Strange New Transfer Student

Spring hadn't yet passed, and even the cold riverbank couldn't dampen a group of high schoolers' blazing enthusiasm for a holiday BBQ party.

Template Fusion Rate: 93%

Taking a sip of fruit beer, David stared at the frozen river in the distance.

A few days ago, after he'd turned Tina into a vegetative state, the two of them had returned home.

His father, Jonathan, had stood at the door with a shotgun, worry etched on his face as he peered into the distance. Only when he saw both sons safe did he breathe a sigh of relief, chiding David for chasing after her.

To keep his parents from worrying, Clark volunteered that he'd knocked the person unconscious and left her at the small town police station.

Later, the police found the transferred 100,000 US Dollars in Tina's school locker.

But with a lack of evidence and Tina inexplicably unconscious, she was temporarily held as a suspect in the hospital.

Clark, unusually, had been angry with David since that day and hadn't spoken to him for several days.

Though David felt a bit awkward about Clark taking the blame again, he didn't think it was a big deal.

"The Son of Krypton, who now insists he'll never cross that line, will one day snap the neck of his last remaining kin with his own hands."

Clark wasn't that stubborn or rigid; he was just too young, idealizing everything about the world.

By the fire, David clenched his fist, feeling the high-density alloy-like muscles intertwine, surging with power akin to a volcanic eruption.

The Thanos template had granted him formidable strength.

"But it's not enough."

Even the Complete Form of Superman had faced life-threatening dangers multiple times in this perilous world, and Earth had nearly been destroyed countless times.

There had even been instances where Earth was truly obliterated.

Looking up at the sky, David's eyes seemed to pierce the azure canopy and see the universe beyond.

Having fused with the Thanos template, he hadn't developed ambitions to dominate the cosmos or taken on some grand responsibility for its safety.

For now, he had only one goal.

"Keep improving my strength to ensure I can protect myself and my family, no matter what happens."

That goal was simple yet far from easy.

So, he wouldn't miss any chance to earn Emotion Points.

"I hope the Next Template is as powerful as Thanos."

Given that recent events were unprecedented, and Clark's rapidly growing strength as he approached adulthood was generating more Emotion Points, the template fusion was speeding up. The next template shouldn't be far off.

A glimmer of anticipation flashed in David's eyes as he quietly took another sip of his drink, murmuring to himself.

"Preferably one with a superpower that doesn't rely on my body."

That way, if something like the other day happened again, he wouldn't have to hide it from his parents or make them worry.

Suddenly, a faint stir arose in the distance.

A vibrant, intelligent figure stepped into the party, like a silver moonbeam cutting through the dark night. All eyes were drawn to her, and the boys' gazes clung to her every move.

Several guys, clutching grilled steak, rose like bees and butterflies drawn to a flower, jostling to invite her to sit with them, nearly coming to blows.

"Sorry."

The girl, confident and poised, declined each one politely and gracefully.

The four of them were also drawn in.

"Who's that? She looks like Lana."

Clark tilted his head, asking the others with confusion. She was stunning, but he had no memory of her.

"Is that your excuse for finding a new crush before you've moved on?"

David glanced at the girl he'd never seen at school before, speaking flatly.

"I really think she looks like her," Clark muttered in protest.

"I don't see it, Clark." Chloe agreed with David, her tone a bit stiff. "Aside from the black hair, their features and vibe have almost nothing in common."

"She just transferred to our high school. I think her name's Kara."

Pete stared at her figure, his eyes glazed over as if his soul had been stolen.

"Maybe my youth truly begins today!"

"She's got the vibe of a Female Jungle Explorer. I doubt she'd go for a guy a head shorter than her."

Sitting at the edge of the party, ignored by everyone, Chloe watched the center of attention and sulked.

"Chloe, I think I smell something sour."

Hitting his most sensitive sore spot, Pete gritted his teeth and turned his head, insisting he was just a late bloomer.

No sooner had he spoken than the beautiful figure in the distance seemed to glance their way.

"Look, she's looking over here."

Tall and slender, with healthy wheat-colored skin, her black hair braided behind her, her features carrying a hint of Mixed-Race Child beauty, and an Indigenous Ornaments necklace around her neck, she exuded a raw, vibrant charm.

Pete coughed excitedly, adjusted his sitting position to stop sneaking glances, and put on a deep, story-laden expression as he grilled the meat, trying a different approach to catch her attention.

But when he looked over a few seconds later, Kara had already sat down with a few girls, chatting and laughing as she started barbecuing, as if she hadn't noticed him at all.

He deflated instantly, like a punctured balloon.

From Kara: Curiosity +0.04, Confusion +0.03, Affinity +0.02, Vigilance +0.02...

David paused mid-sip of his fruit beer, squinting at that figure.

"A metahuman?"

In this small town, that wasn't too surprising.

But why would she feel both affinity and vigilance toward him, and then turn more vigilant after getting closer? Wasn't that too contradictory?

This string of emotional shifts was baffling.

Clark didn't stare at Kara like the other three; instead, he gloomily watched Lana in the distance.

On a distant rock, Whitney was huddled next to Lana, who was grilling meat on her own.

Whitney pestered her with several sentences before Lana would occasionally reply, her expression carrying no joy, only a faint sadness.

But exes who could still sit together and chat said a lot.

For instance, Clark, who had been sulking for days—if he were still as angry as at the start, he wouldn't have deliberately said "it's not cold at all" when Chloe and Pete teased him about David.

Sizzle, sizzle!

A few stones were stacked, flames licking the grill pan set on top. Clark pulled his gaze back, poking at the beef on the pan half-heartedly, glancing at David beside him.

Tina had been beaten into a vegetative state by her brother. Toward what her brother did, he was undoubtedly angry at first.

But he had to admit, when Tina took on the form of their mother Martha, he also felt an uncontrollable rage rising in his heart.

"Especially when I think back to Tina trying to kill Mom, I can't muster much sympathy for her."

Clark was more worried about his brother, and about himself. At this rate, would he fail to steer his brother back to the right path, only to be changed by him first, slowly getting used to this kind of ruthless behavior?

"Clark, don't just sit there staring."

Pete nudged his friend, winking, cutting off Clark's thoughts.

"Whitney's making a strong move, trying to get back with Lana, and you're sitting here like a coward?"

"I..."

Clark's personality did carry a hint of shyness.

He couldn't bring himself to compete for Lana while Whitney was around.

Seeing this, Pete shook his head silently.

"Lana's been volunteering at the town's senior care home for the past two weeks."

David suddenly spoke: "Tomorrow's the weekend, and Whitney has football team practice."

"Clark, have you finished your thirty hours of community service?"

He turned to look at Clark.

The school required each student to complete thirty hours of community service per semester, to foster a sense of giving back to society.

Clark's eyes lit up, immediately realizing this was his chance.

"Th... thanks, David."

He said it with a hint of embarrassment.

His brother was always smarter than him, always had good ideas.

"No need to thank me." David took a sip of his fruit beer.

"Think about it—you've taken the fall for me twice now. That's pretty brotherly of you. How could I not return the favor?"

"..." Clark.

"What falls?" Chloe asked curiously from the side.