33: Date
Creating things was fun; there was something about it that Daniel found relaxing. Simply seeing how something you designed came to life was exciting.
"With this, it should work," It was the size of an iPad, though less thin, and had two antennas, each 20 centimeters long, on each side. It was dark blue with a D where a brand logo would typically be if this were a commercial device.
After all, he was a superhero; he should mark his stuff, right?
He turned on the device, which was wirelessly connected to another device resembling a two-meter-tall antenna.
"The scan should take two hours." There was too much kryptonite around Smallville, so he first needed to do a general scan to locate the areas where the special radiation emitted by the alien material was present. Then, using the manual radar, he could approach those places and get the detailed location of each fragment, no matter how small.
After that? He would let Carol decide what to do with the material; preferably, destroying it would be best.
As he let the scanner work, he noticed an alert on one of his monitors. Fortunately, it was nothing dangerous, just a reminder he had set to meet with Carol. After all, he had told her he would hang out with her.
Before leaving, he checked the world news. So far, there was nothing that required his immediate attention, which was a good thing. He took the disposable cell phone he had modified and began to leave his workshop.
Earlier, he had taken a trench coat, but it was no longer necessary. After all, he had started creating several sets of clothes using Element V, so theoretically, he no longer had to worry about ending up naked out of nowhere.
"I should make some for Carol too," he murmured under his breath. It would certainly make her more comfortable.
"Make what for me?" The voice almost made Daniel jump. When did she get there? He turned to find her leaning outside his workshop.
And when he saw her, Daniel had to pause for a moment.
"C-Carol?" he said, bewildered, but he quickly regained his composure. Why did he stutter? He didn't stutter!
She noticed his strange reaction, making a smile appear on her face.
"What do you think? I've never dressed up before, so I'm not sure if I did it right."
Carol pointed at herself with some nervousness, and Daniel remained silent for a moment as he looked at her.
Although she was still Carol, saying that she felt the same wouldn't be accurate. Normally, she was quite good at hiding her appearance, but this time it seemed she didn't want to, which was somewhat dangerous.
Smallville was too small a town.
"I don't think we can go out with you looking like that," he said honestly without thinking too much, making Carol freeze.
"W-what, is something wrong or—" Daniel interrupted her before she could continue, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"You're perfect, too perfect. I don't think there's a more beautiful woman than you, and I've seen many women before, and that's dangerous. If we go out like this, you'll attract too much attention."
He didn't want to be a killjoy here. He noticed that she had made an effort for this, and it was nice, but as he said before, it was also dangerous.
Carol looked at him in silence, not expecting to be complimented like that suddenly, which made her cheeks redden and a smile grow on her lips.
"W-well I can clean it."
"I'm sorry. I know it must have taken you some effort, and here I am ruining it," Daniel sighed, feeling a bit bad for her.
"no, it's okay, I... I made it for you and you already looked at it so it doesn't matter." Carol swallowed. Although she had never directly said what she felt for him, she always tried to make him notice in some way.
"Well, if you put it that way, I wouldn't mind if you kept doing it just for me." Daniel stood still when he realized he had said that out loud. He shouldn't have; he almost instantly regretted it. Why did he say that?
Looking at Carol, he realized what was happening. She had made him nervous with her change in appearance. He hadn't lied when he told her she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, which had unconsciously caused his defenses to crack.
Hearing him, Carol's eyes widened in astonishment. What was that? Daniel had never said anything like that before. Seeing how he slightly averted his gaze from her, Carol was stunned for a moment.
Was he embarrassed?
"Ahem, well, look at the time. I think that place you talked about should be open by now. Why don't you hurry up so we can go there?" Daniel said, trying to change the subject and looking up at the blue sky.
Carol watched him for a moment longer before nodding and entering Daniel's house to clean her face. Fortunately, she had a spare pair of glasses there, so she didn't have to go back home for the ones she had left behind.
Seeing her leave, Daniel sighed. How long had it been since he got nervous over a girl?
Thinking about the past, he couldn't help but laugh a little. His mother would certainly be very disappointed if she saw him now.
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Somewhere in San Francisco.
"That's it, pack your things," Jarol stared in disbelief at his boss's back.
Fired? Just like that?
After nearly 20 years working at this stupid restaurant, he was fired just because there was a little dirt on a damn dish?! He had sacrificed his entire life for them! Every day for almost twenty years, he had been at this restaurant! No family, no friends, all for what?
His body trembled as fury and helplessness filled his being. How could he do this to him? How could he throw him out like trash, like waste?!
No, he wouldn't let this stand; it couldn't end like this! His body began to sweat profusely as his hand gripped the kitchen knife tightly.
His grip grew stronger every second until he crushed the handle, causing his palm to bleed deeply, the plastic and metal digging deeply into his flesh.
His teeth clenched so tightly that they broke, his sweat began to boil and turn into steam, and his skin peeled off like layers of boiled onion, his body began to change grotesquely in an instant.
Deep within him, a cell that had been dormant awakened out of nowhere thanks to the hatred and resentment that engulfed his mind.
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"This seems like a nice place," Daniel said, sitting down with Carol at a somewhat secluded table by a window overlooking one of Smallville's main streets. Watching the townspeople go about their daily lives despite what had happened earlier was a testament to how humanity could continue to thrive despite difficulties.
"I heard it's doing well," Carol said, looking at the menu with curiosity.
Daniel glanced at her, feeling more at ease seeing the glasses on her face.
"Well, order whatever you want, it doesn't matter what it is, today it's on me."
Though he said this, Carol didn't go overboard, as she was never one to spend extravagantly.
After ordering and having their food brought to them, they started chatting casually.
"So, what do you think? Do you want some clothes? You can design them however you like," Daniel said after explaining to Carol his plan to make her clothes that would make her feel more comfortable.
Carol thought about it. It would indeed be much better if all her clothes were as tough as her suit and trench coat.
"I'm not sure if I'm good at designing clothes; my sense of fashion has never been the most notable," she said, then looked at him. She still remembered his reaction earlier and couldn't help wanting to see him like that again.
So, taking some courage, she moved closer to him. They were sitting together, so it was easy for her to snuggle up to his side.
"And thinking about it, you already know all my measurements, why don't you make what you think would look good on me?" Feeling her body press against his, Daniel glanced at her. This girl clearly wanted to provoke him.
Well, two could play that game.
His arm wrapped around her shoulders, making her startle suddenly. Without thinking much, Daniel pulled her closer, letting her head rest against his chest. Seeing her face turn red suddenly was quite amusing.
"Well, I think I know what might look good on you," he said vaguely, without specifying what he meant.
Carol didn't expect Daniel to pull her close like this, but she wasn't complaining.
Unable to help herself, she took a deep breath, smelling his scent and feeling the warmth of his body against hers. She relaxed so much that she almost seemed like a puppet with its strings cut, letting Daniel hold her completely.
How long? How long had she wanted to be able to do this? Without being able to stop herself, her arms wrapped around Daniel's body, hugging him closer to her. She nestled her flushed face against his chest, inhaling deeply and silently, savoring a scent she could enjoy without any other smells interfering.
The rhythmic sound of Daniel's heartbeat was like a soothing melody that calmed her mind. In this position, she felt so safe and comfortable that she just wanted to fall asleep in his arms.
"Daniel, I—"
"Carol?" The voice made Carol freeze momentarily.
Slowly, she looked up in horror to see Chloe staring at her with her mouth agape.
Her heart stopped for half a second, her face almost paled, her thoughts racing rapidly.
Even though she knew it could happen, she hadn't thought she would actually run into someone she knew, much less in this situation. She didn't know what to do. She hadn't told anyone about Daniel and felt like she was caught doing something wrong, though there shouldn't be anything wrong, right?
Still, she couldn't help but feel annoyed as well. She was so close, she almost gathered enough courage to talk to Daniel about her feelings, and just when it seemed like the right moment, why did she have to be interrupted now?! Maybe if she ignored Chloe, she would go away? Maybe she could still salvage this?
Of course, Carol wasn't that lucky. Chloe started approaching quickly, and for a brief, tiny, insignificant moment, Carol considered unleashing her heat vision on her.
Of course, that thought was so small and passed so quickly through her mind that Carol didn't even register it consciously.
On the other hand, in her more conscious mind, Carol began to grit her teeth, hoping Chloe wouldn't do what she thought she was going to do. But as her figure approached, that hope died.
"CAROL!?" Of course, she had to shout at her, why not? Carol felt Daniel tense up, and with an annoyed sigh, she quickly stood up and pulled Chloe to their table, making her sit across from them and hoping no one paid too much attention to her earlier shout.
"Why are you shouting?" Carol couldn't help but demand through gritted teeth. Stunned, Chloe apologized automatically.
"Sorry?"
"Is everything okay?" Daniel asked, noticing how Carol's body had suddenly tensed up. He was just as surprised as she was, though he shouldn't have been. Sure, Carol didn't have a dazzling social life, but there were still people who knew her. In a town like Smallville, they should have expected something like this to happen. Maybe they should have gone further away.
"Yes!"
"No!"
Two voices responded at the same time, one louder than the other.
Chloe looked at her best friend in disbelief. They had known each other practically their whole lives, and there were few things they didn't share.
If she was honest with herself, Chloe believed she knew Carol so well that they could almost be sisters. So how? How had she missed this?
When she entered the place, she hadn't expected the scene she found. At first, she thought she had seen it wrong since she was at the bar ordering a drink to go and therefore far from where Daniel and Carol were.
But her eyesight had always been good at noticing small details, yet her mind refused to believe what her eyes saw, so she unconsciously moved closer.
To say it was a shock to see her best friend snuggling up against a stranger with such intensity that she almost seemed to want to stick to him would be an understatement.
She was completely bewildered, astonished, amazed. It might seem exaggerated, but Chloe had known Carol since childhood. Carol, who always avoided physical contact, even with her parents. Carol, who always kept her distance from people. Carol, who seemed to be allergic to any guy. Even she could count on one hand the number of times Carol had hugged her, and that was more Chloe hugging a Carol who simply stood still like a statue.
And now, seeing her literally glued to the arms of a strange guy as if she wanted to melt into him, Chloe couldn't help but think she was dreaming.
A hallucination? A dream? But it would be very difficult for her not to recognize Carol's face, a face she had seen for years, glasses included.
That's why her body moved on its own, getting closer and closer until she saw clearly that yes, it was Carol, and yes, she was clinging to a man as if her life depended on it.
In shock, she couldn't help but call out loudly.
Then, as quick as a flash, Carol straightened up, grabbed her hand, and with unexpected strength, made her sit in front of them.
"Why are you shouting?" The question briefly snapped her out of her shock.
"Sorry?" She apologized without knowing why.
Then the man, who had been watching with a look of doubt, asked calmly.
"Is everything okay?"
His voice was deep and clear yet somehow melodic, clearly young, giving off a sense of confidence. Despite her confusion about the situation, Chloe unconsciously responded honestly.
And so did Carol.
"Yes!"
"No!"
Carol and Chloe looked at each other in defiance.
Doubts filled the blonde girl's mind. Clearly, the situation wasn't okay. How could Carol hide something like this? How long had she been seeing a guy, and why didn't she know about it?
The man raised an eyebrow at their response but said nothing.
Carol sighed, putting her hands on her face. Everything was going so well, and it had been such a perfect moment. She never thought she'd say it, but she really hated Chloe at this very moment.
Seeing Carol like this, Chloe then realized she had interrupted at a bad time or had interrupted Carol's good moment?
For his part, Daniel sighed in relief, saved by the bell. Who would have thought? He wouldn't know what he would have done if Carol had continued with what he thought she was about to do.
"I'm Daniel, Daniel Evans," he extended his hand and formally introduced himself to break the tension that had been filling the place.
Chloe looked at him in astonishment for a moment and then responded by taking his hand.
"I'm Chloe Sullivan, Carol's best friend." For some reason, she emphasized the last words.
"Oh yes, Chloe, Carol has mentioned you a few times, always with good words," Daniel said without hesitation, earning a strange look from Carol, which she quickly managed to conceal.
"Curious, she's never spoken of you, at all." She said this with a smile, causing Carol's right eye to twitch slightly.
Even though she knew Daniel wouldn't care, Carol couldn't help but feel embarrassed for some reason, because it felt like Chloe was insinuating that Daniel wasn't important enough for her to talk about.
Which was complete nonsense; Carol could talk about Daniel all day, every day, until the end of time. But she knew she shouldn't, especially not in front of Chloe. After all, her friend was a pretty decent aspiring journalist.
If she spoke and accidentally let slip the slightest hint or strange fact about Daniel, it could arouse Chloe's suspicions, bringing out the girl's more obsessive side. In short, Carol didn't want Chloe to try to investigate Daniel at all.
"Well, with everything that's happened around Smallville, I understand that talking about certain things can be overlooked," Daniel said simply, gently stroking Carol's back to calm her. He had noticed her getting nervous.
Feeling his touch, Carol relaxed, something that did not go unnoticed by Chloe.
The blonde frowned. Such an excuse… she didn't buy it at all. Obviously, something was hidden here, something concealed; her journalistic senses were tingling.
But before the conversation could continue, the sound of a mobile phone interrupted.
Daniel quickly pulled out the disposable phone and looked at the caller ID. It seemed that SHIELD urgently needed help with something. Without hesitation, he answered, listening intently, his eyebrows furrowing deeply.
At the same time, Carol also put on a serious expression because she, too, had been able to hear. The only one confused was Chloe.
"I understand, I'm on my way," the call ended.
Daniel quickly patted Carol's shoulder and stood up. The girl did not hesitate and let him leave his seat.
"Sorry for leaving like this, but I still have something to do, so I'll leave you two to chat." He took out a 100-dollar bill and handed it to Carol before quickly leaving. It was so sudden that Chloe couldn't say anything.
"Okay?..."
"He's a busy man," Carol said, seeing Chloe's confusion.
Shaking off her bewilderment, Chloe rushed over and sat next to Carol, feeling the girl tense up. She couldn't help but be annoyed and tease her.
"Oh come on, you can cling to that guy like he's a magnet, and it bothers you that I get close to you? Am I giving you an allergy or something?" At Chloe's question, Carol got slightly annoyed. Leaning closer and covering Chloe's mouth with her hand, she spoke somewhat irritably.
"He's not just some 'guy,' his name is Daniel!" She emphasized the name.
Chloe looked at her blankly for a moment, then Carol's eyes widened in shock as she felt a tongue lick her palm. She quickly pulled her hand away and backed off from the blonde.
"Don't cover my mouth!" Chloe said, sticking out her tongue.
Carol sighed and wiped her hand with a napkin before looking at Chloe, who crossed her arms before speaking again.
"So, are you going to tell me everything, or do I have to start investigating?"
Carol hesitated for a moment. Well, this was Chloe. No matter how annoyed she was with the girl, in the end, she was her friend. And now she knew about Daniel, well not everything, but she knew he existed. So telling her one or two things should be okay.
"I can tell you a few things, but don't tell my parents," she said very seriously. Rarely had Chloe seen such a serious look on her, so she got serious too and nodded.
"I promise." Carol looked Chloe directly in the eyes for a few moments before sighing and starting to speak.
"Do you remember the abandoned farm next to my house?"
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Daniel quickly took off into the sky, having changed into his heroic suit swiftly, his destination clear, San Francisco.
It seemed another monster had decided to appear.
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Note:
I'd like to thank you for all the support given so far. If everything goes well, soon the public updates for Still Defiant and SuperSoldier will increase to two chapters per week each, with Sunday and Monday being the most likely days, although that could vary depending on various circumstances.
Of course, if you want to look beyond that, you can visit my Patreon, where you'll find some extra chapters and get one or another additional benefit. (patreon.com/EmmaCruzader) I deeply appreciate all the support! ;D
P.S. My birthday is coming up! (This August 30th) I don't know if I'll do anything special besides buying myself an individual cake and blowing out a candle as a celebration. I'm mentioning it because I might be somewhat absent that day (which falls on a Friday), although that shouldn't really affect things too much now that I think about it. Oh well, giving a heads-up never hurts, right?