The Next Day!
Kayn sat in the plush leather seat of first class peacefully, the soft hum of the plane's engines barely a whisper beneath his heightened senses. He glanced out the window, watching as the clouds drifted lazily below, a sea of white against the endless blue.
Kayn eventually looked away, leaning back in his chair as he took out his tablet, an advanced design created by Kayle, and began listening to music while looking up some more information about Metropolis to pass the time.
The attendants moved quietly, offering drinks and snacks to the sparse passengers in the exclusive section. None of them paid him much attention, which was just how he liked it.
After his discussion with John and Gabriella the day before, Kayn had taken a leave from school, which was obviously accepted. He had donated multiple things upon his enrollment, so the administration had been more than willing to excuse his sudden absence, no questions asked.
Unfortunately, this wouldn't be a vacation, as he needed to meet with Superman, to try and learn more information about the Grand Marshal and ORION. Even if Superman didn't know, the Fortress of Solitude must've had some information about him.
As the plane sliced through the sky, Kayn's eyes locked onto the tablet as he read the various information about Metropolis he had looked up.
Metropolis was one of the world's most iconic cities, referred to as the "City of Tomorrow," with its most notable factor being the home of Superman, the world's most famous hero currently.
There was also other parts of Metropolis Kayn was interested in checking out, such as the Daily Planet, potentially meeting Lois Lane, LexCorp, & more, however, his main goal still remained to get a hold of Superman.
Kayn turned off the tablet, closing his eyes and leaning back as he prepared to enjoy the flight, the last moment of peace for a while presumably.
___________________________
Kayn had landed not too long ago, standing towards the edge of Metropolis, his figure a shadow against the skyline.
His mind raced as he calculated his next move. He didn't have direct contact with Superman, as he frankly had no reason to before today.
Superman didn't know his actual identity as of yet, still only known by Batman, Martian and Wonder Woman among the League members, so they had no direct channel of communication.
Kayn couldn't afford to just waste time waiting for the Man of Steel to show up in response to a random event. No, Kayn had to draw him out, but in a way that wouldn't attract unnecessary attention.
He considered his options. Causing a scene was off the table. Kayn wasn't going to risk civilian lives or raise suspicions about his presence. It needed to be subtle yet unmistakable.
He would need to exploit something that would draw Superman's attention without triggering alarms across the city. Superman's super-hearing could pick up distress calls from miles away, but calling out for him could potentially also get picked up by others, which would be awkward.
Then, it hit him.
Kayn stepped back from the edge of the building and glanced down at the city. The key was Superman's connection to Krypton. If he could broadcast a specific Kryptonian frequency, it would be like ringing a bell inside the hero's mind.
Kayle had helped him find specific Kryptonian sequences when they had been studying off-world tech. It wasn't perfect, but it would do the job.
The S-14 distress code, it was the best Kayn could find. It was a long-forgotten emergency signal used by Kryptonian explorers, one that would bypass anything else in Superman's mental filtering system.
It was the equivalent of a heartbeat pulsing through the Kryptonian network, and once activated, it would trigger an instant response in Superman's brain.
"Got you," Kayn muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming.
With a few deft commands, he repurposed the signal through his tablet, boosting its range to cover the entire Metropolis area. The system hummed for a second before emitting a soft, steady pulse—the frequency was active. It wasn't loud. It wasn't visible. But for Superman, it would be unmistakable.
Now, Kayn had to wait.
Minutes passed as Kayn remained perched on the rooftop, his cloak fluttering in the breeze. His eyes scanned the skies, knowing that Superman wouldn't take long to respond.
If his calculations were right, the signal would be like a tug on Superman's consciousness—an ancient distress call from his lost world. Something too important to ignore.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, Kayn saw it, a streak of red and blue cutting through the evening sky.
Superman was coming.
Within moments, the Man of Steel descended onto the rooftop, landing softly without disturbing a single shingle. His cape settled behind him as he stood tall, his blue eyes locking onto Kayn's with a mixture of curiosity and concern.
"That signal..." Superman began, his voice deep and calm, but edged with suspicion, "Where did you get it? It's Kryptonian, old Kryptonian."
Kayn allowed himself a slight smirk, satisfied that his plan had worked so efficiently. "I figured it was the best way to get your attention. I need to talk to you."
Superman narrowed his eyes but remained calm. Harbinger wasn't someone he had interacted with before, so him contacting out of the blue was strange, leading him to be curious.
Kayn's smirk faded, and his voice took on a more serious tone, "This isn't something casual. It involves your world, Superman, Krypton. And a threat tied to its past."
The weight of Kayn's words seemed to sink in, and Superman's expression shifted. Superman relaxed slightly but remained focused. "I'm listening."
Kayn wasted no time, his tone serious and to the point. "I've encountered a threat, one tied to Krypton's past. Someone, or something, called the Grand Marshal. I need answers, and you're the only one who might have access to the information I need."
Superman's brow furrowed slightly, concern flickering in his expression,"The Grand Marshal? That's a name I've never heard. What kind of threat are we talking about?"
"This Marshal claims to have been sealed by Krypton's armies. His clone confronted me in National City, telling me this was only the beginning. And he mentioned an organization, or something called ORION. I don't think I'm dealing with an ordinary villain." Kayn responded.
Superman fell silent for a moment, considering the situation. The idea of an enemy tied to Krypton's past stirred something inside him, a connection to his lost world, but also a sense of responsibility. If Krypton had created this threat, it was up to him to help stop it.
As the last son of Krypton, it was the very least he could do.
"We've looked through the Fort-Rozz files at the D.E.O, but nothing has come up. We presume the enemy was so dangerous Krypton erased his existence from any publicly accessible files. We need files from someone of a high enough rank, so I thought of you, in case you knew anything."
Superman's expression darkened as he crossed his arms, clearly troubled by the mention of erasure. If an enemy so dangerous that Krypton literally erased its existence from all public records appeared, it could be serious trouble.
Krypton's armies were immensely powerful, even without the powers of the Yellow Sun, mostly due to their exceptionally advanced technology. So an enemy so dangerous was definitely someone to watch out for.
"If Krypton sealed someone away, they must have been an immense threat. There is one place where Krypton's deepest secrets might be stored. The Fortress of Solitude. A place with information I've inherited from Krypton."
Kayn certainly knew about the Fortress, which was Superman's most personal sanctuary, a hidden place full of Kryptonian artifacts and knowledge. It was also where Superman kept all the preserved files from Krypton's past—files that might hold the answers Kayn sought.
"I've preserved everything I could from Krypton's destruction," Superman continued, "The Fortress contains archives and data crystals from Krypton's high councils, including some of our most classified records. If there's anything about this Grand Marshal, it would be there."
"Then that's where I need to go," Kayn said, his voice steady.
Superman nodded, though there was a hint of caution in his eyes. "The Fortress is secure, and the information there is... sensitive. You understand that this isn't something I normally share with outsiders."
Kayn met Superman's gaze without hesitation. "This threat involves National City, and possibly the entire world. You said it yourself—if Krypton sealed this Marshal away, he's not someone we can ignore. I'm not here to dig into Krypton's history. I just want to stop this before it gets out of hand."
Superman studied him for a moment before giving a single nod, "Alright. If this Grand Marshal is as dangerous as you say, we can't afford to wait. Follow me."
Without another word, Superman rose into the sky, and Kayn followed, flying side by side with the Man of Steel as the flashed forward.
They soared above the clouds, the wind roaring in their ears as they raced north toward the Arctic, where the Fortress of Solitude lay hidden amidst the ice and snow.