Reforged in the Sun: Clark Kent Reborn SI

The creature moved like a predator, its glowing eyes fixed on us. It let out a guttural snarl, the sound vibrating through the woods and into my bones. Lex stood frozen behind me, his sharp mind likely calculating every possible scenario, but none of his theories would prepare him for what this thing could do.

"Lex," I said, my voice low but firm. "Get back to the car. Now."

To my surprise, he didn't argue. He gave a sharp nod, stepping back slowly before turning and retreating toward the path we had taken. The creature watched him for a moment, its glowing eyes narrowing, before its attention snapped back to me. It crouched low, ready to pounce, its warped features twisting with rage.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "You don't have to do this," I said, my voice calm. "I don't want to hurt you."

The creature snarled again, lunging forward. I dodged to the side, the force of its claws slashing through the air where I'd just been standing. It hit the ground, dirt spraying up in its wake, and turned with terrifying speed, already preparing for another strike.

I needed to end this quickly—without drawing attention to my abilities.

The creature came at me again, its movements faster than before. This time, I caught its arm mid-swing, my grip tightening just enough to stop it without breaking anything. Its skin was hot to the touch, almost burning, and I could feel the faint pulse of energy radiating from its body.

It struggled against me, letting out a guttural growl as it twisted its arm free. Its strength was incredible—not on my level, but close enough to make me worry. The Kryptonite exposure had mutated it in ways I hadn't seen before. It wasn't just strong—it was fast, aggressive, and focused.

"Listen to me!" I said, trying again to reason with it. "I can help you!"

The creature hesitated for a fraction of a second, its glowing eyes flickering with something that almost looked like recognition. But the moment passed, and it lunged at me again, its claws aiming for my chest. I stepped back, dodging the blow, and threw a punch that connected with its shoulder, sending it sprawling.

It hit the ground hard, but instead of staying down, it scrambled to its feet, letting out a roar that echoed through the woods. The sound was loud enough to shake the trees, and for a moment, I thought I heard something else—something deeper, coming from the fissure behind us.

This isn't just about the Kryptonite.

The ground beneath us rumbled again, the pulse from the fissure growing stronger. The creature's head snapped toward the crack in the earth, its body tense. It let out a low growl, almost like a warning, before it turned and bolted into the trees, disappearing into the shadows as quickly as it had appeared.

I stood there, catching my breath, my mind racing. Whatever had driven it to attack me wasn't just about territory or instinct. It was guarding something.

When I got back to the car, Lex was pacing near the driver's side, his expression a mixture of fear and excitement. He turned toward me the moment I emerged from the woods, his sharp eyes scanning me for injuries.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his voice unusually sincere.

"I'm fine," I said, brushing dirt off my hoodie. "It's gone."

Lex's gaze shifted toward the trees. "What was that thing? It wasn't… normal."

I hesitated, considering how much I could tell him. "It's someone who's been affected by the meteor rocks," I said finally. "Exposure to Kryptonite can do strange things to people."

Lex nodded slowly, his mind already working. "If that's true, then this fissure isn't just an anomaly—it's a source. The radiation here must be incredibly concentrated, enough to cause permanent mutations."

"That's why we need to be careful," I said, keeping my tone steady. "This isn't just a scientific curiosity, Lex. It's dangerous."

Lex's lips curved into a faint smile, but there was a sharpness in his eyes. "Dangerous things often hold the greatest potential, Clark. You of all people should understand that."

I ignored the comment, turning back toward the woods. "We need to seal the fissure. If the radiation spreads, more people could end up like that creature—or worse."

Lex's smile faded, replaced by a more thoughtful expression. "And how exactly do you plan to do that?"

I didn't answer. Truthfully, I didn't know. Kryptonian science might hold the answer, but adapting it to Earth's resources—and doing it without Lex discovering too much—was a problem I hadn't solved yet.

Later that night, I stood in the center of the barn, the Kryptonian orb resting in my hands. Its smooth surface felt cool against my skin, but there was an energy humming beneath it, faint but constant. The fissure at Crater Lake wasn't natural. That much was obvious now. But if it wasn't natural, then what was it?

Jor-El, I thought, my grip tightening on the orb. What did you leave behind?

I activated the orb, its glow intensifying as the symbols etched across its surface began to shift and realign. A faint beam of light shot out, projecting a holographic interface into the air. The symbols floated before me, shifting into patterns that my mind automatically translated into Kryptonian script.

"Accessing geological records," a calm, artificial voice said. It wasn't Jor-El's voice, but the orb's internal AI—an assistant programmed to handle basic queries.

"Identify the energy source at Crater Lake," I said, my voice firm.

The orb's light pulsed as it processed my request. "Analyzing… Energy source identified. Subterranean Kryptonian artifact detected. Designation: Stasis Vault."

I froze, my heart pounding. A stasis vault? That didn't make sense. Krypton was gone. The destruction of my homeworld should have obliterated anything tied to its legacy. How could there be a stasis vault here, on Earth?

"What's inside the vault?" I asked.

The orb's light dimmed slightly, as if hesitating. "Data incomplete. External interference detected. Full access requires direct interface with the vault's control node."

I clenched my fists, my mind racing. The fissure wasn't just some random anomaly caused by the meteor shower. It was connected to Kryptonian technology—a relic buried deep beneath Smallville. And whatever was inside the vault, it was still active.

The next day, I returned to Crater Lake alone. The woods were eerily quiet, the usual sounds of birds and rustling leaves replaced by a heavy stillness. The fissure was unchanged, its sickly green glow casting long shadows across the rocky ground.

I knelt beside the crack, the orb in my hand. Its light pulsed faintly, syncing with the rhythmic pulse from the fissure. As I held it closer to the ground, the beam of light extended, scanning the edges of the fissure with precision.

"Activating interface," the orb's voice said.

The ground beneath me rumbled, and the glow from the fissure intensified. Slowly, a panel of smooth, metallic material emerged from the earth, its surface engraved with Kryptonian symbols. The symbols glowed faintly, their light flickering like an old fluorescent bulb struggling to stay lit.

I reached out, my fingers brushing against the panel. The moment I touched it, a surge of energy shot through me, and my vision blurred. For a brief moment, I wasn't standing in the woods anymore—I was somewhere else. A vast, empty expanse of white light stretched in all directions, and in the distance, I could hear a voice.

"Kal-El," it said, calm and measured. "You have found the stasis vault. The final piece of Krypton's legacy. But beware—the vault was not meant for this world. Its contents are dangerous. Proceed with caution."

The light faded, and I was back at Crater Lake, the panel still glowing faintly beneath my hand. My heart pounded in my chest as I stepped back, the orb dimming in response.

The vault was waking up. And whatever was inside, it was Kryptonian.