"Pat?"
"I'm here."
Pat walked to the side of Courtney's bed, "Courtney, it's okay now, everything is fine."
Despite his pale face, he forced a smile to comfort his daughter.
"I'm sorry, I messed everything up."
Courtney apologized to Pat with a depressed expression.
"I even got Rick killed."
As if she had found someone to confide in, Courtney hugged her stepfather, choking up as she said, "I didn't want to do it. At first, I asked Beth (Midnight Doctor) and Yolanda (Wildcat) to give me the equipment back, but they refused and insisted on coming here."
"If I could have convinced them, maybe Rick (Hourman) wouldn't have died."
"There's something I need to tell you."
Pat hesitated for a moment, then said, "Actually, Hourman isn't dead. The hourglass he wore around his neck saved him, but..."
Before Courtney could get excited, Pat added, "His injuries are severe, and he's still in critical condition. And that hourglass is broken."
"The hourglass...?"
Courtney's face showed sadness, "That hourglass meant everything to Rick. It was the keepsake his father left him, and he used it to gain power, to search for the one who killed his father."
"There's something I need to tell you, Courtney, and it might be hard to hear, but you have to learn to accept it. A lot of times in our lives, we go through things we don't like or even hate."
"So... Pat, are you trying to tell me something worse?"
Wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, Courtney forced a smile, trying to appear strong.
"Yes, you and your team—Hourman, Wildcat, and Midnight Doctor—have been expelled from the Justice Society."
"What?!"
Courtney's face showed extreme shock.
"Didn't you say the Justice Society no longer had any members? No, there's still you! You're telling me that my team and I have been expelled? Did you kick us out?!"
"You can't do that, Pat!"
Courtney's expression grew even more sorrowful, with a hint of grievance on her face.
"You can punish me however you want, but you can't take away my honor! That's what I've been fighting for, it's my guiding light. You can't knock over my lamp! My father was Starman, I... I'm proud of him, I can't accept this!"
"I wouldn't do that. By the way, your father wasn't Starman. Haven't we discussed this many times?"
Pat let out a sigh to calm himself down.
"Eric Kent, the one who took your staff, we made a deal with him. The Justice Society is now his. The naming rights and the legacy of the heroes now belong to him. Of course, he didn't take away your friends' equipment—Midnight Doctor, Hourman, and Wildcat's gear is still with them."
Pat spoke in a slightly heavy tone as he revealed the truth.
"You... you can't do that, Pat!"
Courtney's expression was one of disbelief, "That Society was founded by your comrades, they even sacrificed their lives for it! How could you hand it over so easily?"
"What else could I do?"
Pat sighed, helpless, "What's more important? Those things, or your lives?"
"I..."
Courtney shook her head blankly, her face filled with inner conflict, "I don't know, but I know we shouldn't do this! It's a betrayal, Pat, not just from you, but from me too. I've betrayed what I stand for."
"At least there's one thing: now that he owns the Justice Society, it means he'll help us fight the Injustice Society, right?"
Pat stroked his daughter's hair to comfort her.
"When I was still... friends with Starman, he once told me: 'Anyone who struggles through life becomes stronger. The path of disillusionment cannot shake their beliefs, because they've always known that the road of belief is different from the road of happiness, and they can't choose. They can only keep walking, everything else is a dead end.'"
"You can't expect that belief from a 15- or 16-year-old, because before they gain it, they have to suffer deeply and shed countless tears."
Pat paused, then continued, "That's why I oppose you becoming a superhero. You're just kids, you don't have that belief yet. You haven't experienced the pain or shed those tears."
"I know."
Courtney reached out and held her stepfather's hand, "But now I do have that belief. I'm not dead because I was lucky, so I hope you'll train me. With my own power, I'll take back the staff and the Justice Society, and I'll face the Injustice Society."
"By the way."
Courtney gave her father a slight smile, "I don't think that quote was from Starman, but from Roman Roland."
Pat cleared his throat, quickly changing the topic, "How about we talk about how to train you?"
In Metropolis, Eric sat in the dimly lit hall of the Justice Society headquarters.
The faint light cast a dull glow in the dark night.
Eric sat at the center of the round table, resting one arm on the table to support his chin, quietly observing the room's arrangement.
Previously, he had found Courtney's stepfather, and after some "persuasion," he gained ownership of the Justice Society.
He had no interest in the name "Justice Society."
What intrigued him was the real estate—discreet, classy, and a luxurious property money couldn't buy.
Aside from the real estate, Eric also had a keen interest in the equipment left behind by the Justice Society.
He walked to a metal rack in the corner of the room, observing the owl perched on top, and reached out to stroke its feathers.
The gray and black owl's eyes darted around, seemingly not resisting its new owner.
Then Eric moved to a golden helmet.
The golden helmet, cloak, and amulet sat quietly in a storage box, awaiting their original owner—Doctor Fate.
It was said that once someone put on the helmet and became Doctor Fate, their body would often be controlled by Nabu's consciousness.
The so-called "God Nabu" wasn't human and had no human emotions.
Facing those who wore the helmet, Nabu would gradually try to take over their bodies, seizing control.
This thing...
Eric casually tossed the helmet aside, shaking his head.
Though it had a high prestige, the fact that it could be taken down by some obscure villains...
It was weak!
Setting down Doctor Fate's helmet, Eric glanced at another notable object in the room—a dusty, battered green lantern.
"A Green Lantern?"
Eric examined the damaged lantern, noticing a hole in it.
He picked it up and saw that the core was missing.
Without its core and without a Green Lantern ring to charge, it was nothing more than a display piece.
After putting down the Green Lantern, Eric noticed a striking red suit nearby.
A lightning bolt was drawn across the chest, with dark gold accents on the boots.
One glance made it clear that this uniform belonged to the Flash.
"Too bad..."
Eric sighed, disappointed that none of the uniforms were suitable for him.
They were either too ugly or already claimed.
After setting down the Flash's suit, Eric left the Justice Society headquarters and flew towards Smallville.
Thud!
His feet touched down on a road not far from the farm, and Eric prepared to walk the rest of the way home.
But after a few steps, he noticed someone riding a horse slowly ahead of him.
"Hey, Eric!"
Lana smiled and greeted him, clearly surprised to see Eric on the road. "I didn't expect to run into you here."
"It's a bit of a coincidence."
Eric nodded. Although he was aloof and not very social, he wasn't the type to completely ignore acquaintances.
He had no problem with Clark's friends, Chloe, Pete, and Lana.
"Tyson's been a little sluggish lately. Maybe it's his age, so I often take him out for a walk to clear his mind."
Lana smiled at Eric as she explained.
Tyson was the name of the horse Lana was riding.
"Ever since Whitney went to the hospital, Tyson hasn't been out much. Maybe some fresh air will help him recover. We consulted a vet, and that's what the doctor suggested. Whitney's mother is thinking of selling him because she can't afford it anymore."
"Uh-huh."
Eric kept walking, not really interested in continuing the conversation.
"So..."
Lana hesitated for a moment before asking Eric, "Clark found out about this, and he suggested I keep Tyson at the farm. Do you think that would cause any trouble for your family?"
"Clark would be happy to do it. Though cleaning the stables might be a hassle for him."
Eric casually replied.
"If that's the case, then great."
Lana nodded. Then, somewhat hesitantly, she asked, "I heard there was a car accident at the farm yesterday. Is everything alright?"
"It's fine."
As they talked, they arrived at the entrance to the farm.
Clark was waiting by the gate, looking surprised to see the two of them walking together.
After giving Clark a nod, Eric entered the farm.
He had no interest in his brother's romantic dramas.
Clark coughed and reached out to stroke the long hair on Tyson's neck.
But Tyson wasn't cooperative, sneezing and turning his head to the other side, avoiding Clark's touch.
"What's wrong with Tyson?"
Clark asked, surprised, as he looked at Lana.
"Tyson's illness is getting worse. I hope keeping him here won't trouble your parents."
Lana double-checked with Clark.
"It won't."
Clark smiled at Lana. "
Our house has plenty of space. When I was younger, we had three cows. My parents still haven't found a way to deal with those memories."
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