(~˘▾˘)~~(˘▾˘~)
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Not long after Clark walked out of the clothing store, he disguised himself once again, and went back to the shop again, confirming that the shop owner hadn't recognized him. Suppressing his excitement, he left.
This was an ability he unexpectedly discovered after losing his vision.
He had already explained to those who were close to him like Chloe and Pete that his temporary visual impairment was due to some illness, and he wasn't sure if he could recover.
Chloe and Pete were worried and concerned. Chloe feared he might become depressed and self-destructive during the holidays due to the possibility of going blind.
As before, Chloe took him to act as his journalist assistant, wanting Clark to feel useful, that he could still do many things, letting him get used to the situation to build his confidence and prevent him from dwelling on his situation.
Thinking about this, Clark, who looked like a blind man with a white cane, walked along the street, a slight smile tugging at his lips.
However, some people who were familiar with him would sometimes inquire about his eyes when they bumped into him.
Clark knew that many of these inquiries were well-intentioned.
'But telling a lie even once is difficult; with each person who asks, I have to repeat the same falsehood.'
A hint of helplessness crossed his face.
So, during the time before and after the holidays, whenever he encountered someone familiar, he would hide, hoping they wouldn't see him or recognize him.
Unexpectedly, this strategy actually worked.
Clark didn't even know when he developed this ability.
Initially, he thought it was the sunglasses that were concealing him, but even without them or when he deliberately stopped someone, they still didn't recognize him.
Familiar voices and heartbeats convinced him that he was correct.
Knock knock!
Somewhere in an apartment building in Metropolis, Clark knocked on the door.
"You finally made it, Clark. Come in."
Chloe, who was just doing her makeup and hair, hurriedly welcomed the blind Clark into the room.
"I thought something happened to you on the way. It scared the hell out of me."
This wasn't Smallville, a small country town; Metropolis was full of traffic.
"Don't worry about me, Chloe. You've seen me moving around just fine. I'm very comfortable with my current life."
Clark smiled.
"If it was Pete instead of you, seeing you go up and down the stairs like a regular person over this time, I'd seriously suspect you were playing a prank."
After thinking about it, Chloe agreed with a nod.
Clark somehow managed to adapt to a blind person's life in just under two days, even better than a handicapped person who had been blind for decades.
But Chloe had gotten used to his strangeness to some extent.
"Sometimes, I wonder if you have some kind of ability to hypnotize."
Sitting back at her dressing table, Chloe continued fixing her hair in front of the mirror and casually mentioned it, but it made Clark's heart feel tighter.
"How so?"
"There's a unique kind of charm about you. Despite being so excellent in various things, people always ignore you and regard you like a background character on campus."
Tall, handsome, athletic, academically gifted...
Clark had countless advantages, yet he has always been a little transparent at Smallville High.
"Speaking of excellence, I think your cousin is the truly outstanding one.
Why haven't you mentioned her before – Lois Lane being your cousin."
Although Clark wasn't sure if this ability had existed before, he pushed aside his sunglasses and changed the subject, while also asking a question he had been curious about.
"You know, it's not always a good thing when someone in the family is much better than you."
Chloe said helplessly after putting on makeup.
"…"
Clark fell silent. He could relate to that sentiment.
"When will I have the honor to meet your cousin?"
He recalled, looking dazed into the distance.
"Her writing carries a fearless spirit, her words sharp and precise. Reading Lois Lane's articles is like watching a powerful and thrilling war dance."
During this period of blindness, his world was dark, but he had time to do things he rarely did before, like reading...
His perspectives greatly expanded through newspapers and news, among which Lois Lane's reporting style deeply attracted him, unafraid to expose darkness and corruption.
Snap!
"She's busy. Have you made great military achievements? Do you have billions in net worth? Or are you a well-known celebrity? If not, she probably doesn't have the time."
Chloe closed her makeup box with a slap, then hit her forehead with her palm, retracting her previous evaluation. Clark wasn't without his flaws either; not understanding the girls, it was difficult for him to become popular on campus.
Praising one girl in front of another girl?
"But her articles also cover interviews with children in war-torn countries, residents of chaotic neighborhoods, victims of pollution from big company factories..."
Clark remained oblivious, thinking that he couldn't summarize all the reports from the famous female journalist who was making waves in the news industry.
It was also because of reading her news that he learned that there were so many people in miserable situations in the world, countless people in need of help. This is what motivated him to do something.
For example, making 'Blue Hood' appear in the city of Metropolis.
'Now with the new ability I can change my appearance a bit, I remember David said my previous outfit made him look like a bank robber.'
"Clark!"
"What's wrong?"
Clark was a bit flustered, not knowing why his friend suddenly shouted. From the rapid breathing and heartbeat, it sounded like she was angry.
Being blind did not fail to bring some troubles to his life, too. For instance, although Clark's eyes could still emit heat vision, he couldn't read people's expressions anymore and observe some situations.
"Do you have any objections to the plan of accompanying me to interview the Vietnam War veteran today? Do you find it too ordinary?"
"No, of course not."
Clark said waving his hand back and forth.
"Very Good."
Chloe forcefully suppressed her anger, stuffed the notebook they would use for the interview into Clark's arms, and said,
"Then let's go now."
...
Bang!
"Don't move, stay still."
"We have that policewoman in our hands. We're on the rooftop of the courthouse."
A group of thieves wearing absurd animal masks captured a policewoman and knocked her out.
An audacious kidnapping, they kidnapped a witness on the rooftop of a courthouse. The leader of this group of robbers was not at all in a hurry, speaking to his Boss on the other end of the phone, next to a helicopter that had been prepared in advance.
"Besides her, there's no other evidence against you, sir."
"Good. Angelle, I have an important meeting at one o'clock, so quickly settle this matter for me, and leave as quickly as possible with her in the helicopter."
On the other end of the call, an older man with gray hair and the appearance of a successful businessman flashed a sharp look in his eyes and said indifferently.
"Okay, sir."
"Let go of that woman!"
Suddenly, a voice came.
The group of thieves, wearing bulletproof vests and armed to the teeth, swiftly turned to see who had spoken. They thought it was some pursuing cops who had followed them to the rooftop, but instead, they saw a young man in a blue T-shirt.
The tall and well-built man, who looked like a Greek sculpture came to life, stood with his back straight and chest out under the sunlight, his carefully designed movements meant to exude a sense of safety seemed a little unpracticed and a red cape billowed behind him.
"Boy, did you escape from a circus or something?"
Seeing that he wasn't armed, the leader with the monkey mask was taken aback for a moment, then pointed his gun at the young man and chuckled while mocking him. The rest of the gang joined in the laughter.
"Today, I'm in a good mood. I'll give you one chance to get out of my sight in three seconds."
"What if I don't?"
"What if you don't?!"
Not receiving the expected reaction, the leader with the monkey mask's expression turned dark.
"Shoot him, turn him into Swiss cheese!"
Rat-tat-tat!
Faced with the blue figure in the sunlight, the gang of thieves burst into laughter as they pulled the triggers, and the muzzles looked as if spewing fiery snakes while bullets roared through the air.
"Go to hell, stupid boy!"
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(~˘▾˘)~Don't forget to send your power-stones!~(˘▾˘~)