100. Desert: Roll a Persuasion
106.
With only a handful of native speakers and almost no available language environment, Kryptonian should be classified as an endangered language in the field of linguistics.
Even Superman is not technically a native Kryptonian speaker: he grew up in Kansas and became a US citizen before learning Kryptonian much later as a way of remembering his homeland.
Batman learns Kryptonian in order to communicate with the remaining civilizations on Krypton when necessary. Unlike Red Robin, he has had very little contact with Superman - so far it hasn't been worth his effort.
So Drake quickly composed a sentence in Kryptonian in five minutes, and then used it in front of Kara without blushing or beating his heart.
…
The blonde girl didn't show any surprise. Instead, Kara raised her eyes slightly, as if she was meeting him for the first time, and asked the boy in front of her, whose half face flickered in the bonfire's light, a question in her tone full of doubt and caution:
"Who are you?"
The translator diligently translated Kara's words into English. The voice was not loud, but it was more than enough to build a wall to keep him out.
Red Robin realized she was more wary than he'd expected.
It doesn't matter, he has already confirmed the information he wanted.
——Kryptonian.
Superman would surely be delighted to learn there are survivors on Krypton, but Tim Drake has a lot more to consider. Does Superman know about the survivors? How much does Kara know about her own abilities? What is her relationship with the farmer? Collaboration? Or control?
Although his plan rarely involved extreme violence, Tim Drake had to consider the impact of the power levels of both sides on the overall plan. Especially since the farmers were unclear about Mr. Qi's attitude and seemed likely to follow his orders, minimizing the power gap between the two sides would be more conducive to the implementation of the plan.
Many thoughts flashed through Red Robin's mind. Like an old-time switchboard operator, he put these clues into place while pulling out a new one.
The bonfire was still burning. The detective picked up a piece of wood farther away from the fire and knocked it subconsciously with his knuckles - maple wood, obviously not a native desert tree. The farmer brought it from far away and lit a bonfire here, burning it to ashes.
He casually threw the wood into the campfire and said calmly, "Don't be so nervous. I mean no harm."
"I just think you should know that you are not alone in this world."
…
Dropping the bombshell lightly, Red Robin continued, "If you need me, I can contact Superman for you."
Tim noticed Kara's expression: "You should have heard of Superman..."
Although the Kryptonian girl tried hard to maintain a calm appearance, Drake could still see a hint of confusion in her eyes.
Okay, now we need to calculate the time when Kara and the farmer met more recently.
Tim Drake: "The ability to fly and be invulnerable is exactly what a Kryptonian would have on Earth, and I think you've probably felt that in yourself."
…
She guessed he meant Kal-El.
When Krypton was falling apart, her cousin was sent on a spaceship by his parents and left his hometown first. Space travel has countless hidden dangers. Even Jor-El could not ensure that his children would reach their destination safely. They never asked her to look for another Kryptonian orphan.
——But why do the humans in front of me know all this?
Kara remained persistent: "You haven't answered my question yet."
"I?"
Tim Drake pretended to smile casually: "If I remember correctly, I have already introduced myself to you and Aria before this."
Red Robin, Batman's assistant, any label, as long as he can gain the other party's trust, Drake can play the label like a card.
He patiently revealed more details: "I've had contact with the Justice League, and also met with your fellow tribesman, Superman. You can think of the Justice League as a group of people who specialize in solving problems. Whether it's on Earth, in the desert, or in outer space, as long as there is a need and as long as a solution can be solved, they will take action."
"And I just happened to hear you speaking a language very similar to his, so I wanted to chat with you." Red Robin's concerned gaze was like smoke that could not be dispelled. "...My Kryptonian language is not standard, and perhaps it scared you."
No, he spoke quite standardly, though not very fluently, but the grammar was completely correct. The reason he gave was so perfect and self-contained that Kara even felt a little sorry for having doubted Red Robin before.
"I'm sorry," she apologized unskillfully, "I—"
"It's okay," Red Robin interrupted her, winking at Kara. His goggles were broken, and his blue eyes were sincere. "It's normal to be wary of strangers who show up on your way."
Tim lowered his head at the right moment, and his shadow stretched longer under the illumination of the campfire, turning into a winding shadow that could not be shaken off. "...I'm just a little worried. Are your actions completely voluntary?"
Kara froze.
Everything after arriving on this planet was so new. She rediscovered her own possibilities and saw a civilization completely different from Krypton - but now, some people actually thought that she was coerced into helping?
The apology rekindled into a flame. The blonde girl clenched her fists in disbelief and said angrily, "I don't know why you think that... but Aria is very good to me!"
Although she is not yet an adult according to the Kryptonian calendar, Kara Zor-El obviously has enough ability to distinguish between good and evil. Faced with doubts, she naturally wants to stand up and prove for the farmer.
Tim caught her reaction. He looked up at the blonde girl's eyes that didn't hide any emotion. His tone remained unchanged as he smiled softly, "Really? That would be great."
His tone was gentle, almost considerate, as if trying to ease her nervousness, yet also as if brewing his next probing move: "However, I still have to remind you that the situation in the desert is much more complicated than you imagine."
Red Robin leaned forward slightly, his tone lowering a little. "Aria's goal is not simple, and you've been here so briefly that you may not have realized her true plan. Are you sure you're not being used?"
If you really want to calculate, she owes him more. She even owes the farmer a rare plant.
Kara's eyes suddenly sharpened, and her voice rose a few notes: "Aria didn't use me! She-"
"—for you?" Tim continued softly, his eyes so calm that it was impossible to tell what he was feeling at the moment. "I'm not denying that. But sometimes, kindness can just be a cover for our true intentions."
Kara bit her lip. She felt that the man in front of her was unreasonable and completely unreasonable.
Tim didn't give her a chance to argue and quickly changed the subject: "No matter what, my offer still stands. If you want, I can always contact Superman for you."
His voice was still gentle, but the edge of the knife was hidden in it: "You know, he is one of your kind, and he said that he is the only one who can fully understand your abilities and identity..."
"With your current abilities, even if the farmer isn't planning anything, I'm afraid it would be difficult for you to help her here."
Red Robin sounded like she was genuinely considering her future. "Rather than being a drag here, perhaps a different strategy would be better: accept Superman's help and adapt more quickly to life on Earth..."
He paused. "As for Aria... I'm more familiar with the desert. I can take care of her while you're away."
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Duck Detective trying to convince with words.jpg
This volume and Drake were really hard to write. I always feel that there are some unsatisfactory parts. I hope the stupid author will try to restore it orz
Sorry for the long wait. I will give some red envelopes to everyone for their previous comments. Ngi mua: @u_296245, 09/01/2025 22:21
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