[Third Person Pov]
Clark floated back inside the building and slowly lowered himself back onto the ground, his boots touching the cracked floor with a soft thud. He dusted off his hands before looking over at Kreel with an easy smile.
"Well, Megamind, now that our business here is officially over, I think this is where we part ways."
Kreel's face twitched immediately at the nickname. He stared at Clark for a long moment before finally asking, "Why do you keep calling me that?"
Clark merely responded with a shrug. "Because it suits you." A grin spread across his face, the name being an inside joke that only he would ever truly understand.
His brother let out a scoff of amusement as he tried to suppress a chuckle. "It really does suit you."
"See? Even Metro Man over here thinks the name suits you," Clark said while motioning toward his brother with his thumb.
"Metro Man?" his brother repeated slowly, tilting his head in confusion as he looked between them. "What does that even mean?"
"Trust me, it's better than Ultraman. Just go with it," Clark scoffed. No matter how hard he tried, he simply could not associate that overly chiseled face with an evil counterpart. It was impossible to take seriously.
Metro Man looked over at Megamind in confusion, Megamind shrugged his shoulders, silently conveying, 'Your guess is as good as mine.'
Kreel looked back at Superman before speaking again. "You don't have to be so quick to leave, you know. I want to properly thank you for everything you've done for us."
"As fun as that sounds, we can't. First of all, our grandmother is waiting for us, and second of all, it's a school night," Clark said casually before suddenly pausing mid-sentence. He blinked a few times in disbelief at his own words. "I can't believe I just said that."
Momo snickered quietly from the side, clearly entertained by how ridiculous he sounded.
"...A school night?" Kreel repeated slowly. He stared at them for a moment, only now really taking in how young they looked. The realization visibly settled onto his face. "If I may ask… how old are you people?!"
"Just turned sixteen," Clark answered while flashing two peace signs.
"Fifteen," Momo said proudly while lifting her chin.
"Fifteen," Lala answered with a bright smile.
"None of your business," Yami said coldly as she leaned against the wall with her arms crossed.
Megamind and Metro Man both stared at the group in pure disbelief. These were the people who had helped save and liberate their entire planet.
Clark smirked at their stunned expressions before speaking aloud, "Sol, can you bring the ship down to us?"
"I'll be there shortly," Sol responded immediately.
The two brothers exchanged a look before letting out matching sighs.
"Very well," Kreel admitted reluctantly. "I suppose we don't exactly have the power to keep you here any longer."
"Obviously," Clark replied while rolling his eyes. "Besides, you're going to be extra busy restoring the peace and rebuilding the world order your father shattered."
"Wha—Me?" Kreel asked, immediately pointing at himself in confusion.
"Who else?" Clark asked with a raised brow. "With the Planetary President dead, they're going to need someone else to lead them and help put everything back the way it should be."
"What?! You're insane! I can't be the Planetary President!" Kreel screeched in denial while looking at Clark as if he had completely lost his mind.
"And why not?" Clark asked curiously, though the faint grin on his face showed he already knew the answer.
"I just… I just can't. Look at who my father was!" Kreel denied adamantly as he furiously shook his head. "I'm not fit for a role that important. The people would never allow it. They'll think I'm just like him."
"Isn't that exactly why you should do it?" Clark asked.
Kreel paused.
Clark stepped forward slightly, his expression becoming more serious.
"To show them that you aren't like him in the slightest. We might not have known you for very long, but even we can confidently say you're nothing like your father. Your brother clearly knows that too."
He gestured outward toward the city beyond the damaged structure.
"But those people out there? They don't know you yet. Show them. Show them that unlike your father, you actually care about them. Show them that you care about this planet and genuinely want what's best for it."
Kreel remained silent as Clark continued.
"You stood against your own father when it mattered most. Most people wouldn't have had the courage to do that. That already says more about your character than any speech ever could."
Clark folded his arms across his chest.
"The people don't need another ruler who wants control. They need someone willing to help rebuild everything that was broken. Someone willing to earn their trust instead of demanding it."
"I… you… Arghh." He grunted in frustration as he dragged a hand up his forehead and through his hair. For a moment he stayed silent, trying to gather his thoughts before finally looking over at Clark. There was hesitation in his eyes, uncertainty that he clearly hated showing. When he finally spoke again, his voice had lowered almost to a mutter. "How can I know for sure that I won't turn out like him in the end?"
From the sky above, a wide red spaceship slowly descended toward the ruined opening in the side of the building. Its massive frame hovered just outside while steam hissed from the underside. A hatch lowered open for them to board as Clark gradually lifted himself off the ground, hovering a few inches in the air.
Clark gave him a small smile before answering.
"This is something that has taken me a while to learn," Clark began, his voice steady and warm, carrying the quiet wisdom of someone who had wrestled with the same demons. "Something I'm still trying to come to terms with, even now. We are more than just the circumstances of our birth. We are more than our lineage, our place of origin, or the name given to us at the start of our journey. We are defined by our actions — by how those actions ripple outward and touch the lives of the people and the world around us."
He paused, looking down at his open palms as if seeing the weight of every choice he had ever made reflected in them.
"For most of my life, I believed being the Last Son of Krypton was what made me Superman. Having these abilities, coming from the House of El, being able to fly, lift mountains, hear cries for help from across the planet… I thought all of that was what defined me. I thought my destiny was written in the stars the moment my pod crashed into that field and my grandmother found me"
His expression softened as he looked back toward Kreel.
"But little by little, I've been learning the truth. What makes me Superman isn't that I can fly, or that I possess super strength, laser vision, or freeze breath. Those are just tools. What truly makes me Superman is the influence I have on other people's lives. It's how I've chosen — every single day — to use these gifts to protect, to inspire, and to lift others up rather than tear them down."
Clark looked directly into Kreel's eyes. "You asked me how I can be sure you won't become him? Because your actions have already proven it to me. Every choice you've made up until now tells me everything I need to know. That's why I'm able to leave here in peace knowing you'll have everything under control."
Kreel lowered his head, one hand covering his mouth as his shoulders slightly trembled. His eyes watered before thick streams of tears rolled down his face. Clark's words were reaching him far more deeply than he ever would have wanted to admit aloud.
"Plus," Clark added more lightly, "you're not alone. You've got your brother with you, don't you?"
Metro Man stepped beside Kreel and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. Kreel didn't say anything, but he leaned slightly into the gesture.
Clark smirked. "And if you ever do start turning into your father, you can trust that I'll fly back over here and straighten you right up." He lifted a fist teasingly.
A weak laugh escaped Kreel while Metro Man grinned.
"Alright," Clark said, turning to the rest of the group. "Let's go."
He soared gracefully toward the waiting spaceship, the red cape fluttering behind him. Just before entering the hatch, he paused and glanced back at Yami. She remained on the ground, leaning quietly against the wall still, staring blankly at the floor. Clark's words had resonated with her just as powerfully as they had with the brothers — stirring something deep within her own complicated past.
"Yami?" he called softly.
"Hm?" She blinked and looked up at him, as if emerging from a trance.
"You coming?" Clark asked, raising an eyebrow with gentle concern.
"Mmh." She gave a small hum in response before wings spread from her back. With a powerful flap she lifted off the ground and followed after him.
As the group settled into their seats, the hatch began to close. Megamind and Metro Man stepped right up to the edge of the opening, waving enthusiastically. Their voices carried over the humming engines.
"Thank you!!" Megamind shouted, his large head bobbing with emotion. "We will never forget everything you've done for us! This planet will always welcome you back with open arms!"
Metro Man nodded vigorously beside him. "Safe travels, my friends!"
Clark sank into his seat with an embarrassed chuckle, resting his forehead against his palm. "Sol, please… let's leave quickly before I say anything else to embarrass myself."
"I think it was a wonderful speech, Kal-El," Krypto barked happily from his seat, his tail thumping rhythmically against the cushion as he panted with his tongue lolling out in pure doggy joy.
Momo burst into loud cackles from the corner. "Hahahaha! It's always like you become a totally different person whenever you don the suit. Mr. Inspirational over here!"
A certain warmness filled the cabin as Sol's calm voice declared, "Destination set: Planet Earth — Home."
The thrusters ignited with a deep roar, blooming into bright orange flames that lit up the evening sky. The red spaceship shot forward, leaving a brilliant glowing trail in its wake as it streaked through the atmosphere and into the vastness of space. Below them, the people of the planet continued celebrating, waving banners and cheering farewell, their faces turned upward in gratitude toward the heroes who had helped save their world.
Inside the ship, Clark leaned back, a quiet, contented smile on his face as the stars began to streak past the windows — another chapter closed, and a new journey home ahead.
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