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...
Peter didn't know that Lionel Luthor was investigating him. At the moment, he was busy scolding Azu.
Clark, standing nearby, wasn't spared from the reprimand either.
"Why were you two arguing?" Peter first asked Clark.
Clark, feeling wronged, replied, "Azu said the leaf I drew looks like a dog's butt."
"Really?" Peter glanced over at a guilty-looking Azu.
"Y-yes, Dad," Azu said with a bitter expression, rubbing his still-sore backside after getting hit. His thick skin made it hard for others to hurt him, but Peter could make him feel pain.
Peter casually picked up the drawing of a leaf Clark had made with crayons.
"You shouldn't say things like that, Azu," Peter lectured him.
"But, Clark's drawing really does look like a dog's butt."
"A lot of things in this world can look like a dog's butt, but that doesn't mean you should go around pointing it out to everyone."
Closing the sketchbook, Peter said to Azu, "Sometimes you have to hold back your thoughts because they could hurt someone."
Clark, listening to his godfather, felt a bit down. Though he didn't fully understand, it seemed like even Peter thought his drawing looked like a dog's butt.
Peter sat on the couch and asked the two of them, "Do you know why I don't agree with you going to school?"
Typically, children in America start school at around five or six years old. The specific age varies by state and district depending on local education policies, resources, and family preferences.
In Smallville, most children around five or six have already started school. For example, Lana had started her schooling at five and was now in first grade, about to move up to second grade.
"I don't know," Azu shook his head, confused.
"Because you and Clark aren't ready yet. You're not ready to avoid hurting others, nor to avoid being hurt by them."
Previously, Jonathan and Martha had talked to Peter about the two boys attending school. He had refused, saying that they weren't ready.
He could already imagine the scene where the two entered school and got teased for being different. Clark had spent his previous life in that kind of environment.
Neither Clark nor Azu had ever been physically hurt due to their unique constitutions, and they didn't understand the concept of controlling their strength.
With their immature personalities and the potential for bullying from classmates, Peter genuinely feared that Azu might lose his temper and accidentally kill someone.
"Dad, are we human?" Azu asked, recalling the time Peter had fought off zombies.
"Of course, we are all human. You, me, and Clark, we're all human," Peter replied.
"But if we're human, why are we different from others?" Azu asked, still confused.
"It's our gift, a responsibility to protect our family, as I've told you before," Peter said.
Clark's eyes lit up when he heard Peter mention "the responsibility to protect the family."
Azu nodded but still seemed puzzled. "Then why do we have to control ourselves?"
Peter was silent for a moment, thinking about Jonathan's approach to educating Clark.
Someone like Superman isn't an ordinary child. He doesn't understand the destructive potential he holds. If ordinary parents tried to educate him, it would be like a chicken teaching an eagle chick how to live like a chicken. Once the eagle realizes it's not a chicken, suppressing its instincts could lead to a complete loss of control.
Jonathan and Martha's method wasn't to force Clark to live like a chicken but to make him understand that he wasn't ready to be an eagle yet. The consequences of his power were beyond what his mind could handle, so he had to live cautiously, controlling his abilities until the day he could responsibly bear that power.
Peter wouldn't educate Azu and Clark exactly like Jonathan did, but he could learn from it.
Gently stroking both of their heads, he said, "Because right now, you can't handle the consequences of losing control of that power. Before you go to school, I need to teach you how to control yourselves."
"So," Clark said hopefully, "does that mean you're going to be our teacher, Godfather?"
"Hmm, yes. I'll be your first teacher."
"Then, Dad can you teach me how to draw?" Clark asked, skipping the formal "Godfather" and directly calling Peter "Dad" as he asked to be taught how to draw.
Peter glanced down at Clark's drawing of a "butt" and felt a bit tired.
"I think maybe a career in journalism would suit you better, Clark," Peter said seriously, trying to persuade him to change paths.
The next day...
At the town's central church in Smallville, almost everyone in town attended the funeral.
The fire and terrorist attack at the great hall had caused over ten deaths and more than twenty injuries, making it the town's worst tragedy since the tornado of 1950.
Peter, dressed in a black suit, brought Clark and Azu to their second funeral.
Compared to the last time, the two boys were noticeably more accustomed to the somber atmosphere, mimicking the adults and maintaining serious, solemn expressions.
"Peter, thank you. If it weren't for you, Clark might have…" Martha and Jonathan thanked Peter.
"I'm Clark's godfather; it's my duty," Peter said, exchanging pleasantries with the couple before asking, "How is the government handling the attack?"
"I heard the governor has commissioned a special committee to investigate. The media's current conclusion is that it was a biochemical attack, where the poisoned victims lost their minds and attacked people. But we all know it was those terrifying zombies," Jonathan said.
By now, Jonathan fully believed in Peter's "zombie theory."
"I never imagined we'd see zombies in our town."
"Jonathan!" Martha tugged at her husband's sleeve, signaling him to be cautious as someone approached.
"Hope I'm not interrupting," said Lionel Luthor, with his distinctive long hair and unique aura, greeting them.
"Mr. Podrick, and Mr. Kent, right?" Lionel called them by name, addressing Peter directly. "My company has had dealings with you before on business matters."
"And you are?" Peter asked, eyeing the man, who seemed awfully familiar.
"I'm Lionel Luthor."
Hearing the name, Jonathan excused himself, not wanting to associate with the businessman, whose reputation in the town was less than stellar.
Lionel didn't mind. After all, his target wasn't Jonathan.
"Mr. Luthor, are you still trying to buy my farm?" Peter asked, frowning at the man who would one day become the father of Superman's archenemy, Lex Luthor.
This guy couldn't possibly be a decent person; after all, how else could he have raised someone like Lex?
"No, actually, we've given up on building the chemical plant. We're now planning an agricultural subsidy program to help local farmers," Lionel said.
Peter looked at him, surprised.
Did this guy really have a sudden change of heart?