Clark looked up, only to see a masked figure in a strange costume hanging upside down from a web, drawing gasps and exclamations from the surrounding crowd.
"Wow, it's Spider-Man! The guy who defeated the monsters in the black mist in New York and saved tons of people!"
"Yeah, I saw him on TV! He and Wonder Woman saved everyone."
"My gosh, I can't believe he's here. He must be here to save us!"
"Who's he talking to?"
"That kid—they know each other?"
"Oh my God, I want to be friends with Spider-Man too~~"
At that moment, people raised their phones, capturing the scene of Spider-Man's appearance.
In the frame, Clark's brows were furrowed tightly. But with Jonathan about to be swallowed by the tornado, a frantic Martha clung desperately to Clark's hand, tears streaming down her face as she faced an impossible choice between her husband and her child.
If Clark revealed his powers, he'd face endless trouble, possibly even being hunted as a monster by humanity.
But if Clark didn't act, her husband would die.
The two people she loved most plunged her into a desperate struggle.
And the two people who loved her most were doing everything to protect her.
If Clark exposed his powers, his family would be his only weakness.
Jonathan didn't want Clark to reveal his abilities, precisely because he loved his wife so deeply.
Martha was just an ordinary human. Any mistake by Clark couldn't guarantee her safety in the chaos that would follow.
So, the only way to ensure Martha and Clark could live a peaceful life was for Clark to abandon saving Jonathan.
Martha understood why Jonathan made this choice.
Yet, she clung tightly to Clark's hand, stopping him from impulsively revealing his superpowers.
She had made her decision.
It was tearing her apart.
But Charlie couldn't stand this kind of melodramatic life-or-death drama.
He understood Jonathan's reasoning but didn't agree with it.
Even if Superman Clark didn't reveal his powers now, he'd eventually do so later, spurred by some woman's persuasive words.
In short, whether Clark saved Jonathan now or not, he was destined to reveal his powers eventually.
So Charlie chose the simplest, most direct approach.
"Kal, that name's probably new to you. Remember the handprint on your butt?"
At those words, Clark instinctively covered half his rear, his eyes wide with shock.
"How… how do you know…" He was utterly stunned.
But Charlie's response turned his worldview upside down.
"Because I'm the one who left that handprint as a gift."
Charlie's upside-down triangular eyes narrowed slightly. "I used Krypton's most advanced paint technology. Baby you got a good spanking from me."
"Krypton?" Clark's eyes widened.
"No time to explain. Your dad's about to bite the dust, so as the universe's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, I'm gonna give you a hand."
With that, Charlie flicked his wrist, shooting a web that flung Clark toward the raging tornado before he could react.
"Clark!!"
The next moment, amid Martha's heart-wrenching scream, Clark stood firm in the swirling sandstorm, unyielding like an unshakable mountain. He pushed Jonathan into the car, then gripped the vehicle tightly with both hands as it was swept up by the wind, his gaze resolute.
Inside the car, Jonathan pounded on the window. "Clark, stop! This will ruin you!" His eyes were filled with anguish.
Clark said nothing, his stubborn gaze silencing Jonathan's protests.
In the storm, father and son locked eyes in silence.
Everything was understood without words.
No matter what trouble came next, the family would face it together.
No one would be left behind!
Clark saw the determination in his father's eyes and gave a faint smile. His muscles bulged, an unparalleled strength erupting as he slowly pushed the car out of the tornado's grasp.
At the same time, the crowd under the bridge captured the scene on their phones.
They stared, wide-eyed, unable to believe it was real.
How could a human resist nature's destructive force?
So… this kid wasn't human!
Their eyes instinctively turned to Charlie.
Was this Spider-Man not human either?
"No!!"
On the scene, Martha collapsed to her knees, powerless.
She knew there was no going back now.
Clark was about to face the darkest moment of his life.
But then, someone started clapping.
Clap clap~
In the crowd, elderly Steve wiped tears from his eyes, clapping. "Sniff sniff So touching!"
Soon, the moved crowd joined in, applauding.
"He's a hero! He saved his family!"
"He's amazing, such a good kid!"
"Fantastic!"
The growing praise stunned Martha.
"They… they don't see Clark as a monster?" She wept with joy.
"Don't get too excited."
Charlie landed beside Martha. "This also proves something: how people see Clark doesn't depend on what he does, but on this."
He gestured toward elderly Steve, and Martha instantly understood.
That old guy was Spider-Man's shill!
In that moment, Charlie's actions opened the door to a new world for Martha.
She understood, finally understood.
Whether Clark became a monster or a hero in the future depended on how she, his mother, shaped his image.
On the other side, Clark and Jonathan also saw what was happening under the bridge.
The father and son exchanged a smile.
"Dad, for the first time, they didn't see me as a monster."
"Son, you should thank Spider-Man. He gave you this chance."
"Yeah, I—"
Before Clark could finish, a sparkling portal flashed beside him. A fist the size of a sandbag, carrying immense force, sent Clark flying thousands of meters.
Boom~~~
Clark's body plowed through the plains, crashing into a canyon's boulders. The sudden scene left everyone stunned.
"Clark!"
Jonathan and Martha's faces paled. Meanwhile, elderly Steve quietly slipped back to Diana and Peggy's side.
"Now the real show begins," he said with a grin.
Diana frowned. "This human named Clark has power rivaling a god's. Doing this will turn him into our enemy."
Peggy, thoughtful, disagreed. "No, he's testing Clark's potential. More precisely, he wants to unlock Clark's potential early."
"What do you mean?" Diana asked, confused.
Elderly Steve explained with a smile, "We've been to Krypton. Their tech is insanely advanced, and their bodies can absorb stellar energy.
Little Spider said this Clark guy is a Kryptonian too, apparently one of our mission targets back then, called Superman Kal or something.
But that's not important. What matters is that this guy's been living on Earth for so long, he's likely adapted to this sun's energy."
Diana still didn't get it. "But testing his strength like this?"
"It's not just testing," Peggy said, her lips curling slightly. "Before Charlie made his move, I saw him warming up."
Diana: "…"
"What does that mean?"
"It means he's taking this opponent seriously. He might not win."
"Lose?"
Diana blinked, incredulous. "No way?"
Peggy shrugged. "It's just a possibility. If Clark can't unlock his full power, Charlie might not lose."
"And if he does lose? Will he die?" Diana asked, a bit nervous.
Elderly Steve stroked his chin. "Probably not. That kid's kind; he won't kill Little Spider."
"Right," Peggy nodded. "If Charlie loses, Clark's potential will be awakened, making him our strongest asset.
If Charlie wins, though…"
"What happens then?" Diana asked curiously.
Peggy smirked. "Then Clark's in for a beating that might leave him traumatized for life."
Diana's face darkened. "Does he enjoy doing this kind of thing?"
Peggy shot her a sidelong glance. "Does he enjoy it? Weren't you one of his victims?"
"I—"
Diana was speechless.
As the three chatted, an explosion erupted from the canyon ruins. A battered Clark rose, glaring at Charlie's direction. His clothes were reduced to rags, leaving only his underwear to preserve his last shred of dignity.
Young and reckless, ready to fight!
Boom!!
Instantly, Clark's eyes glowed red, emitting beams as hot as the sun's surface, streaking across the plains toward Charlie.
In response, Charlie rubbed his wrist glands and fired a web beam.
Buzz~~
Boom!!!
In an instant, the two crimson beams collided in the plains, unleashing a devastating heatwave that plowed through the earth, leaving no patch of land untouched.
"No!!"
Seeing Clark targeted by Spider-Man, Jonathan barely had time to process before the crowd dragged him under the bridge.
The onlookers stared in disbelief at the terrifying destruction caused by the two, feeling fear for the first time toward beings who surpassed human limits.
Before, whether it was Spider-Man or Clark, they used their powers to save people.
But now, they understood.
They weren't human—they were gods!
Or possibly monsters capable of destroying the world!
Noticing the shift in the crowd's expressions, Martha's face fell, a bad feeling rising in her chest.
On the battlefield, the two crimson beams locked in a stalemate, neither yielding, until they dissipated in a terrifying explosion.
From this brief test, Charlie gauged Clark's current strength.
Superman at this stage was far from his peak; his heat vision wasn't even close to its full potential, and he couldn't fly yet.
In this state, Superman wouldn't be a game-changer in the coming battle. He needed to get stronger.
With a fleeting thought, Charlie stepped through a portal, appearing instantly in front of Clark.
"What?"
Charlie's "teleportation" startled Clark, but the young Kryptonian, feeling toyed with, didn't back down. He swung a fist without hesitation.
Boom!!
The air exploded as Charlie caught Clark's punch.
"Wow, impressive fist."
But then, unable to hold back, Charlie's body was sent flying, crashing into the canyon's ravine.
The scene left Clark puzzled.
"Weird guy. Is your superpower just talking trash?"
He snorted, and with a burst of speed, his body shot like a cannonball into the canyon.
Boom!!
The canyon shook as Clark unleashed a flurry of straightforward punches, pummeling the ground. Amid flying debris, multiple figures swarmed from all directions, locking onto Clark's powerful frame.
"Wow, such dramatic muscles."
"My gosh, I never thought the original would try to take down Superman. This is insane."
Thrilling!!
"Hey, hey, hey, now's not the time for memes, okay?"
"Lock him tight; this guy's tough."
"I've got his vitals pinned."
"Sheesh, that's way too creepy."
"But nicely done!"
Identical Spider-Men chattered incessantly in Clark's ears. Shocked and lacking combat experience, he started to panic.
In front of him, Charlie, barely dodging Clark's wild punches, brushed debris off his shoulder and slapped Clark's rear.
"Hey, I could spank you back then, and I can do it now."
"You—"
Feeling defiled, Clark gritted his teeth. His immense strength surged, instantly sending the swarm of duplicates flying.
"No, no, no, I'm airborne!"
"Ah!! I can't beat him…"
"We're done for; the original's gonna get wrecked."
Seeing his duplicates blasted into the rubble, Charlie gritted his teeth.
He stomped and cursed, "Idiots, we're magical Spider-Men! Don't try to outmuscle him!!"
At that, the duplicates dropped the act.
"Showtime!"
"Good Neighbor Flying Kick!"
"Cosmic Good Neighbor Tornado Parking Lot Destroyer!"
"You guys don't take the original's safety seriously. Watch my ultimate move: Celestial Flying~~ Immortal!"
Boom!!
In an instant, dazzling meteors crashed diagonally to the ground. Clark roared in fury under the barrage, smashing the falling meteors with a single fist and shrugging off the web beams raining down with his tough body.
Zzzzt~
The next second, Clark's eyes blazed with crimson beams again, splitting the sky's white clouds in two. The red-and-blue figures swarming the sky were struck down one by one.
Charlie, disengaging from the fight, couldn't help but marvel.
Superman in his growth phase was this terrifying? What would he be like at his peak?
So…
Keep fighting him!
Summon the magical spiderlings!
Boom!!
Instantly, a destructive aura spread, the skies shifting as an evil force gathered endless dark clouds over the plains.
Boom!!
Dark lightning crackled wildly. In Clark's shocked gaze, Charlie's figure was enveloped in thick blackness. Horns sprouted from his head, and his pale blue eyes were tainted blood-red.
Just one glance made Clark's heart tremble, an instinctive fear rising.
This was a power beyond his comprehension!
The next second, the dark clouds in the sky swirled into a vortex, and a streak of blood-red light shot down.
Hum!
Crack~
As the blood-red sword landed in his hand, Charlie let out a sigh of relief.
In the DC Universe, the symbiote god Null couldn't control the All-Black Necrosword.
So, Charlie wielded it now, without worrying about it suddenly going rogue and draining his life force.
With that, Charlie brimmed with confidence.
Hum!
Before Clark could react, the blood-red sword swept out, plunging the entire canyon into darkness in an instant.
Boom!!!
With a deafening crash, blood-red eyes flickered in the darkness.
Before Charlie, Clark knelt on one knee, hands raised above his head, clamping the terrifying blood-red blade with all his might.
Though Clark's face was contorted, straining to stop the sword from cleaving his head, the blade didn't cut through his palms—a clear sign.
The All-Black Necrosword couldn't pierce Superman's physical defenses!
Not unless it was fully activated.
Even so, Charlie was satisfied.
He was very pleased with Superman's strength.
If he could push Superman to his peak and make him an ally, wouldn't he be unstoppable in the DC Universe's battles?
With that thought, Charlie couldn't help but laugh, hands on his hips.
"Hahaha, awesome!!"
After laughing, he kicked Clark through a portal.
On the other side was an endless glacier.
There, a Kryptonian spaceship would reveal all the truths to Superman.
Before that, Charlie had to go test his other connections.