Eating Fish, Eating Shit

When Shane pushed the small spaceship and accelerated back to within the distance of Jupiter's orbit, Cyborg's electronic eye finally flickered back to life.

"Shane's transmitter signal appeared synchronized with the frequency band being broadcast externally by the spaceship. Looks like it's not an enemy."

Everyone in the Justice League briefly breathed a sigh of relief.

It was better to have one fewer unknown enemy.

Cyborg then instinctively compared the Negative Zone frequency band emitted by the spaceship against all known signal signatures in the database.

Five minutes later, Shane felt as if his earpiece was filled with the clamor of a group of people stir-frying food.

Because the signal had suffered some loss across the distant reaches of space, the voices in his earpiece carried electrical noise and distorted tones.

"Damn! That's Krypton's—"

"Krypton?—Did he run into a bunch of Supermen?"

"Could he have already been captured—"

"Contact Superman, quickly!"

Batman frowned as he watched the commotion before him. Shane had already been flying toward the edge of the Solar System for about four hours, and several League members who had finished their tasks had also arrived at the Watchtower.

This made the scene somewhat chaotic. Everyone knew how powerful Superman was, but Superman's attitude couldn't determine whether Krypton as a whole was good or bad.

Zod's arrival was still fresh in everyone's minds.

Batman walked over to Cyborg and quietly told him to activate the quantum communication signal.

"Shane, are you conscious?"

"Answer me, Shane."

Shane slowed down slightly. He took one hand off the spaceship and opened the communicator hanging from his waist.

"What is it? I probably still need half an hour to get back. The material of this spaceship is pretty good, but judging from the marks on the outer shell, the internal structure might be damaged. I'm worried this thing will fall apart if I accelerate too quickly."

Shane's clear voice acted like a calming pill for everyone in the Justice League.

Afterward, in response to Batman's questions, Shane gave a rough description of the spaceship's appearance, as well as the unconscious Girl lying inside.

He then added jokingly,

"I really believe now that there are more extraterrestrial refugees on Earth. The frequency is so high that it feels like Earth is constantly broadcasting signals to attract other races."

"I heard you mention Krypton just now. Is Superman still busy?"

At Shane's question, Cyborg immediately brought up a live news broadcast on the screen, filmed from a special elevated angle, showing Superman suppressing a volcanic eruption.

The previously relaxed and composed Superman became visibly anxious after receiving Cyborg's message.

He drew in a full breath and unleashed an icy exhalation so forceful that his cheeks puffed out.

Without giving any thought to the local ecosystem or the follow-up maintenance and restoration work, Superman spent only ten seconds leaving Hawaii with a massive artificial ice mountain before flying into space with a boom.

Superman was so anxious that he didn't even glance at the Watchtower as he passed it.

Before he had even reached Mars's orbit, Shane felt his vision flicker. Then that familiar, impossibly familiar large hand pressed down on his shoulder.

Superman's other hand cautiously reached toward the spaceship's outer shell as he stared blankly at the tear-streaked Girl inside the cabin.

This time, she wasn't an enemy. She was one of his people.

The loneliness that had been buried in his heart for decades burst forth.

"Thank you, Shane."

Superman's restrained voice of gratitude sounded beside Shane's ear.

"Uh, no..."

Before he could finish answering, the starlight pulling into streaks appeared before Shane's eyes, exactly as it had the last time.

When he came to his senses, he and the small spaceship had already been gently set down on the bridge extending from the Watchtower.

Despite the terrifying acceleration and deceleration, Shane, the one being carried along for the ride, didn't feel the slightest dizziness.

Shane had never envied Superman's Bio-Force Field so intensely.

"It's way too versatile."

The Watchtower was entirely covered by an energy shield capable of retaining air. Everyone walked straight out from inside and gathered around Superman.

They cautiously gathered behind Superman, whispering among themselves and discussing the newcomer's possible identity.

Diana placed a hand on Superman's arm.

Even Batman unusually ignored Shane completely. Instead, he walked over to the spaceship, took out some instruments, and seriously examined the Kryptonian spaceship and the Girl's physical condition inside it together with Cyborg.

Superman seemed to have noticed certain markings inside the spaceship through his x-ray vision.

"The crest of the same family. She... she's my family?"

Flash reacted the fastest. He quietly offered Superman his congratulations, then hurriedly added a long explanation about how everything would be fine as long as the Girl was completely harmless.

Green Arrow suddenly raised his head and looked toward Shane.

The latter stood silently where he was, with no expression visible on his face.

Green Arrow slipped away from the crowd without a sound and walked up to Shane.

"Considering the significance of this matter, I'll still add another two million dollars to your compensation in my personal capacity."

Shane was silent for a moment. He raised a hand, pinched his chin, and studied the back of Batman, who was carefully analyzing the Girl's vital signs. Then the corners of his mouth suddenly curled up.

"There's no need to add it... If I refuse the compensation entirely, doesn't that mean Superman will owe me a huge favor? Then, if Batman targets me in the future, will Superman step in to protect me?"

Green Arrow was stunned. Although he didn't understand what conflict this kid had with Batman, he seemed rather eager to see how things would develop.

He glanced at Batman as well. That serious attitude was even more focused than when the Justice League had repeatedly faced powerful enemies.

Green Arrow then gave a mischievous grin.

"You don't need to worry about it at all. Given Superman's personality, whether you accept this compensation or not, he'll remember forever that you carefully and safely brought his 'family' back from the edge of the Solar System."

"Then it's a deal. How will the five million be paid?"

"Are you really that poor..."

"Do you know that after I came to Earth, I fed myself by diving into the sea to catch fish?"

Green Arrow felt like slapping himself in the face. He wasn't short of money, but why had he opened his mouth again just now?

"I won't go back on my word. When you have time, go to Queen Industries in Star City and find Oliver Queen. He's a very rich, extremely handsome man. Just give him my name, then call him handsome, and he'll give you seven million."

Shane was finally shocked by this inhumanly extravagant statement.

What kind of nonsense was this? He had casually added two million with a single sentence. Even if he had money, that wasn't how you gave it away, was it?

Was Green Arrow an idiot, or was Oliver an idiot?

"If I get you to say a few more words, will it go up to ten million?"

Green Arrow didn't answer. Instead, he gazed up at the starry sky filtering in through the energy shield and patted Shane on the shoulder with some emotion.

"I spent several years catching sea fish to eat too. Those days really were tough. For a while after that, I couldn't even pick up girls. They complained that my mouth always smelled like fish."

Really?

Shane found it somewhat incomprehensible. Although he hadn't managed to live the more luxurious and decadent life he had imagined after fleeing to Earth, he occasionally felt a little disappointed when he thought about it.

But simply surviving by catching sea fish along the coast already made him feel as if he had arrived in paradise.

What hardship was there in eating sea fish for a few years? The mental abuse on Viltrum was far worse. Sometimes, the weak would even be stomped into a toilet by the strong and forced to eat shit!

As for money, Shane felt that he actually didn't care much about it.

The main reason he had asked the League for compensation was that Rachel's gaze had been somewhat strange whenever she looked at him recently.

She also kept muttering that Shane was a liar who had tricked her into coming here, only to make her live a life harder than that of a thief in Gotham.

If he didn't find a way to make some money, his male dignity was having trouble holding up.