radicalducati Chapter 180: Clark, the Ordinary Man; Bane, the Superhero
Chapter 180: Clark, the Ordinary Man; Bane, the Superhero
Chapter 180: Clark, the Ordinary Man; Bane, the Superhero
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The sound of a rapid, pounding heart.
Even without super hearing, Louis Lane could hear everyone's rapid heartbeats.
The robber's hand holding the gun was trembling. But no one heard a gunshot, no one.
"You...you can trust him, he's Superman. My name is Bob, what's yours?" the bespectacled hostage whispered.
The madness in the robber's eyes gradually faded.
"I……"
My name is Mickey.
He released the hostage, Bob, who was wearing glasses, and immediately turned and ran, while the police rushed in and took the hostage away.
"I'm sorry," said the robber, Mickey.
"It's alright, Mickey," he heard Superman say.
Then he saw Superman's outstretched hand.
He handed over the gun, then instinctively crouched down with his hands behind his head...
It's always the case.
In the first half of his life, he was used to robbery, crime, arrest, imprisonment, and contempt; he had no choice.
He could even feel the cold temperature of the shackles that weren't yet on his wrists. He knew this wouldn't be the last time he felt that coldness; he was used to it, long ago.
He ran into Superman; he's having a bad day.
He accepted it; he had long since resigned himself to his fate.
But... he saw Superman throw the gun to the police.
The tall man in red and blue stripes reached out his hand in front of him again.
"What are you doing, Superman?" the robber Mickey asked, still holding his head in his hands.
He saw Bob, the hostage, surrounded by police officers, looking at him with fear in his eyes.
He saw the police officers staring at him coldly, the kind of look one gives a criminal, and he knew it all too well.
So the robber Mickey asked, "Superman, what are you doing?"
Then he saw the other person scratch his head, a silly smile on his face.
"I'm not quite sure... uh... I mean, would you like to shake hands?"
"Can...can I?"
"Of course!"
He felt his hand being grabbed by Superman. The robber, Mickey, blinked. He had originally thought that someone with Superman's steel body would have hands as cold as steel.
But things aren't as he imagined, are they?
"Go, Mickey! Go!"
He heard the other person say, "There will always be a choice."
The robber Mickey suddenly felt a little sad.
"it is good."
The robber, Mickey—no, Mickey—said, "Thank you."
Then Mickey was pinned down, but this time, when the handcuffs were put on his wrists, for the first time, he didn't feel any coldness.
"—He could very well shoot you."
"It's possible, but he didn't."
Clark and Louis crouched in the alley, with police officers running around everywhere outside.
"But it is indeed possible."
"You think I only stand in front of guns when I'm invulnerable?"
Louis felt a pang of bitterness: "But everything you've done is risky."
"But what choice do I have, Louis?"
"No," Louis said defiantly, "there will always be a choice."
Clark laughed.
Yes, there will always be a choice.
But Louis knew that what he was talking about was not the same thing at all.
"Oh, come on, Clark, you... Waaah..."
Louis couldn't continue speaking because Clark cupped his girlfriend's face and silenced Louis's words with a deep kiss that lasted a full 1 minute and 42 seconds.
"Ugh... Pop! Good heavens, Clark! I thought you were only this good at this when you had a body of steel—"
Louis forcefully pushed away Clark's face as he leaned in:
"No, please spare me," she said. "Be careful someone sees us."
Louis then paused.
"Your uniform looks great. Maybe we should wear our uniforms and play together next time."
She raised an eyebrow and said, "You know, private games."
*smack*
A sudden noise from nearby startled the couple. They turned around and saw Jimmy Olson, Louis and Clark's personal photographer, with his camera clattering to the ground. He stood a short distance away in the alley, mouth agape, watching them.
"Oh dear, I forgot I no longer have super hearing."
Clark said in a low voice.
"Hey, Jimmy, when did you get here?" Louis was a little flustered and a little shy.
"I...I...I just happened to be passing by and saw the commotion, so I wanted to take some pictures for Monday's news—"
Jimmy was also somewhat flustered and seemed incoherent:
"Um...Louis, weren't you with Clark...now you're with Superman...?"
boom!
The wisdom of the universe exploded in Jimmy's mind, leaving him dizzy.
"Oops, I forgot I'm still using a bio-field that conceals my face."
Clark gasped. Then he exchanged a glance with Louis.
"Okay, Jimmy."
He walked up to the young man with red hair and freckles and said, "I also have a secret, a secret I've kept hidden for a long time."
"What is it, Superman?" Jimmy asked, a little dazed.
"I am Superman."
He dispelled his biological stance. This action greatly startled Jimmy:
"Clark Kent?! My best friend is Superman?!"
"That's exactly what I wanted to tell you, Jimmy."
"Okay, this is insane," Jimmy said, somewhat stunned.
"But it's amazing, it's absurd, but it's wonderful!" He jumped up and punched Superman in the chest: "You have to show me everything, starting with flying!"
hiss……
Clark took another breath. Jimmy thought he was still the Superman with the Iron Body, so he used a little more force in this punch.
"Okay, but here's something interesting, Jim. I can't fly. I can't do all those superhero things right now, not yet."
Clark ignored Jim's somewhat disappointed voice. He turned around and said somewhat guiltily, "Let's talk another time. I promise I'll explain all this to you, but not now. I have to go; Batman's glider has just arrived."
He took out his phone and pressed a button. Immediately afterward, a small aircraft that had been waiting appeared in the air not far away, with the Batman logo painted on it.
It hovered and flew above Superman's head.
Clark grabbed the handle with one hand, and then many tiny mechanical structures automatically extended from it to secure his hand to the aircraft.
As the spacecraft became transparent again, Clark said, "Now, Superman must 'fly' away from the scene."
He walked to Louise's side and whispered in her ear:
See you at the usual place.
Several tens of minutes later.
"Wow, how does it feel to be Clark again?"
Louis joked.
"It's a bit chilly; I should put on a jacket."
Clark stated, "In the past, I used microscopic observation of air density to determine appropriate clothing."
"Air density?"
"When the temperature drops, the molecules in the air become more compact, and I have to use this method to measure the temperature because I usually can't feel it. This is just one of the things I do to fit in with people, and it takes a lot of effort to fit in with people."
“But you don’t need it anymore.” Louise hugged his arm. “You don’t need it anymore.”
Clark smiled and said, "Actually, I still miss the days when I had superpowers."
"Why?" Louis asked. "Do you miss the times when you needed to help others?"
"No, of course not. You think that's what I hear all the time? Many people are asking for help, and many bad things are happening?"
"Isn't that right?"
"No, most of the time I hear good things. After work, people see their loved ones, are welcomed home, and laugh and play with their children at dinner."
"I try not to snoop, I respect privacy, but a lot of voices come in, they're all so similar, I miss them, those voices."
Clark said.
He turned back to see his girlfriend's listless expression. He laughed again.
"Although I can no longer hear them, I can still imagine them in my heart."
He kissed his girlfriend's forehead.
"I'm glad I'm a mortal now."
"Me too, Clark."
Dusk was approaching, and the sun was setting. The swirling afterglow painted the horizon a fiery red.
Louis suddenly said, "Overall... Clark, how was your day as a mortal?"
"To be honest, Louis."
Louise saw her boyfriend chuckle softly: "Not much different from what I imagined."
"I knew it."
Louis smiled too.
"Besides my legs getting so sore from walking," Clark complained, "I also found shopping incredibly tiring."
"You'll be even more tired tonight," Louis said. "You're dead meat, Clark."
……
……
……
Black Gate Prison.
No one knows why Bane came here. Most of the prisoners here are unaware of what's happening outside; they are not aware that the President of the United States has issued a pardon specifically for criminals like Bane who fought for humanity and Brainiac.
As things stand, Bane is free. He can leave whenever he wants.
But he still came.
Of course, probably no one could stop him from doing so. After speaking with the president, the warden tacitly approved of all his actions.
So Bain settled in here and had his own private room.
Due to the chaos following Bane's invasion, almost all the guards at Blackgate Prison have been replaced. With the complete destruction and reconstruction of the prison system, the guards have almost lost the opportunity to talk to the prisoners.
Therefore, the prisoners were isolated from information, which presented Bane with an opportunity.
Bain locked himself in his cell, with his equipment. The black of decay, the spirit of metal, the red of all living beings, the green of all things—those powers flowed silently within him.
I am alone again, in the cold and in the darkness.
The winter sun hangs low in the sky and never shines on this place.
In a place unseen by anyone, Bane once again attempted to repeatedly expel the venom from his body.
He first injected himself with venom, and then, through physical training and willpower alone, he made those swollen muscles disappear.
Pain. Pain struck without warning, like a giant hand gripping his internal organs.
pain……
That was a gift from Venom to him.
Bain separated it and took it to a place far away from here.
It will grow, it will grow stronger as it overcomes the challenges, even in the cold and in the darkness.
Release your own thoughts.
He runs 20 miles every day in his room, through the green meadows and blue skies of his soul.
He traveled through worlds he had never known before.
Venom's control remains strong, but he is not alone.
He made a new cellmate. He called him "cellmate," even though he wasn't actually in prison.
A mouse crawled out of the sewer and brought him a note.
"Feed Lester the seeds, and he'll know the way back to your cell. Is there any other intelligence I can get for you?"
Lester is the name of the mouse.
Bain picked up the charcoal pencil and wrote on the back of the note.
He doesn't calculate the time.
For him, it was all just another long night.
His soul was on a journey.
The boy's lips moved, but silently.
He uttered a single word, a word of forgiveness, a word that struck him like a thunderbolt: innocent.
At that moment, he knew that he had the power to overcome this potion, the power of an innocent person.
He swam for countless miles in a deep red sea, cold, deep, and dark.
Bain opened his eyes within it.
He jumped out of the sea, feeling the fresh air blowing from the sea. All he could see at that moment was the night and the twinkling stars.
"Willis, the brother of a mob boss, is now being held in Blackgate."
"He was kicking out of venom, and that's what got him arrested."
"I want to know who he was in contact with, where he obtained the venom, and who is producing and selling it."
With a thud, Bain slammed a burly man to the ground.
"One of my informants told you he used to be a driver for Willys. Don't tell me you didn't know."
Bane knocked out half of the burly man's teeth with a single punch, a blatant act of intentional assault, but the surrounding guards and prisoners turned a blind eye.
That's Bane! Are you crazy to rush up to him and say, "You can't do that?"
"I haven't been in touch with my boss for ages, and the guys he hangs out with are all crazy!"
Which group?
The burly man received another punch to the face.
"I'm thinking, please, please stop hitting me!"
Bain wiped the blood off his fist.
"I'm just searching your memory more quickly and thoroughly. Need me to provide a location? The D Express departs from the terminal; you used to trade there, but you've abandoned it now."
"It's...it's...it's...the gang from Triangle Island! They're all very strong, and they've done a lot of robberies!"
"Give me a name."
The burly man moved his lips slightly.
Bain raised his fist again.
"A powerful...powerful striker! Powerful striker Logan!"
"Oh, I understand."
Bain threw the burly man to the ground like a dead dog.
"Now... the manhunt has officially begun."
Finally! After two days of being idle, I've got a new friend on the side! (Lying in my sore butt)
Daoist Master: Starting with the High-Grade Golden Core
(End of this chapter)