There is no doubt that adoptive father Jonathan's plan to let Clark hide himself has completely failed.
No matter how you defend it, this matter cannot be easily swept under the rug.
First, there were so many witnesses in the bank.
They saw with their own eyes how Clark defeated two bank robbers and survived a shotgun blast.
Unless Superman has a flash pen that can cause fragmentation and "click" to erase the memories of everyone present.
Otherwise, the confessions of so many people can serve as supporting evidence.
Furthermore, the surveillance cameras in the bank had already faithfully recorded everything that had happened before.
The irrefutable evidence is there, and there is no point in denying it.
"Kid, lying is not a good habit."
The fat police officer looked at the twisted double-barreled shotgun and secretly smacked his lips, wondering what kind of terrifying power it would take to do this.
There are also those two unlucky gangsters, their injuries don't look light either.
"Officer, I am on the school football team, and I often do some work on my father's farm. I have been exercising since I was a child, and I have a good body. It is reasonable to be stronger than others!"
Clark suddenly thought of a reason.
After getting to know his eldest cousin, he became more and more good at making excuses, and he was no longer the innocent small town boy.
Luke calls this change "growth."
"Oh, so everyone on your school's football team can bend the barrel of a gun and knock down two adult men weighing more than 160 pounds? You really think you are Rambo!"
The fat police officer looked at Clark, who was posing like a bodybuilder and showing off his strong muscles, and wondered if there was something wrong with the kid's brain.
"If all the children in America were as strong as you, we would have formed a super army long ago and ruled the world!"
Seeing this brave young man, he was unwilling to tell the truth.
The fat police officer was too lazy to continue wasting time. He turned around and asked people to maintain the scene, collect the physical evidence, and prepare to take Clark back to the police station for questioning.
Of course, he didn't want to interrogate the other party as a prisoner.
It's just out of police professional ethics and personal curiosity.
It's big news when high school students stop armed gangsters from robbing a bank.
No matter which city he is placed in, Clark's performance is amazing.
In this era before the proliferation of superheroes, any behavior beyond ordinary people's understanding will attract a lot of attention.
"Mr. Police Officer, people's physiques cannot be generalized. I have done things that are usually difficult to do when I was extremely angry."
A plain voice with a smile interjected, stopping the fat police officer from moving.
"Kent's behavior can actually be explained scientifically. For example, because adrenaline is secreted at a rapid rate and the blood flow speed is accelerated, thereby unleashing a powerful force that could not be exerted in the past? It is not as exaggerated as you think."
Seeing the person coming, Clark had a look of surprise on his face and said anxiously: "Big cousin...Mr. Cavill!"
Only Luke can help him at this time.
"Ah, is it Mr. Cavell? Why are you here?"
The fat police officer's original cold attitude has undergone a huge change of 180 degrees.
He knew the young man standing in front of him. Last week he had dinner with the town's administrative committee member.
A young rich man in the metropolis and a star in a small town, all kinds of auras are imposed on Luke's head, which is impressive.
Speaking of which, the American town management model is very strange. One is the town meeting system.
All residents of the town gather at least once a year to implement various administrative measures related to public security, personnel mobility, etc. through internal discussions.
There is also a town representative meeting system. It is similar to the one above, but all residents elect representatives to participate in the meeting. It is more efficient and saves time.
The town where the fat police officer is located is the second type. The administrative committee is responsible for all official work.
The most powerful and prestigious people are the town police chief and various committee members.
The latter are generally composed of wealthy families and the elite class, and they represent the "opinions" of all small town residents.
This small town is a microcosm of the political structure of the United States.
Seeing Luke appear, the fat police officer coughed twice and said in a slower voice: "But he was shot and not injured. Everyone saw it..."
"Maybe the gangsters purchased inferior firearms, or Kent may have learned some kind of Eastern 'Qigong'."
Luke said nonsense seriously.
"I know a Mr. Ma. It is said that the British strongman who weighed more than 200 pounds couldn't move a finger even though he tried his best. He was a master of martial arts."
The fat police officer looked confused. He didn't know why the topic turned to Eastern martial arts.
He scratched his head, and since he didn't want to offend the other party too much, he said hesitantly: "This is a big case. He will always go back with us and record a complete confession."
"Mr. Police Officer, are you going to take a boy who bravely stood up to protect his mother to the police station for questioning instead of intensifying the search to hunt down the escaped robber?"
Luke emphasized his tone and said seriously: "That man brought hundreds of thousands of dollars in banknotes and a gun. If we let him get away with it, he would be irresponsible for the personal and property safety of the residents of the town."
"What you have to do now is not to embarrass this courageous boy, but to immediately contact the highway patrol and state police along the way to hunt down the gun-toting gangster wearing a presidential mask!"
Although Luke is not much older than Clark in terms of age,
But his aura shocked the fat police officer, as if he was his superior.
After all, he had been a lieutenant general in the Pentagon and director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and he had developed the habit of giving orders, and the majesty of those in power was subconsciously revealed.
"Kent is a good kid and deserves to be rewarded, not interrogated like a prisoner."
After Luke said this, without looking at the fat police officer, he took Clark and his unconscious mother away.
The other party didn't say anything, just stood there awkwardly.
This kind of behavior immediately gained the adoring eyes of my little cousin.
Clark, who has not yet left the town, has a vague understanding of social status for the first time.
"I contacted the ambulance and sent Mrs. Kent to the town hospital first, and then called Jonathan over. It should be nothing serious."
Luke seemed to have understood the situation and quickly solved various problems.
Due to her emotional ups and downs, Mrs. Kent unfortunately fainted.
All I can say is that the accident came too suddenly.
By the time Jonathan arrived, it was already dark.
This Kansas farmer with a strong sense of morality first expressed his sincere gratitude to Luke, then replaced Clark who was guarding the bedside, held his wife's hand, and sat beside him to watch silently.
The latter gently closed the door and saw his eldest cousin sitting on the chair in the corridor.
"Now that you have time, let's talk?"
Luke rubbed his temples and said softly.
Maybe it's because of the "butterfly effect" that the plot was supposed to be on track.
It was like a speeding train that suddenly lost control and headed in an unknown direction.
He originally thought that he would watch dozens of episodes of Clark and Lana's bloody romance, and then wait for Superman to fight monsters in the novice village and upgrade, but he didn't expect to fast forward directly to the identity crisis.
A bank robbery exposed Clark's strength and was about to fall into the whirlpool of public opinion.
"Cousin, what should I do?"
The two walked to the vending machine, took two cans of Coke, and then found a quiet place to start talking.
Clark acted in a panic, and it was purely an accident that he encountered the gangsters robbing the bank.
In his desperation, he accidentally showed extraordinary strength in front of many witnesses.
After this, there will definitely be a series of chain reactions.
News spreads quickly in the town, and it won't be long before Clark becomes a household name.
"Don't be too nervous, Clark."
Luke calmed down his little cousin.
The current situation is actually a good thing for him.
Before, considering the resistance from the family, he did not interfere too much in Clark's life.
As Superman's parents, Jonathan and Martha definitely want their son to live a stable life.
It would be best to inherit the Kent farm, stay as a farmer in Kansas, get a wife and have children.
But Luke didn't think so. He wanted his little cousin's life to become more interesting.
Like, becoming a Kryptonian who knows Wing Chun
It's just that on an emotional level, the relationship between the eldest cousin who met again after being separated for many years is definitely not as deep as that between the adoptive father and the adoptive mother.
Arrogant interference in Clark's life will inevitably arouse resentment and resistance from the other party.
Stable structures always require external pressure to disrupt them.
And now is a good opportunity.
"Clark, things are far from the worst."
Luke opened the can and took a sip of the cold soda.
"I have solved the video captured by the surveillance camera in the bank."
"That is to say, apart from those witnesses, there is actually not enough evidence to prove that you are a... Saiyan."
Luke's words gave the little cousin a reassurance.
While staying in the hospital bed, Clark's mind was filled with horrific images of being locked up in a laboratory, having his blood drawn every day, and becoming extremely weak.
"Furthermore, in so many small towns across the United States, all kinds of strange things and scary stories will always appear."
Luke raised the corners of his mouth and continued.
"Are those all true?"
The more Clark listened, the happier he became, and his originally depressed mood instantly cheered up.
"So, those police won't come to me again? I won't be forced to drop out of school?"
The little cousin's thinking is still at a relatively simple level.
At this time, he was no different from other people of his age, his mind was full of hormones.
I just think about Lana's better face and her hot body full of youthfulness.
Seeing this, Luke shook his head helplessly.
Men's maturity is often due to women.
When Clark is completely broken up in love, he will realize that it is better to be a Saiyan with no feelings.
"but-"
Luke paused and said the word Clark didn't want to hear at all.
"It's impossible for me to erase all the influences. The residents of the town will start talking about you. They will attach some occult or religious things to you."
"Clark, that peaceful life has left you."
"Because they saw you crush a shotgun with your bare hands and nothing happened after being shot... This is some kind of incredible 'miracle', do you understand?"
The smile on the little cousin's face froze, and he was completely unaware of these problems.
Thinking of the spaceship in the Kent farm warehouse and his own identity, Clark seemed to be deeply shocked and dejected.
"That's why dad asked me to hide myself..."
He felt like he had messed up everything.
But in such a critical situation, he had no other choice but to rush forward to stop the gangster from harming his mother.
"Clark, have you ever thought that hiding yourself is not a good choice?"
Luke patted his little cousin on the shoulder and said slowly: "Jonathan must have told you that your coming to this world is meaningful. You are some kind of symbol, some kind of sign."
"But it is a thorny road. If you choose to be a flag or a beacon in the eyes of mankind, you will have to endure a lot of criticism."
"Those who are afraid of the unknown will misunderstand you, hurt you, and treat you as an alien or a monster."
Clark lowered his head, and the determination that originally shone in his eyes seemed to dim.
"So what do I do?"
He took a deep breath and looked at his eldest cousin, who was gradually building trust.
"Of course, debut and become an idol... Ahem, I mean, you can choose not to hide yourself, and tell the world who you are openly and openly!"
Luke was so convincing that he had already thought of a follow-up public relations plan.
As long as Clark agrees, Superman will appear in this world.
Then, it was like knocking over the first domino.
Superheroes will keep popping up like mushrooms after a rain.
"Instead of fearing rumors and allowing slander, why not be brave, stand in front of them, and tell them that you are full of good intentions?"
Luke's voice was full of infectious energy, making Clark's dim eyes shine again.
"Do I have to admit that I'm an alien?"
The little cousin asked hesitantly.
"It doesn't have to be like this. The identity of an alien will arouse the government's vigilance and the masses' rejection..."
Luke's eyes flickered, and he was thinking about what kind of origin story he should make up for his little cousin.
Bitten by some kind of animal
Or hit by gamma rays
"You came from the laboratory. A super soldier serum created Clark Kent, making you infinitely stronger."
Luke thought for a moment and spoke word by word.
"Laboratory, serum... Isn't this a bit too sci-fi?"
Clark scratched his head. He preferred the clichéd story in which the kind-hearted protagonist impressed the gods and was granted divine power.
"You can't steal the script from your own set."
Hearing his little cousin complain, Luke shook his head.
That belongs to the wisdom behind a locked door... Oh no, the wisdom of Solomon, the origin story of Shazam.
"The Vought Company under my name has negotiated some business related to biomodification with the Ministry of National Defense in the past two years, so it can serve as a suitable background."
Luke snapped his fingers, put his hand on his little cousin's shoulder, and said in a low voice: "I even thought of a code name for you, how about you call me 'Motherland'?" (End of Chapter)