understand.”
Sam recalled Ian in his memory, who could infuriate people to death. He nodded with understanding. It was hard to imagine what kind of chaos Ian caused to be so individualistic. Clearly, Ian was able to be so unique his entire life due to the protection of his family.
The two stood on the cold, damp streets of Seattle, silent for a moment.
The failed inquiry, the mysterious clues, and a temporary teammate who seemed a little more reliable, Sam took out his phone, unsure where to start.
“Let’s go, the bar didn’t work, we’ll think of another way. This place is tiny, it’s not hard to find a church, we’ll just search all the churches if necessary.”
The small town on the outskirts of Seattle was shrouded in a layer of damp mist, the air filled with the scent of moss, seawater, and a faint hint of decay. Sam Winchester and Jordan Kent walked on the somewhat deserted streets, trying to inquire about the “St. Caesar” church.
Their inquiries were not smooth. The town residents seemed to be tight-lipped about the name. The owner of the grocery store’s face changed drastically upon hearing the name of the church, and she hurriedly waved her hands saying she didn’t know, then quickly closed the shop door.
The old man trimming the lawn by the roadside would stop his work, stare at them with cloudy eyes, and mutter warnings that sounded like they were copied from a cheap horror movie.
“The moonlight does not reach the stones there… the soil there breathes…”
“If you hear the bell, don’t look back, it tolls for the dead…”
“Curiosity will dig out your eyes and fill them with worms… young man, there are places where even God has turned his back.”
…
Regarding this.
Jordan, deeply involved in the deification plan, was naturally unfazed. He, who had plans to make Ian a god, himself the pope, and then have Ian perform miracles to bring paper figures to life, embodied the American Dream.
These mysterious words did not scare Jordan; instead, they made him more certain that the church had a problem. Only Sam felt a chill down his spine and moved closer to Jordan.
“Sorry, it’s a new era, and I really don’t like little boys.” Jordan, who considered himself a future pope, frowned and directly pushed away Sam, who was “throwing himself into his arms.”
“…”
Sam still couldn’t understand the nonsensical ramblings of the Kent family.
“This place… the atmosphere is so rich… you wouldn’t even need to build sets for a horror movie…” He could only offer a topic-shifting evaluation of the wilderness town’s style.
Just as the two were at a loss and almost gave up on public inquiries, preparing to sneak their way there, a middle-aged man wearing work pants, a baseball cap, and a friendly demeanor proactively approached them.
“Hey, kids, I heard you’re looking for St. Caesar’s Church?” The man had an enthusiastic smile on his face, but his eyes quickly scanned the two of them imperceptibly.
Sam immediately became alert, but still nodded: “Yes, sir. Do you know how to get there?”
“Of course I do!” The man slapped his thigh. “That place is pretty out of the way; you can’t find it without a local guide. It just so happens I’m going that way to take care of some business, why don’t I give you a ride?”
Sam and Jordan exchanged glances, both hesitant. This sudden “good Samaritan” always felt a bit suspicious. But there seemed to be no better option at the moment.
To avoid awkwardness on the road, or perhaps to bolster his courage, Jordan was the first to break the silence.
“Do you know? I’m actually quite famous.”
He wasn’t talking about his identity as the Walmart Shopping Bag Superhero, of course.
“I can see that, you’re very handsome, are you an actor?”
The uncle kindly chimed in, and actually guessed what Jordan was thinking.
“Of course! Next week, remember to support my new TV series! It’s about to premiere on the CW!” Jordan smiled proudly.
Sam turned his head in surprise, looking at the boy who could fly beside him.
“You? Starring in a TV series? You’re a Hollywood actor?” It wasn’t that he was looking down on them, but Sam found it hard to believe that a superhuman would choose a profession that put them in the public eye.
How vain did one have to be?
Was being a superhero no longer enough for Jordan?
“Don’t let my usual gentle demeanor fool you, my acting is actually very wild and explosive! The director praised my extraordinary talent, calling me the next Marlon Brando!” Jordan smiled confidently and adjusted his glasses. Although the action weakened his imposing presence, his voice was filled with a mysterious self-assurance.
Sam had a “I don’t believe you” look on his face.
However, the middle-aged man leading the way’s eyes lit up, and the smile on his face became even more enthusiastic, even a bit… with a strange feeling?
“Stars are great! Stars are really great!” He rubbed his hands together, his tone a little too excited. “I mean, stars… make money easily, right? Quick money!”
His reaction was a little odd, but Sam, eager to find the church, and Jordan, lost in his “star dream,” didn’t pay much attention. After several twists and turns, they finally stopped in a deserted clearing in the woods.
In the distance, a dilapidated Gothic-style church stood in the darkness, like a lurking beast. Most of the stained-glass windows were broken, and the spire was also a bit crooked, giving off an overall aura of decay and ill omen. Strangely, however, the church was not deserted; in fact, twenty to thirty people had gathered outside!
They stood in small groups, talking in low voices, as if waiting for something.
Sam’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that other demon hunters had received the news and gathered here to act? He instinctively reached for the weapon on his back.
“What’s going on?”
Sam asked the guide.
“Are those people… demon hunters? Will they be with my father…” Before he could finish, the middle-aged man, who had been acting friendly all along, suddenly let out a sharp, strange laugh.
“Hahaha! I knew it! I knew you were demon hunters! You can’t hide your scent!” He laughed heartily and strode towards the group in front of the church, as if returning to his companions. The group also stopped talking and turned their heads in unison to look at Sam and Jordan.
The same strange and greedy smiles appeared on everyone’s faces.
Sam instantly realized something was wrong, and cold sweat broke out.
However, before he could fully react, Jordan beside him suddenly snatched off his glasses, revealing eyes that were now flashing with a fervent crimson light!
“I knew it, I knew they weren’t human. My super smell couldn’t be fooled. Ian was right, I have a talent for being a superhero.”
With his glasses off, his demeanor completely changed. Jordan’s voice was no longer calm; he was filled with the elation of discovering prey!
Only.
It seemed only Sam noticed this.
Upon hearing Jordan’s words, the group of “people” laughed even more wildly, revealing their monstrous true forms – pale skin, sharp fangs, blood-red pupils!
They were vampires!
“That’s right! We are demons!”
The vampire leading them shouted mockingly, “Can you damn demon hunters hunt us? Tonight we’re having an extra meal! Tender young things!”
Sam recoiled in fear, fumbling to pull out a silver-plated dagger and a bottle of holy water from his backpack, instinctively reaching to hand a weapon to Jordan.
However, he turned to see Jordan standing there, his face alight with an even more excited and ferocious expression than the vampires! It was a state of complete release of his nature, bordering on madness!
“Not human… it’s great they’re not human!” Jordan licked his lips, his voice trembling with excitement. “I like it when you’re not human… that way I don’t have to hold back…”
Sam was completely bewildered and stammered, “Jor… Jordan? What’s wrong with you?”
What happened to being gentle and refined?!
This was scarier than Ian when he went crazy!
Jordan suddenly turned his head, his crimson eyes making Sam jump!
“I’m just getting into character!” Jordan roared, and with a forceful tug of his hooded sweatshirt, revealed a Homelander costume underneath, one he hadn’t taken off since leaving Hollywood.
Just then.
Homelander Jordan floated into the air, the night wind ruffling his slightly disheveled hair, his red eyes like two hellish lights in the darkness!
““Perfect! Next week I’ll be filming my scene slaughtering ignorant civilians! Today is just to practice my acting! Look into my eyes! Don’t ask why! Because I’ll do whatever I want!”
“Just because I can!” Before his words could even finish, two searing red heat rays shot from his eyes, like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, instantly sweeping through the vampire horde!
“Ahhhhh!”
“He’s not human either!!”
“Run!”
The vampires’ initial arrogance was instantly replaced by terror, and they fled in all directions, crying out in fear. Wherever the high-temperature heat rays passed, the vampires turned to ashes.
They didn’t even have time to scream!
Sam watched from the side, dumbfounded, nearly dropping his bottle of holy water.
He watched Jordan hunt the vampires like a whack-a-mole, and realized that his classmate Ian Kent’s family was probably more than just distant relatives of Superman.
“Take it easy! Take it easy! Leave some alive! We still need to get information!!” Sam even suspected that Jordan’s so-called acting was just him releasing his true nature.
He quickly called out a reminder to Jordan. Fortunately, Jordan wasn’t truly insane. Because he hadn’t suppressed himself for days, and had released most of his negative emotions through acting, his dark side had been significantly purged. Therefore, he was able to listen to others’ advice.
“You’re right, we should leave a few alive, and then sell them to Ian.” The heat rays in Jordan’s eyes flickered slightly, and the crimson glow began to dim.
The surviving vampires were just about to breathe a sigh of relief.
However, at this very moment.
“Boom!”
An indescribable, universe-shaking explosion suddenly erupted from the depths of the distant night sky!
Immediately after, the entire night sky lit up like day! An unfathomable energy wave, carrying a sense of destruction, swept through like a tsunami!
The vampires who were still fleeing didn’t even have time to scream before they were instantly vaporized in the sudden, pure, and terrifying light, like snowflakes thrown into a steel furnace.
They instantly vaporized, completely turned to dust!
The church clearing, which had been lively with shouts and threats moments before, instantly became deathly silent, leaving only scorched ground and the strange smell of ozone and ash lingering in the air.
Jordan hovered in mid-air, the red glow in his eyes completely extinguished, replaced by a look of utter confusion and horror.
He was also scared.
Looking up at the still eerily bright night sky, which seemed to have gained an extra sun.
“Did… did the sun explode?”
The once arrogant “self-proclaimed Homelander” even began to tremble. It couldn’t be helped, as the light and heat of the explosion, no matter how distant, illuminated the Earth as brightly as day.
Many people realized something was wrong.
At the same time, underground in Gotham City, in the Batcave.
Superman Clark Kent carefully held a cup of warm water, handing it to Injustice Superman, who was lying on a medical bed, pale-faced and with a visibly distended abdomen.
Batman Bruce Wayne stood by the control panel, monitoring various vital signs, his brow furrowed.
“Relax. According to the fragments of information Ian ‘accidentally’ leaked earlier, and Bruce’s analysis, this kind of ‘gestation’ based on high-level heavenly power and idealistic concepts might not last long. Perhaps… like God’s creation, a seven-day pregnancy?”
Clark tried to comfort his other self, his voice a little dry and guilty. Injustice Superman glared at him weakly, his eyes filled with resentment, as if saying, “If you can’t comfort me, shut up.”
“I’m afraid Ian has set up a concept of endless generations, going on forever.”
Batman knew Ian even better than Clark. He was currently investigating the possibility that Injustice Superman could give birth again and again, creating a race and civilization by himself.
Just then.
The impact of the explosion was also detected by the instruments.
Beep beep beep beep beep—!!!
In the Batcave, all the main monitoring instruments suddenly let out the highest level of sharp alarm! Red lights flashed frantically, and the data streams on the screens refreshed wildly like a waterfall.
It was almost crashing!
“What’s going on?!” Clark instantly straightened up. His Super Vision instantly penetrated layers of rock and concrete, looking outside the cave, looking at the sky. His expression instantly froze, filled with unbelievable shock. “Bruce! Outside… the light in the sky… it’s not right!”
Batman’s fingers flew across the control panel, retrieving data from all his satellites and deep-space monitoring stations. His face grew more and more solemn.
There was even a rare hint of… bewilderment?
There were moments when even Batman was stunned. He stared intently at the spectral analysis chart and energy level readings on the main screen, representing an unimaginably huge energy burst. He remained silent for a full ten seconds before speaking in an extremely dry voice, as if a machine had jammed.
“Apokolips has exploded.”
His voice was hoarse, almost dry.
“What?!” Clark couldn’t help but exclaim, almost dropping the cup in his hand. “Apokolips exploded?! How is that possible?!”
Apokolips, Darkseid’s base, a mobile war fortress planet forged from super-technology and dark divine power, was among the most durable in the universe!
Even when he fought Golden Superman earlier, he hadn’t found a suitable opportunity to completely destroy that planet. How could such a cosmic fortress just disappear?
Who!
What kind of terrifying existence passed by there?!
After extreme shock, Clark’s first reaction was a hint of excitement.
“This might… not be entirely a bad thing?” He looked at Bruce, composing himself, and immediately began to consider the cosmic repercussions of Apokolips’ explosion. “The radiation there… especially the residual energy after the explosion… Do I need to go into outer space to handle it? Absorb those harmful substances?”
Batman suddenly turned his head, his gaze under the white goggles filled with astonishment. “Absorb the radiation from the explosion of Apokolips? You can do that?”
He knew Kryptonians could absorb yellow sun radiation to become stronger, but directly handling the aftermath of a planetary explosion? This was beyond his information gathering capabilities.
“Recently… I seem to have evolved a lot… I feel like I can do it.” Clark frowned uncertainly, actively reporting his information to Batman.
Clark himself couldn’t say where this change came from, as if his body was instinctively adapting to more powerful energy. This development actually made him a bit uneasy.
Not everyone craved infinite power. Clark remembered how many times he had been controlled, so many times that even Ian’s mimic hands couldn’t count them all.
Precisely because of this.
Exposing his situation to Batman, letting Batman find weaknesses that even his Super Brain couldn’t figure out, was something Clark increasingly valued.
“A lot? Is this just ‘a lot’?” Batman was silent for a few seconds before he couldn’t help but express a heartfelt complaint under great pressure.
Of course.
The current sudden situation was very unexpected, so Batman knew he had to prioritize the main issue first. “According to calculations, the main shockwave and harmful radiation will be blocked by interstellar dust and special force fields, so they will not affect the solar system, let alone Earth. I have already activated the filtering program for the global monitoring network to ensure absolute safety.”
This meant Superman was not needed.
Hearing this, Clark finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.
But Batman’s expression became even more solemn. He turned around, looking at the data still frantically jumping on the main screen, his voice frighteningly low.
“Clark, what we should worry about is never the explosion of Apokolips itself…”
His tone carried deep concern.
Superman was stunned for a moment. Instead of using his Super Brain to calculate various possibilities, he took the fastest shortcut and directly asked, “Why?”
It was indeed the fastest shortcut.
And the most energy-efficient.
Batman took a deep breath, as if stating an approaching nightmare: “You guys just caused trouble on Apokolips, and shortly after, such a destructive explosion occurred.”
“Considering Darkseid’s suspicious, ruthless, and vengeful personality, what do you think he’ll think?” Batman looked at Clark with extreme gravity.
“He’ll come after you.”
Even the momentarily foolish Injustice Superman could figure this out, so of course Superman Clark understood Batman’s meaning. His expression became somewhat solemn.
“But we didn’t blow up Apokolips! It was fine when we left!” Although Superman’s tone was regretful, this didn’t stop him from feeling a bit wronged.
“I know.”
Batman’s voice was cold. “I know it wasn’t you, nor Ian. Darkseid wouldn’t think that. Because he only needs to flip through Ian Kent’s past ‘behavioral records’… he’ll make what he considers the clearest, most rational, and most logical judgment.”
Bruce’s mind flashed with Ian’s feat of blowing up Heaven. Clark opened his mouth, trying to retort, but found that any words were pale in comparison to Ian’s glorious “achievements.” Even he, at this moment, couldn’t help but have an absurd yet incredibly “logical” thought.
“So, did Ian really blow up Apokolips?”
A father’s love is infinite, but a father’s trust has its limits.
Even Superman subconsciously thought this way, so it was easy to imagine what conclusion Darkseid, who had just suffered heavy losses and had his base raided, would reach.
The Dark Lord’s infinite rage and revenge would not be limited to a single individual. It would be the remaining might of the entire Apokolips, possibly even allying with other dark forces, targeting Earth, targeting the Kent family, and especially targeting that “culprit,” Ian Kent – that would be a true.
Infinity War.
The Batcave fell into silence, leaving only the cold hum of the instruments, as if playing the prelude to an impending cosmic storm.
……
Ian was, of course, innocent.
At the time of the incident.
He had been taking a bath in his 【 Demon Manor 】, and countless demons could vouch for him.
【 Berserker Experience Points +7 】
【 Berserker Experience Points +6 】
【 Berserker Experience Points +7 】
The main reason was that Rick’s smell was too pungent, so Ian washed for a long time, scrubbing until his skin started to redden and bleed before he felt completely clean.
Of course.
Bathing in the Demon Manor itself was a pleasant experience for Ian, something that the emperors of outside bathtubs could never have enjoyed.
As soon as he stepped into the bathroom.
The giant “bathtub,” cast from the cuticle of some dark creature, let out a satisfied low hum. It was not a static container; its edges gently undulated, like the breathing of a living being. Ian dipped his toes into the water, which was just the right temperature, with a faint aroma of sulfur mixed with medicinal herbs.
This water was not stagnant; it seemed to have a life of its own. When he was completely immersed, the water immediately, like countless soft yet precisely strong hands, began to automatically wrap and caress his body.
A nimble water vortex specifically targeted his sore neck and shoulders, its force strong enough to shatter mortal bones, but it made Ian roll his eyes comfortably.
The “shower” came from a spout carved into the shape of a demon’s screaming face above. With a glance from Ian, the demon stone sculpture’s eyes lit up with red light, and it no longer simply sprayed water, but expelled a warm and powerful jet of water. This water jet even writhed in the air, like a transparent tentacle, precisely rinsing his hair.
The bone tray where toiletries were placed followed him like a loyal dog, carrying soap to his hand. Even the drain occasionally let out a gurgling sound, as if it were extremely satisfied with this bathwater, rich in power and filth.
The actual “scrubbing” session was even more enjoyable.
Ian didn’t need to do it himself. He only needed to lazily raise his arm, and an oval, dark red, rough-grained giant stone inlaid in the wall next to the bathtub.
It was called “Lava Tartar” and slowly extended out. The lava tartar had a warm and elastic texture, like the tongue of some giant creature.
The Hell massage tool gently and thoroughly scraped Ian’s back, arms, and chest, removing all dead skin and dirt, which was instantly absorbed by its surface.
turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared.
As it tried to slide towards Ian’s more sensitive lower regions, Ian lazily raised his hand and gently patted it.
“No need there, little one.”
The lava tongue seemed to tremble in dissatisfaction and obediently retracted back into the wall, transforming back into an inconspicuous decorative stone, as if waiting for the next service.
Even the so-called “towel” hung nearby, awaiting orders.
It was a towel of peculiar material, seemingly woven from shadows, with faint black mist wafting from its edges. When Ian finally stood up from the water, it automatically flew up and solicitously wrapped around him, not to dry, but by a wondrous absorption, instantly drawing all the moisture from his skin.
Leaving his skin dry and refreshed, with a hint of coolness.
The entire bathing process lasted seven to eight hours, filled with such subtle and heartwarming interactions. In fact, when Apokolips exploded, Ian was already lying on his massage bed imported from Hell.
Hundreds of tender little hands were massaging him, relieving his fatigue. Because the Demon Manor was truly amazing, he closed his eyes, completely unaware that countless light-years away, the lair of the Dark Lord Darkseid—Apokolips—had turned into cosmic dust in a world-shattering explosion.
【Aberrant Master Experience Points settlement complete.】
【Based on the life strength of your current dependents, you have gained +9 Aberrant Master Experience Points.】
【You have leveled up, gaining +1 Profession Skill Points and +1 developable dependent slot.】
He had even fallen asleep in the comfortable massage, unknowingly crossing an imperceptible boundary, and entering the Marvel Universe, unbeknownst to Ian.
He might unknowingly become a true DC shadow.
