"While your Joker level attempt at intimidation is mildly entertaining, this ends here."
Adrian stepped forward.
In the next instant, he vanished from where he stood and appeared directly in front of the massive biker.
The man barely had time to react.
His eyes widened in shock as Adrian suddenly stood inches away from him.
"What the fu..."
Before he could finish, Adrian's hand shot out and wrapped around his throat.
The biker's voice died instantly.
Pain exploded across his face.
His body trembled violently as Adrian lifted him slightly off the floor. The pressure around his neck felt like burning steel tightening against his windpipe.
The man clawed desperately at Adrian's arm, but none of it mattered.
His strength disappeared almost immediately.
His breathing became shallow.
For a terrifying second, he genuinely felt death creeping closer.
The remaining bikers snapped out of their shock and rushed forward to help their friend.
Adrian barely glanced at them.
Then he casually threw the giant biker aside.
Boom!
The man's body smashed across several tables before crashing into the floor hard enough to crack the polished tiles beneath him. Chairs splintered apart from the impact and slid across the café.
The entire Talon fell silent.
Before anyone could fully process what happened, Adrian moved again.
The white haired biker charged toward him.
Adrian threw a single punch.
The man's chest caved inward slightly as the hit landed.
He flew backward like he'd been hit by a speeding truck, crashing across the room before slamming against a wall beside the jukebox.
Everything happened too quickly for the others to react properly.
One moment they were charging.
The next, two of their group were already broken on the floor.
Chloe immediately took advantage of the opening.
Breathing sharply, she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a compact pepper spray canister.
Unlike the cheap aerosol versions, this one fired a concentrated stream.
The kind designed to stop violent attackers.
The shorter biker turned toward her just as she sprayed him directly in the eyes.
He screamed instantly, stumbling backward while clawing at his face.
The last biker reacted faster than the others.
Instead of charging recklessly, he grabbed Chloe's wrist while pulling a knife from his belt.
But Chloe had enough fight experience to stay composed.
She twisted sideways and sprayed him directly into his mouth and throat.
The effect was immediate.
The man collapsed onto the floor coughing violently before rolling across the cold tiles in agony. Tears, mucus, and saliva poured from his face while his skin turned bright red.
Within seconds, every biker in the Talon was down.
The only sounds left were groans and ragged breathing.
Chloe finally exhaled heavily.
The adrenaline crash hit her almost immediately.
"Thanks, Adrian."
She looked around at the destroyed café before glancing toward Barry.
"And thanks to you too, Barry. If you guys hadn't stepped in, those idiots probably wouldn't have stopped."
Barry looked deeply embarrassed.
Honestly, he felt useless.
Not only had he failed to help much, he'd gotten blindsided with a pool cue almost immediately after jumping in.
"I didn't really do anything," Barry admitted awkwardly. "If Adrian wasn't here, I probably would've ended up worse than you."
Chloe laughed softly.
"You still tried."
She nudged him lightly with her elbow.
"There's no rule saying heroes can't screw up sometimes."
Barry rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward smile.
That somehow made him feel even worse.
Just minutes earlier, he'd been talking about becoming stronger.
Then the first real fight ended with him nearly getting his skull cracked open.
The contrast was painful.
Meanwhile, Chloe pulled out her phone and called the police.
Adrian simply stood nearby without saying a word.
The reason he hadn't killed or permanently crippled the bikers was simple.
Too many people were watching.
The Talon was tied to Martha Kent and Nell Potter. Causing a public massacre inside the café would only create unnecessary trouble for people connected to him.
Even Chloe seemed slightly surprised by his restraint.
Normally, Adrian wasn't known for showing mercy once violence started.
A minute later, footsteps echoed from the staircase upstairs.
Nell hurried down into the café.
The moment she saw the destruction, she froze.
"Oh my God!"
She immediately rushed toward Chloe.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Nell."
Chloe reassured her quickly.
"You know Adrian was here. Nothing was going to happen."
Nell finally relaxed slightly and looked toward Adrian.
"That's true," she admitted with a tired sigh. "Adrian always solves problems. Even if his methods tend to terrify everyone nearby."
A faint smirk appeared on Chloe's face.
Adrian ignored the comment entirely.
Five minutes later, after the police sirens became audible in the distance, Barry headed home while Adrian left the Talon alone.
The streets of Smallville were quieter at night.
Storefront lights reflected across the pavement while pickup trucks occasionally rolled past the empty roads. The town still carried that familiar rural atmosphere, peaceful on the surface despite everything hidden underneath.
The fight at the Talon barely stayed on Adrian's mind.
Handling a few drunken bikers wasn't even enough to qualify as exercise.
"Hey!"
Footsteps approached from behind.
Chloe jogged up beside him.
"Why do you walk so damn fast? I haven't even properly thanked you yet."
"There's no need."
Adrian kept walking.
"Just consider it boredom."
"You're not bored," Chloe replied immediately.
She shoved both hands into her jacket pockets while walking beside him.
"You've always done things like this."
Adrian glanced at her briefly.
"Back in high school, Clark and you helped me deal with a group of idiots outside Smallville High. You probably don't even remember it."
"I don't."
"That's my point."
Chloe smiled faintly.
"You do things, then act like they never mattered."
Her expression softened slightly.
"Like the bus accident."
Adrian's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
"The official story became Clark saving everyone," Chloe continued. "But when I interviewed people afterward, a few students swore they saw you pulling the bus."
She looked directly at him.
"Just like tonight. You help people, then pretend you didn't."
Adrian stopped walking for a second.
"Did you chase me down just to analyze my personality?"
Chloe laughed quietly.
"No."
Then her expression dimmed slightly.
"I just wanted to talk."
There was a brief pause before she spoke again.
"Especially after Lana."
The mood shifted instantly.
Even the nighttime air felt heavier.
But Chloe quickly shook it off and reached into her backpack.
"Oh, right. There's something else."
She handed Adrian several folders.
"These were Lana's."
Adrian took them silently.
"Remember your book, Cthulhu?" Chloe asked. "Lana was the one who brought your manuscript home to Nell. That's how it eventually got published."
Adrian glanced at her.
"In a way, she helped start your career."
Chloe smiled sadly.
"Afterward, she started writing stories herself. Inspired by your style."
Adrian lowered his gaze toward the papers.
That didn't surprise him.
Betty had also started experimenting with similar horror writing styles recently.
Apparently women around him had developed strange literary tastes.
"Hm."
Chloe continued speaking while matching Adrian's pace.
"Nell gave me all of Lana's drafts earlier today."
Her voice softened.
"I thought maybe they deserved to be published someday."
Adrian opened the manuscript.
The title immediately caught his eye.
Don't Bury Me.
His gaze moved down the page.
"I exercise vigorously. I breathe fresh air. I avoid thoughts of death. I abandoned horror novels and stopped reading gloomy poetry. Since that unforgettable night, I became a different person."
The story described someone trapped inside a coffin, fully conscious while the world believed they were dead.
The writing carried a suffocating atmosphere.
Psychological.
Claustrophobic.
Disturbingly vivid.
Adrian read several paragraphs silently.
"Fear was always the source of my illness," one line read. "Not the result."
Chloe watched him carefully.
"Sometimes I still wonder if Lana's alive somewhere," she admitted quietly. "Like maybe we buried her before we were supposed to."
Adrian remained silent.
After another moment, he closed the manuscript.
"Can I borrow these?"
"Of course."
Chloe handed over the remaining drafts without hesitation.
After a short silence, she spoke again.
"Actually... can I interview you?"
"About what?"
"Gotham."
By then they'd reached a street corner near downtown Smallville.
Adrian thought for a moment before nodding.
"Fine."
Chloe blinked.
"You agreed way too easily. Now I'm suspicious."
A teasing smile appeared on her face.
"My parents aren't home right now, by the way."
The implication in her tone was obvious.
Adrian simply ignored it.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at Chloe's house.
Like most upper middle class homes in Smallville, it was a two story suburban house with a front lawn, wooden porch, and detached garage.
The Sullivan family clearly lived comfortably.
After entering, Chloe tossed her backpack onto the couch and turned toward him.
"Want something to drink?"
"No."
"I'm making coffee anyway."
Without waiting for an answer, she disappeared into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, she returned carrying two mugs filled with freshly ground coffee.
"You know," Chloe said while setting one down in front of him, "Clark's been here a hundred times, but I don't think you ever visited once."
"Thank you," Adrian replied, completely sidestepping the question.
Chloe rolled her eyes.
"Still impossible as usual."
While she prepared her recording equipment, Adrian quietly examined the room.
The house had a warm, lived in atmosphere.
Bookshelves lined the walls beside framed awards and journalism trophies Chloe had earned over the years.
One framed photo near the cabinet caught Adrian's attention.
Clark.
Pete.
Chloe.
And himself.
The picture had been taken during their senior year at Smallville High.
Clark had his arm around Pete while Pete made an exaggerated West Coast hand sign toward the camera.
Meanwhile, Adrian stood at the edge of the photo looking mildly annoyed to even be there.
Chloe noticed where he was looking.
Her expression softened slightly.
"That was before graduation."
"Yes."
A faint silence lingered between them.
Then Chloe cleared her throat and sat down across from him.
"Alright, Mr. President."
She turned on the recorder.
"Let's begin."
The interview started formally enough.
Chloe asked about Gotham City Hall, the terrorist attack, and the enhanced soldiers currently stationed throughout the city.
Adrian answered every question smoothly.
"Batman hasn't appeared publicly in quite a while," Chloe eventually said. "Did he disappear?"
"I don't know."
Adrian answered without hesitation.
Despite personally breaking several of Batman's ribs at ACE Chemicals not long ago, his expression remained perfectly composed.
After another series of questions, Chloe finally turned the recorder off.
"The official interview's done."
She took a slow breath.
"Now I want to ask something personal."
Adrian looked at her.
Chloe hesitated briefly before speaking.
"Adrian... if I stopped being a reporter someday, what would you think?"