[Third Person Pov]
"Sol, are they out yet? How much longer do I have to keep holding this stupid thing?"
Clark's voice carried a clear edge of impatience as he stood beneath the colossal alien vessel, both arms locked above his head. The ship's bulk pressed down against his palms with the weight of a small mountain, the metal hull creaking faintly under the sustained pressure. The boredom was starting to wear on him more than the strain.
"Please be patient, Kal-El," Sol replied, the AI's tone almost amused by his host's growing exasperation. "The interior of the ship is vast. They will be out shortly."
…
High above the city, Lala cut through the air on her way back, wings beating in smooth, powerful strokes. She twirled once for the pure joy of it, gliding in a wide arc.
It did not take her long to spot the small group waiting below. Momo was exiting into one of the corridors with Krypto at her side. Floating limply between them was an unmoving figure, suspended in the air as though unconscious.
"Momo! Krypto!" Lala called out cheerfully.
She flipped once more through the air and landed lightly in front of them, wings folding with a soft rustle.
Momo offered a small smile in greeting. "Done with what you needed to do?"
"That's right." Lala's bright expression faltered the moment her eyes settled on the floating body. "But wait a minute… who's that?" She pointed at Ken Takakura, who looked more like a corpse than a living person. "Is he okay?"
"Oh, him?" Momo waved a hand dismissively. "That's Okarun. He's fine. He just pushed himself too hard and now he's broken."
A weak, pained groan drifted up from the floating figure.
"Ughhh…" Ken struggled to lift his head, every movement clearly agony. "I'm not fine. Everything hurts…" His bleary eyes finally focused on Lala. "Huh? Oh. Hi. I remember you. You're the cute girl that was with her hot brother."
Momo's head snapped toward him so fast it was a wonder she didn't give herself whiplash. Her glare could have drilled a clean hole straight through his skull.
"Why is the only thing you remember about Clark that he's attractive?"
Ken tried to shrug and immediately regretted it, wincing hard. "I don't know. His physical appearance just… stands out before anything else."
Lala's giggle slipped out before she could stop it. The sound cut off a second later as recognition finally clicked into place.
"I remember you now too—"
Sol's voice cut cleanly through the moment, speaking from the dog tag around Krypto's neck.
"Incoming message from Kal-El."
Clark's voice followed immediately, dry and unmistakably fed up.
"Hurry up and get off the ship. If you aren't clear in the next ten seconds, I'm taking you with me to the Arctic."
A collective chuckle rose from the group.
"Heh. Sorry," Momo said, already turning. "Come on, let's go."
They lifted off together without another word, speeding toward the gaping hole they had originally used to enter the vessel.
As they flew, Ken's voice floated up in quiet awe. "That was Superman, wasn't it? I can't believe I just heard his voice so close to me…" His eyes shone with pure reverence.
Momo rolled her eyes so hard it was a miracle they stayed in her head.
They slipped out through the breach undetected and banked hard toward the nearest rooftop, putting safe distance between themselves and the ship.
The moment Clark confirmed they were clear, he adjusted his grip and began lifting the enormous vessel higher into the sky. Higher. Higher still. Then, without warning, he rocketed forward at super speed, the alien ship held steady overhead as the world blurred into streaks of color.
Within seconds the city was gone. Within minutes the frozen wastes of the Arctic stretched beneath him. The Fortress of Solitude was already rising from the ice, crystalline spires catching the weak polar sunlight as the massive structure emerged.
The top of the Fortress began to open, the crystalline panels sliding apart until the gap was wide enough to accept the ship. Clark lowered the vessel carefully into the waiting hangar bay.
"Sol," he called as the ship settled into place. "Have the Superman robots secure every alien still inside and place them in the holding cells for now."
"It shall be done," Sol answered. "I also had one of the Superbots collect Boros' corpse. What should I do with it?"
"Bring it in for study. I want to know if there's anything useful to be learned from his body." Clark's gaze lingered on the ship a moment longer. "And have the bots dismantle the entire vessel. Store every valuable component. Nothing gets wasted."
"Understood. I take it you will not be staying long. In that case, I shall alert you the moment everything has been handled."
"Much appreciated."
Clark released the ship completely and rose back through the open apex of the Fortress. Behind him the crystalline structure sealed shut and began its slow descent, sinking once more beneath the Arctic ice until only unbroken white remained.
Sol's voice returned as Clark hovered above the frozen expanse.
"May I inquire what you are planning to do in the meantime?"
A light grin tugged at the corner of Clark's mouth.
"I'm going to be meeting a fan."
With that, he turned and shot off into the sky, leaving the silent polar wastes behind.
…
Ken Takakura lay face-first on the rooftop, arms splayed, cheek pressed against the rough concrete. Every muscle in his body felt like it had been torn apart and then poorly stitched back together. Even breathing hurt. He let out a long, miserable groan.
Lala crouched beside him, wings folded neatly, and began poking his back with one curious finger. Each prod drew another pained sound from him, which only made her giggle harder.
"Come on," Momo said, arms crossed as she looked down at the heap of exhausted human. "Don't you want to meet Superman? How are you going to do that while lying on your face?"
Ken's voice came out muffled against the rooftop. "I can't feel my legs. They're like jelly. I've never had to push my body that hard before…"
Krypto padded over, tail wagging, and gave him a firm complimentary nudge with his nose. "You were very impressive for a human." Then the dog leaned in and started enthusiastically licking the side of Ken's face.
"Hahaha—come on, stop it, that's gross!" Ken laughed despite the pain, weakly trying to push the super-powered dog away.
Momo sighed and bent down, hooking her hands under Ken's arms to haul him upright. "Stand up. You wanted to meet Superman, didn't you? So you have to at least look presentable."
Ken staggered onto unsteady legs, heart suddenly hammering for an entirely different reason. Meeting a legendary idol in person was one thing. Meeting *this* particular legend while still half-broken and covered in dog spit was another.
"Would he even want to meet someone like me?" he muttered, wringing his hands. "I mean… I'm just an awkward guy. What if I come across as weird?"
He froze mid-sentence.
A broad silhouette had appeared above them, hanging motionless in the air. A red cape billowed slowly in the wind.
"What's wrong with being awkward and weird?" a calm, familiar voice asked. "Being normal is so overrated."
Ken forced his screaming body to turn. Superman was descending in a slow, controlled float, boots nearly touching the rooftop directly in front of him.
"Ah… I… uh… S-Superman…" Ken stammered, star-struck to the point of near paralysis.
Clark tilted his head and looked around with exaggerated excitement. "Really? Where?"
Lala and Momo both snickered. Krypto immediately abandoned Ken and began racing joyful circles around Clark's legs, cape fluttering every time the dog zoomed past.
Ken swallowed hard. His hands didn't know what to do with themselves. Finally he dropped into a perfect ninety-degree bow, voice cracking with sincerity.
"I-I've really wanted to meet you! I wanted to thank you for everything you've done!! On behalf of the human race—you have our gratitude! Even though some people might question your sincerity, know that I never will! I know you're a good person. Not everyone would go out of their way to do what you do if they weren't!"
Clark blinked, caught completely off-guard by the raw honesty. He scratched his cheek, smile turning stiff and awkward.
"Uhhh… thanks, I guess." He cleared his throat. "I appreciate the support."
Momo's eyes lit up with pure mischief. She raised one hand to hide her growing smirk. "Clark… are you blushing?"
Clark's head snapped toward her so fast the air cracked. "Your mother is the one who's blushing. Who the hell asked you?"
He was slightly pink around the ears, and the defensive snap only made it more obvious.
Ken slowly lifted his head, blinking in confusion. "…Clark?"
The entire rooftop went dead silent.
Every head turned toward Ken, then slowly, dreadfully, toward Momo.
Momo's face drained of color. Both hands flew up to cover her mouth. "W-Wait—Clark—Superman—Kal-El—it was an accident, I swear—!"
A thick vein pulsed on Clark's forehead.
"Momo."
The single word came out as a low, dangerous growl.
In the next instant he had her by the arm. With zero ceremony he launched her skyward like a missile. "YOU AND YOUR BIG FUCKING MOUTH!"
Momo went tumbling end-over-end into the blue, her panicked scream trailing behind her.
"I'M SOOOOOOooooorryyyyy—!!"
Her voice faded into a distant speck, then vanished entirely.
Ken remained frozen in place, eyes wide, mouth open, staring at the empty patch of sky where Momo had been only seconds before. The pure, undiluted horror on his face said everything.
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