"Clark, you seem a bit anxious," Jonathan said, taking off his safety glasses.
"I just think you and Mom should be careful. Safety first, right? I can handle this work, I'm really good at it."
"Clark," Jonathan turned off the noisy saw and exchanged a look with his wife. "Cutting wood with a saw is normal farm activity, isn't it? Seriously, Clark, what's going on?"
Seeing Clark's furrowed brow and troubled expression, Jonathan realized something was wrong.
"I..."
Clark sat down on a pile of grain in the barn and said, "I met an elderly lady at the nursing home. I know it sounds crazy, but... she can see the future."
"What did she tell you?" his mother, Martha, asked.
"I... I saw that you both were in an accident. I'm a little scared," Clark said, looking confused. "I don't know what seeing the future really means."
"Clark," Jonathan said, putting down his glasses. "You can't let an elderly lady scare you with some half-baked prophecy. She might just be messing with you."
"It's more than that. I've seen other visions of the future in different places. Pete also says that Cassandra's predictions are very accurate."
Clark wasn't convinced it was just a scare tactic.
"No one can predict the future, Clark!" Martha said calmly.
"What if she's right? I have to do something. I can't just watch it happen."
Clark's tone was filled with anxiety.
"No one can predict the future, even if she can see it, she can't control it," Jonathan said, putting on his large safety glasses and restarting the saw. "The future is uncertain and unchangeable, Clark. You don't need to worry about it."
The harsh sound of the saw filled the barn again, making Clark even more anxious.
In the cornfield, Eric looked up at the blue sky and closed his eyes. After the battle with Mister Mxyzptlk, his Homelander template progress had unlocked to 85%.
Not only were his super strength and super speed more powerful, but his senses, like sight and hearing, were also enhanced.
Most importantly, his flying ability was fully unlocked.
Opening his eyes, Eric knelt on one knee, fists pressed to the ground.
Boom!
With a push off the ground, he launched like a missile.
With a thud, he landed, cracking the ground, sending dirt flying.
Using the rebound, he soared again.
Balancing himself, he guided his body upward.
This time, he didn't fall but shot straight up like a missile.
Wind roared past his ears as he approached the clouds.
Feeling the thrill of flying, Eric couldn't hold back his excitement and shouted loudly.
But, in his overzealous acceleration, he hit an invisible barrier!
His flight speed slowed, he lost control, and started to tumble down.
Meanwhile, in the barn, Jonathan and Martha had just finished cutting wood when they saw an astonishing sight.
In the distance, a figure was tumbling from the sky.
With a loud crash, it hit the windmill used for generating electricity on the farm.
The windmill, over ten meters tall, collapsed instantly as if hit by a missile.
Jonathan and Martha exchanged a glance and quickly ran towards the windmill.
"Ugh...!"
Coughing, Eric emerged from the dusty debris just as Jonathan and Martha arrived.
Seeing Eric, Jonathan's face was filled with shock.
Regaining his composure, he hurried to help Eric out of the rubble.
"Sorry, Dad. I broke the windmill," Eric apologized.
"No, that's not important, Eric," Jonathan said, suppressing his shock, exchanging a look with Martha, who was equally stunned. "Eric, you... you can fly?"
"Seems like it, though I'm not very good at it yet," Eric said, stretching his neck. He had landed face-first, which had hurt his joints.
"Eric, you..."
Jonathan didn't know how to feel—shocked, proud, or something else?
Eric didn't notice his parents' expressions. He was thinking about why he had fallen from the sky.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed off the ground again, left arm extended forward.
In the next moment, he shot forward, flying about three or four meters above the ground.
The high-speed airflow cut through the air around him.
The corn stalks below bent under the force, forming a path.
In the green sea, Eric's flight created a wave.
After flying close to the ground for a while, he shot straight up.
Like a meteor, he vanished into the sky from Jonathan and Martha's view.
In the blue sky, amidst white clouds, Eric's figure appeared and disappeared.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thunderous sounds echoed in the sky.
These were the sonic booms from Eric breaking the sound barrier.
Conical clouds formed and then dissipated.
Watching this visually stunning scene, Jonathan and Martha were deeply moved.
Especially Martha, who covered her mouth with her hand.
"Our son can fly like a bird."
"Yes, it's incredible. He's doing something no one else can."
Jonathan put his arm around his wife's shoulder. "His talents are unmatched. I..."
Feeling a mix of emotions, Jonathan struggled to contain his complex and overwhelming feelings.
"He's always been our son, hasn't he? Just like Clark, carrying our hopes and love. I never thought our son could do this. We should be proud of him."
"Yes, Eric is our son. He always has been."
Martha suddenly felt a sense of loss, as if her son was drifting away from her.
Jonathan felt a weight on his heart. Eric and Clark, what do they bear for this world?
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