Reforged in the Sun: Clark Kent Reborn SI

The sun rose sluggishly over Smallville, as if reluctant to light a town weighed down by fear. Main Street was unusually quiet, the shops barely open, their owners too distracted by the recent string of strange events. Whispers carried across the diner's tables and in the hardware store's aisles—stories of fires, freak accidents, and people who could no longer be trusted.

At school, the tension bled into the hallways. Students gathered in clusters, their conversations hushed. Teachers who once gave lectures about crop yields or Kansas history now warned about staying safe, as though danger was an inevitable storm looming over us.

I walked through the hallways, keeping my head down. My powers were growing—faster than I could fully control—and every encounter with a "meteor freak," as Pete had started calling them, left me feeling like a ticking bomb. I couldn't tell anyone, not even my friends. My secret wasn't just mine to keep; it was the only way to protect everyone around me.

Science class was where I usually kept my head low, blending in among the other students, but today, I had to pay attention. Mrs. Fischer stood at the front of the room, her floral dress contrasting sharply with the green chalkboard as she wrote the words "Science Fair Projects Due in Three Weeks" in bold, uneven letters.

Pete leaned over from the desk beside me. "You're going to crush this, Clark," he said with a grin. "You're a farm kid—you've got science in your blood. Build something with gears and call it a day."

I smiled faintly. "We'll see."

But an idea was already forming in my mind. The Codex. Kryptonian science. The cure. Jor-El had said I could blend Kryptonian and Earth knowledge to stabilize the effects of the meteors. Maybe this project wasn't just a school assignment. Maybe it was the first step toward something bigger.

The day turned chaotic as the power suddenly went out across the town. It started in the late afternoon, when Smallville was bathed in a golden light, but streetlamps and appliances shut down all at once. I was heading to the library when I saw the green glow emanating from an alley.

My chest tightened as I approached, pulling my hood over my head to obscure my face. The source of the glow was a man in his twenties, his skin pale and slick with sweat. Green veins pulsed under his flesh, and sparks of electricity danced along his hands, crackling loudly.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted, his voice hoarse and distorted. "I can't... I can't control this!"

The electricity arced wildly from his body, striking a nearby car. The explosion shattered windows and sent people scattering. The man stumbled forward, his hands clutching his head as if the power surging through him was more than he could bear.

"Stop!" I called, stepping closer. "I can help you, but you need to calm down!"

He turned to me, his eyes wide with panic. "Help me? You don't even understand what this is!"

He raised his hands, and a wave of electricity shot toward me. I dodged just in time, the heat of the energy grazing my arm. The blast struck a fire hydrant, sending water spraying into the air.

The air was alive with crackling energy as the man stumbled closer, each movement erratic. Bolts of electricity lashed out in all directions, scorching the walls and pavement around us. I moved quickly, using my speed to dodge the strikes, but he was unpredictable.

A sudden bolt hit me square in the chest, and pain erupted through my body. My muscles seized as I fell to my knees, the charge coursing through me like fire. The ground blurred beneath me as I gasped for air, my senses overwhelmed.

Then, something shifted. The energy surging through me wasn't just pain—it was something else. My body felt like it was waking up, the electricity sparking new connections deep within. My vision sharpened, my hearing amplified, and for a split second, I could see the bolts of energy before they struck.

The man advanced, his face twisted in anguish. "I don't want to hurt anyone!" he shouted, another wave of electricity building around him.

I forced myself to stand, my body buzzing with newfound energy. "I know you don't," I said, my voice steadier than I expected. "But you're not alone. I can fix this."

As he stumbled forward, I reached into my pocket, pulling out the small shard of Kryptonite I'd taken from the storm cellar. The sight of it made him recoil, the green glow reflecting in his wild eyes.

"What is that?" he demanded, his voice shaking.

"Something to help you," I said, holding the shard steady. Using my heat vision, I carefully melted the fragment into a small vial I'd brought with me. The liquid shimmered faintly, its glow soft but constant.

I approached cautiously, my senses heightened by the electricity still coursing through me. "This will stabilize you. It won't take away the power, but it will stop it from hurting you."

The man hesitated, his body trembling as the energy around him began to flicker. Finally, he nodded, allowing me to inject the serum into his arm.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, slowly, the green glow faded from his veins. The sparks died down, and his breathing steadied. He collapsed to his knees, his face a mixture of exhaustion and relief.

"What did you do?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Stopped the meteors from controlling you," I said simply. "You'll be okay now."

The man was taken away by the paramedics, his powers dormant but his body weak from the ordeal. I slipped into the crowd, avoiding the questioning gazes and whispers.

"Who was that kid?"

"Did you see him? He stopped that guy!"

"Something's not right in this town..."

I ducked into an alley, leaning against the wall as I caught my breath. My body still buzzed from the electricity, the aftershocks of whatever had awakened inside me. I clenched my fists, feeling a faint hum beneath my skin. My powers were growing—changing—and I wasn't sure where it would lead.

The next day, I sat in the science lab, staring at the vial of Kryptonite serum I had used. My teacher, Mrs. Fischer, walked by, pausing when she saw it.

"What's this, Mr. Kent?" she asked, her tone curious.

"Just... an experiment," I said, quickly pocketing the vial. "I'm working on something for the science fair."

She raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. As she moved on, Pete leaned over from the desk beside me.

"You've been acting weird, Clark," he said in a low voice. "First the fire, now this? What's going on?"

I hesitated, glancing around the room. "Nothing. Just trying to keep my head down."

Pete didn't look convinced, but he let it go.

That evening, as the sun set over the farm, I sat on the porch with Martha. The horizon was painted in shades of orange and pink, the world momentarily at peace.

"You saved another one today, didn't you?" she asked gently.

I nodded. "It's getting harder, Mom. My powers keep growing, and I'm not sure I can control them. But I think... I think I found a way to help the others."

Her hand rested on mine, her touch warm and reassuring. "You'll figure it out, Clark. Just don't forget to take care of yourself, too."

I smiled faintly, the weight on my chest easing slightly. Smallville's problems weren't going away, but for the first time, I felt like I had a way to fight back.