"Sigh…"
Eden looked at Eve, who was standing at the corner of the hallway, and exhaled helplessly. One problem after another—it never ended.
" Todd, I remember you said you had something to do, right?"
Before dealing with Eve, Eden decided to finish his business with Todd first. Bending down slightly, he stared at Todd—who was still on the ground—and spoke in a calm but warning tone. The meaning behind his words was clear: Todd had better find something important to occupy himself with… and fast.
"Freak."
Todd's voice trembled as he spoke. His eyes, filled with naked fear, darted between Eden's calm expression and his own trembling hands.
"This is insane. I weigh two hundred and forty pounds, and he lifted me with one hand. One hand! He's practically Superman…"
Todd's thoughts spiraled in disbelief, but he didn't dare voice them aloud. Instead, he scrambled to his feet and fled down the corridor, his footsteps echoing in panic.
Eden brushed the dust off his hands and watched him go.
"Hey, I remember your name's Eve, right?" he asked casually, turning to the girl who had been watching from around the corner. "As you saw, I was just having a nice heart-to-heart with my good friend Todd."
"Eden Kent," she said evenly. "I know who you are."
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she added, "Are you a metahuman?"
"Not really," Eden replied with a shrug. "I'm just… robust. You could say I work out a lot."
He grinned slightly. "I was even picked for the school's football team once. Unfortunately, I had to quit for… personal reasons."
Eden shook his head. Lifting over two hundred pounds with one hand was certainly beyond what most people could manage, but not entirely impossible—at least not if he held back carefully enough.
After all, his father, Clark Kent, had once told him: "You don't know how hard it is to live in a world made of paper people."
"Heh," Eve muttered skeptically. "Lifting two hundred and forty pounds with one hand and not even flinching? I don't think that's something you can achieve just by working out."
"Think what you want to think," Eden said nonchalantly, spreading his hands as if the matter didn't concern him. Checking his watch, he smiled. "Anyway, it's almost time for class. I won't keep you."
"Wait, Eden."
Eve hurried to catch up, clutching her books to her chest. "Don't you think superpowers are a gift from God? If you really do have powers, I hope you'll use them for good—not to intimidate your classmates."
Eden raised an eyebrow. Clearly, she had misunderstood what happened between him and Todd, but he didn't feel like explaining. Instead, he waved dismissively.
"Sure. Next time for sure."
He turned to leave but added over his shoulder, "Oh, and don't follow me anymore. If people see us together, they might misunderstand our relationship. You know I value my reputation."
Eve froze, eyes twitching slightly. "What do you mean by that?" she snapped. "Are you saying my reputation is bad?"
Eden smiled faintly but didn't turn around. "As for what you just said—about using my powers for good…" He sighed and shook his head. "Let's say I did have superpowers. Even then, I don't think flying around in a miniskirt and a pink cheerleader uniform counts as 'using them for good.'"
"Hey!" Eve's expression darkened. "Who are you talking about?"
"Atom Eve of the Teen Team," Eden said innocently. "Why are you so worked up? Don't tell me you share her name and imagine you are her?"
"You're pretty confident for someone so ordinary."
"…"
Eve was momentarily speechless, as if something had lodged in her throat. She wanted to get angry—but doing so would basically admit that she was Atom Eve. Staying silent, though, made her feel suffocated with frustration.
"I'm going to class," Eden said simply, ending the exchange. He picked up his books and walked away, leaving Eve behind, still fuming.
[Ding-dong]
[You have outsmarted the superhero Atom Eve.]
[Daily mission completed.]
The familiar chime of the system echoed in Eden's mind.
"Good things really do come in pairs," he said with a faint smile. "So as long as I make superheroes uncomfortable, it counts toward my daily goals."
He thought for a moment, tapping his chin. "But it seems like the bigger the hero, the higher the score. I've already tested that on my parents."
"In that case," he mused, "I should probably focus on the mid-tier heroes—the ones like Atom Eve, or the Teen Team, or maybe the Battle Team."
Eden chuckled softly. His exchange with Eve earlier hadn't been random; it had all been part of his experiment—to test the limits of his mysterious system.
"Eve," he whispered with amusement, "I really do have you in my grasp."
Meanwhile, in her classroom, Eve sat silently at her desk, her face clouded over like a brewing storm.
"What's wrong, Eve?" her best friend asked curiously.
"Nothing," Eve said tersely. "I just met someone… extremely annoying."
"Huh? You?" Her friend blinked. "You're the goddess of our school! Which guy could possibly get under your skin?"
Eve shot her a cold look. "How do you know it's a guy?"
Her friend chuckled awkwardly. "Just a guess."
Eve sighed and dropped the subject, staring blankly out the window.
That afternoon, after school, Eden stretched and yawned as he packed up his things.
From today onward, he had decided to keep a lower profile. His mother—well, stepmother, Nolan—had started to suspect that he might have awakened superpowers. To avoid drawing attention, he planned to go home on time every day.
Just as he slung his bag over his shoulder, a sharp whoosh passed by his classroom window.
Right on schedule, Atom Eve—dressed in her bright pink cheerleader-style costume—soared through the air above Reginald Vel Johnson High School.
Her shimmering pink aura formed a faint protective barrier around her, subtly influencing the minds of everyone nearby. Most students didn't even register her presence; to them, it was as if nothing unusual had happened.
But Eden wasn't affected.
"Eve should really consider wearing shorts under that outfit," he muttered, shaking his head.
"Hey, Eden!"
He turned to see his friend William jogging up. "A new parfait shop just opened across the street. Want to check it out?"
Eden paused for a moment, then nodded. "Sure."
If he went home too early, Nolan might get even more suspicious. Better to act natural—and besides, he'd never say no to a good dessert.
The two arrived at the new parfait shop, its pink-and-white sign gleaming under the afternoon sun. The air smelled of strawberries and vanilla.
"Nothing beats strawberry parfait after a long day," Eden said contentedly as they found a seat.
But just as he lifted his spoon—
BZZZZZ!
A blinding light filled the street, followed by a shrill mechanical hum. Right before their eyes, a massive spacetime portal ripped open in midair, swirling with crackling energy.
"What the hell is that?" William asked, eyes wide.
Before Eden could answer, several figures stepped through the portal—humanoid soldiers with green skin, two short antennae sprouting from their heads, and high-tech rifles slung across their shoulders. They wore matching military uniforms and moved with precision, forming a tight battle formation.
Without warning, they opened fire.
Energy blasts tore through cars and storefronts, sending civilians screaming for cover.
Eden's eye twitched. "Oh, great," he muttered under his breath. "The damn Frank's Sa people. Not only are they early, they came to the wrong place too."
He ducked behind a nearby table as another explosion rocked the street.
"Or maybe," he grumbled to himself, "my villainous aura is acting up again."
While chaos erupted outside, Eden crouched low, his mind racing. He had promised himself to stay low-profile, but it looked like fate had other plans.
He clenched his fists. "Seriously? I just wanted a parfait."
As the sounds of gunfire and screaming filled the air, he sighed, realizing what would come next.
Because in a world full of paper people… sometimes, even the son of Superman couldn't just stay ordinary.
End of Chapter 5