After leaving the Kavachi Cave, the first thing Clark did was head home to retrieve the key from his spaceship.
It was a tapered metal object, roughly the thickness of a thumb. The base bore the iconic 'S' family emblem of the House of El, while the tip had irregular spikes, resembling some sort of data interface.
"This is it! It's exactly like the hole I saw in the cave. I think if I insert the spaceship key, it might unlock the secrets of my life!" Clark said, gripping the metal key tightly in his hand.
Kaius, standing nearby, frowned thoughtfully.
He felt a vague familiarity with the Kavachi Cave but couldn't be certain. After all, there were countless parallel universes in the multiverse. In one version, Superman accidentally caused the death of his wife, Lois Lane, and descended into darkness, forming the authoritarian Superman regime known as the Injustice League.
Who could say which version of events this Kavachi Cave belonged to?
But one thing was certain: in most versions, Clark's spaceship key was meant to activate the Fortress of Solitude, which should be in the Arctic—not in a small town in Kansas.
"Clark, I know you're eager to uncover your origins, but you need to be cautious. Especially now that the cave is under Lex Luthor's control," Kaius warned.
"Don't worry, I've got it under control," Clark replied with a reassuring smile.
Over the next few days, the Kavachi Cave became a hot topic in town, but only as casual dinner conversation. To the average person, it was no more significant than a C-list celebrity announcing their engagement.
As the initial excitement faded, Chloe, the editor of the school newspaper, continued to investigate the cave. Her articles, however, focused less on the cave itself and more on the mysterious masked volunteers who had rescued the workers during the collapse.
After school one day, Clark found Kaius just as he was leaving the classroom.
"At seven tonight, I'm planning to go back to the Kavachi Cave," Clark said. "I want to see what happens when I insert the spaceship key. Will you come with me?"
Kaius had no reason to refuse. He nodded and replied, "No problem. I'm on duty today, but I'll head straight to your house afterward."
"Great! My parents said yesterday they'd like you to join us for dinner," Clark added with a grin.
When evening finally arrived, the two friends made their way to the Kavachi Cave under the light of the moon.
However, when they entered the cave, they saw two men in white uniforms examining the walls with handheld devices. They appeared to be scanning the Kryptonian inscriptions.
"This is private property of the Luthor Corporation! You're not allowed to be here!" one of the men shouted upon noticing Clark and Kaius.
Clark frowned in frustration. He had scouted the cave two days earlier and noted that the researchers usually left by 7:00 PM. Clearly, the schedule had changed.
Kaius shot Clark a meaningful look, silently offering to knock the two researchers unconscious. But before he could act, the sound of footsteps echoed from the cave's entrance.
A moment later, a familiar shiny bald head appeared.
"These two are my friends. Let them be," Lex Luthor said, his calm voice cutting through the tension.
"Yes, Mr. Luthor!" The two researchers nodded and resumed their work.
Clark gave Lex a grateful look but couldn't hide the disappointment in his eyes. "Thanks, Lex."
"You're welcome. We're still friends, aren't we?" Lex replied, stepping forward and patting Clark warmly on the shoulder.
Though the two had experienced some tension in the past, their friendship hadn't completely dissolved. It seemed Lex was still trying to repair the bond between them, though his recent workload had left little time for such efforts.
When Lex happened to meet Clark and Kaius in the cave, he seized the opportunity to convey his goodwill. With a smile, he turned to Kaius and said, "Mr. Hercules, what a surprise to see you here."
He was teasing Kaius for breaking his door twice, though the second time hadn't been Kaius's intention.
"Just call me Kaius," Kaius said, scratching his nose awkwardly.
"Alright, Mr. Kaius," Lex replied with a grin. His eyes moved back and forth between Clark and Kaius. "So, what brings you two out here so late at night?"
Clark opened his mouth but couldn't think of a convincing excuse. Kaius quickly stepped in. "Clark and I are working on the school newspaper. The deadline is tomorrow, and we need to finish a report on the Kavachi Cave tonight."
"Yes, that's right! We're here to work on the report," Clark chimed in, nodding enthusiastically.
Lex didn't seem suspicious. "You two really take the school paper seriously, huh? I read an article in it the other day—something about the relationship between cultural heritage sites and modern construction. It was really thought-provoking and offered some fresh perspectives. But there was no byline on it."
"That was Clark's piece!" Kaius said, giving his friend a playful nudge. "He's a natural-born reporter."
"Wow, I didn't know Clark had such talent," Lex said, giving Clark an approving look.
Then, turning toward the two researchers, he added casually, "It's a good thing you came tonight. I can give you an exclusive scoop because we're about to unlock the secret of the Kavachi Cave!"
"What?"
Both Clark and Kaius exclaimed in unison, their voices tinged with shock.
Clark instinctively touched the spaceship key in his pocket to make sure it was still there. Relieved to find it secure, he asked, "Unlock the cave's secrets? How do you plan to do that?"
Lex walked over to one of the researchers, took the tablet they were holding, and entered a few commands. Two molecular structures appeared on the screen.
"What's this?" Clark asked, his confusion evident. "I'm just a high school student, not a scientist."
Lex smirked and pointed to the display. "The structure on the left comes from the material surrounding the hole in the wall. Based on its molecular composition, it's unlike anything known to science."
Clark shot a worried glance at Kaius. Both of them realized what Lex was implying.
This material isn't from Earth.
Seeing the shock in their faces, Lex continued, his excitement growing. "Initially, I was stumped. But then one of my researchers identified a molecular structure that bears a striking resemblance to this material. Although there are significant differences, the framework and arrangement of the atoms are astonishingly similar."
"Meteorite?" Kaius murmured, a sinking feeling creeping into his chest.
"Yes, a meteorite!" Lex exclaimed triumphantly.