Clark felt his strength draining rapidly, his body growing heavy and unresponsive.
Lois reacted instantly. Ignoring the danger, she stepped forward and caught him before he collapsed.
"Clark, how are you?" she asked, her voice tight with concern.
"My body feels… weak," Clark said with effort. "She's not normal. Be careful."
"No need."
Black Alice spoke calmly, her tone almost dismissive.
"I'm not like someone such as Adrian. At most, I'm just someone who doesn't quite belong. Compared to people like him, I would say I have far better character."
Supporting Clark, Lois shot her a sharp look.
"If you have a problem with Adrian, go deal with him. What's the point of targeting Clark?" she said coldly. "Picking on someone weaker, is that your idea of being a good person?"
Her disdain was obvious.
To her, the woman standing before them was nothing more than someone hiding arrogance behind empty words.
Black Alice shook her head slightly. "I'm not here to argue. As a sorceress, I find debates tedious."
She turned to leave.
"No, you can't leave!"
Clark tried to stand, but his weakened body refused to cooperate.
"I'm afraid that's not your decision," Black Alice replied without looking back. "Your power is temporarily mine. You can thank me later."
She took a step forward, only to stop abruptly.
Someone stood directly in her path.
Adrian.
He had appeared without warning, silent and precise, like a shadow slipping into place.
Black Alice froze. Even Lois was caught off guard.
Adrian's timing was unsettling. He had arrived faster than anyone expected.
"Are you… Adrian?" Black Alice asked, her composure slipping for the first time.
Despite her abilities, she had never faced someone of his level. His reputation alone was enough to unsettle even seasoned opponents.
"Correct."
Adrian's gaze shifted briefly to Clark before returning to her.
"You remind me of someone Clark recently met. She can see a person's death through touch. You, on the other hand, take abilities the same way."
He paused, studying her.
"But you don't understand what power really is."
Black Alice steadied herself, then suddenly lunged forward, extending her hand toward him with the speed she had stolen from Clark.
Adrian did not move.
Her hand made contact.
A flicker of excitement crossed her face.
But nothing changed.
Adrian remained standing, completely unaffected.
Before she could process it, he moved.
In an instant, he was in front of her.
His fist struck with explosive force.
A sharp impact echoed as Black Alice was sent flying, crashing hard onto the ground.
"If you believe power comes only from what you take," Adrian said coldly, stepping toward her, "then you are profoundly mistaken."
He looked down at her, his voice steady and unyielding.
"Resilience, will, discipline, experience, skill. Those cannot be stolen. Even if abilities are taken, they are only one part of strength."
His words hit her as heavily as his blow.
Black Alice forced herself up, coughing, her expression tightening.
"Anyone can say that," she replied, forcing calm into her voice. "Reality is what matters. And the reality is, you're finished."
She launched herself forward, her body moving with explosive force.
With Clark's strength flowing through her, every movement carried immense power.
She descended like a falling meteor.
The ground shattered beneath her impact, stone breaking apart as debris scattered in all directions.
Without hesitation, she released a surge of dark magic, sending a wave of black energy toward Adrian.
He shifted slightly, avoiding it with ease.
Black Alice pressed forward, charging through the dust with relentless speed.
Her attack struck like a storm.
Adrian answered with a single punch.
The collision forced her off course. Though she tried to evade, the impact caught her shoulder and sent her crashing to the ground again.
She rolled across the broken street, pain radiating through her spine.
A strained groan escaped her lips.
Frustration followed close behind.
Even with Clark's power, she could not match him.
Adrian watched her without advancing, his expression unchanged.
That restraint only fueled her anger.
Forcing herself up, she raised her hands, channeling her magic.
Dark energy spread outward, dimming the surrounding light. The air grew heavy as shadows enveloped the area.
Clark and Lois were caught within the field.
Clark regained some strength and tried to move, but Black Alice reacted instantly.
A burst of magic struck him, sending him crashing into a bronze statue.
The metal bent under the force of the impact.
"This is my power," she said, her breathing uneven. "Magic. Darkness. And you don't understand any of it."
Her attention returned to Adrian.
But the shadows had little effect on him.
He moved through the dark energy effortlessly, appearing before her in a flash.
His fist struck her jaw.
Her vision blurred.
Before she could recover, another strike followed, faster and heavier.
His arm moved like coiled steel, each blow carrying crushing force.
The air trembled with each impact.
Her body staggered under the assault.
Adrian rose slightly off the ground and delivered another strike to her midsection.
She was sent flying again, her body arching as she struggled to regain control.
This time, she reacted quickly, summoning shadows to form a defensive barrier.
The black energy shield absorbed his next attack.
She dropped to one knee, breathing hard, forcing herself to endure the pain.
After a moment, she wiped blood from her lip and glared at him.
"Baron was right," she said, her voice strained. "You're stronger than expected. But I have Superman's power now. No one can break my defense."
She charged again.
Her magic surged forward, but Adrian stepped through it without hesitation.
With a single punch, her barrier shattered.
The dark energy dispersed instantly.
Adrian advanced.
For the first time, panic flickered in her eyes.
She tried to retreat, but her control over Clark's power was still unstable.
Adrian closed the distance and struck her shoulder.
Pain exploded through her body.
Blood spread across her clothing.
Before she could escape, his hand closed around her throat.
Her body tensed as the pressure cut off her movement.
The fight ended instantly.
Not far away, Clark exhaled and sank to the ground, exhaustion overtaking him.
Lois checked his condition before turning toward Adrian.
Her expression was complicated, a mix of awe and something harder to define.
"What is it?" Adrian asked.
"It's just… strange," Lois said, circling him. "Why couldn't she take your power? You and Clark are brothers, aren't you? Why is he vulnerable, but you're not?"
Her curiosity was obvious.
"Maybe you should ask Clark why his power is so easy to take," Adrian replied calmly.
Clark, having recovered slightly, approached them. Ignoring the remark, he focused on Black Alice.
"Who are you? Why did you take my power? And how do you return it?" he asked firmly.
With Adrian holding her in place, Black Alice abandoned any resistance.
"Lori Zechlin," she said. "I can take abilities from others. As for why I targeted you, that was Baron Winters' idea."
Her tone had completely changed. Gone was the arrogance, replaced by cautious cooperation.
The fear in her eyes was unmistakable.
At the mention of the name, Adrian's expression sharpened slightly.
"Baron Winters."
He understood immediately.
The man had been absent for a long time. Adrian had not expected him to resurface like this.
Once an ally, now clearly an opponent.
Adrian's gaze returned to Black Alice.
"Return Clark's power," he said calmly, his grip tightening slightly, "or I will send you back to Hell myself."