In the end, it wasn't Bruce Wayne who appeared—it was Batman. The moment he arrived, he clashed with Annie, and the two of them seemed evenly matched.
From a quiet corner where no one would bother him, Colin watched their fight. Batman had already taken down the rest of Annie's teammates; she was the last one standing.
"Man~ how boring," Colin muttered. If Bruce Wayne had shown up instead, it might have been entertaining. But clearly, Batman was here for Annie, and that made it far less interesting. To Colin, their battle moved in slow motion—utterly unexciting.
Feeling a touch of boredom, he stood up. The old man from earlier scurried over, face full of flattery. "Mr. Colin, we can offer you a discount on this gemstone."
Colin glanced at the gem in its box. He'd been fond of it when he first came here, but now, in his boredom, it suddenly seemed rather ordinary.
"No need," Colin said, walking out.
He got into his car and was about to leave when he saw Batman dragging Annie outside. Blood was dripping from her nose.
"Oh~ the righteous crusader's at it again, I see," Colin said with a teasing grin.
Batman dropped Annie onto the ground and said, "There are plenty of people still planning to kidnap you. You'd do best to stay at home."
"Wouldn't that be dull?" Colin laughed cheerfully.
After a few casual words, Colin got into his car and drove off.
Time to save someone—and maybe make a little money while he was at it. Once home, he began looking for a suitable target.
Soon, Colin found one: a disheveled man holding a frail, barely-breathing three-year-old girl. What drew Colin's attention wasn't their pitiful state—it was that the man was praying earnestly to a picture of Colin.
The man didn't believe in God, but he did believe in Colin. In his eyes, God would never answer him—but Colin just might.
Be sincere. Be sincere. The man repeated the words like a mantra. Many people mocked him, saying it was useless. They said Superman Colin only cared about money. They said Colin would never bother with a nobody like him. They said every "rescue" Colin performed came with a price.
This was the man's seventh day of prayer. If his daughter died… he couldn't imagine how he'd go on.
Praying, huh? Colin smiled faintly. He'd been prayed to before. Most of those prayers began sincerely enough—but as days went by, they'd always turn into curses and hatred.
Colin watched the man for a moment. If his sincerity held out long enough, maybe he'd save him. But that was no easy thing.
Many people looked devout, but inside, their hearts were full of venom.
If this man's heart stayed as honest as his words, Colin decided, then perhaps he'd lend a hand.
Then he lost interest and moved on.
"Almost there…" whispered a man in prison garb, trembling with excitement. After ten long years, freedom was finally within reach—just one more step.
"Yeah," said a Black inmate beside him, just as eager. There were many involved in this escape attempt, all helping each other.
As the prisoners prepared to act, Colin appeared outside the facility. The warden quickly came out to meet him.
The warden was a white man in his forties. Wiping sweat from his brow, he asked nervously, "Mr. Superman, is there something you need?"
Colin informed him about the impending breakout.
The warden nodded, grateful. Then he pulled out all the cash he had on him and handed it over. "Thank you."
Colin grinned. Now that's a man who knows how to read the room. So much so, in fact, that Colin almost felt bad taking his money. He patted the man's shoulder. "No need. But for now, don't interfere. I want to watch their faces when they break out—only to find themselves surrounded by police."
The warden blinked, then nodded quickly. Colin smiled and walked away. The thought of those convicts crawling out of a tunnel only to face rows of armed officers—that was going to be fun to watch.
The warden wiped his brow again. He knew Colin was dangerous, but he hadn't expected him to be… oddly reasonable. As for the escape? Honestly, he'd never imagined anyone could even manage it.
Oh well. If Superman himself said to leave it, then so be it.
On the rooftop of a tall building, a woman stood at the edge, ready to jump.
Suddenly, Colin appeared beside her. "Aren't you afraid of pain?" he asked.
The woman—dressed in a fitted office suit, young and strikingly beautiful—flinched at his sudden presence and turned to face him.
Pain? Of course she feared it. But she was tired. Every day was nothing but pressure—family expectations, workplace demands, endless stress. She was on the verge of breaking.
Maybe only in another world could she finally rest.
"If you're set on dying," Colin said lightly, "mind giving me your money first? If I'm in a good mood, I might use it to help someone else."
The woman nodded slightly. "Sure. I only have a hundred dollars on me. My phone's the most valuable thing I own. After I die, if you're in a good mood… use it to help others."
Even in death, it was comforting to think she might still help someone. The wind whipped her hair and brushed her face as she asked softly, "Do you ever get troubled by anything?"
"Troubled? Not really. If I had to say, maybe… boredom," Colin replied.
"Boredom, huh? Must be nice to have that as your only problem," she said with a faint smile. "So what do you do when you're bored?"
"When I'm bored, I save people. Their sincere gratitude always puts me in a good mood," Colin said truthfully—though only if the gratitude was sincere.
The woman couldn't help but look at him a little longer. "You're really something else, you know that?"
"Heh~ Anyway, if you jump and regret it, just call my name. I'll save you," Colin said. She was a good person. If she truly regretted it, he'd be willing to save her.
The woman smiled sweetly. "I guess I do have some regrets after all."
Colin's voice turned serious. "I'm not helping you lose your virginity."
Her face instantly turned red. "I-I wasn't thinking that!!"
"I can see what people are thinking," Colin murmured.
The woman: "..."
She steadied herself, took a deep breath, and said softly, "Goodbye…"