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

Chapter 243 Tremendous Changes and Mysterious Visitors

Superman pinches Ian.

It's like catching a kitten trying to escape.

"Oh, this damn fate on the back of the neck." Ian froze instantly, unable to move. He turned his head with difficulty and met Superman Clark's deep blue eyes.

"Gently, gently! My neck is going to break! I know I was wrong! I'm still a child! A child!" Ian struggled a few times, only to find it was all in vain.

He had no choice but to give up the struggle and instead play the "good kid" card with America. There was no way around it; he'd made a killing this time, raking in both magic and money.

When confronted with accusations, Ian felt he deserved it—but if it happened again, he would dare to do it again.

"You don't need to make excuses."

Superman Clark took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his complex emotions, and said in a deep voice, "We came to find you not because of what happened in the early morning."

As the saying goes, no one knows a son better than his father.

Clark knew that if he wanted Ian to cooperate, he had to keep Ian calm for the time being.

"Ok?"

Ian heard this.

Indeed, she temporarily stopped struggling. She tilted her head, a weak expression on her face, and tentatively asked, "That's because... I bribed a lot of congressmen and got a lot of leverage over them, trying to expose my mother or older brother's plan to be elected president?"

God knows how many things he had secretly done flashed through Ian's mind at that moment. He couldn't help it; he feared nothing but Louise and Clark, his parents.

"??????"

Superman's pupils dilated suddenly. He was completely stunned by the question and his mind didn't quite process it. It was clear that this was the first time he had heard of this.

What do you want to do by bribing the congressman?

Clark instinctively asked the question, clearly indicating that even with such immense power, he hadn't been able to foresee it beforehand, demonstrating just how well Ian had kept secret.

"Forehead……"

Upon seeing Superman's reaction, Ian's super intelligence kicked in again, and he immediately realized it wasn't about that matter, so he quickly put on a "never mind" expression.

He quickly changed the subject, continuing to probe: "Is it because... I bought a lot of nuclear bombs? I swear! Grandpa gave me really good discounts to tempt me!"

"Grandpa is so bad, so bad."

Well, it's not that Ian enjoys betraying his grandfather, but compared to exposing things that are even more important to avoid, choosing to proactively expose things that can be exposed is definitely a wise move.

"!!!??????"

Although it was just a small matter in Ian's mind, it still had a significant impact on Clark, and even the expressions of the other Justice League members were quite interesting.

"No! What do you need nuclear weapons for?"

Clark's expression was incredibly varied, more complex than a Sichuan opera face-changing act. His eyes widened instantly, as if he had heard something truly unbelievable.

Buy nuclear bombs?! And at a discounted price?!

What on earth is my father-in-law up to?!
Are these two, grandfather and grandson, planning to destroy the world together?!
"I think he's eaten too many mushrooms and wants to use nuclear bombs to grow mushrooms."

Aquaman Arthur sincerely expressed his opinion, and few people know that he is also an abstract entity in the Justice League and among the new gods.

"good idea."

Ian gave it a thumbs up.

"Ian Kent!" Wonder Woman Diana couldn't stand it any longer and spoke up to stop him. She felt that if this kid continued talking, things would only get more and more troublesome.

Moreover, the Justice League doesn't need to do anything else today; dealing with the scandals he exposed will keep them busy for a year.

"Stop revealing yourself! The most important thing right now is Bruce's matter!" Wonder Woman Diana made a gagging gesture, almost explicitly telling Ian to stop being the explosive genius.

Aquaman Arthur, carrying his trident, muttered in agreement: "That's right! Kid, although I don't particularly like Bruce the control freak, the Justice League can't do without him!"

Hear the words.

Victor's mechanical eyes flashed frantically as he added, a hint of anxiety in his voice.

Batman cannot die!

“I strongly suspect Bruce Wayne planted a bomb inside me! He regularly sends me encrypted code, which I always thought was some kind of system patch, but now that I think about it, it's probably a security code for the bomb! If he doesn't come back... I'll definitely explode!”

It was precisely because Bruce Wayne disappeared that Cyborg might not have dared to call him by his name, since no one knew better than him how much Zentradi technology Batman controlled.

"What? There's such a thing?" Upon hearing Cyborg's words, Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern standing next to him, seemed to realize something as well, and his face turned pale instantly!
"Wait! Now that you mention it..." Hal's voice trembled slightly, "Bruce... he treats me to meals regularly! And he always specifically tells me to go 'on time'! Could it be... could it be that he puts an antidote in the food that needs to be taken on time?! Am I poisoned too?!"

It's no wonder Green Lantern would overthink things.

After all, this is something that Batman would actually do.

"You really shouldn't believe it, you really shouldn't believe it!"

After their "reminder," the other members of the alliance, such as The Flash, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman, all showed a hint of uncertainty and panic on their faces! They all began to recall whether Batman had done anything similar to "regular maintenance" or "special care" for them.

In an instant, the atmosphere shifted from questioning to panic and investigation into Batman's control methods.

"What happened to Uncle Bruce?" Ian, still bewildered by the feeling of his neck being pinched, blinked and asked curiously, "Did he finally get HIV?"

"I told you Catwoman isn't clean..." It wasn't just making fun of Batman; Ian was using reverse psychology to get the real information faster.

as predicted.

Just as he had expected.

"Slap!" Superman finally lost his temper and slapped Ian on the back of the head, interrupting his rambling. He felt his blood pressure soaring.

If a blood vessel bursts.

That high blood pressure could probably pierce through the entire Earth.

"Come out with me!" Clark was too lazy to waste any more words inside the house. He simply grabbed Ian and carried him outside the manor like a bag of potatoes, shoving him into a position where he could clearly see what was happening outside.

The demon soldiers, demon butlers, demon guards, and succubus maids have all vanished without a trace; there's no sign of them anywhere in the manor.

"These demons are just opportunistic."

Ian harbored no resentment or bitterness, only admiration for the wisdom of his servants—in other words, he was an excellent manor lord who thought from multiple perspectives.

Even servants are so clever.

What kind of master is he?
If you understand, you deserve applause.

Just as Ian was subtly praising himself in his mind...

"See for yourself!"

Superman pointed to the street outside.

Following his words.

Ian then looked outside and noticed how bizarre the world outside had become—a cyberpunk metropolis that looked somewhat like the America he had envisioned in his diary.

Super vision.

Ian also has one.

Although not as powerful as the Kryptonians, thanks to the buff he received early this morning, he can now cover the entire Metropolis and parts of Gotham with his gaze.

Especially after being reminded by Superman, Ian used his superpowers to enhance his eyesight, so he could see not only the Gotham and Metropolis, but even the veins of a leaf in Los Angeles.

I saw.

The first thing he saw was America, the People's Hospital was everywhere, and he also saw a real medical insurance service center, realizing that healthcare was no longer just a "service".

Rather, it is "basic survival guarantee".

Hospitals are no longer oppressive white mazes, but vibrant public spaces. There are no more insurance companies refusing to cover cases, and no more emergency room visits costing five thousand dollars.

Diabetes and high blood pressure can be treated for free—yes, this is what happened to America in Ian's diary after she became a communist, and the changes didn't stop there.

The former private elite school at the foot of Hollywood Hills now bears the sign "Los Angeles First Institute of Technology and Labor." The wrought iron gates that were once surrounded by security guards have been completely removed, replaced by stone pillars inscribed with "Everyone has the right to learn," signifying that education is no longer limited to the elite.

There are no longer student loans of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Lunch loans have also disappeared.

The public transportation system has been completely freed from the control of private companies, and even more thoughtfully, "customized commuter services" have been launched for workers in remote farms, with "point-to-point shuttle buses" available in major cities.

Even the military.

Everyone gets paid on time, they don't have to pay for their own food, and they don't have to take out loans to buy uniforms and weapons. Every soldier even receives a real pension after leaving the military—the world is indeed changing, with all sorts of irrational buildings, creations, and social systems appearing out of nowhere.

but.

"Isn't this great?" Ian didn't know why things had changed so much, but if sacrificing Bruce Wayne was enough to get such a wonderful America in return.

He'd rather keep his Uncle Bruce in hell and never let him out again—as for the DC needing a Batman, whoever wears that suit of armor is Batman.

"Oh, I can go and send Uncle Bruce to heaven, don't worry." Ian's view on life and death has become somewhat different from that of ordinary people in recent days.

His words made the Justice League's expressions even more interesting.

"..." There was a moment of silence.

"This is not a question of heaven and hell."

Superman succinctly recounted how Jonathan and his two companions were sent back to the past by the Weeping Angel, causing a timeline collapse, and how Batman had just vanished before their eyes.

"Erased out directly?" Ian's expression became quite interesting after hearing this. He digested it for a few seconds, then suddenly raised his head and made a loud bang.

However, his focus remains peculiar.

"You mean... the three of them went back in time as a group?" Ian's voice rose eight octaves, filled with disbelief and a sense of depression.

“They won’t take me?! I’m being ostracized?! This is bullying! Blatant bullying!” Ian knew that even if Batman died in the past, he could find his Uncle Bruce in hell.

There is no reason to be sad.

Because that is ineffective grief.

Super intelligence means seeing everything very clearly. However, his obvious lack of focus on the key points left the Justice League members who followed him speechless.

"?????"

No one could understand Ian's vision and mindset, which encompassed both parts of Hell and parts of Heaven, so the Justice League members looked at Ian with great curiosity.

"Really?" Wonder Woman Diana crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at him. "You really only care about this? The world is on the verge of collapse, and all you care about is whether your friends dragged you along?"

“Otherwise?” Ian retorted confidently, as if he had been greatly wronged. “You old savage, you have no idea how cruel American bullying is! It’s psychological exclusion and isolation! It will cause permanent damage to my mental health! The world is much more resilient than you think.”

"What do you mean the world is on the verge of collapse? I'm not a fourteen-year-old anymore. That won't scare me. Everyone knows how much Uncle Barry has altered the timeline."
talking.

He pointed at The Flash.

"..."

This time, it was clearly not an innocent bystander being caught in the crossfire; the Flash's embarrassment was almost overflowing, and he wished he could immediately activate his Speed ​​Force to dig a hole and bury himself.

"Forehead……"

Not only the Flash, but also Wonder Woman, who came from the secluded Paradise Island, was speechless for a moment, unable to refute this indeed reasonable argument.

Of course, she is a reasonable woman.

There were also men present who didn't really want to reason with each other.

"Snapped!"

As a father, Clark could certainly be unreasonable. Superman slapped Ian on the back of the head again, quite hard, forcibly pulling Ian's thoughts back on track.

"Listen, Ian!"

Clark's voice was extremely serious, "Barry cannot travel through time, and the time machine in the Hall of Justice cannot be activated. Bruce told us before he disappeared that this was related to you."

“His last words were for us to come to you.” He stared intently into Ian’s eyes. “So, regarding the timeline, regarding how to resolve this crisis, do you have anything to tell us?”

Clark was trying to get answers from Ian.

however.

Upon hearing this, Ian's expression changed from aggrieved to bewildered and confused.

"What does this have to do with me?" He pointed at his nose, his eyes wide. "I haven't evolved any time-related abilities yet! Is Uncle Bruce framing me? Just because I 'borrowed' his name a little for a small event, he's taking revenge on me before he disappears?"

It's no wonder Ian is overthinking things.

He believed in Bruce Wayne.

Batman must have anticipated this.

and so.

There was a reason why we ambushed Ian in advance.

That's why Ian immediately started yelling.

"Batman is evil! Everyone knows that! You can't trust the people of Gotham! You need to go find the Infinity Family about this! Go find Lucifer's father, who is God!"

“They definitely have a way!” Ian struggled to break free from his father’s grasp. “Let me go first! I’ll go contact my connections right now!”

"I guarantee I'll handle things perfectly!" Ian declared firmly. He genuinely felt that the world had changed, and there were some aspects that he might need to correct.

"Really?"

Superman, seeing Ian's shifty eyes and eager movements, couldn't believe his nonsense and didn't budge the hand gripping the back of Ian's neck.

Clark knew his youngest son all too well.

Let him go?
Who knows what opportunities Ian will find, and then he'll go back and pull off even more crazy moves.

“Clark.” Wonder Woman carefully observed Ian’s reaction and felt that he didn’t seem to be acting. After a moment of contemplation, she stepped forward and spoke.

“Perhaps Ian doesn’t know the specifics. I think we still need to find a way to travel through time,” Diana analyzed. “Perhaps Barry can no longer travel through time himself for some reason, but the Speed ​​Force itself must still possess this ability. What we need now is to find a way to use the Speed ​​Force to open a time portal, without necessarily having Barry himself travel through time.”

Her suggestion made sense, and the other members of the Justice League, such as Cyborg, Aquaman, and even Green Arrow, nodded in agreement.

This sounds like a viable breakthrough.

However, getting accepted is one thing, but the awkward situation that follows is another.

"So," Aquaman Arthur pointed his trident at the still-changing world outside and asked in a deep voice, "who will do this? Formulating plans, finding methods, coordinating resources… normally, this kind of task is handled by Bruce, isn't it?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over everyone's heads.

Without Batman as their mastermind and planner, they seemed to have fallen apart, appearing somewhat helpless in the face of this complex crisis involving the very essence of time.

Aquaman Arthur continued speaking.

He pointed helplessly at the takeout: "Given the current situation, it might only take a few hours for reality to be completely fixed and irreversible. I don't think our group... can find a way to bypass the speedsters and directly use the Speed ​​Force to travel through time in such a short time."

"Don't look at me." Wonder Woman shook her head, feeling everyone's gaze. "Magic can't do it. At least, the magic on Paradise Island can't directly interfere with the flow of time on this scale."

Although she was powerful, this wasn't her area of ​​expertise. Wonder Woman said, walking towards a corner where Constantine was tightly bound with the Lasso of Truth and his mouth taped shut—clearly someone Diana had subdued earlier when he tried to swear or cause trouble.

"Stab~"

Then, Diana tore off the tape from Constantine's mouth.

"You bunch of bastards!" Constantine had been listening intently to the Justice League's conversation, feeling resentful because he was bound like a prisoner.

So, as soon as his mouth was free, he immediately scoffed, "Ha! So the Justice League is nothing without Batman? Can't formulate plans? Can't solve crises? So are you the Bat League or the League of Heroes? This is truly an eye-opener!"

Constantine was indeed sharp-tongued. His blunt and honest words made the members of the alliance present feel embarrassed and ashamed, yet they were unable to refute him.

"Shut up!"

The hot-tempered Neptune Arthur, his temper flaring, raised his trident, its tip gleaming coldly. "I think we should bleed this guy a little first to clear his head!"

Seeing that Aquaman was no joke and was really going to make a move, Constantine backed down again and moved with lightning speed!

"No, no, no! I was just kidding!" he quickly exclaimed, his tone softening instantly. "Believe me, I was just... just too anxious!"

“What I mean is, my magic can’t travel through time either! Because the rules of magic are being changed, I can’t even use most basic spells now! I’m just as helpless as you are!” He clearly knew why Diana had untied the duct tape from her mouth at this moment.

"Ok?"

Wonder Woman used her powers to confirm that Constantine was telling the truth, and her expression became even more gloomy. She sighed, "It seems the path of magic is also blocked. Perhaps... I can go back to Paradise Island to check the ancient texts, or ask my mother, to see if there are still any hidden gods on Earth who control time."

“There’s no time.” Superman immediately rejected the suggestion; the outside world was changing at an accelerating pace.

"So what do we do?" Aquaman scratched his head in frustration, feeling utterly useless.

Just when everyone was at a loss and at a loss, Barry Allen, the Flash, who had been pondering all along, spoke up: "Perhaps... we can use the intelligence of Star Labs?"

“They have the deepest understanding of the Speed ​​Force and interdimensional physics.” But then he hesitated, “However… with Dr. Wells… it might be difficult to guarantee that nothing will go wrong…”

His intention was to imply that Harrison Wells was actually Reverse-Flash Elberd Swann, and that involving him in a project involving the Time Core was extremely risky, as the latter could easily use the opportunity to sabotage him. However, before he could finish his sentence, just as he was about to bring up the matter of Professor Wells...

Whoosh-!
A bolt of lightning flashed like a venomous snake tearing through space.

They suddenly appeared before everyone!

As the lightning subsided, a figure emerged, clad in a dark yellow Reverse-Lightning suit and a full-face helmet. He stood there, radiating a Speed ​​Force completely different from Barry's.

Reverse Speed ​​Force.

It was filled with an aura of malice and a desire for control.

“Wells really couldn’t do that…” Reverse-Flash—Elberd Swann—has arrived. When he spoke, he actually tried to clear his name and cover up his identity. However, no one knew whether he did it on purpose or not. Perhaps he already knew that his identity had been exposed.

In short.

The arrival of Reverse-Flash was indeed an unexpected turn of events, as he disregarded the wary and hostile gazes of the crowd and the danger posed by Superman.

"However, I can."

Reverse Lightning seemed anxious, even fearful.

(End of this chapter)