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*****
"This is..."
Clark looked at the spaceship in front of him, a trace of delight flashing in his eyes.
"A spaceship," Mike said calmly. "This isn't something from Earth. Let's go take a look inside."
Clark responded with a nod, and the two of them walked in.
The hatch of the spaceship was open, and as they stepped inside, a control console rose up.
Father and son stopped in their tracks. When Clark noticed the small keyhole on the console, his eyes lit up. "Dad, is this the one?"
"Give it a try."
Clark nodded, suppressing his excitement as he pulled out a black key.
It was the key to his infant ship.
Just then, a humanoid metallic sentinel floated out of thin air. Before it could launch an attack, Mike—who had been keeping a close eye on their surroundings—instantly appeared beside it and smacked it away with a single blow.
Clark paid it no mind. After inserting the key, the spaceship activated. The darkness inside was replaced with bright light, and the metallic sentinel, having risen from the floor, exited its combat stance and resumed its duties guarding the ship.
After all these years, this was the only thing still standing guard inside the spaceship.
Suddenly, a figure appeared before the two of them.
He wore a dark robe and had a gentle smile on his face, but upon seeing Mike, a flicker of confusion passed through his eyes.
Just as he turned to walk deeper into the spaceship, Mike called out, "Hold it right there! Or we'll destroy this thing."
The figure froze, glanced at Mike, and then shifted his gaze to Clark. Left with no choice, he reluctantly stayed put.
He had only intended to guide them inside the spaceship—why were they being so unpredictable?
Seeing that the figure really did stop, Clark hesitated for a moment and whispered to Mike, "Dad, what's going on?"
Dad!?
The figure flinched, as if struck by the word. His expression briefly shifted before he furrowed his brow and said, "Please, come with me."
Clark looked at Mike, who gave a slight nod. The two of them walked forward.
Clark couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"
The man gave a faint smile. "You've grown up, Kal."
He examined Clark closely, then said with a sigh, "I only wish your mother could see you now."
Kal?
Is that my name?
Clark's eyes flickered with emotion as he asked again, "Who are you?"
"I am your father—or rather, a projection of him. More precisely, I'm an intelligent system formed when he uploaded his consciousness into the key. My name is Jor-El. I am your father."
"Father?"
"Yes. Your real name is Kal-El."
Jor-El smiled gently and gave the slightest nod toward Mike.
Mike: "..."
This old guy still trying to assert dominance?
"Kal-El?"
Clark broke into a smile and turned to look at Mike. "Dad, I just learned my other name!"
Mike let out a light snort and raised his chin toward Jor-El.
You hear that? His other name.
And he calls me Dad!
He's been calling me that for nearly thirty years!
Jor-El looked at Mike. Their eyes met in the air—and then, suddenly, both men burst out laughing.
"Hahaha!"
Clark watched the two, completely confused.
Jor-El extended a hand and said with a hint of helplessness, "If I weren't just a hologram, I'd thank you properly. Thank you for raising Kal so well—he's turned out wonderfully."
Mike shook his head. "Clark's a good kid. That's thanks to your good genes."
They exchanged a look and couldn't help but laugh again.
One was his biological father, the other his adoptive father. Both were his dads, and both wished him the best.
Once they realized that, they found common ground instantly.
"Clark—that's his Earth name?" Jor-El's eyes lit up. He gestured invitingly. "Come, let me show you around."
"Thanks."
Mike smiled as he replied, and the two of them walked deeper into the spaceship in perfect harmony.
Clark: "?"
What about me?
But looking at their backs, he suddenly grinned.
This feeling... it's amazing.
"Oh right—are you a Kryptonian?" Jor-El suddenly asked, his tone laced with curiosity.
"No, I used my ability to replicate Kryptonian genes," Mike answered vaguely. "There are a lot of unusual humans on Earth."
Jor-El didn't seem surprised by this discovery.
If Mike's guess was correct, the spaceship had a genetic verification function. When the key was inserted into the console, it had already scanned both him and Clark, conducting a genetic comparison. That's how Jor-El was able to immediately recognize Clark as his son.
"By the way," Mike suddenly asked, "when the spaceship was activated, did it emit any kind of signal?"
Jor-El replied calmly, "Yes, it did. But don't worry—no one will receive it. The signal can only be picked up by Kryptonian ships, and as far as I know, this may be the last one still in existence."
Not necessarily...
Mike muttered to himself in his mind.
"Krypton?"
Clark caught the name from their conversation and couldn't help but ask, "Is that my home planet?"
"Yes, my child."
Jor-El responded softly. Seeing the confusion on Clark's face, he turned to Mike with a smile. "Let me answer his questions first—then we'll talk properly."
"No problem," Mike replied with a smile. "I've been curious about you both anyway."
Jor-El nodded warmly and began explaining to Clark.
"You're from Krypton. The living conditions there were…"
His summary didn't differ much from what Mike remembered. But when Jor-El mentioned General Zod's rebellion, his defeat, and subsequent exile into a black hole, Mike's eye twitched slightly.
As Jor-El continued, many of the questions that had haunted Clark for years were finally answered. But when he learned that Krypton had been destroyed, and that he might be the sole survivor, a wave of sorrow washed over him.
Mike gently patted Clark on the shoulder. "You still have me. You've got Erik, Charles, and Gwen too."
Clark froze for a moment, then said with emotion, "Dad, thank you."
Jor-El smiled as he watched the scene, once again feeling reassured that his son had found such a good adoptive father.
"Come with me. I have a gift for you," Jor-El said, leading the two of them to a special room.
It was the spaceship's flight suit chamber.
Kryptonian flight suits—more accurately, battle suits—were created using Kryptonian technology. They could transform according to the wearer's will, offered excellent protection, and even had the ability to gradually self-repair when damaged.
The gift Jor-El had prepared for Clark was one such battle suit, adorned with the emblem of their family.
The tight-fitting suit bore a dark red 'S' symbol, a symbol of hope, prominently displayed on the chest.
With a wave of Jor-El's hand, the suit instantly transformed into a wristwatch.
Then, he turned to Mike with a smile and said, "Mike, there are more over there. If you don't mind, feel free to take one."
Mike raised an eyebrow. "Then I won't be shy."
Looks like there's quite a few of them...
(End of Chapter)