" Just don't do anything that could lead to misunderstandings, especially with Martha," Adrian said to Rachel.
He adjusted his tone slightly, but his voice remained firm.
"As for Clark, I can handle it myself. Rachel, you need to trust me."
He reached out and gently touched her cheek, his expression softening as he spoke to his sister.
Rachel tilted her head slightly, still uneasy.
"But Clark always tries to correct everything you do. I don't think he sees it as clearly as you do. He always thinks you're wrong."
She frowned a little, frustration building in her voice.
"I don't know what Clark will become in the end, but he always seems to have a bias against you. That kind of thinking will only get worse."
She crossed her arms slightly.
"So I won't let him hurt Adrian."
"No one can hurt me," Adrian replied immediately.
His tone was calm, but absolute.
"Rachel, focus more on your own life. Stop putting all your energy into mine."
Rachel blinked.
"Are you talking about my studies?"
Her face fell instantly.
"I think I was born to hate studying, Adrian. No matter how hard I try, I can't focus on books. The moment I look at those symbols, I feel sleepy."
She paused.
"But when it comes to magic, I feel completely awake. It's like my mind actually wants it."
She sighed in frustration.
"You always put obstacles in front of yourself," Adrian said with a faint exhale, as if preparing to lecture her.
Before he could continue, a sound came from the stairs.
Creak.
The old wooden steps groaned under slow footsteps.
Adrian turned his gaze toward the sound.
Martha Kent was coming down the stairs.
"Adrian, Rachel, why are you both still awake?"
She looked between them with mild confusion before glancing at the clock.
3:15 AM.
"It's very late. What are you doing in the living room?"
Rachel immediately stiffened. Her eyes flicked toward Adrian, silently begging for help.
She could act fearless in many situations, even doing reckless things like interfering in their communications earlier, but Martha was different.
Martha Kent was not someone she could easily lie to.
"I…" Rachel started, voice faltering.
Adrian spoke smoothly before she could continue.
"Rachel was sleepwalking. I just brought her back inside."
Martha raised a brow.
"Sleepwalking?"
She stepped closer and gently touched Rachel's forehead, as if checking for a fever.
"I've never seen her sleepwalk before. She usually sleeps very deeply."
Adrian responded without hesitation.
"Maybe it's genetic. Clark once sleepwalked twenty kilometers away onto a highway. Strange things run in the family."
Martha paused, considering it.
"Well…"
She finally nodded.
"Alright. But Rachel, if this happens again, I'll take you for a checkup tomorrow."
Rachel's face dropped instantly.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes," Martha said firmly.
Rachel sighed and walked upstairs with a defeated expression.
Inside her room, she sat on the bed for a while, then opened a drawer and pulled out a thick, mysterious book.
Dark purple patterns covered its surface, giving off a faint magical aura.
She leaned closer.
"Fairy Tale Queen, are you there?"
A voice immediately answered from within the book.
"I am always here. If you keep disturbing me, I might reconsider my patience."
The tone was irritated and aristocratic.
Ever since the Fairy Tale Queen had been sealed inside the enchanted book after her failure in Smallville, she had been forced into this confined existence. The magic binding her came from powerful containment spells, reinforced by experts from the mystical community.
She could only communicate through Rachel.
"I have some questions," Rachel said softly.
"I am not your tutor, nor your emotional support," the Fairy Tale Queen replied. "Ask someone else unless you bring what I want."
Rachel's expression fell.
"Next time?"
"No," the voice snapped. "Do I look like a tool to you?"
Rachel hesitated, then sighed.
"Alright… this is the last time."
She quietly slipped out of her room again.
Downstairs, she carefully moved through the dim living room. Moonlight filtered through the window in thin strips.
She opened a drawer slowly.
Inside, she found a small pack of cigarettes.
Just as her fingers closed around it, a voice came from behind her.
"Rachel."
She froze.
Adrian stood behind her.
She quickly hid the cigarettes behind her back.
"I… I wasn't doing anything."
Her voice cracked slightly.
Adrian frowned slightly.
"What are you holding?"
"Nothing," she said quickly.
The silence stretched.
Only the ticking clock filled the room.
Rachel's heart pounded harder with every second.
She was certain she had been caught.
But Adrian finally spoke.
"Go to sleep."
Then he turned and walked away.
Rachel blinked.
"…That's it?"
She stood there confused for a moment before quickly rushing back upstairs.
Back in her room, she followed the Fairy Tale Queen's instructions and lit the cigarette.
She placed it between the pages of the book.
The pages closed.
The cigarette burned rapidly as though the book itself was inhaling.
Rachel watched in silence.
"Can you even smoke like that?" she asked.
"If I still had a mouth, would I need you for this?" the Fairy Tale Queen replied irritably.
"It's all your brother's fault. He locked me in here."
She continued bitterly.
"Men like him always think they can control everything. Yet villains are often forgiven if they are men, while women are punished more harshly for less."
Rachel blinked slowly.
"I… I'm not sure about that."
"Of course you aren't," the Fairy Tale Queen snapped. "That's why I'm explaining it to you."
Rachel slowly nodded, slightly overwhelmed.
"Anyway," she said after a moment, "I want to grow stronger. I want to help Adrian in battles instead of just watching."
The Fairy Tale Queen studied her.
"You already possess considerable magical potential. I have rarely seen a human with this level of raw magical capacity."
Rachel's eyes widened slightly.
"But it's still not enough," she said quietly. "Not against Clark."
The Fairy Tale Queen paused.
"Clark is also your brother. Why do you always compare yourself to him instead of him?"
Rachel hesitated.
"I don't know. I just feel connected to Adrian in a different way."
A faint silence followed.
"That is not something to take lightly," the Fairy Tale Queen said more seriously. "Emotional or magical resonance like that can become dangerous."
Before Rachel could respond, she continued.
"Still, I will teach you what I know. My magic exceeds most practitioners of this world."
Rachel straightened immediately.
Meanwhile, in the wilderness, the group had been transported to a strange location.
They approached an isolated structure.
Inside, Nightwing frowned as he examined a metallic platform.
"This doesn't feel like ordinary furniture. There's something underneath."
Clark activated his X ray vision.
"There's something below us."
They stepped onto the platform.
It began to move.
The floor descended.
They were taken underground.
After a moment of darkness, lights appeared again.
A long white corridor stretched before them.
Standing there was a half human, half machine figure.
"Welcome," the figure said.
Nightwing stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
"You can call me Cyborg."
He gestured calmly.
"I brought you here."
Black Canary stepped forward immediately.
"Then why didn't you save Oliver?"
Cyborg's expression tightened slightly.
"I am sorry," he said. "But Homelander would have detected my portal if I activated it freely. Oliver chose to stay behind to buy time."
Black Canary's eyes darkened.
"So someone always has to be sacrificed?"
"That is not what I intended," Cyborg replied. "It was the only viable option in that moment."
Tension filled the room.
Deathstroke crossed his arms.
"If you've seen Homelander in action, you wouldn't speak so confidently."
Cyborg met his gaze.
"I have seen him. I have fought him. And I have survived."
Clark stood quietly nearby, listening to everything being said about Adrian.
His expression was unreadable.
Nightwing, however, stared at the surroundings.
Something felt familiar.
Too familiar.
Cyborg began walking forward.
"Come with me."
They followed him through several corridors until they reached a sealed door.
It slid open.
Inside stood a figure.
Nightwing's eyes widened in shock.
"Batman."
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