Confrontation at the Apartment
At a hotel apartment in Metropolis.
After seeing the doctor that afternoon, Linda's condition had been poor. Her head felt foggy, and she wanted to sleep the moment she touched the bed.
She didn't know what was wrong with her body. Logically, as a Kryptonian, it should be impossible for her to get sick when under direct sunlight, yet she was sick—seriously sick.
"Go to sleep if you want to. Don't fight it."
Linda nodded. She glanced at the designer clothes her friend was wearing and smiled. "Is he taking you out again?"
Melissa tucked her into bed and said gently,
"Don't worry, sweetie. I'll be back tonight. I won't leave you alone."
"Get out of here."
Linda playfully glared at her, closed her eyes, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Melissa pushed her a few times without a reaction, then turned and left the bedroom.
The moment she closed the door, the smile on her face instantly vanished, replaced by impatience and annoyance. Knowing her attitude was wrong, she took a deep breath, adjusting her makeup and state of mind.
By the time she stepped into the taxi, she had transformed back into a vibrant young woman with a captivating smile.
Meanwhile, in the fifth-floor bedroom, the sleeping Linda heard a strange sound.
Footsteps?
No!
It wasn't Melissa's.
Her powerful senses instantly roused her. She looked coldly at the uninvited guest.
"Luke Shaw?"
"That's right. It's me."
Luke nodded slightly. "We meet again, Miss Danvers."
"What are you doing here?"
"Saving your life."
Linda scornfully pursed her lips. "My life doesn't need saving from you. Leave now, or don't blame me for being rude."
Luke took out a document and tossed it onto the bed.
"Read this first, then decide whether to kick me out."
The Ambush
Traffic in Metropolis was always bad, especially during the evening rush hour. Long lines of cars stretched across the road, seemingly endless.
To avoid being late for her appointment, Melissa had to take the driver's suggested detour.
The taxi wound its way through the city's back alleys, unknowingly heading toward the suburbs. As the buildings on both sides grew increasingly dilapidated, Melissa frowned.
"Are you sure you haven't taken a wrong turn?"
"No mistake, this is it. Just past the factory ahead is the bridge. The movie theater is on the other side of the river. We'll be there in ten minutes."
Melissa was suspicious but said nothing, as she was completely unfamiliar with the roads in Metropolis.
A few minutes later, the taxi stopped in front of a stretch of abandoned factories. The driver took off his hat, revealing an Asian face.
"Beautiful, we're here. Time to get out."
Melissa frowned. Just as she was about to speak, a Browning pistol was shoved through the window, pressed against her temple.
"Don't move. Get out slowly. My brother's gun is a faulty one; it misfires easily. It would be a shame to hurt you, with such a beautiful face."
She was being mugged!
Melissa felt speechless. She raised her hands and followed the man's instructions, getting out of the car and walking into the factory.
The factory building was dilapidated, the floor covered in dust. It looked like it had been abandoned for years.
The driver turned on the dome light, rubbing his chin as he looked Melissa up and down, lingering on her chest and hips. He looked ready to pop his eyeballs into her.
"Boss, this chick has a great body. Want to take a crack at her?"
"What do you think?"
The two exchanged glances and let out lewd, strange laughs.
The laughter echoed through the factory, giving Melissa goosebumps. Unable to stand the waste of time, she stopped. Her eyes opened, her pupils contracted, and a faint, almost invisible light appeared around them, while the whites of her eyes turned pitch-black—a bizarre sight.
An invisible psychic force radiated outward. The armed mugger suddenly froze, his eyes scattered, lifeless, empty, and bewildered.
Sensing something was wrong, the driver shouted,
"Boss, are you alright?"
"Boss... Boss..."
After several unanswered calls, the driver panicked and screamed in horror,
"You... you... you b*tch! What did you do to the boss? Let him go now!"
Melissa gritted her teeth, her sweat-covered face filled with infinite resentment. She opened her red lips and commanded,
"Kill him!"
BANG!
White light erupted from the muzzle. A piece of white cloth shot out, the words "FUCK YOU!" on the fabric being particularly glaring.
Melissa was instantly dumbfounded.
What the hell?
Wasn't this a robbery? Why is it a toy gun?
Clap! Clap! Clap!
A round of applause came from outside. Luke and a sullen-faced Charlie walked in.
"Kajean—no, I should call you Agent Jeffrey. A very brilliant performance, truly a show of the year."
Melissa's pupils contracted. She said in disbelief, "Luke Shaw? Charlie? You... wait, these two muggers were sent by you?"
"Who else would set the stage for you?"
Luke walked up to the frozen man and slapped him on the shoulder. The green flame seeped into his body, and the man instantly cleared up, saying in a terrified voice,
"Young Master, this woman is dangerous."
Luke nodded. He took a bank card and slipped it into his hand.
"Brother Lian, Brother Zhao, thank you for your hard work tonight. Go find a place to enjoy yourselves, and try to forget this woman's face."
"Don't worry, Young Master. We know the rules."
After speaking, the man glanced at Melissa and left with his companion.
With them gone, only the three of them remained in the factory. Luke lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.
"Miss Jeffrey, should we get straight to the point, or talk first?"
Melissa lowered her head, silent. Judging from what just happened, Luke Shaw was either a psychic metahuman or a sorcerer skilled in soul magic.
His ability likely countered hers. Thinking this, she raised her right arm, and her thumb subtly brushed the crystal diamond ring on her middle finger. The crystal concealed an emergency beacon. If she pressed it, the FBI would receive her distress signal.
The rescue team could arrive in five minutes at most.
Luke shook his head in disappointment. "It seems Miss Jeffrey isn't in the mood to talk. In that case, I apologize."
"Charlie, kill her."
"Wait a moment."
Melissa forced a smile. "Since I'm here, you have to give me a chance to talk."
"Fine! I'll give you one chance. Tell me about your relationship with Linda Danvers."
Melissa's eyes darted around. She feigned confusion and said,
"Mr. Shaw, I don't understand you. Linda and I are just friends. There's no other relationship."
Luke exhaled a smoke ring. "I know quite a bit about you and the Kryptonian girl. I primarily came here today to verify the accuracy of my intelligence. Since you don't want to talk, forget it."
"Charlie..."
"Wait!"
Melissa dropped the smile, her face grim. "Luke Shaw, what do you want from me to let me go?"
"Answer my questions, and I'll turn you into a vegetable. Don't answer, and you die immediately."
Melissa took a deep breath and gritted her teeth.
"What do you want to know?"
"When did the FBI first learn of Linda Danvers's existence?"
"The orphanage."
"Which means the Danvers couple were arranged by you?"
Melissa remained silent. Luke smiled and continued,
"Since she had adoptive parents, why did you still need to assign yourself to be near her?"
"The Danvers couple had a very bad relationship with her. Linda doesn't like Earthlings."
"So the FBI assigned you, with your psychic ability, to be her classmate, to subtly influence her and eventually control her."
Melissa chose silence, neither confirming nor denying.
Luke didn't push. He continued, "Tell me about the SAT. You took it five times. Your highest score in the first four attempts was 1810. The fifth time, you scored 2180—an increase of 370 points. That was the FBI's doing, wasn't it?"
"And the freshman dorm assignment. Without their interference, how would you and Linda have ended up in the same room?"
Melissa frowned. "Mr. Shaw, I don't understand why you care so much about Linda Danvers."
"Because she's pretty. Her face speaks for itself—you won't find another like her in a hundred thousand people. But the key is her body. I've never seen a butt so shapely in my life."
BOOM!
The sound of a collapsing building came from far away.
Luke awkwardly rubbed his nose and coughed.
"I've gone off-topic. Let's get back to business."
"Miss Jeffrey, you've been Linda's 'surface best friend' for five years. Don't you feel any guilt deep down?"
"And your superpower: your ability has severe side effects. It causes people to forget things they shouldn't forget and affects their mental state. Did it ever occur to you that you've been hurting her all these years?"
Melissa stared intently at Luke. "Linda sent you, didn't she?"
Luke pointed to Charlie.
"This idiot sent me."
Charlie: "..."
Melissa ignored her "ex-boyfriend" and yelled furiously,
"Where is Linda? I need to see her."
"I advise you to forget that idea. The ability you imposed on her has been lifted by me. The Linda Danvers you knew is dead. She is now Kara Zor-El, the Supergirl from Krypton. If you meet her now, she might punch you into a meat patty."
"Liar! You're lying! I don't want to hear anything you say!"
Melissa shouted at the sky, "Linda! I know you can hear me! Believe me, I never intended to hurt you. My identity might cause misunderstandings, but it was unavoidable. I have always been on your side, and I have never betrayed you! You are my friend, my only friend!"
"Come out, please! Even if you want to kill me, please let me see you one last time."
"Linda, I can't live without you!"
Luke gave Charlie an odd look, his eyes practically dripping with sarcasm. Charlie's face was flushed red. He clenched his right fist and cursed under his breath, "That damned lesbian!"
Melissa cried and shouted tearfully for a long time but received no response.
"Miss Jeffrey, stop acting. It's useless."
"Every email you sent to your superior is in my possession. They detail your action plan and your betrayal. Do you think she would still believe you after reading those emails?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you one more thing. I placed a signal jammer on the second floor of this factory—maximum power. The distress signal you sent to the FBI has been intercepted. Even if you wore out that ring, no one would know you're here."
He finished speaking and signaled to Charlie. Charlie drew his pistol and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Three consecutive shots: one to the head, one to the heart, and one to the abdomen.
Melissa fell backward onto the ground, a look of profound indignation still lingering on her face as she died.
Charlie stayed behind to deal with the scene. Luke turned and walked away.
He hadn't walked far when he saw the Kryptonian girl on the beach.
"I thought you would stop me."
Linda didn't speak, staring blankly at the sea.
"Want to grab a drink?"
After a long silence, Luke shrugged helplessly. Just as he was about to leave, a voice reached his ears.
"Your treat."
"No problem."
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