"Godfather, have my mom and dad been kidnapped?"
Clark stood up, looking at Peter, lost and anxious.
"Dad, who did this?"
Little Azu's face turned serious as well.
"I don't know."
Peter put away the letter, frowning slightly. The letter informed him that Jonathan and Martha had been kidnapped and demanded that Clark and Azu be brought to a designated location by 11 PM.
Was it the man Jonathan mentioned yesterday?
Thinking it over, Peter noticed Clark's anxiety and uncertainty. He reached out, gently ruffling Clark's hair. "Don't worry. I'll bring your parents back."
"I…"
Tears welled up in Clark's eyes. "Godfather…"
"You trust me, don't you, Clark? Look into my eyes—do you trust me?"
Peter crouched down, holding Clark's hand.
"Yes…yes, I trust you, Godfather."
With Peter's reassurance, Clark calmed down.
"Good. I promise I'll bring your parents back before 11 PM. But you have to stay on the farm with Azu."
Peter straightened Clark's rumpled collar. "You're the older brother—take care of Azu. Can you do that?"
He certainly didn't plan on bringing Clark and Azu along.
Although he could ensure the boys' safety, he wanted to avoid exposing them to such violent scenes.
"I can, but Godfather, I want to go with you."
Clark's eyes were determined. "I can help you, and I can punish the bad guys who kidnapped my parents."
"Me too, Dad," Azu chimed in eagerly. "I can help you, and I can protect you."
"I can protect myself. Don't you two have faith in me?"
Azu's expression turned conflicted. "But…Dad…"
He believed in Peter, but he was also scared his father would end up like Jonathan, tied up by villains. His conflicting emotions left him speechless.
After comforting Azu and Clark, Peter grabbed his coat, started the car, and headed out.
Rain began to fall, pattering against the windshield as the wipers swept back and forth. The sound of tires on wet gravel filled the air.
Ten minutes later, Peter pulled over onto the gravel shoulder and turned off the engine.
The meeting place, as specified, was an abandoned factory up ahead.
Peter got out of the car and walked down a muddy path. Soon, he came upon a row of barbed wire.
A fence and a large gate blocked entry to the factory. Rusted coils of wire wound clumsily around the top, and signs were staked in the ground and fastened to the fence.
The signs, made from scrap wood and metal, were freshly painted, with each letter uneven in size—some large, some small.
[NO HUNTING ALLOWED!]
[Rule 1: GOD IS WATCHING YOU]
[GOD KNOWS WHO LIES]
[Is there life after death? Trespassers will be…]
[STOP NOW! Severe punishment awaits those who ignore this warning.]
[No climbing this fence.]
Peter shook his head slightly, glancing at the warnings. God is watching me?
With a shove, he flung the gate several meters forward, where it crashed to the ground.
"God is dead. Now a Superman is born."
Peter entered the abandoned factory and noticed a figure standing on a raised platform within the shadows.
"Peter Podrick?"
The man turned, looking surprised to see Peter alone.
"It seems you didn't follow instructions and bring Clark and John."
Peter said nothing, simply studying the man's face. Though they hadn't met before, there was something familiar about him.
"What do you want? I think I alone can satisfy you."
Peter took a step closer.
"No," the man shook his head. "It's not you or the Kents that I want—it's Clark and John. You failed to follow my instructions, so I guess this is goodbye."
Peter scoffed. "I'm eager to see how you plan to say 'goodbye.'"
Meanwhile, back at Padrick Farm.
Azu put on his shoes and coat, ready to go help his father.
Just as he opened the door and stepped out, Clark stopped him.
"John, you can't leave the farm," Clark said, grabbing Azu's arm. "Godfather told us to stay here."
"Dad needs our help, or he could be kidnapped too. We can't just stay on the farm."
Azu's voice was filled with emotion. "He needs us. Right now, he's like a bus about to fall off a bridge. I have to save him."
"Godfather doesn't need you to save him. And he's not on a bus. He told us to trust him."
Clark, though he'd initially wanted to go rescue his parents, had calmed down and chose to believe in Peter.
"Don't you trust him anymore?"
"It's not about trust, Clark. Dad once told me that, in a moment of crisis, most people act on deeply rooted instincts. I'm just following my instincts."
Azu bit his lip, wiping rain from his face. "You're wrong, Clark."
Rain drenched Clark's hair, his face resolute. "Godfather asked me to watch over you. I won't let you leave. I trust him, and if you don't, John, you're the one who's wrong."
"You idiot! Don't you get it? This is all your fault!"
Azu's face flushed with anger. "If you hadn't insisted on saving those people on that bus, your parents wouldn't have been kidnapped! This is what Dad meant by 'consequences!'"
Clark was stunned. "What?!"
"That's the consequence, Clark. You idiot, do you understand now?"
Clark's face reddened too. "That's not a consequence! What did you want me to do? Stand by and let them die?"
"The lives of strangers have nothing to do with us!"
"Godfather says all life is precious!"
"But those aren't our lives!"
"All lives weigh the same!"
"So you're willing to sacrifice your parents for a busload of people?"
"Shut up, John!"
"No, you shut up!"
Azu, losing control, shoved Clark away.
With a loud boom! Clark was flung dozens of meters, crashing through the barn wall and landing on the ground with a resounding noise.