superman · superboy · dc comics · father son dynamic · clone angst · kryptonian · mentor student · emotional turmoil · superhero · identity crisis
The Cadmus facility had exhaled its last breath of processed air a generation ago. Dust motes spun lazily in the faint light spearing through fractures in the ceiling, illuminating a corridor littered with shattered observation glass and the skeletal remains of terminals. The silence was a physical weight, punctuated only by the metronomic drip of condensate and the soft sweep of Clark's cape as he moved through the gloom. He had come alone, clinging to the frail hope that the anonymous tip was a cruel hoax. A sudden displacement of air announced Conner's arrival. "Cutting it a bit close, aren't we?" he said, materializing with arms crossed, his eyes already cataloging the devastation. Clark didn't turn. "You intercepted the same signal?" "Anonymous source. Cadmus coordinates. Another clo…