SHIELD Facility, New Mexico – Medical Wing
The room around Clark seemed to vibrate with the force of his every breath. His senses were sharpening with each passing moment, but with that clarity came an overwhelming weight. His body felt *wrong* in ways he couldn't fully describe. His bones and muscles had evolved, become something more—stronger, faster—but in that growth, there was a strange dissonance. Every movement felt like it was pushing against the fabric of reality itself.
His thoughts, once clouded and fractured, were now piercing through the veil of confusion, reaching out beyond his own mind. The walls around him seemed to hum with static as his senses grew more attuned. Every pulse of his heartbeat reverberated through the ground. He could hear the *buzz* of the lights above, the steady rhythm of machines in the medical wing, but also... everything *beyond* this room. He could hear the movements of the people outside the facility, the deep murmur of voices in distant offices, and the sound of the Earth itself—throbbing, alive, as if it were speaking to him.
But then it went further.
He could hear the skies, the air, the very *stars*. He could hear the pulse of galaxies light-years away, their hums faint but ever-present. The knowledge was overwhelming, and he staggered as his body seemed to stretch under the weight of it.
"Clark, you still with us?" Dr. Hayden's voice cut through the dissonance. Her voice was distant now, barely audible amid the cacophony of the world.
He blinked, the overwhelming flood of sensory input forcing him to focus. *Focus*.
"Yeah," he muttered, shaking his head as if trying to clear the fog in his mind. "Just... give me a second."
But he could hear it all. The whispers of people he had never met. The fear, the hope, the noise of a world that was constantly shifting. And, strangely, it wasn't just limited to Earth. The deeper layers of the universe reached out to him, whispering, humming with possibilities. He could hear stars being born. He could hear stars dying.
He was a god.
The weight of it slammed into him, crashing through his chest like a tidal wave. His thoughts scattered, his fists clenching with the intensity of the emotions roaring inside him. He *could* hear everything. He *could* see everything.
And yet… he could never save it all. He had never been able to stop the destruction.
His body was restless. Every small shift in his posture, every movement he made sent tremors through the room, subtle at first, but unmistakable in their force. He stood, trying to steady himself, but the room shook again, the machines whirring wildly in response to the force of his presence.
This was no longer just about recovery. This was about something far worse.
Nick Fury was standing at the doorway, his arms crossed, his gaze sharp but filled with an undertone of concern. Coulson stood just behind him, silent, observing.
Fury's voice cut through the tension in the air. "Clark Kent." His tone was more demanding now. "It's time to stop playing games. You're not just a man. I can feel it. You're not just an alien. I need to know what we're dealing with here, and I need to know *now*."
Clark's fists clenched, the anger flaring within him like a fire that would burn everything down. "What are you going to do, Fury?" His voice was low, tight with restrained fury. "What *can* you do?" He stepped forward, his body rippling with barely-contained power. The floor cracked beneath his feet as his presence reverberated through the room. He wasn't trying to show off. He wasn't trying to intimidate. But he *was* furious, and the world felt as though it was bending under his weight.
"You have no idea what I've been through," Clark growled, his eyes glowing faintly with a barely restrained energy. "I was once the hope of my world. A protector. I was... *a god* to them. But I destroyed it. Everything. *Everyone*. And now you want answers. You think you can just pull it out of me like I'm some kind of experiment?"
Fury's eye narrowed. "I don't care about your past right now. What I care about is the fact that you're not human. You're dangerous. I don't know if you're here by accident or if this is some kind of trap, but either way—*we* are responsible for what happens next."
Clark's jaw clenched, and he looked down at his hands, as if the strength inside them might betray him at any moment. The guilt surged again, suffocating him. *How many people have I killed?* The thought made his stomach churn.
"You want to know who I am, Fury?" Clark spat, his voice raw with emotion. "Fine. I'm Clark Kent. I was once the hero of my world. But it doesn't matter anymore. I don't belong here." His voice faltered, just for a moment. "I couldn't save them, Fury. And now I can't even save myself."
His mind was a whirlwind of confusion, guilt, and rage. Every part of him wanted to tear down the walls around him, to let his powers run free and let the world feel the weight of his grief, his anger.
Fury's posture shifted, and he stepped closer, his voice measured but unyielding. "Clark, you need to—"
"*No*." Clark's voice cracked like thunder, echoing off the walls of the medical bay. He couldn't hold back any longer. "You don't understand. You don't get to judge me. I've already lost everything. I don't owe you answers."
Clark's hands balled into fists, and the entire room seemed to vibrate with the force of his fury. The air itself seemed to shimmer with raw power.
"You have no idea what I'm capable of," Clark warned, his eyes glowing with a flicker of heat, his voice carrying a dangerous edge.
Fury didn't back down. "You may not care now, but one way or another, we'll figure this out. Whether you like it or not."
Clark didn't respond. Instead, he spun on his heel, his boots cracking against the ground as he strode to the door. The walls groaned with the force of his passing, and the floor seemed to tremble beneath his steps.
The door slammed open with a burst of force, shaking the room again. Fury and Coulson stood there, eyes narrowing as Clark walked out, his back rigid with defiance.
"You want answers, Fury?" Clark's voice echoed back to them as he stepped into the corridor, his words sharp as a blade. "You'll have to find them yourselves."
And with that, he was gone.