The next day, Lois Lane and Chloe Sullivan sat inside a quiet coffee shop in Riverside City, each with a cup in hand.
"I always thought you would pour everything into your career," Lois said, setting her cup down, her tone casual but observant. "Did not expect you to still be buried in school papers."
Chloe gave a small shrug. "Right now, I am still a student. Even if I doubt it will matter much later on, the world still expects a diploma."
Lois smirked faintly as she opened her bag, pulling out her notes. "At least you have a plan."
"We have already spread enough information across the streets and online," Chloe continued, leaning back slightly. "Clark should find us soon."
"I did not expect you two to have this much free time."
The familiar voice came from behind them.
Chloe turned quickly, surprise flashing across her face before it softened into a smile. "Clark!"
Clark Kent stood there, and Chloe wasted no time stepping forward to hug him.
"Lois kept insisting you would show up," Chloe said, pulling back with a grin. "I was not completely convinced, but I guess her instincts still work."
"If I were drunk right now, Chloe, I might throw you over my shoulder," Lois replied dryly. "Lucky for you, I am sober."
Chloe laughed. "Please. You remember what happened back at the paper, right? He handled that guy just fine. Drunk or not, that would not work on him."
"Who knows," Lois shot back. "He is still your homegrown cousin."
"Hey, what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Adrian cut in immediately, clearly unimpressed.
After a brief round of bickering, the mood settled, and the conversation turned serious.
Lois looked directly at Clark, her expression shifting as she recounted recent events in Metropolis.
She focused especially on what Chloe had done, lifting Atlantis from the ocean floor and casting it into the desert.
"It feels like he is crossing lines faster now," Lois said, stirring her coffee slowly.
Clark frowned, listening carefully.
"I am his brother," Lois continued, her voice tightening. "And if he falls any further, no one else will be able to stop him. Only you can. Do not tell me you plan to sit this out and pretend none of it concerns you."
She set the spoon down with a soft clink.
"If you walk away now, then in my eyes, you are just a coward."
Clark adjusted his glasses, taking a breath. "I am not running away. I just needed space, that is why I came here."
"Good," Lois replied immediately. "Then come back with me to Metropolis."
Clark shook his head. "Not yet."
"Why not?"
He hesitated before answering. "My abilities have weakened. If I face Chloe now, I might not be able to win."
"What?" Lois and Adrian both reacted at once.
Clark coughed lightly, avoiding direct eye contact. "Part of my power has been separated from me."
There was a brief silence as that sank in.
Lois exhaled slowly. "Fine. Maybe I expected too much too soon. But you still need to return and deal with him."
She grabbed Clark's arm firmly.
"You know his weaknesses. Before, you held back too much. You cared too much. I do not have that problem. If stopping him means getting ruthless, then so be it. Adrian and I will back you."
Her voice softened slightly, though the urgency remained.
"If he keeps going like this, the entire world is going to become unstable."
Clark looked at her. "Is it really getting that bad?"
Far away in Metropolis, inside a high security prison designed for super powered individuals, Chloe stood in the warden's office, gazing down at the facility below.
Behind her stood Mera.
"If everything depends on one person's will," Chloe said calmly, "then yes, it can be dangerous. But from another perspective, I see everything, I control everything. If my will extends across the world, then the world becomes safer."
Mera smiled faintly as she stepped closer. "You are not a god. Gods are supposed to be beyond emotion. The moment emotions enter the equation, judgment becomes flawed."
She paused, her smile sharpening.
"That said, I have no interest in your arguments about control or freedom. Those are human concerns. I would rather watch how it all plays out. Maybe you will destroy each other."
Chloe did not respond immediately.
"Why are you here today?" Mera asked.
"Some of the inmates have been difficult," Chloe replied, turning toward the door.
They moved through several corridors before reaching the secured detention area.
A silver door stood before them. Chloe placed her hand against the scanner, unlocking it.
A soft beep sounded as the door opened, revealing a sign that read Superhuman Detention Area.
Inside, rows of reinforced glass cells lined both sides of the corridor. The transparent barriers allowed a clear view inside each room.
Mera followed, her curiosity evident.
In one of the cells, a large man sat quietly, focused on a Rubik's Cube in his hands. As he turned it, the colors shifted rapidly, forming and reforming patterns with unnatural precision.
"Why keep them alive?" Mera asked.
Chloe glanced at her. "Do I look like someone who kills without reason?"
Mera answered with a quiet laugh.
Chloe ignored it and continued forward until they reached the final cell.
Inside stood a tall blonde woman.
Mera studied her carefully, her expression thoughtful. She wondered if there was something more to this prisoner, something personal.
Even though the woman could not see outside, she seemed to sense their presence. She stood, walked up to the glass, and without hesitation, raised her middle finger toward them.