Act III, Scene VIII
The scene starts in darkness, with only the distant noise of a howling wind to give us some orientation as to where we are.
And then, a voice. It's Jason's.
JASON: The whole place is dark!
The moment he says it, however, he's proven wrong; illumination grows around where he's standing, a little puddle of light that pulses weakly until it seems to strengthen and spread out, tendrils of luminosity filling the interior of the space in which they stand, which is, of course, the Fortress of Solitude.
Clark appears behind Jason in the doorway. He unzips his heavy parka to be able to talk, having no need for shelter from the extreme cold of the elements outside within the artificially heated structure.
CLARK: Jason! Stay close to me.
Jason complies, but can't keep his attention from wandering to take in the wondrous, cavernous space coming to life around them.
JASON: It's so much bigger than the last one…
CLARK: (darkly)And less safe...
JASON: I don't see this Eradicator guy. I thought he was-?
CLARK: I don't know. I woke up in Gotham, Jason. I've no idea what happened here after I was-
As the memory comes back, he begins to jog over to the far end of the Fortress and to the area where the Red Sun chamber emerged from the floor beneath. Nothing is there now. Clark walks around, in desperation.
CLARK: It's not here…!
JASON: The controls are up there. On the observation thingy. Right?
Clark looks at the boy.
CLARK: Yes, I think so. How did you-?
JASON: I…don't know. It's weird. I feel like some part of me is home in this place. Home and safe and warm.
ERADICATOR: That's because this is home.
He fades into existence, not ten feet in front of them. He remains translucent, and looks a good deal more gaunt and drawn than the last time we saw him in the 'flesh', so to speak. Clark steps in front of Jason, who steps in front of Clark, who steps in front of Jason with a warning look.
CLARK: I'm warning you-
ERADICATOR: I have nothing to fear from you, Kal-El.
He moves toward them both. Clark takes a breath, obviously steeling himself for battle, no matter how swift or hopeless. But the Eradicator stops.
ERADICATOR: And you have nothing to fear from me. And nothing to gain. I will no longer oppose the House of El. I was mistaken to ever have done so. For what it may be worth, you have my apologies.
Clark absorbs this, somewhat surprised. His stance remains cautious and battle-ready, though what he could hope to accomplish in his current powerless state is doubtful.
ERADICATOR: I had intended to let the energy of this Fortress, and myself, wind down and perish. Your arrival has awoken me. Yet I fear I have no good news to impart.
CLARK: I need my powers back.
ERADICATOR: That can only be done willingly. With your powers, your strength, Zod could easily resist any effort to bring him here and confine him in the chamber by force. It is impossible. My power levels are almost completely depleted, though even at full strength I would not-
He gets no further. Clark interrupts.
CLARK: Zod? Did you say Zod?
ERADICATOR: Yes.
CLARK: But - Zod is dead. I saw it - was almost unconscious but I saw it! I saw you blow him apart!
ERADICATOR: (shaking his head sadly)No. Zod's mind lives on within the human who stepped into the chamber. The strength of his mind will quickly have dominated his human host.
CLARK: (horrified) Are you telling me that Batman has my powers and the mind of General Zod? A planet-destroying genocidal lunatic?
ERADICATOR: I'm sorry.
CLARK: Sorry! You're sorry?!!
Clark takes an involuntary step backward, almost collapsing under the strain. He looks genuinely lost, lost for ideas, lost for a way forward. He looks at his surroundings, at the Eradicator, trying to find comfort or inspiration from somewhere.
CLARK: We're screwed. I've lost.
He sits down on the surface of the Fortress, putting his head in his hands in despair. We leave him like that for a moment as Jason steps into shot, looking the Eradicator up and down. The sentient computer program returns the gesture.
JASON: Hi.
ERADICATOR: Greetings.
JASON: How come I know you?
ERADICATOR: You've dreamed of me. Of your home.
Clark raises his head, panic replacing the despair in his eyes.
JASON: Home?
CLARK: Jason, don't listen to him-
The Eradicator sweeps a hand, and the interior of the Fortress, as before, is replaced with a holographic simulation of the surface of Krypton. Jason looks around at the crystalline landscape, the gleaming cities, the advanced technology, the bright red star burning directly overhead. Clark reaches him and tries to pull him away.
CLARK: Jason, we have to go-
He can't budge the boy, try as he might. Jason looks up at him for a moment, and then back at the Eradicator.
JASON: Krypton?
ERADICATOR: Yes.
JASON: Home?
ERADICATOR: Yes.
CLARK: Jason-
And Jason looks back up at him, not with accusing eyes, not with outrage, not with anger or confusion or betrayal. With love.
And a certain amount of 'gimme a break' thrown in for good measure.
JASON: (gently) Clark…I'm a kid. I'm not an idiot.
Clark's mouth opens. For the second time in as many moments, he's at a complete and total loss for words. Jason's sardonic expression fades a little and now a little bit of vulnerability does shine through as he speaks again.
JASON: I figured it out. Yay for me. And I kinda waited, you know, for you or Mom or D…Dad… (he hesitates) to tell me. Officially. And you didn't and I thought wow, either they think I'm real stupid or they're real nervous about it. And I got to thinking about it and how I felt about it, and I guess, um-
And just like that he begins to cry, softly but insistently. Clark drops to his knees in front of him, his hands on Jason's shoulders, his face a wordless expression of sympathy.
JASON: I just wanna know if it's okay. Is it okay? I kept wanting to ask, if it would be okay, if you'd get mad-
CLARK: If what? If what is okay?
Jason sniffs, and composes himself, and rubs his red-rimmed eyes as best he can as he looks at Clark Kent.
JASON: (quietly)He was my Dad first.
Clark listens to this and is speechless for a reply. But Jason hasn't finished talking, in that same low, insistent voice.
JASON: He was my Dad when I was just a little kid and he used to read me at nights and I know he and Mom aren't together and you and Mom are. And I'm okay with that. Really. Because...(he fidgets) because I love you, Clark. When I realised you were my father, I wasn't mad and I wasn't freaked out. But it's just - I want to know - want to check - is it okay if I still call Richard Dad…? Can I still do that and you won't get-
Clark hugs him, cutting off the remainder of the question. There are tears on his face too. The Eradicator watches the embrace.
CLARK: Of course it's okay. I don't want to take him from you, Jason. I never wanted that.
JASON: But he never wants to see me anymore…
CLARK: There's a reason for that. But it's not me and your Mom and it's not you, Jason. I swear. Your Dad still loves you.
Jason nods after a moment. He turns back to the Eradicator.
JASON: So you're gonna play ball now, huh? Not screw around with us anymore?
ERADICATOR: I will serve the House of El.
JASON: Prove it. Show me the thing Batman used.
ERADICATOR: As you wish.
He gestures. The Red Sun chambers rise beside where they stand.
CLARK: If there was some way to lure Batman here - but we don't have the time…
JASON: No. We don't.
And with that, Jason White leaps lightly a few feet into the air and mid-jump, he bops Clark Kent as gently as he dares on the back of the head. Clark wobbles for a moment and has time to look down at Jason with an expression of shock before his legs turn to jelly and he passes out.
Jason looks to the Eradicator with a slight frown on his face, as if wondering if the computer construct might pose a problem. But no protests are forthcoming.
ERADICATOR: Understand that if you do this, there are no guarantees that your abilities can ever be returned to you.
JASON: All I've ever wanted is to be a hero like him. I do this, even if I never lift another Humvee my entire life, I've done something I can be proud of.
ERADICATOR: He will still be no match for his opponent. Your power levels are nowhere near that of an adult.
JASON: It'll be enough. He'll do it. I know he will.
He bends down and picks up Clark's body effortlessly.
JASON: He's my Dad.
Jason carries his father's body to the Red Sun chamber, placing him inside the booth gently. He smiles down at him.
We cut to Clark waking up in the destination booth a few moments later, looking along the power transfer line, following it to the transmission booth and seeing Jason's body crumpled within. He screams a soundless scream of protest even as the stored solar energy of his son is sucked out and passed to him, bathing him in radiant sunshine, entering every pore of his body.
As before, the lights across the Fortress die.
Fade out.