Chapter 61: Luke's Perspective
A right punch of 1,000 pounds and a left punch of 1,250 pounds.
And she achieved that without appearing to use her full strength.
Everyone was stunned. Barry was slack-jawed. The Speed Force granted him unparalleled speed, but that speed was based on space and time, not kinetic physics. His natural strength was similar to an ordinary person's. To generate a 1,000-pound punch, he would need extreme maneuvering; he couldn't do it as effortlessly as this girl.
What kind of person is she?
The girl seemed to have a short temper. After testing her strength, she walked directly up to Charlie, placed her file on his desk, turned, and left without saying a single word.
Charlie swallowed hard. He called two of the technical department nerds to take over the recruitment, then quickly took the file and rushed to Luke's office.
"Linda Danvers!"
Luke frowned slightly, finding the name vaguely familiar but unable to place it immediately.
Age 18, Stanford University freshman, Communications Technology major, proficient in English, French, Russian...
The memories in his mind gradually clarified, and he remembered the girl's true identity.
"A right punch of 1,000 pounds, a left punch of 1,250 pounds!"
Luke shook his head curiously and smiled.
"Look closely, she didn't use her full strength."
"Not full strength?" Charlie shook his head exaggeratedly. "She barely tapped it, the lightest touch, and the whole machine rattled! You wouldn't believe the scene; it was terrifying."
"Boss, she's not a metahuman, is she?"
Luke didn't answer the question. He opened his computer and used his hacking skills to search for any information related to Linda Danvers, including her parents, friends, and classmates.
Soon, a detailed personal file appeared on the screen:
Records before the age of 13 were blank, only stating she lived at the St. Carine Orphanage. Since St. Carine Orphanage was completed in 1990, and Linda Danvers was already five years old at that time, there was a huge discrepancy, indicating erroneous information.
She was later adopted by the Danvers couple, skipped middle school, and went directly to high school at Oakwood High. She rarely went home during her four years of high school, spending even summer and winter breaks elsewhere. She had one friend, a Latina named Melissa Kajean, and only that one friend.
They were high school classmates and college roommates.
The file contained very little about Linda Danvers's life; no club records, no group activity records. She was clearly very low-key.
Next, Luke pulled up Melissa Kajean's information and quickly found anomalies:
First, Melissa Kajean took the SAT five times. Her first four scores were mediocre, peaking at 1810. Her last attempt was a massive leap, with a total score of 2180—an increase of 370 points. It was this score that got her into Stanford University.
There was only a one-month gap between the fourth and fifth tests. Luke didn't know what happened for her to go from a mediocre student to a high achiever in just one month, but he knew one thing: Linda Danvers took the SAT once and scored 2380, just 20 points shy of a perfect score.
Second was the university dorm allocation. Stanford University used a random roommate assignment system. The probability of two acquaintances being assigned to the same room was close to one in ten thousand, yet they were surprisingly paired together.
"Interesting!"
After reviewing the files, Luke rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
The information all pointed to one conclusion: Linda Danvers was Kara Zor-El, Superman's cousin.
Based on her relationship with her family and friends, Luke could deduce that the current Supergirl held no particular affection for Earth and had no intention of becoming a superhero to save humanity.
This was normal. She arrived on Earth at the age of thirteen and had received a complete Kryptonian education. Although she looked human, she was essentially Kryptonian. You couldn't expect an alien to have a deep fondness for Earth; that was unrealistic.
In many cases, your allegiance isn't decided by bloodline but by education. The person you become as an adult is determined by the education you receive, regardless of race or skin color.
Clark Kent was a perfect example. He was raised by Earth parents, grew up on Earth, received an Earth education, and his classmates, friends, colleagues, and lover were all Earth people. Despite having Kryptonian blood, he was human at heart. Earth was his home; Krypton was just his birthplace.
Home and birthplace are two entirely different concepts.
Linda Danvers was different.
The data indicated she had no desire to integrate into human society. Otherwise, she wouldn't have made only one friend during her four years of high school and used various methods to ensure that friend got into college and became her roommate.
She was closing off her social circle!
Why would she do that?
Luke pondered for a few seconds, then drew two circles on a notepad:
1. Kryptonian pride makes her disdainful of befriending Earth people.
2. She wants to go home.
The existence of Melissa Kajean ruled out the first option, leaving only the second.
She missed her home. She wanted to return to her native planet, see what happened there, and find out if her parents survived.
Homesickness is a natural instinct for all living beings, and Kryptonians are no exception.
Understanding this, everything clicked into place. As a daughter of the House of El, Linda Danvers likely knew that the Fortress of Solitude was sent to Earth by her uncle to protect her newborn cousin, Kal-El. The Fortress was the culmination of Kryptonian technology, possessing many incredible capabilities, including space-jump technology.
If she could find the Fortress of Solitude, she could use its coordinates to return to Krypton. The key to finding the Fortress was with her cousin. Kal-El had appeared in Metropolis three times, suggesting he lived in the city.
"So her goal in coming to Metropolis is Clark Kent."
Luke lightly tapped the image on the screen, then muttered to himself,
"Based on the current situation, she hasn't met Clark Kent yet. Even if they meet, things won't go smoothly. The Fortress of Solitude is the only gift his father left his son. Without his son's approval, Linda Danvers can't take the Fortress. A man of Superman's intelligence won't let a cousin who suddenly showed up drive away the heirloom his father left, unless he's an idiot."
Linda Danvers's wish was likely to be dashed, leaving her an outcast, helpless Kryptonian girl!
A Favor for a Friend
Finishing his analysis, Luke looked up and said in the most gentle tone possible,
"Charlie, you've been with me for so many years, and you don't even have a girlfriend. I truly feel sorry for you. Every time I think about it, I feel heartbroken. I've failed you, I really have."
Charlie: "..."
Why did I suddenly get a chill down my spine? He hesitated for a few seconds, then replied in the most cautious voice possible,
"Uh, Boss, do you have something you want me to do? Just say it directly. As long as it doesn't involve selling my butt, I'm fine."
Luke glared at him, scolding.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Am I, Luke Shaw, the kind of person who coerces his best friend into selling himself? I just felt bad that you've been single for so long, so I wanted to introduce you to a girl. If you don't like women, then forget it."
"Wait!"
Charlie took a step closer and whispered, "What kind of girl? Do you have a picture?"
Luke clicked on a private photo of Melissa Kajean.
"This one. Big chest, big butt. What do you think? Not bad, right?"
Charlie checked out the chest, then eyed the butt, nodding in satisfaction.
"She's definitely good. But Boss, I don't have time! I'm working overtime all the time. How can I date?"
"I'll give you a vacation. Three days! Is that enough?"
"Three days isn't enough! At least six days."
"Fine, I'll give you a week. Is that acceptable?"
Charlie muttered under his breath, "The time is enough, but the taste... my Ford is too low-class. The girl won't even look at it."
Luke took a deep breath, his voice flat.
"If you can win her over, I'll give you my white Ferrari as your car."
Charlie was delighted, but his eyes started darting around again.
"Boss, you still haven't paid last month's salary."
Luke: "..."
Alright, Charlie Willis. You are really something!
He forced himself to suppress his anger and said,
"I'll transfer $100,000 to your card in a moment. No, $150,000. I'll give you $150,000 for dating expenses. One week, remember, only one week. If you don't win over Melissa within one week, I'll break three of your legs and make you sell your butt in a nightclub for the rest of your life."
"Don't worry, Boss."
Charlie thumped his chest, eyes gleaming.
"Mission accomplished, I'll get that girl."
🗒️NOTE:
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 20 chapters in advance!