Lucas burst into laughter when he saw Clark standing outside the door.
"So, your journey finally came to an end?"
The two men stepped forward and embraced, each giving the other a firm pat on the back.
Thump, thump.
"Brother Clark~!"
Carrie called out sweetly from the side.
"Hey, little Carrie. Long time no see."
Clark smiled warmly and gently patted her head.
After changing his shoes, Clark followed Lucas into the living room.
"And this is…?" Clark asked, glancing toward the girl on the sofa.
"She's a friend's child," Lucas replied casually.
"Her name is Elaine. She's staying with me for now."
"Hello, Elaine," Clark greeted politely.
"Hello," Elaine said as she set her book aside and smiled.
"I've heard Lucas talk about you a lot. He says you're a very warm-hearted guy."
"He exaggerates," Clark replied with a small laugh as he sat down.
Lucas raised an eyebrow with interest.
"What's this—have you already figured life out?"
Clark shook his head.
"No. I actually came back halfway through my journey."
"Because of Gotham?" Lucas asked.
"Yes."
Clark nodded solemnly.
"I never imagined that while I was gone, you'd be arrested for saving a city—and that Gotham would end up invaded by people from the sea."
"By the time I found out, I knew I was already too late."
Lucas understood immediately. He patted Clark on the shoulder.
"It's fine. I handled everything."
"How could you tolerate them treating you like that?"
Clark stared at Lucas, his voice filled with disbelief.
"You were the one who drove off that monster and saved so many lives in Philadelphia—and they still threw you in prison."
"That's not fair. Not at all."
Lucas laughed lightly.
"Well, even if I saved the city, I can't deny that dozens of people died during my fight with that creature."
Clark frowned.
"I saw the reports. That was clearly their own fault!"
"Maybe," Lucas said calmly, "but responsibility is still responsibility. I can't escape that."
Clark fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"Lucas… among everyone I've ever met, aside from my late father, you're the most morally upright person I know. No one else even comes close."
"Thanks," Lucas replied with a grin.
"That actually makes me feel pretty good."
He smoothly changed the subject.
"So—are you heading out again after coming back?"
Clark shook his head.
"No. I've traveled enough. What you did made me realize what I'm supposed to do."
Lucas was genuinely surprised.
He hadn't expected himself to become a turning point in Clark's life.
"But before that," Clark continued,
"I need to go to the Arctic. That was supposed to be my final stop."
"Kara told me that once I truly figured things out, I should go there. She said something important has been waiting for me all along."
Man of Steel—had officially begun.
A long-standing mystery from the film suddenly made sense to Lucas:
why Clark went to the Arctic, and whose spacecraft had already been opened.
Lucas's spirits lifted.
The real arc was finally about to start.
Zod wouldn't be far behind now.
Some preparations could no longer be delayed.
"I'll take you there," Lucas said.
"Don't tell me you're planning to walk," he added dryly.
"I don't take you for that kind of person."
Clark smiled.
"You're right—but there aren't exactly direct flights to the Arctic, are there?"
"That's easy enough to solve," Lucas replied.
"But first, we eat."
After finishing lunch, the two stepped outside.
Without further explanation, Lucas lifted Clark effortlessly and shot straight up into the sky.
With a sudden burst of acceleration, they rocketed toward the Arctic.
At over Mach 20, they crossed vast distances in moments, rapidly closing in on the polar region.
---
A sudden alarm startled Nick Fury.
He opened the screen and saw the red dot representing Lucas streaking across Canada at terrifying speed—heading straight for the Arctic.
"He's going to the Arctic?" Fury muttered.
"What the hell is he planning to do?"
It was far too late to send anyone after him.
Driven by curiosity, Fury opened his computer and began searching for recent Arctic developments.
Soon, a report provided by his subordinates caught his attention.
[The military has dispatched a mysterious unit to the Arctic. Their objective remains unclear.]
[However, based on the professional backgrounds of the personnel involved, it is suspected that a strange object has been discovered beneath the ice.]
Fury closed the file, understanding dawning on his face.
After a moment's thought, he picked up his phone.
"Hey, Lucas," Fury said bluntly once the call connected.
"Mind telling me what you're doing in the Arctic?"
"I'm waking up a god," Lucas replied calmly.
"Oh—and return Howard's things to Tony. Otherwise, I'm worried he'll pay me to storm S.H.I.E.L.D. and drag you out."
Then the line went dead.
"…?"
Three large question marks practically appeared over Fury's head.
After a moment, he barked an order:
"Coulson, deliver HHD-023127 to Tony Stark's residence. Hand it to him personally."
Hanging up, Fury sank back into his chair, frowning deeply.
If this were anyone else, he'd assume it was a joke.
But Lucas never joked about things like this.
A god…?
Fury's mind went into overdrive.
---
Thanks to Lucas's speed, it didn't take long to reach the Arctic continent.
Guided by Clark, they soon arrived at a massive iceberg.
"You wait here," Lucas said.
"I'll deal with those annoying flies first."
Setting Clark down, Lucas leapt into the air and flew straight toward the military base stationed in the Arctic.
"Are you the one in charge?" he asked after arriving.
"Yes, sir!"
The colonel snapped to attention, his eyes filled with admiration the moment he recognized Lucas.
"Who's your direct superior for this operation?" Lucas asked.
The colonel hesitated, then answered honestly.
"The Department of Defense, sir."
Lucas nodded.
"Give me the satellite phone. I'll speak to your superior myself."
Without hesitation, the colonel handed over the military satellite phone.
"Ellis," Lucas said the moment the call connected,
"pull your secret Arctic unit back immediately—or I can't guarantee their safety."
"What? You didn't know about this?"
Lucas laughed lightly.
"Then you might want to have a chat with your Secretary of Defense."
"But issue the withdrawal order now."
"Relax. Have I ever screwed you over?"
"Alright. You can start packing. No reason to freeze out here anymore."
After returning the phone, Lucas took off once more, flying toward the iceberg under the colonel's reverent gaze.
---
Back at the White House, President Ellis slammed the phone down and snarled:
"Get Ross to my office. Now."
After the Gotham incident, Ellis's approval ratings had skyrocketed thanks to Lucas.
From the very start of the election cycle, his support had become overwhelmingly dominant.
Lucas was no longer just an ally—
He was Ellis's lucky charm.
His ultimate pillar.
And Ellis had no intention of letting go.
_____
T/N:
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