Aliens Are People

David showed no mercy, turning Sean—who had tried to attack him and even threatened to kill him—into a vegetative state.

Clark rushed forward in anger for his brother, knocking Sean away and saving himself. A wave of warmth rose in his heart.

But he could not help feeling somewhat angry as well. Looking at the unconscious Sean at the bottom of the pit, his voice was heavy and hesitant.

"This time was different. Sean might not have committed a crime yet, but you turned him into a vegetative state..."

The previous Metahumans—Jeremy, who could generate electric currents; Gregg, who had become an insect-man; and Tina, who could reshape flesh and strengthen her bones—had all been confirmed guilty of the grave crime of murder.

But Sean was different. Perhaps he had only just gained his ability and come to take revenge on David.

"Wasn't attacking you and me a crime?"

David deliberately put on a surprised expression upon hearing that.

"His ability was so dangerous. Setting everything else aside, if this went to court, wouldn't it count as self-defense?"

He patted the stunned Clark on the shoulder and turned to leave.

"Don't feel inferior, my brother. Aliens are people too."

"..."

David was not surprised. It had been the same in the comics—Superman's classic tendency not to regard himself as a person. Perhaps he thought that, just as someone using a straw to stab another person to death did not constitute intent to kill.

If they had committed no other crimes and had only attacked him, Clark would not interfere much.

But now Clark even wanted to apply that view of crime to him. Was being powerful a crime? Were Metahumans not people?

Since things had come to this, Clark thought it over, gritted his teeth, and vanished in a blur of Super Speed to clean up the traces around them. Then he delivered Sean to the entrance of the hospital before catching up with his brother.

The first time he had seen David do this, he had been shocked and unable to believe it. But by now, terrifyingly enough, he had grown somewhat used to it.

When they returned home, Clark was no longer as angry, because at the dinner table, they heard on the radio that the town's thermal power plant had been attacked by an unknown criminal who was suspected of using liquid nitrogen as a weapon. More than a dozen people had frozen to death.

Besides, he knew what had caused it. Sean, a habitual womanizer, had been driven away by David yesterday after bothering Chloe, which had led to what happened today.

At the dinner table, Jonathan and Martha worriedly reminded the two of them to be careful.

This might have been another Metahuman. They did not know whether the police would be able to bring the culprit to justice.

The couple did not know that the criminal responsible had already become a vegetative patient lying in the hospital.

Thinking back on it, Clark felt that compared with people like Sean, who immediately placed themselves above life and the law the moment they gained power and did whatever they pleased, his brother's mindset did not seem all that dangerous.

Still, he believed his brother needed to be corrected.

"It would be best if David did not turn people into vegetative patients at the drop of a hat."

But Clark did not try to persuade his brother again. He had already realized that his brother had his own set of principles for dealing with the world.

Most of the time, his younger brother was smarter and more mature than him, the older brother. In David's eyes, his words as an older brother might not carry much weight.

"I've said things like this enough already. Saying more would be useless."

Sometimes, words were powerless. It was difficult to change someone through words alone.

Whether or not the future Cassandra had foreseen was wrong, he could not let David go down an evil path.

That was the duty he had to fulfill as David's older brother.

"This time, I was careless."

Clark silently made up his mind. Next time—next time, he would definitely stop David through his actions.

There was no way that next time, he, the older brother, would once again get into trouble and need his younger brother to resolve it while he was in such a sorry state.

Downtown Metropolis Museum.

An unusual antique exhibition was being held.

Many visitors in suits and long dresses strolled leisurely through the exhibition hall, holding complimentary champagne as they admired the precious collections from around the world that had arrived at the museum not long ago.

Before a display case containing a piece of ancient Greek armor, Clark looked through the glass with a trace of sadness on his face and sighed over what had happened that afternoon.

"Only two hours later, when we went back to the Nursing Home, Cassandra had already passed away."

He was deeply grateful that the elderly woman had helped him foresee the future. He had originally intended to visit the Nursing Home that afternoon and spend more time with her, but when he went back, all that remained was an empty room.

Cassandra's personal belongings had all been put away.

From a caregiver passing by with red-rimmed eyes, he learned that the old woman had gone to heaven at noon.

Many people at the Nursing Home had been helped by her, had received guidance in their lives, or had had their troubles resolved by her. They were saddened by her passing.

"The only consolation was that she did not leave this world in pain."

David gently shook his head.

That kind old woman might have foreseen her own death long ago and departed this world peacefully.

"There's no need to be too sad for a woman who saw through life."

After noon, when the two went to the Nursing Home, they happened to run into Lana. She had returned from Metropolis, and her Aunt had given her several tickets to the exhibition.

Lana remembered the trouble she had caused two days ago, as well as Clark's comfort, and gave each of them a ticket.

Clark had originally been delighted at having another chance to spend time with Lana that evening, but he had not expected that afternoon's events to happen.

"I know."

Clark nodded somewhat silently and took a deep breath. Life had to go on.

He raised his head and noticed the dazzling armor embedded with gemstones inside the display case, studying it with mild curiosity.

The inner armor was set with large gemstones in alternating blue and red. It looked exceedingly luxurious and priceless, though he did not know whether it was real or fake.

"I heard that for some precious one-of-a-kind items in museums, replicas were used for exhibitions in case of accidents."

Clark had grown up on farms and was not very accustomed to this sort of setting. Somewhat restrained, he lowered his voice and asked his brother.

"You can use your eyes to take a closer look yourself."

Template fusion: 95%

David casually replied. He was not an ancient Greek appraisal expert either.

The Thanos template would soon finish fusing.

Over the past few days, he had barely checked the Emotion Point notifications and had hidden the information alerts.

The resentment and hatred from several vegetative patients kept flooding in one after another, which was quite an eyesore.

As long as he knew Emotion Points were continuously increasing, that was enough.

Clark's resolve +38...

"Clark's strength seemed to have grown very quickly lately."

David looked through the earlier notifications. The ability points Clark had provided him over the past few days had nearly doubled.

Even emotions that were not particularly intense had provided considerable Emotion Points.

Kara's nervousness +0.07...

Spotting a name worth noting, confusion flashed through his eyes.

When had Kara felt nervous because of him? Had he met her during the day?

"Clark, David, I never expected to see you two here."

Lex Luthor, dressed in a black suit and holding a glass of champagne with a lemon slice hanging on the rim, slowly approached with a smile. "Would you like me to introduce the exhibits here?"

"Lex Luthor?"

Clark greeted him with a smile.

"A genuine ancient Greek artifact. It once belonged to Alexander the Great."

Lex Luthor pointed at the python-like pattern on the armor's chest, which Clark had been curiously examining through the display case.

"I heard this pattern represented courage and strength."

"Courage and strength?"

David lifted his eyes to look at it. The coiled python did indeed resemble an S, and he gave a soft laugh.

"Alexander's soldiers probably wouldn't agree. I can't imagine anyone wearing this onto a battlefield."

It was covered from head to toe in bright, dazzling gemstones. It could be spotted from miles away. This was absolutely not a suit of battle armor.

If it was not armor meant for the battlefield, what courage and strength was there to speak of? Wasn't that ridiculous?

"Sometimes, one's enemies are not on battlefields filled with blood and death."

Lex Luthor smiled.

"This armor helped Alexander the Great appear sacred and untouchable on certain occasions."

"Lex Luthor, are you a history buff?"

Clark was surprised that the heir to a businessman would be so knowledgeable about history.

"I'm merely interested in people who ruled the world before turning thirty."

Even in his casual tone, Lex Luthor exuded an ambition and pride he could not conceal.

David raised an eyebrow.

"If I remember correctly, Alexander seemed to have died at thirty-three?"

"..."

More than an hour later, there would be another chapter.

I recommend a friend's book. It is light and smooth, with seasoned writing—a simplified cultivation novel, and it is very well written. Interested readers can add it to their collections and take a look.