The history teacher froze the moment Adrian stepped into the classroom.
It was not the kind of surprise that came from a normal visitor. It was the kind that made the air feel heavier, like the entire room had suddenly become aware of who was standing in it.
She blinked several times, as if trying to confirm what she was seeing.
She could not understand why someone of his status, the President himself, would appear in a place like this.
"May I come in?" Adrian asked, his voice steady, controlled, and carrying enough authority that it did not feel like a request so much as a formality.
The teacher quickly snapped out of her shock.
"Ah, of course, please come in," she said, stepping aside immediately.
As Adrian entered, the entire classroom remained silent, every student watching him carefully.
The teacher, despite her professionalism, could not hide her admiration. She was one of his supporters, someone who genuinely believed in his leadership and had even participated in community efforts tied to his public campaigns. While many criticized him, calling him authoritarian or worse, she believed those labels were born from misunderstanding. To her, he represented order in a world that had lost too much of it.
Adrian scanned the room once, then spoke.
"Billy Batson, I need a word with you."
The moment the name left his mouth, the entire class reacted.
Billy Batson, the quiet student who barely stood out in class discussions, suddenly became the center of attention.
Even the teacher looked surprised.
"Ms. Mooney, would you mind if I spoke with Billy outside?" Adrian asked.
"Of course not," Ms. Mooney replied quickly, still trying to process the situation.
"Billy, please go ahead," she added, then hesitated before continuing, "The President would like to speak with you."
Billy stood up slowly, his expression mixed with confusion and disbelief. He adjusted his jacket and walked forward under the gaze of every student in the room.
He had not expected his secret identity to be disrupted so casually. Even though part of him enjoyed the attention, another part of him understood how complicated this suddenly became.
Adrian turned toward the door, preparing to leave with him.
Before they could exit, Ms. Mooney spoke again.
"Mr. President, would you like to say something to the class before you go?"
Her tone carried both respect and hope. It was clear she wanted something meaningful for her students, something they could remember.
Adrian paused briefly, then turned back toward the classroom.
"My only advice," he said, "is to make good choices."
It was simple, direct, and carried no unnecessary flourish.
Then, before anyone could fully react, he placed a hand on Billy's shoulder.
A surge of force lifted Billy cleanly off the ground.
The classroom erupted in shock as Adrian moved toward the window and stepped out into open air, carrying Billy effortlessly with him.
Outside, the wind hit Billy immediately, forcing him to tense up as they rose above Smallville.
"Are you serious right now, Homelander?" Billy asked, trying to stabilize his breathing as they gained altitude.
From below, students rushed toward the windows, shouting in disbelief. Some were excited, others stunned, and a few looked completely overwhelmed.
"I want to fly like that too," one student blurted out, watching them disappear into the sky.
Another student leaned forward, eyes wide. "So he actually knows Homelander. I am definitely asking him everything when he gets back."
A third student crossed his arms. "He's been hiding this the whole time. No way I'm letting him keep that to himself."
Billy heard all of it faintly as the school shrank beneath them.
Adrian continued forward without looking back.
"You are not focusing," Adrian said.
"I was doing algebra in my head, honestly," Billy replied. "History class is not exactly my thing. Ms. Mooney's lectures go on forever, I always zone out."
He glanced back at the school, watching it disappear behind them.
"This is going to be hard to explain later. Everyone is going to ask questions."
Adrian replied, "Then you will explain it."
Billy shrugged midair. "I don't mind attention, I just did not expect it to come like this."
Adrian looked at him briefly. "If you do not want this kind of attention, I can adjust how you are involved going forward."
Billy shook his head quickly. "It is not that I hate it, I just did not prepare for being known like this at school."
Adrian did not respond immediately, continuing their flight toward Metropolis.
"The Justice Society has detected multiple fast moving objects entering Earth's atmosphere," Adrian said. "We are preparing for contact. You are late, as usual, and difficult to locate."
Billy grinned slightly. "That sounds like you still need me then."
"In certain situations, yes," Adrian answered.
Billy sighed. "Last time you handled that alien gorilla situation without me, I thought you had stopped calling."
"You were not required," Adrian said plainly.
"That is what you always say," Billy muttered.
He then changed tone. "Is this something dangerous again? Like aliens?"
"In a sense," Adrian replied. "Green Lantern Corps units."
Billy frowned. "Green Lanterns? Aren't those your people?"
"Hal Jordan is one of them," Adrian said. "But not all of them agree with him."
They continued forward until the skyline of Smallville disappeared entirely.
Billy adjusted his position slightly in the air. "So what exactly are they trying to do?"
"They are coming for me," Adrian replied.
Billy blinked. "That is not a small detail."
"It is not meant to be," Adrian said.
Billy exhaled. "I just hope this does not take all day. I have homework, and Ms. Mooney will definitely call my foster home if I disappear too long."
Adrian did not respond to that concern.
Billy glanced at him. "How many of them are coming?"
"A large number," Adrian said.
Billy frowned. "And their goal is?"
Adrian answered simply, "Me."
Billy exhaled again. "That is never a good answer."
Meanwhile, in Metropolis, Betty and Hanna stood inside a mall surrounded by displays of collectible figures.
Betty looked tired. "I cannot believe you dragged me into this."
Hanna held onto her hand while scanning the shelves. "It is just a birthday gift. That should not be hard for you."
"He literally said he does not care about birthdays," Betty replied.
Hanna hesitated slightly, then said, "I just think it would be strange if no one marked it at all."
Betty studied her expression. "You are not just talking about gifts."
Hanna avoided her gaze slightly.
Betty sighed. "You are overthinking it. Adrian is not the type who gets overlooked."
Hanna looked toward a display shelf. "He said something before, that human women are not really visually appealing to him because of his perception. That only someone like Wonder Woman would be on his level."
Betty frowned immediately. "That is not something you should take seriously. And you are not competing with Wonder Woman."
Hanna gave a small, uneasy laugh. "Still, it makes it difficult not to compare."
Betty pointed toward a nearby shelf. "Then stop comparing and focus."
She gestured toward a display of superhero models.
"There. That is Superman," Betty said. "Clark Kent's public identity. If they have him, they might have others too."
Hanna followed her gaze.
Betty then turned to the shop counter. "Do you have a Homelander model?"
The shop owner hesitated. "We do not currently have official authorization for that figure."
Hanna's expression dropped slightly.
Betty quickly leaned in. "Are you absolutely sure? We are long time fans. It would mean a lot."
The owner looked between them, then sighed. "Wait here."
He moved to the back and returned with a boxed figure.
"This is a special edition, Battle Damaged Homelander," he said quietly.
Betty and Hanna both looked at it with surprise.