[Third Person's PoV]
"Lala! Please focus on driving!!" Peke's voice rang out in alarm, echoing through the cramped cockpit of the ship like a blaring siren.
At the helm sat a girl with vibrant bubblegum-pink hair, her hands trembling as they gripped the controls of her large, candy-colored spaceship. She wore a white blizzard suit complete with a comically oversized hat, adorned with swirling eyes and two small black leather wings on either side. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes glassy and overwhelmed with emotion.
Before her, a glowing monitor flickered—images shifting rapidly across the screen.
"I'm sorry, I really am! But I just can't help it!!" Lala sobbed, her voice cracking with desperation. "I want to go and see him… I want to see Superman!"
"That's all fine and well, Lala, but now's not the time for a meltdown—we're under attack!" Peke shouted frantically. The wings on Lala's hat—The true nature of his body—fluttered in a panic, reflecting his own rising anxiety.
As if summoned by his words, an explosion slammed against the side of the spaceship, jolting the entire vessel. Sparks flew, lights flickered, and both Lala and Peke screamed as they nearly toppled out of their seats.
"This is bad! We never should have left home!" Peke wailed, his digital voice nearly cracking. "Why did you drag us into this mess, Lala?!"
"You know why, Peke!" she shot back, eyes wide and watery. "I couldn't take it anymore—all those suitors, showing up day after day, proposing left and right—it was driving me insane! I had to escape!"
"And your brilliant escape plan was to throw us into deep space with zero backup and chase after some caped being you've been obsessed with?!"
Lala's cheeks flared red. "It's not an obsession!" she snapped, though her voice cracked again. "I was scanning planets looking for somewhere quiet—somewhere safe—and Then I saw him! Superman! Saving people again and again, protecting his world, fighting off bad guys and monsters. I figured if I stayed there, no one would dare come after me!"
"Well, that's all fine and dandy," Peke grumbled as the red emergency lights began to flash, casting everything in a strobing crimson hue. A diagnostic display popped up, showing several damaged sections of the ship. "But all you've done for the past week is watch him on your omni-scope! Then, without warning, you ran out of the palace in tears, jumped on the ship, and demanded we leave immediately!"
Lala flushed a deeper shade of red and mumbled, "Don't worry about it…"
But her eyes told a different story. They grew distant, shimmering with unshed tears. The memory of what she'd witnessed was still fresh—still burning in her mind. Superman, trying and failing to save that little girl and then him being alone on a ruined mountain side, breaking down. She wanted nothing more than to find him… to comfort him.
Her voice quivered as she murmured, "He looked so… tired."
"Lala!" Peke shouted again. "Please, I'm begging you—focus on flying the—METEOR!"
Instincts kicked in. With a flash of light, Peke seized partial control of Lala's body through the hat's neural link and jerked the controls sharply. The ship lurched to the side, narrowly dodging a massive chunk of rock barreling through space.
Both of them gasped for breath, adrenaline still surging through their systems.
Then, a voice crackled through the monitor. Deep, resolute, unmistakable.
"You're going to be my messenger," the man on the screen said, his eyes glowing faintly as he addressed a trembling alien. "You will spread the word to every species, empire, and galactic syndicate that even thinks about interfering with Earth…"
Lala's breath caught in her throat.
"If they intend to conquer, subjugate, or manipulate this planet—they better reconsider. Tell them Earth is under the protection of Superman. And if they come with bad intentions… I'll meet them like I met you. With force—"
"There! See?!" Lala exclaimed, her face lighting up with a bittersweet smile. Her eyes, though red and swollen, sparkled with joy. "Earth is safe! It's under his protection! With Superman around, those obnoxious suitors will think twice before following me!"
Peke groaned, shaking his tiny head. He had witnessed that battle—watched as Superman defeated the army of Zeta Reticulan with his dog. It was, admittedly, impressive. "Fine… I won't deny that he's powerful," Peke grumbled. "But just promise me you'll be careful, Lala. Please."
She nodded, her expression hardening with resolve. "Don't worry. I'll use the asteroid field ahead to try and shake off the ones still chasing us. Once we're close enough to Earth's orbit, I'll activate the teleporter."
Peke's eyes widened. "Uh… are you sure that thing is safe? You haven't actually tested it before!"
Lala puffed out her chest, beaming with pride. "Have more confidence in me, Peke! I built it myself, after all!"
"…That's exactly why I'm worried," he muttered under his breath, bracing for whatever happened next.
…
"Good. Now let's make sure you're in shape to deliver the message," Clark said, gripping the Zeta Reticulan by the neck. His smile was anything but kind—more a warning than a gesture of goodwill.
Clark glanced around at the devastation. Smoke rose from scorched earth, broken structures collapsed like card towers. Amid the chaos and ruin wrought by him and Krypto, one building still stood tall—oddly untouched. A tower. The same radio tower Clark had passed earlier, before the strange disappearance of every person around him.
"That tower over there…" Clark said, his voice low and deliberate. "It's your ship, isn't it?" Though phrased as a question, it clearly wasn't meant to be answered.
"Yes—" the alien groaned, the word hadn't even finished escaping his lips as Clark launched him into the air. His body smashed through the glass window of the tower and landed hard on the floor within, limp and groaning.
"Strap yourself in," Clark commanded coldly, hovering just outside. "Your ticket to Earth has expired."
Then, with a burst of energy, Clark shot upward like a speeding bullet. His crimson cape trailed behind him, slicing through the atmosphere as he burst out of the dimensional dome.
Loud noises greeted him—voices, sirens, and the restless energy of the town. Despite it all, his gaze stayed locked on the tower.
He flew straight toward it, gliding with a grace. His fingers dug into the building's edge like hooks. "Sol," he called out.
"Worry not," Sol replied through the comms. "There were no humans aboard the ship, only the Zeta Reticulan. I also took the liberty of extracting all valuable data from its interface. I hope I haven't overstepped."
"On the contrary, my friend" Clark muttered, nodding slightly. "Smart move. Whatever he used to isolate us in that pocket dimension… it might prove useful if I ever go up against another threat that could threaten to destroy the area. Good work."
Then, gritting his teeth, Clark tensed—veins popping along his arms and neck as he braced himself. The people below looked up in disbelief. Some stumbled out of their cars. Others paused mid-step. All of them watched with wide, bewildered eyes.
With a roar, the concrete beneath the tower cracked and buckled. In one impossible motion, Clark hoisted the entire building from the ground like it was no heavier than a couch cushion.
He hovered, rising high above the street.
With a powerful grunt, he hurled it upward into the sky.
The building spiraled upward, bursting through clouds. It began to fall, but Clark caught it mid-air, his arms locked straight above his head. "Don't forget… YOUR MISSION!" he bellowed.
With that final roar, he hurled it once more, this time with precision—past the stratosphere, breaking cloud cover and vanishing into space.
As the building ascended, its illusion peeled away—no longer a tower, but a sleek, disguised spacecraft. Through the transparent dome, the Zeta Reticulan scrambled into the pilot seat, his face twisted in panic.
Engines flared bright. The ship tore through the vacuum, vanishing beyond the atmosphere. Retreating. Fleeing Earth's orbit with haste born of fear.
Clark floated alone in the sky, the adrenaline fading. His hand ran through his slicked-back hair as he sighed and looked down. Krypto hovered nearby, tail wagging, tongue lolling out with a hopeful yip.
"I'm sorry, boy," Clark said quietly. "I'm just… not feeling it today. Let's go home."
Krypto barked once and floated beside him, nudging his shoulder gently.
…
Back at the shrine, Clark touched down silently, backpack slung over one shoulder. His suit shimmered, melting away into his civilian clothes. A simple shirt. Glasses. Krypto's cape vanished as well, replaced by a regular collar. They were just a man and his dog again.
"I'm home," Clark mumbled, the weight of the day dragging his words down.
Seiko was sprawled on the living room floor, eyes glued to the TV. She didn't look back as she asked, "You're home early… something happen?"
"Yup."
"Wanna talk about it?"
"Nope."
"Cool."
"I'm going to take a shower."
"The hell are you telling me that for?"
"Just informing you," he replied flatly, heading up the stairs as Krypto padded over to Seiko. She immediately doted on him, rubbing his belly as he flopped over with a playful bark.
Clark entered his room, tossed his bag onto the bed, and pulled his shirt off with a tired grunt. Grabbing a towel, he walked toward the bathroom, craving silence and heat.
Moments later, steam enveloped him. The shower water cascaded over his shoulders, down his chiseled frame. He stood there, still, head tilted up.
It was quiet for a moment.
Impossible to tell if the droplets trailing down his cheeks were water or tears.
Suddenly—
Poof!
A cloud of pink smoke exploded in the bathroom.
Clark's eyes snapped open.
He looked down slowly… and blinked.
There, standing amid the steam, was a girl with bubblegum pink hair and large, sparkling green eyes. A devilish tail curled behind her.
And she was… completely naked.
"Hello!" she said brightly, waving up at him with a flushed expression.
Clark's hand immediately darted toward her throat. "Eek!" she squeaked.
His eyes narrowed. "Alright, Yokai," he said, voice low. "How the hell did you manage to get past Grandma's wards?"
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