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Chapter 81 Got You
Metropolis, the next morning.
A new day began, as always, with a fast-paced rhythm. People with hurried steps embarked on another busy day, the city's clamor never ceasing. Warm sunlight scattered amidst the forest of iron and glass. From high above, the passing vehicles resembled a meandering river, and the faint honking of horns rose from bustling intersections.
A well-dressed Clark Kent bought a cup of coffee from a street cart and smiled, waving good morning as he passed an old man's newsstand. A taxi behind him blared its horn, and the driver leaned out, shouting, "Watch where you're going!" Startled, Clark's hand twitched, and the coffee he had just taken a sip of splattered into a puddle on the ground.
Seven fifty-five. With only five minutes before work, Clark rushed into the main entrance of the Daily Planet. His briefcase got caught in the automatic door, the lid flew open, and its contents scattered all over the floor.
He frantically stuffed his documents, lunch, an apple, and a photo of his dad from the Kansas Farm back into his briefcase, then rushed toward the closing elevator in the hall. Unfortunately, he stepped in a puddle along the way. The young reporter instantly lost his balance and slid forward helplessly, smacking his nose on the cold elevator doors right as they shut.
Flustered, he scrambled up to press the button again, but the jolt caused his briefcase to pop open. Once again, its contents scattered everywhere. The disheveled reporter crouched down to gather his things, completely missing his poor apple as it rolled far away, where it was nonchalantly picked up and pocketed by a passing janitor.
A few women in the hall giggled at his comical, Chaplin-esque display. Clark picked up his briefcase, adjusted his glasses, and scratched his head sheepishly, giving the ladies a good-natured wave.
Kara, who had seen the whole thing, was silent for a long moment.
"I'm starting to understand why a pair of glasses is enough to stop people from recognizing Kal as Superman."
"Me too." Orin Vale nodded, crossing his arms.
While the glasses were a part of Superman's secret identity disguise, his acting was also a huge factor. He portrayed the character of Clark Kent—a clumsy country bumpkin, a magnet for misfortune—so convincingly that his whole demeanor was fundamentally different from Superman's.
It actually seemed understandable that people couldn't tell they were the same person.
At noon, they finally sat down at a dining table.
"Ah!? You're the one... the one..."
Clark's eyes widened as he looked at Orin Vale in disbelief.
"Heavens, I could only see that you possessed an immense amount of energy, but I never thought... you're *the* 'Ultraman'?"
"Yeah, yeah, I told you! Orin Vale is super awesome!" Kara said, her face full of admiration.
"I've heard about you too." Clark's eyes seemed to sparkle as he looked at Orin Vale. "It started with the Starro incident, right? That gigantic alien invader...
"And then the time with the dream! You can actually enter dreams? You saved all of them from an endless nightmare, and more importantly, you inspired every single one of them.
"Then the tsunami. I saw the video on YouTube. I saw you push back the tsunami... and here I was, thinking I was pretty much omnipotent..."
"Uh, thanks."
"No, I should be the one thanking you." Clark's expression was sincere. "You probably didn't know me before, but you have no idea how much you've helped me."
Orin Vale raised an eyebrow.
He had?
"Before... I was always lost," Clark said. "Before I came to Metropolis, my parents told me they understood my desire to let myself be free, and they fully supported me. But they also warned me that once I let the world see the truth, there would be no going back.
"And I quickly understood they were right. Because I'm different from everyone around me. I'm an outsider. I grew up here, but I don't belong here.
"As a child, I would often gaze up at the starry sky and ask my parents again and again if there were others. Maybe they were like me, maybe they also came from the stars, living in some corner of this world..."
Then Clark smiled.
It was his most sincere, sunny smile.
"Then I saw you," he said. "You showed me that my guess was right, that I really wasn't alone.
"Not only that, but through your actions, you answered the question that had always confounded me—how I should reveal myself to this world, and how I should use these abilities of mine.
"From the very first moment I saw you, I felt an uncontrollable excitement deep inside, as if a voice was telling me, 'This is it! This is what I want!'
"That's why I am who I am today, trying to make a public appearance for the first time in my life. They even gave me a name like yours, haha..."
Orin Vale: "..."
A strange thought suddenly occurred to him. Could the people of this world have really been inspired by the name Ultraman, and that's why they came up with Superman?
"There's another important reason I came to Metropolis, or rather, it's because of a terrifying enemy," Orin Vale said in a low voice. "His name is Brainiac."
It was the first time Clark had heard the name. "What a strange name."
Kara, however, let out a small "Ah!" and immediately tensed up.
"You... you mean, Brainiac?"
"Kara, you know him?" Clark asked.
"Of course. He... he's a mechanical demon, a living nightmare. I'll never forget that day... No."
She bit her lip.
"Even the Kryptonian Army was helpless against him. If he comes... if he comes to Earth..."
"Don't worry, I'm here to discuss this very problem," Orin Vale said.
"Brainiac's target isn't just Earth's civilization, but also the three of us. We are all on his collection list, which is why I came specifically to warn you. We need to be prepared.
"But don't worry too much. I might have a small clue about his invasion plan. There's a mole among the humans. Someone has secretly made some kind of agreement with Brainiac to help him capture Kryptonians."
Clark immediately thought of last night's events and asked in surprise, "General Lane?"
"I thought so too, yesterday. But I went to that base last night and checked. It wasn't him. There was no trace of Brainiac there."
Orin Vale narrowed his eyes.
"However, I think I already know who it is."
On the Metropolis overpass, Lex Luthor sat in the back of his stretch limousine, taking a call.
"...Of course, I know you're right. You don't need to tell me. I am indeed the greatest scientific genius in the world. But you still need to be more forthcoming if I'm to consider the possibility of cooperation.
"But you were right about 'Superman'. I did underestimate him... What? 'Krypton'? Does that word have some meaning?
"Why do you keep repeating..."
Lex Luthor was gradually losing his patience.
"I said, I need more honesty, more information... Yes, 'Brainiac,' your name, I already know that. But I need to know more. Where do you come from? And more importantly..."
"...What exactly *are* you!?"
Meanwhile, Orin Vale, whose super-hearing was locked onto Luthor the entire time, felt the corners of his mouth lift slightly.
It really is you, Baldy.
Got you.
(end of chapter)
Metropolis, the next morning.
A new day began, as always, with a fast-paced rhythm. People with hurried steps embarked on another busy day, the city's clamor never ceasing. Warm sunlight scattered amidst the forest of iron and glass. From high above, the passing vehicles resembled a meandering river, and the faint honking of horns rose from bustling intersections.
A well-dressed Clark Kent bought a cup of coffee from a street cart and smiled, waving good morning as he passed an old man's newsstand. A taxi behind him blared its horn, and the driver leaned out, shouting, "Watch where you're going!" Startled, Clark's hand twitched, and the coffee he had just taken a sip of splattered into a puddle on the ground.
Seven fifty-five. With only five minutes before work, Clark rushed into the main entrance of the Daily Planet. His briefcase got caught in the automatic door, the lid flew open, and its contents scattered all over the floor.
He frantically stuffed his documents, lunch, an apple, and a photo of his dad from the Kansas Farm back into his briefcase, then rushed toward the closing elevator in the hall. Unfortunately, he stepped in a puddle along the way. The young reporter instantly lost his balance and slid forward helplessly, smacking his nose on the cold elevator doors right as they shut.
Flustered, he scrambled up to press the button again, but the jolt caused his briefcase to pop open. Once again, its contents scattered everywhere. The disheveled reporter crouched down to gather his things, completely missing his poor apple as it rolled far away, where it was nonchalantly picked up and pocketed by a passing janitor.
A few women in the hall giggled at his comical, Chaplin-esque display. Clark picked up his briefcase, adjusted his glasses, and scratched his head sheepishly, giving the ladies a good-natured wave.
Kara, who had seen the whole thing, was silent for a long moment.
"I'm starting to understand why a pair of glasses is enough to stop people from recognizing Kal as Superman."
"Me too." Orin Vale nodded, crossing his arms.
While the glasses were a part of Superman's secret identity disguise, his acting was also a huge factor. He portrayed the character of Clark Kent—a clumsy country bumpkin, a magnet for misfortune—so convincingly that his whole demeanor was fundamentally different from Superman's.
It actually seemed understandable that people couldn't tell they were the same person.
At noon, they finally sat down at a dining table.
"Ah!? You're the one... the one..."
Clark's eyes widened as he looked at Orin Vale in disbelief.
"Heavens, I could only see that you possessed an immense amount of energy, but I never thought... you're *the* 'Ultraman'?"
"Yeah, yeah, I told you! Orin Vale is super awesome!" Kara said, her face full of admiration.
"I've heard about you too." Clark's eyes seemed to sparkle as he looked at Orin Vale. "It started with the Starro incident, right? That gigantic alien invader...
"And then the time with the dream! You can actually enter dreams? You saved all of them from an endless nightmare, and more importantly, you inspired every single one of them.
"Then the tsunami. I saw the video on YouTube. I saw you push back the tsunami... and here I was, thinking I was pretty much omnipotent..."
"Uh, thanks."
"No, I should be the one thanking you." Clark's expression was sincere. "You probably didn't know me before, but you have no idea how much you've helped me."
Orin Vale raised an eyebrow.
He had?
"Before... I was always lost," Clark said. "Before I came to Metropolis, my parents told me they understood my desire to let myself be free, and they fully supported me. But they also warned me that once I let the world see the truth, there would be no going back.
"And I quickly understood they were right. Because I'm different from everyone around me. I'm an outsider. I grew up here, but I don't belong here.
"As a child, I would often gaze up at the starry sky and ask my parents again and again if there were others. Maybe they were like me, maybe they also came from the stars, living in some corner of this world..."
Then Clark smiled.
It was his most sincere, sunny smile.
"Then I saw you," he said. "You showed me that my guess was right, that I really wasn't alone.
"Not only that, but through your actions, you answered the question that had always confounded me—how I should reveal myself to this world, and how I should use these abilities of mine.
"From the very first moment I saw you, I felt an uncontrollable excitement deep inside, as if a voice was telling me, 'This is it! This is what I want!'
"That's why I am who I am today, trying to make a public appearance for the first time in my life. They even gave me a name like yours, haha..."
Orin Vale: "..."
A strange thought suddenly occurred to him. Could the people of this world have really been inspired by the name Ultraman, and that's why they came up with Superman?
"There's another important reason I came to Metropolis, or rather, it's because of a terrifying enemy," Orin Vale said in a low voice. "His name is Brainiac."
It was the first time Clark had heard the name. "What a strange name."
Kara, however, let out a small "Ah!" and immediately tensed up.
"You... you mean, Brainiac?"
"Kara, you know him?" Clark asked.
"Of course. He... he's a mechanical demon, a living nightmare. I'll never forget that day... No."
She bit her lip.
"Even the Kryptonian Army was helpless against him. If he comes... if he comes to Earth..."
"Don't worry, I'm here to discuss this very problem," Orin Vale said.
"Brainiac's target isn't just Earth's civilization, but also the three of us. We are all on his collection list, which is why I came specifically to warn you. We need to be prepared.
"But don't worry too much. I might have a small clue about his invasion plan. There's a mole among the humans. Someone has secretly made some kind of agreement with Brainiac to help him capture Kryptonians."
Clark immediately thought of last night's events and asked in surprise, "General Lane?"
"I thought so too, yesterday. But I went to that base last night and checked. It wasn't him. There was no trace of Brainiac there."
Orin Vale narrowed his eyes.
"However, I think I already know who it is."
On the Metropolis overpass, Lex Luthor sat in the back of his stretch limousine, taking a call.
"...Of course, I know you're right. You don't need to tell me. I am indeed the greatest scientific genius in the world. But you still need to be more forthcoming if I'm to consider the possibility of cooperation.
"But you were right about 'Superman'. I did underestimate him... What? 'Krypton'? Does that word have some meaning?
"Why do you keep repeating..."
Lex Luthor was gradually losing his patience.
"I said, I need more honesty, more information... Yes, 'Brainiac,' your name, I already know that. But I need to know more. Where do you come from? And more importantly..."
"...What exactly *are* you!?"
Meanwhile, Orin Vale, whose super-hearing was locked onto Luthor the entire time, felt the corners of his mouth lift slightly.
It really is you, Baldy.
Got you.
(end of chapter)
