Unfortunately, Pete's words eventually came true.
The new baseball coach was found hanged in the baseball club room. Although the school administration did everything it could to cover up the incident, the news eventually spread. Pete and Chloe were obviously intrigued, especially Chloe, who wasted no time publishing the story in The Torch. Her piece even earned the principal's ire when he threatened to shut the paper down if she continued.
Adrian was unaware of what was happening at the school. For some time now he had been trying to locate information on Jor-El, but made no real progress. It seemed that after he had taken Kara away, Jor-El never showed up again.
Some thirty-six miles from Kent Farm, Adrian entered the cave where Clark once sleep-walked. He stepped onto the packed earth inside, and walked forward despite the utter darkness, without a light source. The cave walls bore elaborate Kryptonian text and intricate, almost indescribable murals.
Thump!
His foot landed on firmer ground, and Adrian gazed toward the back wall of the cave. At the centre of the complex pattern of Kryptonian symbols and imagery, there was an octagonal mark. After studying the patterns and text for several minutes, Adrian placed the octagonal metal object in his hand against the missing mark.
In the next instant the entire cave erupted in a golden light, enveloping him completely. Adrian, bathed in the glow, showed no fear or surprise. He could feel instinctively this beam would not harm him. At the same time a crack appeared on the wall, and within its light-filled fissure, light flowed continuously as if something were stirring within. Adrian even caught a vague shape of a figure composed of light.
"Adrian Kent?" the voice echoed.
"Who are you? Jor-El?" Adrian asked, his tone cold.
"I am," replied the figure, slow and deep. "You are Adrian Kent, the one who defeated Kara? I thought I had overestimated you, but I must admit, when things exceed expectations it means my initial judgment was flawed. I misjudged you."
The ethereal image, clearly the Kryptonian father figure, spoke with authority.
"Kara?" Adrian snorted. "I would not imagine the real 'Supergirl' to be so vulnerable. That wasn't the true Kara, was it?"
"Whether she is real or not does not matter. What matters is I gave her the name Kara, and she may use Kara's abilities."
The figure of light said to Adrian, "You and Kryptonians are so alike—your thought-patterns, your weaknesses, your arrogance. The people of Earth follow the same pattern. The end of civilization is destruction. They are even more arrogant than Krypton. Choosing not to follow the patterns and rules of Earth's inhabitants, becoming detached and powerful and ruling them might not be a bad way to protect them. Your mind exudes such an aura—I feel it."
"That sounds very seductive," Adrian said quietly, "but I'm sorry — it means nothing to me. What I care about most is not me, but you." He leveled his voice. "If you interfere in my life or Clark's, then I will regard you as an enemy—one that must be eliminated in both body and soul."
"That was never Clark's life. Adrian Kent, I have changed my mind. You are Clark's brother; at times I will treat you as his substitute. Now you…" The tone shifted. "You can also become my son—Kryptonian's son, wielding those supreme rights that belong to you."
"I always thought you were a schemer; now I see you are not only ambitious, but also a man with a problem in his head," Adrian sneered.
The figure did not shrink back. Especially not when Adrian attempted to step away from the area of light and shadow that surrounded him. But the brilliant light formed a rope, binding his hands and preventing his movement.
"Krypton has been destroyed. I am both Jor-El and not Jor-El. The source of power is uncontrollable, even when we are conscious." The figure said as power surged through Adrian's body. He felt as if his own power were being confined; a sensation of weakness spread through him as the rope of light drained energy.
"Is that all you can do?" Adrian roared as his eyes glowed red and he unleashed Heat Vision. The beams carried immense energy and slammed into the wall. The area of the wall linked to Jor-El's projection seemed detached from the real world—his Heat Vision could not hit the opponent effectively.
Adrian tried to break free, but the ropes held fast. The burning sensation spread through his body. His skin and bones ached with deep, unrelenting pain.
"Ugh!" He gritted his teeth and kept firing Heat Vision while enduring the internal torment.
"Your body is astonishing," the figure remarked. "A Man of Steel form under a yellow sun, the ability to fly, Heat Vision awakened under a yellow sun—your cellular structure is so akin to a Kryptonian's. I even suspect that you are an alternative evolutionary direction for Kryptonians!"
"I can modify your body to become more like a Kryptonian's," the figure continued. "But it will come at a cost. To gain something you will lose something. That is an unchangeable truth."
"You're celebrating too early!" Adrian shouted and reached out. In that moment the Staff flew in from the cave entrance, glimmering with golden light, illuminating everything. With a crash the Staff landed in Adrian's hand and he gripped it firmly.
He held the Cosmic Staff, its light flowing into his body. Two cosmic-level energies collided within him. At the same time the Homelander Template inside him...dormant... began to progress rapidly. From 85% it climbed to 88%, 90%, 92%, and finally 95%.
With the Homelander Template at 95% unsealed, the Kryptonian characteristics within his body became more apparent. His strength had grown fast, and physically he resembled Kryptonians increasingly.
If it had not been for the system's sudden display of power this time, Jor-El's plan might have succeeded.
Adrian held the Staff with a solemn expression, activated his super-speed, and raced to the cave entrance faster than before. He closed his eyes and felt the surging power within him. Then he opened his eyes and projected a Heat Vision beam far stronger than before, blasting the roof of the cave. Rocks and earth collapsed in a thunderous crash, burying the entrance.
Adrian crouched, knees bent, and leapt upward. With a loud boom he vanished into the sky.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several beams of light descended near the outskirts of Metropolis.
"Did you feel that? I sensed a power, an aura rising—an undeniable power!" said one of the trio.
The woman over six feet tall, her long legs impressive, her features sculpted like a Greek goddess, draped in a black robe, frowned and addressed the other two: "Our mission is not to investigate these strange auras, Diana."
A young man with brown hair, pupils alert, curly strands falling across his forehead, slightly dishevelled, shrugged and complained: "Why did Batman teleport us near the Justice League Hall from ten years ago? That building ahead looks a bit off."
Green Lantern pointed toward the headquarters building, clearly unsettled: "By the way, wasn't that the Justice Society Headquarters that Adrian acquired recently?"
The girl in the trio, her appearance almost identical to the Kara, Adrian had confronted, adjusted her baseball cap and smirked: "I thought Justice League members would have more casual vibes on missions—make a joke here or there, lighten things up. In short, not act so serious. But I guess you two are different."
___
Happy New Month