Look Up Part 1 (63->76k) (Patreon)

Bulletstorm grabbed Clark by the cape and dragged him toward a truck in the lot, while the others headed back inside to start the cleanup. Silver Sentinel watched for a moment, then flew off into the night, leaving the warehouse behind. Bulletstorm tossed Clark's body into the truck bed and climbed into the cab, starting the engine with a rumble. He drove out through the gate and headed toward the highway, glancing back occasionally at the still form under the tarp he had thrown over it. Miles passed while he drove into the countryside, the city fading behind him. Bulletstorm pulled off onto a dirt road that led into woods, bumping along until he reached a clearing. He stopped the truck and got out, walking around to the bed.

"Time to bury you deep," he muttered, pulling the tarp off.

He grabbed a shovel from the truck bed and started digging, the blade cutting into the dirt with each thrust while he grunted. Sweat ran down his face as he worked, the hole growing wider and deeper until it reached about six feet long and three feet across.

Once the grave was ready, Bulletstorm leaned on the shovel for a second and caught his breath, his ribs still aching from the earlier punch. He walked back to the truck and opened the tailgate, reaching for the tarp to pull Clark's body out. But then a light caught his eye in the distance, headlights bouncing along the dirt road that led to the clearing. He squinted as the car approached. "What the fuck," he said, stepping back from the truck. He patted his sides for his guns, remembering too late that Superman had crushed them back at the warehouse. "Shit," he whispered, flexing his hands instead. He figured he could snap the witness's neck quick enough then bury them too.

Bulletstorm waited with a smile spreading across his face as the car rolled closer. He stood in the middle of the path, arms crossed like he owned the place, ready to wave them down and act friendly until he got close enough to strike. The car slowed at first, creeping forward as if the driver hesitated, but then the engine revved hard, and it sped up at the last possible moment. Bulletstorm's eyes widened, and he tried to jump out of the way, twisting his body to the side. But the front bumper slammed into his legs, crushing them against the truck's rear with a sickening crunch. Pain exploded through him as he got pinned between the vehicles, his hips grinding under the pressure while blood soaked his pants instantly.

He screamed, the sound ripping out of him as he pushed against the car's hood with both hands. Metal dented under his fingers, but the car didn't budge, the engine idling while tires dug into the dirt. "You motherfucker!" he yelled, spitting blood from where he had bitten his tongue. "I'll rip your head off! Get this thing off me, you piece of shit!" He shoved harder, veins bulging in his arms, but the handbrake locked the wheels solid, and his broken legs gave him no leverage. "I'm gonna find you and fuck you up! You hear me? I'll kill you!"

The driver's door opened, and Lois Lane stepped out, slamming it behind her with a glare that could cut glass. She walked around the front, hands on her hips as she looked him over. "Oh, shut the hell up, you limp-dick wannabe," she said. "Screaming like a little bitch now, huh?"

Bulletstorm snarled and tried to lunge at her, but the pain shot through his lower body like fire, pinning him in place. "You whore! I'll gut you! Come closer, I'll—"

Lois flipped him off and turned away, heading straight for the truck bed. "Yeah, yeah, save it for someone who cares." She climbed up onto the tailgate and pulled the tarp off Clark's body, her face going pale when she saw the blood-soaked suit and stab wounds that still oozed. "Oh god," she whispered, checking his pulse. It was weak but still there, and she let out a breath in relief. 

"Lois..." Clark spoke weakly. 

Earlier that night, after they split up, her phone had buzzed with a text from him saying he needed help at the warehouse. She had rented a car and driven out there fast, arriving just in time to hide behind some crates and watch the fight between him and Silver Sentinel unfold. When Bulletstorm dragged Clark away in the truck, she had followed at a distance with her headlights off until they reached the woods.

"Clark, hey, stay with me," she said, shaking his shoulder gently. He groaned but didn't wake, his face was pale under the numerous blood smears and injuries. Lois jumped down and tried to lift him from the bed, but be didnt budge. "Come on, you big lug," she muttered, grabbing under his arms and pulling with everything she had. He slid inch by inch, his legs dragging over the edge until she got him to the ground with a thud that made her wince. "Sorry, sorry," she said, apologizing even though he couldn't hear her.

Bulletstorm kept shouting from where he stayed pinned, his voice hoarse now. "I'm gonna rape you, bitch! Tear you apart! You think this hurts? Wait till I get free!"

Lois ignored him at first, focusing on dragging Clark toward her car, his body leaving a trail of blood in the dirt. When Bulletstorm got cruder, describing what he'd do in graphic detail, she stopped long enough to flip him off again. "Dream on, asshole," she yelled back. "You're done." She got Clark to the back seat and maneuvered him inside, his legs folded awkwardly while she slammed the door. Jumping into the driver's seat, she revved the engine and backed up hard, the bumper grinding against Bulletstorm's legs as she pulled free.

Bulletstorm screamed louder, collapsing to the ground when the pressure released, but he pushed himself up on his arms and tried to stand. His legs buckled immediately, bones shattered beyond use, and he fell face-first into the dirt with a curse. He clawed forward a few inches, shouting after the car as Lois sped away. "You can't run! I'll find you!"

Lois glanced in the rearview mirror and saw him collapse again, then focused on the road ahead. She drove out of the woods and merged onto the highway. Clark lay still in the back, his breathing shallow, and Lois kept glancing over her shoulder.

"Superman, what do I do?" she said in a panic. "Hospital? We need to get you to a doctor."

He stirred weakly his eyes cracking open. "No... hospital," he whispered.

Lois gripped the wheel tighter. "Then what? Tell me!"

"Home," he said while his voice faded.

She swerved a little. "Home? Where the hell is that?"

"Smallville... Kansas," he muttered. "Kent farm."

Lois nodded even though he couldn't see her. "Okay, Smallville, Kansas. Kent farm. Got it." She punched it into her phone's GPS with one hand, the screen lighting up her face as it calculated the route. "Stay with me, Superman. Talk to me. What's the farm like? Tell me about it."

He groaned but didn't respond, his head lolling to the side as he passed out completely.

"Superman? Hey!" Lois reached back and shook his leg, the car swerving again. "Wake up! Come on, don't do this. Tell me something anything. Your favorite food, or... or why you wear that stupid cape. Superman!"

No answer came, just ragged breathing from the back seat. Lois cursed under her breath and floored the accelerator, the engine roaring as she pushed the speed limit. Trees blurred past on the highway. "You better not die on me, you hear? I just met you, and you're the only decent hero I've ever seen. Wake up!"

But Clark didn't... he closed his eyes as the void pulled at him. Soon he didn't hear Lois... he didn't hear anything.

He just drifted off into sleep. 

_____________________________________

Clark ran through the yard with the towel tied around his neck, arms out like wings while he made whooshing sounds that echoed off the barn. He spotted Shelby chasing a butterfly near the fence, and he dove toward the dog with a yell. "Villainous beast, you won't terrorize this farm anymore!" He grabbed Shelby gently around the middle and lifted him up, spinning in a circle while the dog barked happily and licked his face. "Take that, and that!" Clark set Shelby down and patted his head, then turned to the old tire swing that hung from the tree. "Evil Tire Monster, your reign ends now!" He punched the tire lightly, watching it swing back and forth while he dodged imaginary attacks.

He flew into the house next, kicking the screen door open with his foot and zooming down the hall where he knocked over a stack of mail on the table. "Incoming hero!" He jumped over the rug that tried to trip him up and slid into the living room, where the big armchair sat waiting like a trap. "Chair of Doom, you think you can stop me?" He pushed it over with both hands, the cushions tumbling off while he laughed and stood on top of it triumphantly. "Victory for Superman!"

His toys waited in his room, lined up on the bed where he had set them earlier that morning. The stuffed bear waved its paw at him, and the action figures clapped their hands together while they cheered. "You're the best hero ever!" the bear said in a deep voice. The dinosaur nodded its head up and down. "You saved us all, Superman! We love you!" The toy soldiers marched in place and saluted him. "Hooray for our leader! No one stops you!" Clark bowed to them and waved like a king, then picked up the robot and held it high. "Thank you, citizens! I'll always protect you!"

He pretended to fly around the room next, knocking into the dresser where socks spilled out, but he caught them mid-air and tossed them back. "Flying socks attack repelled!" He looped over the bed and landed on the floor with a roll, then stood up and brushed off his hands. "Time for a hero's feast!" He zoomed out of the room and into the kitchen. "Ma! Pa! The hero returns victorious!"

He looked around the kitchen, but no one answered him. The counters sat empty, and the chairs pushed in neatly like no one had sat there all day. "Ma?" He walked to the doorway and peeked into the hall, but silence greeted him. "Pa? Where are you?" He turned back and checked under the table, then opened the pantry door where cans lined the shelves. "This isn't funny!"

He ran into the front room next, where the couch faced the window and the TV sat dark. "Ma? Pa?" He stopped short when he saw them on the floor, bodies twisted in ways that didn't make sense, blood pooling around them from cuts that ran deep across their throats and chests. Chairs lay knocked over nearby, and the lamp had shattered on the ground. Silver Sentinel stood over them, his sword dripping red while he turned and smiled at Clark.

"We're heroes, Clark," Silver Sentinel said calmly. "This is what we do."

Clark screamed "No!" and backed up until he hit the wall, his heart pounding while terror filled him. He slid down to the floor and covered his eyes with his hands. "This isn't real!"

Silver Sentinel stepped closer, his boots leaving bloody prints on the rug. "Wake up, son."

Clark turned and ran down the hall, his feet slipping on the wood while he crashed into the doorframe. He burst out the back door and into the yard, where the towel flapped behind him like a cape. Silver Sentinel followed. "You can't run from what we are!"

Clark glanced back and saw Silver Sentinel change halfway through the chase, his body growing taller with skin turning dark and scaly, horns sprouting from his head while his eyes glowed red. The demonic creature roared and swiped at him with claws that raked the air. Clark screamed again and ran into the barn, slamming the door shut behind him while he leaned against it. "It's not real! It's not real!" He backed away and hid behind a stack of hay bales, curling up small while he rocked back and forth. "It's not real!"

The door burst open with a crash, and the creature stomped inside, knocking over tools and buckets while it sniffed the air. Clark peeked out and saw it knock a chair across the floor with one swipe. "Come out, little hero," it growled.

Clark tried to stay quiet, but his breath came too fast, and the creature turned toward the hay. It lunged, claws ripping through the bales while Clark scrambled back and fell through a hatch in the floor that opened under him. He tumbled down into darkness, hitting the bottom hard on dirt that knocked the wind out of him. He coughed and pushed up, his side hurting from the fall while he looked around the dark room.

Something pulsed green in the corner, light flickering like a heartbeat that lit up the walls faintly. Clark stood slowly and walked closer, his hand out while he squinted at the shape. A small ship sat there, metal smooth and curved with symbols he didn't know etched on the side. The green glow came from a crystal embedded in the hull, pulsing brighter as he approached.

He reached out and touched it.

"Wake up!"

Clark gasped as he woke up, his body jerking upright in the bed while his hands clutched the sheets around him. He looked around in a panic, eyes darting from the window to the door and then to the posters on the walls that he had hung up years ago. He quickly realized he was in his bed in his old room at the farm. Towels lay scattered across the chair and the nightstand with blood soaked into them, and his bedding showed stains that spread out from where he had bled during the night. Clark rubbed his eyes and tried to piece together what had happened, but he did not remember how he had gotten here. The last thing he remembered was the pain from the sword and the look on Silver Sentinel's face as he stabbed him.

He felt sadness crash into him as he remembered the events of last night, the weight of it all pressing on him while he sat there with his head in his hands. It was as if everything he had ever believed in had come crashing down around him, the hero he had admired since he was a boy turning out to be a monster. Clark wiped at his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself while the sadness lingered in his chest.

He then noticed Krypto sleeping by his side on the bed, the dog's head resting on the pillow next to him. Clark felt happy to see him there, a small smile breaking through as he reached out to pet the fur between Krypto's ears. Krypto woke up right away, wagging his tail while he got up and licked Clark's hand with enthusiasm.

Clark got up from the bed after that, groaning slightly as he felt a little pain in his side from the movement. He stood there for a moment and stretched his arms above his head, then headed downstairs where he heard voices coming from the kitchen. Krypto followed him closely, his nails clicking on the wood steps as they descended together. His ma and pa were in the kitchen with Lois sitting there at the table, wearing one of his shirts that hung loosely on her slender frame. They turned when he entered, and his ma stood up right away with relief on her face while she walked over to him.

"Clark, you're awake," his ma said, pulling him into a hug that he returned carefully. "We were so worried when Lois brought you in last night, you gave us such a fright with all that blood! Did you know you stopped breathing more than once."

His pa nodded from the table and stood up too, joining the hug while he patted Clark's back. "Glad to see you up, son," he said.

Clark apologized and hugged them both tighter for a moment. "I'm sorry for worrying you," he said.

His ma pulled back and looked at him with her hands on his shoulders. "Don't you ever do anything like that again," she said. "My poor heart won't be able to take it if you come home in that state again."

Clark nodded and gave her a small smile. "I won't, Ma," he said.

His ma then turned him toward Lois and gestured at her. "And say thank you to this lovely young lady too for saving your life," she said.

Clark smiled at Lois and walked over to where she sat. "I owe you my life Lois," he said. "Thank you for getting me here."

Lois looked a little embarrassed but waved it off with a shrug. "Just promise not to get in that situation again," she said. "I don't think I can handle another drive like that."

Clark nodded and sat down at the table next to her. "I promise," he said.

His ma then forced him to stay seated and have breakfast, which she started serving from the stove where plates waited with eggs and bacon. "You need to eat something after all that," she said, putting a plate in front of him and then serving Lois and his pa too.

Clark picked up his fork and started eating with them, the food helping to settle his stomach while they sat together at the table. While they ate his ma and pa asked what Lois did for work, and she told them about her internship at the Daily Planet where she wrote articles. His ma found it interesting and leaned forward while she listened. "That sounds exciting," his ma said. "What kind of stories do you cover?"

Lois explained how she focused on investigations that exposed corruption, and his pa nodded along while he ate. "We need more people like you out there," his pa said.

They continued eating together, with his ma asking about how Lois had met Clark and her telling them about the night at the club where they had teamed up. His ma listened with wide eyes and shook her head at parts of the story.  Clark finished his breakfast during the conversation but still felt down, the weight of everything from the night before pressing on him while he pushed his plate away. He got up from the table and headed outside with Krypto at his heels, the dog trotting along beside him as he walked down the porch steps.

Lois watched him go and turned to his ma and pa with worry on her face. "Will he be okay?" she asked.

His ma sighed and looked out the window where Clark sat on the steps. "Silver Sentinel has been his hero ever since he was a boy," she said. "I don't know how it must feel to have your childhood hero try to kill you."

Lois sympathized with him and nodded slowly. "I hope he's better soon," she said. "He... He doesn't deserve this."

"Very few people in life ever get what they deserve," Pa commented as he spooned another bite. 

A moment later his ma gestured to his pa to go talk to Clark, and his pa nodded before he stood up from the table. He headed outside where Clark sat on the steps of the house looking at the morning sun. His pa came to sit next to him on the step, they stayed quiet for a moment while the wind rustled the leaves in the trees.

His pa broke the silence first. "Lois told us everything that happened last night," he said.

He paused for a moment.

"I'm so sorry, son," he added.

Clark's fists tightened on his knees, and he stared out at the fields. "It's okay, Pa," he said. "This was just something that wasn't meant to be." He looked at his Pa."I just wasn't suited to being a hero," he said. "Even if I was... I don't think I can do it anymore. I think it'll be best for everyone if I just stay here and finish school."

His pa felt sad at that, knowing how much the dream had meant to Clark since he was little, to see him give it up was devastating. "Son, I know this hurts," he said. "But don't give up on what you've always wanted just because one man let you down."

Clark shook his head and stood up from the step. "I don't want to talk about it right now," he said. "I'm going to get started on some farm work."

His Pa sighed as he watched Clark walk off toward the barn, Krypto following him. Clark spent the afternoon working on tasks around the farm, mending fences that had loosened over the winter and stacking hay bales in the barn where he could lose himself in the physical labor. He avoided thinking about Silver Sentinel as much as he could, but the betrayal crept in every time he paused for a breath, flashes of the hero's face and the cages full of people hitting him like punches to the gut. He saw the injured victims again in his mind, their eyes pleading while guards laughed, and the other heroes standing there like it was nothing. Frustration built inside him with each memory, anger mixing with sadness until he slammed a hammer down too hard on a nail, the wood splitting under the force while the tool bent in his hand.

He stared at the broken board for a moment, his chest heaving while tears pricked at his eyes again.

"You okay?" a voice asked from behind him.

Clark turned around quickly and saw Lois standing there at the barn entrance, her hands in her pockets while she looked at him with concern. He composed himself right away, wiping his face with the back of his hand and forcing a neutral expression. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "Just got a little carried away with the hammer."

Lois walked closer and leaned against a post while she studied his face. "You don't look fine," she said. "You've been out here all afternoon, I can tell something's eating at you. Talk to me, Clark. What happened last night wasn't your fault..."

Clark shook his head and set the bent hammer down on a workbench. "It doesn't feel like that," he said. "But thanks for trying to make me feel better."

Lois stepped forward and put a hand on his arm. "I'm serious," she said. "You nearly died yesterday trying to help those people, you can't blame yourself, you just need to pick yourself up and try again."

Clark looked at her for a moment and then sighed. "I appreciate it, Lois," he said. "But I've been thinking, and I just can't do this anymore... i don't think I'm going to be a hero from now on."

Lois's eyes widened in shock, and she pulled her hand back. "What? Why would you say that?"

Clark leaned against the workbench and crossed his arms. "I just can't do it anymore," he said. "I tried, but I'm not cut out to be a hero."

Lois shook her head and stepped closer again. "That's bullshit," she said. "You're one of the most heroic people I've ever met, Clark. You can't stop now. Think about all the people who depend on you, the ones who look up to you because you actually care. Without someone like you, heroes are just corrupt assholes who take advantage of everyone around them. They need you out there showing them a better way."

Clark uncrossed his arms and looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry," he said.

Lois got angry then, her voice rising as she grabbed his arm. "What about the kidnapping victims?" she asked. "What about Lily? You're just going to give up on them now? They need you, Clark. You can't walk away when things get hard."

Clark shouted back as he pulled his arm free. "I'm not a hero!" he said. "I don't want to be one anymore! Someone else will have to help them, because I can't do it!" He took a step back and pointed toward the house. "Leave me alone, Lois. Please."

Lois looked at him for a long moment, her expression shifting from anger to disappointment. "Fine," she said. "But I won't give up on this. I'm going to expose all of it, no matter what happens to me or what it costs." She turned and stomped off toward the house, her footsteps crunching on the gravel path.

Clark sat down on a nearby fence rail alone, his head in his hands while he stared at the ground. With his hearing, he picked up Lois inside the house where she thanked his parents for letting her stay overnight but explained that she needed to go now. His ma asked if everything was alright, and Lois said it was, though she still sounded a bit angry. They said their goodbyes at the door, with his pa offering her a handshake and his ma pulling her into a hug. Lois got in the car after that, the engine starting with a rumble while she drove off down the gravel path and onto the road.

Clark thought about what Lois had said, frustration building inside him as her words echoed in his mind. "I'm not a hero..." He muttered to himself, repeating it like it would make the doubt go away.

He finished the rest of his work after that, stacking the last hay bales in the barn and putting away the tools before he headed back to the house as the sun dipped behind the horizon. Krypto trotted beside him the whole way, nudging his hand occasionally. 

"Just in time," his ma said. "Dinner's almost ready. Wash up and sit down."

They had dinner together at the table, with his pa passing the bread while they ate stew that his ma had made. His ma looked at him during the meal and started to cry a bit, her eyes filling up while she set her spoon down. "I was so scared last night when Lois brought you here," she said. "I've never seen you so injured before, with all that blood and how weak you looked."

Clark stood up right away and walked around the table to hug her, holding her close while she leaned into him. "I'm sorry, Ma," he said. "I didn't mean to worry you like that."

She pulled back and wiped her eyes with a napkin. "I knew this sort of thing could happen... I tried to prepare myself for it... but you're just a boy Clark, you're my boy... I can't ever see you like that again," she said as tears streamed down her face. 

Clark nodded and hugged her before he sat back down. "I promise it won't happen again," he said. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay right here where it's safe."

His ma smiled at him through the tears, and they finished the meal with lighter talk about the farm and the weather that would come in the next week.

Clark stayed there for the next few days doing farm work and recovering. He mended more fences in the mornings and helped his pa with the tractor in the afternoons, the physical tasks kept his mind occupied for short stretches. His pa watched him during those days, standing at the barn door or from the porch while Clark loaded supplies or fed the animals. It made Jonathan sad to see how the joy that had always defined Clark seemed gone now, the way he moved through the chores without the energy or happiness that used to come so easily. Clark talked less at meals and spent evenings on the porch alone with Krypto, staring out at the fields while Jonathan wondered if something inside him had brokenx, something that might not heal.

Lois texted him a few times during that period, checking in and sharing updates about the article she worked on, but Clark replied briefly and avoided calls. He focused on the routine at the farm, where the days blended together in a way that numbed the pain a little more each time.

One evening after dinner, Clark sat on the porch with his pa, where they watched the sun set over the horizon. Jonathan turned to him and spoke quietly. "You've been quiet, son," he said. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here."

Clark nodded but kept his eyes on the fields. "I know, Pa," he said. "I'm just figuring things out."

Jonathan patted his shoulder and left it at that, knowing Clark would open up when he was ready. Clark continued the work the next day, stacking wood in the shed while Krypto sat nearby and watched him. He felt the frustration build again as flashes of the cages came back, but he pushed through it and finished the task before he headed inside for lunch.

Martha made sandwiches at the counter, and they ate together at the table where she asked about schoolwork that he had fallen behind on. Clark promised to catch up soon, and they talked about plans for the weekend that involved a trip to town for supplies.

The days stretched on like that, with Clark recovering physically though mentally he hadn't much changed. He slept better at night but woke up sometimes from dreams that replayed the fight.

Jonathan watched him one afternoon from the barn door, where Clark repaired a gate with tools spread out on the ground. It made him sad to see how Clark's movements lacked the enthusiasm he used to have, the way he paused and stared off into the distance more often than not. He talked to Martha about it that evening, where they sat in the kitchen after Clark had gone to bed.

"He's not himself," Jonathsn said. "All that light in him seems gone now."

Martha nodded and stirred her tea. "Give him time," she said. "He'll find his way back."

Clark heard them from his room upstairs with his super hearing, and it made him feel guilty for worrying them. He lay in bed for a while after he heard his parents talking in the kitchen downstairs, and listened to their voices fade into quiet murmurs. He turned off the lamp on the nightstand and pulled the covers up, closing his eyes while he tried to push the thoughts away. Sleep came slowly, but eventually it pulled him under, and he drifted off without any more dreams.

He woke the next morning to sunlight streaming through the window, he sat up slowly while he rubbed his eyes. Krypto stirred at the foot of the bed and wagged his tail when Clark looked at him. Clark got dressed in jeans and a shirt from the closet, then headed downstairs. 

His ma stood at the stove flipping pancakes, and his pa sat at the table with a cup of coffee while he read the newspaper. They both looked up when Clark entered, and his ma smiled at him. "Morning, honey," she said. "Sit down, food's almost ready."

Clark nodded and took his seat at the table, where his pa folded the paper and passed him the sports section. They ate together after his ma served the plates, with pancakes and eggs that Clark ate steadily while they talked about the day ahead. Pa mentioned work on the barn that needed finishing, and Clark said he would help after breakfast.

After they finished eating, Clark helped clear the table and wash the dishes at the sink with his ma, then headed out to do some work with Krypto on his heels as the dog trotted along beside him. He walked to the barn where the chickens clucked in their coop, and he opened the gate to let them out into the yard while he scattered feed on the ground for them. Krypto sat nearby and watched him, tail wagging while Clark collected eggs from the nests inside the coop.

While he was there, Clark saw the hatch in the floor of the barn, the one from his where the ship had been hidden all these years. He paused for a moment with the basket of eggs in his hand, staring at the metal cover that blended into the wood planks. Memories from the nightmare flooded back, but he shook his head and set the basket down before he knelt and opened the hatch with a creak that echoed in the empty space.

He floated down into the dark area below, where dust motes danced in the light from above, and he landed softly on the dirt floor. Clark looked at the ship that had brought him here 15 years ago, the small pod covered in a tarp that his pa had draped over it long ago. He pulled the tarp off and ran his hand along the smooth metal surface, feeling the coolness under his fingers while he sighed deeply.

He touched it and wondered why he had been sent here in the first place, what purpose he even had on this planet when everything he tried he failed at. He stood there for a minute, his hand still on the hull while questions swirled in his mind.

He then heard a beeping from the ship where he had his hand, a sound that started soft and grew louder. Clark looked surprised as the pod opened with a hiss, the top lifting up while lights flickered on inside. He stepped closer and saw a crystal shard in the compartment that glowed faintly, when he picked it up,  his head started to burn as what could only be information grafted onto his brain in a rush that made him stagger back. He did not know what it was or why it had been in his pod, but he knew how to activate it now.

He floated out of the hole after that, closing the hatch behind him, and headed out of the barn where he passed his Pa who worked on a cabinet nearby. Jonathan looked up "Hey son, mind helping me with the cows, they get angsty this season," he asked. 

"I'll help you later I just need to do something," Clark spoke quickly. He then launched off into the sky with Krypto flying after him, the dog barking as they ascended together.

Clark flew across the sky, going faster and faster while wind rushed past him and clouds parted in his wake. He crossed America, fields and cities blurring below as he headed south over mountains and plains. He then passed over South America. The ocean came next. He headed toward Antarctica, where the air grew colder and ice appeared on the horizon. He flew to the middle of nowhere in the frozen landscape, where snow covered everything and wind howled around him, before he landed on a flat expanse of ice. He looked at the shard in his hand and muttered, "Let's see if this works," before he threw it forward with a flick of his wrist.

The shard hit the ice and sank in slightly, then pulsed with light that spread out in rings while the ground shook under his feet. Crystals grew from the point where it landed, shooting up in towers and walls that formed structures around him. The fortress built itself in seconds, massive pillars rising high while rooms and halls took shape from the ice that transformed into clear material harder than steel. Krypto barked at the sight, circling Clark while the shard integrated into the center console that appeared in the main chamber.

Clark looked around the massive structure. The structure was filled wirh translucent panels that glowed faintly with blue light. Consoles lined the sides, with screens flickering to life as he passed while they displayed symbols he did not recognize at first but somehow understood on instinct. Holographic displays hovered in the air, showing star maps and data streams that shifted when he looked at them.

Krypto trotted beside him, sniffing at the floor and looking up at the towering ceilings with his tail wagging. Clark stopped in the center where the main console waited, a large circular platform with a crystal interface that glowed brighter as he approached. He looked down at Krypto and crouched to pet him. "What do you think, boy? Should I touch it?"

Krypto barked loudly his tail thumping against the floor.

Clark smiled a little and stood up. "Yeah, me too." He reached out and placed his hand on the console.

Lights flared across the room, and holograms activated in front of him. Two people appeared, life-sized and detailed down to the fabric of their clothes. They looked at him with expressions full of love and sadness.

"Kal-El," the man said.

The woman stepped forward in the projection, her hand reaching out as if she could touch him. "My son," she said softly.

Clark stared at them, tears already forming while he took a step closer. "Mom... Dad..."

"If you are hearing this, you have found the shard encased in your ship. We placed it there so that one day you would discover your heritage."

"You must wonder why me and your mother sent you on that ship, but don't believe for a second that it was because we didn't love you. Krypton was our home, Kal-El. A world of wonder and knowledge, but it paid for the mistakes of those who came before us. The core destabilized, and the planet could not be saved."

"We loved you too much to let you pay for our race's mistakes. So we sent you here, to this planet, where you would be safe."

"Under this world's yellow sun, you will grow strong, stronger than anyone here. We observed Earth for a long time before we sent you. It has its problems, its conflicts and pain, but it also has goodness and potential. We believe in you, Kal-El. We believe you can show them a better way."

The man gestured to the symbol on his chest and then to the woman's. "The symbol of our house, the House of El. But it also means something more. It means hope."

"You are the last son of Krypton, Kal-El. You carry our race's last hope."

"Kal-El, your mother and I love you more than the moons and stars. Our biggest regret is that we are not with you, raising you, watching you grow. But we know in our hearts you will do us proud. Be the light this world needs."

The holograms flickered and faded, leaving Clark standing there alone with Krypto at his side. He turned around and looked at the consoles one more time.

The chamber stretched farther than he had realised. What he had first taken for a single room unfolded into corridors and alcoves carved straight out of the ice, their surfaces smooth and angular, glowing faintly with a blue light that seemed to come from within the walls themselves. 

Clark stepped forward and passed each console, every time he did symbols flickered and shifted, responding to his presence. He did not understand the language, not fully, but fragments of meaning brushed against his mind like half remembered dreams. Images bloomed in the air. Star maps. Worlds he had never seen. Suns burning white and red and blue.

One display drew him closer. It unfolded slowly, as if waiting for him. A planet appeared. Vast. Beautiful. Covered in crystalline cities that rose like spires of light. The word came to him without effort.

Krypton.

His chest tightened. The images showed oceans, skies, people. Tall figures moving through halls of glass and light, their technology seemed light years ahead of anything here. He stood there longer than he meant to, staring at a world that felt impossibly familiar and impossibly distant at the same time. A home he had never known, yet somehow missed.

The display shifted.

Warning symbols flashed and the colour changed to a sickly green.

[Kryptonite Traces Detected]

Clark instinctively stepped back.

The database unfolded the information. Kryptonite was a fragment of Krypton itself. Highly radioactive. Lethally toxic to Kryptonian biology. Exposure caused rapid cellular breakdown, intense pain, weakness, organ failure. Prolonged exposure led inevitably to death.

Even more unsettling, the data continued. Kryptonite radiation was dangerous not only to Kryptonians. At high enough concentrations, it was harmful to all organic matter. Plants mutated. Animals sickened. Entire ecosystems could collapse if exposure was sustained.

Clark swallowed hard as understanding snapped into place.

The green energy.

He stared at the projections as the truth settled in his gut like a stone. Silver Sentinel was absorbing energy from Kryptonite.

He was poisoning himself.

If he kept absorbing it, kept flooding his body with something this toxic, it would not make him a god. It would kill him.

For a moment, Clark stood there, frozen between fear and something that felt dangerously close to pity. He wondered if he should tell him, if he deserved to, or if he should just let him die. 

The thought pressed in on him.

Then Clark shook his head.

Not now.

He followed the path back toward the light of the entrance. He wanted to explore more, to learn everything the fortress offered, but he needed to go back and help his pa with the cows like he had promised. He could always come back here later when he had more time.

Clark floated out of the structure with Krypto flying beside him, the entrance sealing behind them as they left the ice behind. He flew back toward the farm at a quick pace.  He landed in the yard softly and walked out to the pasture where his pa waited with the gate open, and they started herding the cows in together while the sun hung low in the sky. Clark moved to the side and called out to the stragglers, guiding them through the opening with gentle pushes when they wandered off. His pa worked the other flank, whistling to keep the herd moving in a line. They continued like that for a while, the cows lowing as they filed into the barn where fresh hay waited in the stalls.

Jonathan glanced over at him during a lull and wiped sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "You know that lady friend of yours Lois has been leaving messages for you on the house phone," he said. "She called twice this week, sounded like she wanted to talk."

Clark felt guilty about not answering it as he pushed the last cow through the gate, his stomach twisting while he avoided his pa's eyes. "I know," he said. "It's probably hero stuff and I'm not doing that anymore."

His pa stopped the work right there, leaning on the gate while he looked at Clark directly. "You know..." he said. "I don't remember a time when you didn't want to be a hero. Ever since you were little you were running around with that towel cape saving your little toys from Shelby or the evil chicken lords."

"It was just a stupid dream" Clark muttered as he kept working on latching the gate, his hands fumbling with the chain for a second.

His pa reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "Clark, look at me," he said.

Clark stopped and turned to face him. 

His pa took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. "I've always been against you being a hero," he said. "But in truth I never told you why, not fully.... You see it all started when I was a boy... my father was killed by a hero during a fight in the city. The super picked up his car and threw it like a weapon at a bunch of criminals, but my father was still inside it. Crushed him right there, and the hero just ran off after like it was nothing."

Clark felt shocked as he stood there, his mouth opening slightly while he processed the words. He had never known that his grandpa died like that, only that it had happened when his pa was young. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" he asked.

His pa sighed and crossed his arms. "Ever since me and your Ma discovered you had powers I knew that being a hero had to be your decision, even if I was against it," he said. "I didn't want my pain being the reason you made your choice. You had to figure it out on your own, without me pushing you one way or the other."

Clark looked down at the ground for a moment, then back up at his pa. "I get it," he said. "But it doesn't change anything now."

His pa shook his head and stepped closer. "Clark, you want to be a hero," he said. "I know you do, even after all this. So tell me what is stopping you."

Clark didn't look at him for a moment, he felt like he couldn't.  He felt the emotions he'd done so well at pushing down build up inside him, his voice breaking. "I'm scared, Pa," he said. "I'm scared that Silver Sentinel is right, that this is what heroes are that no matter their intentions this is what they eventually become. That one day I'll turn into him and start hurting people."

His pa listened and then put an arm around him, pulling him into a hug that Clark returned while tears started to fall. "Clark, listen to me," his pa said. "Your choices, your actions they are what make you who you are. And if someone were to tell me there is only one hero in this world, then I know that hero is Clark Kent. There I no one I know with a better heart than you."

Clark hugged his father tighter, the words hitting him deep. "What if I mess up?" he asked, his voice muffled against his pa's shoulder.

His pa held him close. "We all mess up, son," he said. "That's what being human is. It's not the messing up that defines us, but what we do when we get back up." His pa pulled back from the hug and looked at him. "You're a hero, Clark," he said. "You've always been there for people when they need you. Your friends, your teammates, even strangers."

He paused and put a hand on Clark's shoulder. "You were there for me and your Ma, that night 15 years ago," he said. "We'd lost hope on having a family... but  there you came."

Clark smiled tearfully and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "I'm still not sure what I should do?" he asked.

His pa smiled back at him. "Do what you've always done," he said. "Go save the day."

_____________________________________

Annie sat cross-legged on her bed inher room at the Young Americans headquarters, the curtains drawn 

 against the afternoon sun. The air was stale and stunk of unwashed clothes. Her costume lay crumpled on the floor where she'd tossed it after the last mandatory training session, the star-emblazoned fabric now gathering dust. Empty water bottles and half-eaten protein bars littered her nightstand, remnants of attempts to force herself to eat when grief had stolen her appetite entirely.

She clutched her phone in both hands, the screen cracked from when she'd thrown it against the wall two nights earlier. The news alerts still glowed there, frozen on the same headlines that had shattered her world: SUPERMAN MISSING AFTER WAREHOUSE RAMPAGE. DOZENS FEARED DEAD. Vought's official statement called it a "tragic mental health episode."

Annie didn't believe it.

Clark wouldn't. Clark couldn't ever do anything like that. 

She kept replaying their last conversation in the rec room, how she'd refused to go with him, how Maria had stormed out, how she'd sat there silent while he walked away alone. The guilt was a living thing inside her chest, clawing every time she breathed. If she'd gone with him, if she'd backed him up, maybe he'd still be here. Maybe he'd be laughing in the lounge right now, blushing over some dumb joke, asking if anyone wanted to play a game.

But worse... far worse... was what she'd done afterward.

She'd been scared. Terrified he'd get in trouble, that Silver Sentinel would punish the whole team. So she told him, about everything. Eclipse Lounge. Warehouse outside Des Moines. She'd thought he was going to help. That he would go and bring Clark back or help him.

Now Clark was gone, and the official story painted him as a monster.

Annie pressed her palms into her eyes until sparks bloomed behind her lids. "I killed him," she whispered to the empty room. She didn't know if Silver sentinel was responsible, but in her heart she knew that he was lying about what he said about Clark. He had to have done something to him. 

The door suddenly slammed open hard enough to bounce off the wall. Annie flinched, curling into herself as her mother strode in like a hurricane. "Jesus Christ, Annie," Donna snapped, nostrils flaring as she took in the state of the room. "You look like absolute garbage. You smell like a gym sock left in a dumpster. When's the last time you showered? Three days? Four?"

Annie didn't answer. She pulled her knees tighter to her chest and stared at the carpet.

Donna kept going, voice rising with every word. "You've missed three appearances. Three. The children's hospital visit gone! The charity gala photo op gone! That brand deal with the energy drink people who specifically requested Starlight gone! Do you have any idea how much money that cost us?"

Still nothing from Annie.

Donna marched forward and yanked the blanket off the bed entirely. "Get. Up. Now. You're getting in the shower, you're putting on your costume, and you're coming downstairs. Silver Sentinel is holding a major press conference in two hours to address the Superman situation. The entire team is required to be there. You will not embarrass me by looking like a homeless raccoon on national television."

Annie's voice came out. "I don't want to go."

Donna's face twisted. "You don't want to—?" She laughed. "You think this is about what you want? I sacrificed everything for you, Annie. Everything. My career, my body, my youth, dragging you to auditions and training and pageants while other mothers were cooking at home. I made you a star. And now you're going to throw it all away because you're sulking over some boy who snapped and murdered people?"

She grabbed Annie's arm and hauled her up. Annie stumbled, her bare feet catching on discarded clothes.

"He didn't murder anyone," Annie whispered.

Donna backhanded her across the face. The slap echoed. Annie's head didn't budge but she was shocked nonetheless. 

"Don't you dare," Donna hissed. "Don't you dare defend that psycho in front of me. Get in the goddamn shower before I drag you there myself."

When Annie still didn't move fast enough, Donna shoved her with both hands to the back. Annie tripped over a sneaker and went down hard.

"You ungrateful little—" Donna loomed over her. "I gave you everything. Everything. And this is how you repay me?"

Annie's lip split as she bit it. She tasted copper. Slowly, she pushed herself up and walked to the bathroom on numb legs. The shower scalded at first, then turned icy when she didn't adjust the temperature. She stood under it anyway, letting water pound her skin until it went numb too. Forty minutes later she emerged in her Starlight costume, hair blow-dried into perfect waves, makeup flawless. Donna had stood in the doorway the entire time supervising.

Downstairs in the common area, the team waited. Maria leaned against the wall in her Holy Mary costume with her arms crossed and a stormy expression. Alex lounged on the couch in his new upgraded deep-blue suit, legs spread wide, grinning like he'd won the lottery.

"Well, look who decided to join the living," Alex drawled when Annie appeared. "Thought we'd have to send a search party."

Maria shot him a venomous look but said nothing. Her eyes met Annie's for a brief second.

A swarm of Vought managers descended seconds later, clipboards and tablets in hand. They passed out scripted statements.

Annie stared at the page handed to her.

"...deeply saddened by Superman's tragic breakdown... his actions were inexcusable... we cannot condone violence, even from those we once called teammates... the Young Americans stand united against such reckless endangerment of human life..."

Her stomach lurched.

"No," she said quietly. "I'm not saying this."

One manager blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I'm not reading this. It's lies. Clark didn't—"

Maria spoke up too, voice uncertain. "Yeah, this feels... wrong. We don't even know what really happened."

Alex barked a laugh. "Oh my God, you two are pathetic. Superman went nuts, killed a bunch of people, and now he's gone, probably dead and I say good riddance. The team's better without that boy-scout drag. Grow the hell up."

Maria stepped forward. "Shut up, Alex. You're loving this because you were always jealous of him."

"Jealous?" Alex stood, towering over her. "Of what? His stupid dumb face? His whining? Please. He was dead weight."

"Enough." Silver Sentinel's voice cut through the room like a blade.

He stood in the doorway looking as strong and powerful as he ever had. But something about him felt different, colder in a way. The kindly old mentor Annie had known for years was gone. In his place stood someone who may or may not have killed her best friend.

The managers immediately straightened while one piped up nervously, "Sir, Starlight and Holy Mary are refusing their prepared statements."

Silver Sentinel's gaze settled on the two girls. Annie felt it like ice water down her spine.

"You will read the script," he said flatly. "Or you're off the team. Effective immediately. No severance. No references. Blacklisted from every hero gig on the planet. Your families will be sued for breach of contract until they're living in cardboard boxes. Do I make myself clear?"

Maria went pale. "Yes, sir," she whispered.

Annie couldn't speak. Her throat closed. This wasn't the man who'd comforted her after her first bad mission, who'd told her she had the biggest heart on the team. This was a stranger wearing his face.

Silver Sentinel waited. When Annie remained silent, he stepped closer, his voice dropping to something almost gentle... and infinitely more terrifying.

"I gave you every opportunity, Annie. I protected you. Guided you. And this is how you repay loyalty? By protecting a murderer?"

She found her voice somehow. "Clark wasn't—"

His hand shot out and gripped her chin hard enough to bruise, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Say the words, little girl."

He released her abruptly. Annie stumbled back, hand to her jaw.

Maria touched her elbow gently. "Annie... just... we'll figure something else out later."

Annie looked at her, eyes swimming. Then she nodded.

The team filed outside twenty minutes later into blinding camera flashes and shouted questions. The front steps of the Young Americans tower had been transformed into a press conference stage, complete with American flags, Vought banners, and a podium with the team logo. Dozens of reporters crammed behind velvet ropes, microphones thrust forward like spears.

Silver Sentinel took center position, flanked by the team and walked towards the podium with his team flanking him. "Thank you all for coming. In light of recent tragic events involving our former teammate Superman, the Young Americans wish to address the public directly..."

Annie's script trembled in her hands. The words blurred. She glanced sideways at Maria, who gave the tiniest shake of her head, as if to say don't do anything stupid.

Silver Sentinel tapped the podium microphone lightly. The reporters fell silent, cameras zooming in on his face. He cleared his throat, his wings twitching slightly behind him. "Ladies and gentlemen of the press, esteemed citizens of America," he began. "We gather here today under tragic circumstances. Superman, once a promising young hero in our ranks, has vanished following a devastating incident at a warehouse outside Des Moines. Let me be clear, Superman has been struggling for some time. We at Vought and the Young Americans noticed the signs early. Erratic behavior, unexplained absences, a growing detachment from his team. He spoke often of personal demons, pressures from his rural upbringing clashing with the demands of heroism. We offered him counseling, therapy sessions, even time off to reconnect with his family. But sadly, these efforts weren't enough."

The lies flowed easilyy out of his mouth, each one a carefully crafted barb. Annie's fists clenched at her sides, her script crumpling in her grip. Silver Sentinel continued, painting Clark as unstable, volatile, a ticking time bomb who'd finally exploded.

"He confided in me about violent impulses," Silver Sentinel said, his eyes misting artfully. "Fantasies of lashing out at those he perceived as threats. We tried to contain it, to guide him back to the light. But in that warehouse, he snapped. Dozens lost their lives...innocent workers, guards doing their jobs. It's a heartbreaking reminder that even those with godlike power can fall prey to their own mental illness. Superman's actions were not those of a hero, but of a man broken by his own inner turmoil. We mourn the victims, and we mourn the loss of what Superman could have been."

The crowd shifted uneasily, whispers rippling through the reporters. Flashes from the cameras popped like fireworks. Silver Sentinel paused for dramatic effect, then gestured to the team behind him. "My young charges have their own words to share. Drummer boy, if you would."

Alex stepped forward with a swagger, his deep-blue suit gleaming under the lights. He unfolded his script but barely glanced at it, delivering the words with happiness. "Superman was always a liability," he said, voice dripping with disdain. "He played the nice guy, but we saw the cracks in his persona early on. Skipping patrols for 'personal time,' arguing with leadership, putting civilians at risk with his amateur stunts. That warehouse? It was inevitable. He slaughtered those people in a rage. We can't sugarcoat it, Superman was no hero. He was a danger to us all. The Young Americans are stronger without him, and America is safer now that he's gone."

Reporters started to scribble furiously, some shouting questions already. Alex stepped back, smirking at Annie as if daring her to follow that.

Silver Sentinel nodded approvingly. "Thank you, Alex. Starlight your turn."

Annie's legs felt like lead as she approached the podium. The script shook in her hands, the words blurring through unshed tears. Cameras trained on her like predators. She glanced sideways at Maria, who gave the tiniest shake of her head again. 

Annie swallowed, her voice trembling as she began. "I... I knew Superman as a teammate and a friend. He..."

The words stuck in her throat. She stared at the page: I condemn his inexcusable violence... a betrayal to our values... Lies. All lies. Her hands stopped shaking. Something inside her snapped.

She couldn't do it. 

"He was the best hero I ever knew," she said loudly. Flashbulbs exploded as her eyes brightened. "All of this is a lie. Superman didn't kill anyone, he was and has only ever tried to save people. I can't pretend for a moment longer that this is the truth. Silver Sentinel—"

A iron grip clamped on her arm. Silver Sentinel yanked her back from the podium, his face a mask of fury as he dragged her aside. The microphones caught her gasp, the crowd erupting in chaos.

"You stupid girl," he hissed in her ear, fingers digging into her flesh like vices. "You think you can defy me? I'll ruin you. Your family, your career, all gone. You'll beg on the streets before I'm done."

Annie struggled, light energy flickering in her palms. "Let go! You're hurting—"

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Not at her struggle, but at something behind them. Annie twisted in Silver Sentinel's grasp, following their stares. The massive TV screens on the Young Americans HQ windows, which usually showed looping heroic montages had flickered to life with a new image. A familiar face filled the displays. 

Superman.

Silver Sentinel's eyes widened, his grip slackening in shock. "Impossible," he snarled under his breath.

The broadcast cut through the pandemonium. "I'm sorry for interrupting your broadcasts, everyone. This is Superman. If you're wondering why I'm on every channel it's because I went into space and hacked into a communications satellite to get this message out unfiltered. It's the only way to ensure it reaches you all."

Silver Sentinel whirled on the managers clustered nearby. "Turn it off! Now!"

They scrambled, fingers flying over tablets and phones. One manager, pale-faced, held up his device. "It doesn't matter, sir... it's everywhere. Look." He showed his screen; news apps, social media, live streams, all hijacked by the same feed. Across America, TVs, billboards, even car radios blared Superman's voice.

Superman continued. "You've probably heard a lot about me lately. Stories of a rampage, deaths at a warehouse. None of it's true. It all started when I began investigating the disappearance of a young woman vanishing in Des Moines. What I found... it changed everything. Silver Sentinel, one of America's greatest heroes? He's a lie. He's no hero at all."

Silver Sentinel's face twisted in rage, his sword humming to life at his side. He fired a green energy beam at the nearest screen, shattering it in a cascade of sparks and glass. Shards rained down, but the audio persisted from phones and laptops in the crowd. Reporters clutched their devices, eyes glued to the unfolding exposé.

"He's the mastermind behind a massive human trafficking ring," Superman said. Images flashed on the hijacked feeds; grainy photos of nightclubs like Eclipse Lounge, upscale bars in Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis. "These venues, Eclipse in Des Moines, Velvet Veil in Milwaukee, Shadow Den in St. Louis, and dozens more are fronts. If you know someone who went missing after a night out here, they were likely targeted. Lured with job offers, drugged, and taken."

Silver Sentinel's knuckles whitened on his sword hilt, his body trembling with barely contained fury. "That boy... I'll end him for good this time."

...

At Vought Tower in New York, the Seven gathered in their conference room, the massive screen mirroring the global broadcast. Homelander stood at the head of the table with his arms crossed, his eyes narrowing as Superman's face filled the display. A-Train fidgeted nearby, Deep shifted uncomfortably, but Homelander's expression was unreadable, a mix of intrigue and irritation. "Well, well," he murmured, a smirk tugging at his lips. "The boy's got teeth after all."

...

Back on the feed, Superman paused, his gaze piercing through the cameras. "These past few months, I've seen heroes for what they truly are. Corrupt. Self-serving. Greedy. For so long, I didn't want to believe it, that people with power like ours used them for evil. I still don't want to believe it. But Silver Sentinel... he's built an empire on suffering. There are processing centers all over the country, where victims are broken, prepared like cargo, then shipped worldwide to buyers who treat them as property."

Coordinates scrolled across the screen to warehouses in rural Iowa, abandoned factories in Ohio, hidden compounds in Texas and California. Precise latitudes and longitudes, addresses, even satellite images. "Here they are," Superman said. "All the locations... If there are still real heroes out there, people who believe in doing good, in protecting the innocent then please go to these coordinates now. There are people there who need your help. There will be no reward for it, no money, but for once you can actually call yourself a real hero."

He straightened, resolve hardening his features. "As of now I'm no longer affiliated with Vought or the Young Americans. No more endorsements, no brand deals, no scripted saves. I'll be a hero on my own terms, helping where it's needed most. And to all the so-called heroes who've abused their power, hurt the people you're sworn to protect... consider this your only warning, because I'm coming for you."

The transmission flickered out, screens reverting to static or emergency alerts. Chaos erupted on the steps. Reporters shouted questions—"Sentinel, is this true?" "What about the trafficking?" "Where's Superman now?"—microphones thrusting forward. The Managers started barked orders, trying to herd the team inside. "Everyone, back to the tower! No comments!"

Silver Sentinel stood frozen, pure rage coursing through him like venom. His veins bulged, face contorted in a snarl that revealed the monster beneath the heroic facade. Years of careful scheming, billions in illicit profits, an empire of his own making... all of it crumbling because of one idealistic kid. 

"Get inside," a manager urged, tugging at his arm. "We can spin this—"

Silver Sentinel snapped. His hand shot out, grabbing the manager by the neck. He lifted him effortlessly, Victor's feet dangling as he choked. The crowd gasped, cameras whirring on the scene. "You useless worm," Silver Sentinel growled. With a sickening crack, he twisted. Victor's body went limp, neck snapped like dry kindling. He dropped the corpse to the steps.

Screams pierced the air. Reporters bolted, some tripping over equipment in their haste. "He's killing them!" someone yelled. The other Managers froze in horror.

Silver Sentinel cursed, his voice a thunderous roar. "My empire! Years of building, networks across continents, all for power eternal and it's collapsing because of a fucking child? I won't have it! I'll burn it all down first!"

He drew his sword, green energy crackling along the blade. He swung wildly, cleaving through a fleeing cameraman, blood spraying across the banners. Another manager tried to run; a beam lanced out, vaporizing her mid-stride. Panic turned to stampede, bodies piling at the ropes.

Annie surged forward, light bursting from her hands. "Stop! Sentinel!"

Maria joined her. "You can't do this!"

Even Alex approached with wide eyes. "Boss, calm down we can fix—"

Silver Sentinel backhanded Alex with ease, sending him sprawling into the podium with a crunch of wood. Maria jumped forward "SLEEP!" She tried to use her power to command but it didn't affect him, he then kicked her ribs, cracking bone as she crumpled gasping. Annie blasted him point-blank, but he absorbed the energy, laughing maniacally. "You children think you can stop me?" He grabbed her by the throat, lifting her as she clawed at his arm. "I'll end you all!"

"Silver Sentinel," a voice called out.

Everyone looked up. 

Superman floated above them, silhouetted against the  sky, his cape snapping in the wind. He descended slowly, his boots touching down on the cracked marble steps with a thud that echoed through the square. The wind whipped his cape around him, his eyes locked onto Silver Sentinel's vise-like grip on Annie's throat. "Put her down," he said loudly, cutting through the screams and the distant wail of approaching sirens. "Now."

Silver Sentinel's head snapped up, his face a contorted mask of shock and fury. With a snarl, he hurled Annie away like a discarded rag doll. She sailed through the air, tumbling across the rough pavement, her body scraping against debris from the shattered podium. She hit the ground hard, rolling twice before coming to a stop in a heap, gasping as pain lanced through her ribs and shoulder.

Maria bolted forward without hesitation, her habit fluttering as she knelt beside Annie. "Annie! Hold still I've got you." She pressed her palms to Annie's side. Annie winced, her cheek scraped, but as she looked up through teary eyes, her gaze found Clark. A wave of relief crashed over her, stronger than the pain. He was alive. Joy bloomed in her chest; she'd never felt such happiness, even as her body throbbed.

Silver Sentinel's chest heaved, his armored fists clenching so tightly that metal creaked. "You," he spat, his voice a venomous hiss that silenced the scattering crowd. "You insolent little shit. I stabbed you through the heart twice! I watched you bleed out in the dirt. Yet you crawl back from the grave to ruin me?" He advanced a step, his wings unfurling. "Do you have any idea what you've destroyed? Years, no decades of careful planning, networks spanning the globe, fortunes built from nothing. I was a god among men, eternal, unstoppable! And you, a farm-boy pretender with delusions of grandeur, broadcast it all like some petulant child tattling to the teacher. You've cost me everything, my empire, my legacy, my immortality! I'll make you suffer in ways you can't imagine before I end you for good!"

Clark stood firm, unmoved by the tirade. "It's over, Sentinel," Clark said evenly. "Your secrets are out. The authorities are coming, the real ones, not Vought's puppets. Give yourself up. End this without more blood."

Silver Sentinel threw his head back and laughed—a harsh, barking sound devoid of humor, echoing off the tower walls. "Over? Boy, nothing's over until I say it is. I killed you once; I'll do it again. And this time, I'll make sure there's nothing left to bring back."

Clark took a step forward. "Listen to me, you're killing yourself. That green energy you're absorbing? It's kryptonite. It's toxic, radioactive poison. It might feel like it's making you stronger, reversing your age, but it's breaking you down from the inside. Cellular decay, organ failure it's already happening. Stop now, before it's too late."

"Liar!" Silver Sentinel roared, his sword igniting with that sickly green glow. "You think you can scare me with fairy tales? I've felt its power, I'm stronger than ever, I'm ageless! You're just a desperate whelp trying to buy time. I'll kill you for real this time, mount your head on my sword as a trophy, and rebuild my empire!"

He lunged without warning, his sword slashing in a wide arc that unleashed a blistering beam of green energy. Clark dodged sideways in a blur, the blast scorching the air where he'd stood and cratering the steps behind him. He knew better than to let it touch him—the kryptonite radiation would sap his strength, and burn through his invulnerability like acid. Pivoting on his heel, Clark grabbed the nearest light pole, ripping it from the concrete with a screech of twisting metal. He swung it like a massive baseball bat, the pole whistling through the air as he connected with Silver Sentinel's midsection. The impact rang out like a thunderclap, sending the armored hero hurtling upward in a spiral, his body flipping end over end as he grunted from the force.

Silver Sentinel twisted mid-air, his wings snapping open to arrest his fall. He hovered for a split second, pain etched on his face, then dove like a falcon, sword leading in a downward thrust aimed at Clark's chest. Clark sidestepped, the blade embedding in the marble with a crack that spiderwebbed the stone. He countered with a super-speed punch to Silver Sentinel's jaw, the blow snapping the hero's head back and drawing blood from his lip. Silver Sentinel retaliated instantly, ripping his sword free and sweeping it low; Clark flew over the swipe, his boot connecting with Silver Sentinel's helmet in a mid-air kick that dented the metal and sent him staggering.

They clashed again, Clark pressing his advantage with his raw power. He grabbed Silver Sentinel by the wing struts and hurled him into a nearby news van, the vehicle crumpling like tin foil as glass shattered. Silver Sentinel emerged from the wreckage roaring, firing twin energy blasts from his hands. Clark blurred left, then right, the beams exploding lampposts and scorching billboards in his wake. He closed the distance in an instant, delivering an uppercut that lifted Silver Sentinel off his feet and into the side of the Young Americans tower, embedding him in the third floor.

Shaking off debris, Silver Sentinel peeled himself free and rocketed upward, his wings propelling him in a steep climb. Clark pursued, soaring after him, but Silver Sentinel banked sharply and unleashed a barrage of green bolts downward. Clark twisted through them like a fighter pilot evading missiles, one grazing his shoulder and sending a jolt of weakening pain through his arm. He powered through, tackling Silver Sentinel mid-flight and driving him back down toward the square in a meteoric descent. They slammed into the pavement together, the impact forming a crater that buckled the ground and toppled nearby barriers.

Silver Sentinel rolled away, springing to his feet with surprising agility. He feinted a sword thrust, then spun and backfisted Clark across the face, the armored knuckles drawing a line of blood from his cheek. Clark retaliated with a heat vision burst, the red beams lancing toward Silver Sentinel's chest; the hero crossed his arms, tanking the blast on his armour, which glowed brighter as he channeled it back in a point-blank explosion. The force knocked Clark skidding across the square, his heels digging furrows in the asphalt.

Undeterred, Clark charged again, despite being weakened by the contact with Silver he pushed himself faster, his fists a whirlwind. He landed a haymaker to Silver Sentinel's ribs, breaking his armor plating, followed by a knee to the gut that doubled him over. Silver Sentinel gasped, but his eyes gleamed with malice as he spotted a group of reporters huddled behind an overturned car. With a cruel grin, he pivoted and fired a wide-arc beam toward them, the green energy arcing like lightning toward the innocents.

"No!" Clark blurred into motion, interposing himself between the blast and the crowd. The kryptonite energy slammed into his back, searing through his suit and skin like molten fire. Pain exploded through him, his muscles seizing as the radiation leeched his strength, but he managed to shield the reporters. They scrambled away as Clark dropped to one knee, smoke rising from his charred cape.

Silver Sentinel laughed triumphantly, exploiting the opening. He closed in with his sword raised, and brought it down in a chopping strike. Clark rolled aside just in time, the blade cleaving a gash in the ground, but Silver Sentinel followed with a boot to Clark's side, bruising his ribs and sending him tumbling into a fountain. Water splashed up as Clark pushed to his feet, his vision blurring from the pain, his movements slower now. "See what I mean Superman! Watch how you're undone protecting such insignificant humans!" Silver Sentinel targeted another bystander and hurled a blast their way. Clark flew to intercept, taking the hit square to the chest; the energy burned deeper this time, drawing a guttural yell from him as weakness spread like poison through his veins.

Seizing the momentum, Silver Sentinel pressed forward. He slashed high; Clark ducked, but the follow-up energy pulse caught his leg, numbing it and sending him staggering. Silver Sentinel grabbed a chunk of debris and swung it like a club, smashing it into Clark's shoulder with bone-jarring force. Clark countered with a desperate punch, but the kryptonite's toll made it glance off harmlessly. Silver Sentinel headbutted him, helmet cracking against Clark's forehead, splitting skin and drawing more blood.

Silver Sentinel was then on him in an instant, his sword thrusting for his heart. Clark parried with his forearm, the blade biting deep and drawing a spray of red, the kryptonite edge amplifying the torment tenfold.

They grappled then, locked in a brutal clinch atop the ruined steps. Silver Sentinel's wings battered at Clark's back, each strike like hammer blows, while Clark's fists pounded into the hero's armored flanks, denting and breaking the plates and eliciting grunts. But the accumulated radiation weakened Clark's blows, his vision tunneling as pain radiated outward. Silver Sentinel broke free with a savage elbow to the jaw, then unleashed a point-blank beam that hurled Clark backward into the tower wall, embedding him in stone as cracks spiderwebbed outward.

Silver Sentinel stalked forward through the haze of dust and debris, his boots crunching over shattered glass and twisted metal scattered across the square. He loomed over Clark, who knelt gasping in the crater's edge, blood trickling from gashes on his forehead, arms, and torso. Silver Sentinel's lips curled into a sneer, his eyes blazing with triumphant malice. "Look at you, boy," he taunted, his voice dripping with condescension. "Crawling in the dirt like the insignificant worm you are. You thought you could challenge me? Me! THE Silver Sentinel? I was one of the original heroes, I fought in Normandy boy! I've seen war that would make you piss your pants. I saved this world when your parents were still in diapers. I've toppled tyrants, ended threats that would make your f heart quiver. And you? Some brat thinks he can undo it all? Pathetic."

Clark breathed heavily, his chest rising and falling in ragged heaves as pain throbbed through every fiber of his being. The kryptonite radiation coursed like venom in his veins, sapping his strength, making each inhale feel like shards of glass scraping his lungs. His vision swam, the world tilting in hazy reds and blacks, but he pushed against the ground, trying to rise. Blood dripped from his split lip onto the pavement, mixing with the pooling water from an earlier burst pipe. 

Silver Sentinel raised his sword high, the blade humming with green energy. "I'm going to enjoy this," he growled. "I'll carve out your heart, just like I did before. Only this time, there'll be no miracles, no one to save you. You'll die here, alone, forgotten—"

A blinding flash of light erupted from the side, slamming into Silver Sentinel's shoulder with concussive force. He stumbled forward, armor smoking, as Annie channeled every ounce of her power into the blast, her hands glowing like twin suns. "Get away from him!" she screamed with fury and desperation.

Maria was already moving behind him to close the gap. As Silver Sentinel lurched off-balance, she swept her leg hooking behind his knees in a kick that buckled his stance. He toppled forward with a grunt, crashing to one knee, his sword embedding in the ground to steady himself. Annie and Maria piled on, Annie pinning his sword arm, while Maria wrapped her arms around his neck in a chokehold,m. "Stay down!" Maria shouted trying to use her power again. "It's over you're done!"

For a moment, they held him, the two of them straining against his immense strength. But Silver Sentinel's rage was a furnace, fueling a surge of power. With a bellow that shook the air, he flexed his wings, the appendages whipping outward and slamming into Maria and Annie's side like battering rams. She flew back with a cry, ribs cracking audibly as she hit the steps and rolled limply to a stop. Annie fired another blast point-blank into his chest, but he blocked it. His free hand clamped around her wrist, squeezing until bones ground together; she screamed as he flung her aside like a broken toy, her body skidding across the pavement.

Clark tried to rise, his muscles screaming in protest, but the kryptonite's grip held him down. He managed a stagger forward, one hand outstretched toward his fallen friends. "Annie... Maria..." he rasped, but his legs buckled, dropping him to his knees again.

Silver Sentinel rose, tossing the unconscious girls away, Maria into a crumpled heap against a barrier, and Annie sprawling near the fountain. He blasted them both for good measure, green energy lancing out to scorch their forms, ensuring they stayed down. Smoke rose from their singed costumes as they lay still, breathing but battered. Turning back to Clark, Silver Sentinel's laughter echoed hollowly. "See? Your little friends couldn't save you. No one can. You're alone now, boy. Just like you'll die alone, in agony, with the world watching your failure."

Clark muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible over the distant sirens. "I'm not... alone."

Silver Sentinel leaned in, sword tip inches from Clark's throat. "What was that? Speak up, you—"

"I'm not alone," Clark said louder, his eyes meeting Sentinel's with an unbreakable will. He pursed his lips and let out a sharp whistle that pierced the air like an arrow.

Silver Sentinel frowned, head tilting in confusion. "What trick is—"

A white blur streaked from the sky like a comet, slamming into Silver Sentinel's side with bone-jarring force. Krypto, fangs bared in a ferocious snarl, latched onto the hero's armored boot, his jaws clamping down with super strength. Silver Sentinel yelped in surprise as Krypto yanked viciously, swinging him off-balance and slamming him into the ground face-first. The dog didn't let go, shaking his head wildly and dragging Sentinel across the pavement in a flurry of sparks and curses. Sentinel swung his sword, but Krypto dodged then pounced again, bowling him over and pinning his arm momentarily.

"Krypto! uppies!" Clark called, forcing himself to his feet despite the agony.

Krypto released his grip and bounded to Clark's side, nuzzling under his arm. With a grunt, Clark grabbed the dog's collar wnd Krypto flew upward. They burst through the clouds, ascending toward the brilliant sun. Golden rays bathed them, the solar energy seeping into Clark's pores, knitting wounds and purging the kryptonite's poison. Strength surged back, the pain receding like a tide, his vision sharpening as cells regenerated at an accelerated rate.

Silver Sentinel shook off the daze, his boot mangled and sparking. He roared in fury, wings unfurling as he launched after them. But as he climbed, he fumbled at his chest plate, popping a hidden compartment to reveal a fist-sized chunk of glowing kryptonite, the source of his l power. He clutched it tightly, absorbing a massive surge of energy. His body convulsed, veins bulging green beneath his skin, eyes flaring with unnatural green light. "I'll kill you both!" he screamed, his voice distorting into something inhuman. The absorption hit him like a drug overdose, empowering him, but his flesh rippled unnaturally, mutations bubbling under the surface as tumors formed and receded in rapid cycles, his face twisting in agony he mistook for ecstasy.

They clashed high above the skyline, Clark and Krypto working in seamless tandem. Clark dove first, fists leading in a supersonic punch that cracked Sentinel's helmet visor. Sentinel swung his sword in retaliation, the blade grazing Clark's side and drawing a fresh line of blood laced with green radiation. Krypto circled behind, nipping at the wings and tearing at his legs with his teeth, sending Sentinel spiraling momentarily. Clark capitalized, grabbing the damaged wing swinging him across the sky; Sentinel howled, firing a wild beam that Clark dodged, the energy scorching a nearby skyscraper's window and raining glass below.

"Stop this!" Clark shouted over the wind. "The kryptonite it's mutating you! Look at yourself!"

Sentinel's response was a deranged laugh, his skin now mottled with glowing veins that pulsed erratically. He absorbed more, his muscles swelling grotesquely as he charged, slamming Clark with a shoulder tackle that propelled them both into a radio tower. Metal groaned and bent as they crashed through, Clark taking the brunt to shield civilians below. Krypto latched onto Sentinel's arm, dragging him off-balance; Clark followed with a heat vision burst that melted part of the sword's hilt, forcing Sentinel to drop it temporarily. But Sentinel punched Krypto away, the dog yelping as he tumbled through the air before righting himself.

The battle raged across the city; over rooftops where Clark hurled Sentinel into a billboard, shattering it in a explosion of sparks; through a construction site where Krypto herded Sentinel into dangling rebar that impaled his armor; atop a bridge where Clark's freeze breath encased Sentinel's legs in ice, only for him to shatter it with another kryptonite surge, his body now sprouting irregular growths, extra ridges on his arms, his face asymmetrical and swollen. Each absorption made him stronger momentarily, but the toll showed.

Clark tried again mid-grapple, their fists locked as they plummeted toward a park. "It's killing you! Let it go there's still time!"

Sentinel's eyes, now bloodshot and bulging, glared back. "Lies!" He broke free and blasted Clark point-blank, slamming him through a high-rise window in a cascade of glass. Clark emerged coughing, weakened again, but Krypto distracted him by slamming into him and grabbing at his foot.

Spotting the lake on the city's edge, Clark formulated a plan. He feigned a retreat, luring Sentinel in pursuit. "This way!" he called to Krypto, who barked affirmatively. Sentinel chased, firing blasts that Clark narrowly evaded, one clipping his cape and searing his back. Once they were above the reservoir Clark slammed into Sentinel tackling him mid-air with a thunderous impact that sent them plunging beneath the surface in a massive splash.

The lake's depths muffled the sounds above, bubbles roiling as they wrestled in the murky water. As Clark expected the kryptonite radiation, didn't propagate well through water just like normal radiation. But proximity to the chunk still amplified the pain; Clark's skin burned as if submerged in fire, his strength ebbing faster than ever. He grappled for the glowing crystal in Sentinel's grasp, his fingers blistering on contact. Sentinel thrashed, elbowing Clark's jaw and kneeing his gut, but Clark held on, prying the kryptonite free with a final, agonized wrench. It slipped from his scorched palm, sinking into the abyss.

"No!" Sentinel dove after it with his arms outstretched in desperation.

Clark grabbed his ankle, muscles straining against the weakening tide. With a Herculean effort, and the last dregs of his power he hurled Sentinel upward, the villain breaching the surface in a geyser of water and slamming onto the shore.

Exhausted, Clark tried to swim up, but his limbs turned to lead. The kryptonite's glow beckoned from below, pulling him deeper as weakness overtook him. Bubbles escaped his lips; darkness crept in. 'It's over,' he thought, a strange peace settling in his mind. 'But I saved them. That's enough.' He smiled faintly, eyes drifting shut.

Then a tug on his arm. 

His eyes snapped open to see Krypto's jaws clamped  around his wrist, the dog's powerful legs paddling upward. Krypto dragged him relentlessly, breaking the surface with a gasp. Clark inhaled deeply. Sunlight shone down on him and his strength returned in waves; he kicked alongside Krypto, reaching the shore on his own and collapsing onto the bank.

Nearby, Silver Sentinel lay sprawled, his body a wreck. The mutations had accelerated without the kryptonite; he looked decades older, his skin sagging, his hair grayed and thinning, tumors receding but leaving him frail and withered. He muttered incoherently, then focused on Clark. "Give it back... please... I'll die without it. The crystal... it's my life. I need it!"

Clark pushed to his feet, sorrow etching his features. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "But it was never life, it was a slow death. You'll face justice now, but maybe... maybe you can find redemption one day."

He lifted the weakened man gently, cradling him like a child, and flew back toward the city center. Police cruisers and SWAT vans had converged on the square, barricades up, officers with rifles trained but as Clark descended, their postures relaxed. "It's Superman!" one shouted, holstering his weapon. Cheers erupted from the gathered crowd and reporters who'd returned. "He's got Sentinel!" 

Clark landed amid the flashing lights, handing the limp Silver Sentinel to a team of officers who cuffed him with reinforced restraints. "He's no threat now," Clark assured them. "But keep him secure just in case."

The lead detective nodded, clapping Clark on the shoulder. "We got this, son. Thanks to you, the city's safe."

The crowd surged forward, applause thundering. "Superman! Superman!" 

Clark smiled, raising a hand. "You're all safe now," he called. 

A voice cut through the crowd. "Clark!"

He turned to see Annie pushing through the officers, her costume torn but obwewise she was unharmed. She rushed into his arms, hugging him fiercely. "You're alive! Oh God, I thought... I told him where you were, it was me, I was scared and I didn't think he'd... I'm so sorry, please forgive me, I—"

"Starlight," Clark said with a warm smile, cupping her face gently and stopping her ramble.

He leaned in, kissing her deeply amid the cheers. She melted into it, kissing back with equal passion, her hands tangling in his hair. Nearby, Maria, who was being propped up by medics watched with a pang of jealousy.

Clark pulled back, thumb brushing her cheek. "Goodbye, Annie."

She grabbed his arm as he stepped away. "Wait... where are you going?"

"Still plenty more people who need help," he replied, glancing skyward.

"Will I see you again?"

Superman smiled at her, eyes twinkling. "Just look up once in a while. You'll see me."

With that, he launched into the air, Krypto bounding after him with a joyful bark. They soared upward, disappearing above the skyline in a streak of red and blue. 

(AN: Wow this got so much longer than I planned like honestly I had the beginning middle and end planned out in my head but I had no clue it would take so long to connect the three of them. Tbh I'm not happy with some of the stuff that I grudged over. I like properly developing characters and shit. But I had to rush it as I've got lots of other shit to do. Anyway I hope you like it.)