Kapitel 66: Shadows and Surprises
—Maybe he had been a bit... too violent earlier.
—Clark must never know that the one who acted like a raging maniac was him.
A few words floated around his tongue, and Soren awkwardly shifted his gaze to Clark's Adam's apple.
Forcing the words out, he said, "I-I'm okay… just a little scared. Yeah, I got a bit scared… The lab building almost exploded…"
Clark's heart ached.
Of course, Soren had been terrified.
He quickly hugged him again and tried to comfort him, "It's okay now, it's over. Don't be scared, Soren. I'm here."
Soren mumbled a few vague words, then glanced up at Clark's perfectly sculpted face, remembering the Kryptonite ring that had slashed it earlier.
He needed to find a way to get that ring back from Lex Luthor...
But to Clark, Soren looked so scared that his eyes seemed distant and unfocused.
Clark was overwhelmed with guilt.
If... if only he could tell Soren that he was Metropolis' flying hero, then Soren wouldn't have to be this frightened.
Clark's chest felt tight, as if a cup of hot water was burning him from the inside.
Soren, lost in thought about his plan, suddenly noticed that Clark was still holding his hand tightly.
Soren: "?"
Surprised, he said, "Clark, are you also scared?"
Soren couldn't help but feel a bit affectionate.
Kryptonians grow up in peace and never face any real challenges, so this is probably the first time Clark's had to deal with such a strong enemy.
He must be nervous.
But it's okay, Soren thought.
With him here, no one will hurt Clark.
Clark might be unused to this, maybe even scared, but Soren could—and would—help him grow under his protection.
He'd always be there for him.
Thinking this, Soren squeezed Clark's hand back, their warm, dry palms pressed together, sending a soft, tingling sensation up Soren's arm.
Clark's body stiffened.
Soren had no idea.
His bright, soft baby-blue eyes sparkled as he leaned closer to Clark, signaling him to lower his head.
Soren then whispered into Clark's ear, genuinely trying to comfort him: "Sometimes people run into things they don't know how to handle… Clark, you don't have to worry. See? We're safe now, right? That 'flying guy' did an amazing job scaring away the monster!"
Clark: "??"
A deeply moved expression crossed Clark's face as he looked down at Soren.
—His Soren is the sweetest and bravest person in the world.
Even though he had been scared, Soren still found the courage to comfort him.
Clark was speechless, his heart burning with affection.
All he wanted was to pull Soren into a tight hug, kiss the top of his golden hair, and brush his lips against his pale, delicate ear.
But instead, he simply squeezed Soren's small hand tighter, their fingers intertwined.
Clark smiled warmly at him and said, "Alright, I understand."
They didn't leave the scene right away.
The incident had caused serious damage to the lab, marking it as a major safety emergency.
Since they were eyewitnesses, they had to stay and give statements to the police.
When questioned, both Soren and Clark played dumb, insisting they were too scared to remember anything clearly or know what had happened.
Most of the other people interviewed said the same thing.
After all, Metropolis had been peaceful for so long that its citizens had lost their basic sense of danger.
After the chaos, people quickly returned to their blind optimism.
The "Flying Man" of Metropolis seemed to always be protecting the city.
Would he become the guardian of this city, like Iron Man in New York?
The residents of Metropolis continued living happily in their bubble.
No one realized that this monster from the sky was just the beginning of the many disasters to come for Metropolis.
They waited until the afternoon before the investigators finally let them go home.
Clark drove Soren back to his place in his old secondhand Ford.
Once they got to Soren's apartment, Soren said he'd forgotten something, he went in, and came back with a small bag.
Smiling, he suggested, "How about I come over to your place for dinner tonight?"
Clark was thrilled and immediately nodded, "What do you want to eat?"
Soren put a finger on his chin, pretending to think, "Hmm… I'm not sure. What do you feel like eating, Clark?"
"Anything works. I've still got some chickpeas and pasta in the fridge. I can make spaghetti with meat sauce. Or, if you want something else, we can stop by the grocery store to pick up some ingredients." Clark replied while driving.
Soren nodded along with a soft "mm-hmm," but kept glancing at his phone.
Noticing Soren was distracted, Clark glanced over, "What's up?"
Soren quickly put away his phone, smiling, "Oh, nothing."
Clark raised an eyebrow, about to ask more, but then he suddenly tensed up, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
It was as if he had heard something.
He turned his head quickly, trying to stay calm as a wave of urgency hit him.
Clark exhaled slowly through his nose, a spark of light shining in his eyes.
They were stuck in traffic on the city overpass for half an hour before finally making it home during the evening rush.
Clark's rented apartment was on the eighth floor of an old, run-down building.
The elevator was small, outdated, and poorly maintained.
The lighting inside flickered a dim yellow, and there was even a large hole in one of the walls, making every ride up a little nerve-wracking.
Clark and Soren stepped out of the elevator and into the narrow hallway.
He fished his keys out of his pocket, inserting them into the lock and turning it gently.
But as he unlocked the door, his eyes were fixed on Soren.
Those Kryptonian-blue eyes were filled with warmth and joy.
"Boom!" Suddenly, they were hit with a shower of confetti, streamers, and shouts from all his friends.
The gray-green door swung open to reveal a sea of familiar, smiling faces, all cheering and calling out, "Happy birthday!" "Clark, happy birthday!"
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein