It looked like the other person had destroyed the lightning with just a simple grasp.
Jeremy was already stunned!
Is this... still a human?!
He originally thought that gaining the power of lightning was already strong enough, but he didn't expect there to be someone even more powerful!
"You obtained lightning power, or rather high-voltage electricity, through mutation. And this mutation is clearly related to kryptonite. How did you do it?"
Eric asked the still-dazed Jeremy.
"I..."
Swallowing hard, Jeremy was tongue-tied, not knowing how to answer.
"Eric...?"
Clark's weak voice came from a distance.
Eric let go of Jeremy and turned to look in Clark's direction.
Good opportunity!
Seeing Eric distracted, Jeremy silently cheered.
Silver arcs of electricity surged on the surface of his body.
Whoosh!
Enhanced by the lightning, he disappeared in an instant.
Although his combat power was weak, his running speed exceeded Eric's expectations.
Shaking his head, Eric tidied his hair, took off his jacket, which was already damaged by the lightning, and walked toward Clark.
"Eric."
Seeing his brother approaching, the tormented Clark let out a long sigh of relief.
"It hurts, doesn't it, Clark?"
Eric didn't rush to release him but instead observed his brother's sorry state with interest.
"…"
Clark now regretted it.
Why did it have to be Eric who saved him?
This mischievous brother would definitely mock him.
If he had known, he wouldn't have called out to his brother for help.
"It was Whitney, wasn't it?"
Seeing Clark lower his head and remain silent, Eric reached out and touched the kryptonite necklace hanging around his neck.
"No, don't touch it, Eric!"
Clark knew his brother had the same constitution as him, and touching this green rock would make him incredibly weak.
"This amount of kryptonite can't hurt me."
The moment he touched the kryptonite, Eric's arm muscles began to tremble uncontrollably, visibly deforming.
Eric's template was "Homelander," who theoretically wouldn't fear kryptonite, but since he was playing the role of "Son of Krypton," he couldn't miss this loophole.
Using "psychological suggestion," he planted the subconscious fear of kryptonite in his mind, causing his body to react unnaturally to it, such as twitching, spasms, and muscle deformation.
To align with his subconscious, when his body reacted to kryptonite, he would even hold back to show significant weakening.
Expecting future confrontations with sneaky individuals, Eric preferred to create a fake weakness to mislead enemies.
This was why he went to such lengths.
"This is Lana's necklace, right?"
Holding the necklace, Eric ignored the "damage" from the kryptonite and smiled at Clark, "Who knew you just saved Lana's boyfriend, and they teamed up to prank you? Isn't that biting the hand that feeds?"
"Lana doesn't know about this. Whitney and the football team did it."
Freed from the kryptonite's suppression, Clark regained his strength, tore off the ropes, jumped down from the cross, and explained to Eric.
"Really? Need my help? Like teaching the football team a lesson, ending their careers, or letting them experience being 'scarecrows'?"
Eric joked with his brother.
Of course, it wasn't entirely a joke, as Clark was family. The football team choosing Clark as a scarecrow might be a provocation to him.
Not one to tolerate provocation, Eric disliked being challenged.
"No need! Eric, I can handle my own issues."
Knowing his brother's methods, Clark immediately refused.
Calming down, he noticed his brother's bare chest and asked suspiciously, "Your clothes... what happened earlier?"
He had seen lightning in the distant cornfield and felt the air's violent vibration.
"Nothing much, just met someone as unlucky as you. Clean yourself up before going home, or you'll worry Dad and Mom."
With that, Eric activated his super speed.
Boom!
The air rippled outward.
Eric vanished in an instant.
Standing there for a moment, Clark wiped the paint off his chest and sighed in defeat.
Pete was right; he had become this year's "scarecrow."
The next morning, at the entrance of Smallville High School, Pete nervously pulled Clark to a secluded corner, looked around, and asked in a low voice, "You mean you became the 'scarecrow' last night?"
"Yeah, it was Whitney and his gang," Clark replied helplessly.
He hadn't wanted to talk about it, but his best friend Pete kept complaining that he hadn't shown up at the agreed-upon place with Eric yesterday afternoon.
To explain to his friend, he had to reveal the reason for his absence.
"Alright, I now agree with Chloe."
"What?"
"You shouldn't have stopped Eric from beating Whitney yesterday. Even though you won me five dollars, I still have to say this."
Pete looked indignant on Clark's behalf.
"Hey!"
Chloe, the reporter for The Torch, greeted them.
Carrying a canvas backpack and holding a coffee cup, Chloe seemed in a good mood. "Clark, Pete, I heard another piece of news about the football team. Coach Watt is said to support his players cheating on midterm exams. A player reported it to the school and got threatened by Coach Watt."
"Sounds like a hot topic," Pete nodded.
"How about we title this report 'Football Team: Coach Watt's Cheating Scandal'? How does that sound?"
"I think you should cut back on your cappuccinos."
Clark didn't answer directly but pointed at the coffee cup in Chloe's hand, teasing her.
While they were talking, Chloe's phone rang.
As she opened her phone, Chloe's expression changed dramatically upon seeing the message.
"Hey, Chloe, what's wrong?"
Seeing Chloe's expression, Pete quickly asked.
"Dan Brown is dead."
"Dan Brown?"
"Dan Brown, a football player. He's the guy who threw the football at me yesterday and got hit by Eric's 'sweetheart punch.' He was found dead at home this morning!"
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