"Eric!"
Eric was at the Justice Society Headquarters, preparing to leave, when he was suddenly called out by Bart.
"What is it, Bart?"
Eric had always been more polite to Bart, the Kid Flash who had followed him from the beginning.
"I heard those soldiers took some kind of super-soldier serum you created. Is that true? Are we doing something like that?"
Bart asked Eric with concern.
"I had already created it before the Metropolis incident. Applying it to soldiers' bodies won't cause too many problems."
Eric said with a cold expression.
"I…"
Bart shook his head, "I don't think it's an extreme problem anymore; I think it's already the level of a mad scientist. Eric, I…"
"Have you ever played chess, Bart?"
Eric suddenly asked Bart.
"I… I didn't expect you to ask that."
Bart hesitated, "I played when I was a kid, but I guess I never had enough time to slow down and learn seriously."
"Is that so?"
Eric looked into his eyes and said, "How fast can you learn?"
Before Bart could answer, Eric activated his super speed, and in less than a second, set up a chessboard on the table.
Seeing the chessboard Eric had set up, Bart could only sit opposite Eric.
"Alright, I don't know if I can beat you, but I can try, using both our super speeds."
Eric sat opposite Bart, holding his chin with his hand, his right hand resting on the table.
"How fast will you think, Bart?"
"There's no way to know."
Bart shook his head and said.
But he quickly changed his statement, "No, it will be very fast, my thinking speed will be incredibly fast!"
As he spoke, he used his lightning speed to move the pieces on the chessboard.
Eric's super speed also captured his opponent's chess moves, making his next move in less than 1 second.
Bart was not to be outdone, quickly keeping up with Eric's chess moves.
Their hands left afterimages on the chessboard, and the only sound in the entire room was the "clack clack" of the pieces landing on the board.
"I've always considered you my brother."
Bart said to Eric while playing chess rapidly:
"I don't know how to describe the feeling, but I've always considered Smallville my home and you my family. A long time has passed since our first meeting, when I tried to push Jonathan away. I don't know what changes your thoughts have undergone in between, but I've never changed."
Eric was noncommittal to his statement, "I have never changed my mind."
"Even if you lock up those metahumans?"
Bart quickly played chess while thinking about what he wanted to say to Eric.
"It's like implementing gun control because of concerns about a potential upcoming conflict."
Eric was silent for a moment, then said, "I don't think gun control is something I couldn't do either. Whatever we want to do, we can always do it, you and I, can't we?"
Saying that, he made a move at super speed.
Bart replied, "If you were to do that, how many days would it take? One day, or two? You can't catch all metahumans, just like you can't ban all firearms."
"We can do most of it."
"That's right."
Bart said, "But that's only because we can do it, not because we have to do it, otherwise, Eric, they will always hate you!"
"Yes, they will hate me as long as they live."
"I know, but they will rise up."
"This world will never lack people who hate me!"
Eric said coldly to Bart, "I'm just finding a way to reduce harm to this world."
"I just feel that your methods are becoming more and more radical."
Sweat beaded on Bart's forehead; Eric's offensive on the chessboard was becoming increasingly dangerous, making it harder and harder for him to parry.
"This world is not trustworthy. I am protecting everything I want to protect in my own way. You never know what our future will face!"
Eric moved his chess piece towards the opponent's king, "Checkmate!"
"If that day comes, I will use my power, my way, to protect everyone I care about."
"Anyone who stands in my way, I will eliminate without hesitation, even if that person is a righteous one in your eyes."
Eric stood up, his sharp gaze fixed on Bart.
"Do not underestimate my will for this world, my will to change."
After speaking, Eric turned and left.
"I still have something to do; I need to go to the metahuman prison."
Bart looked at Eric's departing back, sighed dejectedly, then looked down at the chessboard where he had been utterly defeated, his expression becoming even more complex.
"Also, tell Jenna to stay away from those people in Blue Valley."
Eric's final words reached his ears.
He knew what Eric meant.
Jenna had been hanging out with Stargirl and her group in Blue Valley lately.
Pat and Stargirl's group had always been opposed to Eric.
Eric naturally wouldn't be pleased with Jenna associating with these people.
"Alright, I'll tell her."
He sighed.
Smallville.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"