At first, faint sparks scattered across the movie screen — tiny points of flame flickering like fireflies. Then the heat grew, spreading rapidly until the entire projection burst into roaring fire.
Students screamed, pushing over chairs as panic swept through the room.
Clark froze, staring at the flames dancing across the white canvas. His pulse pounded in his ears. Did I… do that?
"Clark, we have to go!" Pete grabbed his arm, dragging him toward the exit.
"Alright, everyone, don't panic!" Ms. Aikins shouted, her voice commanding even in the chaos. "Leave your things! Move in an orderly line!"
Smoke curled up toward the ceiling. Amid the commotion, one figure at the back remained calm — Adrian.
He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing at the blazing screen. Then his gaze flicked toward Clark, who was stumbling out with Pete. A faint, knowing smile touched his lips.
So… his heat vision finally awakened.
---
Kent Farm, Later That Evening
The farmhouse kitchen was quiet except for the hum of the refrigerator. Jonathan Kent stood by the sink, arms crossed, watching his son.
"I think we need to have a talk, Clark."
Clark sat at the table, shoulders tense. "Dad, no one was hurt. Adrian put out the fire before it spread."
Jonathan's expression softened but only slightly. "That's not the point, son. We need to understand what happened. How did the fire start?"
Clark rubbed the back of his neck. "My eyes felt hot. Like they were burning from the inside. The next thing I knew, the screen caught fire. It was just… out of nowhere. The same thing Adrian can do."
Jonathan frowned. "Adrian could control his powers from the moment they appeared. You—"
"I know, Dad!" Clark snapped, his frustration boiling over. "I didn't mean for it to happen. I'm trying not to hurt anyone, but how am I supposed to control something I don't even understand?"
"Clark."
Martha stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "We're not blaming you. We just need to know what happened."
Adrian sat nearby, half-absorbed in a newspaper detailing Gotham's newest vigilante. He didn't look up until he spoke.
"Clark's hormones were triggered. That's why it happened."
Jonathan blinked. "Hormones?"
Adrian set the paper down. "Yeah. The new biology teacher — Ms. Aikins — showed a health-ed film. You can imagine the content."
Jonathan and Martha exchanged uneasy glances.
"A… sex-education film?" Jonathan cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, that certainly complicates things."
"It makes sense," Martha admitted, trying not to smile. "Strong emotional or biological reactions could trigger new abilities."
Clark groaned, running a hand through his hair. "So what, I'm an arsonist now?"
Jonathan chuckled softly. "No, son. You're not an arsonist. You're just learning. Every power you've gained needs control. Adrian went through the same thing — didn't you, son?"
He turned to Adrian. The elder brother met his gaze for a moment, unreadable, then sighed.
"Fine. I'll help him."
Martha exhaled in relief. "Thank you, Adrian." She turned to Clark. "You'll learn to control it, sweetheart. But for now, stay home until you can. Alright?"
Clark nodded reluctantly. "I understand."
He looked down at his hands — hands that could crush steel and now, apparently, start fires. He didn't want to hurt anyone. Not ever.
---
Behind the Barn
Later that afternoon, Clark followed Adrian out to the open field behind the Kent barn. The golden sky stretched wide above them, the faint scent of hay mixing with the wind.
Clark's mind drifted to Ms. Cassandra's prophecy — that haunting vision of the future.
He saw Adrian choking him, rage in his brother's eyes, the red beams flashing from his own. That graveyard scene felt too vivid to dismiss as fantasy. One by one, her predictions were coming true.
Was this really his destiny?
"Clark!"
Adrian's voice cut through his thoughts like a whip. Clark blinked, realizing he'd been standing still for several seconds.
"If you keep zoning out," Adrian said, folding his arms, "you'll be stuck here forever."
Clark nodded quickly. "Sorry. I won't lose focus again."
Adrian stepped closer, his blue eyes cool and assessing — like someone used to being obeyed. "Good. First, you learn control. On and off."
He walked toward the old cattle pen and jammed a broken scarecrow into the ground. "Target practice."
Clark frowned. "A scarecrow?"
"Everyone starts somewhere." Adrian's lips twitched faintly. "Now look at it. Focus. Picture something that makes you… uncomfortable."
Clark hesitated. "Like what?"
Adrian raised a brow. "I don't know. Ms. Aikins's legs? Her perfume?"
"Adrian!"
"Fine. Your first crush then."
Clark flushed red. "Can we not make this weird?"
Adrian smirked. "Suit yourself. Just do it."
Clark sighed, took a breath, and fixed his gaze on the scarecrow. His chest tightened as he whispered under his breath, "Lana…"
A thin red beam shot out from his eyes, slicing across the target. The straw ignited instantly.
Adrian watched, unimpressed. "Good. You can turn it on. Now learn to turn it off before you burn down the barn."
Half an hour later, Clark had scorched through three more targets, but by the end, he managed to control the burst — releasing heat in steady waves instead of explosions.
Adrian finally nodded. "Not terrible."
Clark wiped sweat from his brow. "That sounded almost like a compliment."
"Don't push it." Adrian turned away, his cape catching the evening light like a streak of crimson. "Phase two."
He set several glass milk bottles on the fence posts and folded his arms.
"Now use your heat vision to warm the milk — without cracking the bottles."
Clark blinked. "You've got to be kidding."
Adrian's lips curved slightly. "Do I look like I'm joking?"
Clark groaned. "Where do you even get these ideas?"
Adrian's gaze hardened — firm, commanding, yet oddly protective. "From experience."
Clark realized, staring at the line of milk bottles, that his brother had probably done this same exercise before — alone, under the same sunset.
For the first time, he felt something new toward Adrian. Not fear. Not resentment. Respect.
He took a deep breath, eyes glowing faintly red.
The training had only begun.
_____
The rate at which I get little to no power stones, lol💀
Well, if you want to at least read (60+ to 90+) chapters in advance.
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