Freak Mindset

The airflow whistled past his ears as Shane hovered in mid-air, the natural dividing line between Metropolis and Gotham City below him.

A wide river, its waters shimmering with reflected light, clearly separated the two cities with their vastly different styles.

Originally, his destination was Gotham. The information Batman had given him about the Grey Robes was his only lead so far.

But his mind uncontrollably conjured up Tom's face, rough like the sea breeze, and the bowl of warm, delicious seafood soup.

The seven days spent recovering in the fishing hut were the most peaceful he'd had since arriving on Earth. There was no harsh training, no suspicion about his identity, and certainly no heavy burden of his past.

Tom's gentleness was like the seaside sun, not dazzling but warm enough.

"Just chatting, relaxing for a bit, and then I'll leave."

Shane muttered to himself, trying to convince himself.

Diana's distance felt like a mountain; he desperately needed a place to temporarily escape this oppressive feeling.

He changed direction, preparing to fly towards the coast on the outskirts of Metropolis, when the airflow around him suddenly became sluggish.

There was no sound of breaking air, no energy fluctuations. A figure in red and blue appeared as if out of nowhere, hovering silently a few meters to his side.

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

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

A 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 blindingly in the sun.

Unlike the Superman in the black suit he had seen in space that night, the man before him looked younger, with an unblemished youthfulness in his brows and a gentle smile playing on his lips. He stood with his hands on his hips, appraising him from head to toe.

"Hello, Shane, right?"

The young Superman spoke first, his voice clear and warm like the afternoon sun.

"I saw your profile in the Justice League's database a few days ago. From Viltrum?"

He moved a little closer, his eyes filled with a genuine sense of wonder.

"Speaking of which, our origins are quite similar. We're both outsiders from other planets."

Shane's expression instantly turned cold, his aura becoming sharp.

Similar?

He didn't feel any similarity to this man whom Earth's people revered as their protector.

Diana's gentleness and kindness were still vivid in his memory, but after learning about his bloody past, that gentleness had become a barrier of distance.

He never wanted to go through that process again, from being accepted to being rejected. It would be better to draw a clear line from the beginning.

"You and I are nothing alike."

Shane coldly dropped the sentence, no longer looking at Superman, and turned to fly away directly.

"Wait!"

Superman flickered forward, blocking his path, and tapped his ear with his hand, a hint of a helpless smile on his face.

"I know this might sound a bit rude, but I have naturally superior hearing. I can hear things from very far away. I used to be bothered by it, but I've learned to filter out most of the noise over time."

He paused, his tone becoming sincere.

"The sound of Diana clashing her bracelets just now was too piercing for me, so I couldn't help but shift my attention to Salem City... so, I accidentally overheard your conversation."

Shane's movement stopped abruptly, his eyes instantly turning icy, his killing intent almost becoming tangible.

"I'm sorry, but I was born without a sense of guilt. I know your strength, and I know I can't defeat you right now..."

"Oh, but I'm not looking to fight you."

"I have no ill intentions, and I'm truly sorry for eavesdropping on your secret."

Superman quickly raised both hands to signal his lack of hostility, a touch of bitterness and helplessness in his smile.

"It's quite a coincidence, actually. I just had a fight with my girlfriend and she kicked me out of the apartment. I don't have anywhere to go right now."

Shane was a bit bewildered. His imposing aura gradually dissipated. He didn't understand why the other man was telling him, an outsider, all this.

Superman sighed, seemingly not noticing Shane's strange expression.

"One of us is a fugitive alien burdened by his past, and the other is an alien visitor who can't even keep his girlfriend. Our origins and current feelings are so similar, why don't we find a place to chat?"

Shane was completely stunned, his mind unable to process what was happening.

He had expected Superman to question him, to be hostile like Doctor Fate, or even to capture him directly.

But he had never anticipated this.

This guy was comparing his heavy past of slaughtering hundreds of millions of lives to being kicked out by his girlfriend after an argument?

As his thoughts became chaotic, Superman took a step forward, extended his broad palm, and gently placed it on his shoulder.

A familiar warmth spread from his shoulder, almost the same as when he was hugged by the black-suited Superman in space that night, but the demeanor was worlds apart.

The young Superman before him was genuinely warm, with a touch of clumsy sincerity, and no sense of pressure at all.

"Don't just stand there. I know a great place."

Superman, without further ado, lifted them both into the air. He moved so fast that Shane didn't have time to react and could only be passively carried along.

The city below rapidly shrank, soon becoming a blurry silhouette, and then, a vast blue ocean appeared in their sight.

The two crossed the turbulent sea surface, finally landing on the cliff of a deserted island.

Waves continuously crashed against the reefs, splashing white foam and emitting a dull roar.

The salty, humid sea breeze carrying moisture blew over, brushing against their faces with a hint of coolness.

Superman released the hand around his shoulder, walked to the edge of the cliff, and sat down, dangling his legs in the air as he gazed at the distant horizon.

Shane remained silent for a moment, looking at the "Blue Boy Scout" with his back to him.

He also walked over and sat down not far from Superman, staring at the churning waves below, finally unable to help but ask.

"Why would you equate what happened to me with something trivial like you arguing with your girlfriend?"

In his opinion, the two things were in no way comparable.

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

The latter was merely a small interlude in life.

Superman turned his head, his smile fading slightly, his eyes becoming serious as he retorted.

"Then tell me, is your purpose for coming to Earth to bring slaughter?"

Shane froze, instinctively shaking his head.

"Then that's that."

Superman spread his hands, looking back at the sea horizon, and said calmly.

"You escaped a civilization like Viltrum, which prides itself on slaughter and conquest, doesn't that mean you fundamentally reject their ideology?"

"Although you participated in those brutal massacres in the past, you chose to escape, thus preventing yourself from causing more, more terrifying slaughter under Viltrum's orders in the future."

"For me, that's enough to show that you are different from those Viltrum conquerors."

The waves continued to beat against the reefs, the sea wind howled past, and Shane sat on the cliff edge, looking at the young Superman before him, his mind a complete mess.

This was the first time he had heard someone evaluate his past from such an angle, without accusation, without hostility, only a simple and direct understanding.

"You..."

Shane opened his mouth, his voice somewhat numb.

"You must have been called a freak by your classmates on Earth quite a bit in the past, right?"

Superman paused, then nodded with a hint of melancholy.

"Yeah, I probably awakened my superpowers during puberty. Back then, due to various influences, I always caused some trouble."

Shane raised his hand and rubbed his face, which had stiffened from shock.

"It might not have anything to do with your superpowers."

Superman was silent for two seconds, then he chuckled, amused.

"You must have been beaten up quite a bit on Viltrum because of that mouth of yours, right?"