"Is something wrong?"
Peter turned his gaze toward Star-Lord and John, who both looked uneasy. A moment later, the Martian Manhunter emerged from the room as well.
"Your two sons, John and Little Peter, got into a fight with some other kids," Officer Lane said, gesturing toward a few displeased-looking parents nearby. "These are the parents of the kids who got beaten up."
"A fight?"
Peter shrugged and said, "Boys will be boys. A few scuffles here and there are normal, aren't they?"
"But John and Little Peter left four kids with facial bruises—one of them even suffered a broken nose. And they forced another kid to eat a dead frog."
"Really?"
Peter looked at John and Star-Lord in surprise.
"Why did you two fight? Star-Lord, John?"
Star-Lord hesitated, about to explain, but John spoke first. "Dad, it was me. Star-Lord didn't do much."
Star-Lord was stunned by John taking the blame.
"Why did you start a fight?" Peter frowned at John.
John took a deep breath. "Because they were torturing frogs. I tried to stop them, and they threw the first punch."
"So, it was self-defense?"
Peter turned to Officer Lane. "Officer, clearly, John and Star-Lord were defending themselves against a group attack. I don't think they should be punished for that."
As he spoke, he glanced at the parents arguing with the Martian Manhunter. "On the contrary, the ones ganging up on others should be held accountable."
Officer Lane sighed. "I've never seen self-defense leave kids in such bad shape."
Peter remained calm. "John and Star-Lord are just naturally strong."
Naturally strong?
Lane gave him a skeptical look. Yeah, right.
He cleared his throat, about to continue, when a commotion broke out. The argument between the Martian Manhunter and the parents had escalated.
A sharp-faced woman pointed angrily at the Martian Manhunter. "I don't care what you— I mean, listen, my son is the one who got hurt! You owe us an apology! And compensation!"
The Martian Manhunter sighed, clearly exhausted. "Ma'am, let's be reasonable. Your kids started it. John and Star-Lord were defending themselves."
"Defending themselves? My son's face is a mess!"
Peter's expression darkened. He stepped forward. "I'm their father. If you have a problem, talk to me."
"Fine! We demand compensation and an apology!"
The sharp-faced woman raised her voice, and the other parents chimed in.
"That's right! My kid's face is swollen!"
"You have to cover the medical bills!"
"We won't leave until you do!"
John, watching the scene unfold, grew agitated. "This isn't our fault! Why should we pay?!"
The Martian Manhunter, worried John might do something rash, quickly grabbed his arm.
"John!"
Peter stopped John from speaking further and shot him a look of disapproval.
John immediately quieted down.
"Hmph. No manners at all," the woman scoffed.
Peter's gaze turned icy. "What did you say?"
The woman flinched under his sharp stare and fell silent.
"Compared to your children—who think torturing animals is fun—mine are just fine. At least they don't kill for sport," Peter said coldly. "And as for you all, barging in here and making demands without knowing the full story—did you think I'd be an easy target?"
The woman's confidence wavered. "Our kids got hurt! That's not nothing!"
Peter acted as if he didn't hear her. "If you keep pushing this, I believe the local animal protection agency—and the law—will remind you of what's truly right and wrong."
His rapid-fire words, laced with a thinly veiled threat, silenced the parents.
They knew the animal protection agency held real power. If they got involved, the fines alone would be hefty.
Desperate, the parents turned to Officer Lane for help.
But Lane simply looked off into the distance, pretending not to notice.
Faced with no other options, the parents had to back down and leave.
Once they were gone, John beamed. "Dad, that was awesome!"
Peter sighed. These troublemakers never let me have a moment of peace.
Star-Lord, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up. "Dad, this isn't John's fault. I started the fight. He just helped me."
Peter smiled slightly. "I know. I knew from the beginning."
Peter listened to Star-Lord's words and reached out to ruffle his hair.
Star-Lord stared blankly and asked, "Why… Dad, how did you know?"
"Because John would never be so direct and reckless as to get into a fight with those people."
"Then… what would he do, Dad?"
"He'd beat them up without ever revealing himself."
Peter turned to John and asked, "Am I right, John?"
John looked a little uncomfortable but nodded. "Yes, Dad."
Star-Lord glanced at John with gratitude, then turned back to Peter and admitted his mistake. "Dad, I was wrong. I won't fight again next time."
"No, Star-Lord, if you encounter people like that again, I still support you in giving them a good beating."
Peter's words left Star-Lord stunned—he had expected a scolding.
"But," Peter continued, "you must control your strength. You're a kindhearted kid, Star-Lord, full of compassion and justice. You got into a fight because they were killing frogs, because you don't want to see any life disappear before your eyes, right?"
Star-Lord listened to his father's words and nodded firmly. "Yes, Dad."
He confessed his true feelings.
"It's not just people—like Rocket Raccoon or the frogs—they're all living beings. Even if they must die, they shouldn't be cruelly slaughtered. That's why… that's why I lost control. I even almost unleashed that power inside me."
Peter placed a hand on Star-Lord's head and ruffled his hair. "If you had lost control and used that power, you might have killed them. And then you'd become the kind of person you despise."
Seeing that Star-Lord was listening intently, Peter nodded in satisfaction and continued, "So, no matter what the situation, always remember one thing—never let anger control you."
"I understand, Dad."
Star-Lord nodded obediently.
—
The next morning.
Talon Club.
Peter was discussing a Kryptonian spaceship with the Martian Manhunter.
"You're saying there's a Kryptonian ship in the Arctic?!"
Hearing Peter's explanation, Martian Manhunter was shocked.
"Yes, and its origins are connected to Clark."
Peter elaborated, "One day, Clark will discover his destiny there. That ship holds all of Krypton's most advanced technology. If it falls into the wrong hands, it could cause unimaginable trouble. I can't leave the farm right now, so I need you to go to the Arctic and find that ship."
"How do you know all this?"
Martian Manhunter looked at him curiously. "Have you been to the Arctic? Or… are you actually a Kryptonian?"
"Actually, I'm the Saiyan Prince, here to conquer Earth and sell it for a good price."
Peter said this with a completely straight face.
Martian Manhunter knew Peter was just messing around. He picked up his glass, his expression serious as he asked,
"Forget the Saiyan Prince nonsense. What I'm really worried about is whether you'll start a galactic conflict. Clark once had a dream—his rebellion set the galaxy ablaze. You… Peter, will you ignite another galactic war?"
Hearing the solemn question, Peter was speechless.
He had just made a random Warhammer joke, but Martian Manhunter actually believed him.
Clark was to blame—if he hadn't shared that dream, maybe Martian Manhunter wouldn't be taking this so seriously.
"Of course not."
Peter cleared his throat. "Don't forget, I'm human. I would never betray humanity."
Martian Manhunter stared into Peter's eyes, as if trying to see into his soul.
Just then, Lana approached with drinks.
Peter accepted the whiskey from her and thanked her.
Lana blushed and quickly walked away.
Puzzled, Peter glanced toward the counter and suddenly noticed a blue frog-shaped keychain.
After asking the bartender, he learned it was a souvenir from the bar, so he requested one.
—
Noon.
Podrick Farm.
Star-Lord returned to his room and found a blue frog keychain on his desk.
He picked it up, puzzled, and saw a note underneath it.
"In commemoration of Star-Lord saving the frogs of Smallville on September 14th. — Peter Podrick"
...
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