American comics: Praising the sun, starting from Gotham!

Next day.

Barton Farm.

Clint was standing on the wide expanse of snow in the backyard, teaching his seven-year-old son Nathaniel how to draw a bow.

He was using a small children's practice bow with the arrowhead covered in sponge.

"Yes, that's it, Nate. Stand up straight, feel your back muscles working, not your arms pulling..."

Clint's voice was full of patience, a stark contrast to his image when he made Kate cry in New York.

Laura and Kate sat on rocking chairs on the porch, drinking hot cocoa and chatting about lighthearted topics such as college, desserts, and New York fashion.

Kate clumsily tried to knit a sweater for Laura, but ended up making a mess of the yarn.

Maya sat alone on a swing not far away, looking at the bare forest in the distance, lost in thought.

She carefully wrapped an apple that she had taken a bite out of in a napkin and placed it beside her.

Everything is fine.

Except for that uninvited ghost.

Shuen squatted solemnly under the apple tree on the farm, facing off against a squirrel that was also staring at him with equal seriousness.

"childish."

Ivy snorted coldly.

Xiu En waited patiently here all day, feeling that he had done his best in terms of social etiquette.

It's time to get down to business.

He stood up and floated over to Clint and his son, who were engaged in parent-child interaction.

"Are you done with your work?"

Clint's relaxed expression crumbled again when he saw Shum's face.

He gestured for Nate to go play by himself, then leaned the small practice bow against the nearby wooden stake and looked at Hugh with an expression that said, "You'd better have a reason for the sky to fall."

"If you're asking me if tire wrenches taste good, I recommend you try the exhaust pipe from Old Wang's tractor next door. I heard that one is much older."

"The wrench tastes good."

Xiuen answered his question very seriously, and then got straight to the point.

"I've come to invite you to come with me."

Clint's brow furrowed immediately: "No way. My vacation has just begun. I've taken care of all the damn stuff in New York. If the sky falls, go find America's big ass, don't come to this retired old man."

Xiu En shook his head.

"I need your help to complete a very important festival."

"Festival?"

Clint doubted he had heard correctly.

"Yes."

Xiu En nodded, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"I have a magnificent world that needs to be awakened, but one final crucial step is missing. I have prepared all the finest offerings. Now, everything is ready, except for a bow."

He looked intently at Clint: "I've searched for a long time, and finally found the best bow. Now, I need someone to draw it and shoot the arrow that will decide the fate of spring."

Clint's eyes grew increasingly wary.

"You, Clint, are that bow!"

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Clint was stunned by what he said.

"I'm a person, not a bow! And I said I'm retired! Retire! Do you understand? I'm not going anywhere, I just want to stay here with my wife and kids."

"I understand your family values; after all, your family is the source of your deepest passion."

"But that doesn't conflict with the plan. This festival is very simple; you just need to shoot an arrow. It won't take long. I can provide a two-way teleportation service and even include a gift pack of local specialties. It's just a small favor for you."

"For me, leaving this place for even a second is torture!"

"I missed five years of their growth! Now, I don't want to waste another second! Festivals, the world—none of that matters to me! Go find someone else!"

"Others won't do."

Xiu En stubbornly persisted.

"They can't draw your bow. Only you can shoot that arrow. Only you can use it."

"I refuse!"

"Clint."

A gentle voice came from the direction of the porch. Laura had come over at some point, a hint of worry on her face.

She could sense that her husband's emotions were on the verge of exploding.

Kate and Maya followed, watching the situation nervously.

"It's okay, darling."

Clint turned around and immediately put on a gentle expression.

"It was just a lost actor from the drama club who came to me asking me to rehearse some kind of stage play. I sent him away immediately."

"I am not an actor."

Xiu En denied it very frankly.

"I do need your help. This is a very important ceremony. If it succeeds, countless lives will be born as a result. This is an immense act of merit."

"Will doing good deeds allow me to play hide-and-seek with my son a little longer now?"

"cannot."

Xiuen answered honestly.

"But it can allow your next generation, and the generation after that, to live in a world with cleaner air, more abundant resources, and less disease. Once that world's spring is activated, I will let it nourish your world through dimensions. Although the effect is minimal, it might just help your family's apples ripen a few more next year."

Laura stepped forward and gently pressed Clint down.

"This is Mr. Xiu En, isn't he?"

She looked at Xiu En.

"That festival you mentioned, could I... learn more about it?"

Clint was stunned: "Lola?"

Laura looked at Hugh.

Intuition told her that this seemingly eccentric luminous being and his festival might be related to a future she couldn't reach.

Faced with Clint's lack of cooperation and Laura's questions, Shum gave a bright smile.

He was very patient at that moment.

"I completely understand a husband's and a father's desire to be with their family. So I have no intention of separating you from your family."

Clint and Laura were both stunned.

"What I mean is, you can bring your family. Think of it as an unplanned family trip. The festival location is beautiful, the air is full of life, which is good for children. And after the ceremony, there will be a very grand fireworks display."

Clint was at a loss for words to express his feelings to this ethereal being whose brain circuits seemed to defy the heavens.

Taking the whole family to an unknown otherworld to participate in some kind of festival that we don't even know what it is?

This sounds even crazier than going to outer space to fight aliens!

Is this a trip?

This is simply playing with the lives of the whole family!

He was about to refuse again when Laura stopped him once more.

"You mean, we can go together?"

Laura's eyes lit up.

"Of course. There are no restrictions on the number of accompanying family members or luggage."

He glanced at Kate and Maya not far away and added a sentence.

"Those two little trinkets can be taken along the way, so they don't stay here and cause trouble."

Kate and Maya, suddenly assigned as luggage, looked at each other in bewilderment.

"No! This is absurd!"

Clint objected again.

"We know nothing about that world! Who knows what dangers lurk there!"

"It's very safe."

Xiu En answered immediately.

"The crime rate is very, very low now, and there are no deadly germs or pollutants in the air."

"The most dangerous creatures are probably some of the larger vegetables."

He was referring to those things in Ivy's greenhouse, like the black gold carnivorous plant that always hid from him.

"What about us, Dad? We want to go!"

The twelve-year-old eldest son, Cooper, immediately shouted excitedly.

"I want to see vegetables that breathe fire!"

"I want to go too!"

The youngest daughter, Leila, also joined in the commotion.

"I want to see where that golden-haired uncle lives. Is it sparkly everywhere?"

The youngest son, Nathaniel, grabbed Shuen's leg and looked up to ask, "Uncle, does My Little Pony exist in your world?"

Shuen looked down at the human cub, thought seriously for a moment, and then honestly shook his head: "No, I haven't been to the world of My Little Pony. But we have flying unicorns, though they're not very good-natured and will gore people with their horns."

He was referring to the Pegasus on Paradise Island.

The children cheered even more excitedly.

Clint looked at his wife, hoping she would stand by him and use her adult reason to end this farce.

However, Laura's expression was very serious.

"Mr. Xiu En."

Laura looked at Hugh.

"Can you show us that world? Like in those travel commercials on TV?"

This former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, now a devoted housewife, may be retired from frontline work, but her keen insight and wisdom have never diminished.

She knew that instead of vehemently opposing it, she should first gather as much information as possible and then make the judgment that was most beneficial to the family.

"no problem."

Xiu En readily agreed.

He stretched out his hand and made a light sweeping motion in the air in front of him.

The next second, the space in front of him rippled like water, and a clear image appeared before everyone.

The first scene of the video is an aerial view of Wayne Manor.

The castle, the neatly manicured lawns, and the tranquil lake, bathed in the bright and gentle sunlight, resembled a scene from a fairy tale.

Before the children could even exclaim in surprise, the scene shifted to Paradise Island.

A clear blue sky, pristine white sand beaches, crystal-clear waters, and a herd of Pegasus gracefully soaring through the sky.

This excited the children.

Finally, the scene freezes on Ivy's glass greenhouse.

It was filled with all sorts of strange and wonderful flowers and plants, butterflies fluttered among them, and streams flowed under glowing mushrooms, just like Alice's Wonderland.

"Wow……"

Kate was conquered by plants.

Laura's eyes had already revealed her decision.

She saw the pure sky of that world, the undisguised longing in the children's eyes, and more importantly...

She understood Xiu En; this man of light might be strange, but he meant no harm.

"Let's go."

Clint stared wide-eyed at his wife, who had made the decision for the whole family to travel across dimensions, then at the children who were already cheering, and finally at the golden bastard with a knowing smile on his face.

He realized that his objections were futile in the Patton household.

"Remember to bring sunscreen."

Laura gave the children some instructions, then looked at Clint.

"Honey, let's pack our bags. Oh, and while we're at it, get two sets of clothes for Kate and Maya too."

"Yes, sir."

Clint gave a weak salute.

Half an hour later.

The entire Patton family, along with two extra pieces of luggage, stood ready on the lawn in the backyard, each carrying a sizable travel bag.

The children's faces were full of excitement for the upcoming hike.

"So what exactly is this festival? What exactly am I supposed to do?"

"It's very simple. When we get there, I'll give you a bow and an arrow. All you need to do is, after I and the others have completed the previous rituals, shoot the arrow into the sky. That's all."

It sounds as simple as lighting the torch at the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

Clint decided to stop thinking about things that were beyond his comprehension for the time being.

"Alright, everyone hold on tight. Destination: Wayne's private estate backyard. Initiate!"

Enveloped in a golden light even more comforting than before, Clint felt a blur before his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again.

They were standing on a perfectly manicured lawn, just like a golf course.

Not far away, there was a black castle that gleamed solemnly in the setting sun.

Gotham City, Wayne Manor.

"Wow!"

Looking at the building, which was several times more extravagant than her own estate, Kate exclaimed in genuine admiration, "A nouveau riche meeting a super-rich man!"

But Clint noticed the two suns hanging side by side in the sky.

"Shuen, can you explain why there are two suns in the sky above you?"

"Oh, that one."

Hugh pointed to one of the smaller but brighter suns.

"That's me. To make it easier for Gotham residents to air out their blankets, and also to purify the air a bit."

Clint: "..."