Tens of thousands of meters high, in the thin atmosphere of the stratosphere. A black shadow, moving faster than sound, trailed a straight wake beneath the stars.
"Woooohooo!!!"
Henry spread his arms wide, thoroughly enjoying the near-vacuum silence and the cold of the high altitude. The city below had become a painting composed of countless points of light in his eyes. The feeling of being detached from the whole world, soaring alone in the cosmos, made him let out a triumphant cheer.
"This is so much better than Tony's iron can!" he shouted into the comms channel, his excitement barely contained.
"No annoying mechanical noise, no restricted vision, every pore in my body can feel the breath of the universe! 360-degree panoramic sunroof. Jarvis, did you hear that? When we get back, remember to add an outdoor helipad to the villa. I'm using this for all my future outings!"
"I heard you, Sir." Jarvis's voice was still steady.
"Additionally, I need to report that your maximum speed has reached Mach 1.5 and is still climbing. At this rate, you will fly over California and enter Nevada airspace in 1 minute and 42 seconds."
"Only Mach 1.5? That's too slow!" Henry pouted in dissatisfaction.
"I thought I could catch up to light. But, speaking of which..."
As he flew, a scientific question that he had consciously ignored but which had persisted in his mind surfaced again.
"Jarvis, don't you think something is a little strange?"
"Sir, what are you referring to? Are you referring to the fact that you are streaking at supersonic speed, but your Armor is not catching fire from the intense friction with the air?"
"That's composite titanium alloy, thank you. And I'm wearing Armor! I'm talking about something else," Henry retorted impatiently.
"I'm flying so fast. Logically, there should be a huge sonic boom and shockwave, right? Like when a fighter jet flies low, the shockwave is strong enough to shatter the windows of the cities below and set off countless car alarms all night long. But look, it's calm below, not even a ripple. This doesn't comply with aerodynamics or the law of conservation of energy."
Yes, that's what he wanted to talk about. Normally, a person flying at supersonic speed would generate a lot of noise, even a roar—a truly deafening sound. But Henry noticed that this wasn't happening when he flew, which didn't make sense.
As he spoke, he lowered his altitude curiously, whizzing over a sleeping small town. The town was quiet and peaceful, with only a few houses still lit. His passage didn't disturb anyone, not even a dog on the roadside barked.
"See that? They didn't even notice me," Henry felt like he was onto a secret.
"This is too strange. Could it be that I have some kind of invisible silencing field? Or am I actually an eco-friendly, energy-saving Superman who doesn't generate any form of pollution when he flies?"
"Sir, the question you have posed has significant research value," Jarvis's voice seemed to carry a hint of curiosity.
"Please allow me to use the high-precision sensors on your Armor to perform a deep scan and analysis of the energy field around your body."
"Scan away, just don't make me take off my Armor and pants. This thing is a pain to put on."
As Henry spoke, he performed various high-difficulty aerial maneuvers. He felt like a fish freed from an aquarium, swimming freely in the boundless ocean.
A few minutes later, Jarvis's voice returned, but this time, his tone carried an undeniable note of astonishment.
"Sir, the analysis is complete. I must admit, your previous guess is partially correct. It is even more ingenious than you imagined."
"Oh? Tell me about it. Did I awaken some incredible talent? Is it the kind of dominating aura that makes people bow down in reverence?" Henry was getting excited. He thought perhaps he didn't have to do anything; the villains would simply surrender themselves when he stood there.
But the next second, he dismissed the idea. Dominating aura? That sounds more like a cliché urban fantasy protagonist!
"I'm afraid not, Sir," Jarvis denied his wild guess.
"According to the scan data, there is indeed a very weak, but real, special energy field surrounding your body. Its nature is very peculiar, belonging neither to the electromagnetic field nor the gravitational field. It appears to be a force field generated directly by your biological strength that then interacts with the spatial dimension itself."
Jarvis displayed a complex human energy model on the holographic projection in front of Henry. A nearly transparent layer of energy, like a thin film, tightly wrapped around Henry's human silhouette.
"The function of this force field is extremely sophisticated. First, it appears to interact with the space around you, subtly distorting the flow of air at a microscopic level, significantly neutralizing air resistance, and providing you with buoyancy for flight. This may be the fundamental reason for your ability to fly."
"Second, and most crucially, this force field forms a sheath-like structure when you move at high speeds. It then confines the immense kinetic energy and shockwaves generated by your flight within this sheath, releasing and neutralizing them smoothly in a manner we do not yet fully comprehend."
"In simple terms, Sir," Jarvis offered the final summary.
"You can imagine this force field as an invisible, form-fitting protective shield, which also acts as a skin with perfect aerodynamic shape. It is both your propulsion system and your shock absorber and muffler. It allows you to travel at high speeds as if you were moving through a vacuum."
After hearing Jarvis's analysis, Henry stopped in mid-air. He hovered under the starlight, stroking his chin in thought. After a long moment, realization dawned on him.
"Holy cow! Isn't this Superman's bio-electric force field?!"
He remembered. In the comics he had read in his past life, there was an explanation for why Superman could fly, why he could withstand a nuclear blast in a simple suit, and why he wouldn't tear his beloved Lois Lane apart when carrying her at high speeds. The most widely accepted explanation was this bio-electric force field.
"So, I really became Superman?"
He looked down at his pure black Armor, then up at the cool, clear moon in the sky. It all felt so unreal.
Perhaps I should start wearing my underwear on the outside and fighting crime every day?
No, no, no!
That's not my style.
"Jarvis, quickly check if my eyes can shoot heat rays! Or if I can freeze a cloud into an ice block by blowing on it! Also, is my only weakness a glowing green rock? And does it have to be from my home planet?"
He squeezed his eyes at the empty space and puffed out his cheeks, blowing hard like a madman.
Of course, nothing happened.
"Sir, based on the scan, no abnormal energy convergence was detected in your eyes. Your breath only generated normal airflow and cannot affect the cloud's structure. As for whether you are allergic to a specific green radioactive mineral, I cannot give you a conclusion due to the lack of an experimental sample."
"Fine," Henry pouted in disappointment.
"It seems I'm just a nerfed Superman. Just flight and strength, plus a powerful bio-force field, but I haven't actually evolved to that level yet. This 'golden finger' is really underpowered. No starter pack, either. Thumbs down."
He complained as he adjusted his direction again, then flew towards the Malibu beachfront villa.
"Whatever, nerfed it is. It's still better than nothing. At least I don't have to drive anymore, and I'll save a lot of gas money and maintenance fees. I just wonder if this thing can carry people. If I can take a few hot chicks flying with me, that would feel amazing."
He smiled at the thought. This world, it seemed, was becoming more and more interesting.