Silent Strength

Soren was completely speechless.

What kind of Kryptonian is Clark Kent?

He couldn't figure out what was going on in Clark's head at all.

Soren stomped his foot in frustration, "I don't need you to carry me! But what about you? Are you still feeling sick?"

That big chunk of kryptonite had been hanging around Clark's neck for a long time.

Soren was worried it might have caused some lasting effects.

Clark quickly responded, "I'm fine now. I feel... I feel great, actually."

Soren blinked his eyes, thinking about what Clark said, but didn't push the issue.

By the time they got home, it was almost midnight.

Renee had been about to call the police when she couldn't find Soren when she bringing the milk into his room.

Thankfully, Soren came home just in time to avoid a full-blown panic.

Both of the Hargreaves couple made sure Soren went straight to bed.

He lay there, leaning back on his pillows, repeatedly promising them he wouldn't leave the house again without telling someone.

Only then did they leave his room.

Over at Clark's house, Martha and Jonathan had also left the living room light on, waiting for him to come home.

The Kents couple didn't scold Clark right away.

Instead, they carefully asked what he had been doing.

When Clark hesitated and didn't give them a straight answer, Martha gently asked, "Did you use your powers?"

She figured Clark had gone out to help someone.

Ever since he was little, Clark loved helping people around town.

He'd save cats stuck in trees, fetch footballs that had fallen into ravines, and even help straighten out bent signs for repairmen.

He loved doing things like that.

But the Kents worried about this.

They wanted Clark to take more time for himself, to enjoy being a kid, instead of running around until late at night.

Clark shook his head quickly, "No, not tonight, Mom. Please stop asking—I'm fine."

Martha gave a small smile and glanced at the faint red paint marks still on his chest.

She exchanged a look with Jonathan, and they both silently shook their heads, understanding each other perfectly.

That night, Soren snuck out again.

He transformed into Angemon and returned to the cornfield, where he found the kryptonite necklace he had tossed away earlier.

The kryptonite chunk was quite large, much bigger than the one he had swallowed when he was a small cat.

Even though the effects of kryptonite mutations were unpredictable, Soren was still surprised that the person wearing such a large piece hadn't suffered any serious harm.

After thinking it over, Soren decided that during his time in Smallville, he would collect all the kryptonite he could find to keep Clark safe.

If someone like Lex Luthor got hold of the kryptonite, the consequences could be even worse.

The only way to keep it truly safe was if he guarded it himself.

That night marked the beginning of his kryptonite collection mission.

Because of the late-night adventure, Soren felt tired when he went to school the next day.

He yawned several times during class.

Each time Soren yawned, Clark would glance back at him, feeling worried.

Did Soren not sleep well last night?

Was he still scared by the Scarecrow thing?

But Clark had secretly listened to Soren's breathing while he was lying in bed the night before.

When he listened, Soren's breathing and heartbeat were slow and steady, like he was sound asleep.

This was the first time Clark had ever used his superpowers to eavesdrop on someone, and he felt a little guilty about it, like a total creep.

That's why he only listened for a minute before he pulling his superpower back and deciding not to do it again.

Clark Joseph Kent, you're so despicable!

How could you eavesdrop on your neighbor while they're sleeping?

Clark scolded himself in his mind.

That afternoon was one of the two weekly P.E. sessions, but as usual, Clark could only sit on the bleachers and watch as his classmates grouped together for activities.

Jonathan had forbidden him from joining any sports, worried that Clark's abilities might be revealed or that he could accidentally hurt someone.

Clark's eyes were fixed on Soren, who was on the field.

Soren had changed into a blue and white sports outfit, with a light blue headband keeping his hair tied back from his face, revealing his clear, bright features.

He looked fresh and full of energy—really handsome.

A group of boys and girls surrounded him, chatting and laughing.

Clark noticed that a few of the girls were even adjusting their skirts, clearly trying to get his attention.

Suddenly, from the other side of the track, a soccer ball flew through the air in a high arc, heading straight toward the group where Soren was standing.

Clark jumped to his feet.

The group scattered as the soccer ball flew toward them.

Soren glanced up and noticed it was heading straight for him.

He quickly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the ball, then his eyes narrowed as he looked toward where the ball came from.

"Oops, my bad."

On the other side of the field, Whitney who is standing in the sunlight, smirking and lifting his chin in a mocking way toward Soren.

To be fair, Whitney had a pretty handsome face, and the girls were drawn to his bad-boy vibe.

His list of admirers at Smallville High School was practically endless.

But Soren found that face extremely punchable, like it was begging for someone to put Whitney in his place.

Soren's expression turned cold.

Whitney saw Soren's annoyed look and felt a rush of satisfaction.

With a smug grin, he began to swagger off the field, but before he could take more than a few steps, Soren's voice called out from behind.

"Whitney, you wanna make a bet?" Soren quickly closed the distance between them.

Whitney stopped and turned around, towering over Soren with his height.

"What are you talking about, Hargreaves?" he asked, looking down at Soren.