Chapter 62: The Lazarus Pit
"The Court of Owls, which secretly rules Gotham, created immortal 'Talons' with the magical metal Amber Gold to serve as their pawns."
David's eyes flickered.
Although Amber Gold could bring people back from the dead, greatly increase their strength and agility, and grant immortality, its effects were too slow.
It required the Amber Gold to be implanted into the body, fusing with the blood and cells year after year, all while keeping the corpse frozen, before a person could finally be revived.
"The process is too slow; this can be considered a last resort.
Another method—the Lazarus Pit!"
He picked up the pale and unconscious Avery, preparing to return to the small town first to check on his father's condition, as he couldn't rest easy otherwise.
"Although I'll have to return to Gotham later, at my full speed, traveling between the two places won't take more than a few minutes."
For ordinary people, the two cities were hours apart by car, but for him, it was no farther than going to the supermarket in town.
Bang bang bang!
Leaving the hotel, David broke the sound barrier, traveling at supersonic speeds, faster than the fastest reconnaissance fighter jet on Earth. In less than three minutes, he arrived at the small town hospital.
He left Avery on the rooftop and found his father's hospital room.
Creak.
"David."
As the hospital room door opened, Martha, who had been guarding her husband's side, her eyes brimming with tears, saw her youngest son return after a few days. She couldn't quite control her tears and called out, her voice trembling.
"Mother."
David, his brow furrowed, hugged his mother as he looked at his father, who lay unconscious on the hospital bed.
His father, usually optimistic and stubborn, strong as an ox, lay in bed with pale lips and a fever that left him delirious. It was heartbreaking.
"Son, have I ever told you and your brother about the first time your father and I met?"
The hospital had just confirmed that Jonathan had been poisoned by an unknown toxin, his body being destroyed, and he was in mortal danger within the day.
Martha, her eyes teary as she caressed her husband's face, said sadly.
"He was taking finance classes at Metropolis University. He was sitting by the fountain, wearing jeans, and eating an apple.
I asked him for his notes, but he didn't know I had already taken them."
"That was the first time we met. I thought about marrying him. I never imagined what our last meeting would be like..."
"He'll be alright, Mom. I already have a way to cure Dad!"
Listening to his mother's poignant memories, David gently placed his hand on her shoulder and couldn't help but interrupt.
He glanced back at Clark, his eyes filled with confusion. He had asked Clark to comfort their mother, so why was she still so sad?
Kara was also in the room, and Clark looked dejected and helpless.
His brother hadn't told him anything, just that he had a solution but couldn't explain it, making it hard for anyone to believe.
"Do you really have a way, son?"
Wiping her tears weakly, Martha turned back, her voice trembling.
"There is a spring in this world called the Lazarus Pit, and its water can heal injuries, grant eternal youth, and even bring the dead back to life," David said solemnly, looking at his father on the hospital bed.
[Confusion from Kara +0.11, Joy +0.10...]
Seeing Kara's joy, not tension or any other emotion, after he revealed the solution, David thought to himself that perhaps she wasn't the one who poisoned him, and he had wrongly suspected her.
"Lazarus? I remember that's a character from the Gospel of John in the Bible, who was critically ill and died, only to be resurrected after Jesus prayed for him."
Clark opened his mouth when he heard the exaggerated claims about the spring water, feeling as though it were a fairy tale.
Was his brother really making it up to comfort them?
Martha, still sad, also harbored some doubt.
"There are many wondrous things in this world that defy common sense, but they are not illusions," David hinted, believing his mother, Clark, and Kara understood his meaning.
"Someone discovered its ability to heal everything and bring the dead back to life, which is why it was named the Lazarus Pit."
However, there was one thing he didn't mention: the water from the Lazarus Pit had side effects.
If used excessively, it could amplify a person's dark side.
"So, we must find the spring water and bring it back before the toxin causes irreversible damage to his body, or at the very least, before my father dies," David's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness.
Reviving someone with the spring water would definitely have consequences; using it minimally to clear toxins from the body should be fine.
"Kara, thank you for this time."
Looking at Kara, who had rushed to the hospital the moment she heard about Jonathan's accident to help investigate the cause, David paused and said.
"Please stay with my mother. Clark and I will be back before dark."
Although he still didn't believe in prophecies, Kara genuinely wanted to help their family this time.
"Clark, come with me."
After speaking, he pulled Clark along and grabbed Avery from the rooftop, leaving.
They left the hospital and the battle moved to a power plant in the suburbs.
"To save Father this time, we'll likely need your speed."
The Lazarus Pit wasn't in this country.
"My speed?"
The scenery blurred before his eyes, and Clark, who had been brought to the power plant, shook his head, unaccustomed to it.
Let alone speed, he hadn't been able to do anything before. It was his brother who found a way to save their father. He wouldn't mind using his speed, or even giving up his powers permanently, if it meant saving him.
"What's wrong with him?"
He turned and saw Avery lying on the ground, pale and unconscious, and couldn't help but wonder if his brother had beaten someone into a vegetative state again.
"He's been wearing the Meteorite Ring for too long and fainted."
David made Clark hold Avery's hand and then directly ripped off a cable, shoving it into Clark's hand.
Crack!
Clark was crouching down to check on Avery's condition. Instinctively, he reached out and caught what his brother handed him. He turned his head only to find a high-voltage cable sparking with electricity.
"David?"
His eyes widened. He had lost his powers now.
Before he could throw the cable away, high-voltage current passed through him and Avery. The Kryptonite ring Avery was wearing glowed intensely green, and the visible high-voltage current turned green.
"Ahhh..."
His muscles convulsed, current surged through his entire body, and after a scream.
Clark opened his eyes, feeling like everything had returned. His body was filled with strength again. He threw away the cable in his hand and looked at his powerful palms, a look of surprise on his face.
If it were before, Clark would have been happy to regain his powers, but not this happy. It was just that his brother had said saving their father's life required his abilities.
"Wasn't that a bit reckless of you?"
Even though he had regained his powers, Clark couldn't help but criticize his brother's actions.
"Believe in yourself. You have great potential."
David took off the Kryptonite ring and put it away. He wasn't too surprised that the result had been achieved so easily. He patted Clark on the shoulder.
Superman could almost be considered the son of DC. As long as it wasn't too outrageous, they could mess with him however they wanted. At most, they'd just throw his corpse into the sun for a while.
Clark wanted to say something but stopped.
It was a good thing his brother believed in him, but for some reason, he felt a strange sense of panic.
He felt it would be better if his brother didn't trust him too much.
"Ah! My heart, my heart hurts so much..."
Suddenly, Avery woke up. He didn't understand why the Kent brothers were standing before him. The searing pain in his heart felt like it was being roasted and about to explode, making it impossible for him to think.
"Avery, what's wrong?"
Clark quickly asked.
But Avery couldn't answer. His blood accelerated like an uncontrollable tide, veins bulged on his forehead, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"David?"
"Don't look at me for everything. I didn't do anything."
Seeing Avery suddenly die, David frowned.
Perhaps this was the price of gaining the power of an earthly god?
"Maybe a tiny bit of energy is still lingering inside him.
Without your constitution, he can't withstand that energy."
Clark's powers allowed Avery's cells to absorb solar energy, but without a strong constitution, this energy became a death sentence.
"Let's not worry about him for now.
We're going to Gotham now."
"Gotham?" Thinking of the more pressing matter related to his unconscious father, Clark quickly turned his head, no longer dwelling on the current issue.
His brother had just been to Gotham.
"There's someone there who should be able to tell us the exact location of the Lazarus Pit."
David looked in the direction of Gotham.
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