When Clark finished recounting the dream he had seen, Adrian's eyebrows twitched slightly.
For a moment, a quiet thought crossed his mind. Clark's description sounded strangely similar to the future Adrian had glimpsed during Ms. Nancy's tarot reading. Whether it was coincidence or something deeper, he could not immediately tell.
Adrian looked at Clark, who still stood before Alicia's grave.
"If one day I became an enemy of the world, Clark," Adrian said calmly, "what would you do?"
Clark did not answer immediately.
His gaze remained fixed on the smiling photograph carved into Alicia's tombstone.
"I don't know," Clark finally said quietly.
The words sounded heavy, weighed down by grief.
"If I had never understood what it meant to lose someone before, now I do."
His eyes slowly grew distant, unfocused.
"It turns out some pain is strong enough to break a person. Strong enough to make them unable to stand back up."
The sky above them darkened further.
Heavy storm clouds rolled across the horizon, swallowing what little sunlight remained. The air thickened as the wind carried the smell of rain.
At first, a few small drops fell.
Then more.
Within seconds, the rain intensified, turning into a steady downpour.
The rushing sound of rain quickly swallowed the quiet cemetery.
Adrian watched as Clark slowly crouched beside the tombstone, gently touching the stone surface as if it were the girl's face.
There was nothing Adrian could say.
Comfort would not reach Clark.
Logic would not reach him either.
What Clark needed now was time, and solitude.
Without another word, Adrian turned and began walking down the gravel path that led out of the cemetery.
The rain grew heavier.
Soon the entire world seemed wrapped in a curtain of water.
Raindrops struck the ground violently, splashing mud across Adrian's boots and trousers. The earth beneath his feet turned soft and slippery.
He did not bother to shield himself.
The rain soaked through his black trench coat as he continued forward without slowing.
When he reached the cemetery gate, he noticed someone standing outside.
A girl dressed in black held an umbrella.
Lana Lang.
She stood quietly beneath the umbrella, her expression calm but distant.
When she saw Adrian emerge from the cemetery, she stepped forward immediately and raised the umbrella above him, shielding him from the worst of the rain.
Earlier, she had encountered Adrian on the road while heading to the cemetery, and the two had arrived together.
"Clark is still inside, isn't he?" Lana asked softly.
"Yes," Adrian replied.
Lana lowered her eyes as rainwater splashed around her shoes.
"I hope he can overcome this soon."
Her voice was gentle, almost fragile.
Adrian looked at her.
"Why didn't you go in?"
Lana hesitated for a moment before answering.
"My parents are buried here too," she said quietly.
She glanced toward the rows of graves beyond the gate.
"Unless I truly have something important to say to them, I usually avoid coming here."
Her voice remained calm, though sadness lingered beneath it.
"The past and death are things that have already ended. The people who loved me would want me to continue moving forward."
Adrian studied her expression.
"So you fear death?"
Lana shook her head and gave a small smile.
"No."
"If my death could bring warmth to someone instead of pain or anger, then I would accept it."
Adrian looked at her for a moment before nodding slightly.
"I see."
He turned and glanced back toward the cemetery. In the distance, Clark remained kneeling beside Alicia's grave, unmoving despite the rain soaking through his clothes.
"Let's go," Adrian said quietly.
Night.
Metropolis.
Neon lights flickered above the entrance of a crowded bar.
Adrian stood outside the building, staring up at the glowing sign as it flashed against the dark city sky.
Metropolis never truly slept.
Even late at night, the streets buzzed with noise, traffic, and the restless energy of a city too large to slow down.
Adrian pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Instantly, loud music and drunken laughter crashed into him like a wave.
The bar was packed.
Colored lights flashed across the dance floor where men and women moved wildly to the pounding rhythm of the music. Alcohol and sweat filled the air.
Adrian still wore the same black trench coat from earlier that day.
His presence felt strangely cold within the heated chaos of the club.
Ignoring the dancing crowd, he walked directly toward the bar counter.
He sat down and placed a single dollar bill on the counter, sliding it toward the bartender.
The bartender had been polishing a glass.
When he saw the face of Benjamin Franklin printed on the bill, a small gleam appeared in his eyes as he casually pocketed it.
"What can I get you, kid?" the bartender asked.
"Whiskey," Adrian replied calmly. "The strongest kind you have."
The bartender glanced at Adrian's youthful appearance but said nothing.
"Alright. Give me a moment."
"No need."
Adrian shook his head.
In the next instant, a glass of whiskey appeared in his hand.
The bartender froze.
"What the..."
Shock spread across his face.
He had not seen Adrian pour a drink or reach behind the counter.
The glass had simply appeared.
A large question formed in the bartender's mind.
Adrian took a slow sip.
"If I answer your question," Adrian said calmly, "you answer one of mine."
The bartender hesitated, curiosity now overpowering caution.
"What do you want to know?"
"Where is Ashley Gaines?"
The moment the name left Adrian's mouth, the bartender's expression changed completely.
"You..."
Ashley Gaines was not just anyone.
He was the leader of the Blood Gang and the true owner of this bar.
The bartender had not expected this quiet young man to speak the name so casually.
As panic crept into his face, he moved slightly, preparing to call for help.
He never got the chance.
A powerful invisible force slammed into his chest.
The bartender gasped as the air left his lungs and his body flew backward.
Crash!
He smashed violently into the liquor cabinet behind him. Bottles shattered and alcohol spilled across the floor.
The noise instantly drew attention.
Several bouncers rushed toward Adrian from the far side of the bar.
They barely took two steps before twin beams of crimson light erupted from Adrian's eyes.
Heat Vision.
The beams pierced through their chests like molten blades.
Blood sprayed across the walls as their bodies were hurled backward.
They collapsed lifelessly onto the floor.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The sounds of bodies hitting the ground, glass breaking, and people screaming filled the bar.
Panic spread instantly.
Customers who had been drinking and dancing seconds earlier now fled toward the exits in blind terror.
What had been a lively club turned into a slaughterhouse within moments.
Men and women shoved past each other in desperation as they tried to escape.
Adrian remained seated at the bar.
His expression never changed.
He calmly watched the crowd run past him.
His eyes glowed faintly red, like a predator observing frightened prey.
From the gunman who had killed Alicia, Adrian had learned one thing before ending the man's life.
The shooter belonged to the Blood Gang.
And their leader, Ashley Gaines, operated from this bar.
Adrian slowly finished the rest of the whiskey in his glass.
"Avenging angel," he muttered quietly.
He shook his head slightly.
"You never suited that title when you were alive."
He placed the empty glass on the counter.
"But after death, I can help you earn it."
Alicia's death had not shaken Adrian the same way it had Clark.
Still, eliminating criminal parasites like the Blood Gang required little effort.
Several gang members finally gathered the courage to attack him.
They rushed forward with knives and broken bottles.
They never reached him.
Adrian's Heat Vision sliced through their bodies.
The beams cut them cleanly in half, spilling blood and organs across the floor.
Adrian stood up.
Without sparing another glance at the bodies, he walked toward the staircase leading to the second floor.
Any gang member foolish enough to approach was instantly killed by another flash of Heat Vision.
When Adrian reached the top of the stairs, several men in suits raised pistols and opened fire.
Gunshots echoed through the hallway.
Bullets flew toward him.
Adrian casually raised one hand.
The bullets struck his palm and dropped harmlessly to the floor.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the corridor.
Adrian disappeared.
In the next moment, he stood behind the armed men.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
The sounds of snapping bones echoed through the hallway.
Before they could even react, Adrian twisted their necks with brutal efficiency.
Their bodies collapsed onto the carpet, staining the white fabric with spreading pools of blood.
Adrian stepped over them without looking down.
At the end of the hallway, he kicked open a door.
Bang!
Inside the room stood the man he had come for.
Ashley Gaines.
The gang leader hid behind several trembling bodyguards.
His neatly trimmed goatee trembled slightly as he stared at Adrian.
For a man accustomed to violence and bloodshed, the killing intent radiating from Adrian was overwhelming.
"W... who are you?" Ashley demanded, though fear crept into his voice.
Adrian slowly walked forward.
"I've had many names," he said calmly.
"Homelander. Umbrella Man. Destroyer."
He paused for a moment.
"But none of them matter tonight."
Adrian's eyes locked onto Ashley.
"Have you heard of a girl named Alicia?"
Ashley swallowed nervously.
"I... I don't know anyone by that name."
Adrian nodded slowly.
"I see."
His voice remained completely indifferent.
"Whether you know her or not doesn't matter."
"You and everyone in this building will die here tonight."
Ashley stepped back in terror.
"You... you can't do this!"
Adrian tilted his head slightly.
"Succeed? You talk like I'm some comic book villain."
His eyes glowed brighter.
"No."
"I'm simply cleaning the world."
Adrian looked at the frightened criminals surrounding the gang boss.
"You are the real villains."
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