Jonathan saw the two confronting each other and immediately moved to stand beside his wife.
Now that Martha was pregnant, he refused to let unnecessary stress affect her or the child she carried.
"Who are you?"
Clark frowned, staring at the boy standing in front of him, someone clearly shorter and younger.
"Bart Allen."
Bart seized Clark's wrist, his grip firm and unapologetic. "Do not cause trouble in my home, or I will make you regret ever stepping foot here."
After spending time around Adrian, Bart had learned how to deliver a threat with conviction.
"My home?" Clark scoffed, looking Bart over with faint amusement. "That would matter if your last name were Kent, not Allen. So forgive me if I do not take you seriously."
His eyes hardened as his voice dropped. "And honestly, I am curious about this so called life worse than death."
Bang!
Before Clark could finish the sentence, a crushing force slammed into his chest.
Bart's fist struck with the full momentum of a super speed punch, the impact sending Clark flying backward and crashing to the ground.
Whoosh!
The instant Bart attacked, he vanished in a blur, sprinting through the house and returning in less than a second.
When he reappeared, his casual clothes were gone, replaced by the first generation Flash uniform once worn by the Justice Society.
"This," Bart said coldly, "is what I meant."
He straightened, expression serious. "This farm is my home. Mr. and Mrs. Kent are my family, and Adrian is my brother. So listen carefully."
Bart lowered into a runner's stance. "Even if I am not a Kent by name, I am part of this family."
Clark lay on the ground, staring up at him as fury boiled over.
Brother?
Family?
Was this kid trying to replace him? Trying to take what was his?
No matter how much Clark claimed to accept his Kryptonian heritage, the jealousy and anger were still there, raw and unresolved.
Clark rose to his feet, eyes glacial. "So that is it. Another pretender who thinks he belongs here."
He clenched his fists. "If you are fake, then prove otherwise."
Bart did not bother responding. He launched forward at full speed.
Since Jor El had taken control of his mind, Clark's Kryptonian body had grown stronger. His enhanced vision allowed him to track Bart's movement, if only barely.
Whoosh!
Clark felt the blow before he saw it.
Bang!
Bart's fist smashed into his cheek, followed immediately by another strike to his jaw.
A dull crack echoed as Clark staggered.
This time, Clark reacted, raising his arm and blocking the next punch.
Bart was faster, but not untouchable.
Clark countered, driving his fist forward.
Bart leapt back just in time, narrowly avoiding the strike.
In Clark's perception, slowed by his enhanced senses, he threw several more punches. Bart dodged each one, retreating until distance separated them.
Clark frowned, then lifted into the air.
Flight.
Bart's expression tightened. He could not follow him there.
Clark dove.
The air detonated as he descended, a sonic boom ripping outward.
Bart blurred aside at the last second.
Boom!
Clark slammed his foot into the ground.
The earth shattered beneath him, cracks spiderwebbing outward as the farm shook violently. A thunderous roar followed, and everyone nearby stumbled as if hit by an earthquake.
Bart, closest to the impact, lost his footing.
Before he could regain balance, Clark charged.
Bart tried to dodge, but the tremors disrupted his speed. He stumbled, collided with a mailbox, and slammed into it hard enough to crush the metal.
He rolled across the dirt, momentarily stunned.
Clark advanced.
Then the sky cracked.
A shockwave split the air.
Thud!
Adrian landed between them, his boots digging into the earth.
In an instant, he activated his speed and caught Clark's incoming punch with one hand.
Bang!
The air exploded from the collision.
Their eyes locked.
Jonathan's voice rang out in panic. "Martha!"
Adrian turned and saw her collapsed on the ground.
Something inside him snapped.
He swung without hesitation.
Bang!
His fist smashed into Clark's face, the force sending him flying like a baseball launched at full speed.
Clark tore through the ground, crashed into a thick tree, and snapped it clean in half before skidding to a halt in a deep furrow of earth.
Adrian did not watch him fall.
He was already kneeling beside Martha.
After checking her breathing, relief flashed through his eyes.
"She fainted," he said, lifting her carefully. "I am taking her to the hospital."
Bart, now on his feet, glanced toward where Clark had landed.
The ground was empty.
---
Smallville Medical Center
Adrian and Jonathan stood outside Martha's hospital room.
Bart sat further down the hallway, restless and uneasy, his eyes never leaving the closed door.
Jonathan broke the silence. "You always knew the truth about Clark, didn't you?"
"Yes," Adrian replied calmly.
"You should have told us sooner."
Jonathan sighed, then shook his head. "I understand why you didn't. I cannot blame you."
Adrian said nothing. He stood beside his father, both of them watching over Martha.
When the doctor emerged and assured them she would recover fully, the tension finally eased.
---
Smallville Medical Center, Third Floor
One floor above, Chloe wrapped her arms around her cousin.
"I am so glad you are okay, Lois."
"Ow," Lois groaned. "Easy. I am pretty sure everything hurts."
Chloe pulled back, embarrassed. "Sorry. I just got excited."
Lois lay there, nearly wrapped in bandages. "So explain this. Why do I feel like I was thrown off a building?"
"You do not remember anything?"
"No. I had wine, sure, but not enough to end up like this."
Chloe hesitated. "I lost memories too. Adrian and Clark are the only ones who know what happened."
Lois sighed. "Figures. Those two are always at the center of chaos."
She paused, eyes narrowing. "You were there too. Why did I wake up alone?"
Chloe shifted awkwardly. "Amnesia."
Lois smirked. "Nice try. You ditched me."
Chloe surrendered. "What do you want?"
"To investigate them," Lois said without hesitation. "Together."
She leaned back slightly. "My father is already watching Smallville. If the military gets involved, the Kent family will suffer. As reporters, we find the truth and slow that investigation down."
____
🌙 TO ALL OUR MUSLIM BROTHERS AND SISTERS WISHING YOU ALL A WONDERFUL EID!
MAY ALLAH'S BLESSINGS BE WITH YOU TODAY, TOMORROW, AND EVERY DAY
MAY TODAY BRING LAUGHTER, DELICIOUS FOOD, AND JOY