About two hours earlier, at the Kent Farm in Smallville.
Martha sat on the front steps with a beer in hand, lifting the bottle slightly toward the moon before patting the spot beside her.
"Clark."
She let out a soft chuckle.
"Back in the day, your father and I argued a lot. Especially after we both had our medical checkups and found out we might not be able to have children. We loved each other deeply, but that didn't stop us from losing our tempers over the smallest things. We argued often, and then we made up just as often."
She raised her hand again, gesturing toward the moon.
"When we fought during the day, Jonathan would go out and tend to the cows on his own, and I would stay inside cooking a huge pot of vegetables. Not because I wanted him to eat all of it, but because when I get angry, I like chopping things. I would cut vegetables so hard they ended up all over the place. We could never finish them, so the animals got the leftovers."
She smiled faintly at the memory.
"Then in the evening, when we wanted to make up, we would sit right here, look up at the moon, and pray."
Martha lifted her beer again, her eyes soft with nostalgia.
"We would say, 'God, please send us a child. Even if that child comes from the moon, that's fine.' That was your father's way of understanding me. He knew how much I wanted a child. After two months of arguing and making up, we finally decided to adopt."
Clark took a sip of his drink and glanced at her.
"And then?"
Martha smiled warmly.
"Then you came into our lives. It felt like our prayers had been answered. Like the moon we kept staring at had finally given us something real."
Her smile grew brighter.
"The moment we saw you, we both knew. We knew we would give everything we had to raise you. And maybe that's why we were trusted with you."
She gently patted his head.
"But that's not the real reason I asked you to sit out here with me tonight."
Clark lowered his gaze slightly. He already had a feeling where this was going.
Martha continued, her tone soft but firm.
"I understand your father, and he understood me. Just like I understand you now. Clark, your heart isn't at rest. Ever since Axel appeared, you haven't been able to sit still, have you?"
She looked at him carefully.
"You're not the only extraordinary person in this world. There's Axel, that warrior woman on television, Doctor Fate, and others we don't even fully understand. Their lives are bigger, louder, more dangerous. And they don't hide who they are."
Her voice softened.
"I know what you're feeling. What kind of mother would force her child to hide everything that makes him special, keeping him tied to a farm like this forever? Back then, you weren't ready. But now… you've grown."
She pressed a hand lightly against her chest.
"I worry about you. I can't help it. Even someone like Doctor Fate was killed by Axel, that smiling boy. This world out there is dangerous in ways I can't even describe."
Her eyes glistened slightly, but she didn't let her voice break.
"But no matter how worried I am, I can't hold you back. You were never meant to stay here forever."
She wiped the corner of her eye and then patted his arm firmly.
"Clark, it's time. You should leave the farm. Leave Smallville. This place isn't where your story ends. And if you ever feel overwhelmed, you can come back. I'll be here, and I'll cook for you. It won't be anything fancy, but it will always taste like home."
"Don't say that, Martha, I can't…"
"Stop."
Her voice cut him off immediately.
She placed a hand over her heart and smiled.
"I know you care about me. That's enough. But you need to accept that I care about you too. Seeds don't stay in one place forever. When the time is right, they move on and grow somewhere new."
She looked straight at him.
"You have a gift, Clark. So go out there and use it. Make something of yourself."
She pulled him into a tight hug.
Clark hesitated for a moment, then returned the embrace, exhaling quietly.
After a moment, she pulled back and lightly kicked his shin.
"I'm not old yet, so stop acting like I need looking after. I'm doing just fine. And if I see you on TV one day, I'll be proud."
Clark scratched his nose, a little embarrassed.
"I know, Mom. I just… I still have a lot to figure out."
His expression shifted as he continued.
"What happened in Gotham really opened my eyes. Wonder Woman, the magic users, Doctor Fate… they're all on another level. And that woman with the S symbol… I don't even know how to describe her strength."
He looked up at the sky.
"They can fly. I can barely run fast and lift heavy things."
Martha followed his gaze, but before she could respond, lights suddenly flicked on at the neighboring farm.
Clark didn't pay much attention at first. Instead, he kept talking, drifting back to Axel.
Just thinking about Axel made his chest tighten.
The speed, the strength, the way he carried himself, none of it made sense. Clark was getting stronger every day, but Axel was already moving between worlds as if it were nothing.
Clark had secretly observed it more than once.
Axel didn't just move fast. He crossed entire universes.
As the two continued talking, a sudden engine roar cut through the quiet night.
The old pickup truck from the neighboring farm started up and sped toward them.
Clark's senses were sharp, but he didn't constantly monitor everyone around him. Still, this was impossible to ignore.
The truck pulled up abruptly in front of the house.
"Clark, Martha, get in, now!"
Old George leaned out the window, shouting urgently.
"Washington has been attacked by aliens. You haven't seen the news? The entire city is gone. The Vice President is dead. If the President hadn't been overseas, he would be too."
Clark and Martha exchanged a quick glance as they stepped closer.
George continued without slowing down.
"My son works at LuthorCorp in Metropolis. His boss, Alexander Luthor, sent out a notice. Top employees and their families can take shelter near Axel Manor in Gotham."
He pointed urgently down the road.
"You know the place. The old Wayne estate. That's where Wraith operates now. You've heard of him, right? That man is worse than the aliens. Even they avoid him."
His voice grew more frantic.
"I'm telling you this because we've been neighbors for years. If we don't leave now, there won't be space left. So get in, both of you. Move!"
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