"A dream?"
Adrian set the carton of milk down on the counter and looked at Rachel. "What kind of dream?"
His thoughts briefly drifted to the strange dream he had experienced the night before. Was Rachel referring to something similar?
"No."
Rachel hesitated before continuing. "I, I don't really remember it."
As though worried Adrian might doubt her, she quickly added, "That's normal, right? People forget dreams after waking up."
Lowering her voice, she continued, "I forgot most of it almost immediately. I only remember bits and pieces. It felt like something was chasing me, some kind of monster. I don't know where it came from, and I can't remember what happened after that."
Her explanation was vague and uncertain.
Because of her obvious nervousness, her eyes constantly shifted away from Adrian instead of meeting his gaze directly.
"I see."
Adrian gave a small nod.
He chose not to press further because Clark had already started walking downstairs.
Clark appeared to be in unusually high spirits. After sleeping in his own bed for the first time in a long while, he had rested better than expected.
"Clark?"
Martha's voice trembled with disbelief.
She had appeared behind him without anyone noticing. The stack of papers in her hands slipped free and scattered across the floor with a sharp rustling sound.
Martha covered her mouth as she struggled to contain her emotions, but tears still escaped her eyes.
Her son had finally come home.
For a moment, the scene before her felt unreal, like something she might wake up from at any second.
"Clark... is it really you?"
Unable to hold herself back any longer, Martha hurried forward and wrapped her arms tightly around him.
She clung to him as though afraid he would disappear if she loosened her grip even slightly.
In the Kent family, Martha loved every member of the household deeply. Whether it was Clark, Adrian, or Rachel, she gave each of them everything she could.
Still, even she probably never realized that she favored Clark slightly.
Just as Jonathan tended to favor Adrian.
Now, finally holding the son she had not seen in so long, her emotions overflowed completely.
Clark stiffened at first, clearly overwhelmed by the intensity of her reaction.
He did not know how to respond.
At the same time, guilt rose inside him.
His mother must have suffered terribly while he was gone.
Pain flickered across his expression as he gently held her shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Mom. I... I shouldn't have left like that. I just wanted to..."
He wanted to explain that he had been trying to escape his confusion, but the words refused to leave his throat.
"I know, Clark. I know."
Martha finally loosened her embrace and looked up at him with moist eyes.
"You're exactly like your father. Whenever something becomes unbearable, you try to carry everything alone."
She gently touched his face.
"But this isn't all your burden to bear."
Her voice remained soft and steady.
"Sometimes you need to remember that we're a family. You don't have to run away from your problems. We can face them together."
"As long as we stay together, we'll get through anything."
Clark slowly nodded.
"I understand, Mom."
Seeing the expression on his face, Martha finally relaxed. For the first time in a long while, she felt certain he would not disappear again.
Smiling through lingering tears, she took his hand and guided him downstairs.
"I'll make breakfast."
Her excitement was impossible to hide.
"How about beef and potatoes? And I'll make those Mexican cookies you like, Clark. The sweet ones."
Clark smiled warmly.
"I'd love that, Mom."
Once Martha disappeared into the kitchen, Adrian glanced at Clark and casually asked, "Have you been eating a lot of sugar lately?"
Clark blinked. "Uh... yeah, actually. How did you know?"
"It's obvious," Adrian replied dryly. "You've gotten noticeably stronger. Also heavier."
Clark froze.
He instinctively looked down at himself.
His frame was broader than before, his chest more muscular, and his arms thicker. Still, hearing Adrian describe him as "heavier" clearly wounded his pride.
He turned toward Rachel as if hoping she would defend him.
Instead, she nodded honestly.
"You do look a little bigger than before, Clark."
Clark's shoulders immediately sank.
He was not overly vain, but he still cared about his appearance enough to dislike hearing he had gained weight.
Trying to escape the conversation, he quickly changed the subject.
"What are you planning to do about the Green Lantern Corps and Hal Jordan?"
Adrian leaned back slightly.
"The Green Lantern Corps is finished. As for Hal, that can wait."
His tone remained dismissive.
"The destruction of Coast City was only the beginning, Clark."
His expression gradually darkened.
"He merely revealed the opening act. The war itself never ends."
Clark frowned. "What war?"
"The war against everyone who hides behind righteousness."
Clark's face hardened.
"You've already killed a lot of people. The Green Lantern Corps, Guy Gardner..."
His voice became heavier with concern.
"If this keeps going, even more people are going to die because of you, Adrian."
"You're mistaken about one thing."
A trace of contempt appeared in Adrian's eyes.
"I was never the aggressor."
His gaze turned cold.
"I've always been the victim."
Clark fell silent.
Noon arrived.
The National Guard, Coast Guard, and countless rescue teams had fully entered Coast City.
Survivors trapped beneath rubble were steadily being pulled from the wreckage, while dangerous sections of the city underwent extensive searches.
Meanwhile, reporters from across the country flooded into the disaster zone.
Because the nuclear detonation had occurred high above the city, radiation levels on the ground remained relatively low. Most of the destruction had come from the shockwave itself.
What exactly happened during the battle had already become the subject of endless speculation.
Everyone wanted answers.
How had Adrian stopped the invasion?
What role had the Green Lantern Corps played?
Why had Coast City become a battlefield?
Television networks switched to nonstop coverage.
For anyone who had ignored the news the previous day, waking up now felt like stepping into another world entirely. Every channel was filled with discussions about Homelander and Coast City.
After the previous invasion led by Kalibak, Adrian had once again become the center of a world-shaking event.
With so many survivors escaping the city alive, rumors spread rapidly.
"The truth behind the Coast City disaster, Canada and Greenland may have been involved!"
"President Homelander reportedly fought Green Lantern high above Coast City!"
"Eyewitnesses claim numerous superpowered individuals assisted rescue operations under President Homelander's command!"
"Superman was also reportedly seen fighting alongside Homelander against extraterrestrial invaders!"
The flood of conflicting reports made it nearly impossible to separate truth from fiction.
At the same time, Lois and Chloe arrived in Coast City on assignment for the Daily Planet.
"He really never stops, does he?"
Lois wore a pale yellow wool coat, her long hair falling loosely over her shoulders.
Beside her, Chloe was dressed more casually in a baseball jacket and gray scarf. The cold air left the tip of her nose slightly red.
"At least a million people died in this disaster," Lois said quietly as she stared at the ruined skyline. "And over a million more lost their homes."
Pain flickered through her expression.
"There are no winners here."
Then anger replaced the sadness in her eyes.
"That bastard Adrian could have stopped this if he really wanted to."
"Lois, that's not fair."
Chloe immediately disagreed.
Ever since Adrian had rescued her from the bar and spoken honestly with her, she had started to understand him more clearly.
She could not completely blame him anymore.
"The people responsible are the ones who launched the nuclear strike, not Adrian."
"I know."
Lois sighed heavily.
"I know what I'm saying isn't reasonable."
She looked away toward the wreckage.
"But maybe that's the problem. I expect him to fix everything. I expect him to always save everyone."
Her voice became quieter.
"And now I'm realizing he can't."
Chloe's expression dimmed.
She understood exactly what Lois meant.
Lois had placed too much faith in Adrian's power, enough that reality itself now felt difficult to accept.
"What was I even expecting?" Lois muttered bitterly. "He's still an asshole."
Before Chloe could respond, they noticed a large crowd of reporters rushing toward a nearby gathering.
The two immediately followed.
As reporters themselves, neither of them could ignore a developing story.
When they arrived, they discovered the center of attention was another journalist.
Robert.
The self-proclaimed eyewitness who insisted he had personally fought beside Homelander.
"Listen, everyone, I'm a reporter too, so naturally I can't reveal everything," Robert boasted loudly. "But I practically fought alongside Homelander himself. I even took pictures. If you want the full story, follow my Twitter. I might even write a memoir about all this."
Lois and Chloe exchanged skeptical looks.
Neither of them believed a word coming out of his mouth.
Even so, the media frenzy around him only intensified.
Robert's popularity exploded almost overnight.
As someone claiming direct involvement alongside Homelander, he instantly became a sensation.
The public's admiration for their president had reached unprecedented heights.
After witnessing the events over Coast City, many Americans viewed Adrian as something beyond human.
When despair had consumed the city and the heavens turned green with destructive light, that streak of black lightning cutting through the sky had become a symbol of hope itself.
Millions watched it happen live online.
For countless people, it felt unreal, like something from mythology.
Robert continued speaking excitedly.
"Mr. Homelander saved everyone. I witnessed it myself. You have no idea what that means. This victory belongs to all of us!"
In the middle of his dramatic speech, a beautiful woman passed nearby.
Robert instantly turned toward her.
"Hey there, how are you?"
The woman lowered her head shyly and softly replied, "Hi."
A nearby reporter quickly interrupted.
"Mr. Robert, did you actually see Homelander?"
"Of course he didn't."
A cold voice suddenly cut through the crowd.
Everyone turned toward the speaker.
Amanda Waller approached with a squad of enhanced soldiers behind her.
"No one is authorized to spread misinformation regarding this incident without federal approval."
Her tone was sharp and commanding.
"Take him."
The soldiers immediately grabbed Robert despite his loud protests.
The surrounding reporters stared in shock.
Amanda prepared to leave, but Lois quickly stepped forward.
"Ms. Waller, wait a moment."
Amanda stopped and looked toward Lois and Chloe.
"Miss Lane. Miss Sullivan. What is it?"
"If this is about last night, I have no comment," Amanda stated coldly. "And if you're asking me to release that idiot, the answer is no."
"I'm telling the truth! I have exclusive photos!" Robert shouted desperately.
"Quiet."
Amanda's voice cracked like a whip.
One of the soldiers immediately restrained him so forcefully that Robert could only produce muffled noises afterward.
The mention of photos immediately caught Lois's attention, though she hid her reaction well.
She smiled politely.
"I only wanted to ask if you know where Adrian is."
Amanda's expression remained unreadable.
"No. Frankly, you two probably know him better than I do."
With that, she turned and walked away with Robert in custody.
Chloe glanced sideways at Lois.
"What are you thinking about now?"
Lois snorted.
"Do you seriously think I spend all my time scheming?"
Then she muttered under her breath, "I'm just considering a potentially huge story."
Meanwhile, in Gotham City, Batman watched the Coast City coverage through the display built into his wrist device.
Once Robert's embarrassing interview ended, he shut the feed off.
Then he slowly surveyed his surroundings again.
He stood inside one of Gotham's narrow alleys.
Even beneath clear daylight, darkness still clung stubbornly to the filthy passage.
The smell of garbage mixed with rainwater and rotting brick, creating a suffocating stench.
Not far behind him, beside a rusted chain-link fence, an elderly homeless man sat on the ground clutching a bottle of cheap liquor.
His beard was tangled and gray.
A newspaper rested beneath him, though it was impossible to tell whether he was reading it or simply staring into space.
Batman remained silent for a moment before speaking quietly.
"Zatanna, are you certain he'll come?"
Zatanna's voice came through the communicator in his ear.
"He'll come. Though honestly, he's never been particularly reliable."
Her tone shifted with concern.
"I'm more worried about you, Bruce. You still haven't fully recovered. Are you sure you should be out there already?"
"I'm fine," Bruce replied flatly.
"Don't underestimate me."