Reforged in the Sun: Clark Kent Reborn SI

October 21, 2002

The air was heavy with anticipation as I stood before the glowing Kryptonian panel embedded in the earth at Crater Lake. The events of the last few days—the creature, the fissure, the sudden emergence of the stasis vault—felt like they were spiraling toward something I wasn't prepared for. My fingers hovered over the panel, the engraved Kryptonian symbols glowing faintly beneath my touch.

Behind me, the forest was still, the late afternoon light filtering through the trees and casting long shadows across the ground. But even with the world around me so quiet, I could feel the hum—the pulse—of the vault resonating through the air. It wasn't just a sound. It was alive, almost like it was waiting for me to act.

The voice I'd heard earlier, echoing through the white void when I first touched the panel, still haunted me. The vault was not meant for this world. Its contents are dangerous. Proceed with caution.

But I didn't have time to hesitate. Whatever was buried here—whatever my people had left behind—was waking up. And I needed to find out why.

I pressed my hand against the glowing symbols, letting the Kryptonian script respond to my touch. The panel hummed, and the symbols shifted, realigning into a new configuration. A soft, mechanical voice—calm and emotionless—filled the air.

"Authorization: Kal-El. Access granted. Initiating stasis vault protocols."

The ground beneath me trembled, and the fissure widened with a deep, guttural rumble. A circular structure began to rise from the earth, its surface smooth and metallic, shimmering faintly with Kryptonian markings. The air grew colder, and the green glow of the surrounding Kryptonite intensified, casting an eerie light across the forest.

I stepped back as the structure fully emerged—a domed chamber roughly twenty feet across, its surface engraved with intricate patterns that pulsed with energy. At its center was a doorway, sealed shut with a heavy metal plate that bore the House of El insignia.

I could feel the vault's energy resonating through me, like a faint static charge against my skin. It wasn't just Kryptonite down here—there was something else, something far more advanced. My mind raced with possibilities. A ship? A weapon? A fragment of Krypton's history, preserved in secret?

The orb in my hand pulsed, its light syncing with the symbols on the door. "Connection established," the AI inside the orb said. "The vault contains a Class-5 stasis chamber. One occupant detected. Vital signs… stable."

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. An occupant?

I leaned closer to the doorway, my hands trembling slightly as I ran my fingers over the glowing Kryptonian script. The markings told me what I already suspected: this wasn't just a repository for technology or artifacts. This was a containment unit. A prison.

But who—or what—was inside?

Before I could activate the next sequence, I felt it again: the presence. The same low growl I'd heard days ago echoed through the woods, faint but unmistakable. I turned sharply, scanning the tree line for movement. The creature was still out there, watching me.

But it wasn't just the creature. I could feel another set of eyes on me, colder, sharper.

Back at the barn, I couldn't focus. The events at the vault kept playing on a loop in my mind: the pulsing light, the stasis readings, the hum of Kryptonian energy coursing through the air. And above it all, the single, inescapable fact: someone—or something—was alive in that vault.

I sat at my workbench, the orb glowing faintly beside me. My fingers drummed against the surface of the table as I stared at the map of Smallville, my mind racing. The vault's energy wasn't just contained at Crater Lake. It was spreading, syncing with the Kryptonite veins beneath the town. I'd seen the readings earlier, but now I understood what they meant.

The vault wasn't just waking up. It was reaching out.

The sound of tires crunching against the gravel driveway pulled me from my thoughts. I glanced out the barn window and saw a sleek black car pulling up to the house. My stomach tightened as Lex stepped out, his sharp gray suit catching the dim light of the setting sun.

Not now, I thought, standing quickly. The last thing I needed was Lex asking questions about where I'd been or what I'd been doing.

He stepped into the barn a moment later, his expression calm but curious. "Clark," he said, his voice smooth as ever. "We need to talk."

I folded my arms, leaning back against the workbench. "About what?"

Lex smiled faintly, his eyes flicking to the orb on the table. "You've been busy, haven't you?"

My chest tightened. "Just working on some school projects."

Lex stepped closer, his gaze lingering on the map spread across the workbench. "Is that what we're calling it now? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you've been investigating the same fissure we saw at Crater Lake. The one emitting highly unusual energy signatures."

I didn't respond. Lex's tone was calm, almost conversational, but there was a sharpness to his words, a quiet insistence that I couldn't ignore.

"What are you looking for, Clark?" he asked, his voice dropping slightly. "Because whatever it is, it seems important enough for you to keep it a secret. And if there's one thing I've learned about you, it's that your secrets tend to be… extraordinary."

I stared at him for a long moment, weighing my options. Lex was dangerous—there was no denying that—but he was also brilliant. And as much as I hated to admit it, I needed his expertise. If I was going to figure out what was inside the vault, I couldn't do it alone.

"Fine," I said finally. "But this stays between us. No LuthorCorp, no scientists, no one else."

Lex's smile widened, and he nodded. "Of course. You have my word."

I wasn't sure if I believed him, but I didn't have a choice. "There's something buried beneath Crater Lake," I said. "Something Kryptonian."

Lex's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly masked his surprise. "Kryptonian," he repeated, his voice almost reverent. "I had a feeling the meteor rocks were just the beginning, but this… This changes everything."

I shook my head. "It doesn't change anything. The vault is dangerous, Lex. The energy it's emitting is affecting the Kryptonite deposits under the town. If we don't contain it, people will get hurt."

Lex nodded thoughtfully, his expression turning serious. "Then we'll figure out how to contain it. Together."

The next morning, Lex and I returned to Crater Lake. The woods were shrouded in fog, the air damp and heavy with the scent of earth and decay. The vault stood where I'd left it, its metallic surface glowing faintly in the dim light.

Lex knelt beside the fissure, his handheld scanner beeping softly as he took readings. "The energy levels are increasing," he said, his voice low. "Whatever's inside the vault, it's destabilizing the surrounding area."

"I know," I said, my gaze fixed on the treeline. I could feel the presence again—the creature was nearby, watching us.

Before I could say anything else, a low growl echoed through the woods, followed by the sound of branches snapping. Lex froze, his scanner clutched tightly in his hand.

"What was that?" he asked, his voice tense.

"It's back," I said, stepping in front of him.

The creature emerged from the shadows, its glowing eyes locked on us. But this time, it wasn't alone. Two more figures stepped into the clearing, their bodies twisted and warped by Kryptonite exposure.

Lex took a step back, his face pale. "Clark… what are they?"

"They're guardians," I said, my voice steady. "And they're not going to let us open that vault without a fight."