In the living room, May and Mary had prepared a table full of food, but none of the four present were in the mood to enjoy it.
Richard and Benjamin looked worried. Clark had told them he was the one who overturned the truck. He'd done it in a hurry to save Matt and the blind man, but this also caused the chemicals to leak and blind Matt.
However, they also knew that if Clark hadn't overturned the truck, the out-of-control vehicle would likely have hit Matt and the blind man, who hadn't completely gotten out of the way. In fact, Clark had saved their lives.
Benjamin had naturally explained all this to Clark, even showing him the video frame by frame, but it was no use. Clark still felt terribly guilty.
"This child... he's so kind..."
Richard and Benjamin were at a loss. Clark's kindness was immense, but his excessive empathy was hurting him, making him fear and even hate himself.
"Maybe we should tell Clark about his background..."
Suddenly, May suggested this, capturing the attention of the other three.
"You mean, tell Clark he's actually an alien?"
Richard and Benjamin frowned. They weren't sure if this was a good idea. What if it made Clark's current self-rejection even worse?
They had once believed Clark would figure things out on his own, but the reality was that not only did he not calm down, he began to reject himself because of his overwhelming kindness.
May was also very upset, tears streaming down her face, but she carefully explained.
"I think the reason Clark is rejecting himself so much now is because he still believes he's Ben's and my child, and that he's human. But his actions go beyond what humans can do and even hurt others. He thinks he's an outsider among humans, a monster, and that's why he's rejecting himself."
Clark had lived a human life on Earth, developed human values, and firmly believed he was human. But now, the changes within him were destroying the worldview he had built over the years.
May believed this was the main reason for Clark's emotional breakdown.
"We can't keep this secret forever. If Clark continues to grow, he'll eventually develop all sorts of abilities that we simply can't explain as human. By then, it will probably be too late."
"But May, do you know what this means? Do you know what it means for Clark to learn he might be an alien and his home is in the universe?"
Richard's question silenced May. Of course, she knew. If Clark learned he was an alien, even if he still loved them, he'd inevitably be curious about his homeworld, why his parents sent him to Earth, and what his parents were like. He might even leave Earth and return to his home.
May had thought about this possibility since the first day she adopted Clark. But she couldn't just sit by and watch Clark continue to hate and feel hostile towards himself just because she was afraid he might leave them. She couldn't do that because she loved Clark too much.
"May has a point."
Ultimately, it was Ben who stepped in and ended the discussion.
"No matter where Clark comes from, he's May's and my child, and he's our family. So I believe that no matter where Clark goes, we'll still be in his heart. If the truth can ease his pain, then there's no reason for us to keep it secret."
As he spoke, Benjamin looked at Mary and her large belly, which meant Richard and Mary's child was about to be born.
"Mary is about to give birth. Richard, you shouldn't go too far. Leave this to me. I'll let Clark know how he came to be with me."
Benjamin didn't plan to take Clark directly to the warehouse to see the escape pod he arrived in. He wanted to recreate the scene from that year and let Clark witness firsthand how he came to Earth.
"Then, I leave it to you!"
The decision was made, and Richard had no reason to refuse. Besides, he believed in his nephew. Clark wouldn't feel distant from them just because he learned he wasn't from Earth. He was a kind child who blamed all mistakes on himself, and they all trusted him.
A few days later, Ben had arranged everything and successfully convinced Clark to come out and go somewhere with him.
Until they got in the car, Clark thought his father was going to try and talk sense into him, but Benjamin didn't say a word until they were on the road.
"Clark, we're going to Kansas today. The next few days might be a bit boring. You can look at the comics I prepared for you."
Hearing this, Clark noticed the box in the back seat. After opening it, he found a complete set of Detective Comics.
And the superhero in them was truly known as the greatest comic book hero: Superman.
"Superman? I've always heard about him from my classmates, but comics are fake, after all, so I don't particularly like to read them."
Benjamin, who was driving, smiled at Clark, who said he wasn't interested but still obediently opened the comic book.
"Really? I thought you'd like it. After all, you and this superhero are a bit similar, don't you think?"
"Similar?"
Clark thought about it and realized he was incredibly strong, very intelligent, and his eyes could shoot heat rays.
"Now that you mention it, it does seem very similar."
Clark didn't suspect anything, but his interest in Superman grew, and he couldn't wait to open the comic book and start reading.
But Benjamin's face wasn't looking so good at this time.
Originally, they hadn't thought that Superman in the comics and Clark had anything in common. When they came up with the name Clark, they hadn't considered Superman at all, and they weren't fans of Detective Comics.
But as Clark gradually awakened the power to project heat vision from his eyes on campus, Benjamin's heart inevitably began to race.
The content of this Detective Comic might not be just for entertainment, but more like a popular science article.
Krypton, Superman, and an old couple in Kansas—could they really be the same family?