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John and Star-Lord stared blankly at the unfamiliar figure of Loki standing before them.
How did he do that?
He just tossed a bit of sand—and knocked out two powerful gods?!
Meanwhile, Todd and Zola were completely dumbfounded the moment they heard the mysterious newcomer call Peter "Dad."
They'd already thought Peter's two sons were monsters in terms of power, but now there was an even more terrifying one?!
He took down gods! In an instant!
"Surprise?" Peter looked at Loki in disbelief.
"Loki, can you explain to me what exactly you mean by 'surprise'?"
He eyed the familiar helmet on Loki's head, the sleep-inducing sand in his hand, and the glowing ruby that radiated an intimidating and overwhelming aura.
Weren't those the three Dream Artifacts of the Sandman he had once mentioned to Loki?
He remembered the Dream Helm was crafted eons ago by the Sandman using the spine and skull of an unknown god. It wasn't particularly magical—more of a ceremonial symbol of authority.
The Dream Sand could instantly put people to sleep or even create dreamscapes in the waking world. It was said that the Sandman could use it to travel across dimensions.
As for the Ruby, it was the most mysterious of them all. Said to contain the majority of the Sandman's power, it could turn dreams into reality—even rewrite reality itself.
"Surprise is—well, Dad—this is the surprise," Loki said, grinning as he held up the three items.
Peter cautiously asked, "You didn't… rob the Sandman of his three artifacts, did you?"
"How'd you know?" Loki replied with a surprised look. "But I didn't rob the Sandman himself. I took them from someone else. If the Sandman lost his stuff, that's got nothing to do with me."
Peter stared speechlessly at Loki, who wore an expression that screamed "Not my problem."
If he believed that story, he might really need his head checked.
"Sorry for sneaking out, Dad," Loki said with a bright smile, "but since your birthday's coming up, I thought… maybe these could be an early gift."
He held out the helm, the ruby, and the sandbag. "I know it's a little early to say this, but—Happy Birthday, Dad."
Peter had been thinking about how to discipline this kid when they got home.
After all, Loki had just screwed over the god of dreams and stolen his artifacts.
Forget about the Sandman possibly coming to demand justice someday—just dealing with the two unconscious gods lying at their feet was headache enough.
But now… Loki was trying to pass this off as a birthday present?
The kid knew how to spin it.
A wave of warmth surged through Peter's chest. The belt he'd planned to use was long forgotten as he accepted the three artifacts.
His birthday?He honestly couldn't even remember when it was.
Was it the original Peter's birthday, or the day he himself arrived in this world?
He hadn't celebrated birthdays much before. Whenever John asked, he'd always brush it off with a vague "I don't remember." Who would've thought Loki would know?
Maybe the kid had dug up his records somehow.
Taking a deep breath, Peter said, "You had your reasons, Loki—but sneaking off and doing something so dangerous… more than any gift, I just want you to be safe."
He turned to look at John and Star-Lord. "Same goes for you two."
John felt a little sour watching Peter go from 'I'm gonna whip this kid' to 'Aww, thank you son' in just a few words.
How was he, a high schooler, not as smooth as a little brat like Loki?
He glanced at Star-Lord beside him, who also had a defeated look on his face.
At least they were in the same boat when it came to Loki. That made John feel a little better.
Star-Lord slowly looked down at the Elemental Gun in his hands.
If Dad's birthday is in a few days… what should I get him?At the very least, it couldn't be worse than Loki's gift.
Oblivious to what was going through his three sons' minds, Peter stored the Sandman's artifacts and walked over to Todd and Zola, who were frozen in place.
"B-Boss…" Todd stammered, greeting Peter nervously.
Facing a boss with three freakishly powerful sons, Todd now feared Peter might just kill him to keep secrets buried. After all, he'd learned quite a few of them today.
Zola swallowed hard and said, "Sir, I—I'm actually a good person. I mean, I might do some questionable stuff now and then, but I swear I've never hurt anyone!"
"I'm not interested in whether you're good or bad," Peter said, glancing briefly at her slightly swollen belly. "Olympus is hunting you. What's your plan?"
"I…" Zola hesitated. "I don't know. I never imagined something like this happening. Maybe… maybe I should terminate the pregnancy?"
Peter looked at her, a bit surprised.
This woman's really bold.
"I've got a house near the Smallville farm," he offered. "If you're okay with country life, you can stay there for a while."
The neighboring property had recently been vacated. Mike Conner—the guy who had drugged his niece and trapped her in a dream world to steal her inheritance—was now in prison.
It was the perfect spot to rent out. And here was a woman carrying the child of Zeus himself.
Zola was stunned by Peter's offer.
She had witnessed firsthand how powerful he was. If she lived near him, she'd be safe.
She gratefully said, "Th-thank you, Mr. Podrick. Thank you so much."
"No need to thank me," Peter replied, turning his eyes to the stunned Todd. "Besides, this guy used to help run my bar."
Todd hadn't expected to hold such importance in Peter's eyes. He quickly pledged his loyalty. "Thanks, Boss! I promise I'll work even harder to manage the bar from now on!"
With Zola's situation settled, Peter looked at the two unconscious gods lying on the ground. He had John help him lift Apollo while he himself picked up the sleeping Diana.
Nighttime.
Smallville Farm.
Diana jolted awake from her sleep.
The unfamiliar surroundings came into view as she clutched her aching forehead and looked around.
She realized she was lying on a couch. A teenage boy she didn't recognize was watching her curiously.
"You're awake?"
Clark, noticing the woman his godfather had brought back, was just about to call up to him.
"Wait!"
Before Clark could speak, Diana suddenly grabbed his hand.
But the next moment, a powerful force rebounded from his wrist. Startled by the shock, Diana stared at Clark in disbelief.
What the hell was that?!Why is everyone here not normal?
Could it be that Peter Podrick's descendants are all like Hercules?
"What's wrong?"Clark looked at her in confusion.
"Nothing. Where am I?"
"This is Smallville. You're at our farm."
As Peter descended the stairs, he answered her, "But don't worry, Miss Diana. We're not your enemies."
Rubbing her forehead, Diana stood and questioned him, "You dragged me here after knocking me out. That doesn't exactly scream friendly."
"If I were your enemy, Miss Diana, you wouldn't be in this condition right now."
Peter walked up to her and said, "We're both opposed to those Olympian gods."
"Well, I agree with you on that part. But who was the guy that put me to sleep? He's clearly connected to you. Otherwise, you'd have been knocked out too."
Diana asked Peter about Loki's identity.
"He's my youngest child."
"Wait a minute!"
Before Peter could finish, Diana interrupted him in shock. "Your son is the god of sleep?!"
She had heard legends of the god of sleep—she just never imagined Peter's son would be him.
Could it be that this man in front of her… is actually God?
The more she thought about it, the more mysterious Peter seemed.
"No, he's not. There's probably been some kind of misunderstanding."
Peter cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Better than after you zapped me, that's for sure."
With a bit of sarcasm, Diana added, "What about Apollo?"
"He's locked up somewhere very secure."
Peter had thrown him into the World Tree—specifically, Muspelheim, the fiery realm.A place of eternal fire and heat, fitting for the god of the sun.
Diana looked at him skeptically. "And Zora?"
Peter glanced toward the room next door, where the light was still on. "She's resting there."
Diana focused intently on the distant window until she caught a glimpse of Zora passing by.
Then, with a complicated expression, she asked Peter, "Who exactly are you, Peter Podrick?"
"In time, you'll find out."
She was destined to become an ally during the Great Expedition, as Clark had seen in his nightmares. Peter answered vaguely, "Just know that we are not your enemies."
Diana nodded, asking no further questions.
After Diana went to see Zora, Clark—who had been silently observing this whole time—finally spoke up, hesitant and unsure. "Godfather, I… I think I've seen her before."
"In your dreams, right?"
"Yes."
Seeing someone from his nightmares appear in real life, Clark turned to Peter with concern. "Godfather, did I really see the future? They're all showing up now…"
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[100 powerstones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
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