SUP Chapter 28: The Way to Solve the Problem

In the upstairs bedroom, the desk lamp cast Ian’s shadow on the wall, twisting into a monstrous, clawing figure. In reality, he sat cross-legged on a chair, staring at his small computer.

The computer fan hummed softly as Ian’s fingers flew across the keyboard, browser windows popping up one after another, all news from Metropolis’s previous day.

Metropolis Daily, Star Forum, City News Express. Ian scoured for clues about what happened to Superman and what might befall Metropolis.

Confronting his father, Clark?

The thought had crossed his mind, but he recalled the female reaper’s reappearance, clearly stopping him.

There had to be a reason! Would Superman’s involvement worsen things, or hasten death?

“I hate riddlers.”

Calming down, Ian knew from his understanding of Clark that even if he revealed he knew his father was Superman and mentioned his talk with a mysterious reaper, Clark would never let him join the investigation.

To his parents, he was a patient with slight mental issues.

And to Superman, humans were too fragile.

So, Clark would always face things alone, doing everything to keep his family out of his dangers.

A confrontation wouldn’t lead to father-son teamwork.

Ian even worried that, given Clark’s cautious nature, he might send him to a mystical hero’s home, wasting days on exorcisms or threat assessments.

Only seven days.

Ian didn’t want to be dragged off for an exorcism. He considered seeking help from the true brain of the operation, Gotham’s uncrowned king.

But after much thought, Ian dropped the idea. Not because he feared exposing himself as special.

As long as he didn’t reveal he was a transmigrator, this world was full of special people, too many to count.

At worst, Batman would note him down and devise contingency plans.

Special people with abilities all got this treatment; it was equal, so it had no real impact.

Ian’s concern was Batman’s attitude. He hadn’t met this world’s Batman and couldn’t gauge his stance toward Superman.

Maybe Metropolis would be saved, but whether Superman could be depended on Batman’s mood.

Superman had died under Batman’s schemes before.

Ian couldn’t take that gamble. Unlike some arrogantly self-assured transmigrators who thought everyone would pledge loyalty to them, believing they could control Batman, Ian had no such confidence in his “peerless wisdom” before DC’s greatest intellect. Maybe only facing Batman’s century-rotted tombstone could his wisdom shine.

That was self-awareness.

Everyone had it before Batman. He wasn’t some universally helpful saint; only the on-screen Batman was the beloved fan favorite.

Thus, Ian shelved seeking Batman’s help for now.

With seven days, he could try other options within three.

Like asking Wonder Woman for help? She surely had miraculous methods, and her status carried weight. Plenty of friendly superheroes like her existed.

Ian could even target the reapers.

Rules preventing death without a reaper’s soul collection must have loopholes.

Or Lucifer at the Light Lounge, struggling to woo God’s chosen girl, offered a deal worth considering.

But dealing with the King of Hell required careful thought.

“As for whether Metropolis falls, that’s for superheroes to worry about… I don’t care that much.” Ian’s thinking was simple: he cared only for his family.

With a family of family-first heroes, he inherited some of that. Compared to his hero-destined brothers, Ian felt even more selfish.

“Nothing wrong with that.”

Ian reassured himself. As a former academic ace, multitasking was second nature. While pondering, he scanned news online.

In the data jungle, Ian hunted for any suspicious traces.

[Metropolis Central Park cherry blossoms bloom early; experts cite global warming, urge Eastern nations to cut carbon for Western use.]

[Subway Line 3 abruptly sealed, suspected ancient creature remains found underground.]

[LexCorp’s new clean energy project gains government backing.]

…

News flashed past Ian’s eyes as he scrolled rapidly. Suddenly, a morning news story caught his sharp attention.

[Starlight Airlines Flight 143 Crashes]

[Outrage! Superman’s late rescue: 12 dead, 36 injured, only 114 unharmed. We must question what Superman was doing!]

The headline and soul-searching text were paired with a jarring photo: the plane hitting the ground, a red-and-blue figure arriving too late in the distance.

The clear snapshot, laced with malice, screamed LexCorp-controlled media. Ian wasn’t surprised.

If Lex Luthor’s media didn’t bash Superman, that’d be the real shock. Still, the news wasn’t entirely fabricated.

“Plane crash…”

Ian’s eyes narrowed.

He recalled the classroom windows rattling that morning, the distant muffled explosion, and the calm teachers amid the city’s smoke, which he’d grumbled about for a while.

Now, it seemed something was indeed off.

A stronger Superman shouldn’t fail to save a crashing plane. Only one reason explained it, something held his father up, delaying him.

“Maybe I can start there.” Ian dug further online, finding a video shared by a cosplay model named “Big Pokeball” on social media.

Well, the cheerleader’s “balls” were indeed big.

But the focus was the paid video’s background, filmed from a high-rise, clearly showing a wobbling figure in the sky, not the model’s assets, but his unsteady father, confirming Ian’s suspicions.

“Something happened just before the crash!” Relying on his “family” resolve, Ian forced himself to focus on what mattered.

Normally, Superman wouldn’t fly so shakily. This only happened if he was compromised, perhaps just escaping a thorny situation.

And already injured!

“Maybe someone among them noticed if Dad was hurt.” Ian sifted through crash-related news, locking onto the hospital where the injured were gathered, thinking he might find clues from them.

“That’s the plan.”

The worn [Psychic Card] flipped in Ian’s hand.

He had a decision and a plan.

But first, he had to get through tonight.

“Good thing I used Jordan’s account for the video. Hope Mom doesn’t chew him out too hard when she sees the charge.”

“I’m sure Jordan will feel a sense of accomplishment getting scolded, knowing it’s all to save our dear dad!”

“Jordan’s our family’s real superhero!” Ian multitasked, hunting for more clues while watching the paid video in a small window.

No choice.

His soul came from a frugal nation.

Wasting money? Shameful. Multitasking, even three ways, was no issue for him.

[NEXT CHAPTER]