"I…"
Hearing Adrian's taunt, Lana fell silent, her words catching in her throat. She wanted to explain that her situation was far from ideal, but in the end, she simply pressed her lips together and looked at him with quiet resentment.
Nearby, Clark had already stepped in to stop Lex.
"Lex, you need help!"
"Help?" Lex's eyes hardened. "Clark, you always stand on that self-righteous high ground, and that is exactly why you are so annoying. No one needs your help, and no one is waiting for someone to play the savior!"
"Don't block my way."
"Lex, this is not you. Don't you understand what you are doing? General Zod is dead, it is over!"
"No," Lex snapped, his voice sharp and unyielding. "It is far from over. This is only a temporary setback. Kryptonians will rise again, and Clark, you cannot stop it!"
The moment he finished speaking, Lex moved.
In a blur of super speed, he appeared beside Clark and struck him with a powerful palm, sending him flying.
"You think killing General Zod puts you above everyone else?"
Clark hit the ground hard, but Lex did not slow down.
"I know your weakness, Clark," Lex continued coldly. "You will never be a true warrior. You hesitate, you doubt, you cling to compassion as if it can solve everything. You believe emotions can overcome darkness, but all they will do is drown you in your own naivety."
Before Clark could recover, Lex seized him and hurled him backward again.
Clark's body crashed into the ground, carving a deep trench across the surface before coming to a stop.
Lex watched him with disdain, then rushed forward again. This time, Clark rolled to his feet just in time and countered with a punch that snapped Lex's head to the side.
Lex staggered and fell, but before he could regain control, Clark grabbed him by the collar and slammed him backward.
A thunderous crack echoed as both of them collided with a large tree, snapping it clean in half.
Lex groaned as the impact drove into his back. They fell to the ground, facing each other.
Clark moved first.
With a burst of speed, he pinned Lex down, pressing a hand firmly against his chest. In his other hand, he drew the crystalline blade Jor-El had given him and held it against Lex's throat.
The blade, though it looked fragile, bit into Lex's skin with ease. A thin line of blood appeared almost instantly.
"This is not naivety, Lex," Clark said, his voice tight. "When you carry responsibility, you have to understand its weight. Every step matters."
He tightened his grip, his hand trembling slightly.
Lex's breathing quickened, but his expression remained defiant.
"You cannot do it, Clark. Look at your hand, it is shaking. You have already killed one of your own. You cannot do it again."
"There is nothing… impossible."
Clark pressed the blade further.
Jor-El's voice echoed in his mind.
If you want to stop him, you must use the blade.
Pain and conflict flashed in Clark's eyes. His grip faltered.
Lex smirked faintly.
"Look at you. You are pathetic now. Do it, Clark. Just like you did with General Zod. Finish it."
"No. Stop."
"Do it! Do not be a coward!"
"Shut up!"
"Then prove it. Kill me!"
"Shut up!"
With a roar, Clark drove the blade downward.
A sharp crack rang out.
The blade did not pierce Lex.
Instead, Clark drove it into the ground beside him, shattering it into pieces.
The broken fragments scattered across the dirt.
Lex stared at him, stunned.
Clark's chest rose and fell as he struggled to steady himself.
"I do not regret what I have done," Clark said, his voice firm despite the strain. "Not even killing General Zod."
He paused, then continued, quieter but resolute.
"Alicia once told me, if I truly believe I am fighting to protect, then I will not be ruled by fear or doubt."
He looked directly at Lex.
"I will not kill you. Even if that blade was the only way, I will find another way to bring you back."
A slow, mocking smile tugged at Lex's lips.
"You are always too confident, Clark."
A voice sounded from behind.
Clark turned.
Adrian approached calmly, his gaze flicking briefly to Lex before settling on Clark.
"If he were not Lex Luthor," Adrian said evenly, "if he were just someone you did not know, would you still make that choice?"
Clark did not hesitate.
"Yes. I would."
Adrian studied him for a moment, then said nothing more.
He stepped forward, grabbed Lex by the collar, and hauled him to his feet.
"You seem disappointed he did not kill you."
Lex said nothing.
"Forget it."
Adrian released him, letting him hit the ground again.
"You need more than a fight," Adrian continued coldly. "What you need is to be broken down and rebuilt properly."
"Adrian, do not hurt him!" Clark called out.
Adrian ignored him.
Instead, he contacted Simone and instructed her to take Lex to the ship for treatment.
Whether Lex could be cured, or how much suffering the process would involve, did not concern him.
Once Lex was taken away from Luthor Mansion, silence settled over the area.
Lana approached slowly, clutching her injured hand.
"Lana!"
Clark hurried to her side, his expression filled with concern.
"Are you alright?"
"I am fine," she said, forcing a small smile despite her pale face. "It is just a cut."
Her eyes flickered toward where Lex had been taken.
"Will he be okay?"
Clark hesitated, glancing briefly at Adrian.
"He… needs treatment. Maybe the Kryptonian technology can restore him."
Lana exhaled softly.
"That is good."
Despite everything, she held no real hatred toward Lex. She knew that what happened was not truly his will.
After speaking with Clark, she turned and walked toward Adrian.
Clark watched her go, a heaviness settling in his chest.
For a moment, it lingered.
Then he let out a quiet breath.
He had already let go, had he not?
So why did it still matter?
Shaking his head, Clark turned and walked out of Luthor Mansion, his thoughts tangled.
He remembered a conversation with his mother, Martha.
He had once told her that Lana had been distant with him.
When she asked why, he said it was because he kept too many secrets.
Her response had stayed with him.
Maybe, deep down, you do not believe she is someone you can trust with everything.
Now, those words felt heavier than ever.
Outside, Clark disappeared into the distance.
Back inside, Lana stopped in front of Adrian.
"Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" he asked.
"I can manage," she replied softly. "At least until the ambulance arrives."
She stepped closer.
The difference in their height was striking, her head barely reaching his chest.
Before Adrian could react, she wrapped her arms around him.
"Thank you, Adrian," she said quietly. "If you had not come when you did…"
"I did not come to save you," Adrian replied flatly. "I have no interest in saving the world. This was coincidence, nothing more."
Lana pulled back slightly, already accustomed to his coldness.
Still, there was a faint flicker of disappointment in her eyes.
She hesitated, then spoke again.
"In a week, I have an event to attend. Would you… come with me?"
"As your boyfriend?" Adrian asked directly.
Lana froze, caught off guard.
"No, I did not mean…"
Her voice faltered, even though the thought had crossed her mind.
"I am not interested," Adrian said calmly. "If I were you, I would focus on your injury."
In the distance, the sound of an ambulance siren grew louder.
Lana took a breath, steadying herself.
"No matter what, Adrian," she said softly, her gaze unwavering, "no matter what path you choose, even if you stand against the world… I will stand with you."