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SUP Chapter 97: Ian's Origins! The Bat's Sorrow! (Part One)
🕑 Added 2025-08-18 10:36:16 +0000 UTCA Boeing 787 passenger jet glided smoothly above the cloud layer. Seated in first class, the wealthy and famous writer Richard Castle was boredly stirring his coffee while contemplating the plot of his new book.
As a classic mystery novelist, writer's block was also very classic daily routine for Castle. Just as he was racking his brains without results and beginning to weigh whether he should abandon the project and start a new series under a different pen name, suddenly Castle's gaze was drawn to something outside the window, it was a bright black Dodge Hellcat!
Yes!
Castle knew this car because he had bought one himself, but at this moment he felt like he might have purchased a counterfeit, because the Hellcat that came into his view was racing through the clouds at a speed of at least 300 miles per hour!
"Am I still asleep!?"
Writer Castle couldn't help but rub his eyes. He wasn't seeing things, there really was a small car flying in the clouds outside the plane, and he could even see two passengers sitting inside.
A man and a woman, who looked even younger than his own daughter!
"This..." Castle's eyes widened, unable to speak. He grabbed a passing flight attendant wanting to inquire, but was afraid he'd be taken for a mental patient and make tomorrow's news headlines.
Castle hesitated, sending away the flight attendant with her strange look using a forced smile. Then this famous American writer suddenly pressed himself against the window, almost wishing he could squeeze his entire face outside.
"I knew 'Back to the Future' was still too conservative!!"
After getting over his initial shock, Castle was extremely excited and hurriedly fumbled for his phone.
Due to his clumsiness, the phone almost fell to the ground. After his hands wrestled with the phone for quite a while, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and gripped it firmly.
He was about to praise himself a few words, but then Castle remembered why he had taken out his phone in the first place. He suddenly turned and pressed against the window again, raising his phone.
This was an attempt to take a photo.
However, he discovered that the young passengers in that driverless car seemed to have noticed him, and the small car had already accelerated and directly overtaken the plane flying alongside it.
"No!! Fly back! Please fly back!"
Castle's face was almost pressed flat against the glass. Failing to successfully photograph this supernatural experience to use as an excuse for his procrastination, he might not sleep well for a week.
"Tell the captain to speed up!"
Castle, always full of absurd and fantastic ideas, pressed the call button. Because of his urgency, he no longer worried about being considered crazy and began describing what he saw to the flight attendant without reservation. The attendant just smiled and handed him a glass of red wine, "Sir, long-distance flights can indeed cause hallucinations."
"There won't be flying cars in the sky over Metropolis, only flying Superman and the villains he chases, this is common knowledge." The attendant's words immediately left Castle dumbfounded.
"Is that so... this is common knowledge?"
New Yorker Castle really didn't understand Metropolis's local customs.
"Yes, perhaps you could visit the 'Superhero Popularity Center' website to read the detailed analysis by forum expert 'I'm Really Not Batman' on this topic."
"Oh, and the articles by expert 'Superman Must Die' are also quite good. The sky over Metropolis is Superman's domain, he won't allow anyone other than him and his little cubs to interfere, I'm quoting directly, actually I love Superman." The beautiful attendant was obviously also a senior superhero fan.
"Superman has children?"
Castle looked somewhat surprised.
"Forum experts, you know, keyboard warriors online, what they say isn't always correct. Most people still think it's impossible for Superman to find a spouse, unless that spouse is Superwoman."
The beautiful attendant continued to maintain her smile.
"Makes sense."
Castle nodded thoughtfully.
The attendant he had called over obviously recognized his identity.
"Mr. Castle, I remember your new work is about to be released soon? You actually have time to travel to Metropolis?" The beautiful flight attendant might also enjoy reading this writer's books.
"Uh..."
Upon hearing this, Castle's expression stiffened slightly. He was unwilling to reveal the fact that his new book only existed as a file folder, so he immediately displayed his talent.
"The new book is actually already finished, so I wanted to go out and relax to change my mood." Perhaps being able to lie confidently is a required course for every writer.
Castle's smiling expression showed no sign of guilt.
"I see."
The beautiful flight attendant had no doubts.
"Then I wish you a pleasant time in Metropolis."
She offered her blessing.
Seeing this, Castle secretly breathed a sigh of relief while also revealing why he had chosen to travel to Metropolis, "I believe my journey will definitely be pleasant."
"Because I'm not just traveling, I'm also trying to solve an interesting puzzle." Saying this, Castle lifted his coat, revealing a letter in the lining of his suit.
"A mysterious detective from the detective association seemed to know that I was investigating a book that stole my promotional resources, so he gave me some city photos of Metropolis."
Castle put the envelope back into his clothes.
"Such a thing? What does he want you to do?"
The beautiful flight attendant looked amazed.
"Indeed such a thing happened, quite interesting isn't it. I think this is a commission, and that mysterious detective also wanted me to know this is a commission."
"Perhaps he needs me to find someone in Metropolis, that person must be the one who stole my book's promotional resources." Castle spoke with conviction, still thinking about why the mysterious detective hoped he would do this.
Beat the guy up?
Or some other reason?
"It can't be that he hopes I'll go teach this well-connected person how to write books, right?" Castle fell into his anytime-anywhere thinking storm mode.
Seeing this situation, the flight attendant didn't want to disturb him.
"If you need some other ideas and inspiration, I think I'll definitely be free after work tonight." The flight attendant said this while slipping her phone number to Castle.
She hadn't been chatting with Castle for so long because she was really idle.
Castle was a very famous multimillionaire and handsome too.
Which flight attendant wouldn't want to have some story with such a person?
"Oh, is that so, I think I'll definitely need some inspiration too." Castle was temporarily interrupted from his thinking, and he quickly smiled and gentlemanly gave the beautiful flight attendant a definite response.
Such things happened often, Castle certainly knew what the other party wanted, a few babies, or luxury goods and sports cars. Anyway, as long as it wasn't the former, he could afford it all. Everyone getting what they needed would be truly happy.
"See you later."
The beautiful flight attendant left with an overly affected posture.
Castle didn't withdraw his gaze for a long time.
"That car! Where on earth can you buy that car!" The writer's thinking was indeed jumpy. After a series of interruptions, he still couldn't forget the flying sedan he had seen.
Castle pressed his face hard against the window looking outside.
However, the flying Hellcat was nowhere to be seen.
"Did the kid inside notice I was trying to take a sneak photo?" Castle was unwilling to give up and couldn't help but suspect that the Hellcat's passengers had superpowers and could sense others' gazes.
However, was this really the case?
"Damn! Boeing! Bad luck!" Ian actually hadn't sensed anything, he had just accidentally glimpsed the airplane's production logo and made the Hellcat accelerate frantically out of emergency risk avoidance.
"Stay away from this type of plane in the future, don't get scammed... it's the kind that crashes when it crashes, without any warning." Ian imparted his life experience to the young car.
"Beep beep beep~"
The small car responded with its horn.
"Ian! Close your window quickly! My Dior sunglasses are about to fly out..." Madison's long hair was fluttering wildly like a female ghost due to the car's sudden acceleration.
"They already flew out."
Madison hadn't caught her sunglasses.
"No problem, I'll go to a magical place tonight and get you a new one."
Ian was very good at managing household expenses.
He could take as many luxury goods as he wanted from the Marvel world without paying.
"I don't use knockoffs."
Madison's eyes were full of suspicion.
"Knockoffs? Ian doesn't have time to look for knockoffs! Do you know how valuable my time is?" Ian directly showed his wealthy miser face.
"Oh~ I understand, I was wondering when Superman fights crime, he must take some things along the way... otherwise spending all day maintaining justice outside, he'd have no money to buy food when he gets home!"
Madison's imagination was always so peculiar.
"Get me more stuff, what black guys rob, you taking it is also justice, I'll pay." She took out her wallet, only to find there were only a few bills left.
So, this girl whose moral bottom line might be even lower than Ian's began to hastily defend her financial situation.
"I still have forty-five hundred dollars in my bedside drawer, originally planned as travel funds for next week's vacation." Madison was always most afraid of people thinking she was poor.
However, to Ian, of course he wouldn't look down on his desk mate, four thousand, five thousand, six thousand, there was no difference. To Ian, who had huge rewards lying in his account, they were all poor. Of course, even mosquitoes are meat, Ian claimed he wasn't interested in money, but he still wouldn't pass up such a money-making opportunity.
Capitalists all love to haggle.
Ian just kept this in mind.
"Give me the money on Monday, I'll bring you goods, then next Saturday and Sunday don't go out, I'll tell everyone you went to the Hamptons for vacation."
Ian could not only create win-win situations for himself, he could also advise others and let others have win-win lives too, after hearing this, Madison only paused for about five seconds.
"Good idea!"
She clapped her hands and happily settled on this plan. Madison also had her own way of thinking. Others could tell if luxury goods were fake or not, but whether she went to the Hamptons or not, who could fact-check that?
So cost-effective!
Girl Madison felt her thinking and perspective had broadened. The growth of a green tea girl is like this, on life's path, she'll always meet people who lead her to become more green tea-flavored.
"Very good, I'll take you home first, then I have to handle serious business."
Ian liked playing with people like Madison. Ordinary people couldn't understand his wisdom and weren't willing to acknowledge his wisdom, but his good desk mate clearly knew how smart he was.
"Hiss~ the speed increased again!"
Madison had just adapted to the previous speed, but after Ian finished speaking, the car beneath her accelerated again. The surrounding clouds seemed to be rapidly retreating.
"Driving so fast, if we flip over, the airbags probably can't save us, right?" She actually still had such concerns. It could only be said that her grades in natural science courses were still a bit too high.
"Don't panic, we'll reach your home soon."
As soon as Ian finished speaking, the Hellcat began rapidly descending from above the clouds. Madison, whose lips were trembling, finally saw the luxurious community where her family lived.
"There! There!"
Madison raised her finger, trying to navigate.
"I remember where your house is, no need to give me directions." Ian pulled the girl, who was lying on the window and almost fell out, back into the relatively safe interior of the car in time.
"Ah? I don't remember you coming over..."
Madison was somewhat puzzled.
"Of course you wouldn't remember, that was on the first day of school. I investigated everyone suspected of having school bully tendencies, by the way, your mother should really love your father very much."
"She didn't even let me into your house to eat an orange." Ian couldn't help but sigh heartfeltly. After hearing this, Madison frowned, completely unable to understand what he meant.
"Buzz buzz~"
The engine was making sounds.
The Hellcat hovered at a height of more than ten meters from the ground.
"I've read a few books about driving before. Starting and stopping the car consumes the most fuel... so let's get off here." After Ian finished speaking, he directly grabbed Madison.
He leaped down, scaring Madison greatly.
"Don't grab my neck and collar! This outfit is expensive! Grab my hair, I've fought with so many people that my hair is really very grab-resistant!"
Madison screamed while speaking.
"Your clothes were already torn earlier, don't think that because Ian has money now, you can just extort me." Ian landed steadily with Madison.
No accidents occurred.
He gently set Madison down.
"Earlier it was decadent-style torn, now it's violently-torn style, how is that the same?" Madison speechlessly straightened her clothes, then blew at her golden hair that covered her face like a bird's nest.
"Also, normal people carrying others while flying and landing shouldn't put someone on a mailbox, right? Although I don't have much common sense, I'm still very clear about this point!"
After saying this, Madison also patted hard the mailbox she was sitting on under her bottom.
The mailbox made a clanging metal sound.
"Hmm? If I didn't find somewhere for your butt to sit, your trembling legs would probably keep clamping around my waist, indeed, little delinquent, you're quite scheming."
"You finally found a chance to take advantage of me."
Ian showed a disdainful expression.
"..."
Madison rolled her eyes frantically.
"Don't I still need to thank you for not going to tell your little lapdog Emily?" The green tea girl gritted her teeth. She finally knew how difficult it was to deal with boys when they became bitchy.
"Yes, so what do you need to say to me?"
Ian listened attentively.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
Madison said it three times through gritted teeth.
She was taking deep breaths and Ian immediately felt comfortable.
"What a virtuous little delinquent. I still have things to do, see you next week, oh, and don't think about stealing my mom's cat." Ian nodded with satisfaction, then reached out and grabbed the orange cat from Madison's stomach area.
"Damn!"
Madison was somewhat unwilling.
"Then at least let me raise that toad!"
Her fallback option still didn't get Ian's response.
Then, Ian bounced up like a spring and jumped directly back into the Hellcat still floating in the air, the Hellcat's engine roared, the exhaust pipe spewed a string of purple flames, and the car "whooshed" toward the clouds.
Watching Ian and his war chariot depart, "So that's how Superman flies? Pure bouncing?" Madison, who had been sulking, was stunned. She felt she had discovered a fact that no one else in Metropolis had noticed all these years.
Her anger was gone too.
This little delinquent now had her head full of thoughts about whether Ian's pants hid two super rabbit legs.
"This is big news! There's no flying Superman in the world at all!"
Madison, somewhat unable to shake off her imagination, jumped down from the mailbox and pushed open her family's villa door. Her mother, who had once been a third-rate Hollywood actress, excitedly rushed over.
"I knew it! I knew it! My precious daughter's abilities must be greater than mine! I only managed to latch onto your wealthy father, but you actually managed to latch onto such a handsome alien!"
Linda, with some noble lady temperament, spoke excitedly and very happily grabbed her daughter's shoulders and shook her vigorously, her face showing an expression more joyful than winning the lottery.
Madison was shaken dizzy.
"What alien? Mom, what strange TV drama are you watching again?" Her brain was already confused from today's events, and now being shaken a few times made it even more blank.
"Stop pretending! I saw it all! The alien drove a UFO to bring you back!"
Linda had an expression of having seen through everything, "When I acted in 'Mars Princess vs. Lizard People' I already knew, aliens just love blonde beauties!!"
Her tone was full of wisdom.
Madison didn't dare ask either.
She was afraid that if she asked, she'd hear that this film was rated R.
"That's UFO, not KFO, no wait, Ian wasn't driving a UFO either..." Madison was almost confusing herself, she grabbed her hair somewhat collapsed.
"I finally understand why Ian always says my IQ is overdue... turns out the source is with you!" Madison, who had only discovered this fact after living so many years, once again felt that Ian's great truths probably really made sense.
"Silly child, come let mommy hug you, girls should be a bit dumber, that makes it easier to get lucky." Linda, who still retained her charm and some beauty, smiled so wide she couldn't close her mouth.
She was also very proud.
Madison was expressionless, pressed against the turbulent waves by her mom. She rolled her eyes lifelessly, and regarding what her mom said, she didn't want to believe even a single punctuation mark.
Maybe even mom saying she was suitable for Hollywood was fake? At this moment, Madison had an epiphany. She thought she had found the reason for her constant audition failures.
Indeed, Ian said that breathing the air he had breathed could infect others with his intelligent aura.
It was true!
...
Dusk was falling.
A bright black Dodge Hellcat cut through the sky, shuttling between clouds. Ian followed the direction the pointer indicated, trying to find the location that Lady Death hoped he would seek.
It wasn't particularly difficult.
Soon the Hellcat came above an ancient monastery-style building. The pointer in his hand directly twisted and pointed downward. Obviously this was the clue Lady Death had given.
This building was surrounded by lush trees, making it particularly hidden and mysterious. Perhaps it was also the headquarters of that witch church Madison had mentioned?
After thinking for a while, Ian still patted the Hellcat and had the Hellcat take him away first, choosing not to act rashly, mainly because he didn't quite understand what level this so-called Supreme Witch was.
"Lady Death's level is too high, dungeons involving her are definitely high difficulty, not places I can solo." Ian believed that as long as he wasn't anxious, someone else would be anxious.
Information gathering was key.
So if Ian wasn't anxious, Lady Death might jump out herself to provide information, also avoiding Ian having to do the information gathering work himself, after all, starting up the Batman search engine was quite troublesome.
"Right, that's what I'll do!"
Ian's super brain once again told him to use his super connections. The Hellcat took him flying toward the clouds again, speeding through the city's noise and bustle toward home.
"The number you have dialed has completely blacklisted you. Please call this number again when you encounter difficulties. Thank you for your cooperation." Ian wanted to take advantage of his free time to build relationships with Batman.
He didn't expect to only hear the heartless electronic synthesized voice.
"How can this be!"
Ian was extremely hurt.
He hadn't even gotten the ring yet.
"Sigh, I'll go back and plan for the long term."
Ian's Hellcat ran very fast and soon arrived at home.
This was a community where elite families lived.
Although it was still detached houses, there were still a few neighbors around. There was no need for special avoidance. Under cover of night, Ian had the Hellcat slowly descend.
Someone was watching from behind curtains, but no photos were taken, no need to make a big fuss. After all, the neighbors around all had quite sharp ears and coincidentally all worked for the same department as professional agents.
After so many years, Superman's identity was still known to very few officials.
The car stopped on the lawn of his own small courtyard with a "creak," just three inches away from Lois's most beloved rose garden.
"Jesus couldn't save you if it had been any closer." Ian patted the Hellcat, giving his new partner a reminder. He had just grabbed his backpack and pushed open the car door when he felt a shadow looming over him.
It was his father Clark Kent.
This invincible Superman was standing in front of him with his arms crossed, blocking Ian's path.
"Where did you get this car?"
Clark's voice mixed with helplessness that he was almost accustomed to. He really couldn't understand why Ian could always pick up strange and bizarre things whenever he went out.
"Is it special fate that let me and it meet? I love it, it loves me... we're sweet together?" Ian felt a bit embarrassed to say he had used super negotiation skills to get someone to pay for the car delivery.
He gave a response, but also seemed like he didn't completely give one.
No choice.
Ian didn't dare say his beloved car occasionally killed a few owners. That way, no matter how he portrayed himself as someone who sacrificed himself for the public good, this Hellcat would probably be sent directly to be scrapped.
"You two are sweet together?"
Clark, who had been watching Ian land from beginning to end, now only had his temples twitching slightly. The old father circled around this black muscle car that emitted a faint sulfur smell.
"Don't tell me this is car maintenance product?" Clark picked up a piece of dark red tissue from the trunk lid. The sticky substance gleamed ominously in the setting sun.
"From a biological perspective, this should belong to flesh tissue, but it probably isn't on the protection list." Ian answered honestly while secretly observing his adoptive father's reaction.
"I'm asking you where the flesh came from..."
The old father, who rarely wanted to show some humor, sighed helplessly. His not-so-stern attitude was actually because his super sense of smell had already told him the answer.
Superman really did have super smell. Good news: he knew this wasn't human flesh. Bad news: he hadn't realized what Ian had done after leaving those traffickers.
"Is it love? Love made my little car grow flesh." Ian seemed to be joking around, but actually he was also testing whether his old dad knew about what happened on that street.
"..."
Looking at Clark's twitching eye corners, the old father perhaps really hadn't noticed the abnormality on that street, Ian thoughtfully touched the magic book hidden under his shirt.
Respectable old father.
He hadn't even used X-ray vision to observe him.
"Should we go home first?" Ian also wanted to talk to Clark about the Supreme Witch and the big sister's new mission. He hoped Clark could use his super connections to find him a super mage to be his coach.
"Uh..."
Clark, who had originally wanted to ask Ian about some things, showed some change in his expression. Ian had just taken a step when he noticed that his father hadn't moved from his original position.
The setting sun stretched Clark's shadow very long.
"What's wrong? Dad?"
Ian felt Clark was hesitating.
He noticed the unnatural expression on Clark's face.
"Were you kicked out by Mom?"
Ian made a guess.
"..."
Clark shook his head speechlessly. To prevent Ian from making even more outrageous guesses, he pondered for a moment and slowly spoke, "I talked with Jordan about his ability issues."
"He's now in the ability awakening stage... well, just like you were before, but Jordan's awakening is later, so your abilities might be different because of this." Clark spoke in a deep voice. He still didn't know Ian had already discovered he was adopted, so he specifically emphasized to Ian that their abilities would be different.
This was trying to fool Ian about not understanding Krypton.
Ian pretended to believe it.
"And then?" Ian guessed that his old dad had probably already talked with Jordan, and perhaps the talk hadn't gone well. The classic drama of father-son communication problems leading to escalating conflicts would always play out in many American families.
Clark grabbed his hair in frustration: "I let something slip, so Jordan, combined with your recent strange behavior, guessed that your awakening was earlier than his awakening."
This was real frustration.
Even Kryptonian hair was pulled out a few strands.
