Chapter 3: 03 - The Scion?
"...What?" I asked with an almost offended look, curious as to why he was so afraid. Shouldn't he have seen flying people before? Or is Superman that secretive? "A table, please."
"...Oh, uh, yes! Here, uh, sir..." The worker quickly snapped out of it as he gestured for me to sit in one of the chairs near the window.
I did so as he gave me a plastic...scroll? Ah, yes, the menu. It wasn't digital yet...
"What would you like, sir?" The worker said with a nervous smile as he held a pen and a notebook.
"Hm...?" I glanced up at him, my eyes scanning his features.
He was fair skinned, if not a shade tanner than Superman, with brown hair and brown eyes. A young man, probably around the Kryptonian's age.
He wore a yellow uniform, one I find to be quite degrading, and on his breast was a nameplate that read [Alexander].
I could hear his little heart palpitate as I stared him down, the scent of sweat trickling down his back also gave away the obvious fear in his eyes.
"What do you recommend?" I asked, leaning my head against a fist.
"Ah, well, the breakfast meal would be a good start, sir." He said with a corporate smile.
I admit, I'm slightly impressed by this guy's commitment to not piss his pants.
"Sure." I said before glancing back down at the menu. "I'l also have a morning coffee." I had no idea what coffee was, but since it had a morning in the name, it should go well with the breakfast meal.
"Latte or f—"
"Whatever is better in your opinion." I really couldn't act like I cared.
The worker nodded as he wrote something in his little notebook before tearing the page and attaching it to my table.
He then went off to the kitchen to prepare the meal.
I sighed as I reclined back on the seat, glancing out to window with my eyes cautious of any Skrulls.
Really, why would there be Skrulls here? Those changelings were a dangerous pest, and I needed the pestecide.
"Add," I quietly called out as I pressed a button on my earpiece. "Anything else I should be concerned with aside from escape pod-baby Kryptonians and refugee Skrulls?"
"Indeed, Master. I have found a concerning number of mutagenic individuals." Add said in a serious tone.
"It is to the point that they are considered a sub-species of Terran, dubbed as the Mutant or Metahuman. The reason for why this offshoot became so prevelant is unknown, but Terran research sugests a kind of latent gene is responsible. They called it, the X-Gene." It added.
"Mutant?" I muttered. "How strong are they?"
"It depends, Master. Some are little more than Terrans with an extra limb, some may be on the level of an average adult Viltrumite." Well, that's mildly concerning.
"Average Viltrumite...do you mean the weaker citizens who were all purged?" I asked.
"Yes." Okay, then I guess it's not so concerning.
I wasn't worried that one would suddenly be stronger than me. That's completely ridiculous, I was the Scion, not just your average Viltrumite warrior.
But Terrans with the strength an average Viltrumite? It would be troublesome if there were so many of them.
Luckily, Add informed me that such individuals were one in a million, inconsequentual to my might, at least, according to public records.
"Here is your order, sir." A voice came after some few more minutes as the worker came holding a tray of warm food.
He placed the tray on the table before backing off. "Thank you for ordering from Big Belly Burger."
I ignored him in favour of scanning the meal with my own two eyes, reaching out a hand to grab the food.
The first thing I snatched was the main course itself, the burger that I came here for.
It was an unusual food, a circular slice of roasted flesh seared with oils, combined with a few vegetables, and a slice of what was apparently caller cheese stained with a paste referred to as ketchup and mustard, all placed between two buns of bread.
What the hell is cheese, that doesn't sound great.
"Cheese is made from the spoiled milk of a cow, Master Lugh." Add said, quiet enough to not let the worker hear, but loud enough for my hearing to pick up on.
Ew...
With some hesitation, I brought it closer to my mouth as I opened my jaws. Feeling the food between my lips and smelling the rich aroma of its oils, I bit down.
That's when it all changed.
When it all clicked inside my head, my brain, and my thick skull.
I felt like a fruit, all moist inside and squishy outside, like a fruit that was about to burst and sizzle!
My eyes felt like they were going pop out of my eye sockets, my breathing became rugged as sweat trickled down my twitching back.
"Uh, are you alright, sir..." The worker called out, attracting my bloodshot eyes.
"Alexander." I called out after swallowing the divine food with gritted teeth. "That's your name, right?"
The worker nodded as he got closer. "Um, yes, but my friends usually calls me—"
"Were you the one who made this?" Seeing right through the wall, there was actually another guy there, in the kitchen area.
"Unfortunately, yes..." Alexander grimaced as he said so. "Bob is just the janitor, and the others haven't arrived yet since it's so early...was it not up to your standard?" He asked with a nervous expression.
I was about to answer, but my ears suddenly caught the sound of approaching footsteps.
Superman? No, his heartbeat was like the roar of a star. Whoever was coming had a weak, small rythm as their heartbeat—a regular Terran, an insect.
And judging from their rising heart rate, it was insect with stinging intentions.
I placed a finger over my lips as Alexander opened his mouth in confusion before swallowing whatever he was going to say when he saw my gesturing hand.
Outside of the door was a figure quickly approaching the restaurant. He was a Terran man of tall stature, slightly taller than both me and Superman—and yes, Superman and I happen to be the same height.
The intruder, who was clearly not a customer, wore a strange dark green tracksuit and a purple mask, one that completely covered his identity aside from the three holes created for seeing and breathing.
And in his hands, was a strange tool that Add said was a crowbar.
He rushed in with hostile intent, the doors slamming open as the intruder placed his feet inside, his crowbar reaching out in a threatning manner as he held a primitive gun in his other hand.
"Arms in the air, fuckers! This is a professional robbery!" He shouted as I continued eating my burger while simulateously trying out the other foodstuffs contained in the breakfast meal.
The french fries were really good!
Alexander gasped as I heard his heartbeat race in fear, though surprisingly, not as intense as when I first appeared.
Was I that scary? I don't really know, I usually just kill those who were afraid of me before they can even express it.
Alexander quickly raised his hands to the air as he backed off from me. The intruder stepped forward with his gun and crowbar as he eyed the poor worker.
"On your knees." He said as Alexander obediently did what was told of him. The intruder's eyes then snapped towards me.
"Didn't you hear what I said, prick? And what's with that get up, are you cosplaying a mental patient or something?" I said as he eyed me down with his crowbar.
Man, I thought the scrambled eggs wouldn't be as good, but this planet keeps surprising me.
"Hey, bastard. Did ya hear me—"
"Are burgers the best this continent can offer, or is there still better food out there?" I asked in a daydreamy tone.
"Huh?" He seemed stupified. "...I mean, spaghetti's good—hey, forget about that, bring your hands to the air or I'll shoot!"
"At which establisment can I acquire this...spaghetti you speak off?" I said, demanding to know the Terran's secrets.
"...Are you serious? Why are you asking me? Hands in the air!" He didn't seem to want to answer.
"Alright." I glanced to the confused worker on his knees. "Where can I get good spaghetti, Alexander?"
If one Terran didn't have an answer, I'm sure another one would.
"Oh, there's an Italian restaurant just down the road called—Ow!" He was promptly interrupted by a light, but reminding nudge to the back of his head by the intruder's gun.
"I don't care what asylum you crawled out off, but if you're just gonna ignore what I'm saying, then I'm afraid I'll have to shoot you with this pistol, you got that?" The intruder said as he flaunted his unimpressive weapon.
"That's a pistol?" I asked with feint curiosity. "Is that some kind of weapon? I'm not caught up with your artilery."
"It'll fucking shoot you dead, dumb...ass..." He looked down on his hand.
The gun was no longer there.
"Is this what you're searching for?" I said, waving the little weapon around.
"Shit—how did you...!?" He took a step back as he grabbed the crowbar tightly with both hands.
"Can this toy even hurt me?" I wondered out loud before bringing it closer.
I placed the gun in my mouth and pointed inward, then I pulled the trigger without a shred of hesitation.
-BAAM!
The bullet exploded in my mouth as the ash and gunpowder was swallowed down my throat. The sound of the gunshot was defeaning, and it had truly silenced both of the Terrans present.
"Huh?" Both Alexander and the intruder widen their eyes as they stared slackjawed.
"It...doesn't...look like it." I mumbled out as I spat out the shattered bullet and gunpowder with a few coughs.
"What the fuck..." The intruder stood there frozen as he reconsidered his actions, thr natural fight or flight response kicking in as I heard his heart race.
"Nah, man. I didn't come here to deal with a freak!" He chose flight as he turned back, intending to flee the scene with panicked haste.
Unfortunately for him, it was I who could fly, not him.
"Hey, you dropped this." I say with a friendly smile as I appeared in front of him, stopping the masked Terran as swallowed a gulp.
"I-I just wanted money for my ma, please don't—" He stopped as he saw what I was holding in my hand.
I casually tossed it at him.
The gun bounced in his weak hands as the man nervously received it.
"What are you waiting for? Come on, shoot me!" I said with a smile. "Don't be shy now, wasn't that what you intended to do...?"
"Uh, no! I-I just—"
"What are you babbling about?" I asked as I floated closer, creating the illusion of being taller than him by levitating off of the floor.
"I just wanted money, man! I didn't want to kill anyone, it was only a threat, I swear!" He screamed out as he backed off in fear.
I just smiled in response, but my eyes wandered sideways as I saw Alexander gesturing to his throat with frantic movements.
He then imitated the movement of slitting a throat, clearly asking me to kill the intruder...
Damn, I didn't think he had the guts, I guess I shouldn't assume based on appearance alone.
"And...? Just shoot me, maybe I'll collapse onto the floor in a pool of blood this time, or maybe I'll even let you go? Who knows..." I shrugged as I floated closer, grabbing the man's wrist and bringing his gun to my abdomen. "Shoot your shot, hesitation is death." I said with a lighthearted smile.
He backed off a bit, then looked at his gun, and then at me, then back at his gun.
Swallowing a gulp, his heartbeat soared in speed before he pulled the trigger.
I just shook my head as I saw the bullet piercing the air in my direction.
What an idiot, didn't I say hesitation was death? Yet he still hesitated before shooting.
I just slapped the bullet back in his direction.
"Gah!" Blood splurted out of the man's abdomen as the bullet shot through his suit and pierced his soft Terran flesh.
He collapsed onto his knees as the blood flowed down the green fabrics of his attire, the gun dropping out of his hand and into the ground with a plap, followed immediately after by the louder clang of the crowbar.
Alexander widened his eyes as he took a step back, but almost instantly, he swallowed a gulp before regaining his composure, what's left of it, at least.
These Terrans are so weak, it's barely even any fun playing with them—like stomping on worms.
"I-I...ugh...!" The masked man groaned some unintelligible nonsense as he collapsed on the floor, clutching his bleeding wound in loud agony.
"Hey, I told you shoot, but I didn't tell you to shoot yourself...!" I said with a shake of my head before chuckling at the silly mistake.
"You..." Alexander let out as he stepped forward. "Are you a Mutant, sir...? Like Superman?"
He probably wanted to ask that question since I first appeared.
I scoffed.
"Superman is not a Mutant, he is—"
"Here!" Alexander shouted as he pointed at the door.
...Speak of the Kryptonian, and he shall appear.
Superman politely opened the doors before rushing in with speeds incomprehensible to the human eye, luckily, I wasn't one.
"Hold you breath, don't panic!" He said as he kneeled down to the bleeding criminal.
"A knife and some tissues, please." He requested as he glanced at Alexander, his tone serious and urgent.
"Superman! I—"
"Quick, there's no time to lose." Superman said as he appraised the wound, much to the terrified and pained screams of the intruder.
Alexander nodded as he quickly grabbed a box of dry tissues and a table knife from the nearby table and handed it to the Kryptonian.
He glanced at it for a split-second before leaving an afterimage as he ran to the kitchen before shortly returning, now with a slightly wet knife, one presumably cleaned.
"I'm sorry, go to sleep." He said as he brought two fingers to the intruder's forehead.
"What—" The Terran was instantly knocked unconcious.
With the table knife and a few sheets of tissue, the Kryptonian performed what could only be called the world's fastest session of field surgery.
The temperature rose as Superman's eyes glowed red, and then he fired off a continous laser beam to the man's wound.
He then quickly but carefully tried to remove the bullet with the table knife while cleaning the wound with tissue, all while he maintained that laser, which wasn't nearly as hot as the lasers he used during combat.
Finally, the bullet was removed as Superman stored it around blood-tinted tissue, he then sealed the wound with his laser eyes before sighing as he stood up.
"You shouln't try to kill people. A criminal like this man doesn't deserve death, even if he did broke the law." He said, to which I just snorted in response.
"He broke in and tried to extort currency from this prestigious establishment." I said whilst pointing at Alexander. "That man was in immediate danger, what I did was saving his life at the cost of a criminal." I pointed out.
He broke eye contact before glancing at the slightly nervous Alexander, then back at me, then at my table, then at the unconcious criminal.
"Do call the cops." He said to Alexander as the worker immediately nodded before backing off to retrieve his phone.
Superman then looked at me. "Are you fine now? I didn't hurt you too bad, right?" There was something in his eyes as he said that, was it pity?
A Kryptonian pitying me...how laughably ironic.
"I have recovered." I said with a nod. "I am not as weak as you would believe, Kryptonian."
"Then I'm grateful you aren't." Superman said earnestly before scratching the back of his head in an akward gesture. "To be frank, that was the first time I ever fought someone that could actually...fight back for real, so I apologize if I went a little too far." He said with a smile.
A disgusting smile filled with pity, I hated it.
"You shouldn't apologize for your own strength." I lampooned back. "It's my fault for being weaker. Now do you have any Terran currency or should I just not pay for my meal?"
The strong deserved the world, they should walk upon it like a child in a playground, whereas the weak were the toys in that playground—that is one of the things Father taught me when he cared enough.
He rarely did.
It pained me to be a toy, but that was my own fault for being weaker. I should have trained harder, enhanced my already elite genome a tad bit further, maybe I would have been stronger.
Well, the past doesn't matter now, what matters is that I have to get stronger than Superman—a future where he wouldn't be able to look at me with pity anymore.
"Oh, that's right." He said as he glanced at my table and the empty plated upon it. "Did you enjoy the food here? Big Belly's not that healthy, but it's the best in the burger business, I heard." Superman muttered as he searched his pockets for money.
Huh, his suit had pockets. I hadn't seen that thr first time we fought...perhaps I was too distracted by his ridiculousness.
...Or maybe this is a new and improved suit, I kind of did ruin his cape.
"The slogan is no lie, I haven't eaten anything remotely as good and I have seen a great many cultures and their foods." I praised without much thought.
They deserved it, so why not praise the establishment?
"And why are you even concerned with health?" I said. "Nothing on this planet besides your own bacteria can make you ill."
"My own bacteria...? That's possible!?" He seemed horrified at that notion.
"Probably, I mean, if someone got a hold of it and had strong enough technology to tamper with Kryptonian bacteria, then yes."
Actually, that was good idea. I should get a sample of his blood once I get the chance, maybe I could weaken him slightly when the times comes for that 'betrayal' plan.
Superman stood there in contemplation regarding the idea, but quickly shrugged it off as he glanced at the approaching Alexander, who had successfully called upon the legal authorities.
"How much is it?" He asked, confusing the worker.
"How much is what?" Alexander asked back.
Superman gestured to the empty plates on my table.
"Oh, right!" He slapped his own forehead for some reason, perhaps a Terran gesture I was to alien to understand. "Sorry, I forgot—that would be...just around $6 dollars, sir."
Superman quickly handed the currency without any trouble before turning around to face the unconcious criminal.
He then got on his knees before taking the man into his arms, easily carrying the slightly larger Terran in a princess carry.
"I'm not a real doctor or anything, I only learned just enough to prevent a death." He said as he started to levitate off of the ground. "Let's go, I need to leave this guy in proper care."
I nodded without really thinking about it too much as I floated off of the ground to follow in his trail.
"Wait!" Alexander called out as he looked at the both of us with a conflicter expression.
"Hm...? What is it? Is there anything you need?" Superman asked almost reflexively.
"...Who are you?" Alexander asked, looking at me.
"Ah, this is my friend!" I'm not his friend. "You remember the big scary flying saucer from yesterday? Yeah, that's actually just this guy's house."
"You're the alien!?" Alexander widened his eyes. "But you look so...human." He glanced at me then at Superman.
"Wait, are you both aliens...?" He seemed to have realized it by now, probably because of my earlier statement about Superman not being a Mutant.
"Yeah, pretty much. I only discovered it recently, I thought I was just a Mutant, but I wasn't even human!" Superman said with a laugh. "This guy's a proper alien though, from outer space and everything." He said as he slapped my shoulder.
"I see..." Alexander looked amazed. "Could I get your signature, Superman? It's worth a lot—"
"Sorry." Superman instantly rejected him. "I'm a bit preoccupied, see?" Right, he had just been carrying the unconcious Terran this whole time.
Alexander was about to say something bit decided againts it and just nodded. "Right, of you go then."
Superman smiled before the two of use left through the door.
Immediately, I frowned.
There was a gathering of Terrans out here, a crowd.
"Don't mind 'em." Superman whispered to me. "They're probably just curious about me flying here...and you know, you."
I sighed.
Lesser races are always so nosy, they are like little bugs that fly around you for no apparent reason just to annoy you.
I would have killed all of these insects if I was fool, but...
What kind of idiot slaps every bug that annoys them? That was a waste of energy, especially when there was an zealous bug-lover nearby.
"Damn, it is actually Superman, I thought you were lying..." I heard murmurs through thr crowd as we walked out.
"But who's that beside him? He's a teenager..." Someone said. "No idea, maybe another superhuman? Like...I don't know, Superboy?"
"Isn't that a song name?"
"No, that's starboy, dumbass."
"Hey." Superman whispered. "Want me to introduce them to you?"
"I genuinely don't care."
"Then let's do it." He smiled before turning to the Terran civillians.
"Metropolis!" Superman's voice was loud, reaching every corner of the street. "I know your curious, I was too when I met him."
"This here is another person just like me." I am not like you. "Throught all of my life, I thought I was alone in this world, the only one to be 'Super', but I was wrong!"
The murmurs got more intense at the revelation.
He then floated to the sky, gesturing for me to follow.
I did.
Seeing the pair of us floating in the air would have surely been like witnessing the ascent of two Gods for these insects, I wonder what there perspective was like.
"As you all know, I am Superman." He smiled brightly when he said that. "But my friend here goes by a different name, a name that I'm sure all of you will become familliar with in the future."
I saw the Terrans start recording in their little phones as Superman floated closer to me.
For a split-second, I thought he was aiming for a sneak attack, but he just leaned in for a whisper.
"Do you have like a...a pseudonym? You know, my name is not actually Superman, let's do something similliar with you." He explained with his ever-present smile.
I considered his words for a bit.
Some Viltrumites did have such monikers like Superman.
Conquest would be a prime example of that.
But I didn't really want to use a silly name like Death or Fury...
I guess I can just use my official title, it's not really a moniker, but I don't care.
"Scion of Regent." I said to him.
"The Scion?" He said with raised eyebrows. "What does it mean?"
"It means I am the son of my Father." I said with a shrug.
"Hm..." He comsidered before turning back to face the crowd below.
"Metropolis!" He shouted. "Welcome...the Scion!"
There was a moment of hesitation, accompanined by a pregnant silence.
That silence was shattered by a crack, a clap from one of the Terrans, some male teenager.
Then another clap, and another, and another, until it became a loud symphony of noise.
I looked down with an uncertain expression as I gazed at the cheering.
Huh, I've never been looked at like this, like...
I was some kind of savior.
"Seems like they like you." Superman said, but I knew that was a stretch.
They mostly just clapped because it was him who announced my identity.
Still, to be perceived like this, like anything else other than a destroyer.
I didn't know how to feel about it.
With that, Superman flew into the skies as he carried the man in his arms, careful not to too fast for his safety. I followed with an uncertain expression.
Then I decided how to feel about it...
It was lukewarm, I barely even cared.
===
A/N: If you see any grammart errors, please comment about it. I didn't get the chance to re-read the chapter before releasing it, got busy and all.
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