American comic book: My Father is Superman, am I just an NPC?

Chapter 240 Gotham and the Arrival of the Speedsters
Batman is really scary.

It's much scarier than Superman.

This is especially true after the rise of the "Superhero Popularity Center," and after Green Arrow relentlessly damaged Batman's reputation based on the fabricated story provided by Ian.

The ability of Batman to stop children from crying is no longer limited to the homes of "ordinary citizens" in Gotham. After hearing Batman's whisper, the female homeowner was so frightened that she completely collapsed.

The ground was wet.

In addition to the natural odor of human excrement, it also carries the odor of HIV, as well as other viruses and microorganisms such as syph, HPV, HSV, NG, and CA.

Most people can't smell it.

However, Superman and Batman are not ordinary people. Superman has a super nose, and Batman has researched Superman's nose and developed technological gadgets through his own techniques and methods.

"..."

"A genuine... biochemical matrix..."

To be honest, it's rare for a villain to force Batman to back down, his expression filled with surprise and uncertainty, and a hint of fear on his face. The female homeowner in front of him was a rare exception.

The female homeowner was the kind of person even Poison Ivy would call "Heavenly Poison" upon seeing her. The fact that she could force Batman to take a few steps back suggests that this homeowner, despite having no supernatural abilities, might have something to boast about in front of extraordinary villains. Of course, she herself seemed unaware of the honor she had already gained.

"Don't come any closer! You can't come in! This is my private property! This is trespassing! I'm going to sue you! I'm going to sue you for violating my personal rights, my right to privacy, and my right to peaceful enjoyment of my home!"

"Superman! Come save me! You alien monster, you have to save me! And you bat monster! Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're a half-orc!"

When it comes to the ability to incite hatred...

The female homeowner is clearly one of the most outstanding women on the planet.

Batman's veins bulged.

My already bad mood got even worse.

"Perhaps I should sew your mouth shut first."

Batman put a set on his belt, but instead of sewing supplies, he pulled out a bottle of tranquilizer that could cause people to have nightmares indefinitely and could also customize nightmares for others.

He knew how to torment people's minds and obtain the information he wanted through legal means. Meanwhile, Superman, standing outside, remained completely oblivious to Batman's actions.

Call for help?

Where is the cry for help?
Superman said he didn't hear anyone calling for help nearby.

After all, he was already middle-aged.

Superman Clark has now learned to be a little more flexible, and for example, he has started to use his super hearing in a flexible way.

Like many recording studios that can specifically eliminate a selected sound, Superman has the final say on his super hearing ability whenever anyone asks.

It's not that he lost his compassion.

Rather, they were genuinely disgusted by the politically charged environment surrounding America.

Batman wasn't actually using torture. Inside the room, the heavy wooden door blocked out the sounds from inside and outside, but Superman's enhanced hearing could still clearly pick up the brief, suppressed struggle sounds coming from inside, as well as the faint hum of some high-frequency sound wave device being activated.

Then came a deathly silence.

He chose to pretend he couldn't hear and focused all his attention on the outside.

Superman knew that Bruce would, in his own way, ensure that the extremely selfish homeowner who tried to shift the deadly danger onto others received the "punishment" she deserved and paid the price for obtaining the information.

Now, the more important thing is where the children are.

His gaze fell upon Constantine, who was busy at work by the roadside. The exorcist was crouching on the ground, using a piece of chalk that looked like it was made of charred bone to add the final few runes to a complex magic circle surrounding a statue of a weeping angel. The magic circle emitted an eerie blue light, forming an invisible barrier that firmly immobilized the grotesque, attacking statue, preventing it from moving an inch even when no one was watching.

The weeping angel would likely be considered an unsolvable calamity in most worlds.

but.

There are simply too many higher-dimensional life forms in the DC universe, and super-powerful creatures are constantly emerging, so there are corresponding ways to deal with these life forms.

“So,” Superman began, his voice now quite steady, “our children were only temporarily sent to the past, right? They…are still alive?”

Normally, Constantine extremely disliked being disturbed when he was concentrating on casting spells, especially by laymen asking basic questions. But at this moment, facing this mortal god who had just erupted in fury and whose power was enough to shatter a star, he had to suppress all his impatience and force a somewhat stiff, apologetic smile.

“Superman, Great One, in response to your question, theoretically… yes. As long as they didn’t die in the past by accident.” Constantine was rarely forced to put on a smile.

He even used a flowery sedan chair to carry Clark, which was actually another form of moral blackmail, but it was more sophisticated than the woman inside the house.

As he checked the stability of the magic circle, he explained, "For a certain period of time, at least as long as the weeping angels can still draw nourishment from them, they are relatively 'safe'."

After Constantine finished speaking, he saw a puzzled look on Superman's face and knew that this big shot who neither talked about science nor metaphysics had limited knowledge of "metaphysical" knowledge.

So he had no choice but to continue patiently explaining: "Just like humans eat the flesh and blood of animals, monsters like the Weeping Angels don't eat flesh and blood directly. What they 'eat' is time—more precisely, the 'potential life energy' that your child should have spent on the original timeline."

Constantine attempts to describe it in a more understandable way: "Imagine that every life, from birth to death, has a predetermined 'timeline' containing enormous energy. When the weeping angel throws its prey back into the past, it's like forcibly 'cutting' the prey off that main line."

"Put the prey on an earlier 'branch'."

He pointed to the imprisoned statue: "Then, like parasites, they attach themselves to that 'severed' connection in time and space, drawing on the 'time paradox energy' and 'wasted potential life energy' of their prey in that past time and space, which should not have existed, to maintain their own existence and reproduction."

"The longer the prey lives in the past, the more 'extra' time energy it generates, and the more satiated they become. Therefore, they usually don't send their prey to a point in time when they are certain to die, as that would cut off their energy source. They prefer to send their prey to a past time where they can struggle to survive and live long enough, but cannot easily return to the present, so that they can maximize their 'harvest' of food."

Although this explanation still carries a strong mystical element, Superman finally grasped some key points, albeit with a vague understanding: the children were simply "time-traveled".

The statue is like a parasite, living by absorbing the extra life energy that the children had "gained" in the past; as long as the statue is still "feeding," the children are temporarily out of danger.

"It's like capitalists raising cattle and horses. As long as the cattle and horses are still useful, there won't be any catastrophic disaster." Superman was clearly also heavily influenced by Ian's "everything can be capital" theory.

Get your thoughts organized.

This allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief, which had been keeping him on edge.

After all, time travel is not a foreign concept to the Justice League and to him, who frequently deal with various cosmic crises.

Except for The Flash.

In fact, the Hall of Justice houses a time travel device, and they have dealt with the chaos caused by time travel many times. As long as the person is alive, there is hope of saving them.

Moreover, upon closer examination, Jordan is an awakened Kryptonian; Jonathan, though seemingly inconspicuous, is, after all, the suit chosen by "God".

The two of them certainly have no shortage of ways to survive. Unless they're thrown into some dangerous time period like a star exploding or the universe rebooting, Jonathan and Jordan's self-preservation abilities should ensure their survival. What worries him more now is whether the children might unknowingly disrupt history.

As for Damian... well, compared to his two extraordinary sons, he is indeed an "ordinary person," which is perhaps why Batman is more anxious than Superman.

of course.

"Ordinary" here is only relative. In fact, in terms of combat skills, survival ability, and tenacious will, Damian is a well-trained fighting machine.

His adaptability is probably stronger than that of many superpowered individuals.

Batman, too, gets flustered by concern.

Having figured this out, Superman glanced back into the house. Batman seemed to have finished his "job," lifting up the female homeowner, who was tightly bound with restraints and appeared to be unconscious. He then looked away and back at Constantine, who had finished the magic circle and was wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Constantine, can you confirm when the children were sent?" Superman asked, this was the most crucial question at the moment.

Constantine took out a new cigarette and lit it.

He took a deep breath, and despite the swirling smoke, his expression was far from relaxed.

“I’ll try my best.” Constantine didn’t dare to make any guarantees. “The spacetime projection of this thing is random and involves operations at a higher dimension. I only know about the Weeping Angels. I’ve never officially dealt with this race before. I can only try to use tracing magic to track its residual spacetime fluctuations.”

On the deserted street, only the streetlights cast a dim, yellowish glow. Constantine began to chant ancient and difficult incantations in a low voice, his hands tracing mysterious paths in the air. A strange aura, a mixture of sulfur and ancient texts, emanated from him, and the magic circle beneath his feet flickered with its light.

Within a realm invisible and inaudible to ordinary people.

The imprisoned weeping angel seemed to sense some kind of spying and provocation. From within its stone body, a spiritual roar filled with resentment and anger, which was impossible for ordinary people to perceive, was emanating!

The sound was as harsh as scraping glass, directly affecting the soul.

Superman can "hear".

His powerful super hearing can not only capture physical sound waves, but also perceive this kind of sharp noise on a mental level.

"The creature's voice is even somewhat polluting." Superman frowned slightly, but did not disturb Constantine, simply waiting quietly for the result of the spell.

at this time.

The door opened, and Batman stepped out. His expression was as serious as ever, even more so than usual. He carried the unconscious, bound-up female homeowner and casually tossed her into the back seat of the Batmobile, which had quietly slid to the side of the road like a black phantom.

"Destination: Arkham Asylum. Maximum security containment."

Batman gave a low command to the car's AI.

"Command confirmed. Transport initiated." The Batmobile emitted a cold, electronic voice, then silently started moving, disappearing into the night and speeding away towards Gotham.

Superman looked in the direction the Batmobile had disappeared, then glanced at the woman Bruce had thrown into Arkham. As if realizing something, he couldn't help but speak up.

"Are you Gotham's migrant workers?"

His tone carried a complex, indescribable quality.

"Hmm." Batman walked to his side, looked in the direction the Batmobile had gone, sighed helplessly, and his voice carried a sense of resigned weariness.

"That's not surprising."

Superman's response was concise and to the point, fully expressing his "approval" of the simple and honest nature of Gotham's people.

"..." Upon hearing this, Batman sighed helplessly again. This time, he didn't even have the strength to refute. After all, facts speak louder than words.

Gotham's prestige remains as high as ever.

of course.

Superman was no longer in the mood to joke about this issue.

He composed himself, looked at Batman seriously, and said, "Judging from Constantine's inner thoughts, there is more than one of these statues; rather, it represents an entire race."

Constantine was completely unprepared for Superman's new abilities, allowing Superman to hear his thoughts directly, unlike Batman who took preventative measures that very night after learning of the situation.

"Are they the same race?"

Batman wasn't surprised. He nodded and said in a deep voice, "When I extracted her memories just now, I also saw some fragments. That's what I'm worried about now. If these statues are a race, and there are many of them, what if they were active on Earth and sent a large number of people back to the past..."

Therefore, the resulting time paradoxes and historical rewriting effects, combined, could potentially lead to a complete collapse of our timeline, triggering unimaginable disasters.

He paused, his tone becoming more serious.

Superman's brows furrowed tightly.

"Where did that woman come from to bring these high-dimensional life forms to Earth?" This is no longer an ordinary crime; it is a horrific act that threatens the stability of the entire spacetime.

Batman shook his head helplessly: "I didn't get much information out of her head, and it was all jumbled up. The only thing I'm sure of is that she seems to have bought this 'artwork' from a mysterious seller through some underground network, and that seller has sold more than one."

"At first, she just thought the statue was pretty, but later she gradually discovered its eeriness and was afraid of being cursed. So she thought of putting it by the roadside to transfer the curse to unsuspecting passersby and extricate herself from it."

"I will use all available resources to find that seller, but it will take time." Batman knew that there must be some conspiracy behind this.

Superman nodded upon hearing this. He knew that once Bruce started tracking, he would dig deep and find the mastermind behind it all. But right now, there were more pressing matters.

“Now we have to figure out a way to bring the children back,” Superman said, expressing their most instinctive desire as fathers.

Batman nodded in agreement: "I'm not worried about the children's safety. With their abilities, their chances of survival are very high, unless they're thrown into the beginning of the universe or a post-apocalyptic battlefield."

He had enough confidence in Jonathan and Jordan's abilities, as well as Damian's qualities.

only.

“But what I worry about is what irreversible historical revisionism those children might have committed in the past—” He hesitated, the words stuck in his throat. He wanted to say that the children were very close to Ian, but he was afraid that if he said that, Ian, who was eavesdropping somewhere, would hold a grudge against him.

He guards against Ian.

It's like people all over the world are wary of Batman.

Feel this.

Bruce judges others by his own standards.

So in the end, he didn't say the kind of thing that could be used as a fabrication.

However, how well does Superman understand his comrades?

He almost instantly guessed what Bruce's lingering worries were. A hint of embarrassment flashed across Superman's face when it involved his most troublesome youngest son. He could only pretend he hadn't guessed, turning his gaze back to Constantine, who was still muttering to himself, trying to pinpoint the time coordinates.

Superman avoids eye contact with Bruce.

And in this slightly awkward and anxious silence.

Whoosh-!
A golden bolt of lightning, like an aurora tearing through the night sky, streaked towards the city at a speed too fast for the naked eye to detect!

The lightning bolt abruptly stopped in front of Superman and Batman, the resulting powerful gust of air causing their capes to flutter wildly. Clearly, it was Barry Allen, the Flash, who had received the message.

Arrived.

His arrival seemed to inject a touch of speed and hope into the heavy night.

After all, when it comes to the issue of "time," who could be a more suitable helper than this speedster who can surpass the speed of light and travel through time and space?
"Guys, I heard..."

The Flash was about to say something.

however.

He hadn't had a chance to ask about the details.

Changes occur suddenly.

Perhaps it was because the surging speed energy within him was too special, having an intricate connection with the essence of time; or perhaps it was because his high-speed movement disturbed the fragile spacetime structure around him.

In short.

The weeping angel, which was firmly imprisoned by Constantine's magic circle, seemed to have been stimulated by something intense, and its hard, stone-like body suddenly began to shake violently!
Within its ferocious stone body, the previously suppressed mental roar rose again, even piercing through the magic barrier, making it clearly audible to Superman and Batman! The blue light screen of the magic circle emitted a hissing sound under the strain, flickering as if it would shatter at any moment!

"Damn it! It's the energy of the speedster!"

Constantine's expression changed drastically. He cursed and hurriedly formed hand seals, trying to reinforce the magic array. "This thing is too sensitive to time energy! Quickly make him restrain his power!"

The weeping angel's sharp, stone fingers, reaching forward, seemed to extend an inch further amidst the violent tremors! The luminous chains binding it creaked and groaned.
The Flash has just arrived.

It seems to have become the variable that disrupts the balance!
(End of this chapter)