"Damn it! How the hell did this happen? Someone's interfering with my operation! Who the fuck is it?!"
General Lane's composure snapped as he watched the explosions and gunfire on the monitor. "Attack dogs in the middle of town? Could it be that radical bitch, Amanda Waller? Goddammit, she always works against me! Why can't she just get AIDS and die already?!"
Even though Axel had teleported away before Lane could fully catch him, at least there had been a sliver of hope—an opening for dialogue. Catching a metahuman like Axel in one operation was never going to happen. Failing wasn't just about Axel's power—it was Lane's own incompetence as a general.
Gritting his teeth, Lane slammed a fist on the side of the command vehicle.
"Notify all teams! Search for every potential threat! And connect me to the Sky Eye System. I want full control and total surveillance of this area!"
"Wait, General!"
A female soldier's voice cut in urgently. "The video feed from the coffee shop just went out! And the Fourth Squad's signal… gone!"
Lane's blood ran cold. The Fourth Squad was assigned to protect his daughter.
"Return to the coffee shop immediately!"
Inside the Smallville Philharmonic Cafe, Louise froze. Sparks flew from every appliance. A high-pitched hum buzzed through the room, followed by chaos.
Darts flashed across the café. Two ninja-like figures used thin steel wires to manipulate them, killing anyone in their path.
"Who are you people?!" Louise shouted, snatching her phone to record. The device was instantly fried—EMP.
She tried to flee, but before she could take two steps, a ninja pinned her to the floor. Pain shot through her neck as she was rolled and dragged away. Within seconds, the once-quiet café became a slaughterhouse.
Meanwhile, at Kent Farm, Martha stirred beef on the stove while Clark quietly did his chores, eyes flicking across Smallville.
Seeing Axel controlled on the monitors, Clark frowned.
Is this what the military calls "unusual"? It looks… normal. Am I really the only unusual being here?
He sighed, a flicker of regret crossing his face. Even knowing Axel's immortality, Clark had hoped for a peer—someone who could understand him. But Axel's abilities weren't like his own. They weren't even in the same league.
His world had only him and Martha now. His father had died seven years ago, sacrificing himself to conceal Clark's origins. Martha was aging, time catching up, and Clark wondered how he would survive without her.
Boom!
An explosion ripped through the air. Clark jolted. He had been lost in thought, unaware of the missile targeting Axel. His vision scanned thirteen kilometers, anything beyond that blurred. Focusing his senses strained his eyes and ears, but his attention snapped to the scene.
Axel's death—right in front of him.
And that smile… careless, nonchalant. A smile only an immortal could wear.
Clark shook his head. With Axel gone, Smallville should finally be safe. But where would he resurrect? Nearby? Within sight? Within hearing? Clark stirred his rake mechanically, scanning the visible terrain without changing expression.
Nothing in Smallville, nothing near the explosion… maybe the grasslands outside town.
"Ahhh!"
A scream tore through the air. Martha.
"Martha!" Clark exploded into motion, kinetic energy propelling him like a hurricane into the kitchen.
"Don't panic, Clark! I was just startled!" Martha called out.
And there, in the kitchen, naked and grinning, was Axel.
Clark froze, stunned. Axel had somehow landed inside the Superman household.
Axel immediately recognized where he was. Super speed in action, the woman calling him Clark… only one person fit that description.
He gave a sheepish smile. "Uh… if I said I couldn't control where I ended up, would you believe me?"
"Why not?" Martha replied, lightly gripping Clark's arm. "I've seen more miraculous entrances than yours."
"Relax, Clark," she continued. "No one robs a Kansas farm by stripping naked first. This is Kansas, not Florida. Best advice—head to the bedroom, grab some of your son's clothes. If I were younger, I might whistle and slip you some cash. But now… I get flustered too easily."