The Heist and the Hero-Turned-Thief
At ten o'clock in the morning, at a crossroads in the western suburbs of Metropolis.
The continuous rattling of machine gun fire echoed around. A group of bank robbers who had just hit an armored car were cornered by the police inside a coffee shop. Two of the robbers held coffee shop staff hostage, while the others sprayed AK fire toward the patrol cars, flattening the tires of all five vehicles.
Restricted by the safety of the hostages, the police dared not fire freely and were forced to retreat under the robbers' threat.
During the retreat, a female officer was hit in the abdomen by a 7.62mm bullet and lay on the ground, clinging to life. Other officers attempted to save her, but repeated bursts of gunfire forced them back.
Compared to the service staff, the robbers preferred the injured female officer. One bolder robber sneaked over with a riot shield, grabbed the officer, and used her as a new hostage.
The situation became even more complicated.
In the U.S., accidentally killing a hostage is generally considered an unfortunate incident in violent cases, usually resulting in little punishment. But accidentally killing a colleague is an entirely different matter; even if a supervisor doesn't pursue it, co-workers won't forgive you.
The robbers seemed aware of this and began brazenly loading cash, moving all the money from the armored car into a BMW.
The BMW started up and sped away, leaving the police watching in frustration.
Detective Edmund, who was in charge of the operation, stomped his foot in anger. Just as he requested helicopter support from headquarters, a sharp whistle suddenly pierced the air.
Accompanied by a sonic boom, a figure descended from the sky like a meteor.
BOOM!
The ground shook. A terrifying impact wave radiated outwards, sending the BMW flying.
Before the robbers inside could figure out what happened, the car roof was ripped off. A mysterious woman wearing a skull mask stood before them and tossed them out like trash.
The injured female police officer was about to thank her, but then she saw the mystery woman grab the sack filled with cash, shoot into the air, and disappear into the sky like a shooting star.
The officer swallowed her words. Three thoughts flashed through her stunned mind:
Black eats black. (Thief robs thief.)
The bizarre incident quickly made headlines and became the top news story.
The Unexpected Visitor
At the Daily Planet, Clark Kent rubbed his forehead, looking defeated as he watched the TV report.
Lois asked, "Is that her?"
Clark nodded. Before he could explain, his phone rang.
It was his mother calling, but the voice on the other end was a voice both strange and familiar.
Kara Zor-El!
Clark's face changed instantly. He ignored his girlfriend's question, turned, and walked out. Reaching the balcony, he leaped off and vanished in the blink of an eye.
...
A few minutes later, on a farm in Smallville, Kansas.
Clark, flying at full speed, crashed through the house door, then stopped at the strange sight.
His mother, Martha, was sitting at the dining table eating with his "cousin" Kara Zor-El. They were chatting while they ate, lending a bizarre sense of warmth to the scene.
Seeing her son return, Martha instinctively stood up, hesitated for a few seconds, then sat back down.
Clark suppressed his anger and roared,
"Kara, what do you want?"
"Be respectful. Call me 'Cousin' (Sister)."
Clark: "..."
He took a deep breath and said clearly, word for word,
"I told you explicitly, I will not agree."
Linda scoffed. "I didn't expect you to agree. I'm mainly here for two things today. First: as your older cousin, I wanted to meet your adoptive parents and see if they treated you well. The result is excellent, Kal; you have a wonderful mother. Second: I have nowhere to stay, so I plan to crash here for a while. Don't worry, I won't freeload."
She walked over to the money bags, ripped open the zippers, and dumped two large bags of hundred-dollar bills onto the floor.
"Thirteen million dollars. That should be enough for my daily expenses."
Martha covered her mouth, shock written all over her face. In all her decades, she had never seen so much money.
Clark was enraged. He shouted,
"That money was from the armored car! How could you—"
"How could I what?"
Linda sneered. "Don't forget, I captured those four robbers, and I saved the injured female police officer. What's wrong with me taking some extra cash after helping the police? I earned it."
Martha understood the situation. She looked at her son, who nodded helplessly. Seeing this, Martha patted Clark's arm, stepped forward, and said gently,
"Kara, your act of helping the police catch criminals is admirable, but you cannot demand payment for it, nor can you appropriate the money from the armored car. That is illegal."
Linda pouted. "I'm a Kryptonian. Why should Earth's laws matter to me?"
"But you live on Earth!"
"Who told you I want to live on Earth? If it weren't for your foolish son, I would have already returned to Krypton."
She grabbed her luggage and strode toward the door. As she reached the frame, she kicked the door in a fit of pique.
BANG!
The wooden door was shattered into pieces.
Martha looked at her son worriedly. "Tell me what's happening. Is she really your cousin?"
Clark gave a bitter smile. "Don't worry, I'll handle it."
Before he finished speaking, the ground began to shake. The mother and son quickly rushed out of the house. The sight that greeted them left them dumbfounded.
Linda Danvers had somehow moved an entire building. The three-story house was tossed onto the ground like a toy in her hands.
Afterward, she dusted her hands and said to the stunned mother and son,
"This is my house from now on. Don't bother me unless it's necessary."
With that, she slammed the door shut with a loud bang.
Martha clutched her chest, nearly suffering a heart attack. She understood now: the girl had the same powers as her son, but her personality was drastically different—rebellious, erratic, and lawless. She was a delinquent heading down a dangerous path.
"Clark, she..."
Clark said with a strained smile, "Can we just let her stay here for now?"
Martha understood her son's meaning. The girl was completely reckless and disregardful of rules, yet possessed terrifying power. If she were left loose, she could unintentionally cause a catastrophic disaster. By keeping her close, at least her son could intervene.
After thinking it through, Martha sighed resignedly. Despite her unwillingness, she said,
"I'll trust your judgment, but those two bags of money must be returned."
"I know."
Clark nodded, a hint of worry in his eyes. He knew things weren't this simple. His "cousin's" sudden change of heart definitely hid another agenda.
He couldn't guess the exact reason right away, so he decided to wait and see.
And so, with the reluctant consent of Martha and Clark, Linda Danvers moved in.
And with that, the Kent family's troubles began.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 20 chapters in advance!