Midnight

Metropolis, nearing midnight.

It was the hour when normal people had finished counting sheep and sunk into dreams. Even in a brightly lit city like Metropolis, there were few people still wandering the streets. The roads had fallen asleep; the streetlights along them cast their dim yellow glow in solitude, traffic signals blinked forlornly, and not a single car passed down the entire street for what felt like ages.

Of course, that was also because this street was far from the main roads. Besides, it was not completely deserted. On a bench beneath the dim light sat a man in a wrinkled jacket, leaning back with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. The light tinted the clouds of smoke he exhaled an earthy yellow, stretching his shadow and the bench's shadow long, long across the ground.

When he tossed who knew which cigarette butt into the trash can beside him, Mr. Reynolds appeared at the first corner ahead. Charles Reynolds wore a brown trench coat, its raised collar obscuring nearly half his face. He briskly entered the patch of light and sat on the far side of the bench, back to back with the man in the jacket.

"You're really late today." The man pulled an earthy yellow document envelope from his coat. "Everything you wanted is in here."

Mr. Reynolds took it over his shoulder, unwound the string wrapped around the envelope several times, and pulled out a few pages to inspect. Seemingly satisfied that they were what he wanted, he tied the envelope back up, passed the cash to the man behind him, and stood to leave without a word.

"Charles." The man suddenly called out to him. Mr. Reynolds stopped, turning his head slightly as though signaling for him to get on with it.

The man considered his words for a moment. "I know business is business, but now that we're done, I still want to give you a reminder as a friend. We've worked together for so long—you give me leads, and I use my pen to go after people you don't like."

Mr. Reynolds folded his arms and waited for him to continue.

"It's not that I'm unhappy you came back to work with me. It really has been quite a while since our last deal. But I think you should think this through carefully. What you're investigating now is very dangerous, and so are the people involved. My gut tells me they're anything but ordinary. I heard about the plane crash. Do you really think that was just a coincidence?"

Mr. Reynolds fell silent. He did not answer. He merely tucked the document envelope into his coat and walked out of the streetlamp's reach, heading toward the empty end of the road without a word.

It would take over twenty minutes to walk home from here, and in the dead of night, there was not even a taxi in sight. Mr. Reynolds walked along the inner sidewalk when the phone in his coat pocket suddenly rang. The melody of an old song echoed through the empty street, sounding especially loud.

It was Mrs. Reynolds. "Hello? Where are you? Why aren't you home yet?"

"I, uh, have something to take care of outside."

"Jay still hasn't come back either." Mrs. Reynolds sounded worried. "I can't help being a little concerned."

"Haha, don't worry. He's a grown boy now, and you know what he can do." Mr. Reynolds smiled. "Besides, it's rare for him to be this interested in something. Let him enjoy himself."

"I know. I just can't help worrying."

"There's no need. You know we can't keep him bound to us forever. He's different. One day, he'll fly away from the nest we built for him. You have to get used to it." Mr. Reynolds spoke lightly. "All right, let's talk later. I'm on my way and will be home soon."

He hung up and slipped the phone into his pocket. But when he looked up, he abruptly stopped.

Less than five steps ahead, beside a streetlamp, stood a sharply featured man leaning against the pole. He wore a black suit and gleaming leather shoes, their polished surfaces glittering under the light. He looked like a secret agent straight out of a traditional spy film.

Mr. Reynolds instinctively sensed danger. He took two steps back and turned around, only to find that another man in black, dressed exactly like the one ahead, had somehow blocked the way behind him. One stood before him and one behind him, closing in like wolves cornering prey.

Metropolis, two in the morning.

Although Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds had never set a curfew for Jay, he had rarely stayed out this late over the years. The main reason was that he had never before found such wonderful company.

Kara was clearly an impeccable companion, and not merely because the two of them were likely the last two members of an endangered species in the universe. She was interested in almost everything, as though the entire world was new to her. Like Jay, she also possessed nearly endless energy—thanks to the sun's generous gift.

They rented a private room and sang for a while, each discovering that the other was rather talented at music. Then they flew halfway around Metropolis beneath the night sky before returning to sit beneath the golden globe of The Daily Planet and chat. Jay told her about all the trivial details of his life after being adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds. No matter how insignificant the story, Kara listened with fascination and often giggled aloud. Her own stories, by comparison, were far more exciting. She told Jay how she had met her cousin Superman when she first arrived on Earth, which supercriminals she had fought alongside him, and how she had crossed paths with the other heroes of the Justice League. Jay felt that her stories were endless, as though every page of her life had been filled with thrilling chapters. She could have talked for three days and three nights without finishing.

She said that when she had first arrived on Earth, her Heat Vision had once gone out of control in the Batcave, and she had accidentally blown up Batman's priceless Batcomputer. Batman had been quite angry, but Superman had generously said that the bill could be put on his tab.

"Superman said that?" Jay asked in surprise. "And then? Did he buy Batman a new one in the end?"

"No, he still owes him." Kara was still grinning at the memory. "It's been seven or eight years now. With Clark's salary, I don't think he could pay it off in his entire lifetime."

Jay could not help laughing as well. Their cheerful laughter drifted lightly through the vast night sky.

"I had only just arrived on Earth then. I was still a little girl and couldn't even speak Earth's languages. Carl really took care of me in every way."

As Kara spoke, her expression darkened again. Jay knew she was thinking of her cousin, who was no longer here. Not knowing what to say, he remained silent.

"All right." She shook off that momentary gloom. "It's getting late. I should go back and prepare what Ms. Grant assigned me, or she'll tear into me again tomorrow. Good heavens, I'm not even afraid of an intercontinental missile landing on my head, but just thinking about Ms. Grant when she's angry makes my scalp tingle."

"Haha, understandable."

"You should head home early too. Don't make your parents worry too much." She stood and floated into the air. "It was really nice talking with you."

"Likewise." Jay suddenly remembered something and asked, "Are you going back to National City soon?"

"Mm." Kara nodded. "CatCo's private plane should come pick us up tomorrow night."

"So... will we see each other again?"

Kara chuckled. "If I'm free on the weekend, I can come over anytime. Look, National City and Metropolis aren't really that far apart."

"Aha, true. They're not that far apart."

After saying goodbye to Kara, Jay was in a wonderful mood, as though even the sunlight shone brighter than usual. Well, perhaps he should have said moonlight, since it was still the middle of the night. But that only showed how exhilarated he felt.

Until Mrs. Reynolds called.

Jay answered the phone. "Hello? Sorry, Mom, I did stay out a little too late today, but I'm getting ready to head back now. Just wait a little—what? Dad has disappeared!?"

(Thanks to reader Yan Yan Yan Que An Zhi Hong Hu Zhi Zhi for the 5,000 Qidian coin tip!)