"Adrian, you?"
Jonathan stepped forward, flashlight in hand, ready to call out, but the beam illuminated the cellar and froze him in place. Solomon Grundy, zombified and hulking, loomed beneath them. The sheer unexpectedness of a monstrous presence hiding in his family's cellar struck Jonathan dumb.
Grundy didn't roar or flail, instead maintaining a disturbingly calm posture. The eerie stillness made the situation even more incomprehensible.
"Adrian, what is this?"
Regaining his composure, Jonathan suppressed the pounding of his heart and addressed his son.
From the cellar, Grundy, crouched in a submissive stance, glanced at Jonathan.
"I am Grundy!"
"Dad, don't come down!" Adrian extended a hand, signaling Jonathan to stay back. Although concerned for his son's safety, Jonathan hesitated, then obeyed.
"Adrian, be careful!" he warned, retreating.
Adrian's crimson eyes scanned the cellar. "Why were you hiding here?"
Grundy's low, stammered voice answered, fawning and awkward. "Grundy… has nowhere… feels comfortable… likes… stay here." His words tumbled out in halting repetitions.
"I said, if you follow me again, you'll die," Adrian's patience nearly snapped. "Now leave!"
Grundy, having felt the searing heat of Adrian's Heat Vision before, lowered his gaze and reluctantly rose, shuffling out step by step.
Jonathan, still at the doorway, prepared to check on the scene, but stopped as he saw Adrian leading the giant creature away.
"Adrian, you know him?"
The worry in Jonathan's chest eased slightly, replaced by curiosity. How could Adrian command such a being?
"I know him, but not well. I beat him once, and now he follows me," Adrian explained casually.
"You beat him?" Jonathan's brow rose. "Is he… human? That size, that skin… he doesn't look normal."
"He isn't," Adrian confirmed, walking to Grundy and extending a fist. "Understand this?"
Grundy blinked, confusion in his small eyes.
"If you linger here, you'll feel my fist again."
On a small country road, a car sped along, bouncing over the uneven terrain. Louise Lane gripped the wheel, frustration clear as she held a phone in one hand while sipping from a water bottle that was far from ordinary—it contained spicy brandy. She ignored any consequences of drunk driving; the roads were empty for miles.
"Road 31, left turn… I'm lost!" she muttered into the phone, exasperated.
Her colleague's voice droned, "Describe your surroundings—"
"Cornstalks. Endless cornstalks. If you've driven here, you'd understand!" Louise snapped before hanging up. She shook her head, cursing the day. Wilderness survival would have been easier than this aimless drive.
She reached for a cigarette but stopped. No. If I smoke now, I'll regret it tonight.
Suddenly, a sharp whistling tore through the air. She looked up to see a massive shadow hurtling toward her car.
"Oh my God!" she screamed, swerving violently. The car hit a roadside mound and slid down a slope, crashing through tree branches, glass cracking under the impacts.
Thump! Thump!
Louise braced herself, gripping the wheel, and the car finally halted against a pile of cornstalks. Her breath came in ragged gasps.
"Am I… saved?" she murmured, exhaling. "I swear, never again."
She pushed the door open, only to slam her foot down and wince in pain. Her ankle was swollen and red—sprained from braking hard. "Great… just great."
Her phone was ruined, lost somewhere in the crash. Louise forced herself to calm down, recalling last year's worse mishaps to steady her nerves. She limped uphill, mud clinging to her, until she reached the roadside.
A piercing whistling sounded again. She squinted at the sky. A figure descended rapidly, then hovered, emanating a dangerous aura that made her heart hammer.
No angel… a devil.
The figure landed lightly, crimson eyes glowing in the night. Adrian.
He glanced at the unconscious Grundy before shaking his head. Justice Society Headquarters. Otherwise, he'll be trouble.
The red glow faded from Adrian's eyes as he approached Louise, cold and imposing.
"Who are you?"
Startled, Louise swallowed. "I… I'm Louise Lane."
Adrian had noticed her injured ankle and had planned to leave, but her name made him pause.
Louise Lane… Clark's true love? His destined partner?
He nodded slightly. "You're hurt?"
"Evidently. This giant fell from the sky, nearly destroying my car. I had to swerve, and my ankle…" Louise explained, now smiling faintly. "Could you call an ambulance?"
"An ambulance? Unnecessary." Adrian stepped forward, lifting her effortlessly. "This isn't serious enough for that."