Metropolis V: Glimmer Skimming the Shore

The setting sun cast a blood-red glow across the glass dome of the technology expo.

Gray Gina Hutchinson stood at the entrance to Exhibition Area B, her chestnut curls swaying gently in the evening breeze, her fitted business suit outlining her graceful figure.

Her stunning body drew frequent glances from passing visitors.

But Gray had no time to pay them any attention. She kept lowering her head to check her wristwatch, muttering to herself:

Why hasn't that gentleman come out yet?

She had been waiting here for quite a while.

"Miss Gray."

A deep voice suddenly came from behind her. Gray hurriedly turned around and saw Locke striding over with Dio in tow.

"Lionel should have already explained everything to you."

Locke got straight to the point, keeping his voice low. One hand rested on Dio's shoulder while the boy vigilantly scanned their surroundings, his red eyes glinting faintly in the dusk.

"Yes." Gray nodded and swiftly entered work mode. She said solemnly, "We've prepared transportation for you!"

Rumble—!

The moment Gray finished speaking, the sound of rotors abruptly tore through the sky.

Three helicopters bearing the LuthorCorp insignia swooped down like giant eagles, their powerful airflow sending flyers whirling into the air.

But the most astonishing part was—

A pitch-black Lamborghini was suspended beneath the middle helicopter by special steel cables!

A Lamborghini Diablo!

Diablo!

That peerless supercar also known as the Ghost or the Dark Destroyer!

The later world-famous Murcielago, the Bat, would become its series successor.

"What the fuck?"

As he stared at the sleek body reflecting a dizzying sheen in midair,

a coffee cup slipped from an exhibitor's hand and hit the ground with a clatter.

Bang!

The entire technology expo instantly erupted.

Television station spotlights all swung toward the sky.

The crowd surged forward like a tide, only to be firmly blocked by a human wall of black-clad security personnel who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Good Lord! That's the LuthorCorp logo!"

A bespectacled tech nerd in a plaid shirt pushed up his glasses, crushing the energy drink can in his hand out of shape.

"They're airlifting a sports car with helicopters?!"

"Camera! Camera!" A television director wearing a headset tore it off. "Hurry, hurry! Get the camera on that Ferrari! This is definitely making tonight's headlines!"

"Mommy!"

A little girl sitting on her father's shoulders excitedly pointed at the sky. "There's a big metal bird!"

Laughter broke out through the crowd, but it was soon replaced by wave after wave of astonished cries.

"Wait! Who's that man in work pants? A secret LuthorCorp engineer?"

"Are you blind? He's obviously a farmer!"

"F**k! What kind of farmer gets Luthor to send three helicopters to pick him up? And with the newest Diablo?!"

The most absurd of all was the expo security captain, who was babbling incoherently into his radio.

"Headquarters! Headquarters! Someone's illegally parking in the air! No, wait, it's an aerial crane! No, it's—"

"Make way! Make way! This belongs to LuthorCorp!"

Inside the human wall, Gray's shouts were swallowed by the uproar.

She helplessly glanced at Locke, only to find that he looked even more shocked than she did.

Clearly, Locke had not expected Lionel to send helicopters as well.

Wasn't this way too conspicuous? Was he afraid the enemy wouldn't find him?!

"I only told him to prepare a vehicle."

"Helicopters and a Lamborghini." Locke's mouth twitched. "A Santana would've been enough—"

"Forget it. This works too. It's fast enough. Nobody should stop me on the road, right?" Taking a deep breath, Locke handed the deeply unhappy Dio over to Gray. "I'm leaving my son with you."

"Understood!"

Gray nodded solemnly. Then she took a key from her briefcase and respectfully handed it to Locke.

"The boss ordered two of the three helicopters to escort you, while the other will specifically take Dio to Luthor Manor."

"This Diablo is from the boss's garage. After LuthorCorp's engineers tuned it, it can accelerate from zero to one hundred kilometers per hour in 3.1 seconds. It even broke the Diablo series' 320 km/h speed limit and reached 332 km/h. Most importantly—"

"It can remain stable at high speed."

The cool touch of the metal key brought Locke slightly back to his senses.

"Thank Lionel for me. Once this is over, I'll contact him."

Locke shook his head with a bitter smile, then took out his flip phone. "This too. Please get rid of it."

Gray took the phone in confusion. "Then what will you—"

"Just in case."

Locke's gaze swept over the crowd still taking pictures around them.

Yes.

At this point, the overly suspicious Locke even wondered whether his phone had been tampered with.

"But you could clearly come with us—"

"You want to ask why I'm not going with you, right?"

"Thank you, Miss Gray." Locke shook his head. "But this is something only I can handle."

"If I were on the helicopter—"

He did not explain further, but Gray already understood.

"Good luck, Mr. Locke." Gray was filled with respect.

"Dad." Dio suddenly tugged at his father's sleeve. "I really won't hold you back."

"Dio, stop being willful!"

Locke took a deep breath and, for the first time, spoke to Dio so loudly. Before the boy could recover from his shock, Locke abruptly shoved him into Gray's arms, sending the boy stumbling into the protective circle formed by two bodyguards.

"Get on the helicopter. Don't look back!"

"But Dad, you—"

"Listen to me!"

Locke's roar instantly silenced the surroundings.

Taking advantage of that moment, he vaulted over the railing and sprinted toward the Lamborghini as its steel cables were released.

"Dad."

Dio struggled against Gray's arms, trying to run after him.

But—

Quickly wrapping an arm around Dio's shoulders and handing Locke's phone to a black-clad man beside her, Gray watched the man departing in the distance and came to a realization.

An ordinary farmer?

He did not look ordinary at all right now. But then again—

How could an ordinary farmer possibly earn the boss's favor?

An agent? A spy? Or even—

A superhuman?!

The secretary swallowed, not daring to think any further.

"We have to leave immediately, young master!"

Gray said sternly as she carried Dio into the helicopter.

Rumble—!

The rotors tore through the air once more. The helicopter door slowly closed, but through the porthole, Dio could clearly see—

the pitch-black sports car his father was driving shoot out of the exhibition area like an arrow leaving a bowstring.

Was he going to do the same thing as last time?

Let Dad bear all the pressure alone.

When I—

And The World have both grown stronger!

His breathing grew rapid inside the cabin as Dio stared fixedly at the black sports car shrinking into the distance.

The World's figure flickered into view behind him, its golden fists clenched as though protesting in silence as well.

No!

A trace of determination flashed through his red eyes.

He was no longer a child who needed protection.

The World!

Time!

Stop for me!

Gray was lowering her head to check the route plan when she suddenly felt a faint breeze brush past her—

"Dio?!"

To her horror, the boy who had been firmly pressed into his seat had vanished into thin air!

The cabin door slowly shut.

Yet the seat belt still hung intact from the seat, as if someone had passed through the obstacles at a molecular level.

"Stop! Stop now!"

Gray rushed toward the cockpit, her voice cracking with fear. "Dio is gone!"

The pilot abruptly turned around. "What?! But the cabin door clearly—"

"Enough nonsense!"

Gray slapped the emergency brake button. The normally mature and steady lady roared without regard for her image, "Notify the ground team immediately! Tell them to find him! Damn it!"

The reflections of high-rise glass curtain walls flowed across the Lamborghini's black body like molten lava.

Locke did not turn on the headlights—

because Star Platinum's extraordinary vision allowed him to see every detail even as night deepened!

"Turn left."

The female satellite navigation voice sounded, and Locke sharply turned the steering wheel.

Vroom—!

The Lamborghini cut onto the coastal boulevard at an almost right angle, its rear wheels carving two smoking black streaks across the breakwater.

The engine's roar startled the seagulls by the roadside into flight, the flapping of their wings drowned out by the howl of the twelve-cylinder engine. The speedometer needle broke past 200 km/h, yet the car remained as steady as if it were driving through a domain where time had stopped.

That's right, Star Platinum again.

Just like this car's name, the Ghost! The Stand's unparalleled precision allowed Locke to weave through traffic at nearly impossible angles! Appearing and disappearing like a phantom!

The salty sea breeze poured through the windows, and black streaks of light skimmed along the shore.

Locke sped toward the docks.

He had arranged to meet someone there.

Judging by the time, that person should currently be in the sea, swimming from Gotham toward Metropolis.