The Spread of Fear
The fact that there were no meteorites in the meteorite crater made no sense. It was baffling to investigators and officials alike. To confirm the authenticity of the news, Steven Martin inspected the crater himself, then unhesitatingly threw the hot potato to headquarters, issuing a strict gag order to his subordinates.
Unfortunately, three minutes prior, a debt-ridden police officer had sold the news to a local television station for a hundred thousand dollars.
Consequently, media outlets across Coast City knew about the anomaly.
In a bid for ratings, major TV stations invited "renowned experts" to interpret the missing meteorite event. Online, arguments raged: some claimed demons were at work; others suggested it was Russian stealth missile technology; still others insisted Chinese metahumans were secretly causing trouble.
The endless stream of conspiracy theories heightened the anxiety of Coast City residents, who were already on edge. Their fear deepened, gradually evolving into full-blown panic.
Hector Hammond's Thirst
As the atmosphere of fear spread over the city, Hector Hammond suddenly found the world to be incredibly delicious and savory.
Since coming into contact with the alien corpse, his pupils had changed from their original brown to a terrifying yellow. His mindset also shifted: previously, he hated going out, despised walking the streets, and loathed the people who pointed and whispered about his appearance. Now, he was different. He loved to take walks, especially in dark, secluded alleys.
Surprise could always be found in dark places. Just now, a girl was being dragged into an alley by two young Black men. The girl's face was filled with terror. She struggled desperately, but a rag stuffed in her mouth stifled her screams. A youth with dreadlocks was pulling down her pants, about to commit an indescribable act, when Hector appeared, smiling broadly and looking intensely curious.
The other youth noticed the sudden intruder and barked coldly,
"F*** you, freak! Get lost."
Hearing the word "freak," the smile vanished from Hector's face. He looked at the youth expressionlessly, his dull yellow eyes flickering with a strange light—a light that seemed to penetrate the mind and sow the seeds of fear in the mental sea.
The youth inexplicably began to tremble. His legs weakened, and he dropped to his knees, frothing at the mouth, like a terrified goat. His companion, realizing the danger, quickly pulled out a handgun and fired.
The bullets left the muzzle but strangely stopped right in front of Hector, reminiscent of a scene from the movie The Matrix.
The shooter's eyes widened. He turned and ran without hesitation, looking like this wasn't his first time fleeing.
Hector waved his hand. The escaping youth flew into the air and was launched backward, tumbling like a basketball to land at Hector's feet. Hector bent down, grabbed the young man's collar, and pressed his massive forehead against the youth's temple, asking sincerely and earnestly,
"Tell me, are you afraid?"
An hour later, police responding to a call arrived at the alley. Seeing the three shriveled, corpse-like bodies in the trash can, their faces were as white as winter snow.
The Puzzle of the Metal Sphere
Police work in the DC world is thankless, difficult, dangerous, and unpopular. This holds true for both small-town and city police.
To help mend their traumatized minds, Luke would provide special subsidies to his police contacts every few months, sometimes even helping to handle stubborn cases.
Over the years, he had become the most popular figure among the police, even becoming like "brothers" with the Chief of Police.
Therefore, when the constant reports of shriveled corpses poured in and the police were helpless, Chief Tom Hugo didn't hesitate to call his "brother."
Luke was currently preoccupied with the intractable metal sphere and had no time for him. He gave a casual brush-off and hung up.
Carol asked curiously, "Who was that?"
"Tom Hugo."
"The Chief of Police?"
"Who else?"
Carol sounded a little anxious. "Why did he call you? Did he find out something?"
Luke chuckled. "Don't jump to conclusions. It's not about us; it's another case. Coast City has been hit by a string of 'shriveled corpse' murders. He has no leads, so he wants me to use the Young Master's Gang's influence to help him catch the killer."
"You're a gang boss! The Chief of Police is asking you to hunt a murderer!"
The girl's expression was utterly bewildered; it was unbelievable.
"What's so surprising?"
Luke shrugged, speaking casually. "I've helped him solve too many cases over the years: the smuggling case last August, the bombing case in March the year before, the dismemberment case in May, and the terrorist attacks from three years ago. I helped him solve all of them. Our Chief Hugo has no merits beyond being greedy for money."
Carol: "..."
"Alright, we don't need to worry about that. Dealing with the metal sphere is more important."
"Ava, what are the detection results?"
A series of tables projected into the air, recording all aspects of the metal sphere: composition, structure, function, and so on. Luke read them carefully but was still puzzled.
"What about the internal situation?"
"Cannot penetrate."
Luke was surprised. "It can't be penetrated even in standby mode?"
"Yes. The control center of the metal sphere operates on a different mode, fundamentally distinct from artificial intelligence. I cannot penetrate the internal system using current methods, nor can I retrieve its data."
Luke's eyebrows furrowed.
A different mode!
Fundamentally distinct!
What was going on? Was the sphere's core not a computer?
Ava continued, "Based on my deduction, the metal sphere is equipped with a Psionic Drive System. The Kryptonian database has records that the Zamarons are far ahead in psionic technology. The metal sphere is highly likely to be a product of psionic technology."
Carol was confused. "Psionic Technology? What is that?"
"Psionic technology is an alternative type of intelligent control system created using the brain of an organic life form as a carrier and brain waves as the signal source. Psionic technology is closely linked to the spirit. To skillfully utilize it, the operator must possess a considerably high mental aptitude."
Carol was still vague on the subject. She turned to Luke, who was rubbing his temples, his face looking grim.
"Can you crack it?"
"I apologize, this is beyond my capability. My intrusion methods have no effect on it."
Luke was frustrated. He stood with his hands on his hips, pacing the base. He knew nothing about psionic technology. What could he do? The Kryptonian database also had no records of it, which made sense as Kryptonians, like humans, were not a race known for strong mental powers.
Carol hesitated. "I can try."
"You?"
"Yes."
The girl said solemnly, "The Violet Lantern Ring grants the user the ability to manipulate emotion, and emotion is a form of mental power. Perhaps I can communicate with it."
Luke didn't hesitate, immediately shaking his head.
"No, it's too dangerous."
"We have to try."
Carol's expression was serious, even forceful. "After this battle, Villian has become our mortal enemy. She will stop at nothing to go after us, even our family. The metal sphere is the only way to find her. We have no other choice."
Luke fell silent. The girl was right. After this costly lesson, Villian would surely hide and not dare to show herself easily. This was not good for them. As the saying goes: There are a thousand days to be a thief, but not a thousand days to guard against one.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
The girl nodded firmly.
"Alright, then. Just once."
🗒️NOTE:
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 20 chapters in advance!