"Xiao, look!"
Wanda pointed into the distance, her eyes sparkling.
"Those buildings over there look so strange. I've never seen a city like this before!"
She turned back toward Xiao Han with a bright smile, her crimson hair gently fluttering in the rippling energy field around her.
Xiao Han walked over and lightly rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Wanda, you did a great job. But this portal... might be a little special."
"Special?"
She blinked in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"It means..."
Xiao Han spoke calmly, never taking his eyes off her expression.
"The other side of this portal is another universe."
Wanda's smile froze.
The scarlet energy surrounding her flickered ever so slightly.
"You mean... I opened a gateway to another world?"
"That's right."
Xiao Han nodded.
"But don't worry. Since it can be opened, it can also be closed."
Taking a deep breath, the unease in Wanda's eyes slowly gave way to curiosity.
"Then... should we go take a look?"
Looking at the excitement written all over her face, Xiao Han already knew what she was thinking.
"Of course."
He took her hand, and together they stepped through the portal.
The scenery changed in an instant.
They found themselves standing atop a towering skyscraper overlooking an enormous city.
Sunlight reflected brilliantly off countless steel-and-glass buildings.
Traffic flowed endlessly through the streets below.
Massive cargo ships rested in the harbor in the distance.
But the most eye-catching sight was something else entirely.
Every so often, a figure streaked across the sky, a red-and-blue cape fluttering proudly behind him.
"Is that...?"
Wanda's eyes widened.
Meanwhile, Xiao Han's super hearing had already captured the countless sounds echoing throughout the city.
"Superman saved another airplane!"
"I heard Batman captured Black Mask in Gotham last night!"
"Wonder Woman is coming to Metropolis next week for the Peace Summit!"
A strange expression appeared on Xiao Han's face.
"Xiao?"
Wanda gently tugged at his sleeve.
"What did you hear?"
Xiao Han slowly replied,
"Wanda... I think we've arrived..."
"...in the DC Universe."
"The DC Universe?"
She stared blankly for a moment.
"You mean... that DC Universe?"
Ever since meeting Xiao Han, Wanda had binge-read DC Comics.
She had gone from someone who only knew Superman's name to someone who could at least recognize most of the major superheroes.
"That's right."
Xiao Han nodded as he looked across the city.
"This is..."
"Metropolis."
Excitement flashed across Wanda's face.
"So the person who just flew by..."
"...really was Superman?"
Before Xiao Han could answer—
A figure shot toward them at incredible speed.
The red-and-blue figure came to a stop in midair before them.
His cape drifted gently behind him as sunlight reflected brilliantly off the iconic S emblem on his chest.
Clark Kent.
Superman.
His sapphire-blue eyes carefully studied the two strangers as he spoke in a calm, gentle voice.
"Who are you?"
"And why have I never seen either of you before?"
"It's as though... you never existed in this world."
Xiao Han looked at him with a friendly smile.
"As you can see..."
"I'm a Kryptonian."
Clark's blue eyes immediately filled with disbelief.
Slowly descending onto the rooftop, he deliberately stopped at a respectful distance.
"You said..."
"...you're a Kryptonian too?"
His voice carried a trace of uncertainty, almost as if he feared Xiao Han would tell him it had all been a joke.
Xiao Han smiled faintly.
Instead of answering directly, he gently took Wanda's hand.
A biological force field silently enveloped her, ensuring Clark's X-ray vision couldn't...
"..."
"We came here by accident."
"But yes."
"I'm the same as you."
Clark's breathing unconsciously quickened.
His X-ray vision instinctively swept across Xiao Han's body—
Only to slam into an invisible barrier.
He couldn't see through it at all.
The same strange energy also surrounded Wanda, making her impossible to examine.
"T-That's impossible..."
Clark murmured to himself.
Then he gave a self-deprecating smile and shook his head.
"No..."
"I know this question sounds ridiculous..."
"But I still have to ask."
"Are you really from Krypton?"
There was unmistakable hope in his voice.
Without saying a word, Xiao Han slowly rose into the air.
His feet left the ground.
Golden light gradually ignited within his eyes.
The surrounding air visibly distorted beneath the tremendous heat.
Clark's pupils contracted sharply.
Then...
A smile slowly spread across his face.
"That's enough."
"I believe you."
He took a deep breath.
The corners of his mouth lifted uncontrollably as excitement he'd buried for years surfaced once again.
"This is..."
"...really unbelievable."
After calming himself, he said apologetically,
"Sorry."
"I just..."
"I never imagined I'd meet another member of my own race."
Xiao Han slowly descended back to the rooftop.
The golden glow faded from his eyes.
"I understand."
Clark was about to say something else when he glanced around the rooftop.
"Uh..."
"Would you two like to grab a cup of coffee?"
"We can talk."
Wanda looked toward Xiao Han.
Seeing him nod, she smiled warmly.
"Sure."
Three minutes later...
The three of them were sitting inside a quiet café in downtown Metropolis.
Clark deliberately chose a secluded table by the window, making sure no one could overhear their conversation.
Holding his coffee cup with both hands, he looked at Xiao Han and Wanda.
"So..."
He hesitated for a moment.
"How did you..."
"I mean..."
"How did you survive Krypton's destruction?"
"Where have you been all these years?"
Xiao Han calmly took a sip of his coffee.
"My escape pod left Krypton long before the planet exploded."
"But it drifted off course."
"There were... a few accidents."
"I wandered through space for a very long time before finally landing on another Earth."
"Another Earth?"
Clark blinked before quickly realizing what he meant.
"Right."
"So you're from a parallel universe."
Wanda gently stirred her coffee.
"In our world..."
"...there's no Superman."
"And no Metropolis."
A complicated emotion flickered across Clark's face before excitement replaced it once again.
"So..."
"Your abilities also come from Earth's yellow sun?"
Xiao Han nodded.
"Just like yours."
Clark took another deep breath.
It was as if he had finally found someone he could truly talk to.
The floodgates opened.
"Two years ago..."
"General Zod came."
His voice became noticeably heavier.
"He wanted to transform Earth and rebuild Krypton."
"But I stopped him."
His fingers slowly traced the rim of his coffee cup.
His eyes dimmed slightly.
"I had no choice..."
"I killed him."
"He was the last Kryptonian I'd ever seen..."
"...until today."
Xiao Han listened quietly without interrupting.
Clark quickly composed himself and continued.
"Later..."
"I joined the Justice League."
"I protect Earth alongside Batman, Wonder Woman, and the others."
"Bruce..."
"Batman."
"I'm not sure what happened lately..."
"But he doesn't seem very friendly toward me anymore."
His tone became lighter, even carrying a hint of amusement.
"And Diana..."
"Wonder Woman."
"She always says I'm too gentle."
"That I should be more forceful."
Wanda couldn't help laughing.
"It sounds like you all get along pretty well."
Clark nodded.
Warmth filled his eyes.
"We do."
"They're like family to me."
After a brief pause, he looked somewhat embarrassed.
"Sorry."
"Have I been talking too much?"
"It's just..."
"Meeting someone like you..."
Xiao Han shook his head, cutting him off.
"It's alright."
"I understand."
Clark nodded.
Then his brow suddenly furrowed.
He had clearly heard something.
"Diana would definitely want to meet you."
"But..."
"I have to deal with something else first."
Before he could finish speaking—
The television inside the café suddenly interrupted its program with breaking news.
"Breaking News! A massive prison break has occurred at Arkham Asylum in Gotham City! The Joker, Poison Ivy, Bane, and numerous other high-risk criminals have escaped. The Gotham City Police Department has officially requested assistance from the Justice League."
Clark's expression instantly turned serious.
He stood up and looked apologetically at Xiao Han and Wanda.
"Sorry."
"I have to go."
Xiao Han rose to his feet as well.
"We'll come with you."
Clark froze for a second before revealing a grateful smile.
"Thank you."
Scarlet energy gathered around Wanda's fingertips.
A look of eager anticipation flashed through her eyes.
"Perfect."
"I've been wanting to see just how strong the villains of this world really are."
Clark took a deep breath.
Determination once again filled his eyes.
"Let's go."
The next instant, his red-and-blue cape billowed behind him as Superman shot into the sky.
Xiao Han and Wanda immediately followed.
The three figures streaked through the heavens at incredible speed, racing toward Gotham City.