mtl008 Chapter 4305 Body of Steel ( )
Chapter 4305 Body of Steel ( )
Chapter 4305 Body of Steel (Part 10)
Although it was winter, the temperature rose somewhat after a heavy snowfall. But this wasn't good news, because sometimes rain is harder to bear than snow. That very night, a cold rain fell in Metropolis. When Diana brought Clark back to her apartment, they were both soaked to the bone, and even a demigod like her felt the chill that seeped into his bones.
Diana shivered violently, rubbed her arms, and took a deep breath. She first helped Clark to the sofa, then went to the bathroom to dry her hair and body. Without even taking a hot shower, she came out, took milk from the refrigerator, poured it into a glass, and put it in the microwave.
She wasn't sure if the powerful alien still possessed such a strong physique after being injured. To prevent him from getting hypothermia, Diana first found him a thick blanket, and then gave him a cup of hot milk.
Then she went back to the bedroom, rummaging around as she said, "I need to find a sheet to temporarily serve as a curtain for the living room. No one can find out you're here, or we might all be kicked out."
Clark was still very weak; even wrapped in a blanket, he was still trembling. He instinctively picked up the glass of warm milk, intending to put it in his mouth, but because his hands were shaking, he choked after just one sip.
"Cough, cough, cough!" He coughed violently, a surge of inexplicable anger rising within him. He slammed the cup down on the table, spilling half the milk; as he pulled his hand back, he accidentally knocked the cup over, and it fell to the ground with a crisp "crack".
“Oh my God, be quiet!” Diana whispered. “This apartment building isn’t very soundproof. It’s already past midnight, and we can’t disturb the neighbors, or we’ll get complaints.”
Just then, the doorbell rang. Diana rushed to the security camera by the door and saw it was the apartment building's security guard.
"Ah, hello, Mr. Davis. What can I do for you so late?"
"Someone said they saw you bring your boyfriend home."
“Yes,” Diana said through gritted teeth, “he’s drunk. It’s too cold tonight and his car won’t start, so he’ll have to stay here for the night.”
"Okay, you guys be careful not to make too much noise. This isn't the first time you've been complained about."
"Okay, I understand, thanks for reminding me."
After hanging up the call, Diana breathed a sigh of relief. Then she turned around to tidy up the table and said, "Let me help you back to your bedroom first. Please don't make any more noise. These apartments are very strictly managed, and they generally don't allow strangers to stay here. If I'm caught, the landlord will kick me out too."
Diana helped Clark into the bedroom, drew the curtains tightly shut, and poured him a glass of water, placing it on his bedside table. Only after confirming everything was alright did she close the bedroom door.
This is a studio apartment with only one bedroom and one living room. Don't be fooled by its small size; the rent is outrageously expensive because it's located in the heart of the metropolis, just a five-minute drive from the Metropolitan Museum of Art where she works, and you can even see a corner of the Luther Group building.
Because Clark had already given up the only bedroom, Diana had to make do on the sofa in the living room for the night. But she couldn't sleep, because if she didn't leave with Clark the next day, the apartment security guards might still cause trouble. If it attracted the attention of the police and they discovered that this alien might be staying with her, that would be a truly serious problem.
Diana and Clark had never met before and didn't know each other at all, let alone have any feelings for each other. Diana chose to bring Clark back because Superman's good deeds in Metropolis made her think he was a good person, and Diana was also a good person, so she would help as much as she could if she had the ability.
However, the problem now is that she doesn't have that much power. She is indeed an immortal being and a demigod, but her social class is somewhat awkward. She has never been a top-tier tycoon, she has no businesses, she's just an employee. Although her income is quite good, placing her in the upper-middle class, she has no control over society. Instead, she is constrained by social order and has to be subservient to various violent institutions.
As long as she wants to maintain her identity in human society, she must abide by the law and follow many unwritten rules. If she goes too far, others may not be able to kill her, but they can certainly cause her social death. She doesn't want to be a homeless fugitive.
Bringing Clark back to the apartment was already extremely risky; if the apartment manager found out, the landlord would immediately terminate the contract. According to unwritten rules, it's impossible to find housing in winter; any decent neighborhood won't accept residents during the winter, and even two superhumans stranded on the streets would be in a very sorry state.
Risking homelessness for Clark was already the limit of Diana's kindness. She had to find a way to resolve this series of troubles.
She spent the night in anxiety. When Diana woke up the next day, something even more devastating happened—Clark drew back the curtains, opened the window, and leaned most of her body out.
“Clark!!! Clark Kent!!!” Diana roared at him, “What are you doing?!!!!”
When Clark turned around, Diana was startled by the coldness in his eyes. It didn't look like he was going to commit suicide; it looked more like he was going to kill someone.
"Why...why can't I fly anymore?!"
"what?"
“I can’t fly!” Clark said, standing by the window against the light. “Even if I’m in the sun, I still can’t fly…”
“You…” Diana paused for a moment before saying, “You’re injured, and seriously injured. If you haven’t recovered, you probably won’t be able to fly.”
There was some uncertainty in her voice, because she knew absolutely nothing about Clark's race. She guessed that this type of alien might lose the ability to fly when injured.
“What do I need to do?” Clark asked.
“You’re injured, you need to rest,” Diana repeated. “You need to heal your wounds before you can regain your strength, right?”
"Get your injuries healed?" Clark repeated coldly. He leaned against the wall, staggered to Diana, stared into her eyes, and said, "My mother has been kidnapped, and I'm stuck here, unable to even go see her..."
Diana opened her mouth. She completely understood Clark's breakdown, but it was beyond her control. Even if she flew out to find someone now, leaving Clark alone here, he would definitely be discovered—his current mental state meant he couldn't possibly stay quietly in the room.
Even being evicted from the apartment wouldn't be the worst outcome. The military and police are currently searching for Clark, and if they find him here, he could very well be arrested for harboring a criminal.
So how did things turn out this way?! Diana thought, somewhat devastated, that she shouldn't have meddled in other people's business in the first place!
Even so, she took a deep breath and said, "I'll contact my friends and have them look for your mother. Your priority right now is to recover from your injuries; otherwise, you won't be able to find her..."
Clark stood there, stunned, for a long while before clenching his fist and slamming it against the wall. Even though he had lost most of his superpowers, the impact still shook the entire room like an earthquake. The table leaning against the wall toppled over, and Diana's laptop and a whole host of electronic devices crashed to the floor.
Diana had no time to look at those things. She blocked Clark's path as he limped out and said, "Where are you going?!"
"I need to find her, I need to find her... I can't live without her, she's my mother."
Diana stood firmly in his way, saying, "You really can't go out. There are police everywhere. You're no match for them in your current state; you'll get arrested!"
"Then what's your plan?!" Clark seemed to suddenly lose control, roaring angrily, veins bulging on his face. He reached out and shoved Diana, who, caught off guard, stumbled and nearly crashed into the wall.
“I can’t do anything about it,” Diana said. “Things have come to this point, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
Clark was like a bomb about to explode; a terrible rage completely overwhelmed his reason. In a daze, he seemed to be back in his own wheat field, roaring and howling madly for the dead lamb, for the death that none of them could stop.
"Clark...Clark..."
Before losing consciousness, Clark heard Diana calling his name. Her tone still held no anger, only shock and worry. At that moment, it was as if a strange emotion pierced through the tide of anger, like a swift piercing through the dark clouds, lingering in Clark's consciousness for a moment, then like a thunderclap, illuminating the entire night sky.
When Clark woke up again, he found himself in an unfamiliar place. It looked strange, yet there was a strange sense of familiarity about it. As the door opened, a tall figure walked in.
It was that officer. Clark scrambled to his feet warily, shrank into the corner, and glared angrily at the black officer who had walked in.
The other person merely glanced at him and said, "Perhaps he's right; you're still too young."
When Clark realized he was trembling, he became even more nervous, gripping the steel pipe so tightly that it deformed. That familiar anger surged up again, and he almost lost control of himself.
"Don't come any closer!" Clark shouted.
The other person stood before him with his hands behind his back. For some reason, the moment Clark saw his eyes, he felt a fleeting sense of clarity. But this feeling didn't last long.
“In your race, you are still just an infant. All of this is too cruel for you.”
Clark heard him muttering words that puzzled him, yet also filled him with an overwhelming sadness, reminding him of his parents.
“Martha…Martha…” Clark suddenly woke up. He stood up from the bed, but slumped to one side due to dizziness, eventually leaning against the wall. He then stared at the officer and said, “Lex Luthor kidnapped my mother! You have to save her! Save her!”
But through Clark's blurry vision, the black officer shook his head and said, "No, we can't save her. Only you can save her."
"But I'm injured! I've lost my superpowers, I can't even fly anymore. Where am I supposed to find her?!"
Suddenly, Clark felt someone touch his shoulder. He looked up and saw those eyes. His intuition told him that those eyes didn't belong to an officer; they didn't hold the coldness a soldier should have, but rather gentleness and wisdom.
“Look at me, Clark Kent,” he heard the black officer say. “Control yourself, banish those angry and violent emotions from your mind, rediscover yourself, and see the world anew. Only then can you save your mother.”
(End of this chapter)