"Clark, don't be impulsive," John urged, his voice tight with worry. "There has to be another way. Lois is still waiting for you!"
Clark placed a firm hand on John's armored shoulder. "If I don't come back, take care of her for me."
"You… you're serious about this?" John's teeth clenched as his voice broke slightly.
Tony, standing nearby, gave Clark a look that carried both respect and unease. "Clark, your Earth is lucky to have you."
Clark smiled faintly, calm despite the chaos. He turned his head toward Malrick. "Let's do it."
Malrick nodded, his expression unreadable. "Close your eyes, Clark. I'll send you into the Sun."
Clark obeyed without hesitation, lowering his lids as if preparing himself for the inevitable. Malrick reached forward, pressing against the glowing core of the Ark Reactor that powered Clark's protective armor. In an instant, the red-and-blue plating folded seamlessly back into the reactor, leaving Clark clad only in his suit beneath.
Then, with a subtle push, Malrick let Clark fall back.
Clark, eyes shut tight, believed he was drifting into the heart of the Sun. Memories poured through him like a flood. The first time he met Lois at the Daily Planet. The anxious joy of holding his newborn twins. The quiet moments in Smallville with Lana. Every fragment of his life condensed into one unwavering resolve: the Earth had to be protected, no matter the cost.
And then, warmth.
A hand steadied his shoulder, followed by an overwhelming flood of sunlight. It crashed over him like a tidal wave, saturating every fiber of his being.
But it wasn't the Sun.
Malrick's cosmic ring shimmered, releasing the radiation of countless stars he carried within himself. He had never intended to let Clark throw himself into a suicide mission. Why risk the man's life when he possessed the power of stars himself? Yet Clark's determination needed to burn bright, and so Malrick had let Tony play his part—pulling Clark to the edge of despair before dangling a spark of hope.
Now that spark roared into a blaze.
Clark's damaged Kryptonian cells, weakened from battle and drained of energy, drank in the torrent of stellar light. They mended in an instant, then surged beyond repair into evolution.
His aura expanded violently. Each second, the pressure multiplied, until even Malrick felt the weight pressing down on him. After thirty seconds, Malrick could no longer measure the energy radiating from Clark—it was beyond comprehension.
Tony and John could only stare, stunned. They watched as Clark's broken body transformed before their eyes into something far greater.
Minutes passed.
Then Clark's eyes snapped open. Twin golden beams erupted like searchlights, cutting through the void itself. His entire body blazed with golden light. Even his iconic red and blue suit shimmered, morphing into radiant gold.
The sight was breathtaking. Power rolled off him in waves, divine and unrestrained.
Malrick froze, awe-struck. "Golden… Superman?"
This wasn't how the story was supposed to go. The version he remembered had Clark's body merely etched with glowing red lines, not bathed in celestial gold. This… this was something else.
Malrick's mind raced with complaints. Why does he get to cheat like this? You're glowing like the sun itself—how am I supposed to compete with that?
But Clark looked around in wonder, confusion still etched on his face. He floated upward, glancing first into the endless void and then at the universes pressing against one another. His very presence felt otherworldly, as if he'd transcended mortality altogether.
"You didn't send me into the Sun, did you?" Clark asked suddenly, his golden eyes locking on Malrick.
Malrick hesitated. "No. I—"
"I see." Clark smiled knowingly before Malrick could finish. "If you were searching for the Life Codex, I'm sorry. My father never entrusted me with such a thing. Kryptonians in my world never created one."
Malrick closed his mouth, stunned. Clark had answered the question before it was even asked.
Apologetically, Clark bowed his head. "Sorry. It's strange—I suddenly know things without meaning to. I didn't mean to interrupt you."
Malrick narrowed his eyes. Great. He's omniscient now. Just perfect.
Clark raised his hand awkwardly. "I'll… go save the Earth now."
Without waiting, he turned and soared away, leaving golden trails behind him. His speed dwarfed even the concept of light. Yet Tony, John, and Malrick could all track him clearly, as though reality itself wanted them to witness what came next.
He circled the merging universes, his golden trail forming brilliant halos around them like angelic rings. Then he descended, stepping onto the surface of Earth itself.
Light exploded outward. From the ground, golden lightning cascaded across the planet, into the cosmos, and back through the universe bubbles. The two massive worlds froze, then gently drifted apart, separating once more.
Earth healed. Cities were restored. The dead breathed again, resurrected beneath the golden radiance.
Tony and John's jaws dropped. They couldn't even blink, terrified of missing a single instant.
Malrick too was stunned into silence. So he really did it. He rewrote reality itself with raw power.
Within moments, Clark returned, hovering calmly before them. His golden aura softened, and his hair darkened back to black. The red-and-blue uniform returned.
"It's done," he said with a serene smile. "Earth is safe again."
Malrick blinked in disbelief. "That's it? That state just… ended?"
Clark looked down at himself, bemused. "The problem's solved. Of course, it's gone now."
Malrick almost laughed. To ascend into a golden god and then casually throw it away… was that humility, or recklessness?
"Ah!" Clark suddenly smacked his forehead. "I nearly forgot. Malrick, you came here seeking to strengthen your genetics, right?"
Malrick's eyes widened. "Wait, how did you—"
"In that golden state, I just knew." Clark extended a finger, still glowing faintly. A single strand of golden light leapt from his fingertip into Malrick's chest.
Energy surged through Malrick like a tidal wave. His genes screamed and evolved, climbing higher and higher. His vision sharpened into unimaginable clarity. His body bristled with raw solar power.
He staggered back, staring at Clark in shock. "You—what did you—"
Clark only smiled, hands on his hips. "Don't thank me. Earth is safe because of you. Consider this my gratitude."
Malrick wanted to protest, to complain, to shout at him for handing out divine upgrades as if they were candy. But inside, a grin tugged at his lips.
_____
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