In Kara's view, showing a demeanor of loss and sadness in front of Robert should have elicited his comfort, thereby giving her an opportunity to inquire why Robert hadn't attended school the previous day.
However, what Kara didn't realize was that Robert always thought their Kryptonian brains didn't function well at times, overlooking that he himself had been somewhat assimilated by the Saiyans, especially Goku.
"What a pity!" At this moment, Robert showed no intention of comforting Kara, instead expressing regret that seemed even greater than Kara's, "You and Clark don't like fighting. How great it would have been to encounter a Kryptonian warrior!"
"You! Humph!" Kara clenched her fists tightly upon hearing Robert's murmurs. If it weren't for the fact that they were in school, where punching Robert through a wall would draw too much attention, she would have already lashed out.
Kara couldn't believe how uniquely wired Robert's brain was, to infuriate someone with just a few words.
Had Kara not scanned Robert's brain and found it to be no different from humans', she would have doubted whether his species' brains were unlike those of conventional humans.
Eventually, Kara couldn't stand it anymore and, after giving Robert a furious stare, returned to her seat.
"Yay! ヾ(▽)ノ" The Demit group, although unaware of the low-voiced exchange between Kara and Robert, silently cheered when they saw Kara leave in anger.
As for Kara returning to her seat, Robert didn't react much. He felt he was getting used to Kara's rapidly changing moods. Moreover, after Kara left, Robert finally had time to meditate properly...
Seeing Robert simply ignore her made Kara angry but also somewhat shaken. She vaguely considered practicing fighting with Robert but quickly suppressed such thoughts, feeling she shouldn't give in so easily.
Several days later, in the evening, as Robert was meditating, Clark slowly opened his eyes, looking at the setting sun with a trace of longing, resisting the urge to chase the sun and enjoy its warmth, he landed on the ground.
Meanwhile, in another time zone, as night fell over New York, a gang leader wearing a peculiar mask, holding intelligence gathered by his subordinates, his eyes flickering with dissatisfaction, commanded silence among his minions, daring not to speak a word.
This masked man, named Lester, also known as Target, was a notorious assassin in the underworld, born with an incredibly precise throwing ability, turning any object in his hands into a lethal weapon!
Originally, Target was a capable assistant to an underground emperor named Jin Bing. However, for some unknown reason, Target fled from Jin Bing's side, established his own gang, and, like a venomous snake in the dark, kept a watchful eye on Jin Bing and his gang's every move...
"Is this all?" At this moment, Target looked up, his eyes narrowing with a violent glint, asking in a deep voice, "Before the Brotherhood's downfall, so many assassins, and you only found out about Fox and Carlos going to Smallville? What about Sloan? Did that guy just die like that? Didn't his Loom of Fate predict the future? How could he die by someone else's hand?!"
"Boss...the brothers really did their best. Before the Brotherhood's incident, only the actions of Fox and Carlos were slightly exposed, and they disappeared afterward. We couldn't act!" The subordinate's eyes flickered with earnestness, smiling bitterly at Target.
With a "Pfft!" sound, Target's eyes flashed with madness as he suddenly spat out a toothpick, piercing the subordinate's neck. The subordinate, clutching his neck in agony, fell to the ground, convulsing, blood seeping through his fingers onto the floor, his body growing colder.
If the subordinate was taken to the hospital at this moment, he could still be saved, but clearly, Target had no such intention. He coldly watched his subordinate die, throwing the intelligence into the blood pool.
"Useless trash!" After watching his subordinate breathe his last, Target's eyes flashed with madness, which was quickly replaced by apprehension. He clenched his fist, "That bastard Jin Bing, after getting that talisman, became a completely different person, asking me to become a monk or a priest? Advising me to atone and embrace kindness? Ridiculously absurd!"
"I was hoping the Brotherhood would attract Jin Bing's attention while I stole the talisman. Now, with the Brotherhood in trouble, Smallville, Fox, and Carlos... Is there really something wrong with this town? Should I send someone to investigate? What if there are still survivors from the Brotherhood? I've already paid the deposit; they should at least serve as cannon fodder to draw Jin Bing's fire!"
"The underworld needs a strong emperor, not a monk who leads people to kindness, speaks of mercy, prevents us from making money and enjoying life, and wants to establish a new order!"
Target chose to collaborate with the Brotherhood for a simple reason: he looked down on non-superpowered assassin organizations, and the Brotherhood barely counted as having superpowers.
Moreover, Sloan had recently started taking external contracts, so Target, intending to use them as cannon fodder, paid a deposit, expecting to get his money's worth.
However, Target was unaware that as he muttered about Smallville, Fox, Carlos, Sloan, and the Brotherhood, Clark had locked onto his location.
Clark didn't monitor every sound in the world at all times, but to prevent a repeat of the Loom of Fate incident, where an enemy could strike at his doorstep unnoticed, he set certain keywords to alert him.
Clearly, Target's words triggered these keywords, suggesting Target might know the truth behind the Brotherhood's downfall, or even personally meet its members...
Clark witnessed Target killing his subordinate and frowned, struggling internally.
After all, unlike the Brotherhood, which had already threatened the Kent family, Target had not yet made a move against them.
"Robert, perhaps it's time for you to act!" Ultimately, Clark made up his mind. He couldn't allow someone like Target to pose a threat to his family near Smallville. He quickly contacted Robert, who was meditating, and informed him about Target.
The shield is set; the blade is about to be drawn!