Damn it, I’m surrounded by those who kill their fathers!

"Dad."

At the Podrick farm, John approached Peter, deep in thought.

"I saw some unidentified individuals at school."

"Unidentified individuals?"

"Yes. I suspect they're federal agents or other professionally trained operatives," John stated. "No matter what, their presence here is unnatural."

"So you think they're here for us?" Peter asked, setting down the tools he was using to fix the car.

"Yes, Dad."

John casually lifted the car to help. "To eliminate potential threats, I think we should do something."

"You don't even know their purpose yet, so don't act rashly. Maybe they're just waiting for you to expose yourself," Peter replied, unconcerned about the agents' presence.

With the frequent strange incidents in Smallville, it wasn't surprising that the government would take notice.

"But Dad, are we just going to wait?"

"Mm-hmm. Sometimes, all we need is a little patience, John," Peter said, gesturing for John to hand him a wrench.

"Alright, Dad."

John handed over the tool but added, "Still, I'll keep an eye on them. I won't let them threaten us."

As soon as he spoke, several cars drove past.

His alertness spiked, assuming they belonged to the unidentified organization. Taking a deep breath, he watched them cautiously.

He thought they were heading toward the farm, but in the end, the vehicles turned toward the neighboring property.

John noticed the moving truck loaded with furniture and hesitated.

Are they new neighbors?

His suspicion was soon confirmed when a middle-aged man wearing glasses directed movers to unload the furniture from the truck.

Hearing the noise, Peter stood up and looked over at the neighboring house.

Observing the bustling moving scene, he shook his head and said to John, "Looks like we've got new neighbors."

Even though the situation seemed normal, John's wariness didn't fade.

Who's to say they weren't undercover agents pretending to be neighbors to spy on the farm?

Maybe I should investigate.

With that thought, John turned to Peter. "Dad, shouldn't we go introduce ourselves?"

Peter looked at him in surprise.

Since when was this kid so friendly and neighborly?

"Of course," Peter agreed. "Alright, the car's fixed. John, take it for a test drive and see if everything's working fine."

John: "?!"

Hearing that he had to test-drive the car, John felt uneasy.

If something went wrong, was he the one who'd suffer for it?

Noon

Peter took John to visit their new neighbors.

"I'm Mike. Mike Connor."

The glasses-wearing man, polite and refined, introduced himself.

"Peter Podrick. This is my son, John. We live nearby," Peter responded with a brief introduction and handed over a bottle of red wine as a welcome gift.

Mike thanked them and accepted the gift.

As he observed Peter's face, he was surprised by how young the man looked.

Even with a beard, Peter's youthful skin and energy were unmistakable.

He has a son this big yet still looks so young?!

Clearing his throat to compose himself, Mike continued, "I'm a doctor. I moved here for work."

"Are you living alone?" Peter asked while glancing at the house's interior.

"No, I came with my niece," Mike shrugged.

John spoke up, "But we haven't seen her."

Mike explained, "She's been in her room. She might not be able to come out and meet you."

"Not able to?"

After a brief hesitation, Mike gestured for them to follow. "Come with me."

He led them into a bedroom.

On the bed lay a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl in deep sleep.

She wore red pajamas, her chest rising and falling rhythmically as she breathed.

Mike explained, "This is my niece, Sarah. She's been in this comatose state for several years."

Peter nodded and asked, "What happened to her?"

"A car accident. Years ago, Sarah and her parents were on their way home from a soccer game when they got into a crash. The doctors said she was asleep at the time, which saved her life."

Peter listened carefully and glanced at the sleeping girl. "Are you from Smallville?"

Mike shook his head. "No, we're from Greendale, near the county border."

Opening a cabinet, he turned to them and said, "I need to prepare Sarah's medication, so I won't be able to entertain you any longer. I'll visit you another time."

Since Mike had subtly asked them to leave, Peter had no choice but to say goodbye and take his leave.

After leaving Mike's house, John furrowed his brows and said to Peter, "Dad, I think that guy is very suspicious."

"What's suspicious about him?"

Peter turned his head and looked at John.

John replied, "When he talked about his niece's car accident, his heartbeat accelerated, and his tone and expression seemed unnatural. It's obvious, Dad—he's lying."

Using his superpowers, John had detected the man's abnormal reaction.

"Whether he's lying or not, it has nothing to do with us," Peter said.

Peter's own perception wasn't any weaker than John's, so he had also noticed the lie. However, since it was the man's personal business, he wasn't interested in interfering.

John nodded at Peter's words.

He thought the same—other people's affairs had nothing to do with him. As long as he could confirm that the man wasn't a spy or an agent, his goal was achieved.

Nightfall

Peter, John, Star-Lord, and Loki were having dinner.

With a loud thud, a raven suddenly landed on the window.

The pitch-black bird struck the glass with a dull sound, drawing everyone's attention.

"A raven," Loki remarked, setting down his fork and knife. "That's a bad omen."

Star-Lord curiously asked, "You know fortune-telling?"

"No, I don't know much about divination, but I do know some things. In certain cases, ravens serve as the spies of gods."

Loki said with a serious expression, "For example, I know of two ravens—Huginn and Muninn—kept by Odin. They are his trusted messengers."

"Huginn means 'thought,' and Muninn means 'memory.' Every morning at dawn, they fly to the human world, and at night, they return to report to Odin. They always perch on his shoulders, whispering secrets into his ear."

Loki turned to Star-Lord, his expression grave. "For all we know, that raven outside could be sent by a god to spy on us."

"A god? Spying?"

Star-Lord took a bite of his pastry and glanced at John, suddenly realizing what was happening.

Loki was obviously mocking John for being overly suspicious.

Earlier today, John had told him that the federal agents appearing in Smallville were there to monitor the farm.

John quickly saw through Loki's intentions. Resisting the urge to blast him with his heat vision, he shot Loki a sharp glare.

Meanwhile, Peter, hearing Loki repeatedly mention "Odin," felt a bit conflicted.

After all, Odin was technically this kid's father in his past life. The way Loki talked about him gave Peter an odd feeling.

"If eating isn't enough to keep your mouth shut, I might just send you to Jotunheim. That way, you won't be chatting endlessly at the dinner table," Peter warned.

Seeing Peter's displeased look, Loki immediately shut his mouth.

He really was afraid Peter might send him to that godforsaken place.

Even though his body seemed naturally resistant to the cold, that barren wasteland was somewhere he never wanted to visit again.

After Dinner

Loki went upstairs to his room.

But after taking just a few steps down the hallway, John called out to him.

"Hey, Loki."

"What is it?"

Loki turned to see John approaching, hands behind his back, step by step.

"I just wanted to talk."

John smiled warmly, his expression seemingly friendly. "Like about that bank robbery incident. You know, I once wrongfully accused you, so I owe you an apology."

"An apology?"

Loki shrugged. "No need. Honestly, I'm not one to hold grudges. I have a magnanimous heart."

"Is that so? Then I'll have to ask something of you."

John stepped closer. "As your elder brother and the one who carries responsibility in this family—though you're still young—you need to understand a few things."

"For example, you should recognize who's in charge here besides Dad. Or, perhaps, you could go to Dad and confess the times you've slandered me before. Express how deeply remorseful you are—especially for any harm you've caused me."

"Hmm."

Loki nodded as if considering the idea.

Seeing Loki being so "cooperative," John was satisfied and turned to leave.

However, just as he was about to walk away, Loki spoke again.

"But, John, I have one small counterpoint."

John turned back, only to see Loki now in his older, youthful form, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, staring at him.

"I never hurt you. You claim to have an invincible, indestructible body with no weaknesses. If that's true, then how could I possibly harm you?"

John's expression darkened.

"It seems you still don't understand one thing," John said coldly. "Without Dad's protection, I can beat you up anytime I want."

He clenched his fist and took a step closer to Loki.

"You know how many times Star-Lord has gotten beaten up for acting like you?"

Loki smirked but said nothing.

"You're no exception," John continued. "Don't challenge my authority in this house."

As soon as John finished speaking, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.