However, the two thieves suddenly pulled out a strange object from their pockets and tossed it onto the ground. Moments later, a bizarre creature appeared out of thin air, swaying as it took form.
The instant the creature emerged, everyone's eyes widened in horror.
Even Gotham's most notorious thugs couldn't hold back their screams before turning to flee.
"What the hell is that thing?"
"An alien? It looks... horrifying."
"What are you standing around for? Run!"
"..."
The people of Gotham had a razor-sharp instinct for danger. The moment they sensed something wrong, they scattered.
Street vendors and shop owners slammed their doors shut in panic, desperate to avoid what was clearly no ordinary threat.
Billy Batson, caught in the middle of it all, froze in disbelief. His face turned pale, and his lips trembled.
The creature raised a hand, and with a deafening crash, Billy Batson was sent flying through the air, slamming straight into a tree.
"So scary..."
Although Billy now looked like an adult, deep down he was still just a kid. He'd only ever been in small fights before—nothing like this.
Being attacked by a monster out of nowhere left him on the verge of tears.
His eyes darted around, searching desperately for help rather than fighting back. When he spotted Lorien, he immediately dropped his act, waving frantically.
"Boss, help! Quick! A monster hit me!"
He pouted after shouting, looking pitiful.
Lorien's mouth twitched slightly.
He ignored the monster and strolled over to Billy at an unhurried pace.
"That thing's just big. You could knock it down easily if you tried."
Lorien's voice was calm but carried a subtle persuasive power.
He didn't have to say much—Billy was still a child at heart. A little encouragement was all it took to fire him up.
Sure enough, Billy's eyes lit up, and his fear vanished.
"I'm not the same kid anymore! I'm strong now—I can take that monster down in one shot!"
He rubbed his hands over himself in disbelief. Despite being thrown so far, he hadn't suffered a single injury. The monster's blow had felt more like a tickle.
"Stop right there! I'll handle this!"
Billy clenched his fists and shot forward, landing right in front of the creature.
He threw a testing punch straight at its face.
Even though he hadn't used much strength, the monster flew backward like a barrel, rolling across the ground dozens of times before crashing to a halt—only to be run over by a passing car whose driver had no idea what just happened.
Billy covered his mouth in shock.
When fighting normal people, he always worried about accidentally using too much force and killing someone. But with a monster, he had no such fear.
For the first time, he truly felt how powerful he was.
"I'm amazing! Boss was right—one punch and the monster's down!"
He felt proud—really proud.
If he were still in his old world, his friends would've been cheering for him right now.
Billy was certain of it.
Overcome with excitement, he charged straight toward the two thieves.
"Hand over the goods."
The two thieves trembled in fear. They had assumed the monster they unleashed would instantly knock the man before them to the ground. Instead, not only did it fail to do so, but the creature they released was swiftly defeated by this very man.
"We'll give you the goods right away. Please don't hurt me."
The two thieves, protected by the monster, hadn't even considered fleeing until now. But escape was no longer an option.
The package was quickly and respectfully handed over to Billy Batson.
Billy Batson was thoroughly satisfied.
"You two can't keep stealing things like this anymore. And don't unleash that ugly monster again—it scares people!"
Even a brave boy like him had almost died of fright. How could ordinary people handle that?
"He's quite formidable, isn't he?"
Clark, the adult version of Superman, appeared silently beside Lorien and remarked casually.
Lorien merely glanced at him briefly before nodding slightly.
...
"I suppose so, though his mind isn't mature enough yet."
"He's just a kid. Give it a few years, and he'll naturally grow up." Clark spoke with an easy calm, then asked Lorien, "If I were to recruit him into the Justice League, would you have any objections?"
Lorien's lips curved into a faint smile. What objections could he possibly have? He'd welcome it.
After all, he had already spent a long time looking after a younger version of Clark. He had no desire to take care of another child.
This kid was undeniably righteous and kind-hearted, but sometimes his actions left Lorien both amused and exasperated, unsure how to handle him. While the boy brought a touch of joy to his life, Lorien absolutely did not want his downtime disturbed by him.
Clark had no clue about Lorien's true thoughts. He only knew that Lorien had agreed, and he was already scheming in his mind about how to recruit Billy Batson.
Billy Batson finally tracked down the thief he'd been chasing. After returning the stolen goods, he immediately jogged back to Lorien's side. There, he spotted Superman Clark standing beside him.
Superman Clark had appeared in his world too.
He was a power user Billy greatly admired.
"Oh my gosh, you know what? You're my idol."
Billy Batson's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"I never imagined I'd get to observe my idol up close like this—and alive!"