Chapter 3 Growth

In the days that followed, Clark discovered that his strength was steadily increasing, and his durability was improving in parallel. For example, once he accidentally cut himself with a knife—but absolutely nothing happened.

Clark didn't know why these changes were happening to him. His parents seemed to be completely ordinary people. So, Clark chalked up all of his strange changes to the benefits of time travel—his so-called "golden finger" (a metaphor for special powers granted by transmigration).

As his power grew, more and more changes appeared. For example, when Clark stared at an object for a long time, it would gradually heat up. And when he exhaled deeply, the breath came out extremely cold.

All of these changes were happening inside his body. If Clark had remained unconscious, he might not have survived. But as someone who had seen Iron Man in his previous life, how could he not realize these were the classic signs of Superman awakening his powers as a child?

Though he wasn't completely sure if he was really Superman, these changes were undeniable. By the time he turned 18, Clark could easily lift their family's pickup truck.

It could be said that aside from flight, Clark basically had most of Superman's powers from DC. Of course, they were low-level versions. After all, when Superman is truly at full strength in DC, he can crush universes with one hand. Clark figured that was way out of his reach—just a fantasy for now.

Also, unlike in the Superman movies, his adoptive parents had never discovered his powers early on. With an adult soul in a child's body, Clark had done a great job hiding everything. Other than that hospital trip, his parents had never noticed anything unusual.

But Marvel was not like DC. In this world, there was an organization called S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division).

Clark knew that Nick Fury, the current director of S.H.I.E.L.D., was trying to form a special unit of superpowered individuals—the Avengers. He was terrified that if anyone found out about his abilities, his file would end up on Fury's desk.

Without someone like Tony Stark to vouch for him, who knew how S.H.I.E.L.D. might treat him? After all, mind-controlling and using a person is far easier than hiring someone loyal.

Clark knew what had happened to Bruce Banner—he had no connections, could speak normally in human form, and didn't cause trouble. But the military still hunted him down and drove him out of the country, just so they could study him.

If Banner had Tony Stark's background, would anyone have dared to touch him? When Congress tried to force Stark to hand over his Iron Man suit, he just blew them off.

Or if Banner had a worse temper, going Hulk and rampaging through military bases, no one would dare mess with him. After all, in the Incredible Hulk movie, whenever Banner transformed, the outcome was basically predetermined.

That's why Clark didn't dare reveal his powers—not yet. He still hadn't grown into his full strength. With modern weapons and someone with bad intentions, he could be in real danger.

Not to mention, he didn't come from a powerful background. His parents were his biggest weakness—the emotional bond of being raised by them for over 20 years meant he couldn't gamble with their safety.

Clark also knew that while S.H.I.E.L.D. was a secret organization built to guard against large-scale threats, it had already been heavily infiltrated by HYDRA behind the scenes. So, S.H.I.E.L.D. was not a trustworthy institution. Who knew what they'd do if they found out about a real-life Superman?

So no matter how you looked at it, exposing himself brought no benefits—only risk.

As for the idea of becoming a superhero? Clark believed movies are just movies. He didn't have some kind of strong sense of justice. Sure, if he saw something, he might help.

But only with small problems. For bigger events—like bank robberies or serial murders—at most he might give some accidental help or tips to his police officer dad.

After all, before the big hero-villain battles in the MCU began, the NYPD still had decent firepower. So Clark didn't really have many opportunities to step in. Living a normal life was fine by him.

Because of his low profile, his parents only saw him as a bit of a loner (not that they knew he had to be cautious—can you imagine what it would feel like to be hit by a train?). Other than that, he was perfect. Straight-A student, top of the class, scholarship every year, award after award—the textbook "ideal child."

After graduating college, Clark didn't become a reporter like in the movies. Instead, he asked his dad for some money and opened a flower shop.

Why a flower shop? So that he could build a sunroom for himself and bask in sunlight every day—openly.

That kind of life could have continued quietly, but then one day, Clark saw a news report on TV: Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries, had gone missing in the Middle East.

"A bigshot like him, how could he just disappear?" Clark asked in surprise as the family sat on the couch watching the evening news.

"It's probably not just a disappearance. The intel I got said his convoy was ambushed during a weapons test in the Middle East. They didn't find Stark's body anywhere on the battlefield, so he's presumed kidnapped," said Clark's father.

Since getting promoted, Old Kent no longer had to work shifts at the station. If there wasn't anything urgent, he could come home for dinner and even catch a bit of TV with the family.

"By the way, Clark, how's business at the flower shop?" Old Kent clearly didn't want to dwell on the previous topic, so he shifted the conversation.

"Thanks to you, it's going well," Clark replied. Ever since he opened the flower shop, certain police officers (following Old Kent's subtle instructions) would occasionally make trouble for rival flower shops nearby.

Over time, many competitors got fed up and moved away. Those who stayed saw their business drop, and naturally, Clark's business flourished.

Clark didn't really resent this approach. After all, New York cops were pretty fair. If there were no issues in your store, they couldn't find fault. But if there were, and you didn't fix them, then you couldn't complain if they cracked down.

"As long as business is good," Old Kent said, nodding with satisfaction.

"Clark, since your business is doing so well, you should stop being so busy all the time. When are you going to find us a daughter-in-law?" Mary joined the conversation, walking over with a smile.

"She's right. You're 24 already. A lot of guys your age in the department already have kids. And you—still no girlfriend!" Old Kent looked even more excited at the mention of Clark dating.

"I will, I will. Don't worry," Clark replied, a little uneasy inside. After all, relationships don't come out of thin air. When it comes to finding a partner, both sides need to match in personality, habits, lifestyle, and—most importantly—the right person has to exist.

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