Hearing the Kryptonian Woman say that General Zod had escaped from the Phantom Zone and was already headed for Earth, Eric's brows furrowed slightly.
"How much time do we have, Rika?"
"About a week."
The Kryptonian Woman looked at Eric with a stern expression, "General Zod needs to inspect the old colonial outposts, those left behind from Krypton's colonial era.
Armor, weapons, and the engine to provide General Zod's spaceship with space jumps—he needs some time to gather them."
"Is that so?!"
Eric looked up at the sky outside the barn.
Did time move up?
In his impression, General Zod only appeared when Clark graduated from college and was wandering around society.
Now it's so much earlier?
Is it because his transmigration disrupted the timeline?
Or is the DC Universe he transmigrated into just one of many DC parallel universes?
Eric fell into deep thought, while Clark, beside him, put down his axe and asked Rika, "General Zod was your former leader?"
The cold-faced Kryptonian Woman glanced at Clark, "Yes."
Clark had wanted to ask Rika for her opinion on her former leader, but seeing her unfriendly gaze, he immediately swallowed the words he was about to say.
Clark had always been very curious about how the Kryptonian Woman became Eric's subordinate, but the reason was not complicated.
Eric simply pulled her into the Devourer of Heaven's "Shadow Land," letting her experience the feeling of being in hell.
Then, he used a carrot and stick approach, promising her enough benefits.
Such as the knowledge about rebuilding Krypton recorded in the lost Kryptonian Code he inherited.
These things were enough to make Rika start thinking about whether to choose to be loyal to Zod and then face Death, or surrender to Eric.
Of course, Eric was not afraid of her betraying him; he had implanted a kryptonite bomb, made by Hamilton, into the Kryptonian Woman's body.
If she made any rash moves, he would immediately eliminate her.
"I'm giving you a mission, Rika!"
Eric gazed at the Kryptonian Woman, who had bronze skin and exuded a wild beauty.
"Return to General Zod's side and go undercover."
Hearing Eric's command, Rika did not hesitate and nodded.
"I understand!"
She knew Eric wanted her to be a spy.
Having already accepted Eric as her master, she now believed that he would become a more outstanding Kryptonian leader than General Zod, so she naturally had no thoughts of resistance.
After Rika, with her long legs, left, Clark looked at Eric with worried eyes.
"Are you sure you want her to be a spy?"
"Are you worried about her safety, Clark?"
Eric turned around and asked him.
"No!"
Clark shook his head, "I just can't be sure if she's trustworthy."
"There's never a hundred percent risk-free situation in this world; as long as the risk doesn't exceed expectations, it's acceptable."
"Is that so?"
Clark watched Rika instantly fly into the sky and nodded, "I almost forgot, she's also one of our people."
In the afternoon.
Eric and Clark entered the Metropolis Medical Center together.
As soon as they entered the hospital, they saw Lionel of the Luther Family walking out of Jonathan's room.
Upon seeing the two, Lionel was stunned for a moment.
After realizing, he walked towards the two brothers, "Hi, Eric, Clark!"
Eric ignored him, gave him a cold glance, and walked towards Jonathan's room.
As for Clark, he exchanged a few words with him.
Upon entering the room, they saw Martha standing by the window, arms crossed, gazing at the blooming roses outside.
Hearing the sound, Martha turned around.
"Where's Rachel?"
After hugging her two sons, Martha asked Eric.
"She's resting at home, Mom, don't worry about her.
Usually, at this time, she'll sleep until three in the afternoon before waking up and complaining about being hungry."
Eric replied to his mother.
"I always get a headache with her running around."
Martha sat down and said helplessly, "Rachel inherited your restless nature from when you were little.
Being able to lie in bed and sleep for a few hours is the most worry-free thing for me."
Martha, looking a bit tired, complained to Eric.
"Yes, she's always been naturally active."
Eric smiled slightly beside her.
"Mom."
After a few words about Rachel, Eric shifted the topic.
"Can I talk to you? Outside."
"Of course."
Martha, somewhat surprised, followed Eric out of the room and walked towards the public lounge area.
Clark remained in the room to look after Jonathan.
"Actually, I…"
Eric hesitated, then said, "I want to take Dad out of the hospital."
"Why?"
Martha showed a puzzled expression.
"We've encountered some trouble; General Zod of Krypton will arrive on Earth soon.
His malice towards us and Earth surpasses any other existence.
I don't want you and Dad to get hurt."
Eric did not hide anything and directly told his mother his thoughts.
"Like last time? You and Clark fought, and Jonathan and I hid at Winters's house?"
Martha shook her head, reached out and took Eric's right hand, "Eric, I won't leave Jonathan, nor will I leave you.
Jonathan needs treatment in the hospital, and he can't leave the hospital, and neither can I."
"Winters's place has better security."
Eric told his mother.
Martha brushed the hair from her forehead and smiled at Eric, "Hiding and escaping aren't ways to solve all problems.
Every step we take determines the final outcome; our feet will walk to the destination we choose."
"You and Clark just need to send Rachel to Winters's place; your father and I won't leave here."
Looking at Martha's determined eyes, Eric knew he couldn't persuade his mother.
"I'll have Jenna and Bart protect you."
Helpless, Eric could only resort to the last option: having two metahumans protect his parents.
Meanwhile, in the hospital room, Clark sat beside the bed, looking at his father's unconscious face.
With a melancholic expression in his eyes, he held his father's hand.
He had a lot he wanted to pour out to his father, but now he couldn't say anything.
"Dad, I…"
He suddenly remembered the first time he awakened his superpowers.
He had gotten into a fight with a boy who was bullying a female classmate and accidentally deformed the metal fence by the school.
Eric turned and told his father about it.
Jonathan didn't criticize him but told him that his talent was given by God, that he wasn't a monster, but someone destined to change the world.
He cried and asked his father, "Can I continue to pretend to be your son?"
His father replied: Always.
"If I could, I would want to keep pretending to be your son."
Clark looked at his sleeping father's face and whispered.
"Ever since you've been in bed, Dad, I've tried to carry the farm on my shoulders like you did.
I thought it would be simple, just like you made it seem, but I found it wasn't simple at all.
Being a farmer is more complicated than going to college.
At least in college, you don't have to worry about feed making the horses sick, or about the financial crises that could appear at any time."
At this moment, Clark realized for the first time how his father supported their family.
"Dad, I learned responsibility from you.
You always talked about my responsibility, and I always thought it was an abstract concept, but now I understand!"
A faint smile appeared on Clark's lips as he held Jonathan's unresponsive hands.
Thump!
The room door was pushed open, and Eric and Martha walked in together.
-------------------------------
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