A few hours ter…
Azuma Shoyo checked the time and figured it was about right. He stood up, left the moon, and took half an hour to return to Smallville.
8:00 PM.
Azuma drove up to the Kent farm.
As he stepped out of the car, the front door of the house swung open.
"Welcome to my home!"
Crk walked over with a grin and pulled Azuma into a hug.
Superman's official height was 6'3" (191 cm), but in this standalone Man of Steel world, Azuma had noticed something: every named character had the exact face of their movie actor, down to the tiniest detail.
So…
Crk here wasn't 191 cm—he was 6'1" (185 cm). Azuma, at 5'10" (177 cm), wasn't far off. The gap wasn't huge.
But Crk was built. Azuma wasn't scrawny—he worked out, and shirtless, his muscle definition was sharp and clear. Standing next to Crk, though, he looked a bit lean.
Crk's physique leaned toward bodybuilder territory. Not as jacked as steroid-pumped pros, but compared to Azuma's lean muscle, he was noticeably bulkier.
"You went straight to the moon?" Crk asked in a low voice.
"Yeah, I like sunbathing up there," Azuma replied with a smile.
"No wonder your physical age is younger than mine, but your strength and speed match me," Crk said, realization dawning.
He'd said "physical age" because Azuma had mentioned being six years older than Crk back on Krypton. Yet now, Crk was 16 years older than Azuma appeared.
"Come on, let me introduce you to my mom," Crk said warmly, ushering Azuma inside to meet Martha Kent.
"Is that okay?" Crk asked Azuma after the introductions.
"Sure, I don't mind," Azuma shrugged.
Crk turned to his curious mother. "Mom, Azuma's like me. We're both from the same pnet."
Martha's eyes widened in disbelief, then softened into a delighted smile.
"That's wonderful, Crk!" she said, grabbing his hand. "You won't be alone anymore!"
As a mother, Martha knew how lonely Crk had been growing up. Being different from everyone around him made him feel like he didn't fit in with the world.
Now…
Not only had Crk discovered his origins, but he'd found a kindred spirit—a fellow Kryptonian!
For Martha, nothing could make her happier for her son.
"Yeah, I won't be alone anymore," Crk said, smiling genuinely.
Azuma hung out at Crk's pce for a while, leaving around 10:00 PM.
Crk made pns with him, though—tomorrow afternoon, he'd take Azuma to see the Kryptonian ship and promised a surprise gift. Azuma was curious about what Crk had in store, but Crk kept it mysterious, saying it'd be revealed tomorrow, not now.
"Alright, see you tomorrow!"
Azuma waved goodbye to Crk and Martha, then shot into the sky, vanishing into the night in a blink.
Martha watched in awe, tugging at her son's arm. "Crk, can you fly too?"
"Yes, Mom," Crk nodded.
He'd only mastered flight after uncovering his heritage. At Azuma's age, he'd been nowhere near this level.
"Azuma's worked harder to tap into his potential. Maybe he should be the Son of Krypton," Crk thought.
…
Eastern Hemisphere…
On a sunlit beach.
After leaving Crk's, Azuma came here.
He lounged on a beach chair, wearing swim trunks and oversized sungsses, sipping a drink while basking in the sun.
Sunbathing on the moon was more efficient, sure, but it was boring as hell—nothing to do but soak up rays.
Down here on Earth, the sor intake was slightly less potent, but the perks were worth it.
Drinks, books, movies…
And all the bikini-cd beachgoers to admire. Unless Azuma was an idiot, the choice was obvious.
His moon trip had been about curiosity.
Now that it was satisfied, there was no need to go back.
He wasn't some ascetic monk!
"I'll skip sleeping tonight. Let's see what gift Crk's got for me tomorrow," Azuma mused.
Since extracting the [Man of Steel] trait from Crk, sleeping wasn't really necessary anymore.
Even if he felt a bit off after a while, a quick sunbath wiped away any fatigue instantly!
That applied to Kryptonian lifespan too.
Sure, a Kryptonian's natural lifespan was listed as 300–400 years. After extracting [Man of Steel], Azuma's maxed out at 400—not exactly fitting for Superman's godlike power, right?
But here's the thing…
A Kryptonian's 400 years outsted the millennia-long lifespans of other long-lived races!
Why?
Their unique edge.
Everyone knows Kryptonians thrive under a yellow sun. It boosts cell growth and recovery, converting sor radiation into energy through their special physiology—enough to outmatch a star's explosion!
That genetic gift was their greatest strength.
Aging comes from cellur decay.
Barring soul-level stuff, a body's cells dictate how long you live.
But Kryptonians? When their cells wear out, a little sunlight fixes them right up.
So…
That 400-year cap? You could live 40,000 years and still not hit it.
You're 20 this year, 20 next year, 20 the year after—how's that for a deal?
Point is…
Talking about a lifespan limit with Kryptonians is pointless.
Unless you lock one in a sunless cage for centuries, they'll age out and die.
Otherwise…
They're practically immortal!
