[Third Person Pov]
Clark and the rest of the Ayase household were now inside the Fortress of Solitude.
Seiko tilted her head back, slowly looking up at the ceiling as her eyes wandered across the structure. "You know, I don't think I was here after the renovations. I love what you've done with the place."
The Fortress of Solitude now carried a warm, orange glow that spread throughout the massive space. The crystals embedded in the ceiling shone like chandeliers, casting a soft light that reflected gently off the walls. Instead of feeling like a cold, isolated stronghold, the fortress now felt lived in, almost like a home rather than a monument to solitude.
"Welcome back," Lara-El greeted them with a soft smile as her holographic form manifested beside them. Her presence shimmered faintly before stabilizing, her gaze settling on Clark. She gave him a small nod. "Your prisoner is awake. You should go and see her."
"Sure thing," Clark replied with a nod of his own before turning and beginning to walk away.
Lala and Momo immediately followed after him, curiosity written across their faces, while Krypto darted off in another direction, clearly more interested in reaching his resting spot.
"Lara, look!" Seiko called out, holding up a book in her hands. She chose to stay behind, clearly more interested in speaking with Clark's mother, the only other older woman in the group.
Lara-El's holographic eyes brightened slightly as she leaned in. "Are those…?"
"Like I promised," Seiko said proudly, puffing out her chest as she opened the book and presented it. "Clark's baby pictures."
Lara-El gasped softly, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth as she looked down at the image in front of her.
It was a picture of baby Clark sitting in diapers on a wooden rocking horse. He held onto it loosely, his expression distant and hollow, with a single tear slipping down from the corner of his eye.
Clark, already a fair distance away, inwardly sighed as he overheard them. 'They're gushing over some of my darkest memories… How humiliating.'
Deciding not to engage, he continued walking and made his way toward the elevator platform without looking back.
"Where are the buttons?" Momo asked as she stepped onto the crystal platform, glancing around in confusion as she tried to find some kind of control panel.
"I didn't see the need for them," Lala replied casually. "Sol is connected to the Fortress. Just tell him where you want to go, and he'll take you there."
"Sol, the hundredth floor, please," Clark said as he stepped between the two girls, crossing his arms as he stood calmly in place.
"Certainly," Sol responded.
Without warning, the floor beneath them vanished.
"Eh?" Momo let out in confusion before looking down and instantly looking ahead. "Uh oh—"
The three of them dropped instantly, plunging downward at an incredible speed.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!" she screamed, flailing her arms wildly as she fell.
Clark remained completely still as he descended, his stance unchanged, his hair whipping around from the rushing air while his expression stayed perfectly neutral.
Beside him, Lala quickly pushed down her skirt, trying to keep it from being blown upward by the force of the fall, her focus entirely on maintaining her composure mid-drop as her skirt lifted from the back, the lines of her panties visible.
"I'm going to die! I'm going to die! I'm going to die!! Clark!! Catch meeeee!!" Momo cried out, tears forming in her eyes as the floor rapidly approached.
Clark turned his head slightly, giving her a flat, unimpressed look. "You do know you can fly, right?"
"Oh… yeah…" Momo muttered, her panic stopping almost instantly as realization hit her.
A faint glow surrounded her body as her spiritual power activated, slowing her descent until she hovered safely above the ground.
Clark followed suit with minimal effort, gently reducing his speed as he approached the floor.
Lala called out for Peke, and in response, mechanical wings burst from behind her back, unfolding quickly before flapping to stabilize her fall and bring her down safely.
When they landed and the elevator door slid open, Clark stepped forward before pausing and turning toward Lala. "You know, I don't think I ever gave you proper credit for your idea about the containment units. They're actually a lot more handy than I expected."
"Hehe, and you thought having a jail in your base was a bad idea," Lala said, puffing out her chest proudly as she placed her hands on her hips.
"I still think it's a bad idea because of the implications if something goes wrong or someone escapes," Clark replied calmly, glancing ahead as he took in the containment level. "But I didn't think nearly enough about the benefits. That was a mistake on my part."
Momo looked at him with a strange expression, narrowing her eyes slightly. "You're acting weird. Since when are you this nice and openly admit you were wrong?"
Clark didn't even look back as he started walking ahead, simply raising his hand and sticking his middle finger out in her direction.
"Now there's the brother I know and love," Momo scoffed as she walked up beside him.
Like the rest of the fortress, the entire level was constructed from sunstone crystals, their orange glow reflecting off every surface. A translucent orange-red barrier separated the walkway from the rows of cells.
The interiors of the cells were surprisingly clean and modern, almost resembling small studio apartments. Each one had a bed, a desk, and basic utilities, making them feel more like living spaces than prison cells.
Superman Robots moved about the area in a steady, controlled manner. Some patrolled the perimeter while others stood still as guards, even though nearly every cell was empty… all except one.
Clark, Lala, and Momo came to a stop in front of the occupied cell, only to immediately freeze at what they saw.
Inside, a young girl was sitting on the toilet.
Momo and Lala reacted instantly, both jumping forward and covering Clark's eyes at the same time, while the girl's cheeks flushed a deep red.
"..."
They were silent as they stared at each other in surprise, rooted to where they stood.
"Do you mind?" she asked, turning her head away as steam practically rose from the top of her head.
"Sorry!!" Lala and Momo shouted in unison as they quickly dragged Clark away to the side.
"Well… that was awkward…" Momo muttered under her breath.
She glanced over at Clark and noticed the way he was pressing his lips together tightly, curling them inward while his eyes were shut. His shoulders trembled slightly, it was obvious he was barely holding it together.
"Don't you dare laugh. The poor girl must be mortified," Momo whispered sharply as she smacked his arm.
"It really was unfortunate timing," Lala added, trying—and failing—to fully suppress her own amusement as she covered her mouth.
Clark let out a slow, shaky breath, forcing himself to calm down and regain composure.
A moment later, the sound of a toilet flushing echoed from the cell.
Then came something else.
A faint scraping noise dragged across the floor.
The three of them exchanged confused looks before slowly stepping back toward the cell and carefully peeking inside.
What they saw made their expressions drop instantly.
The young blonde girl had placed a chair in the center of the room. Her long hair moved unnaturally, weaving and shaping itself as it formed a pin that attached to the ceiling.
From it, she created a noose.
She lifted it calmly and placed it around her neck.
"WAIT! WAIT! WAIT!" all three of them shouted at once, panic overtaking them as they rushed forward.
The girl turned her head slightly, her expression hollow as her eyes met theirs. "…You've already taken my dignity. What more do you want?"
"That's still no reason to kill yourself!" Clark said quickly, his voice firm but urgent. "Instead of doing all that, why don't you start by telling us your name? We can begin from there."
She stared at them in silence for a moment, her gaze lingering on Clark just a little longer than the others.
Her grip on the noose didn't loosen.
"…Golden Darkness," she finally said quietly.
Then, without hesitation, she kicked the chair away.
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