Chapter 54: Twins, New York in Chaos
Under the neon lights.
A thirteen-year-old girl stood quietly at the street corner, waiting.
If Xi Nian were here, he would have immediately noticed that she bore a faint resemblance to the green-haired girl boss he had just encountered.
The difference was, this girl's long waist-length hair was a dazzling red.
Her delicate, doll-like face carried no trace of smoky makeup, no lipstick, no eyeliner—nothing. Her complexion was so clean it was like freshly peeled fruit, pure and tender.
She wore an ordinary school uniform, looking calm and well-mannered. At such a young age, she already had the budding air of a true beauty.
"Wanda!"
A shout came from afar.
Silver-haired Pietro came running at full speed, waving his arms, until he skidded to a stop in front of the red-haired girl.
Wanda didn't say much, just looked at him calmly.
A moment ago, Pietro had been fearless enough to pick fights with street punks. But when he met his sister's gaze, his posture instantly collapsed like an eggplant roasted too long.
It was almost as if Pietro was the younger sibling.
But I was born twelve minutes earlier! he thought indignantly, wanting to stand tall for once.
"What trouble did you cause this time?" Wanda asked softly.
Pietro shook his head wildly, stammering, "N-no trouble at all!"
"Let's go home first." Wanda turned and started back down the street.
Pietro hurried after her. On the way, he explained what had just happened.
Of course, he conveniently skipped the part where he tried to introduce Xi Nian to his "sister."
Wanda thought for a while, then said, "I see. Still, when the chance comes, we should thank him properly. After all, saving you wasn't without risk."
"There will be a chance," Pietro grinned. "I gave him our address."
"That's fine then." Wanda nodded lightly, and the two returned together to their three-story home lit warmly from within.
Neither of them noticed that from a nearby street corner, a green-haired figure leaned quietly against the wall, watching.
When their front door closed and the shadows of a reunited family of four could be faintly seen through the windows, the green-haired figure lingered a moment longer—then turned away and melted into the night.
…
Meanwhile, Xi Nian and Gwen had gone to the police station to hand over the stolen handbag. They managed to make it back to the dormitory just in time for bed check.
Xi Nian let out a quiet sigh of relief. Tonight's events had been dangerous, but they had made it through.
Two more days of vacation were left. Surely nothing else would go wrong, right?
People can't always be this unlucky, he told himself.
But what Xi Nian didn't know was that, at that very moment, the other side of New York had erupted into chaos.
…
Inside New York's grand cathedral.
The brightly lit interior glowed with stained glass murals and solemn music from a cello. Social elites mingled in the main hall, enjoying the sacred and peaceful atmosphere.
That peace shattered in an instant.
With a loud crash, a black-haired young man with a sinister charm dragged a muscular man in a suit like he was nothing more than livestock. He slammed the man onto the banquet table, then used some strange black-tech device to steal his eyes.
Screams and chaos erupted.
Unbothered, the black-haired youth calmly held a metallic scepter that glowed with eerie blue light at the tip. Step by step, he walked toward the cathedral doors.
As he moved, golden light enveloped him, transforming his suit into a set of golden armor with twin curved horns rising from his helm, a dark green cloak trailing behind.
Wielding the scepter, clad in godly armor—
He stepped outside into the night, under the gaze of hundreds. Finding the crowd too noisy, he casually raised his scepter. A searing energy blast fired from the tip, instantly flipping a police car that had been racing toward him.
"Kneel before me! Before the god who will rule you all!"
His voice rang out with a chilling smile, announcing his arrival to the world.
…
The next morning.
It was the second day of the new year—and also the day Superman was to be tried in Metropolis.
In New York City, the weather was bright and sunny. Everything seemed peaceful.
Early in the morning, Instructor Lott and Assistant Instructor Mysterio led the students to Liberty Island to visit the Statue of Liberty.
As the number one landmark in New York, the statue and its surrounding parks kept the students occupied for the entire morning.
By noon, the group returned to Manhattan, heading straight for the dazzling Times Square.
The school bus stopped in front of a shopping mall.
The girls, who had been whining about sore feet earlier, instantly regained their energy, splitting off into teams to shop with boundless enthusiasm.
Xi Nian chose instead to sit on a rest chair on the fourth floor of the mall.
He glanced at his classmates scattered across shops for clothes, makeup, and games, then looked at Gwen, who sat quietly beside him. "Don't you want to shop a little more? I still have the energy to walk with you."
"No need," Gwen said with a small shake of her head. Tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear, she smiled. "The one you bought for me last night is already enough."
"I see."
Xi Nian's heart skipped a beat. Watching the elegant profile of the girl he had grown up with, he suddenly realized how much more radiant she had become—truly beautiful.
Sometimes, something you've long grown used to suddenly reveals another side.
At that moment, Xi Nian finally understood why Officer George had shown him so much hostility.
And once he realized that, could he still pretend Gwen was just his childhood friend?
As he wrestled with the thought, Gwen suddenly shivered.
…
Her pupils shrank as goosebumps rose on her arms. Something had drawn her gaze outside the shopping mall windows.
On the road outside, all the cars had stopped. Drivers and pedestrians alike stared upward, their faces blank with terror.
"What is that?"
Students and shoppers by the windows were pointing in shock toward the sky.
Xi Nian and Gwen exchanged a look, then quickly rushed to the glass wall.
What met Xi Nian's eyes was a massive blue pillar of light!
It was bursting from the top of Stark Industries' headquarters miles away, shooting straight into the heavens.
The pillar tore through the skies above New York, ripping open a dark, ominous rift high above.
From that rift, countless dark specks began to pour out like a swarm, descending upon the city below.
Dozens of them were already streaking straight toward Times Square.
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