Chapter 167: An Unexpected Encounter

"My head feels so heavy."

"Hmm, this pillow feels nice."

However, when Atreus woke up, something felt off.

"Wait, why am I holding Sif?"

Everyone was still clothed, but holding someone is still holding someone. There's no undoing that... wait, why is Volstagg hugging my leg?

Alright, maybe it can be undone… sort of.

Atreus finally snapped out of his blackout state and struggled to piece together memories from last night. He vaguely recalled someone suggesting they bathe in a barrel of ale.

And somehow, none of them drowned in that 1,000-liter barrel of ale. Truly, they must have the bodies of demigods.

Considering Atreus's 300-plus physical stats couldn't handle it, he could only imagine how wild the drinking had been.

Feeling the heartbeat of the woman in his arms begin to quicken, Atreus decided to keep up the act. He pushed Sif away gently and grabbed Volstagg by the head...

Bleugh—

"What the heck is this taste?! Ugh!"

At that, all three of them woke up.

The trio of drunkards looked at each other's disheveled appearances and were momentarily stunned before breaking into loud laughter.

"Ahhh!"

"Look at you!"

"You're no better!"

"Let's just agree that none of us are in any position to judge."

After some noisy commotion, Atreus called Alfred to prepare some fresh clothes and toiletries for them. The other two refused, opting to head straight home instead.

Atreus opened a portal, taking them to a remote desert before calling the Bifrost.

"Kratos, thank you. I feel much better now," Sif sincerely expressed her gratitude.

"No problem. If things ever go south in Asgard, you're welcome on Earth," Atreus replied, meaningfully. "Earth is my home, and it's a pretty big one."

Sif paused for a second, then smiled. "Deal!"

As the two Asgardians vanished in a flash of rainbow light, Atreus returned to Wayne Manor.

Little did he know he'd walk in on Bruce Wayne, who wasn’t even wearing the Batman mask, but still looked just as brooding.

"Had fun with your friends last night?" Bruce asked.

"Not as much as you did," Atreus shot back.

"…"

Before Atreus had passed out last night, he'd definitely noticed his old man having a triumphant moment, muttering curses the entire time.

Bruce's handsome face showed a mix of frustration and helplessness.

He had given up on strict parenting, and now his rebellious son had grown up to be… well, exactly what he feared. It was all Bruce's doing, really.

Ah, men. They never consider the consequences when they're young.

"Do you realize some of that wine is over 200 years old?" Bruce asked, trying to contain his anger.

"Perfect for serving those friends who are a couple thousand years old," Atreus replied, hands in his pockets, looking utterly unbeatable.

Bruce was speechless. He was at a point where he refused to accept aging, but couldn’t deny that his son had surpassed him.

Seeing that he'd teased his father enough, Atreus flashed a mysterious smile. "Relax, old man! I respect my elders. I know what you really want."

Bruce put on a stern face. "A defender of justice doesn’t let personal desires interfere."

"Oh yeah?" Atreus raised an eyebrow. "What if it’s a fully intact Kryptonian landing ship?"

Bruce froze.

He had managed to salvage a broken one before, and had been tirelessly studying its materials. But a whole ship? That was a game-changer!

Bruce immediately wondered if Atreus was only offering this because he had found something even better.

Yet, there was no way he could refuse such a gift!

His expression was priceless.

“Pfft!” Behind the two of them, Alfred chuckled softly.

Feeling their gazes, the butler straightened up. "Master Wayne, I don’t mean to interfere in your family matters. But given how things have turned out, why not be honest with him?"

"Yeah!" Atreus smirked mischievously. "Come on, Dad, why not graciously accept the goodwill of Atreus Wayne?"

Atreus turned to Alfred and winked. "Alfred, give me an address. I’ll send the ship over."

"Yes, Master Atreus," Alfred responded with a perfectly polite bow.

Bruce was furious, but what could he say?

His most trusted butler had already chosen to serve the Wayne bloodline.

Meanwhile, his rogue son, a 'hero' he didn’t fully trust, was going his own way, paying no mind to his father’s opinion.

Bruce felt sidelined, yet not completely abandoned.

It left him feeling conflicted.

But since Atreus had no interest in his father’s high-tech gadgets, Bruce didn’t feel the need to enforce his ‘no-kill justice’ philosophy. He didn’t care about his father’s feelings either.

With that, Atreus patted his hands and left without a care.

Little did he know that his actions, like a butterfly stirring up a storm, had already caused massive waves.

New York, the bustling metropolis, seemed to be regaining its vitality thanks to someone’s lead investment, with major corporations pouring money into its reconstruction.

Meanwhile, Lois Lane had returned to her normal life. Though she'd received assurances from both the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and higher-ups that she wasn’t being spied on, she remained cautious.

On this day, she was out on a rare date with Clark.

It was a typical boyfriend-girlfriend shopping trip—or more accurately, she shopped while her boyfriend, a complete brick of a man, carried her bags.

After all, there wasn’t much at the mall that could catch Clark’s interest.

Even if he was Superman, in real life, he was just a regular, clueless guy.

Normally, Clark would be indifferent while shopping, but today, he was staring at another woman. This was unheard of.

Lois felt a twinge of jealousy. Was this woman really such a threat to her?

"Is she pretty?" Lois asked.

Clark leaned in and whispered, "It's not about her looks. I once blasted her into a 200-foot chimney, then smashed her into a fast food restaurant, and we had an epic battle across a whole town. She even took down three fighter jets and four attack helicopters."

Lois wasn’t stupid. By the time Clark got halfway through, she already knew who the woman was—the Kryptonian who had once fought Superman in a battle that nearly destroyed Earth.

A Kryptonian invader who almost wiped out the planet… and she’s now shopping in a women’s clothing store?

And no Kryptonian air mask?

Even Lois herself found it hard to believe.

Her voice trembled slightly. "Clark, are you sure it’s her?"

"Please, I won’t forget the face of someone who slammed my head six feet into the ground."

"…"

Just at that moment, the woman, adjusting herself in front of the mirror, caught sight of Superman in the reflection. She turned her head and flashed a polite but awkward smile. "Hi!"

"Did she just greet us?" Superman was stunned.

"It seems like it," Lois whispered.

Three minutes later, with bags in hand, Faora awkwardly approached the couple, speaking in a low voice. "I don't want to fight. Besides, I'm with Kratos now."

"Uh, what!?" The couple gasped in unison.

(End of Chapter)