After several days of adjustment and countless conversations, the Kent family had finally come to terms with the reality of superpowers. The initial shock had given way to acceptance, though they all understood the precarious nature of their situation.
Jonathan and Martha were particularly aware of humanity's darker tendencies. Marcus was powerful enough to protect himself—if his abilities were discovered, no government or organization on Earth could realistically threaten him. His teleportation abilities alone made him essentially untouchable.
But Clark was in a completely different situation. His powers were still emerging, leaving him stronger than an ordinary child but nowhere near the invulnerable being he would eventually become. If the wrong people learned about his abilities at this stage, Clark would have no choice but to flee for his life.
With this sobering reality in mind, both Jonathan and Martha had very serious conversations with Clark about the absolute necessity of keeping his abilities secret.
"You must never, ever show your powers to anyone outside this family," Martha emphasized, her voice carrying the weight of genuine fear for his safety. "Not your friends at school, not your teachers, not anyone."
Clark, being the obedient and thoughtful child he was, took these warnings to heart. He understood that his parents were trying to protect him, and he had no desire to bring danger to his family. So he continued living as he always had—just a particularly athletic and strong kid who happened to live a very happy life on a Kansas farm.
With Clark's situation stabilized for the time being, Jonathan made a significant gesture of trust. He handed Marcus the crystalline key to the small spacecraft that had brought Clark to Earth all those years ago.
The object was a beautiful piece of alien craftsmanship—a rounded triangular prism with an distinctive S-shaped symbol etched into its center. To anyone unfamiliar with Kryptonian culture, it would simply appear to be an abstract design. But Marcus recognized it immediately as the family crest of the House of El, Clark's bloodline.
"Getting to the Arctic won't be a problem," Marcus said, turning the crystal over in his hands, "but if I use this key to access the ship directly, the onboard systems will probably identify me as an intruder."
After all, the spacecraft had been programmed by Clark's father specifically for his son. If someone without Kryptonian genetics attempted to access the ship using the El family key, the artificial intelligence would almost certainly classify them as a hostile presence.
Marcus considered his options carefully. "I think it would be better to wait a few years until Clark is ready to discover the ship himself. That way, the systems will recognize him as the rightful heir, and I can accompany him without triggering any defensive protocols."
There was another strategic advantage to waiting: when the Fortress of Solitude was finally activated, it would send out a signal that General Zod would inevitably detect. Marcus was looking forward to that eventual confrontation—it would be quite a show to see how the would-be Kryptonian conqueror handled a Superman who had been trained in advanced combat techniques.
While life on the Kent farm had settled into a peaceful routine, Gotham City was experiencing anything but tranquility.
Bruce and Selena sat in their advanced vehicle, preparing for their first field operation in weeks. They hadn't engaged in any serious crime-fighting activities during their intensive study period, and tonight's mission was specifically designed to test some of their new theories.
"Remember, we're here to experiment with new techniques," Bruce said, casually spinning a combat knife between his fingers as the city lights streaked past the vehicle's windows. "Unless we encounter enhanced criminals like those beast-men, we're not getting involved in prolonged engagements."
"I understand," Selena replied, flipping a coin between her knuckles with practiced ease. "Extended fights would waste too much energy, but I still think your new plan might be overkill for most situations."
During their months of study, Bruce had developed a new approach to energy management that could significantly enhance their power. Since they didn't possess Marcus's vast energy reserves—and couldn't release devastating attacks to end fights instantly—they needed to be much more strategic about when and how they used their void energy.
Bruce's solution was an energy pulse technique that would allow them to concentrate their power into brief, intense bursts rather than maintaining constant energy fields around their weapons. This approach would not only conserve their limited energy reserves but also allow them to catch enemies off guard with sudden spikes in attack power.
Tonight's mission was specifically designed to test this theory, which was why they weren't targeting the usual street-level criminals. Common muggers and gang members wouldn't provide sufficient challenge to properly evaluate their new techniques. They needed opponents strong enough to push them to their limits—opponents like the enhanced criminals they'd faced before.
As they drove through Gotham's darkened streets, something unusual caught Selena's attention.
"Bruce, does that couple look strange to you?"
She was pointing to a man and woman walking hand-in-hand down the sidewalk. At first glance, they appeared to be just another pair of lovers enjoying a late-night stroll.
"What's strange about them?" Bruce asked, but as he followed Selena's gaze more carefully, he began to notice disturbing details. "Wait... why are there so many people out walking at this hour? And why do they all seem to be moving in the same direction?"
The more they observed, the more questions arose. The couples weren't just holding hands—they were walking in perfect synchronization, their steps matching with robotic precision. Their expressions were blank, almost vacant, and none of them seemed to be talking to their companions.
"Something's definitely wrong here," Bruce muttered, his instincts on high alert.
The strange scene had also caught Alfred's attention. Unlike Bruce and Selena, who had been completely absorbed in their studies, Alfred had been deeply involved in Wayne Enterprises' ongoing charitable work in Gotham. This had kept him connected to the city's rumor mill and street-level information networks.
"Master Bruce," Alfred's voice came through their communication system, "please be extremely careful tonight. I've been hearing some very disturbing rumors around the city recently."
"What kind of rumors?" Selena asked.
"Three specific threats, actually. There's supposedly a scarecrow figure who carries a scythe and appears at crime scenes. There are reports of someone who places pig heads on victims. And the third rumor—which seems to match what you're observing—involves people wandering the streets at night in some kind of trance state."
Alfred's tone was completely serious, which immediately got Bruce and Selena's full attention. Alfred never joked during active operations, especially when they were dealing with potentially dangerous situations.
"You think these rumors are connected to what we're seeing?" Bruce asked.
"If the third rumor is proving accurate," Alfred replied grimly, "then we should assume the first two are equally real. Please proceed with extreme caution."
Bruce and Selena quietly exited their vehicle and approached the strange pedestrians for a closer examination. What they discovered was even more disturbing than they'd anticipated.
The people's eyes were completely vacant, staring straight ahead without any sign of awareness or consciousness. They moved like automatons, their faces devoid of any emotion or recognition of their surroundings.
"These people are definitely not in their right minds," Selena whispered.
"I can see that," Bruce replied quietly. "But this looks more like some kind of mass hypnosis than a medical condition."
They found themselves facing a completely new type of threat. Their usual tactics for dealing with criminals or even enhanced individuals wouldn't apply to innocent civilians who were clearly being controlled against their will.
"Let's follow them," Bruce decided. "Someone has to be orchestrating this, and we need to find out who."
They tracked the hypnotized groups through Gotham's winding streets, staying far enough back to avoid detection while keeping the crowds in sight. What they eventually discovered left them both stunned.
A massive gathering had formed in what appeared to be an abandoned industrial area. Hundreds of people stood in perfect formation, all displaying the same vacant expressions and robotic movements they'd observed earlier. The newlywed couple they'd first noticed slowly merged into the crowd, taking their place among the other controlled individuals.
"What in the world is this supposed to accomplish?" Selena breathed, staring at the organized mass of people.
Before Bruce could respond, a figure emerged from the center of the crowd. The man wore an elaborate top hat that appeared to be made of paper or cardboard, decorated with cards and other whimsical elements. Despite the seemingly playful nature of his costume, there was something deeply menacing about his presence.
"Gordon!" the figure called out in a voice that carried across the entire gathering. "Come out! I know you're here somewhere! Show yourself!"
The Mad Hatter's plan was becoming clear. He had orchestrated this entire scenario—hypnotizing hundreds of innocent Gotham citizens—for the sole purpose of forcing Gordon into a confrontation. This was an elaborate trap designed to draw out the police commissioner so the Mad Hatter could exact whatever twisted revenge he had planned.
"I'm going to count to three," the Mad Hatter announced, his voice taking on a more threatening tone. "If you don't reveal yourself by the time I finish counting, then these lovely people will suffer the consequences of your cowardice!"
Bruce and Selena exchanged grim looks. They were witnessing a hostage situation involving hundreds of innocent civilians, orchestrated by someone with the power to control minds on a massive scale. This was exactly the kind of threat they had been training to handle, but it was also far more complex and dangerous than anything they'd faced before.
The night in Gotham was about to become very interesting indeed.