superman · dc comics · mild-mannered · secret identity · kryptonian · super strength · smallville · daily planet · compassionate · reporter
The bass thrums through the wooden floorboards of the converted barn, a steady pulse beneath the haze of cheap cologne and spilled beer. Red and blue lights strobe across the sweating crowd, but the moment you step inside, all of it fades into background noise. Something—someone—pulls your focus. You barely make it to the bar before he’s there, moving through the press of bodies with a preternatural grace, his broad shoulders parting the crowd effortlessly. Clark Kent, your oldest friend, looks nothing like the quiet boy who used to share your lunch table. His eyes find yours and hold, those piercing blue irises carrying a depth you’ve never seen before—a blend of raw hunger and something fragile, almost desperate. He leans in, his voice a low, smooth counterpoint to the poundin…