"You seem a little anxious, Clark," Jonathan said, removing his dust goggles.
Clark hesitated, then replied, "I just think you and Mom should stay safe. Safety first. I can handle this work — I'm good at it."
"Clark…" Jonathan clicked off the noisy wood-cutting machine and looked to Martha. "The machine's just cutting wood — normal farm work. Seriously, Clark, what's wrong?"
Seeing Clark's frown and distant stare, Jonathan sensed something deeper was troubling his son.
Clark drew in a breath and sat atop a pile of grain in the barn. "I met an old woman at the nursing home. It sounds crazy, but she says she can see the future."
Martha's brows furrowed. "And what did she tell you?"
Clark's voice trembled. "She said something bad will happen to you two… and I'm afraid. I've seen glimpses of what's coming, but I don't fully understand them."
Jonathan frowned. "You can't be fooled by an old woman's half-baked predictions. She might just be trying to scare you."
Clark's eyes shone with conviction. "It's more than that — I've felt it elsewhere too. Pete says that Ms. Cassandra's predictions are unusually accurate."
Martha's voice remained calm but firm: "No one can truly see the future, Clark."
"What if she's right? I can't just stand by and do nothing while I sense danger coming."
Jonathan sighed and put his goggles back on. "No one can predict the future, Clark. And even if she could, she can't control it." He restarted the machine, and its grinding noises returned, piercing the tension in the barn. Clark's agitation deepened.
---
Out in the cornfield, Adrian raised his face to the open sky and shut his eyes. His Homelander Template – suppressed after his battle with Mr. Parody – had now reached eighty-five percent activation.
Not only had his strength and speed grown; Most vital, his flight had unlocked at last.
He knelt and placed his fists on the earth. With a forceful stomp he launched himself forward like a missile. The impact threw dirt in all directions. Using the recoil, he pushed off and ascended. He didn't fall back; instead he soared upward with smooth control.
Adrian felt wind rush past him as clouds rushed into view. The exhilaration of free flight awakened emotions he had held inside for years. He could not stifle it — he let out a shout of exultation.
Then, without warning, his acceleration faltered. He struck an invisible barrier. His body wavered and he lost control, plummeting downward in a tumbling descent.
Back at the farm, Jonathan and Martha emerged from the barn, having just finished their work. Their attention was drawn skyward by an alarming sight — a figure spinning downward at tremendous speed.
With a thunderous crash, the figure struck the windmill used to generate electricity. The structure, over ten meters tall, collapsed like a house of cards. Dust and debris erupted into the air.
Jonathan and Martha exchanged stunned looks and sprinted toward the wreckage.
Coughing, Adrian crawled out from the dusty wreck. He disorientedly saw his parents rushing to him. Jonathan caught sight of Adrian's head and raced forward to help him out.
"Dad, I… I broke the windmill," Adrian coughed out.
Jonathan knelt beside him, masking both surprise and relief. "It's not about that now — are you okay? Can you stand?"
Adrian twisted his neck; he'd landed face-first and felt soreness in his joints. "I… don't know. But I think I can fly — though I'm not in full control yet."
Martha's voice trembled softly. "You flew? You actually flew?"
Jonathan looked between his son and Martha. "Adrian… you flew?"
He put an arm around Adrian as they all rose. Adrian steadied himself. He took a deep breath, braced his legs, and launched horizontally a few meters above the ground. A shockwave from the rushing air violently sliced through the cornfield, flattening stalks in its wake. The gust spread outward in ripples, like waves over a green sea.
Then Adrian shifted his posture, emerging into an upward trajectory. His form streaked upward, dissolving into the clear blue.
Moments later came booming echoes — sonic booms rippling across the sky as Adrian broke the sound barrier. Conical clouds formed and dissipated in his wake.
Jonathan and Martha remained rooted to the spot, hearts pounding.
"He flew like a bird… our son," Martha whispered, her hand over her mouth.
Jonathan hugged her. "He's always been our son. Just like Clark, he carries our hopes. This… this is something more than we ever dared imagine."
Tears glistened in Martha's eyes. "I feel like he's drifting away from me… becoming something greater than myself."
Jonathan's voice softened. "Whatever path he walks, he's ours. And we'll always stand by him."
They watched the sky long after Adrian vanished from sight, the windmill's ruins at their feet a stark reminder of the power awakening within him.
---