"What?"
Clark's jaw dropped as he processed Old George's words.
From the back seat, George's eleven-year-old daughter leaned forward, staring at Clark with wide eyes.
"So handsome!"
She blurted it out without thinking.
George frowned slightly, clearly annoyed.
"Yeah, yeah, the kid looks good, I looked just as good at his age. That's not the point. Check your phones and move, we don't have time!"
"I will, thank you, Uncle George!"
Clark quickly pulled out his phone, his hands unsteady. He and Martha exchanged a glance, both struggling to grasp what was happening in Washington.
Martha stepped closer to the truck, gripping the edge of the window.
"But George, why Gotham? That city has never been safe. Everything lately seems tied to Wraith. It's dangerous."
George shook his head impatiently.
"That's exactly why we're going there. If he wasn't dangerous, aliens wouldn't be avoiding him. And no matter how bad he is, he's not going to start killing people right outside his own base. Even Lex Luthor is moving people there. If the rich trust it, then it's safer than anywhere else."
He let out a short breath and added,
"Besides, if anyone's getting targeted first, it won't be people like us. Didn't you hear? Wraith already wiped out a bunch of Gotham's elites a few days ago. If anything, that makes him our shield."
He honked the horn again.
"Hurry up!"
Martha turned to Clark, unease written all over her face.
Clark, however, was focused elsewhere. He had already listened in on the situation at the manor, and the decision settled in his mind quickly.
"Mom, you get the truck ready. I'll grab what we need. We're heading to Gotham."
"But Wraith, he…"
"Axel isn't some mindless monster. He's human, just with… extreme tendencies. Gotham is his territory, especially around his manor. If we stay near it, you'll be safe. I know what he is, but I also know he protects what's his."
His voice carried quiet certainty.
Martha noticed the shift in him immediately. She reached out and grabbed his wrist.
"Thank you, George," she said, forcing a polite tone, "but you go ahead. We need a few minutes to pack. I can't leave everything behind that easily."
George nodded.
"Fine, but don't waste time. The closer you get to that place, the better your chances."
With that, he drove off, his truck disappearing down the road.
Once the noise faded, Martha turned back sharply, her expression hard.
"Clark, what are you thinking?"
Her voice carried both fear and anger.
"You know what Axel is. That boy smiles while tearing people apart. I don't care how normal he looks, that is not someone you go near. If you want to find people like you, fine, but not him. Never him."
Clark met her gaze, steady.
"George isn't wrong, Mom. The area around him is the safest place right now."
"And what about here? What about you?"
"I'm not enough."
He shook his head.
"Compared to the people flying across the sky, I'm barely different from an ordinary person. A little stronger, a little faster, that's it. I saw what happened in Washington. I didn't watch it on a screen, I saw it myself. If that reaches Smallville, I might not be able to protect you."
He paused, then continued quietly,
"But Axel could."
Martha's expression changed instantly, disbelief flashing across her face.
"So what are you planning to give him in return?"
Her voice tightened.
"You think I'd accept that? That you'd trade yourself just to keep me safe? I would rather die than watch you go down that path."
She stepped closer, gripping his arm.
"Promise me you'll stay away from him. Promise me, Clark."
Clark inhaled slowly, then spoke with restraint.
"Mom… avoiding him isn't really an option anymore."
Her grip tightened.
"We've already been seen. The day he came here, you saw how fast I moved. He saw it too. He knows I'm not normal. He knows who I am, where we live, everything."
Clark's tone remained steady, but there was weight behind every word.
"If he hasn't acted, it's because he doesn't care to. But if that changes, there's nowhere we can hide."
Martha shook her head.
"That doesn't mean we accept it. Your father wouldn't want this."
Clark looked down briefly, then back at her.
"I'm not submitting to anyone. I'm not becoming like them."
His voice sharpened slightly.
"But I can see things others can't. I hear things no one else does. And right now, I know what's happening out there."
He took a step forward.
"They're preparing for battle. Everyone at the manor is moving toward Washington."
Martha's expression shifted, confusion mixing with concern.
"I saw Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor working side by side, building suits just to stand on that battlefield. I saw criminals saying goodbye to their families, knowing they might not come back."
Clark's voice deepened.
"They're not good people. I know that. But tonight, they're the ones stepping forward."
He looked directly at her.
"If Dad were here, do you think he'd want to sit back while the country burns? While people die?"
Martha didn't respond.
Clark continued, unwavering.
"This isn't about good or bad anymore. Not tonight. This is bigger than that."
He clenched his hand slightly.
"I want to help. And if what I do out there earns Axel's protection for you later, then that's a choice I'm willing to make."