A Freak's Mindset

Current whipped past his ears as Shane hung suspended in mid-air, right above the natural boundary between Metropolis and Gotham.

A wide river, its surface shimmering with ripples, clearly divided the two utterly contrasting cities.

Originally, his destination had been Gotham, as the file on the Grey Robe given to him by Batman was his only viable lead at the moment.

Yet unbidden in his mind arose Tom's face, weathered by the sea breeze, alongside that bowl of warm, savory seafood soup.

The seven days he spent recuperating in the fishing shack had been the most settled time since he arrived on Earth—free from the harshness of training, the suspicion of his identity, and above all, the heavy weight of his past.

Tom's gentleness was like the sun by the sea, not blinding yet warm enough.

I'll just chat, relax for a bit, and then leave.

Shane muttered to himself, convincing himself.

Diana's aloofness felt like a mountain, and he desperately needed a place where he could temporarily escape this oppression.

He changed direction, preparing to fly toward the seaside in the suburbs of Metropolis, but the airflow around him suddenly grew sluggish.

Without a sonic boom or an energy fluctuation, a red-and-blue figure appeared out of thin air, hovering quietly just a few feet away from him.

Shane's pupils contracted sharply, his muscles tensing instantly.

It was the outfit he had seen countless times on television.

The blue form-fitting suit outlined a well-proportioned and powerful physique, a red cape fluttered gently in the wind, and the S-symbol on his chest shone glaringly in the sunlight.

Unlike the black-suited Superman he had seen in space that night, the guy before him looked younger, with a trace of unjaded youth between his brows and a gentle smile playing at the corners of his mouth, hands on his hips as he looked him up and down.

"Hello, Shane, right?"

The young Superman spoke first, his voice clear and bright, as genial as the afternoon sun.

"I saw your file in the Justice League database the other day. You're from Viltrum?"

He stepped a little closer, genuine emotion in his eyes.

"Come to think of it, our origins are quite similar. We're both outlanders from other planets."

Shane's expression turned cold instantly, the aura around him sharpening.

Similar?

He did not consider himself to have anything in common with this guy whom Earthlings revered as a protector.

Diana's gentleness and kindness were still fresh in his memory, but once she learned of his bloody past, that gentleness had turned into a barrier of alienation.

He never wanted to experience that process again—going from acceptance to rejection; it was better to draw a line from the very beginning.

"You and I are nothing alike."

Shane dropped the cold words, refusing to look at Superman any longer, and turned sideways to fly straight away.

"Wait!"

Superman flashed forward, blocking his path, and raised a hand to tap his own ear, a helpless smile on his face.

"I know this sounds a bit intrusive, but my hearing is naturally different from ordinary people's. I can hear sounds from very far away. I used to be troubled by it, but then I slowly learned to block out most of the ambient noise."

He paused, his tone turning earnest.

"Just now, Diana's sound of striking her bracelets was simply too piercing for me, so I couldn't help shifting my attention over to Salem City... and thus, I accidentally overheard your conversation."

Shane's movement came to an abrupt halt, his gaze instantly turning glacial, his killing intent nearly materializing.

"I'm very sorry. I wasn't born knowing what guilt feels like, and I'm well aware of your power, as well as the fact that I can't defeat you right now—"

"Oh, but I'm not looking for a fight."

"I have no ill intentions. I really am sorry for eavesdropping on your secret."

Superman quickly raised both hands to signal he meant no harm, his smile growing a bit more bitter and helpless.

"Come to think of it, it's quite a coincidence. I just had an argument with my girlfriend, got kicked out of the apartment, and now I'm fretting over having nowhere to go."

Shane was somewhat dazed, his momentum gradually dissipating; he could not understand why this guy was saying such things to a total stranger.

Superman sighed, seemingly entirely oblivious to Shane's peculiar expression.

"The two of us—one is an alien deserter burdened by his past, and the other is an alien visitor who couldn't even keep his girlfriend. Our origins and our present moods are so similar, why don't we find a place to chat?"

Shane was completely dumbfounded, his brain entirely unable to process this.

He had anticipated that Superman would question him, that he would be hostile toward him like Doctor Fate, or even directly take action to subdue him.

He simply never expected this kind of response.

This guy actually equated the heavy past of him slaughtering over a hundred million lives with getting into an argument with a girlfriend and getting kicked out of the house?

Just as his thoughts were in disarray, Superman had already stepped forward, reached out a broad palm, and gently draped an arm around his shoulder.

A familiar warmth emanated from the shoulder, almost identical to the temperature when he was held by Black Superman in space that night, yet the temperament was worlds apart.

The young Superman before him carried a clumsy sincerity amidst his warmth, devoid of any oppressive force.

"Don't just stand there. I know a good spot."

Without a word of protest, Superman swept him up into the air, moving so fast that Shane had no time to react, left to be passively carried along in flight.

The city below shrank rapidly, quickly turning into a blurred silhouette, and soon a vast blue ocean came into view.

The two crossed the churning sea surface, ultimately landing on the cliff of an uninhabited islet.

Waves constantly crashed against the reefs, kicking up white sea spray and producing a muffled roar.

The salty sea breeze carried moisture as it blew past, brushing against their faces with a hint of coolness.

Superman released his arm from around Shane's shoulder, walked over to the edge of the cliff to sit down, dangling his feet and swinging them as he looked out at the distant sea horizon.

Shane stood in silence for a moment, looking at the "blue boy scout" with his back to him.

He walked over as well, sitting down not far from Superman, staring at the churning waves below, and finally couldn't help asking.

"Why on earth would you compare the things I've done to something as trivial as an argument with your girlfriend?"

In his view, the two were entirely incomparable.

One was a sin stained with blood, while the other was a minor friction between lovers; the former was heavy enough to crush anyone who grew up in a peaceful environment.

The latter was merely a minor interlude in life.

Superman turned his head, the smile on his face receding slightly as his gaze grew serious, and he countered.

"Then tell me, was your purpose in coming to Earth to bring slaughter?"

Shane froze, subconsciously shaking his head.

"There you go."

Superman spread his hands, looking back out at the sea horizon with a calm tone.

"You fled a civilization like Viltrum that glorifies slaughter and conquest—doesn't that mean you fundamentally rejected their ideology?"

"Although you participated in those cruel slaughters in the past, you chose to flee, which prevented you from causing even more and more terrifying carnage under Viltrum's orders."

"To me, that's enough to prove you're different from those Viltrum conquerors."

The waves continued to crash against the reefs, the sea breeze howled past, and Shane sat on the edge of the cliff, looking at the young Superman before him while his mind felt like a tangled mess of hemp.

It was the first time he had heard someone evaluate his past from such a perspective, devoid of accusation or hostility, offering only a simple and direct understanding.

"You..."

Shane opened his mouth, feeling somewhat numb.

"You weren't called a freak much by your classmates on Earth, were you?"

Superman paused, nodding with a hint of nostalgia.

"Yeah, I awakened my superpowers around puberty. Back then, because of various factors, I always managed to stir up some trouble."

Shane raised a hand to rub his face, which had stiffened from excessive shock.

"Maybe it had nothing to do with your superpowers."

Superman was silent for two seconds, then chuckled in exasperation.

"You must've gotten beaten up pretty badly back in Viltrum because of that mouth of yours too, huh?"