Lost and Found in the Snow

Clark's face turned bright red.

Soren... Soren was leaning on his shoulder...

He doesn't speak because he is too embarrassed to even turn his head and look at Soren.

The guilt inside him was growing so fast that it felt like it was going to swallow him up.

The two of them walked out of the alley.

Outside, there were police cars and caution tape everywhere.

Sirens were still blaring.

The whole street looked like it had been hit by a tornado, with debris scattered all around.

But with the Hulk now under control, things were starting to feel safe again.

Soren glanced across the street and noticed a girl sitting helplessly on the curb.

She had scraped her knee in the chaos and was waiting for an ambulance.

He tugged on Clark's shirt and pointed her out. "It looks like that girl need some help, Clark. You go check on her, and I'll grab my backpack from the coffee shop and meet you."

Clark nodded his head and reminding Soren to watch out for broken glass as he headed toward the girl.

Soren walked back into the coffee shop, only to find that the workers had all evacuated.

He sighed, found his seat, and realized with a shock that his backpack was missing.

What the heck? Where's his backpack?!

Panic set in quickly.

While the bag didn't have anything too valuable inside—just a wallet with some cash and cards, a set of house keys, a comic book, and a notebook—that notebook contained all the designs for his gene suppressor!

He had spent the last six months working on those sketches.

If he lost the notebook, all of his calculations, notes, and design diagrams would be gone, setting him back indefinitely.

Frantically, Soren searched the coffee shop, practically tearing the place apart in his desperate hunt for his blue canvas backpack.

But no matter where he looked, he couldn't find it.

By the time Clark had helped the girl onto the ambulance, Soren was still empty-handed.

Who could've taken his backpack???

...

Even though Soren offered to let Clark stay at his place, Clark just blushed and politely declined his offer.

While Jonathan and Martha allowed him to stay out late sometimes, being gone all night would definitely make them worry.

Clark could only tell Soren that his flight was scheduled for 11 p.m.

Soren, being "considerate," didn't question why Clark had come all the way to New York City just for a one-day trip.

He also didn't bother to ask how Clark planned to get from Manhattan to the airport or if he wanted company for the trip—because he knew better than anyone that Clark's real way of getting back home definitely wasn't by plane.

Clark was like Cinderella, who needed to return home before midnight, except his pumpkin carriage was a spaceship from Krypton.

First, they went back to Soren's place in Manhattan.

Soren found an old pair of sneakers from Charlie, and luckily, they fit Clark perfectly.

Afterward, the two of them headed to Fifth Avenue to check out the world-famous Christmas window displays.

Fifth Avenue was lined with beautifully decorated shop windows, all dressed up for Christmas.

Hand-knitted reindeer looked plump and cute, golden Christmas bells and colorful paper decorations adorned each display, and every inch of the dolls and ornaments was crafted with great detail.

There were so many different kinds of Christmas trees and gift boxes that it was hard to take it all in.

The bright lights sparkled like a handful of gems scattered against the night, vibrant and colorful.

New York's winter was much colder than Kansas.

Snow started falling, and Soren wore a red knit hat with ear flaps that hung down beside his cheeks, making his face look bright and rosy.

His nose was red from the cold wind, and his whole face felt chilly, so he tucked his chin into a thick, warm scarf.

But Soren was thrilled—this was his first time seeing real snow.

There was no snow in New Earth, and before this, he had only seen snow through virtual simulations.

When it snowed in New York, it snowed heavily.

Big fluffy flakes drifted lazily down from the sky, and Soren was happily hopping around in the snow without even using an umbrella.

Clark who is worried for him, followed close behind him while calling out, "Be careful, Soren! Don't slip!"

They walked to the giant Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, one of New York's must-see spots.

A big crowd had already gathered there, watching as the tree lit up with twinkling lights.

The entire tree seemed to glow like a flowing galaxy, with strings of lights reflecting off each other.

At the very top was a bright Swarovski crystal star, shining like a real star fallen from the sky.

A nearby photographer was offering to take pictures for tourists and ready to print them on the spot.

Soren quickly decided to have a photo taken of him and Clark.

Just as the camera clicked, Soren suddenly felt a tickle in his nose and sneezed.

"Achoo!"

Oh no, can we retake that?!

Soren thought in regret.

He grabbed the photo and saw that while he and Clark stood in front of the dazzling Christmas tree, he looked like a chubby little penguin in his thick winter clothes.

A few strands of his golden curls peeked out from under his red knit hat, making him look silly.

Clark, on the other hand, stood tall and lean in just a thin shirt.

But the worst part?

His sneeze had made his face blur into a big white smudge, like a ball of mochi, with no features visible at all.

Soren couldn't help but laugh.

He wanted to take another picture, but the photographer was busy with a long line of tourists waiting for their turn.

The photographer, a man with dark skin, shook his head and didn't agree to retake it.

Clark, awkwardly trying to comfort him, said, "It's okay, it's okay. Even if it's blurry, anyone can still tell it's you!"