Boom!
Kara, who had been pushed on the defensive for too long, finally erupted. Slamming both hands into the ground, she launched herself into the air like an arrow, streaking straight toward Adrian.
The sudden burst of acceleration caught even him off guard. He formed his hands into hardened gauntlets to protect his chest, but a second later, a blinding force collided against him — Kara's fist, burning with fury and light.
A thunderous crack split the night as the impact burst through the air. Adrian was thrown backward, his boots carving deep furrows into the soil before he finally slid to a halt. His arms, locked before his chest, had absorbed most of the impact, but the sting still lingered in his bones.
He exhaled sharply, regained his footing, then a grin appeared on his face, and in the next instant, twin beams of crimson Heat Vision lanced from his eyes toward Kara.
Kara met the challenge without hesitation. Her own eyes blazed with molten intensity, firing back a beam that collided head-on with Adrian's.
The night exploded into red light.
The twin beams clashed, their energy scattering sparks across the darkened woods. The air sizzled and warped, a tangible heat wave spreading outward. Even the trio in the nearby car recoiled, clutching their faces as the blinding glow scorched their vision.
Where the two beams met, the air rippled violently — crimson sparks showering outward like molten rain.
"In a sense," Kara called out through the burning light, "you awakened faster than Kal-El! This power… it's just like Krypton's! You must be one of us, Adrian! I can feel it!"
"Is that so?" Adrian replied, his Heat Vision intensifying.
In a blink, he cut off his Heat Vision, darting sideways faster than her eyes could track. He shot forward, his body low, parallel to the ground, and slammed into her midsection.
The two became a streak of light tearing through the forest.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Tree after tree splintered under their combined velocity. Bark exploded, branches scattered, and ancient firs snapped in half like twigs. Each crash echoed like thunder across the valley.
Back at the Kent farm, Jonathan and Martha could only hear the chaos. The distant crack of shattering trees carried through the night like a storm.
"I hope Adrian will be alright," Martha murmured, clasping her hands tightly in prayer.
Jonathan held her close, his expression grim. "He's tougher than he looks."
Meanwhile, in the car, the trio of stunned heroes watched the destruction unfold. A dark-skinned woman, Doctor Midnight, clutched her bleeding forehead, muttering, "Chuck might've been right after all. As crazy as he is, there's no better explanation than aliens. Courtney… you might never get your Staff back."
Courtney, pale and weak, stared through the windshield as the forest erupted in red flashes. "Maybe," she whispered. The sound of explosions rolled through the night, each one a reminder of her mistake.
She thought she'd understood Adrian Kent's power when he faced Brainwave — but this… this was something else entirely.
He hadn't even been trying before.
Regret washed over her. If she'd known how monstrous his strength truly was, she never would've followed through with that reckless plan. Not at the cost of Hourman's life, and not at the risk of everyone she cared about.
Pat had been right. She'd been naive — and now the truth hit like a hammer.
---
The battle above raged on.
Adrian realized something surprising — even though Kara was supposedly a fully awakened Kryptonian, her power wasn't overwhelming him.
Her speed, her strength, even her fighting instincts — all impressive, but not beyond what he could handle. His Homelander Template wasn't even at full capacity, yet she couldn't dominate him.
With a sharp twist of his body, he slammed a punch into Kara's chest, sending her hurtling backward. He vanished in a blur, reappeared above her, and drove another strike toward her chin. She blocked with crossed arms, the shockwave rattling the treetops.
"Adrian!"
Clark's voice echoed from below as he finally arrived. His expression was a mixture of shock and frustration — and guilt.
He wanted to understand what Kara had said, but more than that, he wanted to stand beside his brother.
Before he could reach them, Adrian grabbed Kara's wrist, and the two shot into the sky. She retaliated immediately, her fist colliding against his jaw, but Adrian countered with a clean, brutal right hook that snapped her head back.
Another punch. Then another.
Each blow echoed through the clouds until finally, Kara's body went limp.
Adrian released her. She plummeted from the sky, crashing into the earth with a heavy thud that made the ground tremble. Dust billowed. Silence followed.
Clark stared, speechless. "She… she's down already?"
He hadn't expected it to end so quickly. Kara was supposed to be stronger — wasn't she?
Was Adrian's strength still growing?
As Adrian descended, Clark took a step forward. "Is she dead?"
"I don't know," Adrian replied flatly, walking toward Kara's fallen form.
Clark hesitated, his emotions twisting. "She said she's from Krypton. That our father is Jor-El. Is that true, Adrian?"
Adrian didn't turn. "If you believe her, Clark, why ask me?"
"I— I just… you drew those pictures when we were kids. Of planets exploding, ships escaping…" Clark's voice wavered. "You remember, don't you? You knew even back then."
Adrian stopped walking, his expression unreadable. "And if I do?"
Clark swallowed. "If we're not from Earth… if we're Kryptonians… what are we here for? To conquer? Or because our parents abandoned us?"
Adrian finally turned, his tone sharp. "Do you think you're not free, Clark?"
"What?"
"If you believe you're trapped — bound by some destiny — then you'll spend your life running from it," Adrian said coldly. "I'm not interested in some alien father's plans. If Jor-El thinks he can control me, he's wrong. I know who I am, and besides, who knows, I might not be kryptonitian, I choose my own path. That's what separates us."
He took a step closer, his eyes flaring faintly red. "Martha's pregnant. She's terrified — constantly worrying about losing everything she loves. Right now, that's what matters. Not Jor-El. Not Krypton. Remember who you are, Clark Kent — not Kal-El."
Clark froze, stunned into silence.
Jonathan and Martha arrived moments later, relief flooding their faces at the sight of Adrian unharmed.
"Adrian, are you okay?" Jonathan asked, patting his son's shoulder.
"I'm fine," Adrian said simply, glancing at his tattered shirt. "Just a bit of a mess."
Martha reached up to wipe soot from his face. "Thank God. It's over now."
She looked at Kara's motionless body, uncertainty clouding her features. "Should we call the police?"
"No," Jonathan said firmly. "They wouldn't be able to hold her, and if the government finds out what she is — what we are — it'll be chaos."
Adrian's eyes glowed faintly again as he looked at Kara. "She's Kryptonian. If she's an alien, then human laws don't apply."
He raised his gaze, Heat Vision building — but Jonathan stepped between them. "Stop, Adrian! I've already asked Chloe to look into her. Maybe she's human — maybe it's the meteorites again—"
Before he could finish, a blinding light engulfed them. The air trembled, and when it faded, Kara was gone.
Jonathan blinked. "What… what just happened?"
Adrian exhaled slowly. "Jor-El," he muttered. "He finally decided to act."
---
Smallville Medical Center
Courtney awoke to the scent of antiseptic and pain. Her arm was bandaged, her body sore all over.
"You're awake, Miss Courtney?" came a calm, feminine voice. A tall, composed doctor with long legs and sharp eyes stood beside the bed.
"Where am I?" Courtney rasped.
"Smallville Medical Center," the doctor said gently. "You were in a bad accident, but you're lucky — no major internal injuries. With a few months of rest, you'll recover. I'm Doctor Helen, by the way."
Courtney blinked at her, then toward the door — which opened just as her stepfather, Pat, entered.
His face was grave. He didn't say a word, but the disappointment in his eyes spoke louder than anything else.
Courtney lowered her gaze. For the first time, she didn't have the courage to look him in the eye.
____
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