Kapitel 10: Return to the Earth-1
"I can give you a portion of my power," Dr. Manhattan interrupted, pointing at him, "What kind of superpower do you want?"
"I want..." Soren paused, deliberately leaving his sentence unfinished.
He pretended to show a regretful expression, as if he had accidentally fallen into a trap, but in reality, it was all part of an act.
Dr. Manhattan could see everything, but he couldn't read minds.
In truth, Soren already had his answer.
It wasn't that he didn't want to help Dr. Manhattan—he was never the type to stand by and watch others suffer.
And honestly, what fanboy hadn't dreamed of saving the world alongside their hero?
This was the ultimate dream for any superhero fan.
No one could easily resist such a tempting offer.
But he couldn't just agree to Dr. Manhattan's request so quickly.
Dr. Manhattan wasn't a god who created everything and cared for all living beings.
He had no humanity or divine compassion, only a strong curiosity to understand the truth of everything.
For Dr. Manhattan, there was no good or evil.
His desire to stop the universe from being destroyed wasn't because of empathy or pity—it was likely for other reasons.
To him, the existence or nonexistence of the universe made no difference.
So, Soren stayed cautious.
He didn't fully believe everything Dr. Manhattan said.
He opened his mouth again and laid out a condition to Dr. Manhattan.
This time, it was Dr. Manhattan's turn to think carefully.
He considered for a while before nodding, "I agree to your condition. So, what power do you want from me?"
Soren scratched his head, unable to think of anything right away.
What kind of ability?
Superman's powers were out of the question, so what other superhero could he draw inspiration from?
He stuffed his hands into his pockets, brainstorming furiously, and suddenly felt something he'd forgotten about.
His Digivice!
Ah, he almost forgot!
Soren pulled out the precious device, and an idea sparked instantly.
"Let's use this!" Soren licked his lips, excited.
...
Soren traveled across the universe again, this time from the distant Prometheus star system back to Earth.
The stars, moving faster than the speed of light, became streaks of light as they rushed past his ears.
He was coming from the depths of space, heading back to Earth, chasing a dream that still burned bright.
He was falling toward Earth.
He closed his eyes, feeling his heartbeat grow faster and stronger.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump-thump-thump, thump-thump-thump...
As the bright white light pierced through his eyelids, Soren snapped his eyes open.
"Sweetheart, we've already prepared a cozy little room for you," a woman's voice said softly, close by, "I know starting a new life can be tough, but we'll do our best to help you adjust. We hope you'll feel at home with us."
Soren blinked his eyes, trying to gather his thoughts.
He looked around and realized he was sitting in a moving car.
The woman next to him had her arm around him, leaning in, making some kind of promise.
—It seemed he had successfully landed, forcibly sent into the timeline of Earth-1 by Dr. Manhattan.
The white light from his time travel still lingered, faintly stinging his retinas.
He rubbed his eyes, but to his surprise, the woman beside him mistook the action for tears.
She quickly handed him a handkerchief and said, "Oh no, don't cry, darling. Everything's going to be okay..."
Soren quickly explained, "I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm not crying, my eyes just feel a bit off."
As he rubbed his eyes again, he finally got a clear look at her.
The woman had long, smooth, chestnut-colored hair and pale skin, with bright red lipstick.
She wore a black tweed suit and white lace gloves.
Her expression was filled with nervousness and worry, as if she feared he might jump out of the car any second.
Soon, her face softened with a hint of sadness, and she forced a small smile before gently saying, "My child, you can call me Renee."
"…Or whatever you feel comfortable with," she quickly added, as if worried her words might pressure him, "Charlie and I won't mind."
The man sitting in the front passenger seat turned around with a smile, looking at both of them, "That's right, kid. Relax, no need to be so tense. We're family now."
Soren nodded his head calmly, giving Renee a small, cautious smile in return.
He didn't say a word, but his understanding expression made Renee's heart ache even more.
With a tender look, she reached out her hand and gently patted Soren's golden hair.
It was soft and fluffy, shining like gold—so beautiful and sweet, just like the child she had lost.
"Everything's going to be okay, sweetheart," she murmured softly.
Soren lowered his head, quietly trying to figure out his situation.
By the time the couple led him out of the car and stood in front of an elegant lakeside mansion, Soren had pieced together some clues from their conversations.
It seemed he was a boy adopted from an orphanage by this couple, and his name was also Soren.
The couple, Mr. Hargreaves and Mrs. Hargreaves, appeared to be in their early forties—still relatively young by Earth's standards.
He wasn't sure why they had chosen to adopt him, but they seemed sincere.
The Hargreaves showed Soren around the four-story mansion, eventually leading him to a room they had prepared just for him on the third floor.
It had been carefully arranged, with soft cushions covering all the corners for safety, and toys that any boy his age would love.
Even the blankets on the bed felt soft, like clouds.
Compared to Clark Kent's rustic childhood room on the farm, this one was in a league of its own.
Sigh, Clark...
Soren thought to himself as he glanced at the calendar on the desk.
—It was already 2005.
Time had twisted and bent during his experience at the edge of the universe, and since Dr. Manhattan had the power to choose any timeline, it made sense that he could send Soren back to different points in time.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein