Reforged in the Sun: Clark Kent Reborn SI

The glow of the Kryptonite shards still haunted me as I stared down at my map of Smallville, the faint hum of the completed Kryptonite finder buzzing softly on the workbench beside me. The underground veins beneath Crater Lake were worse than I thought—more extensive, more dangerous. If left unchecked, they could cause real damage to the town… or attract the wrong kind of attention.

And then there was Lex.

I leaned back against the barn wall, rubbing the back of my neck. He'd seen the look on my face when our eyes met through the barn window this morning. I wasn't sure what brought him to Smallville this time—whether it was business, curiosity, or something more sinister—but one thing was certain: Lex Luthor always had an agenda.

I'd learned that the hard way. The first time we met wasn't just the day I saved his life. It was also the moment I realized how much of my knowledge about Lex wasn't just history I'd read or episodes I'd watched on TV—it was now the future I had to navigate. And somehow, I had to decide whether it was worth trying to change.

I remember the exact moment I first saw Lex Luthor's Porsche careening toward the edge of Loeb Bridge.

It was late spring, 2001, and Smallville was caught in that fleeting stretch of time where the air smelled like rain, the fields were lush and green, and the skies were big enough to swallow your worries. I'd spent the morning tinkering with a small project in the barn, trying to adapt some of the Kryptonian tech Jor-El had burned into my brain during a recent training upload. Most of it was still well beyond my comprehension, but one blueprint—a device for stabilizing matter under high stress—seemed doable with the right materials. It wasn't much, but it was progress.

I'd just finished making a few adjustments when I heard the roar of an engine tearing down the road near the bridge. At first, I ignored it. It wasn't unusual for people to speed on that stretch, especially bored teenagers trying to impress their friends. But then the engine's pitch changed—higher, frantic, the sound of a driver who'd lost control.

I was already running before I realized it, my enhanced senses kicking in as adrenaline surged through me. I could hear the screech of tires skidding on asphalt, the scrape of metal against the guardrail. And then I saw it: a black Porsche spinning out, flipping once, then twice before slamming into the side of the bridge.

Time slowed as I sprinted toward the wreck. The car teetered on the edge, smoke curling from the hood, the weight of the engine dragging it closer and closer to the drop. And inside, slumped over the steering wheel, was Lex Luthor.

This is it, I thought, my heart pounding. This is the moment that changes everything.

I didn't hesitate. With a burst of speed, I reached the car just as the front end tipped forward, threatening to plunge into the water below. Grabbing the driver's side door, I ripped it off its hinges and tossed it aside. Lex stirred faintly, his head lolling toward me, but he didn't say anything. His face was pale, streaked with blood, and his breathing was shallow.

"Hold on," I said, more to myself than to him. Carefully, I unbuckled him and pulled him free of the wreck, cradling him like he weighed nothing. I'd barely made it back to solid ground when the Porsche tumbled off the bridge, slamming into the river with an explosion of water and steam.

Lex's eyes fluttered open as I set him down on the asphalt. "What… happened?" he croaked, his voice barely audible.

"You were in an accident," I said, keeping my tone calm. "Your car went off the bridge. I pulled you out."

He stared at me, dazed, his gaze flickering between my face and the smoldering wreck below. "You… you saved me."

Before I could respond, the sound of tires screeching broke through the moment. A truck skidded to a stop nearby, and Jonathan Kent jumped out, his face tight with worry.

"Clark! What happened?"

I glanced at him, then back at Lex. "He crashed. I got him out before it was too late."

Jonathan's eyes darted between me and the wreck, his expression unreadable. "We need to get him to a hospital," he said finally, his voice firm. "Help me load him into the truck."

The memory lingered as I paced the barn, the Kryptonite finder's hum blending with the quiet sounds of the farm outside. That moment on Loeb Bridge had changed everything, not just for Lex, but for me. I'd known from the beginning who Lex Luthor was—what he would become. But meeting him in person, seeing the vulnerability in his eyes as he stared at the wreck of his car, had complicated things.

For a while, I'd let myself believe I could steer him toward something better. Lex had seemed so earnest back then, so determined to prove he wasn't like his father. He'd talked about second chances and the kind of man he wanted to be, and I'd wanted to believe him.

But I wasn't the same Clark Kent the world expected me to be. I wasn't just a farm boy with a strong moral compass—I was someone with knowledge of the future, knowledge of how Lex's story would end. And no matter how hard I tried to change things, the timeline had a way of snapping back into place.

The sound of footsteps outside the barn snapped me out of my thoughts. A shadow fell across the open doorway, and a moment later, Lex stepped inside, his sharp gray suit and polished demeanor starkly out of place against the rough, weathered wood.

"Clark," he said, his voice smooth and familiar. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

I straightened, masking my unease. "Lex. What brings you out here?"

He smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping the barn. "I was in town for the festival and thought I'd stop by. It's been a while since we've talked."

I folded my arms, leaning casually against the workbench. "What's on your mind?"

Lex's smile didn't falter, but there was a sharpness in his eyes that put me on edge. "I heard a rumor about some unusual activity near Crater Lake. Strange energy readings, unexplained vibrations. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

My chest tightened, but I kept my expression neutral. "I haven't heard anything."

"Hm." Lex took a step closer, his voice dropping slightly. "You've always been good at keeping secrets, Clark. But I hope you know you can trust me. If something dangerous is out there, I want to help."

The finder on the workbench buzzed softly, its faint green glow catching Lex's attention. His eyes lingered on it for a moment before flicking back to me.

"You've been busy," he said, his tone unreadable.

I shrugged, forcing a smile. "Just a school project."

Lex chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Of course. Well, if you ever need a second opinion, you know where to find me."

He turned to leave, pausing briefly in the doorway. "Take care, Clark. And be careful. Smallville has a way of revealing secrets when you least expect it."

As his footsteps faded, I exhaled slowly, my mind racing. Lex was getting too close. If he found out about the Kryptonite deposit—or worse, about me—it wouldn't just be my secret at risk. It would be everyone's.