Damn it, I’m surrounded by those who kill their fathers!

The pilot of the passenger plane quickly noticed an unidentified flying object approaching at high speed.

"Damn it! What is that?"

The captain, drenched in sweat, watched as the aircraft's radar issued warnings.

"Switch to manual control, damn it!"

An experienced pilot, the captain immediately began operating the plane with the fastest possible reactions.

Meanwhile, Clark, who was being dragged toward the plane by John, grabbed at John's clothing, attempting to break free from his grip.

Amid their struggle, the originally collision-bound speed significantly slowed.

"Bang!"

Clark's back slammed into the plane's engine, the sturdy aerospace-grade metal bending upon impact.

He let out a muffled groan of pain.

Before he could recover, John seized his shirt again and hurled him viciously toward the ground.

Inside the plane, a boy was the first to spot the two figures. Staring in shock at John, who hovered in the air with glowing red eyes, the boy was left speechless.

Meanwhile, at the Padrick Farm

Star-Lord, dizzy from being thrown to the ground, struggled to his feet. What greeted him was a scene of chaos—nearby fields were ablaze, and crops were burning in the distance.

Seeing the destruction, Star-Lord panicked and rushed to extinguish the flames. He tried using water but quickly realized the fire had grown too large for him to handle alone.

"What do I do? What do I do?"

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he desperately sought a solution.

"No! I can't let Dad's farm burn down. I promised him that one day I'd take him and the farm on an interstellar trip. I won't let this happen!"

At his moment of despair, the bracelet gifted to him by Kelly suddenly began to glow faintly.

The white light from the bracelet, combined with the celestial power within Star-Lord, caused his body to transform rapidly.

Feeling heat emanating from his body, he glanced at his arms in surprise.

To his shock, the bracelet's star-shaped emblem shone brightly.

Enveloped in a white light, Star-Lord's body morphed into that of a giant white wolf.

Radiating intense heat, he looked at his torn clothing and then at the bracelet on his paw, finally understanding why he had transformed.

Kelly's tribe, the Kawachi, was also known as the "Phantom Beast Clan."

His father had told him that the people of Kelly's tribe possessed the ability to transform into animals.

"Could it be that this bracelet from Aunt Kelly allows me to transform too?"

He now felt a closer connection to Aunt Kelly.

Star-Lord also began to doubt John's earlier words.

"Am I really Aunt Kelly's child?"

Facing the growing flames, the searing heat, and the crackling sounds of the burning fields, Star-Lord pushed aside his confusion and sprinted toward the fire with newfound speed.

"Thud!"

With agility unbefitting his large frame, he leapt over the flames and into the heart of the inferno.

As a giant wolf, he felt his body become much lighter.

Tapping into the energy within him, he opened his mouth and released it outward.

"Boom!"

A burst of pure white energy exploded, sending shockwaves across the field.

The flames were extinguished in an instant by the powerful gusts.

"Phew!"

Taking a deep breath, Star-Lord surveyed the scorched but no longer burning crops, letting out a sigh of relief.

Though the crops were damaged by the shockwaves, he had managed to put out the fire.

"Dad's definitely going to praise me for this."

Just as a hint of pride appeared on his face, a loud rumbling sound echoed from the distance.

"?!"

He looked up in confusion and saw a plane hurtling toward him.

In utter disbelief, he watched as the aircraft crashed heavily into the farmland.

The plane's belly scraped along the ground, throwing up dirt and debris as it plowed through the fields.

The crops were flattened by the impact and the accompanying shockwaves.

The deafening noise reverberated in all directions as the plane continued skidding, devastating an entire stretch of farmland before coming to a halt.

Seeing the massive machine destroy his father's crops, Star-Lord let out a heartbroken whimper.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The plane made an emergency landing in the field, passengers inside screaming in terror.

Luckily, death spared this flight, as the captain managed to bring the plane to a safe stop.

As the aircraft finally settled, Star-Lord stared at the steaming wreckage in shock.

"Click!"

The cabin door opened, and terrified passengers slid down the emergency chutes.

Meanwhile, at a Metropolis Bar

Peter, unaware that his three troublesome "huskies" back home had destroyed the house and caused a plane to crash into the farm, was chatting with Martian Manhunter over drinks.

Taking a swig of tequila, Peter broke the bottle cap and downed it in one go.

"Smooth, tangy—perfect," he remarked, then asked, "Does red kryptonite have any other effects?"

Martian Manhunter replied, "Typically, it's a multi-functional substance. It can make Kryptonians evil and enhance their strength. It's best if Clark doesn't come into contact with it."

Seeing Peter's peculiar expression, Martian Manhunter probed, "Don't tell me Clark's already been exposed to red kryptonite?"

"Probably. The prom rings sold at Smallville High are made from this meteorite."

Martian Manhunter's jaw dropped. "Are you saying the school is distributing these meteorites to students?"

"Yes, though red kryptonite is extremely rare. I'd never seen it in Smallville before. Perhaps the school sourced it from somewhere."

"Even if red kryptonite is rare, there's plenty of green kryptonite in town. How did Clark survive growing up there unscathed? It must've been divine intervention."

Martian Manhunter marveled at Clark's resilience.

"Aren't you worried about Clark?"

Noticing Peter's lack of concern, Martian Manhunter asked curiously.

"Even if Clark turned bad, the worst he'd do is try to make money or put kittens on tree branches where they can't get down."

Peter said confidently, "Or maybe he'd argue with his parents and join the football team against their wishes."

"You seem to know him well."

"Of course. I practically watched him grow up."

"Then you don't entirely understand him," Martian Manhunter said, setting his glass down for a refill.

"Clark's biggest struggle is his sense of identity," he continued. "Jonathan always believed Clark came to Earth for a purpose. He never wanted Clark to hide his differences forever, but in doing so, he's also suppressed him."

"Clark was never just an ordinary human. He's always known he's different but doesn't understand why."

Peter listened in silence as Martian Manhunter went on, "You gave him a sense of purpose. You made him feel like you two are kindred spirits. That's why he's strong, free, and joyful around you."

"You remember training him to super-jump? He was so happy back then. Not because of the ability, but because he felt he had a purpose."

Peter nodded solemnly. "Yeah. He's a lonely guy. More so than John—a ghost struggling to belong."

Martian Manhunter agreed. "Through you, he connects to the world. It's a profound bond but can also be deeply isolating."

Just then, Peter's phone rang. He saw Jonathan's name on the screen.

After a brief exchange, Peter hung up, his expression grim.

"What happened?" Martian Manhunter asked.

"Clark fought with his parents, rode off on their motorcycle, and said he's moving in with me."

"Told you so," Martian Manhunter said, shrugging.

Peter was about to call the farm when a breaking news report on the bar's TV caught his attention.

"CBS emergency update: At 2:12 PM, a passenger plane from Sacramento to Metropolis made an emergency landing in Smallville. Surveillance footage captured the aircraft skidding across farmland before safely stopping."

Peter froze, recognizing the farm in the footage.

It was his.

The place looked like it had been hit by a bomb—fields wrecked, the barn damaged, and the living room ruined.

Gripping his glass tightly, Peter's face darkened.