[Raising Kids in DC] Chapter 138: TRAITOR

Withered marigolds stretched out from a twisted, shattered brick flowerpot.

Right beside them stood a ceramic garden gnome.

From behind the gnome, Star-Lord spotted a rusty miniature golf club. Just as he was about to toss it out as trash, he suddenly noticed something moving at his feet.

Before he could react, the small creature bolted, dashing toward the farm’s barn.

Startled, Star-Lord watched in shock as the furry little figure escaped.

It had grayish-brown fur, white-tipped ears, and when it ran, it spun like a tiny whirlwind.

Snapping back to his senses, Star-Lord lunged forward at full speed, catching the strange creature before it could get away.

“Dad, I caught a weird animal!”

Holding his prize tightly, Star-Lord ran excitedly toward the living room.

Inside, Peter was chatting with Martian Manhunter when he saw Star-Lord rush in with an unfamiliar creature in his arms. He was momentarily stunned.

“Dad, what is this?”

Star-Lord eagerly held up the squirming creature.

“It looks like a raccoon.”

Peter set down his coffee cup and replied, “You don’t see many of them around here.”

In his past life, one of Star-Lord’s teammates was a raccoon, and now, here he was, forming a bond with one again.

Could this be some kind of subconscious destiny correction?

Unfortunately, this raccoon couldn’t talk. A bit of a letdown.

“Dad, can I keep him?”

Star-Lord asked expectantly.

Peter shook his head. “Star-Lord, raccoons aren’t suitable as pets.”

“Why not, Dad?” Star-Lord blinked curiously.

Peter explained, “Even though they look cute and tame, they still have a strong wild nature and can be quite aggressive. They have sharp teeth and claws, and if they feel threatened or scared, they won’t hesitate to bite or scratch.”

He continued, “Also, raccoons can carry diseases—rabies being the most dangerous. It’s a fatal neurological disease that can be transmitted through their saliva to humans or other animals.”

Hearing this, Star-Lord looked a little disappointed.

“But…” Peter’s tone suddenly shifted, “as long as we take proper precautions, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem.”

Star-Lord’s face lit up with excitement.

“Thanks, Dad!”

He ran up to hug Peter but had to stop halfway since he was still holding the struggling raccoon. Instead, he just affectionately bumped his head against Peter’s shoulder.

“You should give him a name.” Peter suggested.

“A name?” Star-Lord’s eyes sparkled. “Yeah, I should name him!”

“How about Lylla?” Peter offered.

“Lylla? No, that doesn’t feel right.”

Peter thought for a moment. “How about Big Fang?”

“No, his teeth aren’t that big.”

“Then… Plank?”

“He’s not lying on the floor.”

Peter stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Alright then, what about Rocket? What do you think, Star-Lord?”

“Rocket?”

Hearing the name, Star-Lord’s eyes gleamed. It sounded cool, and for some reason, it felt like it was meant to be.

“Yeah! I’ll call him Rocket!”

Star-Lord happily accepted the name for his new pet.

After Star-Lord left, Martian Manhunter gave Peter a suspicious look. “Why do I feel like you’re making a reference to something? Do those four names mean anything?”

“No,” Peter replied with a smirk, “they’re just the names of four adorable little animals I once knew.”

He thought back to Rocket Raccoon and his three companions. “Though, it’s a shame… in the end, they died chasing after a new world.”

Peter casually set his coffee cup down. “That was a long time ago.”

“Maybe one day, you can tell me their story,” Martian Manhunter said with a shrug. “I have plenty of time, and I do enjoy stories about animals.”

Peter quickly steered the conversation back on track. “Do you know anything about the Philosopher’s Stone?”

“The Philosopher’s Stone?”

“Yeah, also known as the Sorcerer’s Stone.”

Peter grabbed a piece of paper and sketched a rough version of the stone as described by Lana.

Martian Manhunter leaned in, his face showing a deep contemplative look. “I’ve heard of the Philosopher’s Stone—it was famous even in the Middle Ages—but I’ve never actually seen it. Or at least, nothing quite like what you’ve drawn.”

He stared at the sketch a moment longer before speaking. “However…”

“What?”

“It looks like some kind of writing.”

“Yes, the shape resembles some Kryptonian script. I’ve seen Kryptonian writing before, and this magic stone’s shape looks just like it. I just can’t remember what it says.”

Hearing this, Peter nodded. Could this have something to do with Kryptonians and Clark?

Perhaps he needed to start his investigation with Lana, who was tainted by the witch’s aura.

As he pondered his next steps, he saw Clark coming down from upstairs.

After secretly taking the Godfather’s key last night and entering the secret room—where he saw something that utterly shocked him—Clark had been too overwhelmed to sleep.

“Clark, you don’t look well. Didn’t you get any rest last night?”

Noticing Clark’s state, Peter asked with concern.

“Just didn’t sleep well, Godfather,” Clark forced a weak smile at Peter.

“That’s more than just not sleeping well.”

Observing Clark’s condition, Peter shook his head.

“I just…”

Clark hesitated, glancing at the Martian Manhunter guiltily before cautiously saying to Peter, “Godfather, I had a nightmare last night.”

He didn’t dare mention the secret room, so he used the nightmare as an excuse.

“A nightmare?”

“Yes, Godfather,” Clark organized his thoughts before explaining, “I dreamt that under your command, I won a war on Apokolips. I don’t know what kind of war it was, but it was intense—many people were involved: John, Star-Lord, Bruce... In the end, I won and killed someone named Darkseid.”

Peter froze upon hearing the names Apokolips and Darkseid. After a moment, he asked, “And then?”

“Then, I led my forces from Apokolips in a sneak attack on Earth, intending to capture you. After that… it seemed like an even bigger war broke out.”

Clark deliberately omitted the part where he ambushed John and snapped Loki’s neck.

If he mentioned those details, not only would Peter be suspicious, but John would also definitely be furious.

“You wanted to attack Earth? You came straight from Apokolips to take me down?!”

Peter stared at Clark in disbelief.

Never mind the betrayal—was Apokolips that close to Earth? How did he plan to ambush him?
And how the hell did he manage to take down one of the most powerful bosses in the universe?
Even in a dream, this was too far-fetched!

Peter was utterly baffled.

Meanwhile, the Martian Manhunter, upon hearing Clark’s words, was even more bewildered.

He had thought Peter’s talk about setting the galaxy ablaze was just a joke. But Clark actually did it!

Not only had he crushed Apokolips, but he was also planning a rebellion and an attack on Earth’s stronghold!

The Martian Manhunter cast a doubtful glance at Peter—this wasn’t just setting the galaxy on fire. This was setting the whole universe ablaze!

Now, he was starting to regret getting involved.

It felt like he had stepped into a vortex, and escaping from it wouldn’t be easy.

Even if this was just a dream, he couldn’t simply dismiss it as an ordinary nightmare.

After all, Clark was no ordinary boy.

“Godfather, this was just a dream, not a prophecy of the future… right?”

Clark anxiously asked Peter.

“Don’t you believe in yourself more than you believe in fate?”

Peter comforted him, “Don’t forget, Clark—so long as you hold on to hope, you won’t be controlled by fate or any dark forces.”

“But… I’m afraid fate will still take its course. The books I’ve read say that fate can be a kind old grandmother, a drunken sorority girl, or Jack Torrance from The Shining.”

“Fate twists and turns like a gnarled bonsai tree.”

Clark said dejectedly, “I’m afraid I’ll be twisted by it.”

“No, you won’t.”

Peter patted his hand. “Think about all the things you feared in the past—didn’t we make it through them safely?”

“You, John, and Star-Lord aren’t ordinary people, so the challenges you face won’t be as simple as wading through a little stream. You have to cross a raging river—without paddles, without a boat, not even a pair of tiny inflatable arm floaties.”

Peter paused before continuing, “The forces of darkness will always come. They will always stir up chaos.”

“But I believe you are someone who can change destiny!”

“Am I really, Godfather?”

Clark asked hesitantly, lacking confidence.

“Of course. I believe in you.”

After thinking for a moment, Clark said, “Then, Godfather, can I stay on the farm?”

“…What?”

Peter looked at him, stunned.

Where did this come from all of a sudden?

“I mean… I’ll stay on the farm from now on. Let John and Star-Lord go handle the fighting. Whatever happens on Apokolips, let them deal with it. I’ll stay on the farm and protect you.”

Just as he finished speaking, John, who had just come downstairs, was left completely dumbfounded.

He never expected Clark to stab him in the back like this.

Clark wanted him to go fight battles while he stayed behind and took over his farm?!

Wasn’t this blatant betrayal?!

At that moment, John mentally stamped a giant “TRAITOR” label on Clark.

Sure enough, he should never have gone soft and taken Clark to the secret room!