American comics: Damn it, I’m surrounded by those who worry about their fathers!.

Chapter 1136, Chapter 1087: The Terrifying Ability to Control Demons

Peter, Mordred, and Ceressa hurried to the display case, only to find it completely empty, with just a lonely velvet-covered base remaining.

Peter, his brows furrowed slightly, looked at Machima in front of the display case.

Machima's face was expressionless, her golden eyes silently gazing into the empty display case.

"Machima".

Peter gently patted his youngest daughter on the shoulder.

Machima seemed to have been woken up by Peter's patting. She gently bit her lip and looked up at her: "Daddy..."

Peter looked the other person over, making sure his daughter wasn't injured, before turning his gaze to the empty display case and asking:

"Machima, did you see who stole the exhibits inside?"

He paused, observing his youngest daughter's reaction, and added, "Do you want to explain?"

Machima tilted her little face up and gently shook her head. "No."

Her voice was soft, “Dad, I just… just wanted to come and see this exhibit, it’s beautiful.”

Peter frowned again as he listened to his daughter's explanation.

He didn't quite believe Machima's words.

He knew this "daughter" too well, even though what she said seemed to make sense.

But Peter could sense that something was being carefully hidden beneath the demure packaging.

Even if Machima's explanation is reasonable and conforms to the behavioral logic of a curious child.

Peter leaned slightly closer to her, his gaze becoming even more intense. "Are you sure, Machima?"

Machima's gaze remained unwavering.

She tilted her head slightly, as if trying to think, then shook her head firmly again: "No, Dad."

Just as Peter was about to ask something else, Lex gently placed his hand on his arm.

"gentlemen."

Lex said gently, "I think perhaps we shouldn't press a frightened young lady like this."

He smiled at Machima and said, "I believe Miss Machima. She's just a child who happened to be standing here."

Peter gave Lex a deep look, then looked down at Machima, whose expression remained calm.

It seems we won't get any answers from this brat.

After a few seconds of silence, Peter reached out and gently touched Machima's hair.

“Okay,” Peter’s voice softened, “maybe Dad is just too nervous.”

Since Machima refused to tell him, Peter didn't press her.

I just need to go back and do some psychological work on this brat.

The next day.

On the outskirts of the metropolis, an abandoned factory long forgotten by time.

The air was filled with a mixture of smells of rust, old engine oil, and some kind of decaying organic matter.

Inside the factory, a once-empty workshop, once home to heavy machinery, now only has a mottled cement floor and a few piles of discarded parts covered in thick oil stains.

A single, makeshift lamp hung from the high roof, casting a dim, yellowish glow.

Bart, wearing a red jacket and carrying a backpack, was standing there impatiently.

Across from him was a gang leader dressed in a black suit and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, who was making a phone call.

The boss was surrounded by four or five fierce-looking, burly henchmen.

These gangsters were Bart's partners.

Bart often steals valuable items, which he then sells cheaply to the metropolitan gangsters because they are difficult to dispose of.

After all, these people have many connections and aren't afraid of getting into trouble with the police.

“I said, my time is precious.”

Bart curled his lip and said to the boss, "The goods are here, but where's the money?"

The gang leader's name is Victor, and he just hung up a phone call.

Pushing up his glasses, a sly glint flashed in Victor's small eyes behind the lenses.

"Young man, be patient, I need to confirm some business details."

He strolled closer, speaking in a pretentious tone, "Perhaps when you grow up, you'll understand how we adults handle these complicated matters."

Bart scoffed, somewhat annoyed by this pretentious manner.

He shook his head, then zipped up his backpack and took out an object wrapped in thick velvet—the very Han Dynasty jade cicada that had disappeared from the Lex exhibition.

The jade cicada glowed with a warm, soft luminescence under the dim yellow light, standing out starkly against the dilapidated and dirty surroundings.

Are you old enough?

Bart handed over the jade cicada with a hint of sarcasm.

A greedy glint flashed in Victor's eyes as he carefully took the jade cicada, feeling its cool, smooth texture.

He examined it carefully for a moment, and after confirming that it was genuine, a satisfied look appeared on his face.

"It's only just begun, young man."

"Victor said meaningfully."

Just as Bart was about to demand his payment, the roar of a car engine suddenly came from the abandoned site outside the factory, growing louder as it approached.

Bart's keen senses immediately picked up on the unusual sight. He turned around in confusion and looked at the heavy plastic curtain hanging at the entrance of the workshop.

"somebody is coming?"

Just as Barth's attention was diverted.

A burly man standing in the shadows behind him flashed a fierce glint in his eyes and, without warning, slammed his fist into the back of Bart's unsuspecting head.

"Oh!"

A dull thud of flesh colliding rang out.

Bart's brain suffered a violent shock, and his vision went black for a moment.

Before he could even utter a groan, Bart fell straight forward to the ground like a chopped-down log.

His backpack was thrown aside, and the goggles he always wore also rolled off.

Almost at the same time, the plastic curtain at the workshop entrance was lifted.

Several agile figures rushed in first, quickly dispersed, and took up advantageous positions; they were clearly professional bodyguards.

Finally, Lex Luthor strolled in unhurriedly.

Seeing Lex enter, Victor smiled, gripped the jade cicada tightly in his hand, and quickly went to greet him.

"Mr. Luther, welcome."

"Did you call me and ask me to come over?"

Lex surveyed the factory environment, frowned, and asked.

"Yes, I have some things here that belong to you."

As he spoke, he showed the jade cicada to Lex.

Victor contacted Lex because he knew that Bart, who was working with him to sell stolen goods, had stolen something from Luther's exhibit.

He planned to use the opportunity of returning the item to establish a connection with Lex Luthor, the business tycoon.

Doing this is far more worthwhile than simply selling the jade cicada for short-term gains.

Lex, sitting opposite him, didn't even glance at the jade cicada.

He bypassed Victor and walked directly to Bart, who was lying unconscious on the ground, and looked down at him.

Bart lay motionless on the ground, only his faint, rapid breathing proved that he was still alive.

Lex frowned almost imperceptibly, and asked calmly, "Is this the dangerous criminal you warned me about?"

Victor paused for a moment, then said, "He's not a problem for you, Mr. Luther. Let's talk about the reward for returning this lost item, or the possibility of future cooperation."

He tried to steer the conversation back on the track he had set.

Lex finally turned his gaze to Victor. "Let him go. He's just a kid."

"child?"

Victor seemed to have heard a joke, and with a hint of annoyance at being slighted, said, "No, Mr. Luther, you don't know how he got into your impenetrable exhibition hall, or how he stole this thing in full view of everyone. He's no ordinary kid."

"I think I've figured it out."

Lex's tone remained calm, as if he were stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.

After his investigation yesterday, he has roughly figured out who stole his things.

Although Bart's name is still unknown, Lex knows that he must be a superhuman like the Flash.

As for the gangsters who called him, Lex had already investigated their information.

These guys are from the Metropolitan gang "Blood Gang," and they usually engage in criminal activities such as drug and organ trafficking and human smuggling. They have done a lot of evil deeds.

He naturally didn't want to get involved with the other party.

Before heading to the appointment, Lex received a call from Peter, who asked how things were going. Lex told Peter about the call he'd received from the Bloods gang.

Peter learns from Clark that Bart, who previously stole Jonathan's wallet, is a repeat offender.

He guessed that this incident might also be related to Bart.

So Peter told Lex not to deal with the suspect, that he had his own way of handling him.

To Peter and Lex's surprise, their conversation was overheard by Machima.

And Machima learned about this gang.

The perspective shifts to the scene.

Lex glanced at Victor's men, who were all menacing, and continued, "If I were you, Victor Smith, I would be more concerned about my current situation."

Victor's face instantly darkened, and the smile vanished without a trace.

He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses: "What did you do?"

"nothing."

Lex shrugged. "I just felt that the security here wasn't very good, so before I came, I notified the Metropolitan Police Department. Judging by the time, in about five minutes, this place will be surrounded by police cars."

Victor's face twitched, and he stared intently at Lex, seemingly trying to determine whether what he said was true or false.

A few seconds later, he said with a forced smile, "Mr. Luther, does that mean we should run away in a panic right now?"

Before Luther could speak, he shouted to his men, "Tony, make a good impression on our Mr. Luther."

Tony and his men, who had been waiting in ambush, immediately turned menacing and pounced on Lex.

The bodyguards Lex brought reacted quickly and immediately stepped forward to block the attack.

A chaotic fight broke out in the workshop in an instant.

Lex himself knew some fighting techniques, and his movements were clean and swift, instantly taking down a thug who rushed at him.

However, he was outnumbered by his bodyguards, and these gangsters were clearly ruthless and accustomed to street brawls.

Soon, a bodyguard was stabbed in the thigh with a dagger and fell to the ground screaming in pain.

The other bodyguard was also entangled by the two men and unable to break free.

Tony then went directly to Lex.

He was burly and incredibly strong, and he threw a heavy punch at Lex's face.

Lex dodged to the side, simultaneously delivering a chop to Tony's neck, but Tony only swayed, which only fueled his ferocity. He grabbed Lex around the waist and slammed him hard onto the cold concrete floor.

"Uh!"

Lex let out a muffled groan as a sharp pain shot through his back.

He tried to struggle, but Victor stepped forward with a cruel smile on his face, raised his foot, clad in a hard-soled leather shoe, and kicked Lex hard in the stomach.

Lex curled up in pain, his stomach churning.

Still not satisfied, Victor bent down and, with all his might, punched Lex on the head.

Lex's vision went black, his consciousness sank into endless darkness, and he completely lost consciousness.

"Pah! You arrogant bastard!"

Victor spat at the unconscious Lex.

Panting heavily, Victor straightened his crooked tie and glasses, walked up to Bart, who had regained consciousness, and kicked Bart hard in the ribs with his toe.

Bart instantly felt a sharp pain spread throughout his body.

"It's all your fault, you little bastard, you ruined my plans."

Victor, cursing and swearing, ordered his men, "Kill this kid, take care of him and these guys, then put Luther in the car."

The subordinate nodded, preparing to take out Bart, while his other subordinate, Tony, prepared to move Lex into the car.

However, just as Tony bent down to lift Lex onto his shoulder, his movement suddenly froze.

A feeling of fear suddenly crept up his spine.

Outside the workshop, the crows that had been cawing noisily had fallen silent at some point.

A deathly silence descended suddenly, like a heavy curtain.

Inside the workshop, the dim yellow light cast by the lone lamp seemed to become unstable, the light distorting strangely, as if an invisible force was interfering with reality.

The air became thick, making it difficult to even breathe.

Tony remained bent over, his forehead instantly beaded with cold sweat.

A primal fear, stemming from the very instinct of life, instantly spread throughout my body.

His stiff neck slowly turned, and he looked around the darkness with unease.

"That... Boss..."

Tony's voice was dry and trembling, "It seems...it seems..."

Victor, who was irritably checking the jade cicada in his hand to see if it had been damaged in the chaos, shouted impatiently, "What's the panic?! Move people now! The police are coming!"

But Tony didn't move. His pupils contracted sharply with fear, and his body trembled slightly uncontrollably. "Something seems off, boss..."

"what?"

The other henchman, who had just pressed a dagger against Bart's neck, stopped and looked at Tony with a puzzled expression. "Something's not right?"

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden change occurred!

Without any warning, Tony's head suddenly collapsed inward, as if gripped by an invisible hand.

"Oh!"

A sickeningly loud squeaking and cracking sound rang out.

Tony's body twisted instantly, bulged out, and then burst, collapsing into his mouth.

Red and white substances splashed out in an instant.

The radiating spray drenched Victor and his two other men.

Then Tony's limbs began to twist and fold in directions completely contrary to human anatomy, making a crackling sound that sent chills down your spine.

In just a second or two, a robust adult male body was forcibly "kneaded" into an unshapen lump and fell to the concrete floor with a "thud".

A deathly silence spread through the workshop.

The only sound was the dripping of blood.

Victor and his remaining men were completely petrified.

The men were covered in Tony's warm, sticky blood, and the strong, pungent smell of blood instantly overpowered all the original odors in the factory.

Victor's eyes widened as if they were about to burst, his mind blank as he was unable to process the unimaginable sight.

The subordinate standing next to Bart, who had just been holding a dagger, made a strange "gurgling" sound in his throat, as if he wanted to scream, but he couldn't utter a sound.

He looked at Victor in horror, then at the piece of meat.

next second.

"Bang!!"

Another muffled sound.

After the headshot, fragments and brain tissue sprayed backward in a fan shape, staining the mottled wall behind him with a shocking red and white graffiti.

The corpse swayed, twisted and folded, and fell backward, the dagger in its hand clattering to the ground.

The last two remaining henchmen finally snapped out of their fear and let out a piercing scream.

Like headless flies, the two turned around and tried to run for their lives towards another exit of the workshop.

However, the two of them froze as soon as they took a step.

One of them had his arm twisted 360 degrees in the opposite direction, and the crisp sound of bones breaking could be clearly heard.

Immediately afterwards, his body seemed to be twisted and folded by an unseen hand.

Another subordinate who wanted to escape was so frightened that he sat down on the ground.

In the workshop, Victor, his face covered in blood, had already dropped the jade cicada from his hand into the pool of blood.

Victor's body trembled violently, his teeth chattered, and his gold-rimmed glasses hung askew on his face, the lenses splattered with blood.

The hellish scene before him, the overwhelming stench of blood in the air, and the seemingly lingering sound of bones cracking in the deathly silence, severely damaged his mental state.

Viktor's legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, feeling a warm, wet sensation between his legs.

Fear gripped his heart, almost suffocating him.

He opened his mouth in vain, trying to say something, but found that he couldn't even speak and could only make "ho ho" sounds.

Bart, on the other hand, was completely stunned.

Frozen in place, Bart was too shocked to move by what he saw.

A primal fear, originating from the depths of his soul, spread through his body.

For the first time, he truly realized that there were things and forces in this world that he simply could not understand or resist.

His incredible speed was still no match for this terrifying force.

Bart held his breath in tension, not daring to move, fearing that he would be the one to be blown to the bone in the next second.

(End of this chapter)