Chapter 61: Jonathan Poisoned (2k9)
Avery couldn't believe his own strength was no match for David's.
In the middle of the shattered earth, the soft soil was pressed as hard as stone. Purple ripples on David's body fluctuated like light waves on a star's surface, and the purple light in his eyes blazed like two small suns, exuding an oppressive aura. He seemed like a god descending to earth as he slowly spoke.
"Clearly, your speed isn't fast enough."
The power of that punch had forced him to use his physical strength, but after his skin emitted purple light, no one could detect the unusual color of his skin.
"This power?!"
Falcone and the others scrambled to their feet. As they looked down from the window again, their faces were filled with unconcealed shock.
The ground had been compressed dozens of centimeters deeper by the terrifying force, creating a hole dozens of meters wide. It looked like a missile strike, yet it was merely the result of the two of them exchanging a single punch.
Batman unconsciously clenched his fists, a flicker of shock in his eyes, his expression complex and unreadable.
"I don't believe it."
Amidst the roaring sound, Avery cracked the ground beneath his feet and shot forward like a cannonball, roaring ferociously as he swung his fist again.
How could he be stopped here?
This was just an unremarkable city on this planet.
"Your attack intent is as shallow as your adolescent brain, too easy to see through!"
Casually catching Avery's supersonic fist that tore through the air, David, having tested the extent of Clark's current abilities, decided he wouldn't play with Avery any longer and said coldly.
He raised his other hand, revealing the green Kryptonite ring.
"It's a meteorite, how could you know my weakness."
Under the radiation, Avery's divine power, comparable to a battleship's, rapidly drained away like a flood. He knelt on the ground in pain, looking up in terror.
David, who was holding his fist, didn't indulge his curiosity.
The Black King could enhance his strength, speed, and endurance by consuming his internal energy, but in his normal state, his strength was only comparable to Colossus, and his speed was only a dozen times faster than an average person.
"Any higher, and his fragile body wouldn't be able to withstand it; he could be torn apart by the energy if he lost control.
But I'm different."
A powerful physique could sometimes provide immense confidence.
Even though his current power level wasn't as high as the Black King's peak, with the enhancement of cosmic energy, his speed had reached four to five times the speed of sound.
"Still not as fast as Clark, but the gap has narrowed by four to five times. Avery, who possesses his abilities, is no longer so difficult to catch."
Bang!
Avery's eyes rolled back as he was knocked unconscious, his face rapidly swelling like a steamed bun.
With a slap, David vented some of his frustration at being forced to come to Gotham. He dragged the ring-clad, dog-like Avery, preparing to leave.
After taking two steps, he remembered something, turned back, and raised a finger, a beam of energy piercing the air.
Whoosh!
"Help!"
Debris flew from the fifth floor. The spot Falcone was standing on exploded, and he cried out as he fell.
Batman quickly fired his grappling hook and swung over to catch him, preventing the Gotham mob boss from becoming a bloody pulp before he could be imprisoned without trial.
"You think you can use me, old man?"
Looking at the pale-faced Falcone, David turned to leave, throwing a sentence at Batman.
"He's yours."
He hadn't forgotten how the old man had secretly rejoiced when he pointed out Avery's location, wanting to sit back and watch the tigers fight, using him to eliminate Avery, who was above him.
As David dragged Avery away, the mobsters who had been knocked down by the shockwaves picked themselves up from the ground, their injuries varying in severity.
But not one dared to block his path. They all fearfully made way as if avoiding a natural disaster, afraid of displeasing him by blocking his way.
"..."
Watching David's retreating figure with Avery, Batman's brow furrowed. He had no intention of stopping him, mainly because he wasn't confident he could stop him at the moment.
He had a strict no-kill principle to prevent himself from falling into darkness, but he rarely interfered with the actions of others.
Occupying Falcone's bedroom, his eyes held a brutal ferocity, looking at others as if they were insects or slaves. He didn't believe the person being taken away was an innocent, good citizen who usually helped old ladies cross the street.
...
It was already past midnight when Avery was captured yesterday.
He decided to rest another night in Gotham. As soon as dawn broke.
Pulling back the thick curtains of another hotel room, he saw, as expected, another overcast day.
Raindrops snaked down the window like tear tracks, ruining his good mood first thing in the morning.
He pulled the unconscious Avery, stuffed into the hotel wardrobe, out.
The problem was solved, and David prepared to return to the small town. Having stayed in Gotham for too long, whether it was the constant bad weather and perpetual gloom, it felt as if this place truly had a magic that made people feel inexplicably depressed.
"Though the town is remote, it makes people feel at ease and comfortable."
That small town, filled with wheat fields and corn, was remote and had nothing to do with prosperity. Yet, it was the place where he, his parents, and Clark lived together.
Once Clark's abilities were transferred back to him, he could continue to stay in the town and gain ability points from Clark.
After breakfast, David prepared to call his parents to let them know they would be returning home today.
But his phone suddenly rang.
"Clark?"
"David, something's wrong. Dad collapsed. He's in the hospital and unconscious," Clark's panicked voice came through the phone.
Last night, his father, Jonathan, returned home saying he had rescued someone on the way. The family, always happy to help, was pleased. There were no abnormalities after that, but this morning, his father's mood changed. Jonathan would often laugh and cry uncontrollably, and then he fainted while working in the barn, falling into a coma.
"What happened?"
Just as he was about to head home, hearing the bad news about his family, David's expression changed drastically. His father had always been strong and rarely showed fatigue even after a full day's work on the farm.
He immediately thought of Kryptonite. Prolonged exposure to Kryptonite radiation could cause cancer, like Lex Luthor in the comics.
But the Kryptonite was always safely stored in a lead-lined box, and it was kept behind walls and ceilings. By all accounts, there shouldn't have been any problems.
"What illness does Dad have?" he quickly asked.
"I'm not sure. Dad has been unconscious and feverish, and the hospital can't diagnose it.
But do you remember Kara, the new transfer student?"
In the busy hospital corridor, Clark, with a hint of anxiety on his face, glanced at Kara, who had just returned to the room after some investigation, and lowered his voice.
"She heard about Dad's condition and came to our house. After understanding what happened and investigating, she said Dad was poisoned by something called the Devil Flower."
"Kara? Poison?"
David's expression turned grim.
Was it an accident, or had someone deliberately poisoned him?
Kara, who had been sitting and resting, saw Clark on the phone and quickly walked over, signaling that she wanted to speak with David.
"David, Kara wants to talk to you."
After looking at the serious-looking Kara, Clark hesitated for a moment before handing her the phone.
Although they hadn't interacted much before, he felt Kara's concern and anxiety after his father fell ill were genuine. He just didn't know where this concern was coming from.
"Nama.
Your father has been poisoned by the Devil Flower."
Walking aside, away from Clark, Kara whispered and spoke quickly.
"I heard your father collapsed and immediately rushed to the hospital.
After hearing about what happened yesterday, I found out that the person he rescued was also in the hospital with a high fever and identical symptoms. I went to check the road where the incident occurred and found the Devil Flower there."
"What is the Devil Flower?"
Not paying attention to Kara's address, as his father seemed to have suffered a disaster without reason, David's tone was annoyed.
"The Devil Flower was first discovered by the town's residents hundreds of years ago in a wasteland on the outskirts of town. It's a local poisonous flower.
Anyone who smells its fragrance will cry and laugh, becoming inexplicably agitated, as if possessed by a demon, and soon after..."
"Soon after what?"
His expression changed.
"They die. That's why the flower is called the Devil Flower. After a brief period of frenzy, they are summoned by the devil."
"Modern medicine can't cure it?"
"All the Devil Flowers back then were burned. This kind of flower, which requires a harsh environment to grow, has been extinct for hundreds of years. The town hospital can't do anything, and... people poisoned by the Devil Flower usually don't live past a day."
Kara looked at Jonathan lying on the hospital bed through the glass window, her voice filled with sadness. She had heard things in town; this father who raised Nama was a universally praised good man.
"One day?"
One day was barely enough time to transfer hospitals, let alone for doctors to immediately research an antidote based on a flower poison that had been extinct for hundreds of years. It was asking too much.
David frowned, knowing that no matter how advanced modern medicine was, the poisons produced by some primitive plants and animals remained unconquered.
"Kara, I remember you once said your tribe were descendants of extraterrestrials.
Is there any way to treat this poison?"
He didn't blindly believe everything Kara said.
Hundreds of years ago, there were no Americans in this land, only indigenous people. He remembered Kara was from an indigenous tribe.
Perhaps Kara hadn't given up on that prophecy thing and had come up with this plan to gain his trust.
When it involved his parents, David was unwilling to let go of any possible solution.
"I can't do anything, Nama." In the hospital, Kara shook her head sadly.
Even though her tribe were descendants of aliens, they hadn't mastered any high-tech.
"Give the phone to Clark."
David said, barely suppressing his burning anxiety.
"David, what did Kara tell you? Do you have any way to help?"
Clark asked, his voice urgent, gritting his teeth.
"I can't imagine what will happen to this family if Dad doesn't make it."
He always hoped his younger brother, who was usually more resourceful than him, would tell him he had other hidden abilities, like being able to make seriously ill people recover with a wave of his hand.
"You keep Mom calm. Don't worry, Dad's illness isn't a problem."
David said quickly after taking a deep breath.
"I've found Avery, and I'm coming back right away."
After hanging up the phone, his expression was grim.
Even though his father was critically poisoned and on the brink of death, anything was possible in this world.
"There are plenty of ways to bring people back from the dead!"
Without even considering faraway options, just regarding Gotham, David could immediately think of two clues for treating Jonathan.
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