Have You Ever Caught Fish?

The night in Gotham hadn't fully faded when Shane, with Rachel in tow, set off for Boston.

He leaped into the air, Rachel's arm in his, soaring over the towering Gothic architecture as the night wind whipped past their ears.

However, considering Rachel's less robust physique, Shane didn't dare fly too fast.

The two of them quietly admired Gotham's nocturnal scenery for a while.

In reality, there wasn't much to see. It was pitch black, and occasionally, rough shouts could be heard from the darkness.

"It's a bit slower than your magic, but it's stable enough, right?"

Shane chuckled, tilting his head.

Rachel pulled her hood tighter, her purple eyes shining eerily in the night, her tone laced with impatience.

"Childish, and the wind up here is quite cold."

"Then should I fly even slower?"

"No need."

Muttering a few indistinct incantations, a thin, transparent purple barrier enveloped her. Rachel then allowed Shane to carry her for nearly an hour.

"My turn to do it my way."

Rachel suddenly spoke, signaling Shane to stop.

After landing, she quickly walked to the center of a vast, desolate plain. A faint purple magical aura flickered at her fingertips, and a magic circle, more intricate than any before, slowly unfurled on the ground.

"Long-distance teleportation requires a minute of preparation. Don't move around."

Shane stood in the center of the magic circle as instructed.

Rachel's hand gestures grew more rapid, and the magic circle's glow intensified. Just as it was about to complete, the entire circle suddenly trembled violently, then shattered like broken glass.

The pale purple magical smoke instantly dissipated into the air, leaving only faint traces of residual energy on the ground.

"It failed."

Rachel retracted her hands, her expression calm.

"Failed? Are you hurt? No magical backlash?"

Shane suddenly realized it might be due to his peculiar constitution and looked apologetic.

Rachel shook her head.

"I'm not like ordinary mages. It just drains some of my magic."

Shane walked forward, looking at the residual runes on the ground, his brow furrowed.

"Is it my fault?"

Rachel nodded, her tone tinged with helplessness.

"Teleportation Magic works by locking onto the soul. A normal person's soul is fixed within their body, its position constant—but you're different now."

She paused, then added.

"The moment your body moves, the targeting spell is directly torn apart by your physical form. You probably need to remain quite still."

Shane felt a stir within him and instinctively reined in all his strength.

The muscle contractions and blood flow he once had to consciously control now slowed at his command, as if an extension of his will.

The evolution brought about by the emotional spectrum had not only unified his soul and body but also given him complete mastery over his own power.

It even surpassed the goal of inner peace and physical control that Diana had taught him to pursue.

"I'll try to maintain relative stillness."

He stood firm again, his muscles taut but not stiff, his breathing adjusted to the slowest possible rhythm. He was as motionless as a statue.

Rachel's deadpan expression remained unchanged. She waved her hands a few times, re-casting the magic circle.

This time, the runes of the magic circle flowed stably, without the slightest tremor. A pale purple light enveloped the two of them and their surroundings.

Shane felt a flash of light before his eyes. The air around him instantly shifted from the desolate plain's chill to a warm, salty breeze.

This long-distance Teleportation Magic had spanned the distance of two states.

Shane flew high into the air and took out the communicator Batman had given him. After fiddling with it for a moment, he turned it on to confirm their current location. The device looked like an MP3 player but had quite a few functions.

Then, the two of them took turns, arriving directly at their destination in Boston.

"You managed to stabilize better than I expected."

Rachel leaned against a rooftop chimney, her hood obscuring most of her face as she casually watched the street below. A faint magical aura emanated from her, and she habitually cast an invisibility barrier.

Shane lifted the earth-yellow waterproof tarp and crouched down, his fingertips brushing over the thin frost that had formed on the hull.

The Luo Star alloy shell gleamed with a cold, matte finish in the morning light.

"Just pack some essentials. This thing doesn't have much space, and you can't fit much more anyway."

Shane raised his hand and pressed the hatch switch. The hydraulic system hummed softly as the hatch slowly opened upward, revealing a simple control panel and storage area inside.

As he bent down to search, his fingertips brushed against several cylindrical containers. He picked one up and saw it was a can of Luo Star nutrient paste.

It was only now that he suddenly remembered that when he was severely injured and disoriented, he had subconsciously grabbed some supplies and stuffed them into the escape pod. However, after arriving on Earth, one incident after another had made him forget about them.

Shane suddenly felt curious, his gaze sweeping carefully over the cabin.

Bruce Wayne had repaired the escape pod but hadn't touched its contents, perhaps putting everything back exactly as he found it after his inspection.

"Could there be something I don't know about?"

Driven by curiosity, he reached out and felt around the various parts of the cabin, tapping until his fingertips detected a subtle hollowness.

Following the sensation, he found a hidden button.

A metal plate slowly popped out, revealing a hidden storage compartment.

Inside the compartment lay a set of black and gray emergency spacesuits, made of lightweight material with a familiar feel.

Shane picked it up and examined it for a moment, his memories flooding back.

Back on Luo Star, after he had killed the first Viltrumite, the surviving Luo Star people had dragged the body away. He had been preoccupied at the time and hadn't bothered to pay attention.

Now, it seemed the Luo Star people had made thorough preparations. This spacesuit had been temporarily modified from a Viltrumite's white battle suit.

A sealed collar and a life-support helmet had been added, and the entire suit was sprayed a contrasting black and gray to the Viltrumite battle suits.

It conveyed a resolute decision to draw a clear line with their genocidal enemies.

A complex emotion welled up in Shane's heart. He put the spacesuit back, closing the hidden compartment.

"I'm going to say goodbye to Teacher Prince, I'll be back soon."

He spoke in the direction where Rachel had been before turning invisible.

Rachel's voice came from the air, her tone calm.

"Don't forget dinner, don't make me eat cold bread again."

With that, footsteps retreated into the escape pod, the invisibility magic still active.

Shane waited for a moment. When the streets below became more crowded with pedestrians, he quietly opened the rooftop staircase door and descended.

As he reached the second-floor landing, he ran into Vanessa, who had just woken up. She was wearing a loose cotton pajama set and her eyes lit up with surprise when she saw Shane.

"Shane? You're finally back! Where have you been these past few days?"

Shane paused, offering a smile as he asked.

"Isn't Diana here? I wanted to say hello to her."

Vanessa's smile faded slightly, her tone carrying a hint of regret.

"The night you didn't come back, she returned very late and was in low spirits. The next morning, she said she was going back to Themyscira to clear her head. It's been several days, and there's been no news."

Vanessa seemed a little annoyed, and a little worried.

"I thought you left together."

Shane nodded in understanding and fell silent for a moment.

"I came to pick up some things, I'm preparing to leave Boston."

He nodded slightly at Vanessa, his tone sincere.

"Thank you for helping look after the escape pod during this time."

Vanessa was clearly reluctant.

"Come find me in Boston often when you have time. Once I'm done with my studies, I'll show you around this city. The sunrise by the sea is beautiful."

After saying goodbye to Vanessa, Shane returned to the roof and directly activated the escape pod.

Rachel raised her hand and cast an invisibility spell, enveloping the entire escape pod.

The next stop was the small wooden cabin on the outskirts of Metropolis. Shane wanted to visit Tom again. Besides, there was plenty of open space there, and few people, making it a safe place to park the escape pod.

After a silent ten-minute flight, the escape pod landed precisely on the beach next to the wooden cabin.

Shane stepped out of the escape pod first and walked towards the wooden cabin.

The wooden door was ajar. He gently pushed it open. The interior was still tidy, but it was filled with a cold, deserted atmosphere.

There was no dust on the tables and chairs, indicating it had been thoroughly cleaned before departure. However, there was no sign of recent cooking on the stove, and the food in the cabinets had been cleared out. The farm tools in the corner were neatly arranged but covered in a thin veil of silence.

Shane froze for a few seconds, then walked to the window, gazing at the rolling waves in the distance, his fingertips brushing against the cold windowsill.

He wasn't out fishing.

The wooden cabin's bolt was not locked, and the fishing gear was all stored inside. It was clear that Tom had left voluntarily and had no intention of returning.

Rachel walked up to him. She looked at the empty wooden cabin without speaking, simply standing beside him in silence for a moment.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing... Have you ever caught fish from the sea?"