The Return of Superman

The Return of Superman

Metropolis

After dealing with several robbers, Jero quickly flew away from the scene, finding refuge in a sewer. He removed his armor and, as if nothing had happened, followed the sewer to a subway station. From there, he took the subway back home.

Sitting on the noisy subway, gazing at the pitch-black tunnel outside, Jero lost himself in thought.

What reassured Jero the most was that he had proudly declared himself as "Ultraman." He couldn't help but worry about what ridiculous nicknames the damned Lighthouse Country media might come up with if he hadn't used the name "Ultraman."

He feared they might call him things like "Lightblade Hero," "Ray Captain," or "Silver Armor Man," which sounded absurd.

Compared to those, Jero preferred the name "Ultraman," a name he had heard since childhood in his previous life.

About half an hour later, the subway arrived at his destination. Jero got off the train with his belongings and returned to the warehouse he had rented.

There were many warehouses for rent in Metropolis, and Jero didn't want to bother his elder brother. He also had his secrets to keep, so he decided to live in a warehouse.

He opened a bottle of milk, found two slices of bread and a slice of ham, added a piece of lettuce and some salad dressing. With a diagonal cut using a knife, he made a simple sandwich for dinner.

After dinner, Jero took a hot shower, and the relaxation of his muscles brought him great relief.

Jero lay down on the sofa bed and called out to Oya, hoping to find more targets with Oya's help.

"Oya, is there anyone in Metropolis worth keeping an eye on lately?"

Oya's neutral voice echoed in Jero's ear, "After your and Mr. Clark's clean-up, most of the criminals have gone into hiding. Only a few suspected targets remain active."

"Alright," Jero said, adjusting his blanket. He then instructed Oya, "Notify me the moment there's any suspicious activity."

"Understood."

At the same time, in the top-floor office of the tallest building in all of Metropolis, Lex Luthor, a brilliant mind, was working on a 3D modeling project. He occasionally wore a troubled expression as he made modifications to the model.

"Knock, knock."

At this moment, the office door was knocked on. Lex closed the 3D model in his hands before saying, "Come in."

"Mr. Luthor."

His secretary, Miss Mercy, entered, holding a stack of reports. She placed the reports on Lex's desk and then spoke with her crisp voice, "Another 'superhero' has emerged in Metropolis today."

"A superhero?"

Lex's expression had a hint of amusement. He opened the report handed to him by Miss Mercy and saw pictures of Jero in his Ultraman Armor during a battle. Lex looked at the figure in the silver-red armor fighting and said in a low voice, "I thought there was only one 'man' in this city who liked to fly around in his pajamas and play boy scout. I never expected another one to show up, and he even calls himself UltraMan, such audacity."

"Do we need to deal with this superhero called Ultraman, Mr. Luthor?" Miss Mercy inquired.

With Lex Luthor's usual style, he couldn't stand a bunch of superheroes running amok in his city. Even Superman had been the target of Lex Luthor's attacks on several occasions. However, Miss Mercy didn't think that a guy in strange armor could compare to Superman.

"Deal with him?"

Lex Luthor raised an eyebrow disdainfully and continued, "Does he even qualify for me to deal with him? The only one worthy of being my adversary is that extraterrestrial visitor—Superman! Only by defeating him can I prove my brilliance."

"I understand, Mr. Luthor," Miss Mercy nodded. "However, at the scene of that guy's battle, we captured some unknown residual particles that have never been found in humans."

"Unknown particles?"

More than Jero himself, the Spacium particles not present in the DC world intrigued Lex Luthor.

Miss Mercy explained the detailed laboratory findings, "These particles possess remarkable stability and could even be used as weapons. However, they also have the potential to cause genetic mutations, similar to radiation."

"Interesting particles..." Lex Luthor pondered with his head down and then told Miss Mercy, "Send me a detailed report on these particles. I believe I have a plan."

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Luthor." After receiving Lex's instructions, Miss Mercy brought up another matter for his consideration. "Miss Lena has expressed a desire to go out and make new friends lately. What do you think?"

"Don't worry about her," Lex casually replied. "If she wants to go somewhere, let her. Just make sure she's safe."

Next Day - Nighttime

Jero was searching for traces of super-powered criminals. He had been scouring the areas in Metropolis most prone to crime for most of the night but had only found one drug dealer with hands that emitted heat.

After knocking out the drug dealer with his silver-red fists, Jero called the police. Just then, a voice sounded behind him.

"Would you like to have a brotherly chat, Jero?"

Instinctively, Jero turned around, and there, in the black night, a crimson cape fluttered in the wind. Beneath the blue costume was a physique akin to that of a Greek sculpture, with a diamond-shaped S emblem on the chest shining brightly.

In addition to the unmistakable curl of hair that couldn't be changed no matter how many reboots, Jero could recognize this person without anyone saying a word.

"Clark?!" Jero exclaimed in surprise. "Is the farmwork at home over? How have Mom and Dad been lately?"

Looking at Superman, who had returned from Smallville, Jero felt happy. It had been a while since he had seen his brother, and he also missed his foster parents working on the farm.

Upon hearing this, Superman descended from the sky. He gazed at his younger brother, whom he hadn't seen for some time, and said, "They're doing very well. This year's harvest on the farm has been great, and they've even saved up enough for your first two years of college. They're all very happy. Would you like to catch up with them?"

"Of course, that's no problem," Jero replied. "I don't have any other plans for tonight. But I don't fly as fast as you, so don't leave me behind."

"Of course not," Superman said with a smile. Then he looked up at the sky and added, "Let's go somewhere else; this place isn't suitable."

Afterward, Superman slowly flew into the sky, and Jero quickly activated his flight system to follow.

(End of this chapter)