Clark slowly rose from the ground, his boots lifting inch by inch as he hovered upward. The blue-skinned citizens kept their hands gently pressed against him for as long as they could reach, their touch lingering with quiet reverence before gradually falling away. Even as he ascended, so stretched their arms upward, reluctant to let the mont end.
A calm, reassuring smile ford on his face, his expression steady and warm despite the faint, lingering glow in his eyes, or at least he tried to make it be. There was effort behind it, sothing held in place rather than entirely natural, but it was enough.
"You can count on ," he said softly, his voice carrying clearly across the square without needing to be raised. "I'll handle it, you can be sure of that"
As he rose higher, the people below instinctively drew closer together. Many joined their hands together in gratitude, so lowering their heads as if in quiet prayer, while others simply looked up with hope written plainly across their faces. A chorus of grateful voices rose toward him, overlapping but unified.
"Thank you…"
"May you succeed…"
"Save us, Superman…"
"Bring us peace…"
Clark let his gaze linger on them for a mont longer before turning his head slightly. His eyes shifted toward the distant rooftop where Momo, Lala, and Yami stood watching everything unfold. Without a word, he motioned for them to follow with a simple tilt of his head, then turned forward again.
In the next instant, he took off, his body cutting through the air in a smooth streak of white and red across the sky.
Momo, Lala, and Yami reacted imdiately. The three girls launched after him without hesitation, accelerating to catch up as Clark streaked through the city skyline ahead of them. Buildings blurred past in rapid succession as he maneuvered with effortless precision, corkscrewing between towering structures and slipping through narrow gaps as if he had morized the layout.
Despite the speed, his voice remained calm and even as he spoke.
"Sol," Clark asked quietly, "where is Cranis right now? What have you learned?"
The AI's voice responded directly in his mind, smooth and imdiate. "Cranis is located in the tallest building in the city, up ahead. The central monuntal tower. It appears to serve as the planetary administrative headquarters."
As if on cue, a towering structure ca into view in the distance, rising far above everything around it. Its design was sleek and imposing, the kind of architecture ant to project authority and control at a glance.
"Anything important about Cranis is heavily encrypted," Sol continued. "I am encountering significant resistance attempting to bypass it. However, from what I have gathered so far: Cranis murdered the president of the Planetary Union and staged a coup d'état, installing himself in the position."
Clark's eyes narrowed slightly as he processed that, his expression tightening just a bit. "It couldn't have been that easy."
"Correct," Sol replied without hesitation. "My hypothesis is that the Planetary Council has been bribed, blackmailed, or threatened into compliance and submission—most likely a combination of all three. Additionally, Cranis already controls approximately 37% of the planet, and that number is steadily rising."
Clark gave a small nod, his focus sharpening as the tower grew larger in his vision. "I've heard enough. Thank you, Sol."
By that point, Momo, Lala, and Yami had caught up fully, flying in formation beside him as they closed the distance. The wind rushed past them, their movent synchronized as they approached the monuntal tower together.
…
Inside the opulent penthouse suite at the very top of the building, the atmosphere was entirely different. The space was quiet, controlled, and almost unnaturally pristine. Cranis sat comfortably in a hovering chair, positioned at the back of the room as if in position to oversee everything in front of him.
He wore ceremonial garb from his howorld, the fabric layered and intricate, with golden tal headpieces resting around his large cranium like a crown. The piece caught the light subtly, reinforcing the image of authority he clearly wanted to project.
In front of him, an elaborate five-course al was laid out across a floating table, each dish arranged with precision. Steam still rose faintly from so of the plates, untouched.
He lifted a spoon toward his mouth, unhurried, completely at ease.
A soft tink tink tink echoed from the reinforced glass window behind him.
Cranis froze at the light but deliberate against the glass, cutting cleanly through the silence of the room.
"Open the window, Cranis," a calm voice commanded from outside.
Cranis remained facing forward for a mont, his posture stiffening slightly. Slowly, he lowered the spoon back down toward the table, the tal making a faint sound as it touched the surface.
"Oh."
Under the table, out of sight from anyone standing across from him, his finger tapped lightly against a hidden panel embedded along the underside.
He turned around.
Floating just outside the window stood Superman, completely still in the air. His arms were crossed over his chest, his red hood over his head, partially covering his face. His eyes glowed with a soft, steady light that didn't flicker, locked directly onto Cranis.
To his left hovered Momo and Lala, both poised and ready, their posture alert. To his right was Yami, her expression cold and sharp, sothing far more dangerous simring beneath the surface.
A mocking smile slowly spread across Cranis's face as he took in the sight of them.
"Yami, don't—" Clark started, already anticipating what was about to happen.
But the warning ca too late.
Yami exploded forward, shattering through the reinforced glass in a burst of speed. The window didn't crack—it gave way entirely under the force, fragnts scattering inward as she crossed the distance instantly. Her right arm shifted mid-motion, transforming into a massive blade as she drove straight toward Cranis's chest.
The floating table between them was obliterated on impact, plates, utensils, and food bursting outward in every direction. The two of them crashed into the center of the lavish room, the force of the collision sending a shock through the air.
Yami looked down in genuine surprise, her blade pressed against him but failing to pierce through.
Cranis sneered as in the next instant, he backhanded her with brutal force. The strike connected cleanly, sending her flying across the room, her body cutting through the air before she could recover.
Superman moved in a blur, crossing the distance faster than the debris had ti to settle. He caught her mid-flight before she could slam into the wall, his grip firm but controlled as he absorbed the montum and brought her to a stop.
"I tried to tell you," Clark said quietly as he set her down on her feet. "He's ard."
Cranis laughed loudly, completely unbothered. With a sharp motion, he tore off the damaged ceremonial robes, letting the fabric fall away to reveal the sleek, high-tech battle suit underneath. Its surface glead faintly, energy lines running along its structure.
"I was expecting you to show up," he said smugly, brushing off the mont as if it had gone exactly as planned. "Although… not quite this quickly."
His gaze shifted briefly toward Yami, his expression laced with open disdain. "You'd better not be expecting any compensation for the hazardous job I gave you"
Lala stepped forward slightly, her brows knitting together as she looked at him. "Why are you doing this?"
Cranis's expression shifted instantly. The mocking edge softened into sothing almost inviting, his smile turning strangely warm as he looked directly at her.
"Ah, Lala… my bride-to-be." His tone carried a false affection that made the words feel worse. "Hold on just a mont while I deal with these minor inconveniences."
Clark's brows twitched at that, a brief flash of cold annoyance crossing his face before settling again.
Momo didn't bother hiding her reaction, her face twisting into visible disgust. "Ew, dude. How old even are you? Because that was straight up gross"
"That's none of your concern," Cranis replied dismissively, waving it off like it didn't matter. "And don't worry—I'm perfectly willing to wait until she's old enough to consummate our marriage—"
Clark was already moving.
He appeared in front of Cranis instantly, the distance erased in a blink. His eyes burned now, no longer calm, as he swung a devastating punch aid straight across Cranis's face.
At the last possible mont, an electromagnetic shield flared into existence around Cranis, snapping into place with a sharp hum. Clark's fist slamd into it with a thunderous bang, the force stopping dead against the barrier.
The impact still carried through. Cranis was sent skidding backward across the floor, his feet dragging until his back slamd into the far wall hard enough to crack it. Energy crackled along the seams of his battle suit, thin lines lighting up as it absorbed and stored the force of the blow.
Cranis laughed, completely uninjured.
He launched forward imdiately, moving with surprising speed as the stored energy discharged. In an instant, he was in front of Clark, his fist already swinging.
The punch connected cleanly across Superman's jaw.
Clark was sent flying backward, his body crashing into the opposite wall and leaving a deep crater in the reinforced material as the impact echoed through the room.
For a brief mont, everything stilled, staring with a look of disbelief.
Clark blinked once, then slowly pushed himself out of the indentation in the wall. Bits of debris fell away as he straightened, bringing a hand up to rub his jaw.
"…Ow?" he muttered softly, the confusion in his voice almost more noticeable than the pain.
Everyone in the room paused, the reaction unexpected enough to cut through the tension.
Cranis threw his head back and laughed loudly, clearly pleased. "Surprised? This suit is designed to take any force dished out at and redirect it right back to the one who delivered it."
Clark pushed himself fully upright, still rubbing his jaw as he rolled it slightly. A small, amused grin tugged at the corner of his lips as the realization clicked.
"I see… so that was the power of my strength, huh?" He let out a short chuckle under his breath. "No wonder it hurt."
Cranis scoffed, his expression darkening as the reaction clearly didn't match what he wanted. "How arrogant…"
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