Chapter 8: CHAPTER 8
When Clark saw Kaius's greasy yellow paper bag, his entire face turned green.
"Are you joking? I'd rather die than put that thing on my head!"
Kaius's expression suddenly grew serious as he said solemnly, "Clark, I know this yellow paper bag isn't exactly glamorous, but a true hero needs an important quality. You know what it is? Learning to look beyond appearances and appreciate the beauty within!"
"But—"
"No buts!" Kaius cut him off with increasing conviction. "You have to understand: your real charm comes from your heart, not your outfit or your mask! Sure, I can find you a cool mask later—something stylish that lets you fight crime and protect your identity—but the longer you hesitate, the more danger the hostages are in!"
Clark rolled his eyes. "I don't believe a word you're saying!"
Using his X-ray vision, he scanned Kaius's room and spotted two Halloween masks in the closet. Grabbing one for himself, he tossed the other to Kaius before dashing out of the house, a streak of red lightning disappearing down the street.
Kaius chuckled, adjusted his mask, and followed close behind.
At the Smallville Bank on Grouch Street, five armed gangsters had taken control of the building and its occupants.
The town police force responded quickly, deploying almost every available officer. Ten patrol cars now surrounded the bank, their lights flashing in unison.
"To the criminals inside: you're surrounded!" a police officer shouted through a megaphone. "Drop your weapons and surrender immediately. Cooperate, and we'll work toward leniency!"
The response came in the form of gunfire. A burly gangster with a cigar clenched between his teeth sprayed bullets at the bank's entrance using a machine gun. The officers scrambled for cover as the flaming muzzle lit up the scene.
Amidst the chaos, the burly gangster laughed derisively. "Surrender? You've got to be kidding me! If you cops take one step closer, we'll start killing the hostages. Want to test me?"
Behind him, three other gangsters were hauling out several large bags—clearly stuffed with cash. The fifth member of their crew held a hostage tightly: a young girl.
"Listen up, pigs!" the burly man barked, waving a remote detonator in the air. "There are still over a dozen hostages inside, and enough explosives to blow this place to hell! Get us a truck now, or start planning the funerals!"
The police officers exchanged uneasy glances, clearly torn between their duty to stop the criminals and the fear of endangering the hostages.
Sheriff James slammed his fist on the hood of his patrol car, frustration etched on his face. "Damn it! Fine, we'll get them the truck. Save the hostages first—then we'll deal with these scumbags!"
As tension mounted, two masked figures emerged on the scene, drawing all eyes.
"Who are these two kids?"
"What's with the masks?"
"Probably some kids messing around for a costume party."
Clark ignored the whispers and kept his eyes on the young girl being held hostage. "It's Chloe," he whispered to Kaius. "She's been taken. I have to save her."
"Who's Chloe?" Kaius asked curiously.
"She's the editor of the school newspaper. I work with her."
Without waiting for a response, Clark moved forward.
One of the nearby officers noticed the two and immediately shouted, "Hey! You two! Get out of here! This isn't a game—don't make things worse!"
Sergeant James also looked over. He froze for two seconds after seeing Kaius, then pointed at him with a frown. "You... you're..."
"No, I am not!"
Kaius interrupted in a deep voice. "Please, call me Avenger!"
The word Avenger instantly drew everyone's attention. Clark tugged on Kaius's sleeve and whispered, "Avenger? Is that your code name?"
"Yes. I can't exactly use my real name while helping the police!" Kaius muttered back.
Clark nodded slowly, then asked, "So... what's my code name?"
"You? Superman!"
"Uh... Superman? That sounds like an old man in tights—way too corny!" Clark shook his head in disapproval.
Kaius's jaw dropped in disbelief. The young and naive Clark Kent had just declared that the name Superman was corny!
A direct insult to the future symbol of justice.
He immediately pulled out his phone, pretending to record. "Clark, I didn't quite catch that. Can you repeat what you just said?"
Clark glanced at the recording screen and swallowed his words, unwilling to give Kaius more material to mock him.
Sergeant James, however, had reached his limit. He angrily yelled at them, "You two! I don't care if you're the Avenger or Superman! Get out of here immediately, or I'll arrest you for obstructing police work! Tom, get these clowns out of here!"
On the other side, the gangsters holding Chloe were also furious. One of them, a burly man, sneered. "What the hell is this? We're here robbing a bank, and now we've got these two idiots stealing the spotlight!"
Frustrated by the standoff, the burly gangster waved his gun. "And you cops! Stop stalling! This is my first bank robbery—show some respect! Where's my damn getaway car?!"
He pressed the barrel of his gun harder against Chloe's temple, raising the bomb detonator in his other hand. "If you don't get me what I want, this girl's done for!"
Kaius's patience snapped. "Your first bank robbery is supposed to be impressive? This is my first time as a 'policeman' too!"
He turned to Clark. "Superman, count to three. You save the girl, I'll grab the detonator!"
Clark nodded, his expression hardening.
"One—three!"
Kaius skipped "two" entirely.
Before anyone could react, Kaius and Clark vanished, reappearing almost instantly at the bank entrance twenty meters away.
Kaius lunged at the burly gangster, grabbing his wrist with enough force to crush the bones. Before the man could even scream, the detonator was in Kaius's hands.
At the same moment, Clark seized the gun from the gangster holding Chloe. With a light push, he sent the man flying into a wall, where he slumped unconscious.
"Fire! Shoot them! Kill them!" roared the burly gangster, clutching his mangled wrist.
The remaining three gangsters wasted no time. They raised their guns and opened fire, unleashing a barrage of bullets at Kaius and Clark.
The staccato bursts of gunfire filled the air, and the onlookers gasped in horror, bracing for the gruesome sight of the two young men riddled with bullets.
Chloe shut her eyes tightly, her heart sinking. She couldn't bear to watch what she assumed would be a tragic end.