Clark doubled over, clutching his head as a wave of blinding pain struck his skull. Light spilled out from the cellar above him, as if something unseen was pulling him down, calling him forward.
He gritted his teeth, each step toward the cellar seeming to burn his mind.
When he opened the door and stepped inside, he saw it — the alien vessel had activated again, humming with low power and eerie light.
A familiar voice echoed from within the ship.
"Kal, obey the command," the disembodied voice insisted.
Clark's jaw clenched. His expression hardened as he stared at the ship suspended in the air.
"You are not my father, and you will not control me. I refuse to let you harm my family," he said with raw determination.
No answer came. Instead, a blast of intense energy struck him, slamming him against the wall. Invisible force held him in place, gripping him so tightly he could not move. A wind like a storm burst from the ship, tearing at his clothes.
Clark's shirt was ripped open, and a surge of alien energy shot into him, burning like fire across his chest. Heat laced with agony flared up, and he cried out from the pain.
"You cannot resist. This is your birthright," the voice continued, now imbued with cruel command.
A circular imprint, glowing and searing, formed on Clark's chest, the emblem of his heritage etched into his flesh.
"When the sun rises high, your true path begins. Do not defy it or you will hurt those you love most."
Before the voice could finish, a powerful disturbance burst through the cellar door. Adrian crashed in, his eyes glowing with furious red beams that struck the ship's hull.
The blast did not destroy it, but it crippled its systems. The ship lost its power, crashed down, and the oppressive energy vanished.
Clark collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud, breathing hard.
Adrian lowered his gaze, concern softening his normally stoic face.
"Are you hurt?" he asked.
Clark coughed, rising slowly and touching the fresh burn.
The mark on his chest was flesh‑colored with a familiar shape he had seen before.
"What happened to me?"
Adrian's voice was steady, calm but intense.
"I don't know exactly, but it was forcing something on you," he said, removing his jacket and offering it to Clark. "Cover it up first."
Clark winced as he pulled the jacket over his shoulders.
"What do we do now?"
Adrian paused, his voice quiet yet resolute.
"The message was about the sun reaching its highest point. That seems like something prepared to dictate your future. If that's the case, then let's make it impossible for it to ever happen."
Clark blinked in confusion, before understanding.
Adrian simply lifted the ruined spacecraft effortlessly and launched them skyward toward the North Pole.
The Arctic was blanketed in long night, where the sun never rose above the horizon. In that eternal darkness, there would be no sun at its peak to fulfill whatever destiny the ship had spoken of.
They shot into the sky faster than sound, disappearing into the dark expanse above.
Far below, sensors barely registered the shockwave of his flight.
In Coast City, Green Lantern Hal Jordan looked up, sensing the disturbance.
"Do you feel that?" he asked Kara, his voice tense.
"You mean something super fast just passed overhead?" Kara replied, shrugging with a faint smile. Her enhanced senses were always filtering noise, but she could still feel resonance when something unusual cut through.
Hal nodded.
Wonder Woman, nearby, watched the sky with earnest intensity.
"Something is coming," she said, thoughtful and serious.
Kara turned to Hal, teasing him lightly but sincere in her ease with danger.
"I may filter out distractions, but I never miss something extraordinary," she said.
Hal grinned, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Right, you're definitely not the babysitter type."
Wonder Woman shifted attention back to him.
"Last night… you met with Batman. Did anything arise from that?" she asked.
Hal's smirk was quick and confident.
"I handled it," he said proudly. "That shadowy figure — he was outmatched."
"That was Batman," Kara interjected, surprised at Hal's description.
Hal maintained his confidence.
"He moves at night, appears like a ghost, with strength and skill beyond ordinary. What else could he be?" Hal said.
Wonder Woman gave him a measured look.
"When you speak with him next, spare him the dramatics. He's key to what's ahead."
Hal nodded, this time with a trace of seriousness.
"We were brought here for his insight. He's seen threats beyond imagination, and he prepared for them. We need that," she pressed. "Before the particle accelerator resets us."
Silence followed as they considered what must be done.
"We cannot wait idly," Wonder Woman added. "We need every clue to confront what is coming."
Hal exhaled, his expression shifting from banter to focus.
"Understood."
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