Reforged in the Sun: Clark Kent Reborn SI

The creatures charged, their distorted forms lit by the flickering green light of the core. The air was heavy with the stench of burning metal and the raw, sickening energy of the Kryptonite field. My breath came hard and fast, my muscles aching as the radiation drained me with every passing second. I gritted my teeth, pushing through the pain, knowing that if I faltered, it wouldn't just be me who suffered.

The largest creature, its veins glowing like molten lava across its warped body, let out a guttural roar. Its twisted face was a mask of pure rage, its jagged claws gleaming in the sickly green light. The other two flanked it, their movements eerily synchronized, their glowing eyes locked onto me like predators hunting prey.

I barely had time to brace myself before the first attack.

The largest creature lunged at me, moving with terrifying speed for something so massive. Its claws tore through the air, and I ducked just in time, the force of the swipe carving deep gouges into the crystalline wall behind me. I swung back with a hard right hook, putting every ounce of my remaining strength into the blow. My fist connected with its jaw, and the impact sent a sickening crack through the chamber.

The creature staggered but didn't fall. Its glowing eyes narrowed, and it snarled, spitting dark green blood onto the ground. Before I could recover, it lashed out with its other arm, its claws slashing across my chest.

Pain exploded through me as the Kryptonite embedded in its claws tore through my hoodie and grazed my skin. The cut burned like fire, the toxic energy spreading through my veins like poison. I stumbled back, clutching my chest, but the creature gave me no time to recover.

It charged again, slamming into me with the force of a truck. I was thrown across the chamber, my back hitting the wall so hard I felt the breath leave my lungs.

The two smaller creatures seized the opportunity, rushing me from opposite sides. One of them leapt at me, its claws aimed for my throat. I caught its wrists mid-air, the sheer force of its momentum driving me to my knees. Its snarling face was inches from mine, its breath hot and foul, its teeth jagged and wet with saliva.

With a roar, I twisted its arms and slammed it into the ground, the impact cracking the crystalline floor beneath us. Before I could finish it off, the second creature blindsided me, its claws raking across my back.

I let out a sharp cry, spinning around and landing a heavy punch to its side. The blow sent it skidding across the chamber, but it recovered almost instantly, its glowing eyes burning with unrelenting hatred.

Further down the passage, Lex and Va-Ra had stopped just before the exit, the sound of the fight echoing through the tunnels. Lex's fists clenched at his sides as he paced back and forth, his mind racing.

"We can't just leave him!" Lex shouted, his voice sharp.

Va-Ra stood motionless, his silver eyes cold and analytical. "Kal-El has chosen to fight. He is the only one capable of holding those creatures at bay. If you return to the chamber, you will only get in his way."

Lex's jaw tightened. "He's not invincible, Va-Ra. He's weakening. Those things are going to kill him!"

Va-Ra tilted his head slightly, as though considering Lex's words. "And what would you do to stop them, human? Your technology is primitive. Your strength is insignificant. Your presence would be a liability."

Lex shot him a glare, his mind racing. "What if we could overload the core? Amplify the energy field? It's already destabilizing them. If we push it further, it might force them to retreat—or kill them outright."

Va-Ra frowned, his gaze flicking toward the scanner in Lex's hand. "Amplifying the core would destabilize the entire vault. The structure could collapse, and the resulting energy discharge could kill everyone within a ten-mile radius."

"Then we'd better make sure it works," Lex said grimly.

Without waiting for a response, Lex turned and sprinted back toward the chamber, his heart pounding in his chest.

Back in the chamber, I was struggling. The largest creature had me pinned against the wall, its claws digging into my shoulders, its putrid breath hot on my face. I could feel the Kryptonite energy radiating from its body, sapping what little strength I had left.

"Not… today," I growled through clenched teeth.

With a desperate burst of strength, I shoved the creature back, my palms slamming into its chest. It stumbled, giving me just enough space to drive my knee into its stomach. The force of the blow lifted it off its feet, and I followed up with a spinning kick that sent it crashing into one of the smaller creatures.

Both of them hit the ground hard, but the third one was already on me, its claws slashing at my side. I dodged left, grabbing its arm and twisting it sharply. The sound of snapping bone filled the chamber, and the creature let out an ear-splitting screech.

But even with its arm broken, it didn't stop. It lunged at me with its other arm, and I barely managed to grab a shard of Kryptonian crystal from the floor. I drove it into the creature's chest, the glowing crystal piercing through its torso with a wet, sickening crunch.

The creature's glowing eyes flickered, and it let out a low, guttural groan before collapsing to the ground.

One down. Two to go.

Lex burst into the chamber, his scanner clutched tightly in one hand. His sharp eyes darted between me and the remaining creatures, and his expression hardened.

"Clark!" he shouted. "I have a plan!"

"This isn't the time, Lex!" I snapped, dodging another swipe from the largest creature.

"Trust me!" he shouted back.

I glanced at him, and for a moment, I saw something I hadn't seen in a long time—determination, not ambition.

"Fine," I said, shoving the creature back. "Do it!"

Lex nodded, rushing toward the core with Va-Ra close behind him. The core's green glow pulsed erratically as the two of them worked, their hands moving quickly across the crystalline controls.

"The energy field is already destabilizing the creatures," Va-Ra said. "If we amplify it further, it will force them to retreat—but it will also risk a chain reaction."

"Just do it," Lex snapped.

Va-Ra hesitated for a fraction of a second before inputting the command. The core's glow intensified, and the hum of the energy field grew deafening.

The amplified field hit the creatures like a tidal wave. The largest one let out a guttural roar, its movements becoming sluggish and uncoordinated. The smaller one tried to lunge at me, but its body convulsed mid-air, and it collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.

I didn't let up. I drove my fist into the largest creature's chest, the impact shattering its glowing ribs. It staggered, its claws flailing wildly, but I ducked under its arm and grabbed its head with both hands. With one final, brutal twist, I snapped its neck.

The creature let out a final, pitiful groan before collapsing, its glowing eyes dimming to nothing.

The chamber fell silent, the only sound the steady hum of the core.

The three of us stumbled out of the vault just as the structure began to collapse. A deafening roar filled the air as the ground beneath us gave way, and a plume of green and white light shot into the sky, illuminating the forest for miles.

We collapsed onto the grass, breathing hard, the crater where the vault had been glowing faintly in the darkness.

Lex sat up first, his expression a mix of awe and frustration. "We could've done so much with that technology," he muttered.

I glared at him. "That technology almost killed us."

Va-Ra stood, his silver eyes cold. "Krytos is gone, but the legacy of Krypton remains. You would do well to remember the cost of ambition, Kal-El."

With that, he turned and disappeared into the shadows.