Chương 28: A Heart of Steel
Soren didn't know what Clark went through at school.
If he saw how Whitney and the others treated him, would he still want to be friends?
Would he distance himself, thinking Clark was a freak?
Or worse, would he join in and mock him too?
These thoughts made Clark feel even colder inside, and the pain worsened.
He tried to fight the strange energy that was sapping his strength, digging his fingers into his palms, and pushing his forearms against the chain-link fence to stand.
But just as he started to rise, Whitney shoved him back down again.
The crowd erupted into laughter, forming a circle around Clark, their faces filled with mocking smiles.
They pointed at Clark, their fingers nearly touching his face as they jeered at him.
Clark clenched his teeth tightly.
Meanwhile, Soren, with his new backpack slung over one shoulder, was half-heartedly chatting with a classmate who had offered to show him to the lab.
Just as they stepped off the school building's porch, Soren noticed the commotion on the field.
He stopped.
"...Soren?" one of the girls walking next to him turned her head to look at him, "What's wrong?"
The usual warmth in Soren's eyes seemed to disappear, replaced by a cold, steely gaze.
His expression turned as icy as the hardest winter frost.
Even the natural upward curve of his eyes faded, and his full lips pressed into a tight, pale line, drained of color.
He stood there, looking across the field where Clark was surrounded by a group of kids.
Clark tried several times to push himself up off the chain-link fence, only to be shoved back down by a blond boy leading the group.
Soren's face, now emotionless, had eyes that seemed frozen in place, locked onto the group of teenagers.
The girls followed his gaze and saw Whitney and his gang bullying Clark again.
Everyone at Smallville High School knew Whitney disliked Clark.
Whitney, the captain of the football team, had led the school to several victories and was popular among both girls and boys.
He was the star of the school.
Because of that, whenever Whitney picked on Clark Kent, no one stood up for him.
Nobody wanted to make an enemy out of Whitney.
Soren's expression made the girls nervous.
Amanda, a black-haired girl, tugged on Soren's sleeve and said, "Soren, let's go to class. Don't worry about them—Clark Kent will be fine. He's strong, and Whitney can't really hurt him."
"I know," Soren replied.
Soren spoke very softly.
He knew.
He knew he could just stand by and do nothing.
He knew that before Clark Kent became the Superman who soared through the skies, he would have to face many trials.
Superman wasn't just about his extraordinary powers; it was also about his golden, superhuman heart.
The reason Clark Kent would become Superman was because he was kind, humble, and selfless.
His adoptive parents had raised him with the best values, teaching him to be gentle and good, shaping him into a warm, honest person.
Someone capable of carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, a god walking among humans.
Clark's kindness meant that even when bullied by his classmates, he wouldn't fight back.
Despite having unimaginable strength—strength that none of those kids could withstand even a slight push from—he chose to endure it.
He chose to silently bear the insults and taunts that never should've been directed at him.
But why?
Soren's cold gaze swept across the group of girls in front of him, then over to the teenagers on the playground, still laughing at Clark.
Why?
A wave of frustration and anger surged in Soren's chest, almost choking him.
He felt anger and hurt on Clark's behalf.
Why did these people feel so justified in watching Clark get bullied?
Sure, they couldn't really hurt him—no weapon or force on Earth could break the steel body of a Kryptonian—but beneath that invincible exterior, Clark had a heart.
A soft, human heart.
He could feel sadness, and embarrassment.
He could love, and he could be hurt by humans, too.
Soren silently and slowly turned his gaze to Amanda, who had just urged him to leave it alone.
In his baby-blue eyes, the icy layer melted away, revealing a deep sadness.
He had even fought and nearly died to protect you.
The only real vulnerability of a god among humans is each and every one of you.
But have you ever thought about whether his heart could be hurt?
Soren, carrying his backpack, said nothing as he walked away from the girls and headed toward the other side of the playground.
Clark might be able to endure it, but Soren didn't want him to.
Clark was like a young sibling he had taken care of; why should he be bullied?
Though Soren was not tall and had a slender build, with his short uniform shorts revealing his thin legs, he exuded a presence that made everyone instinctively step aside, creating a clear path for him as he approached them.
The teenagers looked at each other, unsure of what this new transfer student was up to.
Whitney noticed the change in the atmosphere behind him.
He momentarily stopped his "fun" and turned around to see Soren walking toward him.
With a raised eyebrow and a hand on Soren's shoulder, he warned, "I suggest you stay out of this, Hargreaves."
Just as Whitney's hand was about to press down on Soren's shoulder, Soren delivered a precise chop to the inside of Whitney's elbow, twisting his arm behind his back with a firm grip on Whitney's wrist.
"I'd advise you not to think about fighting me," Soren said calmly.
Whitney yelped in pain and shouted, "What are you doing?!"
Soren replied, "I'm dealing with a bully."
He dragged Whitney, raising his fist as if he was about to punch Whitney in the face.
"What's going on!? Are you crazy? Let go of me, Hargreaves—"
Whitney struggled violently.
Used to being treated like a star in school, he had never faced such a challenge.
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