Superman In A Romance Anime: Chapter 10: Surprise Encounter
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May 16
[Third Person's Pov]
A week later…
Clark had already returned home from his trip to Kyoto, a journey that had barely lasted a week. It felt short, fleeting even, but it had left it's marks on him, something unforgettable. Now, he stood quietly in the archway of the shrine, his figure cloaked in a black hoodie, the hood pulled up to shadow his face. His hands were tucked into his pockets. In front of him, Momo and Seiko stood packed and ready, Momo's excitement barely contained. This time, it was her turn to embark on an adventure with grandma Seiko.
Momo turned to face him, a wide grin stretched across her face. "This time, I'm going to be the one taking the pictures—and you'll be the one looking at them later," she declared with pride and a playful glint in her eyes.
Clark returned her smile, warm and genuine. Momo was, without a doubt, the only kid he had ever truly tolerated—maybe even enjoyed being around. "Then I can't wait," he said simply.
Without hesitation, Momo stepped forward and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "Don't miss me too much, alright?" she whispered teasingly. "You already had your adventure with Grandma. Now it's my turn."
"I'll try not to," Clark said with a smirk, rolling his eyes at her words. Momo, ever energetic, marched ahead with a determined nod, already buzzing with anticipation for what lay ahead.
Seiko lingered a moment longer, offering Clark a serious look. "Take care of the place for us. Don't destroy anything. And stay safe, will you?"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Clark replied, waving her off. "You're taking this trip to help unlock Momo's spiritual energy or whatever, right? So stop stalling and let her enjoy it."
As they finally disappeared from view, Clark leaned casually forwards from the stone frame of the shrine entrance. He watched the path long after they were gone, a faint sense of peace settling over him. But the stillness didn't last long. With a quiet breath, he stepped back a few feet and allowed his feet to lift off the ground. Slowly, he began to rise into the sky—first gently, then with increasing speed. Higher and higher he went, until with a sudden burst of energy, he shot upward, streaking through the clouds like a bolt of lightning.
He soared through the open sky, darting between clouds like a child playing tag with the wind. He ran across them, pretended to leap from one to the next as if they were solid platforms, somersaulting mid-air and spinning with carefree abandon. The moisture from the clouds clung to him, drenching his hoodie and pants, but it didn't matter. All he had to do was fly a little faster and the droplets would fling off him like dust.
He was on cloud nine—figuratively and literally. He felt limitless. Free. He twirled through the air, dipped, climbed, and dived like a bird drunk on the wind. Time lost meaning. Direction lost purpose. It didn't matter where he was going. All that mattered was that he was flying.
Eventually, he found himself soaring through the darkness of night above a vast desert—one of the world's farthest reaches, where sand met sky in endless isolation. The stars above shimmered with piercing clarity, and Clark smiled to himself.
"I swear, there's no greater feeling than this," he murmured aloud, his voice stolen by the wind. "I doubt I'll ever enjoy walking again."
With that, he tucked in and blasted forward, zipping across the desert sky. Sand erupted beneath him from the force of his takeoff, kicked up in swirling clouds that chased after his trail. He spun in the air, loops and corkscrews carving wild patterns above the dunes.
He paused mid-flight and stared up at the stars, the wonder of the universe unfolding before him. A question flickered in his mind—one he'd asked himself many times. "I wonder when I'll be strong enough, confident enough, to fly through space."
Then he saw it.
A streak of light across the sky—fast, radiant, and graceful.
At first, he thought it was just a shooting star. He said nothing, only admiring the beauty of its trail. But then... it changed. The light didn't fade as shooting stars usually did. In fact, it grew brighter. Larger. Closer.
Clark's smile faded. His eyes narrowed as the object shifted course—directly toward him.
"…Why can't I ever have a single day of peace?" he muttered, exasperated.
He activated his enhanced vision, zooming in with pinpoint accuracy. The 'star' wasn't a meteor. It wasn't even a natural object. It was a ship—a vessel hurtling toward Earth, its hull glowing red from atmospheric entry, flames licking at its surface.
"What the hell…?" Clark blinked in surprise. A thousand thoughts flooded his mind. Could this be something connected to him? Another visitor from his long-forgotten origin? Or perhaps... something entirely unrelated. A scouting ship? A new alien arrival under circumstances like his own? Worse—an invasion?
There was only one way to find out.
With a thunderous crack, Clark broke the sound barrier and shot into the sky, chasing the falling craft. As it blazed through the atmosphere, he reached out with both hands and unleashed a controlled burst of ice breath, immediately followed by super breath. One to cool the surface, the other to slow its descent.
The heat began to fade. The flames started to dwindle. Clark pressed his palms to the nose of the ship and pushed, muscles flexing, teeth gritted against the enormous force. The metal groaned beneath his strength, dents forming where his hands met the hull. Red-hot dust scattered in the air like sparks.
Little by little, he managed to decelerate the massive vessel. His arms trembled slightly from the effort, but he didn't stop. Finally, the craft's momentum ceased. It hovered in the air—silent, steaming, but still intact—suspended in his grasp.
Carefully, he descended, lowering the ship with him until his feet touched the top of a sand dune. The desert wind howled around him as the glow of the stars above continued to shine down, illuminating both the ship and the lone figure who had caught it.
Clark exhaled deeply, a mixture of tension and curiosity swirling inside him. "Alright," he muttered, steadying his breath and posture. "Let's see who's come to visit this time."
The ship was surprisingly small—barely large enough to fit a grown adult. It looked more like an escape pod than a full-fledged vessel. Clark couldn't help but lean closer and peek inside. The moment his eyes landed on the figure within, he gasped audibly.
Curled up inside the tiny spacecraft was a white dog, fast asleep, its form rising and falling peacefully. Around its neck was a sturdy collar, and attached to it was a symbol that made Clark's heart lurch. It was the sigil of the House of El—his family crest.
"Krypto," he whispered, barely able to believe it, his voice cracking slightly under the weight of emotion. His chest rose and fell rapidly, overwhelmed by a feeling he couldn't quite name—something between awe and a long-lost ache.
He hesitated only for a moment before he carefully pressed the door release. As the hatch slid open, the sleeping dog stirred. Its ears perked up immediately, and it slowly lifted its head, blinking at the light.
The instant its gaze locked onto Clark, the dog's entire demeanor changed. Its face lit up with unmistakable joy, tail wagging furiously, tongue lolling out. In a blur of motion, it leapt from the pod and tackled Clark with surprising force, sending both of them tumbling backward into the soft dune.
"Ughh—!" Clark grunted as he hit the sand, but the moment was immediately drowned out by laughter. The small white Labrador jumped all over him, panting and yipping, its paws pressing against his chest as it licked his face with uncontainable excitement.
"Easy, boy! Take it easy—hahaha!" Clark laughed uncontrollably, squinting and trying to shield his face while also ruffling Krypto's ears. "Yeah, yeah, I'm happy to see you too, buddy—"
But then he paused, the words catching in his throat. A strange tension tightened in his skull.
He froze mid-laugh, his expression twisting in confusion as a sharp pain shot through his head. His eyes clenched shut as flashes of memories—buried and foreign—rushed violently through his mind like a broken dam.
A woman, radiant and serene, holding a newborn in her arms, tears of love streaming down her face.
A man—stern but kind—standing beside her, his eyes full of pride. He looked like an older version of Clark.
Another flash—he was the infant now, from a first-person view, sitting on a soft blanket. A small, fluffy white dog—Krypto—hopped around joyfully, barking and wagging his tail, making the baby giggle.
More flashes.
He was older, riding on Krypto's back through tall silver fields under a violet-red sky.
Red lights blared suddenly. Chaos. He saw scientists rushing around, red dust clouding the air. That same beautiful woman—his mother—clutching him tightly as the man carried something in his arms: a shattered skull with glowing golden runes.
Then, the final moment. He was laid into a cradle. A beam of light, blinding and bright, filled his vision.
Then—darkness.
Clark snapped back to the present with a loud gasp, jolting upright. He was drenched in sweat, his chest heaving. Krypto whimpered softly, ears pulled back as he nudged Clark with his nose.
"I'm fine… I'm okay," Clark muttered, though uncertainty laced his voice. He reached forward and embraced the dog, holding him close as if grounding himself in the now. "Just a… a trip through memory lane."
He sighed, a deep breath that shook slightly, and rested his chin on Krypto's head. "I'm happy to see you," he murmured.
Krypto nuzzled his face happily, giving a soft bark before bounding back toward the pod. He turned, grabbing at Clark's sleeve with his mouth, tugging insistently.
Clark raised an eyebrow, amused. "What is it, boy? Got more surprises for me?"
With curiosity mounting, he followed the eager dog back into the small ship. Krypto jumped inside, shuffled through a compartment with his nose, then backed out carefully, something clutched in his mouth.
He trotted over to Clark and gently dropped the object into his outstretched palm.
It was a bright, transparent crystal—clean, flawless, and humming with subtle energy. The moment it touched his skin, Clark felt a warm pulse flow through him, like a greeting.
His lips parted, and a breathless laugh escaped as he stared down at it.
"The Fortress of Solitude," he whispered, a smile blooming on his face. Then, louder, with a soft chuckle of disbelief, "You actually brought it with you..."
Krypto wagged his tail furiously.
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