When his mother Martha Kent had once been irradiated by the alien spaceship and left on the brink of death, Adrian had been the one who gave Clark the strange key.
The memory struck Clark like lightning.
Without wasting another second, Clark activated his super speed. The wind exploded outward as he vanished from the Secret Fortress, racing toward the Kent farm.
Could that simple, inconspicuous key be the final piece needed to stop the World Engine?
Clark shot into the sky with a thunderous burst of force, leaving a sharp sonic crack behind him. Thoughts raced through his mind as quickly as his body moved.
After Clark departed, the Fortress of Solitude fell silent.
Moments later, a faint projection appeared in the chamber.
A middle aged Kryptonian man materialized, his features bearing a striking resemblance to Clark's. His expression was complicated as he looked toward the direction Clark had disappeared.
Jor El spoke quietly.
"Goodbye, my son. My mission ends here."
His voice carried a strange mixture of pride and regret.
"I must admit, my guidance failed you. Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent have done what I could not. They replaced me and fulfilled the true role of parents."
His form flickered.
Light scattered like dust as his image slowly faded.
Within seconds, Jor El's presence disappeared completely, leaving the Fortress empty once more.
Far away in Metropolis, chaos ruled the city.
Adrian arrived above Metropolis City Hall in a blur of speed.
The heart of the city had become a disaster zone. Buildings groaned and collapsed as the alien machine continued to distort gravity across the skyline. Concrete cracked. Steel bent. The terrified screams of civilians echoed through the streets.
Adrian hovered in the air, his eyes narrowing as he studied the massive Kryptonian ship dominating the sky.
Then he moved.
With a thunderous boom, Adrian launched himself straight toward the vessel.
Before he could reach the hull, several metallic arms suddenly extended from the ship's surface. The silver mechanical limbs moved like giant serpents, snapping toward him with frightening speed.
Adrian did not block.
Instead, he extended one arm forward.
Bang!
The mechanical limb struck him directly and sent him flying backward through the air.
Adrian stabilized himself mid flight, his expression turning serious.
The force behind those arms was stronger than he expected.
He leaned forward again and accelerated.
The mechanical tentacles lashed out repeatedly, slicing through the air with terrifying precision. Adrian twisted and dodged through the barrage, his body moving faster than most eyes could follow.
One arm swung toward him.
Adrian's fist shot forward.
Bang!
The sound of metal colliding with raw power echoed through the sky.
Chunks of alien alloy broke apart and fell toward the streets below.
Adrian continued weaving through the storm of mechanical limbs. His body became a dark streak cutting through the air as he struck again and again.
Every punch shattered more of the ship's defenses.
Suddenly the air trembled.
Boom!
A sonic boom erupted behind him.
Adrian glanced over his shoulder.
Clark hovered beside him, wearing his Kryptonian uniform.
The two brothers exchanged a brief look.
No words were needed. Their understanding was absolute.
Clark surged forward.
The air exploded around him as he shattered the sound barrier and grabbed one of the massive mechanical arms. With a roar of effort, he swung the limb and slammed it directly into the hull of the ship.
The impact shook the vessel.
Adrian's eyes ignited.
Twin beams of heat vision blasted forward like burning lances.
Boom!
The energy slammed into the glowing shield surrounding the ship.
Without hesitation, Adrian darted forward again, slipping past another mechanical strike. His fist drove forward with immense force.
Crack!
The protective shield rippled violently.
A fracture appeared.
Clark followed instantly.
Boom!
His punch struck the same point.
The shield shattered.
The moment the barrier collapsed, both brothers rushed into the alien vessel.
Their boots landed heavily on the metallic floor.
Thump. Thump.
The interior of the Kryptonian ship hummed with strange energy. Cold white light glowed along the walls as alien machinery pulsed with life.
Then a voice echoed through the chamber.
"Once the World Engine begins its work, it cannot be stopped."
General Zod stepped forward, clad in black Kryptonian armor. His expression was cold and full of hatred.
"This world will become the new home of Krypton. You cannot stop what is coming."
Behind him stood three figures.
Rika, Adrian's planted spy.
A bald Kryptonian scientist.
And the infamous Kryptonian warrior, Faora.
The rear hatch suddenly burst open.
Five Kryptonian soldiers stumbled inside.
Faora stepped forward slowly, blood running from the corner of her mouth. One hand pressed against her injured chest as she glared at Adrian with murderous fury.
General Zod's expression darkened.
His elite guard had once been far larger. Now only five remained.
"I underestimated you," Zod said coldly, staring at Adrian and Clark.
"But now the price must be paid."
Adrian met his gaze without emotion.
"Is that so?"
The moment Adrian spoke, everything changed.
"Move."
Rika reacted instantly.
She ripped the bracelet from her wrist and threw it forward.
As it flew through the air, the device transformed. A circular mirror of energy formed in front of her.
The mirror opened.
A swirling gateway appeared, barely thirty centimeters wide, but radiating a terrifying gravitational pull.
The four Kryptonian soldiers behind Faora had no time to react.
They were instantly dragged forward.
Within seconds, they vanished into the Phantom Zone.
Faora reacted quickly and leapt backward, narrowly escaping the portal's pull.
But Rika was already moving.
Her fist slammed into Faora's face.
Bang!
Already badly wounded, Faora collapsed onto the floor.
Before General Zod could react, Clark rushed him.
Clark grabbed Zod's arm.
At the same moment Adrian appeared in front of him.
His hand clamped around Zod's throat.
Rika appeared behind the general and twisted his other arm violently.
Zod gritted his teeth.
Pain twisted his face as a furious roar escaped his throat.
"You dare betray Krypton!"
His anger exploded outward.
Power surged through his body like a shockwave.
Clark and Rika were thrown away instantly.
But Adrian did not retreat.
His eyes flared.
Brilliant heat vision blasted directly into Zod's face.
Zod endured the blast and charged forward blindly.
Adrian stepped aside.
The moment Zod passed him, Adrian turned and unleashed another blast.
The energy struck Zod squarely and hurled him out of the ship.
Zod's body smashed into the ground outside.
The blast carved a deep crater into the earth.
Adrian lowered his gaze and walked calmly toward the terrified Kryptonian scientist.
"Where is the ship's main console?"
The scientist had no choice.
Shaking with fear, he led them through the vessel.
Behind them, Faora lay on the floor, powerless to stand. Hatred burned in her eyes as she watched Rika walk away.
Inside the main control chamber, Adrian inserted the master key into the console.
The holographic interface lit up instantly.
During his earlier struggle inside the Secret Fortress, Adrian had already learned how Kryptonian control systems worked. Combined with the Kryptonian knowledge stored in his mind by Jor El, the system felt almost familiar.
Clark stepped forward.
"Adrian."
He handed over a black elongated seal.
"Jor El said this can stop the engine if it's used with the master key."
Adrian glanced at the object briefly.
Then he returned his attention to the console.
"Insert it into the auxiliary slot."
Clark did exactly that.
The moment the seal slid into place, the ship vibrated.
A silent wave of energy spread through the vessel.
The constant tremor from the World Engine suddenly stopped.
The blinding white beam outside began to fade.
Clark looked around.
"Did it work?"
Outside in Metropolis, the destruction was slowing.
On a nearby rooftop, Batman fired his grappling gun and swung toward a collapsing wall.
A frightened little girl was trapped beneath it.
Batman grabbed her just as the wall collapsed.
The rubble slammed into the ground behind them.
"My mom is still inside!" the girl cried.
Batman said nothing.
He simply looked up toward the massive alien ship hanging above the city.
Moments later he noticed something.
The giant beam of white light weakening.
The violent tremors beneath the city were fading.
Buildings stopped swaying.
The sky slowly returned to normal.
Inside the ship, Adrian turned away from the console.
The fight was not finished.
The true enemy still remained.
He looked toward Rika.
"You control the ship now."
Adrian kept both master keys in his possession, ensuring she could not access the core systems.
Rika nodded.
Then she hesitated.
"What if the US military sends aircraft?"
Adrian turned his head slightly.
His voice was cold.
"Shoot them down."
"This ship belongs to me now."
Clark froze for a moment after hearing that.
He wanted to object.
But when he saw Adrian's expression, he stayed silent.
Nothing he said would change Adrian's mind.
Far below, in the massive crater carved into the earth, General Zod slowly opened his eyes.
Above him, the beam that had been transforming Earth into a new Krypton was gone.
The sky brightened.
The World Engine had stopped.
General Zod felt something close to despair.
The light of his new Krypton had vanished.
---