"So... I'm really the Clark Kent from the comics? I'm really a Kryptonian... I'm... not human..."
Clark stared at his hands, bewildered. Yes, they looked just like human hands, with similar lines on his forehead, questioning, and the ability to grasp. He had always believed he was human, at most... with some slightly exceptional talents. Even when his eyes first shot out heat vision, he'd still thought he was just a special human.
Superman, standing nearby, had a strange look on his face. Anyone learning they were just a comic book character in someone else's world would feel a bit uncomfortable.
It meant all the pain and sorrow, and the joy when hope arrived in their world, were just entertainment for ordinary people in another.
But the problem remained: Superman was certain the boy in front of him was himself. He'd used his X-ray vision and confirmed it – the boy was a Kryptonian, no doubt.
"No! I am human, I must be human!!"
At this moment, Clark was incredibly agitated. Everything he'd once believed in crumbled, his worldview shattered, and his eyes glowed red uncontrollably.
Superman's son, Jonathan Jr., and Batman's son, Damian Wayne, grew nervous. Jonathan Jr., being Superman's son, knew how terrifying their heat vision could be. Damian, Batman's son, immediately thought of their current location – the Daily Planet. If such heat vision erupted, the entire building would collapse.
But someone was faster. Superman reached Clark first, placing his large palm firmly in front of Clark's eyes, letting the heat vision continue to shine on it. He chose not to stop Clark from venting his emotions but to absorb the unleashed pain.
As the same person, Superman had experienced this very same pain when his father, Jonathan Kent, told him the truth years ago. The only difference was that when his own worldview shattered, his loving parents were by his side, while this other-world version of himself had accidentally arrived in a different reality. No one understood the pain of this nuanced difference better than Superman himself.
Clark was too young. Even for him, unleashing his full heat vision had a time limit. The same was true for Clark; he was exhausted and stopped. Just then, Lois Lane returned, carrying a box made of special materials.
"Clark, be careful..." Lois softly warned, and Superman nodded. Gently opening the box, he took out a green glowing stone with his hands and walked towards Clark, enduring the discomfort it caused his body.
"I wonder about that, too, but..."
As the Kryptonite approached, Clark's body reacted. Discomfort from a cellular level swept through him. Unable to bear it, Clark vomited almost everything he had eaten yesterday.
Green Arrow, who had been watching and on guard, couldn't help but speak. "I never knew Kryptonite could have such a profound effect on a Kryptonian."
Black Canary, standing by, rolled her eyes at her husband. "When you were 8 years old and drank demon blood, you had the same reaction, even worse than this child."
Green Arrow smiled awkwardly and said nothing. Instead, he headed to the rooftop with his bow and arrow. There were many infected people now, and they had to be careful of heroic infected individuals who might attack the Daily Planet Building.
Gradually, Clark adapted to the Kryptonite radiation. After all, such a severe reaction was only caused by the sudden loss of his abilities. Kryptonite radiation itself wouldn't cause adverse effects on Kryptonians' bodies, at least green Kryptonite wouldn't.
At this point, Superman also spoke, sounding a little helpless. "It turns out that even if you're not me, you are a pure Kryptonian. This is absolutely true. But as far as I know, the House of El... doesn't have a brother who looks exactly like me."
Superman stood up, knowing Clark needed some time to calm down. He looked at the survivors around him and said, "Everyone, we need to tell all the survivors in the world now that the Daily Planet has Superman, and the Daily Planet has the protection of heroes. Only by gathering all our strength can we protect humanity."
People believed in Superman's call, and Damian and little Jonathan put aside their curiosity about Clark and did what they could.
Superman slowly walked to Clark and squatted down, waiting for his younger self to calm down completely. Gradually, Clark finally settled. It might have been due to his highly developed brain, allowing him to quickly grasp the situation. Or perhaps it was simply because Superman beside him always radiated a reassuring aura.
"Can you tell me your story?" Clark turned his head and looked at Superman, but Superman just waved his hand and said with a smile, "Look, you already know my story through the comics, but it's clear your life is different from mine. Maybe, in this world, I'm the one who can understand you the most..."
Superman was still the same Superman. Looking at the smiling face of the man in front of him, Clark's heart was filled with hope for some reason. This characteristic, which could only be glimpsed in a few words in the comics, truly became apparent when he came face to face with Superman. He suddenly realized that Superman genuinely has the power to bring hope to people. This is the greatest and most powerful superpower of the greatest hero.
"My world... is actually very similar to this world..."
Clark began to tell the story of his life so far, which was so ordinary. These stories were more about the life of their Parker family, but they were so heartwarming. This made Superman think of his own childhood life with his parents on a farm in Kansas.
From Clark's words, Superman roughly understood that it was a world very similar to his own, except that the one who picked up the Kryptonian child was not an old couple from Kansas, but a young couple traveling from New York City. But what remained the same was that they all gave this alien child a warm home.
On the side, little Jonathan and Damian, who were passing by, had changed expressions because they heard several familiar names from Clark's narration. Finally, little Jonathan, unable to help himself, came over. "Dad... Clark... No... Clark from another world? Excuse me, who is the richest man in the United States in your world?"