The silence that filled the room was deafening. Jonathan and Martha stared in shock, while Clark appeared stunned. Linda's eyes were bright with tears, and even Jimmy appeared upset by the news as he put a comforting hand on Linda's shoulder.

"He's dead?" Clark asked after a few seconds.

"I'm afraid so," Bridgette answered. "May we come in, please?" Jonathan nodded and opened the screen door as Martha and Clark moved aside to Bridgette and Edgar inside; Jonathan closed the door behind them. "Thank you."

"Would you like a something to drink or eat?" Martha asked.

"No, thank you, we won't be long," Bridgette answered.

"How did he die?" Clark asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"He developed a blood infection from a pressure wound on the back of his thigh," Bridgette answered. "It was, unfortunately, common because of his paralysis, but he always recovered after being treated with antibiotics. For some reason, he had an allergic reaction to the medications this time and went into cardiac arrest; the doctors did everything possible, but they couldn't save him."

"Did he suffer?" Linda asked softly.

"No," Bridgette answered, "he slipped into a coma and passed away. He didn't wake up at all, and his doctors believed he didn't feel any pain."

"I can't believe this is happening," Clark replied softly, looking a little helpless.

"Clark, Dr. Swann spoke highly of you," Bridgette said before looking at Linda, "both of you. After you and Linda last saw him, he told me how happy he was for you because you were no longer the last Kryptonian on Earth, that he could see you carrying yourself a bit higher because you were no longer alone."

"Dr. Swann told Clark that no one else knew about him," Jonathan spoke up, frowning. "I thought that would've extended to Linda as well."

"Dr. Swann promised their secret would never leave the confines of his foundation," Bridgette replied calmly, "and it hasn't. Edgar and myself are Dr. Swann's personal advisers, and we promise you that no one else in the Foundation is aware of Clark and Linda's origins."

"Miss Crosby, please don't think us rude," Martha spoke up, trying not to sound upset, "but why are you here?"

"About a month ago," Bridgette explained, "Dr. Swann gave me a sealed envelope and instructed me to give it to Clark and Linda in person in the event of Dr. Swann death." She held out the envelope to Clark, who took it.

"What's in it?" Clark asked as he examined the envelope.

"I wish I could be of more help," Bridgette said, "but that package was meant for you and Linda, not me. Now, if you'll excuse us, Edgar and I have some affairs from Dr. Swann's foundation we need to get in order." She nodded politely and turned around, opening the door; she walked out with Edgar following behind her.

Jonathan closed the door and made sure it was securely locked. He turned around and saw the expressions on his son's and daughter's faces; his heart wrenched a little at their lost expression, and he sighed. "Clark, Linda," he said, "I'm sorry about Dr. Swann; I know how much he meant to you both."

"Clark, are you going to be okay?" Martha asked as she put a hand on her son's shoulder.

"Yeah," Clark replied softly, still staring numbly at the envelope in his hands.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Martha asked as she eyed the package warily.

"Bridgette was telling the truth," Linda answered softly. She glanced up and saw everyone staring at her curiously. "I…scanned their minds once she told us she knew about Clark and me; I wanted to make sure she wasn't dangerous."

"What did you sense?" Jimmy asked gently.

"Well, Edgar seemed a bit weird," Linda said softly, "but I didn't sense any hostility from either him or Bridgette." She shook her head, shrugging. "They really were here doing what Dr. Swann wanted them to." She glanced at the envelope. "You should open it"

Clark nodded and everyone moved to the table, taking their usual seats. The reporter sighed and carefully broke the seal, opening the envelope and reaching inside, pulling out a folded up piece of paper; Clark unfolded it, quickly scanning it. "It's a letter."

"What does it say?" Jonathan asked.

"'Dear Clark and Linda,'" Clark read softly. "'If you're reading this, then it means I've passed away. Please don't be too saddened by my death, just remember that this is just the next step in the journey that everyone is a part of.'

"'Clark, I've known you for over ten years, and in that time I've seen you grow from a lost teenager seeking answers about his origins into a confident young man that the world is proud to call their hero. I know there are still answers you're seeking, and I wish I could be there to help you find them, but you will have to do that without me from now on; just be patient—you will find them soon enough, if you only know where to look.'

"'Linda, you and I may not have gotten to know each other as well as I'd hoped, but in our short time together, I saw in you an admirable determination to live your life to the fullest. Don't ever abandon that determination or desire; it will serve you well.'

"'I know that each of you has your own life to live as you continue your journeys in this world, but don't let your independence shadow your connections with each other or your family. Few people have been successful in taking on the world alone. You can do great things, but don't be afraid to ask for help. It is the true hero who isn't scared to admit that he or she can't do it alone. Sincerely, Dr. Swann.'"

Clark's voice cracked a little as he finished reading. He glanced up as he felt his father's hand on his shoulder, giving him a sympathetic look. The reporter looked over to see Linda in tears, her chin quivering slightly; he saw Jimmy holding her hand as Martha gently rubbed her shoulder.

Clark cleared his throat and sighed as he reached into the envelope and pulled out a folded piece of delicate rice paper; he carefully opened it, and his eyebrows slowly raised in surprise as he stared at it.

"Clark, what is it?" Jonathan asked.

Clark carefully set the paper on the table so everyone could see it. Painted in sharp black ink was a large diamond, standing on its end. To the right of the diamond was a Yin Yang symbol consisting of a dark blue dragon-like bird for the Yin part and a bright orange dragon-like bird for the Yang part; both birds were engulfed in blue and orange flames, respectively. A black line connected the diamond's far right point to the circle, continuing under the Yin Yang symbol and to the right for a few more inches. In the diamond—painted in the same black ink as the diamond and line—was the familiar Kryptonian symbol for the House of El; in the bottom right corner of the paper was a small cluster of inked stars.

"What is that?" Martha asked as she stared in shock at the design.

"Nightwing and Flamebird," Linda whispered intently as stared at the paper.

"'Flamebird'?" Jimmy asked, a little surprised and confused. "Wasn't that the animal you sculpted—the one that looked like a phoenix?"

Linda nodded as she slowly leaned forward, turning the paper so she could see it better; she stared at it in awe, remembering the stories Rok-Var used to tell her.

"I'm assuming that's a Nightwing?" Jonathan asked as he nodded at the dark blue bird.

"Yeah," Linda replied, furrowing her eyebrows. "Rok-Var told me several stories regarding the Nightwing and Flamebird when I was little; he said the stories were so old that no one knew which version was true."

"What were they?" Clark asked, curious.

"One version goes back all the way to ancient Krypton," Linda explained, "when our people used to worship Rao, the sun god. He tasked other, lesser, gods with different responsibilities around the planet. Vohc was charged with creating and shaping life on Krypton, while his sister, Flamebird, was told to burn his work so his creativity wouldn't stagnate. According to the legend, Vohc created something one day that he felt was perfect and begged Flamebird not to destroy it, but she felt bound by her duty to Rao and burned it anyway. Vohc felt betrayed by his sister and began destroying things instead of creating them."

"So, basically he threw a glorified tantrum," Jimmy said.

"Essentially," Linda nodded.

"And Nightwing?" Clark asked.

"He was charged with carrying Wegthor, Xenon, and Mithen—Krypton's three moons—on his wings every night, filling up the entire sky with their lights so it shone like day," Linda replied. "He was also best friends with Vohc, and Flamebird's lover. After Vohc began destroying things, Nightwing and Flamebird used their abilities to help fix what Vohc destroyed, so Vohc decided to change his tactic and go after the people Nightwing and Flamebird protected; he caused what was known as the Great Flood of Krypton. Millions would have perished, but Nightwing and Flamebird managed to save everyone—right before Vohc ambushed them; they were mortally wounded. Vohc even tried destroying the moons, but Nightwing used the last of his abilities to fling the moons out of Vohc's reach before he died.

"It is said that as Vohc stood over their lifeless bodies," Linda continued, "he saw their blood—which was like liquid fire—mingling and scorching the ground beneath them, and he was suddenly overcome with remorse and guilt for killing his sister and best friend. He begged Rao to bring them back, but Rao refused and banished Vohc to the edge of the universe—but only after Vohc created one more thing: he carved a river that channeled their blood and directed it to to flow over the side of a cliff for all eternity. That monument became known as the Fire Falls, and it was said that the glow from their blood shone so bright in that area that it was as if the moons of Krypton had returned to their original positions in the sky."

"And I thought Greek mythology and Shakespeare were complicated," Jimmy muttered.

"Well, the other version is a lot more realistic," Linda replied. "Rok-Var said Nightwing and Flamebird were just normal Kryptonian animals that mated for life and were symbols of balance: the Flamebird was more active and vocal, while the Nightwing more docile and serene—but both birds defended themselves and each other with extreme fervor if they felt threatened." She shrugged. "Rok-Var even mentioned that in times of strife, two people would be inspired to fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves, using the animals as symbols of hope in their struggle."

"What about the rest of the drawing?" Martha asked. "This symbol appears to be Kryptonian."

"Well, that's the symbol for 'Crusade,'" Clark answered, "or 'Fire,' depending on the context," he gently tapped the El symbol, "and we all know what that is."

"What about this?" Linda asked, pointing to the Yin Yang symbol the two birds formed. "That's not a Kryptonian symbol."

"It's a Yin Yang," Clark explained, "and it's a Chinese symbol representing a balance between two forces. Given what you what you said about Nightwing and Flamebird—and what they represent—that actually makes a little sense."

"But how did they wind up on this thing in the first place?" Jimmy asked. "This paper looks old—like really old."

"Well, based on the strokes of the ink," Clark said as he studied the paper, "it looks like it was drawn in third century B.C., but…that doesn't make sense; the earliest Kryptonian to visit Earth was Naman, and that was hundreds of years later—and in Kansas, not China."

"Actually, third century B.C. is pretty accurate," Linda replied casually as she stared at the paper. After a few moments, she slowly glanced up and saw everyone staring at her. "What?"

"Would you care to run that by us again?" Jonathan asked.

"Rok-Var told me our ancestors started visiting Earth a long time ago," Linda answered, "long before Naman," she nodded at the paper, "and I guess China must have been one of the places they visited."

"Why didn't you say anything before now?" Clark asked.

"I honestly didn't think it was important," Linda replied. "I mean, Rok-Var told me it was our ancestors who came here, and he avoided going into too many details about the purpose of the visits," she shrugged as she nodded at the paper, "but whatever the reason, they did leave an impression on the locals." She turned to Clark. "Does the letter say anything about where Dr. Swann found this?"

Clark held up the letter and quickly scanned it. "Nothing," he said. "Just what I read to you," he chuckled, "and this." He turned the letter around, and everyone saw the words 'Look to the stars' scrawled in tiny letters in the lower right corner. He suddenly got this weird expression on his face, and he quickly turned the letter around; he stared at the words again, then he quickly turned the drawing toward him, focusing on the cluster of starts; he squinted his eyes, zooming in until he clearly saw the microscopic words written inside them. "Bingo."

"What is it?" Martha asked.

"There's writing in these stars," Clark replied, not looking up. "'Sidera tollere vultus.'"

"'Raise your face to the stars,'" Jimmy replied slowly. Everyone glanced at him, a little surprised. "What, am I the only person here who's read Ovid?" Everyone stayed quiet and just stared. "I'm gonna take that as a 'yes'." He sighed. "That's part of a passage from Metamorphosis: 'Caeulum videre iussit, et erectos ad sidera tollere vultus.'"

"'He bid them look at the sky and lift their faces to the stars,'" Linda said slowly, and everyone turned to look at her, just as surprised.

"How did you know what that means?" Jimmy asked.

Linda shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "I must've read it somewhere—probably on the Internet."

Clark glanced at his cousin, not sure if she was being completely honest with him, but he decided not to press her further. "Well," he said, "for whatever reason Dr. Swann gave this to us, we're not going to find any more answers—not tonight, anyway. It's late, and Jimmy and I need to get back to Metropolis."

"Yeah," Jimmy replied, a little disappointed as they all got to their feet and headed toward the kitchen door. "Why delve into Kryptonian history when we can investigate the Toyman?"

"Who?" Linda asked curiously.

"Schott's back?" Martha asked, concerned.

"Yeah," Clark replied, "and he's already killed someone, but don't worry, I'll be careful."

"Please do," Jonathan said.

"Who's the Toyman?" Linda repeated, a little annoyed.

"No one you need to worry about," Clark replied quickly. Linda raised an eyebrow as she folded her arms, and Clark sighed. "Fine. He's a dangerous criminal who uses toys to kill people."

"That's the best you can come up with?" Linda asked wryly.

"Actually, he's telling the truth," Jimmy answered. "Last time he was in town, he used Lois and me as bait by kidnapping us with a giant robot spider—which was pretty cool," he glanced over and saw Clark folding his arms, "and by cool I mean it was a bad thing—a really bad thing."

"You want any help finding him?" Linda asked her cousin.

"No," Clark, Martha, and Jonathan replied.

"Sheesh, I was just asking," Linda said as she folded her arms, looking a little annoyed.

Clark smiled a little. "Why don't you keep an eye on Dr. Swann's letter and that paper, okay?" Linda grumbled a little but sighed and nodded, and Clark leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Good night, Short Stack."

"Don't call me Short Stack," Linda replied, sounding annoyed but Clark saw the corners of her mouth curl up slightly. As Clark said goodbye to his parents, Linda glanced at Jimmy, and she sighed as she smiled a little as she hugged him. "Thanks for coming, Jimmy."

"Hey, no sweat," Jimmy replied, smiling, hugging her in return. When they pulled back, they stared at each other for a brief moment before completely separating. The photographer glanced at the Kents, and he could tell they were trying not to grin; Jimmy felt a little embarrassed, but he kept a calm demeanor. "Thanks for having me over."

"Of course, Jimmy," Martha replied warmly.

"Come on, Jimbo," Clark said as he put his arm around Jimmy's shoulders and opened the door. They headed down the porch steps, and the trio watched from the porch as Clark picked Jimmy up before launching himself into the sky, heading in the direction of Metropolis. Once the boys were out of sight, the Kents went back inside the house, and Jonathan closed the door behind them.

From the shadows of the barn, Bridgette and Edgar kept their eyes on the sky. After a few moments, Bridgette reached toward her ear and pulled out a small device that looked like a miniature hearing aid; Edgar followed her actions as they headed toward a black town car nearby.

"Now what?" Edgar asked as he opened the passenger side.

"They have what they need," Bridgette replied as she opened the driver's side. "All we do now is wait for them to figure it out." She got in and closed the door behind her.

"And what if they don't?" Edgar asked as he got in beside her. "Why can't we just tell them the truth?"

"Because Dr. Swann was adamant in his instructions," Bridgette answered. "We were to give them their first clue, but Kal-El and Kara must do this without our interference—otherwise there's no hope for any of us." Edgar looked troubled, but he didn't say anything as Bridgette started the car and shifted into drive, heading away from the farmhouse.

(End of Chapter 4)