Chapter 3

Superboy put the heartbeat from his mind the next morning. He had slept fitfully in the first bedroom he had found. Unable to pick up the courage to go further in. Despite his powers he feared running into an adversary he could not see. Besides, he did not feel in a mood to fight. Whoever lurked within these walls with him must have been here before he had come. That or it was some sort of strange defense mechanism the fortress had concocted.

He ate three more energy bars not knowing how to prepare any of the food from the kitchen. Digging through his pack he spread his sparse belongings out on the bed. Three sets of clothes, similar to what he wore. A few more energy bars which were running alarmingly low considering his appetite. Five water bottles, one of which he opened and sipped sparingly as he opened his notebook.

The pages were blank. The blue lines seeming to dare him to mark their pristine pages. A new packet of pens and pencils for him to use. Picking up a pencil Superboy began to sketch a rough map of what he had found so far. Marking off certain areas and leaving them open to add to later. It took him a matter of five minutes to create a rough sketch before he turned the page over.

Idly he began to sketch a heart. A real one he knew with four chambers which was one of the most precious organs in the body. A muscle continuously moving, and once it stopped the rest of the body failed. Then he heard it again.

"Okay, whose there?!" Superboy yelled at the walls. He heard a sharp gasp and then the sharp click of claws again. His hair standing on end on the back of his neck Superboy set his notebook and pencil down.

Stepping out into the hallway he paused listening for the sound. Thoughts of Superman crossed his mind. Of his predecessor haunting this empty place seeking revenge for his untimely death. Superboy waited before he heard the heartbeat begin to move again.

Taking off like a shot he followed it. Whatever it was heard the slap of his sneakers as they began to run as well. Superboy skidded as he slid around the corner fighting for balance on the slick floor in his sneakers. Grabbing the edge of the wall he didn't break stride as he pursued the sound. He saw a flicker of white around the corner which made his panic rise even more. He must have been right. Superman's ghost!

Superboy ran until he came to a room with an arching ceiling. Shafts of light flooded the neat, green rows of vegetables down below. The cold blocked by the thick glass which allowed the life giving sunlight to come in from the pale Arctic sun. With a low growl he ventured into the room going into a crouch.

The rows of plants were separated into sections. One held tomatoes, another strawberries, and in another he even spotted long stalks of corn. Superman had been smart to grow his own food. Allowing him to remain hidden within these impenetrable walls without being disturbed.

As he continued he came to an area which had all sorts of fruits growing. Berries especially were arranged neatly, the long thorny vines of a blackberry bush climbing a tall picket. In another section strawberries grew, a few already bright red and fat gleaming in the sunlight. Superboy paused when he came to the strawberry plants. Reaching down he plucked one and inspected it. After a moment popping it into his mouth out of curiosity.

He was surprised by the sweetness of the small fruit. It tasted nothing like the energy bars he ate, but not so overly sweet he could not stand it. A subtle dance upon his tongue which left him elated as if he had been praised for a good deed. Looking around, he saw no ghost coming out to scold him for invading this green sanctuary. Reaching down he plucked two more berries and ate them as well.

Superboy finally gave in to his weakness and walked back to the kitchen. Finding a large bowl he took it with him back to the green house. Picking strawberries until they his bowl was overfilled. He took it back to his new room to work on his map again. He had lost the sound of the heartbeat, but frowned wondering how to explain this to his father. Would he be scolded for believing in a ghost? Father always told him there was always a logical explanation for everything.

Eventually Superboy grew bored of working on his map. He walked the fortress some more, taking notes as he went along as he mapped out certain areas. This place was big, far too big for him to explore all in one day. Quiet too. Despite the vastness he felt claustrophobic within the place. As if a presence lingered there which rejected him.

"Superman is dead." Superboy said into the emptiness. His voice echoed within the bare halls. The walls refusing to reply back to him.

"DEAD! YOU HEAR ME? DEAD!" He screamed it. Still nothing happened. For a moment he swore the crystal walls around him shimmered angrily their colors changing so rapidly he could not follow them.

Again. A soft, insistent heartbeat which refused to die.