3 Chapter 03

Location: Crystal Motte and Bailey El Residence - Kryptonopolis - 1988

Jor-El arrived at his home, he quickly dissipated the construct he made and rushed to he and Lara's chambers. Before entering Jor-El tidied himself up a bit so as to not startle her or Kal. He opened the chamber doors and Jor-El found Lara there holding Kal in her arms, he was wrapped in a simple red blanket and Lara was singing softly to him. A part of him wanted to just stay and watch the two of them. To live in this moment as long as he could but another tremor shook the building and Jor-El snapped out his trance and went to his wife and son. He walked through their chambers looking up at the craft he and Lara had built for their son as he did so and praying Rao would be with him. The craft was as ready as it could be, Lara had made sure of that, it was hanging at the top of their chambers right below their skylight prepped for the journey ahead. Jor-El went up to his wife and kissed her forehead.

"Lara is the incorporation machine primed?" Jor-El gently asked his wife not wanting to distress her any more than she already was. She nodded gesturing with her head towards the machine surrounding Kal-El's crib.

"The planet I found, Terra, is like we wanted. It's inhabited by a superficially similar species that is primitive but has a seemingly intelligent population." Lara calmly spoke as she gently rocked Kal-El.

"Are you sure it's atmosphere will be safe for him? What information did Zor-El find on Kryptonian biology and yellow stars? Will Kal be alright?" Lara's voice was shaky as she rattled off her questions; she was trying to be steady but he knew that his wife was anxious about sending Kal off.

"It's as we expected his cells will drink in the suns radiation, he'll be stronger, faster, better" Jor-El told his wife displaying the information his brother sent him from his liquid geo wristband. He was happy to inform her that their son would thrive.

"He'll defy their gravity" Lara said reading the notes "he'll be odd... different" she told him.

"He'll look like one of them" he replied in an assuring tone.

"But he won't be one of them, he'll be an outcast. They'll kill him" Lara said her voice filled with worry.

"No. How could they? He'd be invulnerable, capable of feats we could never dream. He'd be a god to them" Jor-El told Lara trying to alleviate her worries.

"He'll be isolated, alone" Lara said tears forming in her bright blue eyes.

"He won't be alone Lara" Jor-El quickly said as he summoned his liquid geo key from his wristband.

The key let out a light as it scanned Lara and then himself. He walked across the room and pulled a crystal that he had synthesized in his lab from one of his drawers and then held the two together watching as the crystal did as it was instructed too and merged with the liquid geo key becoming a blue sunstone crystal with an identical shape to the liquid geo key.

"He'll never be alone Lara; we will never leave him. Even in the face of our death the richness of our lives shall be his. All that we have learned, everything we feel, all of this and more we will leave with him" Jor-El said holding up the now merged key to Lara.

"What if the ship doesn't make it? What if nobody loves him? He could die out there all by himself, thinking he was unloved. I thought I could do it but I can't" Lara said the tears now streaming down her face as she rocked Kal-El.

"Lara, Krypton is doomed" Jor-El said as he walked towards his wife "it's his only chance now, our people's only hope".

Jor-El stood next to Lara, placing the key back in his pocket and motioning to take Kal-El.

"No wait", Lara said as she clung to her son "just let me look at him, let me hold him a little longer". Lara continued to rock their son, swaying him gently as she did and staring at him. He was perfect to her and it broke her heart that she had to let him go.

Lara started to softly sob, tears streaming down her face and then she said in a sad whisper to her husband "we'll never get to see him walk, never get to hear him say our names."

Jor-El looked at his wife soothing her by gently rubbing her arms as he was struck by wife's words. The truth of what she said caused him more pain than anything else he had experience today, however he knew their home would be gone in a matter of hours. Their son deserved a better fate, he shouldn't have to die with them, he should be free to live his life to the fullest in the way he wants. Not trapped on a cold dying world, doomed like all it's inhabitants to die as it did.

"But out their, amongst the stars, he will live" Jor-El said before kissing Lara's forehead. Lara took a deep breath and kissed their son before handing Kal-El to him.

Jor-El carried Kal-El still swaddled in his red blanket and placed him in the crib before removing the Codex from the bag where he was keeping it. He held it out and it levitated into the incorporation machine. Jor-El activated the machine as the Codex was dematerialised and turned into pure energy that was then sent into and merged with Kal-El.

"You shall carry us inside you all your days. You will make our strength your own, see our lives through your eyes, as your life will be seen through ours. The son becomes the father; the father becomes the son. This is all that I can send with you, Kal-El". Jor-El said sadly before reaching out and grabbing Lara's hand and holding her close to him. "And not near so rich a gift as that your mother sends along. Her... love. Her unconditional, unyielding and undying love."

The Codex finished merging with Kal's cells and Jor-El placed the key into the side of his crib as Lara took off her necklace with a sun ring and placed it in his crib.

The two desperate scientists held their son one last time before Jor-El softly said "goodbye my son, our hopes and dreams travel with you".

The crib then began levitating and floated upwards until it entered the spacecraft he and Lara designed. Lara and he then input the coordinates and initiated the launch. The ship began to power up, aiming itself upwards towards space and the two desperate scientists watched on heartbroken but hopeful as the ships thrusters activated and it launched itself away from Krypton.

Lara cried her left arm outstretched towards the sky and said "Goodbye my sweet Kal-El."

The couple held each other as another even larger tremor shook the planet.

"Sir you have an incoming call from the Council of Five" spoke Keelex.

Jor-El turned as the Council of Five were projected into his home.

"Jor-El our sensors indicate an unauthorized launch coming from your residence, what have you done?" spoke High Eminence Ro-Zar.

Jor-El looked at her and said "What needed to be done, we've had a child Lara and I. Krypton's first natural birth in centuries."

"Heresy" said council member Lor-Em.

"No, we did it to give our son a chance to forge his own destiny" Lara replied anger in her voice.

"That does not explain the launch" Ro-Zar interrupted "Why did you launch an unidentified craft into space?" she questioned once again.

"Because Krypton is doomed, the tremors are getting stronger we have hours until the planet we call home is no more. We sent him out into the stars so he wouldn't die with us. As heartbreaking as it is to say this was the final day of the planet Krypton" Jor-El said no longer caring about what would happen to him because he knew his son Kal was safe.

The Council seemed stunned by Jor-El's flippant disregard of their authority. Another tremor shook the planet even bigger than before as cracks started appearing on the planet's surface.

"What of the Codex?" Ro-Zar asked trying to keep her voice neutral and unemotional.

"It's with Kal-El, our son" Lara said to Ro-Zar as she stared her down.

The Council began to panic. "Jor-El this is high treason, you and your wife will be thrown into the Phantom Zone for this" Lor-Em shouted.

"No" Jor-El said simply "our world will end before you can even put us to trial. It's as I said I did what needed to be done and ensured that Krypton may one day be born anew".

The Council wanted to shout more but the A.I voice of Braniac spoke out on the Council's end of the call. "Council of Five, you have failed in your duties to Krypton." Braniac's said in a matter-of-factly tone, it was clear that from its perspective it was stating simple inarguable facts. "It is not your fault, you're all simply mortal and doomed to act in the manner you were bred for. Your hubris in harnessing the core was merely a symptom of the disease that was killing this once great planet. Fear not I have collected and downloaded all of Krypton's knowledge into my satellite and as Krypton's greatest creation I will continue my work collecting all the knowledge in the universe. Using it for the betterment of the worlds I come across. I will be this civilizations legacy. Goodbye Council and goodbye Krypton." Braniac's final words were as cold and unfeeling as it was. And as Braniac concluded its speech its computers all turned off planet wide its download now completed. The satellite's thrusters activated and Braniac's satellite shot out into space.

Jor-El and Lara looked at the Council of Five as the weight of what Braniac said hit each of them. They all looked equal parts, terrified, ashamed and sad. Jor-El and Lara were sympathetic, as difficult as the Council was they were ultimately doing what they were bred for and to learn they lead Krypton to its demise was not an easy thought to grapple with.

"This Council is disbanded" High Eminence Ro Zar spoke out after a prolonged moment of silence. "All of you go be with your families and know you have served as you were intended to, Rao be with you all".

The Council all bowed to one another before taking off their ceremonial attire and leaving the call one by one until only Ro-Zar remained. Ro-Zar looked at Jor-El and Lara, her expression torn as she tried to overcome her ego and apologize, say she was sorry for doubting Jor-El in favor of his creation. However, she ultimately couldn't bring herself to do it no matter how much will she tried to muster or how much strength she summoned. She was made to have too much pride so instead she said what she could.

"Your house wasn't just the most decorated house of the Thinker guild Jor-El, once upon a time your House stood for hope…. and just like your ancestors did before you that's what you have given Krypton on its last day. That's what you have sent out into the cosmos, the last hope of a great civilization, the last son of the House of El." Ro-Zar spoke out in a grand tone, she looked at Jor-El and Lara and bowed thankfully before she too dropped the call.

Jor-El and Lara held each other and Jor-El hoped just as Kal was sent out Kara was too. Jor-El and Lara looked up on to their planets beautiful sky and then looked to the horizon enjoying the planets final sunset.

A vibration passed across the entire planet Keelex spoke out and said "Another tremor is incoming."

Soon the ground beneath them shook violently as explosions began happening all over the planet. Jor-El and Lara watched as large parts of Krypton were destroyed by powerful eruptions of lava and flame.

"Not another tremor" Jor-El spoke sadly "the last one."

"Master Jor-El, Mistress Lara should you not seek refuge?" Keelex spoke out.

"There is no refuge Keelex, this is the end" Lara said her voice quiet and deflated.

The planet continued exploding around them and Jor-El held Lara as tightly as he could to him, he looked down at her reassuringly and smiled.

"I love you Lara, always and forever" Jor-El said lovingly at his wife.

"I love you too Jor, always and forever" Lara said back to her husband.

The two kissed and when they broke apart Lara looked up and said "make a better world than ours Kal."

A powerful explosion happened behind them and the two sensing their deaths kissed one last time just as they and their home were engulfed in lava and flame as the planet Krypton exploded.

Location: Milky Way Galaxy - Terra's Solar System - 1988

A ship appears next to Saturn warping and bending space as it does so. The ship flies through space at unimaginable speeds locked in on one location; the planet Terra. A small blue planet, the third from its Sun, that its inhabitants called Earth.

Location: Smallville, Kansas - Earth - 1988

On Earth in a farm in a small town called Smallville a woman was riding her horse as the sun set. The woman was extremely beautiful and of Latin American decent. She had light bronze skin, brown eyes, a face that would make a model jealous and long dark hair. She rode her horse happily back to her home, petting it gently as she finished her ride and walked it to the stables making sure to leave it with food and water for the night.

The woman kindly said goodnight to the horses at her stable before walking into her house. She entered her house and found her partner a man of average build with large but pretty blue eyes and brown hair listening to jazz music on the radio in their living room. She enjoyed jazz music, she felt it encompassed the human spirit perfectly, it was passionate and ingenious, every note seemed to be filled with emotion. Her partner seeing her enter got up from his seat walked towards her and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Welcome home honey" he said warmly.

The kindly couple began to sway to the jazz music, dancing together.

"How was your ride?" the man asked.

"It was great Jonathan; I saw some beautiful critters in the forests" the woman said.

"I hope you didn't bring any home with you today, I know how you like to take in strays" her partner, Jonathan said jokingly.

"No strays, not today" she said softly before kissing him.

The kindly couple chuckled to each other as they kissed then they continued to dance to the slow jazz on the radio.

"What would you like for dinner?" Jonathan asked

The woman paused thinking of what she felt like eating when suddenly their entire house shook, like a plane was flying overhead. The couple held each other tightly before the man nodded at the woman a silent understanding passing between them. The woman then moved inhumanly fast to their doorway and ran outside to find out what was making their home shake. She looked up and saw a spaceship crash land in the large fields outside their house. She felt the urge to call her family just in case it was dangerous but something in her told her not to worry.

"Jonathan" she shouted as she turned to her husband "stay inside and keep safe, I'll check it out."

Jonathan nodded to her in reply and feeling assured of his safety the woman turned back to direction the ship crashed. She quickly hurried to the wreckage moving faster than any normal human could hope and soon she arrived at the crater that was the crash site. She jumped into the crater and slowly walked towards the spaceship. Suddenly the ship opened up, almost as if it had sensed her presence. The woman stared in shock as inside the spaceship was a beautiful baby boy wrapped in a red blanket with eyes so blue they seemed to glow. There was a crystal ring on a silver necklace in his ship but no note or message.

The baby boy took his first breath of Earth air and immediately started crying loud enough to cause the windows in her house to shatter even though they were several dozens of meters away. The baby's every breath seemed like a difficult task, like he wasn't well suited to breathe this planets air. The woman gently picked up the baby and looked at him. He was incredibly warm, had a small tuft of dark hair on his head and glowing blue eyes. He was perfect to her, the woman was filled with an immense feeling of love simply looking at the child. She had always wanted children but knew she could never have them; her fate was not to be a mother. But yet here a baby was and she didn't find him, not truly, he found her. Perhaps it was a sign maybe this child was meant to be hers. She could raise him, protect him, love him. He could be her son and she could be his mother. She wiggled her finger in the babies face and he grabbed it firmly, she smiled as a deep and intense feeling of maternal love passed through her.

She briefly wondered what world he was from as she looked up at the sky, trying to think of any races she knew that looked as human as he did. Asgardian maybe but the ship did not look Asgardian. The baby continued to cry loudly pulling her from her thoughts and so she rocked it gently trying to soothe it as it continued to wail and labor to breathe.

"It's okay" the woman gently spoke in a soothing tone with a slight accent.

The woman cradled the baby in one hand while grabbing the ship with another. She turned towards her house and began casually pulling the ship as if it were a suitcase towards her house still gently rocking the baby in her other arm. The woman began to softly hum a soothing tune to the baby who continued to cry and struggle to breathe as she made her way back to her house, the ship dragging behind her as she pulled it.

"It'll be okay, my lost star child" the woman said continuing to hum a soothing tune as she did so already thinking of what she should name him. He was a gift from the stars whose chariot crashed at sunset, his eyes glowed a bright blue, he had a powerful voice, a beautiful face and was warm to the touch. An apt name formed in her mind and the woman smiled once again.

"I have you now, my Apollo" she said as golden cosmic energy formed in her hand taking on a unique pattern as it did. The woman channeled her cosmic power into the baby in her arms, using at as she had done before many times throughout the millennia to heal.

"Jonathan, I know I said no strays today but you'll have to allow me this one" the woman said to her husband who was standing by the doorway watching her carry a baby and a spaceship to their home in disbelief at the sudden turn of events. Jonathan saw how happy his wife was and knew that she had already made up her mind about keeping the baby that fell from the sky. He chuckled at what she said before walking to help her with the baby.

"I already fell in love with one being from the stars, a second one won't hurt" he replied in a joking and exasperated tone as he walked to his wife assuring her he supported her.

The kindly couple smiled to each once again as Jonathan Kent and Ajak The Spiritual Leader of the Eternals gently carried the Last Son of Krypton to his new home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Please give your review and comments.