Carl was a little surprised when the boy in front of him blurted out that he was a fan.
But he only smiled and replied,
『Carl』: "Then I'll just break your leg."
The words fell, and Carl's foot lashed out.
Crack!
A sharp, sickening sound echoed.
It was clear as day, Eugene's shin had been snapped clean by Carl's kick.
Of course, Carl had controlled his strength. He had only broken the boy's leg.
Otherwise, if Carl had truly gone all out, Eugene wouldn't just be writhing with a broken limb, his life would be hanging by a thread.
Carl wasn't planning to kill him. Not yet.
He knew Eugene well enough.
This was Peter Parker's old classmate.
Back in high school, Eugene had bullied Peter constantly.
Not just Peter, he had picked on many others too.
A bully in every sense of the word.
Yet, when Peter later became Spider-Man, Eugene had suddenly turned into his biggest fan.
Young blood admired heroes, it wasn't strange.
There had even been times when the public turned against Spider-Man, and Eugene stepped up to defend him.
In college, Eugene grew out of some of his worst habits.
He and Peter even reconciled. After graduation, their relationship had been surprisingly good.
Eugene wasn't evil.
He hadn't done anything monstrous or unforgivable.
But bullying his classmates again and again still made him a "bad student."
That was enough for Carl to punish him.
『Eugene』: "Aaaahhh!!"
Eugene hadn't even registered what had happened when pain like fire exploded in his leg.
He collapsed to the ground, clutching his shin and screaming.
Carl's kick had shattered bone, no ordinary person could endure that agony.
『...』
At first, the students around had been cheering.
They shouted for autographs, begged for photos.
After all, this was Superman, an idol, a legend.
But the moment they saw Eugene writhing on the ground, the cheers froze in their throats.
They stood dumbstruck, faces drained of color.
None of them had imagined Superman would actually attack Eugene.
How could this be?
Wasn't Superman a hero of justice?
Why would he hurt a human being?
And worse, Eugene had just called himself a fan!
Yet Superman had broken his leg without hesitation.
Now, looking at Eugene sobbing in pain on the ground, the crowd dared not make a sound.
This Superman was nothing like the one in their imagination.
Carl turned his gaze to Peter Parker.
『Carl』: "This guy just punched you. Do you want to return the favor?"
『Peter』: "Uh…"
Peter hesitated.
That punch had hurt. His face was still red and swollen.
He might be rational, but he was still just a high schooler.
And high schoolers couldn't pretend they didn't want payback.
For a moment, Peter was tempted.
But when he looked at Eugene curled up and screaming, sympathy pulled at his heart.
Peter was kind, he couldn't ignore suffering.
So, after a pause, he gave Carl a small smile.
『Peter』: "Of course I want revenge. But not now."
『Peter』: "His injury is too serious. I need to get him to the infirmary."
『Peter』: "It's really an honor to meet you, Superman."
With that, Peter hurried to Eugene's side.
『Peter』: "Hey, can you stand? Lean on me. I'll get you to the nurse."
He slipped under Eugene's arm and began guiding him out of the crowd.
As they passed, Peter waved back.
『Peter』: "Thank you for everything. I've always admired you."
Carl chuckled softly.
『Carl』: "Is that so? You're not bad yourself. We'll meet again."
『Peter』: "Yes, sir!"
Peter smiled, then continued helping Eugene away.
His words carried no flattery.
Peter was still a teenager, earnest, straightforward, and kind.
He had seen the news of Superman killing the Abomination and saving countless lives.
To him, Superman was magnificent.
And now, the legend was standing here, right in front of him.
Even bullies like Eugene idolized Superman.
So how could Peter, with his gentle heart, not feel admiration?
Especially since Superman had stepped in and saved him today.
Without Carl, Eugene's fists would have left Peter bloodied.
Carl had appeared, spoken to him first,
Peter couldn't help feeling that Superman had come for him.
Unreasonable? Illogical? Maybe.
But the thought swelled in his chest anyway.
It filled him with honor and pride.
Of course, rationally, it was probably just coincidence.
Superman had happened to be nearby and happened to intervene.
But still, he was the very image of justice.
Peter did want an autograph. He wanted a picture too.
But right now, Eugene's injury was severe.
If left untreated, the damage could be permanent.
Faced with a choice between saving Eugene or chasing a hero's autograph,
Peter chose the former without hesitation.
It was a little disappointing, yes. But it was the right thing.
Carl watched him leave, supporting his bully, and thought to himself,
No doubt. This was Spider-Man.
Truly a hero at heart.
If it were Carl in Peter's place,
He wouldn't be taking Eugene to the nurse.
He might have thrown in a few extra punches instead.
The surrounding students could tell as well.
Superman's attitude toward Peter was different.
It was the way you looked at someone you admired.
But how could that be?
Superman wasn't just Superman, he was a billionaire.
And Peter?
Yes, he was smart. Good-looking, even.
But unpopular. Lonely.
How could someone like him compare?
Even so, though the students were shocked, none dared speak.
Carl's calm brutality had left them trembling.
Who wanted to risk having their leg broken by Superman?
Carl slowly swept his gaze across them all.
『Carl』: "Most of you aren't much better than him. If you don't get punished now, who knows what path you'll take in the future."
Then, in a flash, Carl moved.
Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!
A storm of smacks rang out.
Every single student felt the sting of a palm across their cheek.
Their faces burned, as if branded by fire.
And not one of them dared resist.
End of chapter...
WORLDWIDE SUPERMAN STRENGTH
🔹 Dimension Walker – 15 chapters ahead
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