After Clark destroyed the massive radar array at Blue Valley High School, he entered the Injustice Society's underground base alongside Courtney, who had already awakened as the new Star Spangled Kid, and the rest of the team.
The moment they stepped inside, everyone froze.
Bodies littered the corridors.
"This is…" Courtney swallowed hard, her face draining of color. She covered her mouth, staggered a few steps to the side, and vomited violently. The scene was far beyond what she had prepared herself for.
Pat, still inside the robot, looked down at one of the corpses. "That's Dragon King."
The body on the ground was dressed in the familiar Scarecrow‑like outfit. A massive slash cut across his chest, exposing internal organs that looked scorched and ruined.
Hourman crouched down and lifted the mask. Beneath it was a blood‑smeared Japanese face, frozen in pain.
"So Dragon King really was Japanese," Hourman said quietly. "This must be the real one."
Nearby, Wildcat stiffened as she spotted another body.
"This is… Principal Isaac."
The beloved principal of Blue Valley High School lay motionless, her chest pierced cleanly by a concentrated laser burn. Beside her rested a violin.
"Why is Principal Isaac here?" Wildcat asked, disbelief written all over her face.
Courtney wiped her mouth and followed her gaze. When she noticed the violin, she shook her head slowly. "I recognize that. It's the Fiddler's weapon."
"The Fiddler?" Courtney looked at Pat, stunned. "You mean our principal was part of the Injustice Society?"
"It appears so," Pat replied grimly. "She hid herself very well."
"Then who did all of this?" Doctor Mid‑Nite stepped forward, her voice tight.
Her boot came down on something hard.
Crack.
The sound echoed sharply through the corridor.
She looked down, and her breath caught.
"Aah!"
The others rushed over at once.
Frozen into the floor was Icicle's body, shattered arm scattered into broken ice fragments. His expression was locked in shock and pain.
"Icicle is dead?" Courtney whispered.
Clark stared at the corpse, his expression heavy and conflicted.
Has Adrian already been here?
"Who did this?" Courtney suddenly turned toward Clark, suspicion flashing in her eyes. "It was Adrian, wasn't it? Only he could leave damage like this."
"I don't know," Clark said quietly, shaking his head.
Before anyone could speak again, Courtney's phone buzzed.
She looked down, then answered, surprise turning into relief. "Mom?"
After a brief conversation, she hung up and turned back to the group, her eyes bright. "My mom's awake. Everyone in town is awake now."
She hurried over to Clark. "Thank you, Clark. If you hadn't destroyed the radar, Brainwave would still be controlling everyone."
"What about Brainwave?" Clark asked, scanning the base.
His X‑ray vision activated instinctively, searching through the walls.
At that moment, Adrian was already gone.
Brainwave, the man Clark was looking for, was unconscious and being carried through the sky by Adrian himself.
Adrian had already forced Brainwave to implant a dormant subconscious idea into the minds of everyone in Metropolis and Smallville. It would not activate immediately, but one day, under the right conditions, it would surface.
Brainwave still had value, so Adrian had no intention of killing him yet. Without the giant radar amplifier and specialized equipment, Brainwave could not control anyone directly. Locking him away with the Justice Society would be sufficient.
As Adrian flew, he sensed a familiar energy signature approaching.
He frowned and descended slowly, landing on open ground.
A green light flared as Green Lantern appeared first, surrounded by glowing emerald energy. Supergirl Kara followed, touching down lightly beside him. Wonder Woman emerged next, along with a dark‑haired woman in black stockings whose presence radiated arcane power.
"Adrian, we meet again," Kara said with a grin. "You've been busy. If I went looking for you in Smallville, I doubt I'd find you."
"Then you'd be mistaken," Adrian replied calmly. "I barely leave home."
He tightened his grip on Brainwave, already alert.
Zatanna studied him closely, unease stirring in her chest. "Is that Adrian Kent?" she asked Wonder Woman.
"Yes," Wonder Woman answered, her eyes never leaving him. "The creature born from your magical backlash has a deep connection to him."
Zatanna frowned. "What does that mean?"
"That creature resembles the monsters from Adrian Kent's writings almost perfectly," Wonder Woman said. "I don't believe that is a coincidence. And considering what happened in Metropolis, I doubt Adrian is uninvolved."
Zatanna's gaze sharpened as she sensed the dangerous psychic presence of the man Adrian was holding.
"Adrian," Kara asked bluntly, "was the Metropolis incident your doing?"
"I find superhuman activity interesting," Adrian replied flatly, "but I dislike attention. So no, Kara, this wasn't me."
"Then who's that?" Kara nodded at Brainwave.
"Him?" Adrian glanced down. "Brainwave. Injustice Society member. He caused all of this. If that's why you're here, take him."
The group exchanged looks, surprised by how easily the answer had been handed to them.
Wonder Woman stepped closer, distrust clear in her eyes. "You're certain?"
"Completely," Adrian replied. "He's unconscious. Take him."
Still wary, but confident in their numbers, they moved forward.
Adrian lifted Brainwave by the collar and passed him toward Wonder Woman.
Crunch.
A sharp sound echoed.
Brainwave's head snapped sideways, his neck broken instantly. He died without ever waking up.
Wonder Woman recoiled, fury igniting in her eyes.
"Oh, sorry," Adrian said mildly. "My hand slipped. Been sweaty lately."
He casually handed her the corpse. "Still, I'm sure someone like you can get useful information, even from a dead body."
Wonder Woman snarled.
Her sword appeared in a flash, and she lunged without hesitation, intent on killing him.
Adrian had already stepped back.
Steel met air as Wonder Woman slashed again, forcing him to retreat. Heat Vision flared from Adrian's eyes, aimed straight at her chest.
She crossed her silver bracelets just in time.
The beam deflected violently, tearing through her cape and scorching the ground behind her.
Zatanna stared, shock flooding her expression.
That laser.
The memory hit her instantly, her father's burned back, the same kind of energy.
Her eyes locked onto Adrian.
The masked figure she had seen through the portal and the man before her began to overlap in her mind.
Is it him?
Her hands twitched, ready to cast a spell, but she forced herself to stop.
Not yet.
If she was wrong, acting now would cost her everything.
But if she was right…
She would make him suffer.
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