Support me and be 30 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/Draco_
*****
New York suburbs, inside the apartment where Iron Woman lived.
Six-year-old Oren stood on a stool, leaning against the windowsill. He glanced downstairs, then looked up at the sky. Not seeing his mother, his bun-like little face scrunched slightly as he let out a soft sigh.
It was truly disappointing. She had clearly promised to take him to the aquarium to see the dolphins today, but once again, his mother had broken her word.
Jumping down from the stool, Oren's eyes flickered. His gaze pierced through the wall and fell on the street outside, where he saw other children playing. His eyes carried a trace of envy.
He really wanted to play with them too, but…
Remembering his mother's instructions, he suddenly drew in a sharp breath, his cheeks puffing up.
"Gurgle!"
Rubbing his little belly, he went to the kitchen, pulled some food out of the fridge, and carried it back to his room. From under the bed, he dragged out a box and placed it onto his bed.
Opening it, he revealed a collection of photographs.
Photos of him, of his mother, and of him together with his mother.
He was making a memory book out of them—a birthday gift for his mom.
After working on it for several days, he was nearly finished.
Nibbling on snacks while selecting the right photos, Oren carefully pasted them into a notebook. On the pages, he doodled and scribbled down messages he wanted to say to his mother, or drew little stick figures. He was busy and happily absorbed in his task.
When he reached the last page, he drew three people.
One was himself.
One was his mom.
And the last was a faceless figure, wearing a tie.
Resting his chin in his palm, Oren tried to imagine what his father might look like.
Unfortunately, he had never once seen his father, so that blank face always ended up being replaced with animals from cartoons in his mind.
Shaking his head, Oren hugged the memory book, rolled twice across his bed, and muttered,
"I really wonder who my dad is!"
His bright, sky-blue eyes sparkled with hope.
He had asked his mother before, but she always told him he had no father.
But how could that be? Everyone else had a dad, so why not him?
He figured his mother must be lying to him. Maybe his father was just a scumbag who had abandoned them.
"Hmph! When I meet him, I'll make him taste my fists!"
Oren waved his soft, pale little hand.
His eyes flashed again, and his vision passed through the wall to look outside.
"Huh? What's that?"
At that moment, he saw a golden, rotating portal appear on the roof of their apartment building.
While he was still wondering, he saw a man and a woman step out of it.
"Ma… magicians!"
Recalling the magicians he had seen on TV, Oren's mouth dropped open in excitement.
Then, to his shock, the man's eyes met his own through the wall—and the man smiled at him.
Oren froze.
He can see me?!
His heart thumped wildly, and he hurriedly retracted his ability.
But the very next moment, the two people suddenly appeared inside his room.
Quickly, he shoved the memory book under his pillow and glared at them. "Who are you? Why did you suddenly come into my house?"
Gwen smiled gently. "We're your mother's friends. We're here to see her about something…"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Gwen realized something was wrong.
That sounded… exactly like what a bad guy would say.
She glanced at Mac, who was staring thoughtfully at a photo on the bedside table. Curious, she asked, "Dad, what's wrong?"
"Are you sure this is Iron Woman's home? And this child… is her son?"
Gwen nodded. "Yeah, why?"
"Nothing. Just… a little unexpected."
Mac murmured under his breath.
He had seen pictures of Iron Woman before, but the woman in the photo looked different.
He didn't know Iron Woman personally, but he recognized the woman in that photograph.
Kryptonian Commander—Fiora.
So Iron Woman was Fiora all along?
She had altered her appearance with her Kryptonian battle-suit wristband, just like Clark?
Mac's thoughts churned. His gaze fell on the child, and the boy's sky-blue eyes trembled faintly.
This child…
No. Impossible.
But the resemblance was uncanny!
He looked almost identical to how Clark had looked as a child!
Unable to hold back, Mac asked, "What's your name? Who is your father?"
"Before asking someone else's name, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"
Tilting up his chin proudly, Oren shot back, then hopped down from the bed.
"Mac Kent," Mac introduced solemnly.
Oren's eyes darted mischievously. "My name is… not telling you!"
How could he possibly reveal his name to a stranger who had just barged into his home?
Mac froze. Gwen, however, chuckled and glanced at him. "Clever little guy."
Oren pouted. "Are you bad people?"
Gwen shook her head. "No."
Oren's eyes went wide, and he shouted, "So you are bad people!"
"???"
Gwen blinked in confusion.
"Bad guys never admit they're bad!"
"Then… we're bad guys."
"Ha! I knew it—you're bad guys!"
"…"
Gwen's expression twisted. She felt like this kid had just tricked her.
"Heh."
Mac laughed softly. But as he studied Oren's face, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
The more he looked, the more he saw Clark in him. But how could it be?
Clark and Fiora?
His frown deepened.
Just then, Mac's expression shifted. He suddenly stepped forward, blocking Gwen.
The next instant, a figure smashed through the window, an iron-forged fist colliding with Mac's palm.
"Boom!"
With a thunderous crash, invisible shockwaves blasted outward, shattering the remaining glass. The floor beneath Mac's feet cracked like a spiderweb.
"Iron Woman!"
Seeing the sudden appearance of the woman, Gwen cried out and prepared to transform. But Mac snorted coldly and struck out, blasting Iron Woman away with a single punch.
"Boom! Boom!"
She was sent hurtling like a cannonball, smashing through walls and vanishing deeper into the apartment.
"Watch the kid. Leave her to me."
Mac spoke firmly, stomping the floor. Cracks spidered out beneath him as his figure disappeared.
Oren's eyes went wide.
That was Iron Woman?
And that man—he could overpower her with one blow? That was insane!
He never knew his mother was Iron Woman, since she always deactivated her battle-suit disguise before coming home.
"Who are you?"
Oren's eyes burned with excitement as he looked at Gwen. "Are you superheroes… or supervillains?"
Gwen opened her mouth, unsure how to answer such a question.
Finally, she smiled faintly and declared firmly:
"We are the Star Exterminators!"
(End of Chapter)