"No one needs your gratitude, Lex," Adrian said coldly as he released Lex's hand.
"You always take every emotion to the extreme. Even something as simple as gratitude becomes twisted when you interpret it that way."
Lex struggled to steady his breathing. His chest rose and fell as he looked up at Adrian and shook his head.
"No. At least our friendship won't become something extreme."
"That depends on what kind of life you choose from now on," Adrian replied calmly. "And on how your emotions change in the future."
Adrian turned away from Lex and looked toward Betty, who was still lying on the ground while clutching her chest.
The soul controlling Betty's body stared at Adrian with a mixture of shock and uncertainty.
She had not expected the man standing in front of her to possess such overwhelming strength.
After her death, her spirit had been sealed inside a wall. The only reason she had gained the ability to possess other people was the bracelet on her wrist, which contained green kryptonite.
The bracelet gave her two unnatural abilities.
First, it allowed her soul to possess living bodies.
Second, it granted enhanced strength and speed.
She had assumed ordinary humans would be helpless against her.
Yet Adrian Kent had defeated her effortlessly.
"You are not Betty," Adrian said with a frown. His eyes studied her carefully. "So who exactly are you?"
"I..."
Betty inhaled deeply before speaking again.
"I am Betty. Adrian Kent, I am a member of your fan club. I came here to help you get revenge. Revenge against Lex Luthor."
She pointed at Lex, who was still catching his breath.
"He caused your father to have a heart attack. If you refuse to punish him, then we will do it for you."
As she spoke, she glanced at Hanna and the others.
"This decision was made by the entire fan club. It wasn't just me."
Hanna immediately tensed under Betty's intense gaze.
At this moment she deeply regretted agreeing to the plan.
"But you are the key to everything, aren't you?" Adrian said.
He walked slowly toward Betty and looked down at her.
"Without you..."
His eyes briefly moved toward Hanna and the other girls, who were trembling with fear.
"They are nothing more than a group of frightened amateurs."
Adrian's gaze returned to Betty.
"I can see something strange in your eyes. Something deeper. Something that does not belong in this world."
He bent down and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her from the floor.
"Tell me who you really are."
Betty struggled as Adrian tightened his grip.
Her breathing became increasingly difficult.
Before losing consciousness she forced out several words.
"Then you should ask Lex Luthor first... if you want to learn more secrets."
Adrian nodded slightly.
"You may be right."
His grip tightened further.
"But right now, I am more interested in you."
Betty made a muffled sound.
Suddenly she kicked toward Adrian, hoping to catch him off guard.
The attack failed completely.
Adrian blocked it effortlessly.
A loud impact echoed through the room.
Betty crashed violently onto the floor, this time much harder than before. Blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.
In the next moment Adrian moved again.
He grabbed her clothes and dragged her toward the window.
Glass shattered as he threw her outside.
The sound of breaking glass echoed across the grounds of Luthor Manor.
Betty's body flew through the air.
Fear filled her eyes.
Before she could react, a beam of golden light shot toward her.
The energy blast from the Star Scepter struck her body directly.
The explosion slammed her into the ground below.
The soul occupying Betty's body instantly disintegrated from the impact.
Unlike Lana Lang, whose soul had once received protection from the mysterious Three Goddesses, this spirit had no such blessing.
Her power came only from green kryptonite.
When faced with the concentrated energy of the Star Scepter, her spirit shattered completely.
Betty's physical body landed on the ground outside the manor, blood spreading across the grass.
She was still alive.
Barely.
Inside the room, Hanna and the others watched the scene in frozen terror.
None of them dared to breathe.
Adrian glanced out the broken window. Seeing that Betty was severely injured but still alive, he turned his attention back to the group.
"Take her to the hospital immediately," he said coldly.
"If you move quickly, she might survive."
His eyes hardened.
"And if you ever attempt something like this again, you should pray your luck is better than it was tonight."
Adrian had no intention of killing these fan club members.
Although their behavior was reckless and foolish, they still had some value.
After witnessing Adrian defeat Betty so effortlessly, the girls felt a mixture of fear and excitement.
Betty had previously dominated Lex with ease, yet Adrian had ended the fight within seconds.
To them, their idol had just revealed an almost divine level of power.
Kogeta, the girl wearing the owl mask, trembled with excitement.
Her eyes shone intensely behind the mask.
If so many people were not present, she might have rushed toward him immediately.
This kind of overwhelming strength had to be the mysterious power Adrian once described in his Cthulhu themed stories.
Could it be possible?
Was Adrian himself some unknown cosmic being?
A powerful intelligence from beyond Earth, destined to rule humanity and make the entire world kneel before him?
The thought filled Kogeta with overwhelming excitement.
Even after the assassination attempt failed, her admiration for Adrian only grew stronger.
Meanwhile, Lex watched as the girls hurriedly left the room.
Although he felt slightly dissatisfied about letting them go so easily, he did not stop them.
After all, Adrian had just saved his life.
At this moment his feelings toward Adrian were filled mainly with gratitude.
"You understand, don't you?" Adrian asked.
Lex looked up.
"No. Actually... I understand very well."
He exhaled slowly.
"I have dealt with obsessive supporters before. When I was campaigning, I encountered one woman who was completely unhinged. She was blind in her devotion, and completely irrational."
Lex briefly remembered the incident when that woman had tried to smash his skull.
"There are some things we simply cannot control," Lex continued. "Those girls are not you, Adrian. I can separate the two."
He took another deep breath.
"And I still have to thank you. You saved my life again."
Adrian interrupted him immediately.
"Don't speak like that, Lex. You sound like a man preparing something."
Adrian's sharp eyes locked onto him.
"Ares Project. The underground labyrinth."
"What exactly is that?"
Lex had anticipated this question.
His answer was ready.
"It's nothing unusual," Lex said calmly. "Just a large scale dam project. A major development planned for the Smallville region."
"Is that so?"
Adrian did not expose the lie directly.
Instead, he turned and walked toward the door.
"For now, I will assume that is the truth."
He paused briefly before leaving.
"But remember this, Lex. A lie is like a piece of driftwood. Eventually it washes ashore."
Lex stood silently as Adrian left the room.
His hand pressed against his chest.
His expression was complicated.
---
Kent Farm, Later That Night
Inside the loft of the Kent barn, Clark Kent stood near the window and looked at the moon.
This small upper level of the barn was his personal space, often called his secret fortress.
Moonlight streamed through the windows and illuminated the wooden floor. The silver glow created a calm and peaceful atmosphere.
Clark closed his eyes briefly, letting the quiet night ease his troubled thoughts.
"You don't look like you're in a good mood tonight, Clark."
A familiar voice suddenly spoke behind him.
Clark turned around.
Alicia Baker stood near the staircase.
Her long blonde hair shimmered in the moonlight. She wore a soft yellow cardigan and carried a small handbag.
She smiled gently at him.
"Alicia."
Clark's face showed clear surprise.
He had not expected her to appear at the farm so late at night.
"Surprised?" Alicia said with a small smile. "Honestly, I'm surprised too."
She bit her lower lip nervously.
"I realized something tonight. Leaving without saying goodbye doesn't feel like something I should do."
She stepped further into the barn while looking up at Clark.
"There are many things I haven't told you. I've always been afraid that you would learn the truth."
Her expression became more serious.
"But tonight I decided something. While I still have the courage, I want to tell you everything."
Clark felt warmth fill his chest.
"Alicia..."
He looked at her with genuine affection.
"I have secrets too. Things I've never told anyone. I want to share them with you as well."
Just as Clark finished speaking, another figure entered the barn.
"Your emotional moment is very touching," the man said calmly.
"But the timing is unfortunate."
Clark immediately turned toward the stranger.
"Who are you?"
His voice carried clear caution.
He had no idea why this man had entered the Kent family's barn.
Beside him, Alicia suddenly stiffened.
She recognized the man immediately.
He was the same man who had confronted her earlier at the ice skating rink.
She knew instantly that his presence here meant trouble.
"Me?" the man said with a faint smile.
"I'm simply here to share some information."
He pointed toward Alicia.
"Information about the girl standing next to you."
Clark frowned but said nothing.
The man continued speaking.
"Alicia Baker. Former psychiatric patient. She has a documented history of violent assault and severe injury."
"The doctors who treated her recommended that she wear a bracelet to suppress her abilities. Without it, her mental state could become unstable again."
His voice grew colder.
"If that happens, she would be sent back to the psychiatric hospital for much more aggressive treatment."
He looked directly at Clark.
"She can never return to a normal life."
The man's expression became harsh.
"Love is not meant for someone like her."
"A freak like her will only drag you down."
Suddenly the man pulled out a handgun.
He aimed it directly at Clark.
"Don't hate me, farm boy," he said coldly.
"If you die, she will finally accept her fate."
"I think your death is a fair price."
===
If you want to read more, check out my patreon.
Patreon.com/ _Zeph