Proofreader & Editor: Howard Wong
David showed little interest in Clark's proposal.
All he wanted was to protect his family; he had no intention of becoming a superhero like Clark, bustling around for strangers he didn't know, often misunderstood and doubted, and sometimes even morally coerced.
"Besides, you've never liked my way of doing things. I'm afraid that so-called vigilante group wouldn't last long before you'd try to stop me from doing something, and we'd end up fighting."
David rose from his lounge chair and glanced at Clark.
"I don't want our parents to worry about us fighting each other."
He patted Clark on the shoulder.
"So… let's forget about it."
Clark, holding his coffee, fell silent.
His brother had broken into a military base to save him, yet he didn't want to harm the soldiers who fired at him. He had wanted to leave quickly to prevent more deaths, wondering if he was being too harsh.
"Remember Lex Luthor?"
"I do."
Clark looked up, puzzled why David suddenly brought this up.
He had saved Lex Luthor's life; if it weren't for the pickup truck he sent, he wouldn't have discovered his origins so soon.
"Lex has stopped appearing in town. His father, Lionel Luthor, was in a car accident not long ago, and he has taken over his father's company. He must be overwhelmed with grief and business matters."
Clark's eyes showed a hint of sympathy.
"I'm not asking about the news that's already been in the papers."
David shook his head.
Luthor's behavior yesterday was strange and couldn't be ignored.
He was a genius in technology, and his armor would be quite powerful if not facing Superman.
But the lifelike androids from yesterday were beyond current human technology; it wasn't something young Luthor could have created.
"Now that it's over, you've had a night to think about yesterday's events. You should be able to see that it was a conspiracy against you."
David recounted what he had seen the day before.
"I saw Luthor at the military base yesterday, and I suspect he's the mastermind behind the plan, using a train full of people as bait to trap you."
Clark's brow furrowed in recollection.
"The voice I heard yesterday sounded very familiar, even through the distortion of the speakers. Now that I think about it, it does sound like Lex."
After mentally comparing, he was certain.
There were nearly a thousand lives on that train; it was hard to believe someone would be so heartless, especially someone whose life he had once saved.
"But, the one at the base yesterday wasn't him in person."
No heartbeat, no blood flow… that couldn't be a normal living being.
"It was just a robot."
David nodded, affirming his discovery.
"A robot?"
"David, what do you want me to do?"
Clark, listening to his brother, guessed he had a task for him.
"Keep an eye on Luthor. I promised yesterday to make him live forever in the shadows. But I have more important things to do than watch him."
"If he appears in public as a robot, destroy him."
Clark wouldn't easily kill, but Luthor wouldn't dare show his face in public again.
"No problem."
Clark eagerly agreed to the task his brother entrusted him with.
"However, this all started because of me." His shoulders slumped slightly.
If it was just a robot, he had no qualms. He would investigate whether Luthor planned the bombing.
"Once I find evidence, I won't just watch him. I'll personally send Luthor to prison."
Clark clenched his fist.
"That man is cunning. You might not find any evidence," David said, skeptical that Superman could easily find proof, "Especially with the military involved."
Clark fell silent, knowing all too well how complex things could get when dealing with officials and politics, as the judges were part of the vast machinery known as the federal government.
"Speaking of the military, before I go on vacation, I need to visit someone."
David murmured to himself.
The shape-shifting Promethium metal could grant superpowers. He glanced around the room, his eyes flickering.
"Who?"
***
In the United States, in the Mexican state, beside a lake, stood a five-story modern villa with a white disc-shaped structure, exuding sleek beauty and high-tech appeal.
"Everything is normal in the southeast A4 area."
A black-clad elite bodyguard patrolled the lakeside forest with a hunting dog, constantly communicating through a tiny earpiece for any anomalies.
"B14 normal…"
The security here was even tighter than that of a small country's president.
The owner of the lakeside villa was one of the wealthiest men in the world, Steve Dayton, a renowned industrial magnate with businesses in military, medical, automotive, and rocket industries, with factories all over the world.
***
In the lab.
Steve Dayton, middle-aged, looked like he hadn't slept for days, his hair a mess like a bird's nest, his eyes ringed with dark circles, a stark contrast to his usual dapper, energetic image in interviews.
His eyes were bloodshot, but his face showed excitement despite the fatigue.
"It's done, my masterpiece."
After completing the last solder point, he removed his goggles and gazed at a helmet on the workbench as if it were the world's most precious treasure.
The silver titanium helmet lay quietly there, resembling a common ski helmet, but only Steve Dayton, its creator, knew the technology it contained.
It delved into the most mysterious realms of humanity — the brain and the mind.
"Just by wearing it, one could enhance brain function and unleash mental energy, achieving telepathy or even mind control."
His laborious work finally complete, Steve looked at the helmet, his mouth dry. He grabbed a cup of water, gulped it down, wiped his mouth, and reached out to try it on.
"Steve Dayton, not only do you have a formidable business mind, but you're also a rare genius inventor."
A young, magnetic voice suddenly sounded.
"But isn't this a bit reckless?"
Startled like a frightened rabbit, Steve spun around to see a young figure leaning casually against the wall, surveying him as if this wasn't his billion-dollar secret underground lab, but the entrance to a supermarket.
The person emitted a deep purple glow, looking like a purple humanoid celestial body.
"Purple Glow?"
An intruder in his lab, Steve's pupils shrank. He quickly donned the helmet on the table, pressed a button, and a red light glowed from the helmet's seams. He breathed a sigh of relief, regaining some confidence, and said with a smile.
"I didn't bring Superman here, so what do you want with me?"
"You know me?"
David hadn't considered the casual nickname "Purple Glow" as a superhero alias, so it didn't matter to him.
"I remember you just appeared in public yesterday. Seems like you've been following supernatural events?"
He glanced at the helmet Steve had just invented.
"Of course."
Sweating in his palms, Steve maintained his smile, secretly trying to use the amplified mental power of the helmet to read David's mind.
This creature that could single-handedly take down a military base and defeat the Zero Armor—what did he want with him?
But despite his efforts, sweat beaded on his forehead from the strain, his face contorted as if constipated, and he read nothing.
"Could my mental amplifier helmet have failed? Impossible!"
Steve's eyes widened, unwilling to accept that his years of research had resulted in failure.
"Your helmet is fine; but too weak."
David's casual remark made Steve's face darken.