"Mr. Brooks is highly suspicious."
Inside The Torch office, the aroma of coffee lingered as Chloe balanced a steaming mug in one hand and a stack of notes in the other. Her tone was half-serious, half-triumphant—the sound of someone chasing a lead.
Clark glanced up from the newspaper he was pretending to read. "Suspicious how?"
"I've been digging," Chloe said, taking a sip. "Turns out every coach who's ever handled the baseball team has clashed with Dana Brooks. The most recent one—Coach Chandler—got slapped by her during a locker-room argument. He benched her afterward. Then, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks stormed in to fight with him about it."
Clark raised an eyebrow. "So they've had issues with all the coaches?"
"Exactly." Chloe leaned back in her chair. "They've made enemies out of every authority figure their daughter's had."
Clark folded the paper, setting it aside. "Did you tell the police?"
Chloe snorted. "No. You think I can walk into the station and say, 'Hey, I've got a hunch!'? Without evidence, it's just gossip. I'm a journalist, not Sherlock Holmes."
"A journalist chasing the Pulitzer, you mean," Clark teased, flashing her a grin.
Chloe sighed dramatically. "If Principal Morris supported me half as much as you do, maybe I'd already have it."
Then her eyes lit up. "Oh! Speaking of support—there's one more thing you'll love. And since you're my loyal sidekick, I'll even share it for free."
Clark chuckled. "I'm listening."
"The Brooks family moved here from Blue Valley recently," she said. "Their neighbors there said the parents ran their household like a military camp—strict curfews, constant surveillance, no friends allowed. That's the kind of environment that breeds secrets."
Clark rubbed his chin. "Maybe I can help you dig deeper into them."
Chloe's eyes narrowed playfully. "I don't have the budget for your super services, Kent. The Torch isn't exactly the Daily Planet."
"Then treat me to coffee at the Talon next time," he said, smiling.
"Deal," Chloe replied—then mumbled under her breath, "Let me guess, that coffee's for Lana, huh?"
Clark pretended not to hear her.
---
Meanwhile, miles away, the small town of Smallville basked in the mild warmth of the afternoon sun. Its streets were calm, dotted with vendors and pickup trucks.
Green Lantern floated just a few inches off the ground as he looked around. "So this is the place, huh?"
"Yeah," Kara said, hands in her jacket pockets. "Smallville. It's my first time seeing it at this point in history, though."
Hal Jordan smiled. "Peaceful. Quiet. If I ever retire, this might be where I do it."
Kara gave him a side-eye. "You? Retire?"
He shrugged. "Why not? I'm a cosmic cop, not a god. Even space cops deserve a pension."
Kara thought about it for a second. "Maybe. But you age slower than Earthlings, Hal. You'll still be patrolling sectors when every other cop's retired."
"'Patrolling'—I prefer 'wandering.'" He lifted his glowing ring, a faint emerald shimmer reflecting in his eyes. "A Lantern's life is full of drifting through stars. It's lonely, but someone has to do it."
"Right," Kara muttered. "Remind me not to ask you about your love life."
Diana, walking a few paces ahead, ignored the banter. "Let's focus. We're not here to sightsee."
"True," Hal said. "But if we're going to run into Superman or Homelander, maybe we should discuss how to handle that."
"We're not confronting them, Lantern," Diana replied, her tone measured and regal. "We're here to observe—and to correct what little we can."
Hal frowned. "Batman was clear: retrieve the object, nothing more. The Flash warned that meddling with time brings the wrath of Destiny. Even one change could ripple through history."
Diana stopped, turning toward him. "You misunderstand. I'm not trying to change the past. The God of Destiny sent us here for a reason. The future we came from will remain what it is—but our actions here might create a better one for this world's timeline."
"So… we're not rewriting history," Hal said, rubbing his temple. "We're… creating an alternate branch."
"Exactly."
He gave her a crooked grin. "You sound like a time-travel philosopher now."
Diana's gaze hardened. "I've faced Destiny before—and triumphed. I intend to do so again."
Before Hal could reply, Kara's voice broke through. "Hey, hold that thought. I think I recognize someone."
They followed her gaze toward a farm stand near the market square. Behind a wooden table, Jonathan and Martha Kent were selling fresh vegetables.
"That's… Superman's parents," Diana murmured.
"Yeah," Kara said softly. "Jonathan and Martha Kent. I've never actually seen them like this… so normal."
But the moment Jonathan looked up and saw her, his face drained of color. He whispered urgently to his wife, "Martha—that's Kara."
Martha froze. Her hand tightened on the crate she was holding. "It can't be… She disappeared after Adrian blasted her into light!"
Jonathan's jaw tightened. "Get back to the farm. Tell Adrian and Clark she's here. I'll stall her."
"No! You can't face her alone," Martha protested.
"You're pregnant, Martha. They won't come after me—but you and the baby…"
While they argued, Kara approached, puzzled by their fear. "Hi—uh, sorry, do I know you two?"
Jonathan stepped forward, eyes hard. "I don't know what game you're playing, but Clark won't go with you. My sons make their own choices—no one, not even their so-called biological father, decides their fate."
Martha's voice shook, but her stance was firm. "We've already called the police. Leave, before this gets worse."
Kara blinked. "Wait, what? I—I don't understand. Why are you treating me like this?"
"It's not about dislike," Jonathan said sternly. "It's about protecting our family."
For a moment, Kara stood there, the noise of the market fading behind her. "I've always respected you both," she said quietly. "I don't know what happened, but I'm not your enemy."
Her words hung in the air, unanswered. Finally, she turned and walked back to Diana and Hal, her expression unreadable.
Hal crossed his arms. "Didn't you say Superman's family adored you?"
Kara exhaled. "I meant in the future. Guess I forgot that right now, I'm just a stranger."
"Or maybe they just don't like big sisters who could outshine their son," Hal quipped.
Kara glared at him, then looked away. "Whatever helps you sleep, Lantern."
Diana, watching the Kents from afar, finally spoke again. "We'll need to head to Blue Valley next. If we find Stargirl before Homelander does, we might prevent him from claiming the Cosmic Staff."
Kara frowned. "You know an awful lot about his past, Diana."
"As the Justice League's greatest threat, he's been studied thoroughly," Wonder Woman replied. "Knowing your enemy is the first rule of war."
Hal adjusted his jacket. "Blue Valley, huh? That's a few hours from here. Unless one of you plans to fly us there, we'd better move."
Without another word, Diana led the way through the market. Kara followed, her thoughts heavy with confusion and guilt.
Was she truly the villain in this version of history?
Behind them, Jonathan watched from a distance, his hand still trembling slightly as he held Martha's. "She didn't attack," he said softly.
Martha nodded. "Maybe she's not the same one we saw before."
"Or maybe she's pretending," Jonathan replied grimly. "Either way, we need to warn Adrian."
As the wind swept through the Smallville fields, the three heroes disappeared beyond the horizon—leaving behind a town that had unknowingly become the crossroads of gods, soldiers, and ghosts of destiny.
---