"It seems you knew him."
Holding the Cosmic Staff, Adrian spoke coldly as he looked down at Stargirl.
"Yes… yes, I knew him."
Ignoring the pain radiating through her chin, Courtney struggled to her feet and stared at Henry's lifeless body on the ground. Her breathing grew uneven.
"You… you killed him?"
"Is that a problem?" Adrian replied flatly.
"Of course it is!" Courtney shouted, anger flashing through her tear‑filled eyes. "He wasn't evil. He was struggling. He could hear everyone's thoughts, the ugly ones, the cruel ones, all of it. It tormented him every second of his life. He wanted to be better. He wanted to do the right thing."
Her voice trembled as she continued, "Why wouldn't you let him try? Why take away his chance?"
Adrian's expression remained indifferent.
"So what?"
Courtney froze.
"I don't care whether he wanted to be good or bad," Adrian said calmly. "Intent doesn't erase consequences."
As he spoke, the Cosmic Staff lifted slightly in his hand. A thin golden beam shot out and struck Courtney squarely in the chest.
Bang!
The energy was not lethal, but the impact sent her crashing to the ground. Pain spread through her back and ribs, leaving her dizzy and breathless.
"Why?" Courtney whispered, tears streaming down her face as she looked up at him.
"He lived a miserable life," she said weakly. "Trapped beside his father, humiliated, suffocating every day. After his powers awakened, he heard things no one should ever hear. He thought he was living in hell."
She swallowed hard. "If we had helped him… maybe we could have pulled him back."
Courtney raised her eyes toward Adrian, desperation etched across her face. "Just one helping hand…"
Adrian turned away, no longer interested.
"That was a nice speech," he said coldly. "Saving a lost soul, pulling someone back from the edge. Very heroic."
He paused, his voice sharp and unforgiving. "But the cleanest solution was to let him leave this world before he fully became a demon. At least then, you can pretend he died pure."
He glanced back briefly. "Recite your Deadman prayers if it helps you sleep."
Adrian raised the Staff again.
"I lent this to you to locate someone," he said. "Not to play therapist."
His eyes hardened. "And right now, I'm extremely displeased."
A concentrated beam of golden light erupted from the Staff and engulfed Henry's body.
Under Courtney's horrified gaze, Henry disintegrated into fine dust. In seconds, there was nothing left. No body. No trace. No proof he had ever existed.
Courtney covered her mouth as tears streamed freely down her face.
By the time she looked up again, Adrian was gone.
White mist rolled endlessly across the land.
Late that night, Martha Kent lay awake, unable to sleep.
Clark's disappearance, his crimes, Lex Luthor's death, the worsening situation at the farm, everything pressed down on her chest like a weight she could not escape.
She turned onto her side, then back again. Sleep refused to come.
Carefully, she slipped out of bed so as not to wake Jonathan. Standing by the window, she stared into the heavy fog outside, her thoughts just as clouded.
Then she heard it.
Knock. Knock.
Martha stiffened.
Someone was knocking at the door at this hour, in weather like this.
She quietly woke her husband. "Jonathan, I hear something downstairs. Someone's knocking."
Jonathan was already alert. He dressed quickly, grabbed a sturdy stick, and told Martha to stay behind as he headed down.
The fog outside was thick, unnatural.
Peering through the door, Jonathan saw a girl standing alone.
She was small, young, soaked by mist, and looked utterly lost.
After a moment of hesitation, he opened the door.
Courtney stood there, wiping tears from her face.
Without the Cosmic Staff and with nowhere else to go, the Kent Farm was the only place she could reach.
When the door opened, she froze briefly, then forced a shaky smile.
"Hello," she said. "My name is Courtney Whitmore. I got lost in the fog. Could I stay here just for tonight? I'll leave as soon as it's morning."
Jonathan nodded instinctively. "Of course. Come in."
Martha came downstairs moments later, concern clear on her face. Jonathan shook his head slightly, signaling that he didn't know much either.
"So, Courtney," Martha asked gently, "what brings you out here?"
Courtney hesitated and glanced upstairs.
"I went out to clear my head," she said carefully. "Then the fog rolled in, and I couldn't find my way back."
Jonathan nodded. "It's bad out there. Where's your home? I can drive you."
"Blue…" Courtney started, then stopped herself.
She quickly smiled. "I'm visiting Smallville. My aunt lives nearby. My hometown is Blue Valley. Here's my student ID."
Jonathan examined it and exchanged a glance with Martha. Their suspicion faded.
"Can I sleep on the sofa?" Courtney asked softly. "I like soft couches."
"Of course," Martha said warmly.
After a short conversation, the Kents headed upstairs.
"I'll get her a blanket," Martha said quietly. "Something about her feels honest."
Jonathan agreed. "She seems young for her age. Still a kid, really."
As they reached the top of the stairs, they saw Adrian standing there.
His eyes briefly flicked to Courtney, already asleep on the sofa, her arm tucked beneath her head.
"Go rest," Adrian said calmly. "I'll keep an eye on things."
Neither parent argued.
Adrian hadn't expected Courtney to show up like this, or for his parents to trust her so easily. Still, he had no interest in throwing her out.
He walked down the stairs, intending to warn her, but she was already asleep.
The dried tear tracks on her face caught his attention for a moment.
Then he turned and went upstairs.
The next morning, Courtney left the Kent Farm.
She wanted the Cosmic Staff back, desperately, but one look at Adrian during breakfast erased that thought. Whatever he was, he was far beyond her ability to challenge.
Back in Blue Valley, she learned the truth from Pat.
"Someone was killed in Brainwave's hospital room," Pat said grimly.
Courtney's face drained of color.
"The cause of death was massive internal damage," Pat continued. "Bleeding from the nose and mouth. Every sign points to telekinesis. The police are looking for Henry, but he's gone."
Courtney felt hollow.
Had Henry really crossed that line?
Had her hope been nothing more than denial?
Later, she visited Yolanda in the hospital and tried to explain everything. Instead, Yolanda exploded in anger.
Recruiting the boy who had ruined her life was unforgivable.
Courtney was thrown out.
Standing alone in the hallway, Adrian's words echoed in her mind.
Let him leave this world with a better soul.
Courtney stared at the floor, doubt filling her heart.
Was she wrong?